Archive for November 28th, 2007
PM: I am open to criticism
By MAZWIN NIK ANIS
Nov 28, 2007
CAIRO: The Prime Minister is open to criticism but it must be reasonable and not made emotionally or without justification.
“I do accept reasonable criticism. It is not a problem for me. But one cannot criticise based on assumptions and wrong information. That is not fair,” he said when asked to comment on a survey done by a local research centre and a daily newspaper recently.
According to the survey, Abdullah’s leadership has boosted public confidence and trust in Barisan Nasional.
“I am humbled by this. I will continue to do the best that I can for the country and the people.
“For those who support me and want to join my struggle, I say thank you. For those who criticise me, I also say thank you,” he said.
Abdullah, speaking to the Malaysian media at the end of his two-day visit here yesterday, also dispelled speculation that he would not be going abroad in the coming months, so as to prepare for the general election.
He said he had been informed that there were three or four trips coming up but did not elaborate on them nor whether he would be going.
When pressed further if the trips would be made before the Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb 7 next year, the Prime Minister said:
“Obviously, I will have to be around for Chinese New Year to celebrate the festivities with the Chinese community.”
The Prime Minister, who celebrated his 68th birthday on Monday, said he had no birthday wish but for good health for him, his family and all Malaysians.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/
2007/11/28/nation/19592289&sec=nation
Add comment November 28, 2007
Education seminar passes resolution to cane female students
By SARAH CHEW
Nov 28, 2007
KAJANG: Female students should be caned because their disciplinary cases are just as serious as boys’.
This is the reason behind a call to introduce caning for girls in schools, one of the resolutions passed at the National Seminar on Education Regulations (Student Discipline) 2007.
“There have been suggestions that girls should be caned as sometimes there are more girls than boys in schools, and the problems they give are just as serious,” said Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar yesterday when closing the seminar.
The three-day seminar, attended by over 500 elected representatives, school heads, ministry officials and also representatives of parent-teacher associations, religious groups and political bodies, discussed school disciplinary issues, punishments and solutions.
It was aimed at looking into and fine-tuning the draft of the Education Regulations (School Discipline) 2007, meant to replace the 47-year-old Education Regulations (School Discipline) 1959.
The 21 resolutions passed yesterday included:
# Decisions on disciplinary action at school level should be made by school disciplinary committees;
# School uniforms should be the same for students nationwide;
# Expelled students who appeal should be given a chance to study in another school;
# Handphones are to be banned in schools;
# Non-government organisations, parent-teacher associations and other related bodies should be involved in handling disciplinary matters; and
# Special schools that emphasise character development should be established for students who have committed serious offences.
Noh said the special schools should not be viewed negatively.
“We are looking at ways to rehabilitate students as a one-day or five-day course is sometimes not effective,” he said.
The seminar, he added, was crucial in helping the ministry formulate the new regulations through discussion with stakeholders.
“We were already planning to implement some of the things covered in the resolutions but are worried about objections from the public,” he said.
For instance, he said, many parents had objected to the circular banning handphones in schools but participants at the seminar supported this ruling.
The draft, he said, would be scrutinised by a technical committee and the Attorney-General’s Chambers before being presented to the Cabinet.
He also hoped that the new regulations would be implemented by next year.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/
2007/11/28/nation/19595309&sec=nation
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Investors rush in to Malaysia’s ‘Super Corridor’
By Thomas Kostigen, MarketWatch
Last Update: 7:13 PM ET Nov 27, 2007
KUCHING, Malaysia (MarketWatch) — It’s called the MSC, the Malaysian Super Corridor, and it’s attracting the investment attention of big money and institutions all around the world.
Malaysia is poised for enormous growth. Predictions for the economy in 2008 are robust. Venture capitalists and developers are investing in real estate, technology and communications. The country is looking like it will become a major business hub in years to come.
Take a look at Kuala Lumpur. Built out of the jungle, the city is thriving with shopping malls like the KLCC and the famous Petronas Twin Towers attracting people in droves. When I was there, business meetings and conferences were being held all over. Pete Sampras and Roger Federer were holding an exhibition tennis match and the city pulse was on par with that of New York. The hotels and buildings are sparkling new, and more are going up every day.
If the MSC takes hold it will be a force to be reckoned with. Here’s why: Malaysia is just Western enough to attract investors from Australia, Europe and the U.S. And it is just Eastern enough to attract investors from China and Japan. China is already taking the lead. A local businessman told me that Chinese interests control about 50% of the businesses near him.
The Malaysian government and the MSC, an organization in its own right, aren’t keeping the place a secret. Advertisements are all over the international news networks and the local papers.
The Malaysian government sees the MSC as its big chance to compete on the international level. It boasts a hub, or corridor, that is being developed rapidly and attracting businesses ranging from real estate to telecommunications to technology. It is sparking job growth, stock growth, economic growth — growth with a capital G.
To be sure, Singapore, its neighbor, has already proven to be a major business success. Malaysia faces competition from the rest of the world as well as very little infrastructure to begin such a 21st century endeavor.
Jungle transformation
Besides, the MSC will ravage the land here more than it already has. Malaysia is a pristine place, full of jungle and unspoiled natural resources. That will all change if the various stages of the corridor take hold and envelop the states of Sabah and Sawarak, where myriad species roam wild.
Officials from the state of California were visiting when I was in Kuala Lumpur, vetting the MSC. They said they are interested in pursuing relationships in the area — potential investments and sharing of resources.
What will attract people here are the prices. Malaysia is cheap. A two-story compound of a home on Sawarak is about $100,000. You can get a full dinner, including appetizers, drinks and dessert for a little more than ten bucks.
In terms of stock prices, Malaysia has followed Asia and the rest of the world of late, seesawing. But values are said to be available.
The Malaysian government admits that the MSC will corrupt land, but says the economic benefits of jobs and industry will outweigh that and help its people.
It won’t be up to them, however. There isn’t enough local wealth to put Malaysia in riches. It knows that. It needs outside investors to reach the type of growth it has in mind.
That means it will have to rely on the business strategies of foreign firms to propel its growth. And that may not so neatly mean jobs for the Malaysian people. There is a huge influx of Indonesian labor in the country. Outsourcing capital also means outsourcing the management of the economy to an extent.
By those rules, the market will win, even if that means at the sacrifice of the people and the land that it is built upon. Whether the MSC will fulfill the high hopes the Malaysian government has remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: It will have a dramatic effect on how things are here.
Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/
investors-rush-malaysias-super-corridor/story.aspx?guid=
%7B6F3CF5D4-FB9D-48E5-9B6E-60BB9E34790A%7D
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