Candlelight Vigil: PAS Ulama Should Issue Fatwa, Says Perak MB

IPOH, July 20 (Bernama) -- PAS ulama should issue a fatwa (religious ruling) on candlelight vigils like the one participated by Perak PAS deputy commissioner Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin for political aide Teoh Beng Hock, who fell to his death at the MACC office in Shah Alam on Thursday.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir who said this, pointed out that a photograph of Mohammad Nizar holding a lighted candle with some opposition leaders following Teoh's untimely death, appeared in the New Straits Times on Saturday.
Zambry said PAS had many ulama including its spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang who could clarify whether Mohammad Nizar's action was allowed by Islam.
"I am not an ulama to comment on Nizar's action. Let the many 'tok guru' in Pas comment. He (Nizar) is also a 'tok guru' as he can read the Quran well and give (religious) talks and sermons at the mosques," he said.
Zambry had earlier witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Perak State Development Corporation and Red Solar (M) Sdn Bhd and TCT Inc (TCTI), here, Monday.
The lighting of candles on Friday which Mohammad Nizar participated in memory of the late Teoh, the political aide of Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was organised by Perak DAP.
Zambry said he sympathised with Teoh's death and had stated his stand in his blog at www.zambry.com.
Meanwhile, Red Solar executive chairman Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff told reporters that with the signing of the agreement, Perak would now host cutting- edge photo-voltaic (PV) cell production facilities involving an initial foreign direct investment of US$250 million (RM887 million).
"This is to produce 100MW of PV cells per annum by 2011, creating approximately 1,000 jobs in Perak," he added.
At the signing ceremony, the Perak SDC was represented by its chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Samsudin Hashim, Red Solar by Rais Hussin and TCTI by its CEO Siva Sivaram.

tunku : what nik aziz want to say about it? he will issue a fatwa that candlelight vigils is HALAL in Islam as it was done by the pas members as they have to follow their brothers from dap.if it was done by Umno, he will say that it's HARAM. let us wait the other pas "tok gurus" comments on this issue.

Royal Commission Can Eliminate People's Doubt - Rais

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- The setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate the death of Teoh Beng Hock can remove whatever doubt the people may have because the outcome of investigation by the Commission will carry more weight compared to other investigations.
Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the request to form the Royal Commission should be supported by everyone.
"As a member of the Cabinet, I will not oppose the suggestion as I feel it is probably one of the aspects of administration that is fair and can be participated by various groups," he told reporters at his office at Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, here Monday.
He was commenting on the request by Teoh's family as well as the call by the opposition and several political parties including the MCA and MIC to set up the commission to ensure that investigation into the death of the political aide to a Selangor State Executive Councillor was carried out in a transparent and professional manner.
Teoh's body was found at the corridor of the fifth floor of the Plaza Masalam building in Shah Alam, which also houses the Selangor office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Teoh, 30, was one of several witnesses in the MACC investigation into the misappropriation of the allocation given to a Selangor State Executive Councillor.
Concerning the attempts by certain groups to sensationalise the issue, Rais said they should allow the authorities to carry out investigation and come up with their report.
Meanwhile, Umno Youth vice-head Datuk Razali Ibrahim said the setting up of the commission was relevant and could prevent the issue from being manipulated by the opposition.
"I agree on the (formation of the) commission. Otherwise, the opposition will exploit the issue," said Razali, who is also the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, here.

tunku : i am sure najib's cabinet will allow a royal commission to investigate the death of teoh as every single person wants to know the truth. the cabinet will discuss it this wednesday. till then the opposition should shut their big mouth and stop taking advantage.

Teoh's Death Politicised To Divert Attention From MACC Probe: Muhyiddin

TANJONG KARANG, July 19 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today the death of a political aide of a Selangor state executive councillor had been politicised by the opposition to divert attention from the investigation of its elected representatives by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
He said the death of Teoh Beng Hock, 30, the political aide of Selangor State Executive Councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah on Thursday, was politicised as the MACC conducted investigations into the misuse of the Selangor government allocations to elected representatives.
Teoh was found dead at the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam. He had been questioned by officers of the MACC which is located at the 14th of the building from 5pm on Wednesday to 3.45am the following day.
Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, spoke at the opening of the Tanjong Karang Umno Division delegates meeting.
He said it was important for Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties to strengthen themselves and not be seen as weak due to any in-fighting in the coalition, which he said would make them seem incapable in the eyes of the people they represented.
Weaknesses should be overcome so that the efforts to restore the image of the BN could be carried out without hindrance, he said.
At the event, Muhyiddin launched Tanjong Karang Umno's 1Malaysia logo which had been prepared with 100kg of padi from Tanjong Karang in conjunction with the first 100 days of Muhyiddin as the deputy prime minister.

tunku : while we want thorough investigation on teoh's death we want the opposition to stop their cheap way of politics. they are using teoh's death day and night when we don't know the outcome yet. they are using it to divert of their corrupt practice and also their internal problems. it's also shadowing anwar's case. suddenly it's all about teoh's death. we too want to know what had happened, for that we have to let the authority to do their job first.who ever did any crime should be punished. the opposition is so desperate till some of them saying it's najib's work.if this is the work of macc people, do you think they will throw him from their own building?just wondering......we hope the government will set up a royal commission on teoh's death asap.

The Islamic Way Of Pas.

Similar Vision, So Jui Meng Opts For PKR

PETALING JAYA, July 18 (Bernama) -- Former MCA vice-president Datuk Chua Jui Meng said he decided to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) because his vision for reform contained in the manifesto he wrote during the MCA presidential elections, was similar to that of PKR Advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Chua, who stepped down as Bakri MCA division chairman last Thursday, said when comparing his 2008 general election manifesto with Anwar's Malaysian agenda, he saw many areas of commonality and agreement between them.
"I see many areas of commonality...many areas where we can be in agreement and that was the thing that really persuaded me (to join PKR). PKR is the right channel for me to join," he said at a news conference after attending a PKR public forum, 'The Truth Behind the Scandals of Perak, Port Klang Free Zone and the Barisan Nasional Conspiracy' here Saturday.
Chua, who announced his intention to join PKR and resigned as member of MCA today, also said he was joining the party without any condition that Anwar should fulfill.
Asked exactly when he made his decision to join the party, he said:
"Recently. Before and after the MCA elections last year, I had issued a manifesto stating my idealism and vision. It seems the PKR manifesto is similar to my thinking in a number of issues. That is important.
"If we have an idea which contradicts each other, I will not bring it to PKR."
Chua, a former health minister, said he had never denied nor confirmed that he would be joining PKR, as many media had reported that he had denied that he might quit the party and join the opposition.
He would also submit his resignation letter to MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat later.
"He is my friend. He is a man who stands for idea and principle. I respect him for that and I think he respect me, as well. So our relatioship will continue as friends," he added.
In a related development, Anwar said PKR would give Chua a position in the party and the matter would be discussed in the next party supreme council meeting.
Asked who played a major role to rope in Chua to join PKR, Anwar said: "A number of friends...we met a number of times."
Meanwhile in KLUANG, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein described Chua's joining the Opposition as hardly affecting the struggles of Barisan Nasional (BN).
"BN's struggles do not revolve around individuals. The struggles are more important than an individual or a certain group.
"It (Chua quitting the MCA) is his right. For me, it's hardly surprising because he (Chua) did not have a place in MCA to express himself.
"I don't see it as strange as there has been a minister, previously, who left BN to join PKR," he told reporters after the Community Police programme in Felda Ulu Belitong here today.
Hishammuddin, who is also Sembrong member of parliament, said he left it to time to tell if Chua's action was right or otherwise.

tunku : where else does a loser goes.....pkr. i would respect jui meng decision if he hold important post in mca and quits to join pkr but this person lost twice in party's election.he is so frustrated and knows that he has no future in mca.that is why he joined pkr.it's all about himself.if he had won the president post,do you think he will quit mca and join pkr?

New English curriculum in schools by 2012

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry will draw up a new English curriculum that will be implemented in schools by 2012.
“We’re calling experts from the universities, NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and various bodies to discuss how we can establish a good English curriculum,” ministry director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said when officiating a National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) seminar Friday.
“This will be done in a span of four to five months from now.”
Alimuddin urged the public not to worry about a perceived decline in the standard of English when Mathematics and Science are taught in Bahasa Malaysia.
“I’m sure with the new strategy of Memartabatkan Bahasa Malaysia, Memperkukuhkan Bahasa Inggeris (Upholding Bahasa Malaysia, Strengthening English) and new approaches to teaching English, standards will improve,” he said.
Alimuddin said there had also been some negative feedback over his previous comment to siphon time away from other subjects for English, adding that the ministry would consider restructuring the entire timetable.
Alimuddin also announced that five teacher training colleges would be training teachers solely for English Language in three years’ time.
They are Institut Pendidikan Bahasa-Bahasa Antarabangsa, Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia Kampus Dato’ Razali Ismail, English Language Teaching Centre and two others in Sabah and Sarawak.

tunku : this education ministry has the wrong idea of PPSMI, that is why they scrapped it. it was not implemented because of english language, it was implemented because of the advance knowledge of science and mathematics. why they simply can't understand this? the 2 subjects are very important and we have less materials on them in bahasa malaysia, that is why PPSMI was implemented. by the time we translate a book in bahasa malaysia, 5-6 new books already out in english. our students will be left far behind.wake up education ministry.

Pak Lah calls for repeal of ISA

Former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called on the government to consider abolishing the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows for detention without trial.
He said the draconian security law - which has drawn negative views - should be replaced with a new legislation that allows for preventive detention and at the same time protects fundamental rights.
He said the ISA perhaps provides enormous powers and scope, which he felt could be too wide-ranging, in determining what constitutes threats to national security.
"As a former home minister, I had signed numerous ISA detention orders, and with the government reviewing the law now, I feel compelled to give my honest view on the matter," he explained.
However, Abdullah noted that Malaysia still needs a preventive detention mechanism to ensure the security of the nation is preserved.
The former premier said this in his speech at a special convocation ceremony where he was conferred an hononary PhD in Democracy at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) in Kedah.
"Whether we like it or not, the ISA has been stigmatised as a negative element to the agenda of strengthening democracy and renewal in the country.
"So, this calls for the government to be brave to discard the old and open a new chapter," he was quoting as saying by Bernama.
Abdullah believed that the government must be courageous to bring about such change (abolishing the ISA) as its commitment to the agenda of democratic renewal in the country.
"I believe this is the transformation that the people are expecting, as a preventive measure should not sacrifice fundamental human rights or to be misused for a political objective.
"Perhaps one solution is to limit the scope of preventive detention to certain threats only or to draw up a new Act specifically to prevent terrorist activities, hence reducing the chances of abuse of power for a political interest," he said.
On the conferment of the honorary PhD on him today, Abdullah said he viewed it as a recognition from the academia on the vision, approaches and methods, as well as the democratic philosophy of his administration.

tunku : why he did not abolish ISA when he had the power to do so? why he put BSA Tahir under ISA? it is just because he bring threat to his son.foot in mouth disease.i wonder whether nazri will call him a crook too, but no way a dog will disobey his master but in this case you never know as we are talking about his ex master.

Darshan Lodges Police Report Against Lim Guan Eng

PENANG, July 16 (Bernama)-- Lawyer Darshan Singh Khaira on Thursday lodged a police report against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for repeatedly denigrating and insulting him and his religion, Islam.
Darshan, 61, who is also the legal adviser of the Kampung Buah Pala residents Association, claimed that Lim had been making personal attacks on him over the village land dispute.
He told reporters at the Pattani Road police station here that he demanded that the the case be investigated for sedition.
Lim's remarks that questioned Darshan's use of his Punjabi name when he had converted to Islam were reported in Sin Chew Jit Poh on July 11 and The Sun on July 15.
Darshan said Lim had insulted hundreds of Chinese, Indians and other converts who retained their pre-conversion names for social and personal reasons.

tunku : well,when people are bankrupt of ideas, they will talk rubbish, so did guan eng.he has nothing to attack darshan.he thought by talking about darshan's converting to Islam can change people's view on the kampung buah pala issue. this guy is really a racist etc.

Govt to be firm on PPSMI

PUTRAJAYA: The Government’s decision to reverse the Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English policy (PPSMI) stands.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said any policy decision made must be consistent.
“There cannot be a flip-flop within the policy,” he told reporters after presenting excellent service awards to 399 Education Ministry staff.
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said his ministry would study views from members of the Cabinet or anyone else reported in the media.
“We take all these into consideration when trying to strengthen the ministry’s new strategy, which is to uphold Bahasa Malaysia and strengthen English,” he said.
He was commenting on MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat’s statement that the party would make several proposals to the Cabinet on the usage of English in the teaching of Mathematics and Science.
On Tuesday, Ong had said the proposals would be to enhance the teaching of English subjects in vernacular primary schools, use English and Bahasa Malaysia to teach the two subjects from Form One to Form Three, and maintain English as the medium of instruction for Form Four and Form Five.
Muhyiddin said the Cabinet discussed many things, adding that the views of its members were important.
“The MCA president has also spoken outside expressing his interest on pushing Mathematics and Science to be implemented in English at secondary school level,” he said.
Asked if this meant the proposal had been shot down, Muhyiddin said he did not say so.
“Every decision we make must be consistent. Anyone can have a view ... maybe there is some rationale on the basis of some experiences,” he said.
Muhyiddin said what was important was the implementation of the new policy.
“I have said we will strengthen the English curriculum from now on. We would like to invite the experts in English who may want to contribute in terms of ideas or how to reform the curriculum, and even how to improve the teaching of Mathematics and Science,” he said.
Last Wednesday, Muhyiddin said the Government had decided to reverse the PPSMI policy and revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools from 2012.
The PPSMI policy was implemented in phases, beginning with Year One, Form One and Lower Six students in 2003, under former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.

tunku : whose views are taken when the government scrapped PPSMI? why did the government listen to those minority views and not the silent majority views. why the government did not give each student at schools a questionnaires for the parents to fill up whether they want PPSMI or not when their views are most relevant. we hope the government will look into this. visit: Parents Action Group for Education (PAGE)

Samy Vellu backs Palanivel for deputy, Sothi won't back down

PUTRAJAYA: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Wednesday he has endorsed incumbent deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel to defend the party's No 2 post at the MIC elections on Sept 12, but vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan said he will not back down.
Samy Vellu also said that he had endorsed Human Resource Minister and MIC secretary general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, Deputy Federal Territories Minister and MIC information chief Datuk M. Saravanan and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk S. K. Devamany for the three posts of vice-president.
Sothinathan said he will not withdraw from contesting the deputy president post.
“I will contest the post as I have been campaigning since announcing my intention on May 30,” he told Bernama when commenting on Samy Vellu’s decision.
Sothinathan, 49, a former MIC secretary-general and Member of Parliament for Teluk Kemang, said he was confident delegates would vote wisely, adding every member has the right to contest.
The MIC elections on Sept 12 is for a deputy president post, three vice-president posts and 23 Central Working Committee (CWC) members.
At the presidential election in March, Samy Vellu won the post of president, uncontested, for the 11th term.
Palanivel has announced that he would defend the No. 2 post at the party general assembly, which would be attended by 1,400 delegates.
Former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam and incumbent vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan have also announced their intention to contest the deputy presidency.
Many leaders have announced their intention to contest the posts of vice-president.
Two of the incumbent vice-presidents are Sothinathan and Datuk S. Veerasingham. Tan Sri K.S. Nijhar quit as vice-president last year after a tiff with Samy Vellu but both leaders have patched up since.
"I want to announce that I am endorsing Datuk G. Palanivel for the No 2 post because he is a very efficient, strong and simple man of the people. I hope members and delegates will throw their support behind him for continuity.
"I want a team which will deliver and strengthen the party and, as such, I am also endorsing Dr Subramaniam, Saravanan and Devamany for the three vice-president seats," Samy Vellu said.
On the three whom he had endorsed for the posts of vice-president, he said all three were holding government positions and, as such, were in a good position to better serve the Indian community.
Samy Vellu also said that he was drawing up a list of candidates for the 23 CWC posts and that he would endorse "several new faces".
"I will announce the complete list soon. I am announcing my lineup now to inform members and delegates that this is the team that will manage the MIC business more effectively and take the party closer to the community," he said.
Samy Vellu also said that he had taken care of the party over the last 29 years and had built it from just 120,000 members to 630,000 members and from 700 branches to 3,300 branches nationwide.
"All this was possible through constructive team effort which I established amongst my top office bearers.
"I feel that as a leader I have a responsibility to hand over the party to the right person. I have been giving it a lot of thought during the last two months as to how I want to conduct the elections and I have concluded that I will support the team which will support the MIC for a better future," he said. - Bernama

tunku : it looks like sothi is no more blue eyed boy for samy.he did not mention sothi's name even for vice president post.saravanan in his list now.till this dictator still ruling mic, mic will not get full support from the indian community.samy should be thrown out, he is rotten and making the whole party rots with him.

Government To Continue Building Infrastructure In Manik Urai

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- The federal government will continue with its plans to provide infrastructure in Manik Urai despite losing the by-election for the state constituency yesterday, said Kelantan Barisan Nasional (BN) Election director Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.
He said the federal government would not ignore the welfare of the residents there and would construct infrastructural facilities according to its financial capacity.
"Of course the (federal) government made several promises during the election. This was because there were many requests made by people as Manik Urai is located in the interior region and most of them need government assistance such as subsidy for house repairs and construction as well as welfare aid," he said at a press conference, here Wednesday.
The by-election for the Manik Urai state seat was won by the PAS candidate, Mohd Fauzi Abdullah, who received 5,348 votes compared with the 5,283 votes secured by BN's Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat, giving Mohd Fauzi a majority of 65 votes.
Throughout the eight days of campaigning, BN had promised to bring development to the constituency including building a new bridge at Manik Urai Lama and a mosque at Temalir besides planning to turn Manik Urai into an Agropolitan centre.
"We plan to continue to provide service to the constituency as well as other areas in Kelantan because we feel a change has occurred. We do this as a task of the federal government and hope that for the 13th general election, the people of Kelantan will assess our determination and commitment to help in resolving their problems," said Mustapa.
He said the narrow win by PAS also proved that the people of Kelantan felt that they had been under the administration of Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat for too long and were beginning to show support for BN.
"Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has become Prime Minister for more than 100 days. This is a vote of confidence for the PM (Prime Minister) who had carried out several innovations in policies," said Mustapa.
He said a post-mortem on the by-election would be made at the meeting of the BN Supreme Council next month.

tunku : this is what we want to hear from a responsible government.mustafa should make sure that kelantan will get it shares (not oil royalty)in developments.we believe the kelantanese too want changes.they want development in the states and for sure pas had failed to bring any for them.they can't even build a mosque in kelantan.the BN government can't neglect those who supports them in kelantan and the fence sitters.if mustafa can tackle the youth in kelantan, BN can capture back kelantan from pas.

No Need To Be Disappointed With Manik Urai Result - Muhyiddin

TRONOH, July 14 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Barisan Nasional (BN) need not be disappointed with the result of the Manik Urai by-election.
Muhyiddin said though BN lost, the result showed a significant and positive increase in support for BN.
"I believe the people are aware of the values in the leadership of the Prime Minister and the changes that the country has already undergone," he told reporters after opening the 52nd national-level Quran Reciters' Assembly at the Dewan Canselor, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, here, tonight.
Muhyiddin said the result will inspire him and his colleagues in BN to work harder and bring about winds of change in the future.
He added that a post-mortem would be conducted as usual to study and analyse details and what BN need to do to improve.
The Deputy Prime Minister also denied that BN's defeat in Manik Urai as a sign that voters had rejected the political changes and development that BN had brought about.
Muhyiddin also congratulated PAS for the victory and thanked Kelantan BN election director Datuk Mustapa Mohamed and the entire BN election machinery for their hard work to ensure BN's victory.
PAS retained the Manik Urai state seat after its candidate Mohd Fauzi Abdullah defeated BN's Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat by a narrow margin of 65 votes.
Mohd Fauzi, 50, polled 5,348 votes while Tuan Aziz, 39, obtained 5,283 votes but the victory was a far cry from the party's 1,352-vote majority it obtained in the 2008 general election.
The result was announced by Returning Officer Adnan Hussin at the Dewan Petra, SMK Sultan Yahya Petra 1, here at 9.05pm.

tunku : i am sure to lose by 65 votes its a disappointment. anyway, it was great fight and everyone knows that bn did well although they lost as pas was confident of getting a majority of 2000 votes. we hope muhyiddin will give some extra incentive to manik urai voters though bn lost as they have to appreciate the 5283 votes they got.as good will build the bridge for them.credits to tok pa (mustafa mohamad).

MCA Wants Science, Mathematics In English For Secondary School

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Bernama) -- Tommorrow, the MCA will propose to the Cabinet to maintain teaching science and mathematics in English at secondary school-level, said party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.
He said the party needed to be mindful of the students in science or pure science streaming in Forms 4 and 5.
"As such, we should maintain using English as a medium of instruction in science and mathematics in secondary school-level because of the streaming," he told reporters after chairing the pre-Cabinet meeting for MCA ministers and deputy ministers here Tuesday.
Ong also suggested that mathematics and science should be taught bi-lingual (Bahasa Melayu and English), if needed in Form 1 to 3, because the students might face problems in switching languages after they moved to Form 4.
Last Wednesday, the Government had annouced that the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in national schools would be reverted to the national language, effective 2012.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the teaching and learning of the two subjects in Chinese and Tamil national-type schools would be carried out in their respective mother tongue.
Ong said he would also suggest to the Cabinet to increase the time alloted for teaching the English subject in Chinese national-type primary schools (SJKC), by using the time slot previously used to teach science and mathematics in English.
"We note that the time alloted to teach the English subject in SJKC is far less than the national school (SK). Time allotment for teaching the subject in SK is 330 minutes for Standard 1 to 3 per week, while only 120 minutes are alloted for SJKC," he said.
Ong said the party wanted the time alloted to teach English to be increased to at least 180 minutes a week because it was worried of the English proficiency of SJKC students.
"All students in SJKC are required to learn three languages, that is Bahasa Melayu, English and Mandarin as compared to SK, so the time slot for teaching English is shorter than SK," he said.

tunku : that was the purpose of PPSMI, it's about the knowledge of science and mathematics not to master english but the government got the wrong idea and of course get pressured by some politicians and so called "pejuang bahasa".to master in science and maths we need to learn it in english, not bahasa malaysia. then again, if they still insist to teach the two subjects in bahasa and other language, do it at primary level.from secondary onwards let it be in english.we hope the government listen to the majority. lastly, the best solution for 1Malaysia is 1School for all.

Azmin wants Wee to explain ‘underworld ties’ allegation

SHAH ALAM: PKR vice-president Azmin Ali wants Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong to be given the chance to elaborate on his allegation about a Selangor executive councillor’s ties with the underworld.
Azmin, who is also Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman, said Wee should explain the issue clearly to the party so that the leadership would understand what was it was all about.
“Its best for Wee to give further explanation so that we can consider our next course of action,” he said, suggesting that perhaps Wee had evidence for stating what he did.
“I need him to explain and I’ll get his explanation,” he said at a press conference Monday.
Wee had alleged in his blog that the office of a certain executive councillor had been used as a meeting place for people connected with underground business activities.
His allegation had riled up many DAP representatives, including Ronnie Liu and Teresa Kok, who claimed Wee’s insinuation stemmed from a grudge he held against party leaders.
Azmin however said Wee’s allegation had nothing to do with his call for a reshuffle of the legislative council.
Azmin had made the call last week, citing inefficiencies as the main reason for his suggestion.
He had also criticised the state government in its selection of the local councillors, claiming that no proper consultation was carried out before their appointments.
Later in the state assembly, things became tense when Azmin brought up senior executive councillor Kok’s statement accusing him of being arrogant in calling for the reshuffle of the state executive council.
However, speaker Teng Chang Khim managed to calm the situation.
Azmin later said he did not take Kok’s statement to heart and that his criticism was only meant to strengthen the Pakatan Rakyat government.
Anwar’s summons
On another matter, Azmin confirmed that Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had been summoned to meet Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on Tuesday.
He however refused to reveal the reason why Khalid was called up by the party adviser and its president.
However, according to sources, Anwar and Azizah had called for the meeting to discuss grouses by Selangor party leaders regarding the appointment of local councillors.
The appointment of several councillors in the Ampang Municipal Council and the Shah Alam City Council had irked many local leaders who claimed they had not been consulted over the selection.
Earlier in the day a group of PKR youth members came to meet Azmin at the State Assembly Building and handed him a memorandum detailing their grouses over the local councillors selection.
Wee welcomes probe
In PETALING JAYA, Wee said he welcomed any investigation by the police or other authorities into his allegation that a Selangor state executive councillor’s office was being used for “underground business activities.”
He also wrote on his blog that he would reveal the name of the executive councillor at an appropriate time.
“I may not have visited the office of that particular exco member but that does not mean that I am totally unaware of the happenings there,” he wrote Monday.
Wee, who is a PKR member, also told Ronnie Liu not to be angered over his statement that the Selangor state executive council should be reshuffled as there were other councillors who belonged to PKR and PAS.
“None of them got agitated over my statement of two days ago,” he said.
He added that he had mentioned neither the name nor the political party of the executive councillor in question.
He said he was only interested in the issue as a Pakatan Rakyat member and MP who wants to ensure that the coalition continues to be transparent about the way it conducts business and serves the people.
“I believe that Liu and Kok share the same aspirations,” he said.

tunku : just a year and 3 months old in power already having ties with the underworld.what if 5 years, maybe they will have link with international underworld organizations.what a crook these people are. no wonder lots of vice activities in selangor nowadays.everything is done openly.azmin is making noise together with other pkr members because they are not getting their pieces of cake.the dap is taking everything to themselves.anwar now will direct his clown, khalid ibrahim to direct dap excos to share the cake with his boys.then only azmin ali will shut his mouth.

Listen to views of silent majority, Govt urged

PETALING JAYA: The Government should listen to the views of parents who are among the silent majority opposing the scrapping of the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English, a lobby group said.
The group, comprising the Parent-Teacher Association of Bandar Sri Damansara, concerned parents and a non-governmental organisation, is appealing to the Government to consider flexibility in the policy reversal.
Famemas Malaysia Supporters Club (a group of sports fans) chairman Lee Hui Seng said that if the Government still insisted on the policy reversal, it should consider allowing the teaching of the two subjects in English to be implemented at the secondary school level.
“Let the majority decide. Not the minority. Otherwise, we will lose more brainy people to foreign countries,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
“Reversing the policy is not the way to solve problems. We should tackle the problem head on. Don’t give the excuse that rural students can’t cope with learning the two subjects in English. They can master the language,” he said.
Instead, Lee said teachers should be sent for training to ensure better implementation of the teaching of the two subjects in English.
“This is better than translating Science and Mathematics references to Bahasa Malaysia. The Government should make the education policy more competitive for the sake of our children’s future. If not, in five or six years, the Thais and Indonesians will overtake us.
“Even China and Hong Kong have realised the importance of teaching children in English. Bilingualism will make us globally competitive, bilingualism can help create the 1Malaysia concept envisaged by our Prime Minister,” he said.
Lee added that the group was not belittling Bahasa Malaysia as the national language, but the teaching of the two subjects in English would not make Malaysians less patriotic.
SMK Bandar Sri Damansara 1 PTA president Syed Abdul Razak Alsagoff said the Government was taking a step backward by making the policy reversal as English was the language of commerce and trade and scientific endeavours.
“Don’t reinvent the wheel. Why make life difficult for our kids? If the implementation is wrong, correct it,” he said, adding that parents should have been extensively consulted as the issue was central to parents rather than politicians, vernacular educationists or the so-called nationalists.
“While the Government expects to save RM40mil with the abolition of the policy by recouping allowances given to teachers to teach the subjects, what about the amount to be spent on reprinting textbooks to be translated into Bahasa Malaysia? Who will make money? Who will end up losing?” Abdul Razak said.

tunku : very true what lee hui seng said above.the government should listen to the silent majority not the noisy minority. our children future are at stake just because these politicians and the so called "pejuang bahasa".PPSMI is not about english alone, it is to acquire the knowledge and to be master in science and maths. if the government still think that it should be taught in bahasa malaysia, do it in primary schools only, PPSMI should be implemented in secondary school onwards although we the majority thinks that it should start from the beginning that is at the primary level..the government SHOULD listen to the majority.

BN Shows Signs Of Revival: Hishammuddin

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Bernama) -- Signs of Barisan Nasional (BN) revival in Kelantan are in the air with the renewed spirit shown by the people in the Manik Urai by-election campaign, said Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
"I had met the people of Manik Urai and it is clear that they want to see a BN revival in Kelantan.
"Manik Urai could be the starting point of the changes as the people are aware of PAS narrow politics that would take them nowhere," he said in a statement Sunday.
Hishammuddin, who is also Home Minister, said the people of Manik Urai were still lagging behind and their livelihood hardly changed under PAS.
"They want to lead a better life and have a secured future. This could be seen when the people of Manik Urai openly came out in droves to meet Umno leaders.
"This turn of event is further augmented by the friendly disposition of BN candidate Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat, who has his finger on the pulse of the people.
"And this is an important step towards the transformation of the future of the people of Kelantan," he added.
Hishammuddin said with the support and awareness of Manik Urai voters, the future of the people of Kelantan would be rest assured and BN would be with them in marching towards transformation.
While admitting the relative calm in the Manik Urai by-election campaign to the maturity of the people, he also attributed it to the role played by the police.
He commended the police for maintaining security and public order to ensure that there would be untoward incidents during the campaign and on polling day.

tunku : it is too early to talk about signs of revival.there are still lots of thing that bn should reform and change before the people will throw their full support again to bn like before. no doubts measured have been taken since najib became the pm but still not enough. the biggest issue is the economy and corruption.on economy side we have seen much improvement and measured taken but on the corruption matters,it is moving at a very slow pace.there are still leaders who are involved in corruption around us, these people should be thrown out first.bn must get rid of these people in order to reduce corruption in the society.definitely bn can assure secured life better than pakatan but the rakyat won't tolerate corruption in the government too.

Mukhriz : We need English to acquire knowledge

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said yesterday that Science and Mathematics should continue to be taught in English. He said the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) was introduced to ensure that the country's next generation had access to knowledge, as English was the global language of knowledge.
"People say the Malay language is the soul of the nation but this may no longer be the case as knowledge is now the soul of the nation," he said after officiating the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2009 here yesterday.
Mukriz, who is also Jerlun member of parliament, said checks with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka showed that there were only six documents on nano technology -- two papers each from Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and another two articles in magazines.
"But if you were to Google it, there would be hundreds of thousands of papers on nano technology in English."
He said history showed that the Japanese learnt German to understand German technology, before coming out with their own technological innovations.
"By the same token, we need to be proficient in English to have access to the latest technology," he said, adding that knowledge acquisition would enhance the country's competitiveness.
Mukhriz said it was his personal opinion that reverting the teaching of the two subjects to Bahasa Malaysia would jeopardise future generations, and that his constituency of Jerlun, was a rural area where the schoolchildren had adapted to PPSMI.
"You'd be surprised that the kids there use terms like 'multiply', 'subtract' and all. Of course, it's tough but who says we can't handle it?"

tunku : the sad part is the government did not hear the majority voices out there.they only hear from some so called "pejuang bahasa" NGO's and political parties. it was quite surprising to know that the government scrapped the PPSMI although 20 out of 32 cabinet members supported PPSMI.we are glad that Mukhriz stands for PPSMI, there are some were supporting it but after government scrapped PPSMI the made a u-turn,one of them is muhyiddin yasin who was supporting PPSMI all the way and now made a complete u-turn, he is now saying PPSMI is a failure.

Leaders Pay Tribute To PM Najib On His First 100 Days In Office

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Bernama) -- Several leaders Friday paid tribute to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who marks his first 100 days in office as the prime minister, tomorrow.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said Najib was a leader who has been able to stay focused and firm in discharging his duties.
"In his (first) 100 days, he has stayed focused and firm in underlining management performance. He has personally led Cabinet ministers in three workshops to work on the key performance indicators (KPI) in three months, motivating and galvanising all of us to forge ahead with strong commitment and team spirit," Koh said in a statement.
Koh, who is also Gerakan president, said that by promoting the 1Malaysia concept based on unity in diversity and implementing economic liberalisation measures, Najib had also infused fresh air and a new strategy to the country's social and economic outlook.
He said he was optimistic that Najib would continue to initiate more reforms.
Human Resource Minister and MIC secretary-general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said Najib's leadership was exceptional in that he made immediate decisions to ensure that the administration functioned smoothly.
"I extend my congratulations to the prime minister. I am proud to be serving in his administration because his is an exceptional leadership," he said.
Subramaniam said Najib showed much concern to all aspects and his priority was to ensure the well-being of all the communities.
"For me, he has fostered closer relations among the various races through his new policies," he said.
People's Progressive Party (PPP) president Datuk M. Kayveas said Najib had succeeded in placing the people and country on the right track towards establishing a united and progressive nation.
"He has succeeded in bringing about positive change in the social, economic and political aspects of the country, and this will raise confidence in the majority of the people and entice them to support the government," he said.

tunku : enough of apple polishing in the government. a leader can't be judge by his first 100 days in office.100 days in office is always good as you are fresh and new. judge him after a year.then only we will know whether his policies are working or not.for now, stop the praising.1-10 , i'll give najib 6 for now.he needs to work harder especially getting rid of the corrupt leaders in the government and also in the party.

There is no Islam word in Umno - Nik Aziz

Nik Aziz retorted to a statement by Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin that Umno has been championing Islamic issues even before PAS did.
He said that PAS was the only Islamic party in the country and questioned why the word 'Islam' could not be found in Umno.



tunku : Umno has no Islam word, that is for sure, but where is the Islam word in PAS ? P-can't be Islam , A- can't be Islam , S-can't be Islam but can be "selam".so where is the Islam word in pas? we hope the old man think before opening his mouth.Islam does not teach you to hate your fellow brothers and have ill intention toward others all the time,maybe this pas stands for parti ajaran sesat.

Kedah DAP to rejoin state Pakatan

ALOR SETAR: Kedah DAP will rejoin the state Pakatan Rakyat coalition after Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak said he would set up an action committee to discuss state issues.
Kedah DAP chairman Thomas Su said that the decision was made during the state DAP committee meeting here.
“We will inform the DAP Centre Executive Committee about our decision and we will retract our letter to quit the state Pakatan,” he told newsmen during a press conference here Friday.
He said that the assurance given by Azizan during the meeting with DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang had renewed the state DAP’s confidence in the PAS-led government.
He said that the setting up the action committee would enable the coalition parties in Pakatan to voice their opinion regarding any state issue.
The state DAP had suggested that six people each from PAS, DAP and PKR sit in the committee and the committee meet at least once a month, he said.
Su also said that Azizan had given the assurance that he would settle the matter regarding the relocation of the illegal slaughterhouse in Kampung Berjaya, Jalan Putra here.
He said that the new site would be in Kampung Sungai Tok Pawang in Gurun.
Su said he believed that there would be a problem with the new site as the land was already used for pig rearing.
Azizan had also assured that the state would speed up the process to allow the construction of the slaughterhouse at the new site, he said.
On July 1, Su announced that Kedah DAP had pulled out from the state Pakatan Rakyat coalition, saying the PAS-led government was not giving equal treatment to all Kedahans.
He was quoted as saying that this included the demolition of an illegal pig slaughterhouse at Kampung Berjaya, Jalan Putra here.
He said the state government had failed to handle the issue properly.
During Friday’s press conference, Su denied that the state DAP decision to quit the state Pakatan was merely a threat.
He said that the earlier decision was made because the state DAP had lost confidence in the PAS-led government.
“Azizan has given his assurance and I believe that everything will go well from today onwards,” he said.

tunku : it's all melodrama from them. they learned well from the melodrama queen (the moron). first everythinh is not right then within few days everything is ok and in good terms. we hope the will be more serious in doing their work for the people than playing drama.

Azmin calls for reshuffle of Selangor state exco

SHAH ALAM: Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Azmin Ali shocked the Selangor legislative assembly Thursday by calling for a reshuffle of the exco members.
“Maybe its time for the Mentri Besar to consider an exco reshuffle for the people to be served better,” he said.
Later in the evening after the proceedings ended, Azmin told a press conference he had put forward the suggestion to Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim due to the many complaints he had received from the people.
“I suggested to the Mentri Besar to reexamine the performance of the exco members as they play important roles in realising the states policies,” he said.
Azmin said there were several inadequacies in the manner certain things were carried out in the state.
“An example would be the appointment of local council councilors recently which should have been done in a better way given that the Selangor government emphasises on good governance, democracy, human rights and rule of law,” he said.
Azmin also said he had received many complaints from key business figures in the state that there was a lot of bureaucracy when it came to gaining approvals for commercial purposes.
He added the Selangor State Economic Council (MTES) had taken a prejudicial stance by investigating and punishing instead of facilitating the business.
He said MTES must not behave like a court of law but instead forge closer ties with the business community to ensure that the state enjoyed better economic growth.
“The revenue for the state (currently) is not what we had expected,” he said adding that an example would be the expected revenue from the sale of sand and minerals was nowhere near what Khalid had projected.
He added if an exco member could not perform based on these principles there was no point in them continuing.
He said that if his suggestion was accepted, the appointment of exco members must not be based on their party or race but their ability to carry out their work efficiently.
Meanwhile, when asked if Azmin had behaved like an opposition member rather than a Pakatan Rakyat member with his outburst, Khalid said this was the special facet of the coalition.
“Pakatan Rakyat allows for the differences in opinion and issues,” he said adding that Azmin had voiced the grievances of his constituents.
“We must now review ourselves and find out how best we can serve the people better,” he said.
Khalid said he and his exco members worked very closely together and effort must be put in to further strengthen teamwork.
DAP’s Ronnie Liew and Teresa Kok were the excos in charge of the state’s local council and investment respectively.

tunku : there are just looking for excuse of their poor performance and now the pkr in selangor putting the blame on selangor dap exco member, they are teresa kok and ronnie liew. what azmin trying to say is these two is not working hard and should be replaced.what about the sacred eli?

PPSMI : Dr M turns up the heat with online poll

Displeased with the government's decision to scrap the language switch policy, it's architect Dr Mahathir Mohamad is seeking the public's opinion on the matter.
The internet savvy octogenarian has started a poll on his blog, which requires visitors to click on either 'yes' or 'no' to express their stand.
Incidentally, Mahathir's blog Che Det - named after his nickname in Kedah - is one of the most popular blogs in the country, drawing millions of visitors.
"I am not surprised over the disappointment and even anger towards the government's decision on the teaching of maths and science," he said in his latest posting. "Seems to me like the government is not listening to the voice of the people," he added. In view of this, the 84-year-old former premier felt that a blog poll might enlighten the government as to the opinions of the people. After explaining to visitors what the poll is about, Mahathir added: "I will then try to let the government know your opinion."
At press time, a total of 2,150 people had voted, with a whopping 72 percent disagreeing with the government's decision.
Yesterday, Mahathir said although the government had sought his views on the matter, it was not reflected in the decision.
The former premier also denied Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's statement that he was 'consulted'.
"That was not a consultation. I was just briefed on what was already decided," he said.
Mahathir also questioned the data, which Muhyiddin claimed, showed that the policy had failed to meet its objectives.
"I think the figures shown are not accurate. They were comparing urban and rural students.
mahathir blog poll on govt move on english language use in teaching science and maths 090709"Naturally, rural students perform poorer that urban students, not just in science and mathematics but also other subjects," he said.
Mahathir had bulldozed the language switch policy in 2003 amid strong protest from various quarters. The policy required the teaching of science and maths in English.
Yesterday, Muhyiddin had announced that beginning 2012, the two subjects will be taught in Bahasa Malaysia at national schools.
As for national-type schools, he added, the subjects will be taught in the respective mother-tongues.

http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2009/07/the-teaching-of-maths-and-scie.html

PPSMI : Parents unhappy over decision to revert

KUALA LUMPUR: Many parents and students are very disappointed at the Cabinet’s decision to reverse the Teaching of Science and Mathematics policy.
Said mother of three Kam Swee Har: “Language is not just about teaching grammar and writing essays; it is the whole application of the language.
“The exposure is different when you’re learning technical subjects like Science or Maths.”
Engineer and father of four, Sulaiman Mahran, agreed: “Technical terms need to be absorbed in English, so strengthening English in general is not going to help in Maths and Science.”
Azra Banu, who has a child in Year Six, pointed out that it is the rural students who will lose out in the long run.
Businesswoman Haili Abdul Jamil, who has two children in Years One and Two, is seriously considering enrolling her children in an international school following the decision.
The impact of the decision is particularly hard on students who will enter Form Four in 2012.
Form One student Anisa Sulaiman is anxious about switching to Bahasa Malaysia in the two subjects when she gets into Form Four in 2012.
“I have been learning Maths and Science in English, so it will be difficult if we change the medium of instruction later on,” she said.
In Penang, Han Chiang High School Just English centre adviser Ooi Lay Le said the standard of English among students would drop if the two subjects were not taught in the language.
“We are going backwards,” said Ooi who has been teaching for 40 years.
SJK (C) Union Bahasa Malaysia Committee head Cheah Choo Suan, 55, said teaching the subjects in English would have helped broaden students’ knowledge of new terminologies and improve their command of the language.
Year Five student R. Abirami, 11, from SK Convent Green Lane, said it would be hard for her to adapt to the new system.
“We have memorised the scientific terms in English,” she said. “I’m afraid it will be hard to re-learn them in Bahasa Malaysia.”
In Johor, some parents are even considering sending their children to Singapore where they can learn in English.
Dr Santhi Sivalingam Moorthy, 41, said she would seriously consider transferring her three children, aged between five and 10, to Singapore schools now.

tunku : almost all the parents even the one in rural areas wants PPSMI, but some politicians and so called pejuang bangsa/bahasa has jeopardized the future of this nation because of their interest. i as a parent supports PPSMI. for the disappointed parents which has money, they still can send their children to international schools but what about the majority out there? the so called pejuang bangsa/bahasa and politicians sending their children to private schools,overseas etc but can decide for others.very frustrating.

M'sians Should Show More Concern For Palestinians In Gaza, Says Dr M

PUTRAJAYA, July 8 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad Wednesday called on Malaysians to show more concern towards the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
In a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here, Dr Mahathir said this reminder was necessary because the world's mainstream media was giving less attention to the suffering of the people there.
He said they needed all the help they could get and with winter approaching, their suffering would only get worse if aid like blankets, food and medicine supplies did not reach them.
He also slammed Israel for blocking aid channeled via Cyprus from reaching Palestinians in Gaza.
He added that he would be leaving for Cyprus on July 16 to help draw attention to the dire situation in Gaza.
"This is a humanitarian issue. I hope we (aid groups) can pressure Israel to lift the blockade on aid reaching Gaza. According to international law, the action by Israel (in blocking aid) is wrong," he said, adding that USD4 million in aid had been collected by the international community but could not be delivered to Gaza because of the Israeli action.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Free Gaza Movement, Huwaida Arraf, who was also present at the press conference, appealed to Malaysians to support the movement in its efforts towards alleviating the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
Enquiries or applications to register as volunteers of the Free Gaza Movement can be made by visiting its website www.freegaza.org

Scrapping Of Math, Science In English Not Easy - Hishammuddin

PUTRAJAYA, July 8 (Bernama) -- Former Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Wednesday the scrapping of the policy on the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English was not an easy decision.
Hishammuddin, who is now the Home Minister, said the decision, however, was supported by the majority who saw it as most appropriate based on studies which saw less than encouraging examination results among students.
"It was not an easy decision and it is impossible to satisfy everyone," he told a news conference after chairing a post-cabinet meeting at his ministry today.
The government today decided to revert the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics to the Malay language, effective 2012.
Hishammuddin said all quarters should accept the decision with an open heart as it had gone through a comprehensive process, from roundtable discussions to obtaining feedback at the grassroots level.
"I would also like to congratulate Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is Education Minister for putting forward a convincing argument on the matter based on facts," he said.
He said the decision was made after a sufficient time was given to interact with all the interested parties.

tunku : the decision was made only after sufficient time given to both the government and the people who are opposing it not with the people who are supporting it.this is the most idiotic decision by the government.as a parent i lost my rights to give the best for my children just because some politicians interest.

Khir Toyo and his nemesis Ng have ‘tete-a-tete’

SHAH ALAM: DAP Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim mischievously approached Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo Wednesday to ask him for the keys to the former mentri besar’s controversial mansion in Section 7 here.
Ng took the chance to engage Dr Khir at the state secretariat annex building lobby, just after Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim ended his press conference on the launching of the state assembly’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Not losing his composure, Dr Khir calmly told Ng, who was smiling mischievously, that potential buyers must deposit 10% and make the necessary legal arrangements for a sale-and-purchase agreement.
“Once you have that in order, then you are allowed to view the property,” said Dr Khir.
On hearing this, Ng disagreed with a chuckle.
Barisan Nasional Sri Serdang assemblyman Datuk Satim Deman interjected and asked Ng: “Why are you being a busybody? Why do you want to check on people’s lives, what do you want exactly from this non-issue?”
Ng, stern-faced this time, shot back: “Ini hak saya bertanya (it is my right to ask).”
When the Chinese press moved towards Ng for a clarification on the exchange of words, the three assemblymen moved away from each other.
Earlier this week, Ng had brought up the issue of Dr Khir’s purchase of a bungalow in Section 7 near here, at an estimated cost of RM24mil.
He was also alleged to have spent about RM20mil on fixtures as well as furniture imported from Bali.
Dr Khir denied the bungalow cost that much and challenged Ng that if he could sell the mansion for RM24mill, then he (Dr Khir) was willing to give a 50% commission.

tunku : if i'm ng, i will find a buyer real fast to earn the promised 50% commission. it is not impossible for brokers to get that much commission,never heard of it but here ng is promised a 50% commission if he can manage to get a buyer for dr khir's house for rm24mil. i wonder why they never asked anwar from where he got the money to build his mansion at segambut heights especially after 8-9 years without job (ex prisoner)? did he made his fortune while in the prison or while he was with the government? khir has made his part of explanation here, when will anwar make his explanantion?

Math and Science back to Bahasa, mother tongues

KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet has decided that the medium of instruction for Maths and Science will revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and mother-tongue languages in national-type schools from 2012 onwards.
The reversal of the Teaching of Math and Science in English (PPSMI) policy will be done in stages, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said on Wednesday.
He however added that there will be greater emphasis on learning the English language.
English literature will be re-introduced, as will subjects on grammar and composition.
Beginning 2012, students in Year One and Year Four in primary schools, and Form One and Form Four in secondary schools, will learn Math and Science in Bahasa Malaysia.
The change will not affect those in Form Six and Matriculation.
The two subjects will be taught in two languages until 2014 for other students, he said.
“The gap between rural and urban students has widened since PPSMI started.
“Only 19.2% of secondary teachers and 9.96% of primary teachers were sufficiently proficient in English,” he said, explaining the Government’s decision to revert to the old system.
On efforts to emphasise the learning of English, the number of English teachers would be increased by 13,933 -- retirees would be hired, as well as foreigners if need be.
Primary schools will also increase English classes by 90 minutes a week.
There have been calls from various groups for the policy to revert to before 2003, when the subjects were taught in Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, and either in Chinese or Tamil in national-type schools.
The issue has seen a rare alliance between Malay and Chinese educationists, who are against the switch, although there are also calls by many parents and entrepreneurs for English to be maintained.

Reversal Of Policy Will Affect Future Of Children, Says Dr M

PUTRAJAYA, July 8 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad expressed disappointment over the government's decision Wednesday to revert to the teaching of science and mathematics in the Malay language, saying it would adversely affect the future of children.
He said the decision would make it difficult for the children to keep up-to-date with the developments in the world of science.
"I am saddened because our children will become the victims of this policy," he told a news conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here.
Dr Mahathir was asked to comment on the government's decision to revert to the teaching of science and mathematics in the Malay language and the mother tongues in vernacular schools beginning 2012, as announced by Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin after the Cabinet meeting today.
He said the efforts to empower the Malay language would not touch on the teaching of science and mathematics in the English language as the science and mathematics subjects were not associated with the learning of languages.
"They say they want to empower the national language, but in Chinese schools they use Mandarin and in Tamil schools they use Tamil. Furthermore, we cannot learn languages through science and mathematics. Languages have their own subjects," he said.
Dr Mahathir also said that he had not agreed to the reversal of the policy, adding that the government made the decision and that he was only briefed on it.
"I suggested that if it could not be implemented at primary level, at least (it could be implemented) at secondary level. But it was rejected. So, it was not a consultation, only a briefing," he said.
Earlier, when announcing the reversal of the policy, Muhyiddin had said that in general Dr Mahathir accepted the reality that the policy had to be changed.

tunku : at last they scrapped it. this is the biggest stupidity by najib's administration decision till date. it's purely politically motivated decision made by them.the reason was given that there is not enough teachers to teach but suddenly they are hiring 8000 teachers for english subject9wonder what type of quality).we hope the government will think it over again though muhyiddin said that there will be no appeal in this decision.again, parents view have not been asked.in develop countries, parents are consulted but in malaysia, it's the authority, doing whatever they like.i am so frustrated.read tun mahathir's comment here. ask any parents with children related to PPSMI, they all supports PPSMI. we are moving backwards.thanks to the so called "pejuang bangsa".

Kedah MB Denies Dap's Allegations On Temples

ALOR SETAR, July 4(Bernama) -- Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak refuted allegations by the DAP that the state government intended to demolish illegal Hindu and Chinese temples in the state.
He described the allegations as a deliberate attempt by the party to stir up racial issues.
"The state governmnent or the Alor Star Municipal Council (MBAS) have never discussed anything about demolishing illegal places of worship.
"The DAP says it champions the causes of all Malaysians but now suddenly comes up with such wild allegations," he said when met by reporters here Saturday.
He was commenting on the allegation by Kedah/Perlis DAP chairman Thomas Su yesterday that MBAS had been given the go ahead to tear down illegal temple structures in the municipality.
PAS and DAP have been at loggerheads in the Pakatan government in Kedah and the DAP's sole assemblymen in the coalition yesterday declared himself an independent after PAS, which leads the governmnet, ordered an illegal pig abbatoir, the only one for slaughtering pigs in Kedah, to be shut down.
On another matter, Azizan said the State Land and Mines Department had been directed to determine if reports that there were gold deposits at a quarry in Kampung Jelutong, Pendang, was true.
"If it is the case, the state's laws will be invoked pertaining to its mining," he said.
Hundreds of people are flocking to site to hunt for gold after word got out about the deposits on Wednesday.

tunku : how would dap as member in pakatan would want to accuse their own pakatan government? i wonder if these all are merely stage drama by them or really there's a big crack in their partnership.pas is the one who should leave pakatan not dap.pas should think it over.dap and pkr will never be their partners for life as they have different ideologies all together.

PAS has no respect for DAP in Kedah: Guan Eng

PETALING JAYA: The Kedah DAP’s decision to quit the PAS-led government is a “signal” of the complete lack of communication and respect from the state government.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said pulling out of Pakatan Rakyat was a serious matter with large, adverse national ramifications.
“Kedah DAP has never sought any titles or Datukships but has been unhappy with the lack of respect accorded by PAS to DAP in Kedah, unlike the respect accorded to PAS in Penang.
“I would normally oppose such moves personally, especially when based on a single issue and if there is still room to redress and correct the situation.
“However, the desperate nature of the situation and the breakdown of trust between the Kedah DAP and the Mentri Besar, who is from PAS, warrants a central executive committee (CEC) meeting to endorse or oppose this withdrawal,” he said in a statement here Thursday.
He said that all implications would be reviewed and studied in the final decision.
Lim said he was informed by Kedah DAP chairman Thomas Su of its decision on Wednesday.
“Only after receiving the official letter confirming the Kedah state committee decision will I call for a CEC meeting to make a final decision,” he said, adding that the national level DAP was gravely concerned over the Kedah DAP’s decision.

tunku : big brother is mad at pas, i guess pas should apologize to their big brother before they explode.pas should give extra special treatment to dap in kedah.

Kedah DAP quits PAS-led gov't

Even before the dust could settle on the unity talks fiasco which nearly tore apart Pakatan Rakyat, the opposition coalition is now faced with another crisis.
This time around the trouble is in Kedah where the state DAP has decided to quit the coalition formed slightly more than a year ago.
Kedah DAP's decision was related to the demolishment of the sole pig abattoir in the Malay-majority state which is headed by a menteri besar from PAS.
According to reports, the Alor Star Municipal Council has claimed that the premise was operating without a licence.
Kedah DAP's decision was announced by its chief Thomas Su at a press conference in Alor Star this evening.
"I have already relayed the decision to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. Fourteen out of 16 of our (state) committee members have agreed to quit," he told Malaysiakini.
He added that two other committee members could not attend the meeting.
Su said apart from the sole DAP representative in the state government, three local councillors and 43 village heads would also quit the government.
"DAP is not threatening the state government but we cannot sacrifice our principles. Although we have quit the Kedah government, it would not affect cooperation with Pakatan."
“This is a state level decision, we would abide by whatever decision that is made by the DAP central executive committee on the matter,” he said.
No alternative site for relocation
Stressing that he felt "dejected and disappointed", Su said the abattoir was utilised by 28 operators.

tunku : they can't even stand united in one state and wants to rule the whole country.first of all they are not united as "pakatan rakyat" has not been registered till today. whenever there's election they stand individually, not as "pakatan rakyat". they have different ideologies all together.hope the people will open their eyes on these greedy lots.they can't even fulfill most of their election promises till today.

Pas Youth Deny Reports About Pas-Umno Cooperation

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) -- Pas Youth Wednesday denied reports by several media organisations about cooperation between the movement and Umno Youth.
Pas Youth secretary Kamaruzaman Mohamad in a statement said the reports referred to a handing over of an official invitation letter to Umno Youth to have a discourse on the topic titled "Is it true that Umno's struggle is not against Islam" through the setting up of a secretariat of both movements.
"In that regard, Pas Youth is considering legal action against the media organisations for false reporting on the issue," he said.
He said the secretariat proposed by Umno Youth vice-chief Datuk Razali Ibrahim had already been clarified by Pas Youth chief Nasruddin Hasan Tantawi to being only a technical committee to discuss dates, place, time, membership and discourse format only.
He said the discourse was a continuation of a challenge to debate made by Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Umno going astray in its struggle.

tunku : Umno does not need pas. just don't bother to discuss anything with them.they are the type that bite your hands after you feed them.umno should focus on strengthening the bn coalition rather than talking to these people.

PAS Youth invites Umno Youth for academic discourse

KUALA LUMPUR: Pas Youth has invited Umno Youth to an academic discourse on current issues, just after unity talks between PAS and Umno failed.
The discourse, which will have a format, is expected to take place after the Manek Urai by-election in Kelantan on July 14.
The official invitation letter was handed to Umno Youth deputy chief Datuk Razali from PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi at the Parliament lobby Wednesday.
Razali said the wing welcomed the invitation and will discuss it with Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and exco members.
Both wings will set up a secretariat to discuss on format details of the discourse.

tunku : just wondering if nik aziz is ok with it or have they got the concern from their big brothers(pkr and dap) on this matter.anyway its a good thing .