'SELAMAT DATANG KE BLOG 'PUSAT MAKLUMAT RAKYAT KUCHING'

Kami menyediakan bahan maklumat mengenai dasar-dasar kerajaan serta perkhidmatan internet bagi para pelanggan.

LEAVING THIS BLOG NOW...................

As I will be on a long months' holidays starting 7th July 2010 prior to my retirement in October 2010, I will suspend my service in updating my blog on daily issues or facts of interest.

I would like to thanks everyone for having the interest in surfing my blog and sharing the thoughts with me.

Thank you to everyone.


Thursday, July 30, 2009

Law to regulate online gambling under study

The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) is studying a proposal to regulate electronic gambling on the Internet.

Its deputy minister Fadillah Yusof said yesterday the ministry was currently in its third phase of studies on the enforcement of law to bring down illegal gambling websites to prevent the public from becoming victims of electronic scams.

“We have set up a taskforce to deal with this issue and I’m one of the taskforce committee members. As far as cyberlaw is concerned, we are studying how to enforce it.

“Sometimes, the operators (of illegal gambling) can be outside Malaysia. It is a question of enforcement on the criminals,” he told reporters during a talk on cybercrime awareness by CyberSecurity Malaysia at the State Library here.

He said co-operation from international bodies was needed to deal with the problem.
When asked when the proposal would be finalised, he did indicate a date, but said the studies still had a long way to go.

“The proposal is yet to be submitted to the cabinet.

“The ministry is looking at the loopholes in the laws of Malaysia as far as cyber security is concerned,” he said.

He said the ministry would require feedback, especially from members of the public, industry players, human rights movements, the taskforce and consultants before
the proposal could be finalised.

Fadillah, however, said the present law was sufficient to protect the public from being cheated on the Internet, but the government would conduct detailed studies to safeguard public interest.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Nation’s first A(H1N1)-related death

The nation had its first Influenza A (H1N1)-related death Thursday.
An Indonesian patient died of underlying conditions and health authorites said the cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the 30-year-old first-year student from the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance, Kuala Lumpur, had died from cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm).

“The Influenza A (H1N1) was not a direct cause of his death,” he said at a press conference.
The patient went back to Indonesia for a holiday and returned to Malaysia on July 5 and was reported to be suffering from a mild fever and cough, he said.

On July 21, the patient fainted while waiting for his medication after consulting a doctor at a private medical centre in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Liow said.

He was given emergency treatment but he passed away at 11.50am. “A post mortem was carried out at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on the same day and the results showed that the patient was obese, had pneumonia, an enlarged heart and liver and pus-like material at the bottom of the trachea,” he said.

Liow said 20 specimens had been taken to carry out virology, bacterialogy, histopatology, bio-chemical and toxicology tests.

The virology and bacteriology tests on lung tissues and the trachea showed the presence of Influenza A (H1N1). “We are still waiting for other test results and the cause of death will be confirmed once all the tests are completed,” he said.

Liow said 25 staff members of the medical centre were ordered to self-quarantine themselves for seven days while seven of his room mates and study group were identified and one of them had sought treatment for influenza symptoms.

The ministry also carried out health checks yesterday at the college, he said.

Eighteen new cases were reported yesterday and 17 of them were the result of local transmissions and one imported where a Malaysian had returned from London.

From the local transmissions, 13 were from four clusters in Malacca while the rest were isolated cases.

In Kuala Terengganu, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus in Dungun will cease classes for a week when several of its students were tested positive for the virus.

In Malacca, three colleges were ordered to be closed for a week. They are Maktab Perguruan Perempuan Melayu in Durian Daun, Kolej Professional Mara in Jalan Hang Tuah and Kolej Yayasan Melaka in Bukit Sebukor.

Several students of the women training college were placed under quarantine at the dorms by health authorities since Monday.

A check at Kolej Professional Mara in Jalan Hang Tuah and Kolej Yayasan Bukit Sebukor revealed that classes had been called off.

In Sabah a school in the Lahad Datu district was shut down yesterday after two students were tested positive for the virus. Another 108 students were quarantined at the school hostel.

Private pension go-ahead

The much talked about private pension funds will kick off by the middle of next year.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, who announced this, said the new scheme would target the two million self-employed and those who were outside the current pension scheme.

He said the new pension funds could either be operated by new fund management firms to be licensed by the Securities Commission, or by existing firms.

The funds would be regulated by the Securities Commission.

“Several fund managers have already shown keen interest,” he told a press conference after delivering his keynote address at the Forum on Private Pension Industry Retirement Funds here yesterday.

Nor Mohamed said the scheme would target self-employed individuals who currently did not contribute to the Employees Provident Fund or those who wanted to contribute more than the EPF’s statutory requirements.

“We have to ensure it is well managed as it is a pension fund, a fund for individuals in their old-age,” he said.

He said the EPF had a government guarantee of 2.5% return.

“The private pension funds should be able to provide a ‘market return’ at any point of time,” Nor Mohamed said when asked on investment returns.

“The EPF has RM340bil in assets now. These private pension funds have huge potential,” he said, adding that there were currently 5.7 million active EPF members.

Nor Mohamed said the funds were part of the Government’s effort to reform the pension fund industry.

“This is crucial as Malaysia moves towards a developed and high income nation,” he said, adding that such funds would be a boost to the nation’s capital markets.

He said the SC had been tasked to prepare a report containing further details within the next six months.
“The Government at the same time will look at its own pension scheme and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), and head a committee to coordinate all aspects of the pension reform,” he said.

In a survey by the EPF, it was found that around 90% of members have less than RM100,000 in their accounts and more than 70% would have exhausted their money within three years of withdrawing the lump sum upon retirement.

“This underlying trend reflects the sole dependence of retirees on their EPF savings as a safety net and as such, the inadequacy of sustainable levels of income after retirement,” he noted.
He said Malaysia had pension coverage via EPF, the Public Sector Pension Scheme and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan.

“However, there are gaps in the existing pension framework,” he said.

SC chairman Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar said the regulator would make capital preservation and investor protection top priorities when it came to the funds.

“We are gathering input from successful private pension funds models in other countries. We will then try and adopt the best practices to start off on the right footing,” she said.

Areca Capital Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Danny Wong said it “would take some time” to see the impact of the funds on the capital market.

“It all depends how individuals respond,” he told The Star.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Johari uses Facebook to reach out to grassroots

Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg revealed yesterday that he has an account with social networking site Facebook to enable him to reach out to the grassroots.
Johari, who has been in politics for over two decades, said the site enabled interactive networking.

“Of course I encourage leaders of today to have such accounts for interactive networking, but having said that, we should be cautious too when dealing with cyberspace,” he told reporters after opening a management workshop for community leaders at a hotel here.

Facebook, which is operated and privately owned by Facebook Inc, allows users to join networks organised by city, workplace, school and region to connect and interact with others.

Users can also add friends and send messages apart from updating personal profiles.

“Nowadays, its Facebook. No more exercise book. The latest is Netbook… the voters now are different, if you are not up to date, they could lose confidence in you and you are out,” he said.

The key point, Johari said, is to be well versed with current technologies and to use them to facilitate one’s work and keep up with society.

He said all community leaders in the state must realise that they are now dealing with more sophisticated and knowledgeable members of society who demand efficient delivery service.

“Our delivery must be in line with our policies because we are dealing with an educated society now.
They know what the government is doing or if the government is trying to hide (something),” he said.

As such, he said community leaders should be alert at all times and well-versed on their responsibilities.

He said administrative practices should move in tandem with advancements in technology and leaders should learn to adapt.

Technology in the form of a simple camera phone, he said, could also help in the delivery system.
He cited an example where community leaders could document any case of vice happening in their respective areas with their camera phones to help the authorities with their investigations.
Aside from being technology savvy, he said community leaders should also update themselves with global situations and the cultures of other countries.

He explained that as an open economy would see foreign investors flocking to Sarawak, community leaders should know how to interact well with them and at least be able to speak English.

Johari said it was also important for community leaders to monitor happenings in their area and work closely with the Resident’s office or district office to help incidences of crime and vice.
Meanwhile, he lauded organisers for helping the state’s community leaders perform better in their duties through the workshop.

The two-day workshop was organised by the Human Resource Management Unit of the Chief Minister’s Department and Angkatan Zaman Mansang Sarawak (Azam).

Also present at the opening were Deputy State Secretary Datu Abdul Ghafur Shariff and Azam chief executive officer Datu Aloysius Dris.

Monday, July 20, 2009

125,000 kids out of school: DPM

About 125,000 children of school-going age in the rural and interior areas of Malaysia were still not attending primary school, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

He called for extra effort to ensure that all children attended school, adding that this was necessary to close the divide between rural and urban students.

Muhyiddin, also the Education Minister, also called for focus to be given to creating adequate numbers of quality teachers to be posted to rural areas, in line with the Government’s objective to close this divide.

He also said it was time to stop choosing heads of school based on seniority and to instead pick them on merit, based on ability and dynamic leadership qualities.

“There is also a need to look at creating holistic students with a strong command in Bahasa Malaysia and the English language as we move towards creating human capital that is knowledgeable, creative and innovative,” he said at the launch of the Education Development Masterplan Review workshop here Monday.

He added there was a need to upgrade the information technology (IT) infrastructure in schools and to provide know-how on its usage to rural students to ensure they can make use of it.
He said there rural and interior schools with poor buildings that lacked proper water and electricity supply, and these too needed to be upgraded.

Muhyiddin also urged his colleagues at the Education Ministry to contribute to promoting the 1Malaysia concept.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Bonus tetap sektor awam

Cuepacs syor kadar faedah pinjaman perumahan dikurang

Majlis Kongres Cuepacs meluluskan cadangan menuntut kerajaan membayar bonus tetap setiap tahun dengan menggabungkan elemen imbuhan itu dalam skim perkhidmatan kakitangan awam.

Ini adalah antara beberapa tuntutan baru yang akan dikemukakan kepada kerajaan sebagai sebahagian daripada kajian semula syarat perkhidmatan penjawat awam.

Pada masa ini, bonus diberi mengikut budi bicara kerajaan berdasarkan kemampuannya, tidak seperti sektor swasta yang menjadikannya sebagai amalan tahunan. Pada waktu yang baik, 1.2 juta penjawat awam menikmati bonus sebulan gaji atau minimum RM1,000.

Dalam mesyuarat di Ipoh, baru-baru ini, Cuepacs juga mencadangkan supaya kadar faedah pinjaman perumahan dikurangkan daripada empat peratus sekarang kepada satu peratus setiap tahun.

Sumber Cuepacs memberitahu, dalam memorandum yang akan dikemukakan kepada Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak tidak lama lagi, kongres itu turut menuntut perubahan bagi bayaran gantian cuti rehat daripada maksimum 150 hari pada masa ini kepada jumlah sebenar cuti tahun yang tidak digunakan yang dikumpul seseorang pegawai.

Gantian cuti rehat adalah bayaran tunai bagi cuti tahun yang tidak digunakan yang dikumpul oleh seseorang pegawai sepanjang perkhidmatannya dengan kerajaan. Satu lagi perubahan besar yang dituntut Cuepacs ialah berhubung pengiraan pencen. Cuepacs mencadangkan supaya formula pencen sekarang yang dibuat berdasarkan gaji pokok terakhir, ditukar dengan memasukkan semua elaun.

Ini bermakna apabila pengiraan pencen dibuat, semua elaun perumahan, kos hidup, makanan, perjalanan, pemandu, kesusahan dan keraian juga perlu dimasukkan kepada gaji pokok terakhir.

Tuntutan lain ialah:

Cuti tahun bagi menjaga anak yang sakit dengan tempohnya bergantung kepada tempoh keuzuran itu.

Bayaran balik bagi implan gigi dan rawatan mata.

Sistem kenaikan matriks digantikan dengan sistem linear dengan tambahan lima kenaikan, dan

Mewujudkan skim sub-profesional bagi pemegang diploma.

Sumber itu berkata, pemimpin Cuepacs begitu optimis bahawa kerajaan akan mempertimbangkan cadangan mereka dengan fikiran terbuka.

- Bernama

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Sarawak: Kampus Samarahan ll UiTM mula November

Pembinaan Kampus Samarahan II, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak yang mampu menempatkan sekurang-kurangnya 3,000 pelajar dijangka akan dimulakan selewat-lewatnya pada November depan.

Pengarah UiTM Sarawak, Prof Madya Dr Jamil Hamali, berkata kampus baru berkenaan akan dibina di tapak seluas 400 hektar di Kampung Pinang, yang diberi Kerajaan Negeri kepada universiti itu.

"Pembinaan Kampus Samarahan II dijadual akan bermula pada November depan dengan kita telah memaklumkan Kerajaan Negeri mengenainya dengan fasa pertama pembinaan dijangka akan mengambil masa setahun.

"Kampus Samarahan II terletak di Kampung Pinang dengan ia hanya berhadapan dengan kampus tetap kita di Sarawak yang setakat ini sedang menampung lebih 5,000 pelajar," katanya kepada pemberita selepas Konvokesyen Pertama, Program Eksekutif Diploma Pengurusan di sini semalam.

Program yang dijalankan secara usaha sama dengan Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad menyaksikan 30 graduan menerima diploma yang disampaikan Timbalan Naib Canselor (Jalinan Industri dan Masyarakat) UiTM, Prof Dr Mohamad Kamal Harun.

Difahamkan, konsep mesra alam akan digunakan dengan kawasan seluas 40 hektar akan digunakan bagi pembukaan ladang bagi kegunaan pelajar kursus berkaitan perladangan dan pertanian bersepadu.

Dr Jamil bagaimanapun tidak dapat menyatakan kos pembinaan kampus baru terbabit kerana ia dibangunkan mengikut kaedah Inisiatif Kewangan Swasta dengan pemaju akan membina kampus terbabit menggunakan sumber kewangan sendiri sebelum kerajaan membayarnya kembali.

"Kerajaan mahu memajukan industri pertanian di Sarawak dan disebabkan itu UiTM Sarawak dikhususkan bagi kursus berkaitan pertanian moden dan bersepadu malah kita berbangga kerana pelajar Diploma Pengurusan Tanaman sudah ramai ditempah majikan sebelum tamat pengajian lagi," katanya.

Selain itu kursus farmasi dan bioteknologi juga akan ditawarkan di kampus Samarahan II, kerana Kampus Samarahan I yang terletak di kawasan seluas 153 hektar terlalu padat bagi menambah kemudahan pembelajaran dan pertambahan bilangan pelajar.

Beliau berkata ketika ini terdapat 5,000 pelajar UiTM Sarawak di kampus Kota Samarahan dan Kampus Mukah yang menawarkan kursus pengajian perniagaan, kejuruteraan, perladangan serta mensasarkan jumlah itu akan bertambah kepada 8,000 hingga 10,000 dengan siapnya Kampus Samarahan II.

"Ini bagi membantu Kerajaan mengeluarkan graduan dan modal insan yang bersesuaian dengan keperluan di dalam Koridor Tenaga Diperbaharui Sarawak (Score) selain industri sampingan seperti perbankan, perladangan dan farmasi," katanya.

Jamil berkata bagi tujuan itu, UiTM Sarawak kemungkinan akan mengurangkan pengambilan pelajar kursus perniagaan dan akan memperbanyakkan pelajar kursus berkaitan Score termasuk kursus farmasi yang akan dimulakan tidak lama lagi.

Monday, July 13, 2009

All ‘aye’ to retaining ‘Dayak’

Speakers at an intellectual discourse on whether the term ‘Dayak’ should be retained has unanimously resolved that it stays for good.

To drop the term ‘Dayak’ would give rise to more negative implications, they said yesterday at a forum on the 9th Floor of Crown Towers, Jalan Pending.

One of the five speakers at the Dayak Forum: ‘Should the term ‘Dayak’ be retained?’ even went further to say that dropping the term would be a form of ‘ethnic cleansing’ because the identity of the Dayaks would be wiped out.

The speakers were Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) publicity chief Dr John Brian Anthony and Sarawak Dayak Iban Association president Sidi Munan who represented the Iban; deputy president of Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) Dr Elli Luhat and radio presenter, talkshow host and motivational speaker Mering Wan (Orang Ulu) and former Malaysian Ambassador to Myammar, Venezuela and Mexico Datu John Tenuwi Nuek (Bidayuh).
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Faculty of Social Sciences Associate Prof Dr Andrew Aeria was the moderator at the forum organised by The Borneo Post, thesundaypost, Utusan Borneo and BorneoPost online, in collaboration with SDNU.

“Dropping the term ‘Dayak’ would be a step backward from a political, economic, and social standpoint. The term is in fact a ready brand name even overseas. The terminology serves us well in a globalised world simply because it is already there,” said Tenuwi when brushing aside talks that the term connoted being uncouth, backward, low class and uncivilised as well as derogatory.

He pointed out that dropping ‘Dayak’ would impoverish the society as a whole.

The term ‘Dayak’ is also a uniting factor and solidarity will provide the community with a bigger voice and greater confidence in fighting for their rights as well as shares in the economic cake.

John Brian said the term is mentioned in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution and therefore the community has as much right and say as other races in important matters like scholarships, grants, businesses and even promotions in the civil service.

Sidi said since the White Rajah recognised the Dayaks some 170 years ago, it would be a myth to perceive that they are uncivilised, uncouth and low class.

It may be a fact that some Dayaks are uncivilised and uncouth but it would not be fair to generalise and stereotype the whole community based on a few bad ones, he said.

“Dropping the term would have legal, political, and social consequences that we can do without,” he said.

Sidi pointed out that one Dayak tribe in Indonesia interpreted the term ‘Dayak’ to actually mean ‘suka memberi’ (generous).

“Dayaks are basically generous people even though some may be stingy,” he said when arguing that there should be no good reason to erase the term from the face of the world.

Both Sidi and John Brian said they thought it would not be easy just to change the name Dayak to something else because that would contribute to a constitutional crisis.

To do so, they said, the parliament will need to have a two-third majority vote.

Dr Elli was quite emotional when delivering his presentation on the theme that he cried halfway through it.

He said he was proud to be associated with the Dayaks after one experience overseas when he presented a cultural performance.

After the show, the audience rushed to him and hugged him making him feel proud and honoured.

That experience suggested that foreigners recognised the existence of Borneo as well as the Dayak people, he said.

He said he was perplexed when the suggestion to drop the term ‘Dayak’ suddenly cropped up recently.

He urged local politicians to ensure that other people, especially in West Malaysia to be more aware of the existence of the Dayaks, their needs and challenges rather than singing along with others to ignore them directly or indirectly.

Dr Eli said he believed state leaders and MPs were the ones who should be intensifying efforts to upgrade the dignity of the Dayaks.

He said for politicians to harp on changing the term ‘Dayak’ would be their ‘political suicide’.

Dr Elli likened the erasing of the word ‘Dayak’ as a form of ‘ethnic cleansing’.

There are two ways to perform ethnic cleansing — one is to physically kill all Dayaks and the other, to wipe out their identity, he pointed out.

Mering also agreed that the issue at hand related to the question of identity.

“To drop the name ‘Dayak’ will kill off the Dayak identity. It is dangerous to change names just for the sake of changing,” he warned.

The forum was opened by KTS Holdings managing director Dato Henry Lau.

Among those present were former assistant minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Datuk Ramsay Noel Jitam, Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil, organising chairman Aden Nagrace and Regional Editor-in-Chief of The Borneo Post, thesundaypost, Utusan Borneo and BorneoPost online M Rajah.

The organisers received encouraging feedback and response from the floor.

The organisers also received a suggestion that a follow-up should be held soon.

For detailed information and orders for the video presentation in respect to yesterday’s forum, members of the public are advised to contact the organising secretariat on 082-485111 (ext 503 - Chong).

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Projek bina jambatan hubung Lawas - Ba'Kelalan dimulakan tempoh terdekat

Kerja-kerja pembinaan empat jambatan utama dan membaik pulih 11 lagi jambatan yang menghubungkan Lawas dan Ba'Kelalan akan dimulakan dalam tempoh terdekat ini.

Ketua Pengarah Unit Penyelarasan dan Pelaksanaan (ICU), Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Khalid Ramli berkata, komponen jambatan pasang siap itu sudah tiba di Kuching serta Kota Kinabalu dan hanya menunggu masa untuk dibawa ke Ba'Kelalan.

''Setakat ini kita masih menunggu peruntukan RM2.2 juta daripada kerajaan negeri untuk mendirikan pasak jambatan manakala kos selebihnya dibiayai Kerajaan Persekutuan," katanya kepada Mingguan Malaysia di Bilik Kenamaan, Lapangan Terbang Miri di sini petang semalam.

Khalid tiba di Miri selepas melakukan lawatan kerja ke Lawas, Bario dan Ba'Kelalan bagi meninjau projek menaiktaraf jalan dari di kawasan Ba'Kelalan dan potensi ekonomi di kawasan itu.

Beliau menambah, pembinaan empat jambatan utama itu meliputi kawasan Pa Pala, Pa Kumap, Pa Pareh dan Ba'Kelalan manakala 11 lagi di sepanjang jalan Lawas ke Ba'Kelalan.

''Kerja-kerja pemasangan empat jambatan ini akan dikendalikan oleh Rejimen Askar Jurutera Diraja, Tentera Darat Malaysia dengan kerjasama penduduk kampung di kawasan terlibat," katanya.

Tambahnya, 11 lagi jambatan hanya memerlukan kerja-kerja baik pulih dan ganti semula dan ia akan dilaksanakan secara konsep bergotong royong oleh penduduk kampung dengan kerjasama kerajaan.

Rombongan lawatan itu turut disertai Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Ba'Kelalan, Nelson Balang Rining serta Ketua Kor Rejimen Askar Jurutera Diraja, Tentera Darat Malaysia, Brigadier Jeneral, Datuk Ir. Abdul Nasser Ahmad.

Hadir sama Pengarah Bahagian Khas, Unit Penyelarasan dan Pelaksanaan, Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Ahmad Zaki Ansore Mohd. Yusof dan Pengarah Unit Penyelarasan dan Pelaksanaan Negeri Sarawak, Datuk Kamal Husin.

Friday, July 10, 2009

SIJIL HALAL

LANGKAH kerajaan mengembalikan tanggungjawab pengeluaran sijil Halal Malaysia daripada Perbadanan Kemajuan Industri Halal (HDC) kepada Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) berkuat kuasa serta-merta adalah satu langkah yang amat baik.

Malah, ada yang menyarankan tugas Jakim itu diperkukuh dengan kuasa penguatkuasaan dan perundangan.

Amat malang sekali, di masa negara mahu memperkasakan industri halal ke seluruh dunia dan mahu menjadikan Malaysia sebagai habnya, status halal di banyak tempat di dalam negara masih diragui.

Wartawan Awang, Sarah Nadlin Rohim kelmarin menulis mengenai isu itu dengan mempersoalkan setakat ini, tiada peraturan mandatori yang meminta mana-mana pihak mendapatkan status halal kerana tindakan itu masih bersifat sukarela.

Oleh sebab itulah, sehingga 30 Jun tahun ini, cuma ada 170 atau 8.5 peratus sahaja daripada kira-kira 2,000 hotel di Malaysia, mendapat persijilan halal bagi urusan operasi dapurnya.

Ini bermakna, menurut penulis itu kebarangkalian para pengunjung beragama Islam menikmati makanan yang diragui status halal di hotel-hotel adalah besar.

Oleh itu, kita berharap Jakim yang terletak di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri dapat melaksanakan tanggungjawab itu dengan berkesan, proaktif dan mesra pengguna.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

It's Bahasa Malaysia for Science and Mathematics from 2012

The Cabinet has decided that all national primary and secondary schools will teach Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Melayu beginning 2012.

Vernacular schools, meanwhile, will teach the subjects in either Chinese or Tamil respectively, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin announced here today.He said the policy will be implemented in stages for Year One, Year Four, Form One and Form Four in 2012.

The changes do not involve Form Six and Matriculation students.All examinations for Science and Mathematics will remain bilingual until 2014, so as to not jeopardise the performance of students under the current policy - Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English or its official abbreviation PPSMI (Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris).

"The Government made this decision after studying in detail the result of studies and close monitoring of the PPSMI by the Education Ministry and independent bodies since the policy was implemented in 2003," Muhyiddin said.

He said studies showed that PPSMI was never implemented as originally hoped. Instead, teachers were using both English and Bahasa Melayu to teach Science and Mathematics, and the gap between urban and rural schools in the two subjects grew wider after PPSMI was implemented.

The Education Ministry monitored PPSMI in 2008 and found that only 8 per cent of teachers used English completely when teaching Science and Mathematics.

On average, English use was 53-58 per cent of the total time allocated for teaching the two subjects.The percentage of students that received grade A, B and C for Science and Mathematics in the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) exams also declined last year, in both urban and rural schools.

Muhyiddin said the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study 2007, meanwhile, revealed that Malaysian students in Science slipped from 20th place in 2003 to 21st in 2007. For Mathematics, our students dropped from 10th placing in 2003 to 20th in 2007.

"Based on these data, the Government is confident that Science and Mathematics should be taught in a language that is easily understood by students, which is Bahasa Melayu in national and secondary schools, and Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools," Muhyiddin said.

At the same time, measures will be taken to strengthen the teaching and learning of English in schools, he added. These include:

* Increasing the number of English teachers by 13,000, especially for rural schools.

* Teaching assistants for English will be allocated for large classes of more than 35 students in Years One and Two.

* Time allocated for English in Level 1 (Year One to Three) for national schools will be increased 90 minutes to 330 minutes a week, while for Level 2 (Year Four to Six) to 300 minutes a week.

* Time allocated for English in Level 1 at vernacular schools will be increased 100 per cent from 60 minutes to 120 minutes a week, and for Level 2 from 90 minutes to 120 minutes a week.

* Time allocated for English in Form One to Six will be added 80 minutes from 200 minutes to 280 minutes a week.

* Time allocated for Malaysian University English Test (MUET) in Form Six will be increased 80 minutes to 400 minutes a week.

* Time allocated for English in Matriculation courses will rise 100 per cent from three hours to six hours a week.The ministry will also introduce a Contemporary English Literature

Programme For Children to inculcate the reading habit and introduce elements of literature. English labs will be set up in schools to help students learn the language more effectively, incorporating information technology through the use of appropriate software.

To expose students to scientific terms, elements of science and technology will be absorbed into the teaching of English.

"With this decision, the Government is offering a new approach in the teaching of Science, Mathematics and English. The Government believes that this new approach will strengthen Bahasa Melayu and English proficiency, and increase the capability of students to master science and technology, which is important for the country’s future," Muhyiddin said.

PPSMI: Dr M disappointed on Cabinet’s decision

FORMER Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today expressed his dismay over the decision to revert to teaching Mathematics and Science in Malay and vernacular languages.

"I am sad for the future of our young, who will find it harder later to master the fields of Science and Mathematics,” he said.

Asked about the statistics that showed that there was a decline among students is proficiency in the two subjects, Dr Mahathir said the figures were “inaccurate”."

Naturally, the results would still differentiate between the rural and the urban areas. There is also a vast comparison between the races to take into consideration," he said.

He said that learning English from Mathematics and Science was never the point of the policy, his brainchild that was rolled out in 2003.

Rather, it was to prepare students for the globalization in the fields of Mathematics and Science. Speaking at a Press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here, Dr Mahathir said it was the implementation, and not the policy itself, that should be blamed.

He also said that Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, and several ministry top brass had met him on Monday to brief him on the government's decision.

"I suggested that even if they don't have to have (teaching Mathematics and Science in English) at the primary level, they could always do it at the secondary level.

"That, too, was dismissed. There was no consultation at all. It was just a briefing," he added.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Sarawak: Medan Niaga Satok pacu hasil industri asas tani

Pusat niaga ganti Pasar Tamu Satok menelan belanja RM10j

Sebuah pusat perniagaan baru yang diberi nama Medan Niaga Satok akan dibina dalam tempoh terdekat bagi menggantikan Pasar Tamu Satok dengan ia bakal menjadi pusat penggiat industri asas tani memasarkan hasil pertanian mereka.

Ketua Pengarah Lembaga Pemasaran Pertanian Persekutuan (Fama), Datuk Mohamed Shariff Abdul Aziz, berkata pembinaan pusat perniagaan yang menelan belanja hampir RM40 juta itu adalah usaha Fama Sarawak dan Kerajaan Negeri membantu meningkatkan tahap sosio ekonomi pengusaha kecil industri berkenaan.

Katanya, pusat perniagaan seluas lima hektar itu akan menjadi mercu kebanggaan Fama Sarawak dalam memasarkan produk asas tani dan pada masa sama membantu pengusaha memasarkan hasil mereka di tempat lebih selamat. "

Pembinaan Medan Niaga Satok yang mempunyai ruang niaga mampu memberi keselesaan kepada pengusaha menjual hasil pertanian mereka serta memberi pilihan lebih banyak kepada pelanggan mendapatkan barangan segar.

"Selain Medan Niaga Satok, Fama merancang akan membuka membuka pusat operasinya di seluruh negeri bermula dengan pembukaan pusat pemasaran di Samarahan sebelum diikuti beberapa pusat pemasaran lain," katanya ketika Majlis Makan Malam Bersama Pelanggan dan Pengedar Fama di sini, semalam.

Turut hadir Pengarah Fama Sarawak, Paza Dan dan Timbalannya, Isa Hamzah. Shariff berkata, pihaknya telah memperuntukkan sejumlah RM10 juta pada tahun ini sebagai dana pusingan membeli barangan pertanian dengan ia diharap dapat membantu memasarkan hasil tani serta produk asas tani penduduk setempat.

Katanya, setakat ini Fama aktif mengadakan ekspo industri asas tani di seluruh negeri bertujuan ini membimbing dan memperkenalkan pengusaha terbabit kepada pengunjung sekali gus mendedahkan mereka dengan keusahawanan asas tani.

"Kita juga turut membawa pengusaha tertentu ke ekspo tertentu di seluruh negara dengan harapan dapat memperkenalkan beberapa produk dari negeri ini seperti kek lapis, tebaloi dan barangan lain ke pasaran Semenanjung dan antarabangsa.

"Malah, kita juga mengambil beberapa produk utama keluaran pengusaha tempatan dan meluaskannya mengikut jenama tempatan seperti agromas untuk dieksport ke pasaran luar," katanya.

PPSMI dimansuh?

Tingkat pengajaran bahasa Melayu, tanpa ketepi bahasa Inggeris

Isu Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI) yang mendapat bantahan beberapa pihak, terutama pejuang bahasa dijangka berakhir berikutan keputusan kerajaan memansuhkan dasar itu.

Sebagai ganti, kerajaan akan mengumumkan strategi yang lebih menyeluruh untuk meningkatkan pengajaran bahasa Melayu dan pada masa sama tidak mengetepikan kepentingan bahasa Inggeris di semua peringkat sekolah.

Menurut sumber, dasar baru itu dijangka bermula pada 2012 dan akan dibentangkan pada mesyuarat Kabinet hari ini untuk kelulusan.

Antara langkah yang dijangka diumumkan kerajaan untuk meningkatkan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris adalah menambah bilangan guru dan waktu pelajaran bahasa itu di sekolah, memperkenalkan subjek baru serta merapatkan jurang perbezaan pencapaian murid luar bandar dan dalam bandar.

Sementara itu, Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, ketika diminta mengulas perkara itu, berkata beliau akan mengumumkan keputusan muktamad kerajaan selepas membentangkannya kepada Kabinet tetapi enggan menyatakan butirannya. Beliau yang juga juga Menteri Pelajaran, berkata keputusan itu dibuat selepas kajian teliti termasuk perbincangan dengan pelbagai badan atau pertubuhan berkaitan pendidikan.

"Tunggulah esok (hari ini). Saya sudah mengemukakan memorandum kepada Kabinet mengenai kedudukan PPSMI dan apa yang telah dilaksanakan dan bagaimana kedudukan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris serta subjek Sains dan Matematik sejak kita melaksanakan dasar itu," katanya selepas melancarkan Projek Gerak Bakti Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), di Kompleks Seri Pekembar Pagoh, dekat Muar, semalam.

Beliau berkata, kementerian sudah membuat banyak kajian dan menemui pelbagai hasil termasuk prospek masa depan PPSMI sebelum dibentangkan kepada Kabinet.

"Antara yang diteliti dan menjadi perkara pokok ialah bagaimana kita meneruskan usaha memartabatkan Bahasa Kebangsaan, di samping memperkukuhkan penguasaan bahasa Inggeris," katanya.

Beliau juga berkata, keputusan mengenai kedudukan PPSMI tidak dibuat secara terburu-buru dan bukan kerana desakan serta tekanan mana-mana pihak, sebaliknya ia berdasarkan kepentingan pelajar dan keutamaan untuk mempertingkatkan sistem pendidikan negara.
Ditanya sama ada keputusan itu adalah yang terakhir dan tiada lagi kajian selepas ini, Muhyiddin berkata pihaknya sudah menerima pandangan mengenai PPSMI sejak bertahun-tahun lalu dan sepatutnya sudah ada keputusan muktamad dicapai.

Beliau turut mengakui mengadakan perbincangan dengan bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad untuk menjelaskan kedudukan PBSMI dan membentangkannya kepada Majlis Tertinggi Umno untuk mendapatkan input daripada pimpinan parti. Katanya, wakil parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) juga akan menyuarakan pendapat pada mesyuarat Kabinet.

State prepared for possible outbreak at rainforest fest

The state government is prepared for the possibility of an Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak at the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) this Friday to Sunday (July 10-12).

Tourism Assistant Minister Hamden Ahmad believed that RWMF, which would see an influx of foreigners to Sarawak’s shores, should not be a problem and called on all to have ‘faith’ in the government.

“It should not be a problem. We have been facing things like this in the past, for example, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and so I think we should be alright. Our state can handle it. Have faith in our state,” he told reporters yesterday.

Hamden said it wasn’t right to say that RWMF was a ‘time-bomb’ even though festival-goers would be coming from all parts of the world, including other affected countries.

He was commenting on the possibility that Sarawak could possibly see a surge in A (H1N1) cases after the festival.

The festival has been called a ‘ticking time-bomb’, as some are worried the state would not be able to handle the situation if an outbreak does occur.

Hamden assured that the state government was well-prepared to face such consequences, and stressed that the most important thing was for everyone to stay healthy and build up their immune systems.

He reasoned that as RWMF is an international festival on the tourism calendar, the state could not simply reschedule it.

With the festival still going ahead as planned, organiser the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is working closely with the State Health Department to come up with measures to protect festival-goers as best as possible against the virus.

Recently, STB chief executive officer Gracie Geikie announced that the festival would have a mini-medical station at the festival as a precautionary step.

STB and the health department would also be distributing brochures on the virus to festival-goers so they would be fully aware of what to watch out for and how they could protect themselves from getting infected.

The board would also have free medical screenings for festival-goers and distribute surgical masks.

Apart from that, the particulars of festival-goers would also be recorded so that it would be easier to locate them if there was a need to.

According to Geikie, Santubong Resorts and Country Club, where the group of international media and festival performers would be staying at, would also have an in-house medical team to monitor the groups throughout the duration of the event.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Tourism Federation president Wee Hong Seng said that the federation and the Health Ministry would be holding a special briefing today (July 7) for over 20 hoteliers in the city.

He said the briefing would be on the A (H1N1) and what steps should they take in case of an occurrence.

He said on July 13, there would be a second briefing, this time for other tourism players like tour agents and those from the transport sector.

“This is just an effort from our part and the Health Ministry as a precautionary measure in view of the RWMF,” he said yesterday through the phone.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Miri records first H1N1 case

A 41-year-old man here was yesterday confirmed down with Influenza A (H1N1) – the first such case reported here, and the eighth in the state.
All are imported cases.

The man is now under quarantine at the isolation ward of Miri Hospital, while his wife and three children are under home quarantine, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said when contacted yesterday.

“The man was said to have been working at Brunei International Airport.
“He returned to Miri on Thursday from Brunei and on Friday he went to hospital for a checkup after having symptoms associated with the influenza,” said Dr Chan, who is the State Disaster Relief Committee chairman.

The case was confirmed to be positive yesterday.

The victim who is from Tudan was earlier under home quarantine before he was transferred to the isolation ward.

On Friday, a 12-year-old girl in Brunei who suffered multiple chronic complications became the first fatal case related to the influenza in the sultanate.

The girl was first admitted to a government clinic on June 14 after suffering from auto-immune hepatitis, end-stage liver failure and pneumonia.

Her condition worsened 16 days later and tests confirmed that she had Influenza A (H1N1) before she died.

The girl’s family members had been given Tamiflu vaccines and told to quarantine themselves to prevent further spread of the disease.

The total number of infections in Brunei as of Thursday was 93 cases after 27 new ones were recorded.

BP 7/7/09

Monday, July 6, 2009

Sarawak: 675 penduduk miskin terima RM735,340

Sejumlah RM735,340 bantuan sudah diagihkan kepada 675 penduduk miskin dan miskin tegar di kawasan Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU) sejak 2006, menerusi Program Pembasmian Kemiskinan Bandar (PPKB).

Datuk Bandar Kuching Utara, Mohamed Atei Abang Medaan, berkata bantuan yang disalurkan menerusi DBKU itu diterima daripada Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan. Ia katanya, bertujuan membantu golongan sasaran terutama bagi menangani masalah keciciran di kalangan anak-anak keluarga yang tidak berkemampuan.

"Setakat ini, jumlah keseluruhan peruntukan PPKB yang diluluskan untuk DBKU ialah RM987,634 dengan RM735,340 sudah diagihkan kepada 675 penerima. Bakinya akan diberikan berdasarkan kelayakan yang ditetapkan DBKU," katanya selepas menyerahkan cek bantuan kepada dua penerima di sini, semalam.

Beliau berkata, jumlah agihan yang diberikan kepada penerima adalah berbeza mengikut kategori yang ditetapkan iaitu antara RM200 hingga RM2,000 setahun.

Mohamed Atei berkata, bantuan PPKB dapat mengurangkan masalah yang dihadapi penerima terutama bagi keluarga yang mempunyai jumlah tanggungan yang ramai serta mempunyai anak yang masih bersekolah,.

Katanya, bantuan sewa rumah adalah kategori bantuan yang paling banyak diluluskan iaitu RM420,814, diikuti bayaran kemasukan anak ke sekolah sebanyak RM194,100. Manakala, bantuan lain katanya, adalah bantuan peruntukan kos pengangkutan anak ke sekolah iaitu RM59,010, diikuti bantuan ehsan kepada keluarga miskin (RM42,000), bantuan kemasukan ke Institusi Pengajian Tinggi (RM12,000), bantuan kos jagaan kanak-kanak (RM3,072) dan bakinya bayaran kos rawatan dialisis buah pinggang serta kos pengangkutan ibu ke tempat kerja.

Beliau berkata, bantuan itu sekurang-kurangnya dapat meringankan beban penerima terutama ketika berdepan masalah ketidaktentuan ekonomi pada masa sekarang.

"Ia juga membuktikan keprihatian kerajaan dalam menangani masalah rakyat dan ia diharap dapat menyelesaikan sebahagian masalah penduduk setempat.

"Kepada penduduk yang ingin memohon bantuan PPKB, mereka boleh datang terus ke kaunter temuduga PPKB yang terletak di Bahagian Perkhidmatan Komuniti, Pusat Galakan Perindustrian dan Pameran Sarawak (SIPEC) di sini," katanya.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Mutated A (H1N1) our biggest fear: Dr Chan

The contagious nature of Influenza A (H1N1) is less of a concern for the state government and health authorities than the possibility of it mutating to become more serious and life-threatening.

“The virus is quite mild at the moment, but we fear that if there is a huge number of cases the virus would mutate and become more deadly,” Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan stated at a press conference yesterday.

Dr Chan also announced the state’s seventh confirmed H1N1 case, a 20-year-old female clerk who went to Bangkok, Thailand.

When asked if he thought Sarawakians were overreacting to the disease, Dr Chan said it was better to be safe than sorry.

“The medical personnel need to be professional and they have to follow directives from headquarters (Health Ministry). We need to be very careful in this matter,” he said.

Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Manyin told reporters on Thursday that people should not overreact to the disease as it could adversely affect the airline and tourism industries.

Manyin stated that it was the ordinary flu that killed millions of people every year.

On the seventh confirmed case, Dr Chan said the woman went to Bangkok with her younger brother for a holiday and returned to Malaysia on June 30 using AirAsia X flight XD3571 which landed at the Sepang’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal at 10am. Her seat number was 7A.

Next, she boarded AirAsia flight AK5214 to return here, arriving at Kuching International Airport at 6.45pm.

She was on seat 17B.

The woman developed fever, runny nose, and cough on the same day and sought treatment from a Chinese physician at 11am the following day.

Fearing for her health, she went to Sarawak General Hospital at 3pm for virus screening.
A medical officer took a throat swab from her and her brother and sent the samples to Kuala Lumpur for analysis.

The woman’s sample tested positive and she was admitted to the isolation ward at 9.30am yesterday.

Her brother, on the other hand, tested negative.

“Four family members who came into contact with the woman are already placed under home quarantine,” said Dr Chan, adding that to date about 50 people who are friends and relatives of confirmed cases have been put under home quarantine.

Passengers who were seated three rows in front and behind the woman are advised to immediately contact the nearest health office or call the State Health Department on 082-248316.

“Currently, five people are under investigation, with two of them in Kuching and one in Sibu,” said Dr Chan.

Out of the seven confirmed cases, four have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Jangan batalkan RWMF: Manyin

Festival yang menjadi ikon Sarawak boleh menjejaskan industri pelancongan dan penerbangan negeri ini jika ianya dibatalkan

Industri penerbangan dan pelancongan negeri ini boleh terjejas jika Festival Muzik Hutan Hujan Sedunia (RWMF) 2009 dibatalkan, kata Menteri Pembangunan Bandar dan Pelancongan Datuk Micheal Manyin Jawong.

Justeru beliau menegaskan festival yang menjadi ikon kepada Sarawak itu tetap berlangsung seperti dijadualkan meskipun berlaku penularan wabak Influenza A (H1N1) atau turut dikenali sebagai selesema babi.

“Anda jangan terlalu panik dengan wabak H1N1.

“Mungkin kita kadang-kala menunjukkan reaksi yang keterlaluan dan menakutkan orang ramai. Akibatnya kita boleh melumpuhkan industri penerbangan dan pelancongan,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditemui selepas mengadakan lawatan ke Pusat Konvensyen Borneo Kuching (BCCK) di sini semalam.

Hadir sama Menteri Muda di Pejabat Ketua Menteri, Larry Sng, Pengerusi BCCK, Datuk Raziah Mahmud, Setiausaha Tetap Kementerian Pembangunan Bandar dan Pelancongan, Datu Ose Murang dan Pengarah Eksekutif, Dr Mohamadon Abdullah.

Manyin yang juga Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN), Tebedu turut menjelaskan kesemua persediaan di Kampung Budaya Sarawak sudahpun berjalan dengan lancar.

Setakat hari ini (semalam) katanya, segala urusan tempahan tiket dan penginapan tidak terjejas malah kesemua bilik hotel di sekitar bandar raya telah penuh ditempah.

Mengulas mengenai cadangan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Bantuan Bencana Alam Negeri yang juga Timbalan Ketua Menteri Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan menyarankan agar rakyat Sarawak yang berada di negara terjejas dengan wabak itu menangguhkan kepulangan ke negeri ini buat sementara waktu, Manyin berkata usaha itu merupakan langkah berjaga-jaga dari kerajaan bagi menangani penularan wabak berkenaan.

Dalam pada itu, Manyin yakin bahawa jumlah kedatangan pengunjung RWMF tahun ini akan melebihi bilangan tahun lepas.

“Tahun lepas seramai 22,000 pengunjung dari serata dunia datang ke sini, manakala tahun ini saya percaya lebih ramai lagi peminat akan berkunjung,” ujarnya lagi.

Ketika diminta mengulas sama ada pengunjung antarabangsa perlu menjalani saringan pemeriksaan di hotel, Manyin berkata kerajaan belum bercadang berbuat demikian.

Ini kerana menurutnya, saringan kesihatan ke atas artis atau pengunjung antarabangsa akan bermula di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur dan Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuching.

“Tiada apa-apa makna kita melakukan pemeriksaan kesihatan di hotel. Ia mesti dilakukan di lapangan terbang,” tegasnya lagi.

Sementara itu, Isnin lepas Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Lembaga Pelancongan Sarawak (STB), Gracie Geikie memberitahu sebuah stesen perubatan mini yang menempatkan kakitangan perubatan Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri (JKN) akan dibina di Kampung Budaya Sarawak sepanjang berlangsungnya Festival Muzik Hutan Hujan Sedunia (RWMF) ke-12, bermula 10 hingga 12 Julai ini.

Katanya, pembukaan stesen perubatan mini itu adalah sebagai sebahagian daripada usaha mengelak penularan wabak Influenza A (H1N1) di situ.

“Festival Muzik Hutan Hujan Sedunia (RWMF) 2009 akan diteruskan walaupun berlaku penularan wabak Influenza A (H1N1) melainkan diarah untuk membatalkannya,” katanya.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

38 new H1N1 cases reported

Thirty-eight new Influenza A (H1N1) cases, comprising 33 imported cases and five local transmissions, were reported yesterday, bringing the total number of H1N1 cases in the country to 196.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said out of the 38 cases, 30 involved Malaysians, five were Indonesians and the other three were a Swede, a Palestinian and an Argentinean.

He said the locally infected cases involved three students of Sekolah Menengah Tsun Jin, Jalan Loke Yew Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, while the other two were contacts to the 143rd and 147th case, respectively.

Currently, 86 patients were still receiving treatment for H1N1 and 110 patients had recovered from the disease, he added.

Liow said two schools — Sekolah Menengah Tsun Jin Cheras, Kuala Lumpur and Sekolah Tinggi Chung Hwa, Seremban — remained close due to the H1N1 pandemic.

The number of quarantine cases was 4,668 and that their quarantine period would end this Friday, he added.

Liow also said that 29 more health clinics and five private hospitals in the Klang Valley were now equipped with facilities to conduct throat swab sample test to check for H1N1.

The private hospitals are Sunway Medical Centre, Pantai Medical Centre, Sime Darby Medical Centre, Gleaneagles Intan Medical Centre and Prince Court Hospital.

He also said that the use of the rapid test kit to test for Influenza A H1N1 was not allowed as it was not specifically made to detect H1N1.

Liow also clarified that visitors entering the country would be quarantined or admitted to hospitals only if they had symptoms of being infected by H1N1.

For those in the same flight with a confirmed case, only those occupying the three seats nearest to the patient would be placed under quarantine, he added.

On the current Influenza A H1N1 situation in the country, Liow said it was serious, but under control, and advised the public to take the necessary precaution against being infected by the disease.

“Many people say this pandemic does not have a high fatality, not serious. Actually it is serious and everybody should take the necessary measures to prevent the disease from spreading,” he added.

He said all business premises, including factories, were also advised to take necessary precautions against H1N1.

— Bernama

Tingkat penyertaan ekonomi Bumiputera

LANGKAH meliberalisasi Jawatankuasa Pelaburan Asing (FIC) dan penubuhan sebuah institusi pelaburan baru yang diumumkan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak kelmarin, dijangka mampu melonjak pertumbuhan ekonomi negara dan pada masa sama bukan saja dapat terus melindungi kepentingan Bumiputera malah meningkatkan penyertaan mereka dalam sektor korporat. Sekali gus langkah itu mewujudkan situasi menang-menang kepada pihak berkepentingan. Ia memberi kemenangan kepada pelabur Bumiputera dan bukan Bumiputera serta pelabur asing. Sebelum ini, ramai pelabur Bumiputera bimbang peluang mereka melabur dalam pasaran ekuiti akan terjejas apabila syarat 30 peratus ekuiti yang perlu diperuntukkan kepada mereka untuk syarikat yang hendak disenaraikan, seperti yang dikehendaki di bawah peraturan FIC, dimansuhkan.

Pelabur asing dan bukan Bumiputera pula mendapati peraturan terbabit sebagai kekangan akibat kesukaran mendapat penyertaan Bumiputera kerana kekurangan modal atau jika ada yang mampu, mereka tidak dapat bertahan lama. Dalam banyak kes, mereka terpaksa melupuskan pegangan itu sama ada untuk melangsaikan hutang atau meraih keuntungan segera.

Kesan menyeluruh daripada fenomena ini ialah sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, Malaysia kehilangan daya tarikan sebagai pusat pelaburan sementara hasrat murni kerajaan untuk meningkatkan ekuiti Bumiputera dalam sektor korporat tidak juga tercapai. Walaupun wujud faktor lain yang menyebabkan kemerosotan pelaburan asing sejak kebelakangan ini, peraturan FIC itu dikenal pasti sebagai sebahagian daripada puncanya.

Dari segi pencapaian ekuiti Bumiputera pula, walaupun ketika penubuhannya pada 1974 FIC adalah satu-satunya instrumen penting untuk mencapai matlamat berkenaan di bawah strategi penggalakan pertumbuhan ekonomi dengan pengagihan yang adil, kini ia tidak lagi berkesan.

Sebagai contoh, peratusan ekuiti Bumiputera sejak 1990 hingga 2006 tidak berubah dengan masing-masing berada pada tahap 19.3 dan 19.4 peratus. Daripada RM54 bilion ekuiti yang diagihkan kepada Bumiputera di bawah FIC pula, hanya RM2 bilion yang masih kekal dan selebihnya dijual semula.

Peredaran zaman dan perubahan suasana ekonomi dunia yang kini lebih kompetitif dan mencabar juga mengubah keadaan. Sebagai contoh, ketika peraturan itu diperkenalkan dulu, ekuiti Bumiputera hanya berada pada tahap 2.4 peratus.

Berdasarkan kepada jumlah yang kecil itu, peraturan berkenaan didapati sesuai untuk dilaksanakan bagi menangani ketidakseimbangan. Ketika itu juga, langkah berkenaan didapati praktikal kerana kurangnya persaingan bagi mendapat pelaburan.

Tetapi kini, ia mewujudkan ketidaktentuan dan tidak lagi selaras dengan amalan antarabangsa. Dengan itu, ia menjejaskan potensi pertumbuhan sedangkan dasar kerajaan untuk menjamin pengagihan yang adil bergantung rapat kepada pertumbuhan mapan. Satu hakikat yang perlu diakui ialah tidak akan ada pengagihan tanpa pertumbuhan. Ini ialah kerana dasar kerajaan sejak merdeka ialah untuk membesarkan kek ekonomi supaya ia dapat diagihkan dengan adil kepada semua golongan. Pengagihan kek yang mengecil akan hanya berakhir dengan perampasan hak golongan yang lain. Ini tidak pernah dilakukan di negara ini.

Di samping itu, pertumbuhan juga penting untuk memacu Malaysia ke arah negara berpendapatan tinggi melalui model ekonomi baru yang sedang dirumuskan. Adalah jelas bahawa FIC yang satu ketika dulu berjaya memenuhi keperluan dasar kerajaan, kini sudah menjadi satu instrumen yang tumpul dan tidak mampu mencapai matlamatnya.

Sesuatu yang tumpul tentu perlu digantikan dengan sesuatu yang lebih tajam. Sebenarnya, perkara ini dan hal-hal yang berkaitan dengannya sudah lama difikir dan dibahaskan di peringkat kerajaan. Setelah diperhalusi dengan mendalam, kelmarin Najib mengumumkan pendekatan beliau yang dikira cukup inovatif dan berani.

Dalam ucaptamanya di Persidangan Invest Malaysia 2009 di Kuala Lumpur, Perdana Menteri mengumumkan bahawa berkuatkuasa serta merta, perkara berikut akan dilaksanakan:

- Pemansuhan syarat 30 peratus ekuiti Bumiputera bagi tawaran awal permulaan (IPO) ke atas syarikat tersenarai;
- Pemberhentian proses urus niaga hartanah oleh FIC kecuali yang membabitkan pencairan kepentingan Bumiputera atau kerajaan;
- Syarikat yang hendak melaksanakan IPO perlu memenuhi 25 peratus keperluan Tebaran Awam yang dikenakan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti;
- 50 peratus daripada 25 peratus tebaran awam itu perlu ditawarkan kepada Bumiputera,
- Had pembelian harta oleh warga asing dinaikkan secara umum kepada RM500,000, dan
- Had pegangan saham asing untuk syarikat pengurusan unit amanah dan broker saham ditingkatkan kepada 70 peratus kepada 49 peratus sekarang.

Serentak dengan langkah liberalisasi itu, Najib juga mengumumkan penubuhan sebuah institusi pelaburan baru yang diberi nama Ekuiti Nasional Berhad atau Ekuinas dengan modal permulaan sebanyak RM500 juta dan sasaran dana sehingga RM10 bilion. Ia akan menjadi satu instrumen baru untuk meningkatkan pegangan ekuiti Bumiputera dalam sektor yang berpotensi mencapai pertumbuhan tinggi seperti pelancongan, teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi (ICT), perubatan, minyak dan gas serta bioteknologi. Penubuhan syarikat itu adalah sebahagian daripada pendekatan baru kerajaan untuk memastikan penyertaan Bumiputera yang lebih bermakna dan efektif.

Jelaslah bahawa pentadbiran Najib tidak pernah cuba membunuh semangat atau apa yang beliau sering sebut sebagai roh Dasar Ekonomi Baru, seperti yang mahu digembar-gemburkan oleh sesetengah pihak. Apa yang beliau cuba lakukan hanyalah memacu Malaysia ke arah sebuah ekonomi yang berpendapatan tinggi untuk kesejahteraan setiap rakyat tanpa mengira fahaman politik, kepercayaan agama atau keturunan selaras konsep 1Malaysia yang beliau cetuskan.

Sebelum ini, beliau sudah pun mengumumkan beberapa langkah untuk meliberalisasikan sektor kewangan dan pelbagai sektor kecil perkhidmatan. Banyak lagi pendekatan baru dijangka diumumkan dari semasa ke semasa sebagai kerangka awal model ekonomi baru yang beliau ilhamkan untuk mencapai matlamat 1Malaysia. Untuk itu, beliau mengharapkan agar rakyat Malaysia dapat bekerja sebagai satu pasukan.

Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman, bekas Ketua Pengarang Bernama

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Pemilikan 30% ekuiti bumiputera dimansuh

Garis panduan Jawatankuasa Pelaburan Asing (FIC) yang diwujudkan sejak 36 tahun lalu dengan mewajibkan pemilikan sekurang-kurangnya 30 peratus ekuiti bumiputera bagi Tawaran Awal Permulaan (IPO) dimansuhkan berkuat kuasa hari ini.

Pemansuhan itu membabitkan garis panduan berkaitan pembelian kepentingan ekuiti, penggabungan dan pengambilan alih.

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, pemansuhan garis panduan itu tidak akan diganti dengan mana-mana garis panduan baru.

"Mulai hari ini, FIC tidak lagi memproses transaksi saham atau mengenakan sebarang syarat bagi transaksi tersebut," katanya ketika berucap pada persidangan Invest Malaysia 2009 anjuran Bursa Malaysia Bhd. dan Kumpulan CIMB di sini hari ini.

Beliau yang juga Menteri Kewangan berkata, pada masa ini syarikat-syarikat yang mahu disenaraikan perlu memenuhi syarat pegangan saham awam sebanyak 25 peratus, mengikut Peraturan Penyenaraian Bursa Malaysia dan syarat 30 peratus ekuiti bumiputera di bawah garis panduan FIC.

Bagaimanapun, mulai hari ini, Keperluan Tebaran Awam akan dikekalkan dan sebagai tambahan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti (SC) bakal memperkenalkan garis panduan baru.

Di bawah garis panduan baru itu, syarikat yang mahu membuat penyenaraian perlu menawarkan 50 peratus daripada 25 peratus tebaran pegangan saham awal kepada pelabur bumiputera.

Tambah beliau, ini bermakna syarat ekuiti pelabur bumiputera telah dimasukkan bersama di dalam tebaran awam.

Najib menambah, mulai sekarang tiada lagi keperluan ekuiti dalam pasca IPO kecuali dalam pengambilan berbalik (RTO) dan penyenaraian 'pintu belakang'.

"Garis panduan baru ini diperkenalkan kerana kita dapati model lama FIC ada kekurangan, apabila ada segelintir pihak mendakwa tidak mendapat insentif dalam negara sendiri.

"Peraturan FIC itu juga sering mendapat rungutan di kalangan para pelabur asing dan dengan pemansuhan FIC, kita berharap Malaysia dapat menjadi destinasi mesra pelabur," katanya.

Beliau menaruh harapan, peraturan baru itu akan menjadikan negara lebih berdaya saing dalam pasaran modal dan meletakkan kedudukan Malaysia dalam 'radar' lebih tinggi di kalangan pelabur asing, tidak hanya dalam pelaburan asing tetapi juga dalam pelaburan ekuiti.

Menurut beliau, perubahan dalam garis panduan itu telah meletakkan semula Malaysia dalam situasi yang betul untuk mendapat manfaat ketika pemulihan ekonomi dunia.

Langkah yang diperkenalkan itu juga dapat mengurangkan amalan 'ali baba' kerana peraturan baru itu akan hanya membantu mereka yang menolong diri sendiri.

Mengulas lanjut, Najib berkata, sebelum ini, kebanyakan pelabur bumiputera yang mendapat saham, akan menjual saham mereka.

"Saham yang dijual bukan sedikit kerana berdasarkan kajian, daripada sejumlah RM54 bilion saham milik bumiputera, yang tinggal kini hanya RM2 bilion. Sebab itu saya katakan model lama FIC tidak lagi boleh digunakan," jelasnya.

Malah, sehingga hari ini, jumlah penguasaan ekuiti bumiputera hanya sekitar 19.4 peratus, masih jauh ketinggalan berbanding sasaran awal sebanyak 30 peratus.

Najib menyifatkan pemansuhan garis panduan itu adalah polisi yang adil bagi semua termasuk pelabur asing.

"Garis panduan polisi baru ini memberi situasi menang-menang kepada para pelabur global dan pada masa sama ia memenuhi keperluan bagi instrumen baru yang lebih efektif untuk bumiputera," jelas beliau.

Ditanya sama ada garis panduan baru itu akan menyebabkan berlaku penentangan politik, Najib berkata: "Tidak ada kerana tidak ada sesiapa akan rasa terpinggir"'.

"Tidak ada mana-mana kumpulan etnik akan terpinggir dan tidak ada penarikan semula insentif yang sedang dinikmati oleh kumpulan etnik. Ini bukan sesuatu yang mudah untuk dilaksanakan," tegas beliau.

Najib berkata, tugas FIC sekarang hanya memproses transaksi yang melibatkan pelupusan kepentingan bumiputera termasuk penjualan hartanah milik bumiputera kepada bukan bumiputera dan kepentingan kerajaan dalam hartanah.

Bagaimanapun, kelulusan FIC hanya diperlukan bagi hartanah melebihi RM20 juta sama ada dibeli secara langsung atau tidak langsung.

"Lain-lain transaksi tidak memerlukan kelulusan FIC," katanya.

Najib yakin dengan kelonggaran peraturan itu akan meningkatkan nilai kedudukan Malaysia sebagai destinasi untuk membuat perniagaan dan pelaburan.

Perubahan itu juga membolehkan Unit Perancang Ekonomi memfokus semula peranannya untuk koordinasi dan memantau polisi pengagihan pada tahap makro, kata beliau.

"Dengan ini, kerajaan akan kekal komited meningkatkan pembabitan ekonomi oleh bumiputera.
"Pendekatan baru ini akan memberi fokus untuk menumpukan kestabilan dan pembabitan efektif melalui kerjasama tulen dan meritokrasi," tambahnya.

Ekuiti Nasional ditubuh


Kerajaan hari ini mengumumkan penubuhan Ekuiti Nasional Berhad (Ekuinas), institusi pelaburan baru dengan modal permulaan RM500 juta dan sasaran dana sehingga RM10 bilion.

Ia akan menjadi satu instrumen untuk meningkatkan pegangan ekuiti bumiputera, fungsi yang gagal dilaksanakan oleh Jawatankuasa Pelaburan Asing (FIC) sehingga menyebabkan ia tidak berganjak daripada paras 19 peratus selama 19 tahun.

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak bagaimanapun berkata, Ekuinas berbeza dengan Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) yang memberi tumpuan kepada pelaburan saham amanah.

Sebaliknya, kata beliau, ia adalah dana ekuiti swasta yang akan menumpukan pelaburan di dalam sektor-sektor berpotensi mengalami pertumbuhan tinggi – pelancongan, teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi (ICT), perubatan, minyak dan gas serta bioteknologi.

Perdana Menteri berkata, penubuhan Ekuinas adalah sebahagian daripada pendekatan baru kerajaan untuk memastikan penyertaan bumiputera yang bermakna dan efektif.

“Sehingga hari ini, jumlah penguasaan ekuiti bumiputera hanya sekitar 19.4 peratus, masih jauh ketinggalan berbanding sasaran awal sebanyak 30 peratus.

“Jadi kita ganti FIC dengan satu instrumen baru iaitu Ekuinas yang akan memberi tumpuan untuk meningkatkan pelaburan syarikat bumiputera yang berpotensi,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan ucaptama pada Invest Malaysia 2009 di sini hari ini. Persidangan itu dihadiri lebih 1,000 pengurus dana dan pemimpin korporat.

Pada 1990, ekuiti bumiputera berada pada tahap 19.3 peratus dan ia hanya meningkat kepada 19.4 peratus pada 2006 yang kekal sehinggalah ke hari ini.

Terdahulu dalam ucapannya, Najib berkata, Ekuinas akan melabur secara bersama dengan dana swasta lain bagi menggalakkan perkongsian tulen dan pendekatan komersial sepenuhnya.

“Justeru penyertaan bumiputera menerusi Ekuinas akan dibuat berasaskan merit,” tegasnya.

Menurut Najib yang juga Menteri Kewangan, sejak 1970, keupayaan profesional bumiputera semakin meningkat dan mereka kini berminat menyumbang serta bersaing secara aktif dalam pekerjaan, pengurusan juga sebagai vendor.

“Kita berharap menerusi pelaburan dana seperti Ekuinas, bumiputera yang berpotensi serta berkemampuan baik akan disokong dan dibantu,” katanya.

Menurut beliau, kerajaan akan menyediakan dana dan melantik pakar untuk menguruskan Ekuinas tidak lama lagi.

Bercakap pada sidang akhbarnya, Perdana Menteri menjelaskan matlamat 30 peratus penyertaan bumiputera dalam pertumbuhan dan pengagihan ekonomi negara masih kekal walaupun syarat pegangan ekuiti dalam syarikat tersenarai oleh Jawatankuasa Pelaburan Asing (FIC) dimansuhkan.

“Apa yang berbeza, kita menganggap (penyertaan 30 peratus bumiputera) ini sebagai sasaran makro. Kita masih komited mewujudkan sebuah negara yang mengamalkan keadilan sosial.
“Apa yang penting, kita tidak mahu sesiapa pun merasa dipinggirkan atau tidak diberi perhatian,” katanya.

Najib berkata, tumpuan kini adalah penyertaan menyeluruh bumiputera dalam semua aspek dan tidak terhad kepada pegangan ekuiti semata-mata.