There has been a lot of emotional reactions from CUEPACS and PERKASA about my statement regarding the oversized civil service. Perhaps the sensitivity is due to the fact that the civil service is mainly Malay and Malay dependence on the civil service for employment is very high. The right sizing through voluntary separation scheme is much needed. There are ways of doing it in a humane and caring manner. First, the government can start with retraining of redundant employees by giving them free courses on skills development: computers, English, basic accounting, corporate law etc.- all the skills needed to make them employable in d private sector. I am sure once the employees get these skills,

Interculturalist Dr Asma Abdullah calls for more focus from talking about unity to looking for ways to increase interaction among our young people GRADUATE students at the Putra Business School are asked to play a card game highlighting 16 cultural dimensions, when they take a cross-cultural management course from Dr Asma Abdullah. The real purpose of the colourful game is to help them understand the hidden dimensions of culture which affect them and their worldview. Just as her unique card game has helped graduate students to take a fresh look at their own culture and other cultures, “interculturalist” Dr Asma has brought a fresh perspective to G25 since she joined in 2015. The grouping des

KLANG, Feb 25 — Malaysia should look at improving its Islamic education instead of wanting to impose harsher punishments for Muslims, an Islamic women’s rights group said today. Sisters in Islam (SIS) executive director Rozana Isa explained that despite the reasoning given behind the private member’s Bill to reduce crime, the lack of Islamic education was a bigger factor contributing to notorious activities. “They are bringing all this punishment but Islamic education is not made stronger in the past 20 years. They need to have self-realisation. “Something is wrong in the way you teach Islam that you have to resort to increasing punishments,” she said during a forum held here to discuss the

Seperti lazim, sejurus selepas sesuatu perhimpunan besar, ramalan jumlah peserta menjadi tajuk hangat media. Begitu juga hal untuk perhimpunan RUU 355 tempoh hari yang diadakan di Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur. Polis Kuala Lumpur melaporkan jumlah kehadiran senagai 20,000 orang sementara portal Malaysiakini kata 50,000. Utusan Malaysia sebut 15,000 sementara Harakah rekodkan 100,000. Paling menarik, pengerusi perhimpunan iystihar 300,000 peserta. Setahu penulis, mengikut DBKL, padang itu hanya mampu memuatkan 50,000 orang, itupun jika ia melimpah. Begitupun, tahniah! Jumlah itu pun cukup besar. Kalau PAS punggah 10 peratus ahlinya pun sudah 100,000 orang! Namun apa di sebalik psikologi 300,00

It is not whether the shariah should be reintroduced or reinforced as statutory law, but rather how can medieval Islamic jurisprudence be adapted to meet the needs of justice in modern societies. The two leading Malay-Muslim political parties, PAS and Umno have been competing to be the greater defender of Islam since the early eighties – a necessary stratagem in bolstering the credibility of their Islamic credentials in the eyes of the Malay electorate. Due to the multi-religious composition of the governing coalition, Barisan Nasional (BN), Umno which is the leading party of Barisan Nasional cultivates its image as the promoter of a moderate, pragmatic form of Islam and contrasts itself aga

RUU 355 Langgar Syariah Dakwa Bekas Pakar JAKIM. Seorang pakar syariah yang pernah berkhidmat sebagai penyemak penerbitan Islam dan penulis fatwa Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) mempertikaikan cadangan PAS mengenakan hukuman lebih berat ke atas pesalah syariah, menyifatkan ia “produk politik” untuk meraih sokongan umat Islam. Nurul Haq Shahrir, kini sebahagian panel Transformasi Undang-Undang Islam di bawah Majlis Dakwah Negara, menepis dakwaan kononnya cadangan pindaan Akta Mahkamah Syariah (Bidang Kuasa Jenayah) 1965, atau lebih dikenali sebagai Akta 355, bertujuan menegakkan syiar Islam. RUU 355 Langgar Syariah Dakwa Bekas Pakar JAKIM. “Malah, ia bertentangan dengan Islam dan tida

PETALING JAYA: The Kuala Lumpur-based Istanbul Network has criticised PAS for what it says is its warped sense of priorities. In an interview with FMT, the think tank’s CEO, Ali Salman, said an Islamist political party should be focusing on economic development instead of prescribing punishments. The Istanbul Network brings together leaders of think tanks from Muslim countries. Ali hails from Pakistan. “PAS is talking about a criminal code when this should be the last item on its agenda instead of the starting point,” he said. “A starting point for an Islamist party should be to solve problems faced by the people. Islamist parties have to be socially and economically active.” Ali was comment

10 dalil Mengapa saya kata Pas dan Umno politikkan RUU355 1. RUU355 diluluskan oleh parlimen pada tahun 1965. 2. RUU355 telah dipinda sebanyak 2 kali pada tahun 1984 & 1989 melalui Kerajaan yang memerintah pada masa itu Umno/BN tanpa ada masalah. 3. Mengapa pula RUU yang hendak dipinda sekarang diberi kepada Pas yang bukan Kerajaan yang memerintah di peringkat pusat? 4. Mengikut konvensyen negara-negara komanwel, sesuatu rang undang-undang perlu di bawa dan dibentangkan oleh government of the day dan bukannya oleh pembangkang. 5. Mengapa tetiba Haji Hadi menyibuk dan diberi peluang oleh Umno untuk dibentangkan kemudian mnangguhkan sebanyak 2 kali? 6. Mengapa susah sangat kerajaan Umno BN sen

Talking about the politics of ethnicity and religion, Bloomberg.com said Malaysia is slowly losing out to Indonesia in what it calls the reversal of fortunes of the neighbouring states. It said the two Muslim majority nations are still wrestling with the politics of ethnicity and religion at odds with the capitalism of market competition, but corruption is setting Malaysia and Indonesia apart. But the neighbours in Jakarta are gaining the favours of investors, for example, while Malaysia is shunned on many fronts. The article lists down the changes that are occurring in both Malaysia and Indonesia and which are indicative of a reverse of fortunes. Yet the only thing that seems to put the two

Much has been debated about the amendments to the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965. A massive demonstration in support of the bill was held last Saturday and tensions are running high. PAS has insisted that the main aim of the proposed amendment is not to introduce hudud but to strengthen the shariah laws and shariah courts. But if that is true, then PAS for sure must have identified the weaknesses. To the general observer, the weaknesses are apparent and appalling. Just look at the number of cases of women abandoned by their husbands and children denied their maintenance. Or the prolonged cases of fasakh (annulment of marriage). These cases sometimes take years to resolve, if

What does it mean when an education system envisions enhancing equity and equality? The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 (MEB) lists five key aspirations for our education system — access, quality, equity, unity and efficiency. But according to a world-renowned education reformer, the only aspiration that matters and should be the focus of education reform is equity. Equity is about enhancing equality in an education system. Kudos to BFM 89.9 for its interview with Pasi Sahlberg, a Finnish educator and former director-general of education in Finland. He now goes around the world advising ministries of education on what is required for good education reform and shares the success storie

Pemimpin PAS sering kali menyatakan undang-undang yang diguna di Malaysia yang mengikut aliran dunia Barat tidak berkesan mengurangkan jenayah dan maksiat. Sebaliknya, #RUU355 akan membuka peluang untuk negara kita lebih maju dengan membanteras jenayah. Yang saya, dan semua yang tidak bersetuju dengan #RUU 355 berpendapat, dalam melaksanakan undang-undang syariah yang begitu keras dan yang lari dari prinsip Perlembagaan Persekutuan, ianya akan menakutkan serta memecah-belahkan rakyat berbilang kaum. Lama-kelamaan ia akan membawa kapada keruntuhan keamanan sosial dan kestabilan ekonomi sampai menjadikan negara kita 'failed state' Akibatnya ekonomi meleset, pengangguran meningkat dan kemiskina

In addressing the issues surrounding #RUU355, let me speak from the mind of an economist. Those who are conversant with the dynamics of the Malaysian economy will understand how crucial the services sector has become as a stabiliser of growth in incomes and employment in times of low commodity and oil prices and slow private sector activities in investment and production. Thanks to tourism inflows and other foreign arrivals for education and expatriate employment in highly skilled jobs, we have built new sources of earnings called the" invisible incomes" of the country. Tourism is now a major factor in creating the skilled and better paying jobs in hotels, entertainment industry, restaurants

In addressing the issues surrounding #RUU355, let me speak from the mind of an economist. Those who are conversant with the dynamics of the Malaysian economy will understand how crucial the services sector has become as a stabiliser of growth in incomes and employment in times of low commodity and oil prices and slow private sector activities in investment and production. Thanks to tourism inflows and other foreign arrivals for education and expatriate employment in highly skilled jobs, we have built new sources of earnings called the" invisible incomes" of the country. Tourism is now a major factor in creating the skilled and better paying jobs in hotels, entertainment industry, restaurants

I AM convinced that room for talk and dialogue must be expanded to consolidate effective civil society communication in the public arena. This is crucial if we mean to give ordinary people the opportunity to participate in discussion of issues which affect their lives and that of their community. A mature democracy is obliged to give its citizens their democratically and constitutionally endowed freedoms which include the freedom of speech, and create the space for them to express themselves. Some may choose to manifest their concerns by joining peaceful street protests and demonstrations; others may want to literally give voice to them by speaking up at public forums or by writing in releva

Kepada YAB Perdana Menteri Malaysia Saya merayu YAB tidak menyokong RUU355 kerana ia akan menyulitkan lagi kelemahan ekonomi negara dan seterusnya merosotkan sentimen terhadap nilai matawang ringgit. Akibat nilai ringgit yg lemah ia lah inflasi meningkat dan harga barangan dan kos kehidupan rakyat akan merosot dan yg akan menanggung bencana ini kebanyakkan nya orang Melayu kita juga. YAB tentu maklum bahawa sentimen sekarang sangat lemah kerana isu isu urus tadbir negara atau " governance" berkaitan 1MDB yg masih belum diselesai. Walau apa pun YAB berkata tentang kekuatan economic fundamentals, nilai ringgit dan sentimen pelaburan tidak akan pulih jika isu isu ini masih tergantung di leher n

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — Former Finance Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim urged the prime minister today to oppose a PAS Bill to enhance Shariah punishments, saying it would weaken the economy and the ringgit. Mohd Sheriff said if Datuk Seri Najib Razak supported PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Bill to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355), investors would interpret it as a gambit to avoid fixing Malaysia’s economy. “RUU355 will split society and create worries over the future of this multi-racial country. “When the people are not confident in Malaysia’s future, our economy will lose its strength and the people will suffer jus

FEBRUARY 14 — Come Saturday two opposing groups on the amendments to Rang Undang-Undang 355 (RUU355) will be laying down their “arms” for taking sides on this most important issue, the rushed Hadi Private Members Bill, which proposes to increase the maximum punishments for religious offences, from an imprisonment of 3 years to 30; 5 lashes of the rotan to 100 and a fine of RM5,000 to RM100,000, but which excludes the amputation of limbs and the death penalty. My initial thought as a practicing Muslim was how inhumane, ludicrous, demeaning and highly unacceptable this proposal is and how it goes against the grain of what Islam is all about: justice, fairness and peace. I ask myself why anyone

Former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim today suggested the government to cut down the "oversized" civil service when it can still afford it. "I would say, although it may cost the government heavy expenditure to retrench (civil servants), it is worthwhile to do it now when we can still afford it, rather than waiting until we are forced into a financial crisis like what happened in Greece," he said, citing the European nation which abruptly cut down its civil service to reduce its operations expenditure when it was hit hard, economically. Retrenching civil servants now would also be a kinder approach, as it would allow them to be compensated fairly, Sheriff told a economic