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Showing posts with label Muhyiddin Yassin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muhyiddin Yassin. Show all posts

Friday 25 February 2022

Don't lie about seeking help in getting the corruption charges dropped. Muhyiddin warns UMNO'S Zahid

 


Muhyiddin: Zahid wanted me to drop his cases, Umno pulled support when I didn't

#KiniNews: Muhyiddin refuses Zahid’s dare, Najib says pressured by Mahathir

PUTRAJAYA: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has told Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi not to lie to the rakyat about seeking his help in getting the corruption charges against him dropped.
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The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president said he had proof that the Bagan Datuk MP had sought his help over the matter when he was the prime minister.
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“That night (during a ceramah), I have shown the witnesses.
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“Don’t lie to the rakyat but if he wants to do the ‘sumpah laknat’, he can do so even multiple times, it’s up to him,” said Muhyiddin when met after chairing the National Recovery Council meeting here yesterday.
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During a ceramah in Tangkak on Feb 16, Muhyiddin claimed that Ahmad Zahid had visited his home with piles of files a few days after he was sworn in as prime minister in 2020.
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He claimed that the former deputy prime minister had asked for help and said that he had not done the things of which he was accused of.
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Muhyiddin said he refused to help, which he claimed prompted Ahmad Zahid to back efforts to oust him as prime minister.
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Ahmad Zahid in a response on Monday said he was willing to take the “sumpah laknat” to refute claims that he had sought Muhyiddin’s help to get the corruption charges against him dropped.
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“Sumpah laknat” is usually an act of last resort, and is an oath made according to syariah principles and in the name of Allah, where the confessor calls upon God to punish him if he has told a lie.

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UMNO politician Ismail Sabri's rise to become Malaysia's prime minister   Malaysia's new PM brings graft-tainted UMNO back to p...

Saturday 10 July 2021

Malaysia Is Staggering Down the Road to Failed Statehood?

 The country used to punch above its weight on the global stage. Now, white flags seem like a surrender to dysfunction.

Tilda Kalaivani waves a shirt as a white flag from her apartment balcony in Kuala Lumpur.

Photographer: Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty

Malaysia is raising the white flag on the road to failed statehood

These banners are not quite a movement; people have no hope, and not much desire, to overthrow the govt. It’s more of a shorthand for discontent at the atrophying state.

A white flag hung outside a house in Malaysia
A white flag hung outside a house in Malaysia |Twitter/@srhfarisya

What started as a cry for help by Malaysians during rolling lockdowns and galloping Covid-19 infections has come to epitomize the descent of their once-proud nation. The Southeast Asian country lost its status as a role model for the developing world some time ago. Now, it may be relegated to the lane of also-rans that shone during the heyday of globalization but failed to capitalize on a strong start.

Malaysians in distress have taken to  waving the white flag from windows and driveways. At the most basic level, it’s surrender and a plea for assistance: food, a bit of cash to help pay the rent. Thanks to social media, the banners have taken on an emblematic life of their own. Not quite a movement; people have no hope, and not much desire, to overthrow the government, and it isn’t clear these days that there’s one to topple. It’s more of a shorthand for discontent at the atrophying state and troubled economy.

The country’s prime ministers were once given grudging credit for stable leadership, albeit with authoritarian traits. However, lawmakers have proven breathtakingly unable to coalesce around a figure or program to guide Malaysia through this plight. The nation is beset by multiple crises — social, economic and political — fed and worsened by each other. It may only be a slight exaggeration to invoke the dreaded label of a failed state.

Civic life is suffering from numerous misadventures. The latest twist in a saga that’s been running since at least early 2020 came in the small hours of Thursday. The United Malays National Organization, the party that led Malaysia from independence until losing power in 2018 in the aftermath of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd. scandaldeclared it will leave the ramshackle coalition presided over by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and urged him to quit. That may not be the end of the machinations; UMNO itself is split between a group that wants to reclaim its dominant position and lawmakers willing to keep nice cabinet posts that Muhyiddin has given them.

There isn’t an easy way out of this mess. Malaysia’s travails go beyond any one person. No prospective leader appears to have sufficient support in parliament, let alone a mandate from the population of 32 million, to replace the weak prime minister and provide stable administration. An election is supposed to be held once the pandemic subsides, a determination that’s hard to quantify. The monarchy, rotated among hereditary sultans of nine states, is being forced to leave the ceremonial shadows to referee, something that the royal households appear less than comfortable doing.

So, the surrender flag captures the end of a strutting, can-do mentality, or “boleh.” Citizens are stepping in where authorities have failed as the pandemic has delivered seemingly endless misery. Southeast Asia has been rocked by the delta variant. On Thursday, Malaysia added almost 9,000 Covid cases. Only a bit more than 8% of Malaysians have received both vaccine shots, as of Monday. Some of the strictest lockdowns have been in Kuala Lumpur and the nearby commercial powerhouse of Selangor state, and taken a toll. At their worst, factories have been shut, public transportation has run on a skeleton schedule, and the military has manned road blocks.Some measures have been eased, but large parts of the country remain shuttered.

Asia, writ large, is in the midst of a strong economic upswing. However, that recovery has yet to fully visit Southeast Asia, a region of more than 650 million people. In its last World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund forecast growth in Malaysia of 6.5% this year. Gross domestic product plummeted by more than 5% in 2020, the worst performance since the Asian financial crisis in 1998. To meet such a bullish projection or even get close to it, the second half of 2021 needs to be stellar. Further interest rate cuts and fiscal outlays are almost assured. But whatever the numbers say, many Malaysians aren’t close to feeling the benefit. Even  rubber glove makers are worried; they appealed to authorities this week to lower Covid restrictions and let them continue to produce.

The last decades of the 20th century offered a different route. During Mahathir Mohamad’s premiership from 1981 to 2003, Malaysia was an emerging-market icon. The country grew rapidly with relatively low inflation and stable budgets. Mahathir loved to poke at the West, but he opened markets and privatized state companies. He resisted aid from the IMF and challenged orthodoxy by imposing capital controls and fixing the exchange rate during the Asian crisis. Contrary to predictions that the efforts would fail, they shored up Malaysia.

But it started to go wrong. Boondoggles like an ostentatious new airport and the soaring twin towers funded by state oil giant Petronas suggested waste. One of Mahathir’s successors, Najib Razak, bungled the  disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in front of the world’s cameras. Najib led UMNO to defeat in 2018 and has been  convicted of corruption related to 1MDB. Mahathir’s return at the helm of an opposition bloc offered a brief moment of renewal. But he couldn’t give up on political wheeling and dealing — even well into his 90s — and opened the door for Muhyiddin to edge him out of office.

Longstanding  ethnic and religious fault lines have been worsened in recent years by an urban-rural divide and a generation gap that no political organization has come to grips with. The credibility of the ruling class will keep eroding the longer it takes to vaccinate against Covid and for a recovery to take hold. The current intrigues sadly seem far removed from the daily needs of business, finance and even putting food on the table.

No country can continue on this course indefinitely and be a model for anything other than dysfunction.-Bloomberg

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Patients lying on stretchers outside the emergency department of the Hospital Tengku Ampuan  Rahimah in Klang because there is no place for ..

    https://youtu.be/kk69yWl0Wpc   . https://youtu.be/ljYafQ5AkOo  World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyes.

 

Malaysia Govt unveils RM150bil Pemulih aid package to curb the spread of Covid-19

Wednesday 2 June 2021

PM announces Pemerkasa Plus aid package worth RM40bil

 

 


PETALING JAYA: An RM40bil aid package has been announced for the people to face economic challenges during the lockdown.

In a special address on Monday (May 31), Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said a number of initiatives would be implemented under the "Program Strategik Memperkasa Rakyat dan Ekonomi Tambahan" (Pemerkasa Plus).

It is anchored on three main objectives namely – (i) increasing public healthcare capacity, (ii) continuing rakyat welfare agenda, and (iii) supporting business continuity.

Muhyiddin said that the government had launched several economic stimulus packages worth RM340bil previously.

Here are the salient points of the Pemerkasa Plus package:

Objective one: Increasing public healthcare capacity

– RM450mil allocation to increase bed and ICU capacity for hospitals under the Health Ministry, teaching hospitals and ATM hospitals. Outsourcing to private hospitals will also be done.

– RM550mil to support Covid-19 related expenses by various agencies, including medicines, reagents, and contract workers' appointments.

– Increasing the service period for more than 14,000 contract medical officers and nurses until 2022. The government will also re-appoint over 500 healthcare personnel due to retire this year.

Objective two: Continuing the welfare agenda for the people

– RM2.1bil for the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat cash aid. Households earning below RM2,500 will receive RM500; households earning between RM2,501 and RM5,000, will receive RM300. Malaysians who are single will get RM100. This additional aid will be credited to the recipients' account by June.

– All B40 groups, those who lost their jobs as well as small-medium enterprises not allowed to operate during the movement control order, are given the option of automatic approval of bank moratorium for three months or a 50% reduction in loan repayment for six months. It will start in June and is expected to benefit more than five million borrowers with funds amounting to RM30bil.

– RM1bil for the Bus and Taxi Hire Purchase Rehabilitation Scheme to allow eligible bus and taxi operators to get a loan moratorium of up to 12 months and extend the loan period of up to 36 months.

– A 30% discount on the rental of business premises will be given for the month of May to July 2021 for Mara entrepreneurs affected by the economic closure.

– RM1.5bil for the Wage Subsidy Programme under Socso for all affected economic sectors, with a limit of 500 employees per application. Expected to benefit are 2.5 million employees and more than 200,000 employers.

– Employers registered with Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad will be given a levy payment exemption for one month in June 2021.

Objective three: Supporting business continuity

– Extra RM500 payout for the Prihatin Special Grant (GKP), bumping up the total payout to RM1,500.

– RM1.5bil allocation for businesses who wish to get microcredit for working capital, with financing rates as low as 3%.

– Extra RM2bil in the Targeted Relief and Recovery Facility for affected SMEs.

– One-off aid of RM500 to tourist drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers and e-hailing drivers.

– Inland Revenue Board (IRB) to consider postponing penalties to year 2022.

– Extension of electricity bill discounts to affected sectors. Hoteliers, tourist agencies, shopping malls, convention centres, theme parks, local airlines can receive 10% electricity discounts for extra three months from July to September.

– Special tax cuts to premises owners who offer at least 30% rental discounts for six more months until Dec 31.

– The Home Ownership Campaign (HOC), which ended May 31, has been extended until 31 December 2021.

> The Sales and Services Tax (SST) exemption for imported passenger vehicles is extended until Dec 31.


Click to see a graphical explanation of Pemerkasa PlusClick to see a graphical explanation of Pemerkasa Plus


Here is the text of the Prime Minister's speech in Bahasa Melayu in full:

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh dan Salam Sejahtera,

Saudara dan saudari, rakyat Malaysia yang saya kasihi,

Sepertimana yang telah diumumkan, Kerajaan akan melaksanakan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan yang lebih ketat atau total lockdown untuk tempoh dua minggu bermula esok 1 Jun hingga 14 Jun 2021. Semua sektor sosial dan ekonomi ditutup kecuali sektor-sektor yang dikategorikan sebagai sektor ekonomi dan perkhidmatan perlu.

Tindakan ini diambil setelah trend peningkatan kes-kes COVID-19 menunjukkan kenaikan yang amat mendadak dengan mencatat kes-kes kematian yang tinggi setiap hari. Sekiranya tindakan drastik tidak diambil dengan kadar segera, dikhuatiri sistem kesihatan di negara kita akan runtuh dan kita akan berhadapan dengan satu malapetaka yang lebih besar.

3. Sepertimana yang saya telah tegaskan sebelum ini, penutupan sektor-sektor ekonomi akan memberi kesan yang amat besar kepada ekonomi negara dan kehidupan rakyat. Saya ingin berterus-terang bahawa kerajaan mempunyai ruang fiskal yang amat terhad untuk berbelanja pada masa ini.

4. Namun atas dasar keprihatinan terhadap kebajikan rakyat, Kerajaan akan berusaha sedaya upaya untuk memastikan wujud keseimbangan antara lives and livelihood iaitu keperluan untuk melindungi nyawa, dan menjamin kesejahteraan rakyat termasuk peluang saudara-saudari mencari nafkah untuk keluarga tersayang sepanjang tempoh PKP ini.

5. Semenjak COVID-19 melanda negara, Kerajaan telahpun melaksanakan pelbagai pakej bantuan dan rangsangan ekonomi berjumlah 340 bilion ringgit. Sehingga kini, ia telah memanfaatkan lebih 
20 juta ahli isi rumah serta lebih dari 2 juta perniagaan dengan suntikan ekonomi melebihi 200 bilion ringgit. Justeru, terdapat lebih dari 100 bilion ringgit lagi daripada nilai pakej rangsangan untuk disalurkan sepanjang tahun ini. Sebagai tambahan, pakej tersebut dilengkapi oleh inisiatif Belanjawan 2021 berjumlah 322.5 bilion ringgit

6. Dengan suntikan fiskal dan langkah yang telah diumumkan, kita dapat lihat ekonomi semakin pulih, menggambarkan hasil dan impak positif untuk terus melonjakkan pertumbuhan ekonomi, menyokong perniagaan dan menyediakan bantuan kepada rakyat dan sektor ekonomi yang terkesan. Pertumbuhan KDNK pada bulan Mac tahun ini telah melonjak sebanyak 6.0%, nilai tertinggi semenjak pandemik COVID-19 melanda negara.

PROGRAM STRATEGIK MEMPERKASA RAKYAT DAN EKONOMI TAMBAHAN (PEMERKASA+)

Saudara-saudari yang saya kasihi sekalian,

7. Maka sepertimana yang dijanjikan, hari ini saya ingin mengumumkan program bantuan PEMERKASA Tambahan atau PEMERKASA Plus sebagai inisiatif terbaharu Kerajaan untuk membantu meredakan cabaran yang dihadapi, terutamanya ekoran pelaksanaan PKP pada masa ini.

8. Nilai keseluruhan program PEMERKASA Plus adalah berjumlah 40 bilion ringgit, di mana suntikan langsung fiskal Kerajaan sebanyak 5 bilion ringgit. Langkah baharu PEMERKASA Plus akan dilaksanakan berlandaskan 3 matlamat utama seperti berikut:

Pertama: Mempertingkatkan Kapasiti Kesihatan Awam;

Kedua: Meneruskan Agenda Prihatin Rakyat; dan

Ketiga: Menyokong Kelangsungan Perniagaan

MATLAMAT PERTAMA: MEMPERTINGKATKAN KAPASITI KESIHATAN AWAM

Tuan-tuan Puan-puan sekalian,

9. Kerajaanbakan memastikan kapasiti kesihatan awam sentiasa diberi keutamaan. Seperti kenyataan saya sebelum ini, kita akan beralih ke fasa-fasa PKP secara berperingkat berdasarkan penilaian risiko oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) mengambil kira antara lain jumlah kes COVID serta penggunaan kapasiti hospital serta ICU.

10. Sehubungan itu, Kerajaan bersetuju untuk menambah peruntukan 1 bilion ringgit bagi meningkatkan kapasiti dan memperkukuhkan kesihatan awam. Pertambahan peruntukan ini adalah komitmen Kerajaan untuk memastikan sistem kesihatan tidak akan runtuh dan beroperasi dengan berkesan. Maka, langkah-langkah berikut akan diberi perhatian:

Pertama: memperuntukkan 450 juta ringgit bagi meningkatkan kapasiti katil dan peralatan ICU bagi rawatan COVID-19, bukan sahaja di Hospital seliaan KKM tetapi juga di Hospital Pengajar Universiti Awam seperti di UiTM, UPM dan UKM serta melalui hospital medan ATM seperti di Sabah dan Sarawak. Selain itu, penyumberan luar juga akan dilaksanakan kepada hospital swasta. Jumlah ini termasuk 200 juta ringgit yang diumumkan oleh YB Menteri Kewangan pada 22 Mei baru-baru ini;

Kedua: memperuntukkan 550 juta ringgit untuk menampung keperluan perbelanjaan berkaitan COVID-19 pelbagai agensi antaranya pertambahan kos operasi dan pengurusan dalam menangani krisis kesihatan COVID termasuk ubat, reagen untuk saringan dan lantikan pegawai secara kontrak. Ini juga termasuk kos pengoperasian Pusat Kuarantin dan Rawatan COVID-19 atau PKRC di MAEPS dan di peringkat negeri; dan

Ketiga: melanjutkan tempoh perkhidmatan lebih 14,000 pegawai perubatan dan jururawat lantikan kontrak sedia ada sehingga tahun 2022. Sebagai tambahan, kerajaan juga akan melantik semula lebih 500 petugas kesihatan yang bersara wajib tahun ini secara kontrak.

11. Saya juga telah mengarahkan YB Menteri MOSTI untuk mempercepatkan pemberian vaksin melalui Program Imunisasi COVID-19 Kebangsaan atau PICK. Saya dimaklumkan, pemberian dos pada bulan Mei telahpun mencapai purata 80,000 dos sehari.

12. Insha-Allah, menjelang akhir Jun nanti, kita mampu mencapai sasaran 150,000 dos sehari melalui penambahan terimaan vaksin dari syarikat pengeluar, penambahan pusat-pusat pemberian vaksin, memperkenalkan kaedah pemberian secara pandu lalu dan penambahan anggota sukarelawan. Berdasarkan unjuran, pelaksanaan PICK secara keseluruhan disasarkan untuk selesai menjelang bulan Disember 2021 dengan negeri berkepadatan penduduk tinggi seperti Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor dan Pulau Pinang menjelang Oktober.

13. Saya merayu, supaya rakyat yang telah mendapat tempahan vaksin untuk hadir di mana-mana pusat pemberian vaksin yang ditetapkan. Adalah menjadi tanggungjawab kita bersama untuk memastikan negara mencapai imuniti kelompok menjelang akhir tahun ini.

14. Saya juga mendengar keluhan rakyat, terutamanya warga emas dan mereka yang tinggal jauh yang mengalami kesukaran untuk hadir ke PPV. Oleh itu, saya telah mengarahkan supaya aset-aset Kerajaan seperti bas, van dan kenderaan pool digerakkan bagi tujuan ini. Saya amat mengalu-alukan kerjasama pihak swasta, NGO dan pertubuhan masyarakat awam untuk turut menggiatkan usaha ini.

MATLAMAT KEDUA: MENERUSKAN AGENDA PRIHATIN RAKYAT

Saudara dan saudari yang saya kasihi sekalian,

15. Bagi Matlamat Kedua, Kerajaan akan terus mengutamakan agenda prihatin rakyat. Ini terutamanya bagi memastikan kesejahteraan dan kelangsungan hidup golongan rentan dan pekerja yang bergantung kepada upah harian dapat terus dibantu. Tidak dinafikan, mereka inilah antara yang paling terkesan susulan penguatkuasaan PKP ini.

16. Sehubungan itu, Kerajaan bersetuju untuk memperuntukkan 
2.1 bilion ringgit bagi menambah kadar program Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat atau BPR. Bagi kategori isi rumah yang berpendapatan di bawah 2,500 ringgit, mereka akan menerima kadar BPR tambahan sebanyak 500 ringgit dan isi rumah berpendapatan antara 2,501 hingga 5,000, akan menerima kadar sebanyak 300 ringgit. Golongan bujang pula akan menerima 100 ringgit.

17. BPR tambahan ini akan mula dimasukkan ke akaun penerima pada hujung bulan Jun nanti. Bayaran ini merupakan tambahan kepada fasa bayaran terakhir BPR bulan September kelak sebanyak 2.4 bilion ringgit.

18. Seterusnya, saya juga mendengar permintaan rakyat supaya Kerajaan menimbang semula pemberian moratorium.


 19. Sehubungan itu, hasil perbincangan bersama Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), industri perbankan memberi jaminan dan komitmen penuh untuk terus memberikan bantuan pembayaran balik pinjaman dan moratorium. Oleh itu, bagi semua golongan B40 dan rakyat yang terjejas ekoran kehilangan pekerjaan serta perusahaan mikro dan PKS yang tidak dibenarkan beroperasi dalam tempoh PKP, anda diberi pilihan untuk mendapatkan kelulusan moratorium secara automatik selama 3 bulan atau boleh memilih untuk mendapatkan pengurangan bayaran balik secara ansuran sebanyak 50% selama tempoh 6 bulan.

20. Inisiatif ini akan dilaksanakan segera pada bulan Jun yang dijangka memanfaatkan lebih dari 5 juta peminjam dengan nilai sehingga 30 bilion ringgit. Insha-Allah, industri perbankan akan memberikan maklumat lebih terperinci berhubung perkara ini mulai esok. Saya berharap, pengumuman moratorium automatik ini dapat memberi sedikit kelegaan kepada peminjam institusi perbankan. Para peminjam hanya perlu menghubungi bank masing-masing untuk mendapat manfaat bantuan ini.

21. Kerajaan juga akan melancarkan Skim Rehabilitasi Sewa Beli Bas dan Teksi pada minggu ini dengan nilai peruntukan 1 bilion ringgit. Melalui skim ini, pengusaha bas dan teksi yang layak boleh mendapatkan moratorium pinjaman sehingga 12 bulan dan melanjutkan tempoh pinjaman sehingga 36 bulan.

22. Saya menyarankan supaya agensi dan syarikat Kerajaan menawarkan penangguhan bayaran balik pinjaman serta diskaun sewa premis perniagaan. Pihak MARA akan meneruskan program MARA PRIHATIN Peace of Mind yang dibuka sehingga 31 Julai 2021. Peminjam boleh memohon secara dalam talian untuk membuat penjadualan semula bayaran balik pinjaman pelajaran atau moratorium. Bagi usahawan MARA yang terkesan akibat penutupan ekonomi, pemberian diskaun 30% ke atas sewaan premis perniagaan akan diberi untuk bulan Mei sehingga Julai 2021.

23. Seterusnya adalah berkaitan pekerjaan. Tidak dinafikan, pelaksanaan PKP 3.0 akan memberi kesan kepada sebilangan besar rakyat terutama risiko kehilangan pekerjaan dan pengurangan pendapatan akibat penutupan kebanyakan sektor ekonomi.

24. Maka, Kerajaan bersetuju untuk melanjutkan Program Subsidi Upah di bawah PERKESO selama 1 bulan bagi semua sektor ekonomi yang terkesan dengan kos 1.5 bilion ringgit dengan had 500 pekerja bagi setiap permohonan, ditanggung oleh Kerajaan. Adalah dijangkakan 2.5 juta pekerja dan lebih 200 ribu majikan akan mendapat manfaat.

25. Selain itu, majikan yang berdaftar dengan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad akan diberikan pengecualian pembayaran levi selama satu bulan pada bulan Jun 2021. Pada masa yang sama, pekerja juga boleh meningkatkan pengetahuan dan kemahiran melalui portal pembelajaran e-LATiH secara percuma yang melibatkan lebih 400 modul dan kursus kemahiran.

MATLAMAT KETIGA: MENYOKONG KELANGSUNGAN PERNIAGAAN

Saudara dan saudari yang saya kasihi sekalian,

26. Seterusnya bagi Matlamat Ketiga, Kerajaan akan terus membantu untuk memastikan kelangsungan perniagaan, khususnya kepada PKS dalam menguruskan aliran tunai mereka. Salah satu inisiatif yang telah diperkenalkan oleh Kerajaan adalah melalui pemberian Geran Khas Prihatin atau GKP. Sehubungan itu, sukacita diumumkan kadar GKP akan ditambah sebanyak 500 ringgit kepada 1,500 ringgit. Ini bermakna, hampir 1 juta PKS dan perusahaan mikro akan menerima 1,000 ringgit pada pertengahan bulan Jun dan 500 ringgit lagi akan disalurkan pada bulan Julai.

27. Saya juga ingin tegaskan, berdasarkan SOP terbaharu yang diumumkan, Kerajaan masih membenarkan operasi jual-beli peniaga kecil, penjaja jalanan dan termasuk perusahaan mikro. Oleh itu, sekiranya para peniaga ingin mendapatkan pembiayaan mikro kredit sebagai modal kerja, sebanyak 1.5 bilion ringgit disediakan bagi sepanjang tahun ini oleh BSN, TEKUN, MARA, SME Corp. dan YAPEIM dengan kadar pembiayaan serendah 3%.

28. Selain itu, bagi membantu aliran tunai syarikat dan PKS, institusi perbankan akan terus menawarkan kemudahan pembiayaan dan pinjaman. Dana institusi perbankan telah dimantapkan lagi melalui pelbagai fasiliti pinjaman mudah PKS pembiayaan BNM yang masih berbaki 5 bilion ringgit. Untuk menyokong lagi PKS, BNM akan menambah fasiliti Kemudahan Bantuan dan Pemulihan Bersasar untuk PKS terjejas sebanyak 2 bilion ringgit. Dengan itu, jumlah dana pinjaman untuk PKS dengan kadar pinjaman serendah 3.5% yang masih tersedia adalah sebanyak 7 bilion ringgit.

29. Selain itu, tidak dinafikan semasa tempoh PKP ini, ia turut memberi kesan kepada pemandu teksi, kereta sewa dan bas sekolah. Bagi mengurangkan beban mereka, Kerajaan bersetuju memberi Bantuan Khas secara one-off sebanyak 500 ringgit kepada 17 ribu pemandu pelancong, 40 ribu pemandu teksi, 11 ribu pemandu bas sekolah, 4 ribu bas persiaran dan 62 ribu pemandu kereta sewa dan e-hailing. Bantuan ini yang berjumlah RM68 juta akan disalurkan kepada penerima yang berdaftar pada bulan Julai.

30. Selain itu, sebagai salah satu usaha mengurangkan beban perniagaan, Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri akan mempertimbangkan rayuan pengenaan penalti dan menangguhkan pembayaran penalti ke tahun 2022 serta menyediakan penjadualan semula bayaran cukai tertunggak bagi pembayar cukai dan perniagaan yang terjejas.

31. Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia juga bersetuju untuk memperkenalkan semula pelanjutan untuk penghantaran penyata kewangan, pelaksanaan mesyuarat tahunan bagi syarikat awam yang tersenarai di Bursa Malaysia dan moratorium denda bagi penghantaran lambat dokumen berkanun. SSM juga akan mengecualikan bayaran lewat untuk membaharui lesen perniagaan sehingga 31 Disember 2021 bagi PKS mikro serta perniagaan milikan tunggal dan perkongsian.

32. Di samping itu, Akta Langkah Sementara bagi Mengurangkan Kesan Penyakit COVID-19 atau Akta 829 akan ditambahbaik bagi membantu individu dan perniagaan yang terkesan. Perlindungan berkaitan ketidakupayaan untuk melaksanakan obligasi kontrak akan dilanjutkan tempoh kuatkuasa sehingga 31 Disember 2021. Sehubungan ini, Kerajaan menyediakan bantuan perkhidmatan pengantaraan atau mediation secara percuma melalui Pusat Mediasi COVID kepada semua individu atau perniagaan tanpa mengira latar belakang.

33. Seterusnya, Kerajaan akan melanjutkan pemberian diskaun bil elektrik kepada sektor yang terjejas. Sehubungan itu, pengendali hotel, agensi pengembaraan dan pelancongan, premis dan kompleks membeli belah, pusat-pusat konvensyen, taman tema dan pejabat syarikat penerbangan tempatan layak menerima diskaun bil elektrik sebanyak 10% selama 3 bulan tambahan antara bulan Julai hingga September 2021.

34. Kerajaan juga bersetuju memberi potongan khas kepada pemilik bangunan dan ruang perniagaan yang menawarkan pengurangan sewa premis perniagaan kepada PKS dan bukan PKS untuk tempoh 6 bulan lagi sehingga 31 Disember 2021 bagi pengurangan sewa sekurang-kurangnya 30% daripada kadar sewa semasa. Selain itu, pelanjutan sehingga 31 Disember 2021 bagi pengecualian cukai pelancongan dan cukai perkhidmatan ke atas penginapan yang disediakan oleh pengendali hotel masih berterusan.

35. Semasa pembentangan pakej PENJANA pada Jun 2020, Kerajaan telah mengumumkan pengecualian duti setem Kempen Pemilikan Rumah atau HOC yang akan berakhir pada hari ini, 31 Mei. Sukacita diumumkan Kerajaan bersetuju melanjutkan pengecualian duti setem HOC tersebut sehingga 31 Disember 2021.

36. Kerajaan juga bersetuju melanjutkan pengecualian cukai jualan ke atas kenderaan penumpang CKD dan CBU import yang sebelum ini diumumkan di bawah inisiatif PENJANA mulai 1 Julai 2021 hingga 31 Disember 2021.

Saudara dan saudari yang dikasihi sekalian,

37. Ingin saya tekankan sekali lagi, selain inisiatif yang diumumkan pada malam ini, masih terdapat pelbagai program pakej rangsangan bernilai lebih daripada 100 bilion ringgit yang masih dalam pelaksanaan. Dari segi perbelanjaan langsung daripada Kerajaan, Kumpulan Wang COVID-19 telah diluluskan dengan siling 65 bilion ringgit. Sebanyak 38 bilion ringgit telah dibelanjakan pada tahun 2020 dan sehingga April 2021, 10 bilion ringgit lagi telah disalurkan. Baki sebanyak 17 bilion ringgit akan dibelanjakan pada tempoh yang terdekat. Antara inisiatif dan program ini termasuklah:

Pertama: BPR Fasa 2 yang baharu sahaja dilaksanakan awal Mei lepas dengan peruntukan sebanyak 2.7 bilion ringgit yang telah disalurkan kepada 8.4 juta penerima dengan bayaran Fasa 3 bernilai 2.4 bilion ringgit dijadualkan untuk bulan September;

Kedua: Program subsidi upah, insentif penggajian serta program latihan untuk membantu menjamin pekerjaan sedia ada serta menggalakkan penyediaan pekerjaan baharu dengan sasaran 500,000 untuk tahun ini;

Ketiga: Pelaksanaan projek-projek kecil dengan peruntukan lebih 2 bilion ringgit untuk dibelanjakan memanfaatkan kontraktor kelas G1 hingga G4 bagi pembaikan infrastruktur dan fasiliti awam;

Keempat: Program Jaringan Prihatin bernilai 2 bilion ringgit yang juga dilancarkan pada awal Mei lalu bagi membantu 
8.4 juta penerima BPR untuk melanggan perkhidmatan telekomunikasi atau mendapatkan peranti telefon mudah alih; dan

Kelima: Program e-Belia yang akan dibuka pendaftaran mulai esok, 1 Jun 2021 bagi membolehkan 2 juta belia dan pelajar IPT yang layak untuk mendapatkan kredit bernilai 150 ringgit dari penyedia perkhidmatan e-tunai.

PENUTUP

Saudara-saudari yang dikasihi sekalian,

38. Inilah antara usaha Kerajaan sebagai meneruskan agenda prihatin rakyat dan komitmen Kerajaan dalam mengurus krisis yang melanda kini. Saya amat menghargai dan berterima kasih kepada semua pihak yang kekal teguh bersama-sama Kerajaan tanpa mengira kawan atau lawan dalam menghadapi situasi yang tidak pernah kita jangkakan ini.

39. Dalam mencapai matlamat ini, Kerajaan akan terus mengutamakan pendekatan whole-of-government dan whole-of-society dalam memerangi pandemik COVID-19. Ini merujuk usaha mengoptimumkan seluruh tenaga kerja kesihatan dan peranan frontliners yang bertindak di lapangan serta peranan seluruh rakyat Malaysia yang turut sama membantu untuk memutuskan rantaian COVID-19 ini.

40. Sebagai penutup kepada inisiatif PEMERKASA+ ini, sepertimana yang telah diamalkan semasa PKP pertama tahun lalu, saya ingin memaklumkan tanda sokongan barisan Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri dengan tidak mengambil gaji selama 3 bulan mulai Jun 2021. Gaji yang tidak diambil ini akan disumbangkan ke dalam Akaun Amanah Bencana sebagai membiayai perbelanjaan berkaitan COVID-19.

Saudara dan saudari yang saya kasihi sekalian,

41. Keputusan untuk melaksanakan lockdown ini adalah satu keputusan yang sukar tetapi terpaksa dibuat. Samada lockdown yang dilaksanakan ini akan berjaya atau tidak semuanya terserah kepada saudara dan saudari serta ketentuan Ilahi. Kerajaan telah menutup hampir semua sektor ekonomi dan sosial untuk mengurangkan pergerakan rakyat dan memutuskan rantaian jangkitan COVID-19.

42. Saudara dan saudari dikehendaki duduk di rumah – stay at home – saya ulangi stay at home – dan sentiasa patuh kepada SOP. Jika saudara dan saudari gagal mematuhi arahan ini, maka kita semua akan gagal, na'uzubillah.

43. Kepada para frontliners, bertabahlah. Saya tahu anda semua penat berperang melawan virus ini sejak lebih setahun yang lalu. Saya ingin ulangi penghargaan kerajaan yang tidak terhingga atas segala jasa dan pengorbanan para frontliners kita di seluruh negara. Saya doakan agar anda semua terus diberikan kekuatan oleh Allah s.w.t. untuk mengharungi cabaran dan dugaan yang amat besar ini.

44. Saya juga mendoakan agar semua pesakit yang sedang bertarung melawan COVID-19 ini diberikan kesembuhan segera, amin ya rabbal alamin. Saya dengan penuh dukacitanya mengucapkan takziah kepada seluruh ahli keluarga mangsa COVID-19 yang telah meninggal dunia. Mudah-mudahan anda semua tabah menghadapi dugaan yang amat berat ini.

45. Marilah kita bersama-sama panjatkan doa ke hadrat Allah s.w.t. mudah-mudahan wabak yang sedang melanda negara kita dan seluruh dunia pada masa ini segera berakhir.

Wabillahi al-taufik walhidayah wassalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
 

Thursday 18 March 2021

RM20bil aid for the people: the 6th economic stimulus package, Pemerkasa

 

PUTRAJAYA: The government has unveiled its sixth economic stimulus package, the RM20bil People and Economic Strategic Empowerment Programme (Pemerkasa), which, among others, will see targeted assistance given to the people and sectors still affected by the pandemic.

Focusing on 20 initiatives, Pemerkasa is also aimed at giving the economy a jump-start and to support business continuity, as the government reaffirms its commitment to care and listen to the people.

Unveiling Pemerkasa, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin identified five focus areas to promote economic recovery – control the spread of Covid-19, accelerating economic recovery, strengthening Malaysia’s competitiveness, ensuring inclusivity by reducing development gaps within regions and communities, and transforming the economy.

Of the RM20bil under Pemerkasa, RM11bil is fresh fiscal injection by the government.

Muhyiddin said among the efforts in driving economic recovery was to revitalise the tourism and retail sectors which had been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Prime Minister said to alleviate the burden and to support the recovery of the tourism sector, the government would extend tourism tax and service tax exemptions on accommodation provided by hotel operators until Dec 31,2021.

“We will also extend tax incentives to tour companies until the year of assessment 2022, allow deferment of monthly income tax instalments from April 1 to Dec 31,2021 to companies in the tourism and industries such as cinemas and spas.

“The sector will also be provided entertainment duty exemption on admission fees to entertainment venues such as theme parks, stage performances, sporting events and competitions as well as cinemas in the Federal Territories, ” Muhyiddin said in a special address yesterday.

The scope of special relief on individual income tax of up to RM1,000 will be expanded to include expenses on travel packages provided by travel agents registered with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) while the HRDF levy exemption for affected businesses under the tourism and retail sector will be extended until June 2021.

Muhyiddin said in addition, the government had agreed to a one-off special assistance grant of RM3,000 to more than 5,000 tourism agencies registered with Motac.

The government will provide a one-off cash assistance of RM600 to homestay operators registered with Motac, which is expected to benefit more than 4,000 Malaysian Homestay Programme hosts or entrepreneurs.

“When most of us are vaccinated, the government will consider allowing interstate travel in stages and may even establish a special green lane for border travel involving air transport.

“At the moment, the government will need time to assess all the necessary aspects and weigh the risks before a decision is made, ” he said.

To assist cash flow and reduce operating cost for hotel operators, theme parks, convention centres, shopping malls, local airline offices and travel and tour agencies, a special discount on electricity bills of 10% will be extended for another three months until June 30.

The total cost borne by the government for this extension is RM135mil.

The Prime Minister said the Perikatan Nasional government remained committed to moving forward in planning various economic recovery strategies for the well-being of the rakyat.

“The government has done its level best to ensure that no groups are left behind from receiving government’s benefits.

“Perikatan as a caring government always listens and cares about the well-being of the people.

“This trust will be shouldered responsibly and sincerely for the sake of the people and the nation, ” he added.

Muhyiddin also urged the public to register for the Covid-19 vaccination, advising all not to delay because the sooner people get vaccinated, the sooner everyone can enjoy a normal life.

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Related stories:

‘Risk based approach in travel restrictions the right step forward’

Helping hand for those most in need

No more blanket MCO, says PM

 

Pemerkasa: Something all can look forward to

 


  PETALING JAYA: The government’s People and Economic Strategic Empowerment Programme (Pemerkasa) includes hiring incentives and micro credit facilities to give a leg-up to the economic sectors most affected by the pandemic.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the government would allocate RM700mil to extend the Wage Subsidy Programme 3.0 for another three months, targeted at the tourism, wholesale and retail sectors.


Other sectors that were not allowed to operate during the movement control order would also benefit from this, he added.

“This initiative is expected to benefit 400,000 employees and 37,000 employers, ” he said.

Muhyiddin said the government would also enhance the PenjanaKerjaya 2.0 initiative under the Social Welfare Organisation (Sosco) by expanding the scope of hiring incentives to include temporary and gig workers.

This will include an allocation of RM300mil to assist 60,000 workers, where each worker will receive RM600 per month for a maximum of six months.

Employers offering short-term employment or gig service platforms registered with Socso will receive RM200 for each worker they hire.

The government will also extend the duration of PenjanaKerjaya’s apprenticeship programme to six months, where trainees undertaking this programme will be given an incentive of RM800 during their apprenticeship.

He said the government would continue to support the business continuity, especially local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“We will continue with the Prihatin Special Grant 3.0 (GKP) initiative to support businesses to recommence operations. Every eligible micro SME will receive a one-off assistance of RM1,000, ” he said.

.

“Micro SMEs that have not received the GKP prior to this can apply for GKP 3.0 beginning April 1. GKP 3.0 is expected to benefit more than one million entrepreneurs.”.

He added that the government would increase the allocation for small-scale projects in 2021 from RM2.5bil to RM5bil..

“Among the types of small-scale projects which will be reserved for G1-G4 class contractors are the repair of public infrastructure and facilities damaged by floods, road repairs, social amenities, repair of strata housing including the replacement of elevators at public housing, and constructing stalls in municipalities, ” he said..

The government would also simplify procurement procedures to expedite the implementation of projects, he added..

Under Budget 2021, the government approved an allocation of RM1bil for micro credit financing facilities..

As such, Muhyiddin said the government would provide an additional RM500mil for micro credit financing through programmes under Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), the National Entrepreneur Group Economic Fund (Tekun Nasional), Mara and SME Corp..

“Through BSN, a fund of RM300mil will be made available with a financing limit of up to RM50,000 and the interest rate reduced from 3.5% to 3%. The loan tenure will be for five years and loan repayments will only commence after the sixth month..

“For entrepreneurs from the informal sector, Tekun Nasional will be providing an additional fund of RM60mil, especially for the Informal Financing Scheme with a financing limit of up to RM5,000 for small businesses operating from homes, night markets and wet markets..

“The Tekun Mobilepreneur programme will also be expanded to finance the repair or purchase of new motorcycles with a financing value of up to RM10,000..

“To complement this initiative, locally assembled motorcycles with an engine capacity of 150cc and below will be given a 100% exemption on excise duty from April 1 to Dec 31 this year, ” he said..

Financing assistance of up to RM20,000 will also be provided for repairing vehicles and up to RM50,000 for the purchase of vans or lorries under the POS-prenuer programme from Tekun..

“Through Mara, the Prihatin Micro Business Financing Scheme will be implemented, focusing on assisting 1,000 bumiputra micro SMEs in sustaining their business..

“A total of RM50mil will be allocated with a financing value of up to RM50,000 at an interest rate as low as 3%, ” he said..

“Additionally, SME Corp will provide RM50mil to assist local SMEs to obtain financing of up to RM250,000 at an interest rate as low as 3%.”.

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Thursday 5 March 2020

Malaysia's PM, a one-man show as Cabinet list jigsaw puzzle



PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be in charge of all ministries and government departments until the appointment of Cabinet ministers, says the latest Federal Government gazette.

The gazette signed on Tuesday by the Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Mohd Zuki Ali, also stated that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, pursuant to Article 43 of the Federal Constitution, has appointed Muhyiddin as Prime Minister.

“This Order is deemed to have come into operation on March 1,2020, ” said the notice that was uploaded on the Attorney General’s Chambers website.

“It is notified that the Prime Minister, (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin) shall be charged with the responsibility in respect of all departments of the Federal Government and the subjects for which the departments are responsible until the appointment of other ministers in the Cabinet.”

Muhyiddin, who was sworn in as Prime Minister on March 1, met chief secretaries from the Education and Foreign Ministries yesterday.

The newly minted Prime Minister posted pictures on Facebook of him meeting the duo in his office that featured empty shelves and empty tables, a sign of someone who has just moved in.

In the Facebook post, Muhyiddin said Education Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Mohd Gazali Abas briefed him on developments and suggestions to upgrade the education sector.

Foreign Ministry chief secretary Datuk Seri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob was also seen explaining Malaysia’s current diplomatic relationships and pending international conferences.

“Mohd Gazali gave explanations on developments in the education sector as well as statistics of achievements, and gave suggestions on how to build up the education sector.

“Shahrul of the Foreign Affairs Ministry briefed the prime minister on the current relationship between Malaysia and other countries, as well as collaborations and important conferences which will take place this year, ” said the post.

It is believed that one of the main subjects discussed was the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) inter-governmental forum that will be held in November in Kuala Lumpur.

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The Cabinet list jigsaw puzzle


 
Muhyiddin Yassin

GPS, having played the kingmaker in the political saga, expects to be well rewarded. Thus, drawing up the Cabinet list will be a more complicated task this time around, as there are just so many variables that need to be considered.


AS Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin thinks about the composition of his Cabinet list, he will certainly need to take heed as to how Sarawak should be rewarded.

There is no doubt that the 18 Members of Parliament from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) were the ones who made the critical difference in the numbers game last week.

The GPS consists of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).

It was game over when these lawmakers chose Muhyiddin instead of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be prime minister.

Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg put it aptly when he told the media that “now you know the value of GPS votes.”

He said the ruling state coalition initially supported Dr Mahathir to continue leading the country.

“After that, he resigned. Then he resigned from Bersatu. After that, he was back again. So left, right, left, right, what else to expect?

“That’s why we supported Muhyiddin. At the same time, our Sarawak interest is uppermost, ” he added.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had hoped that GPS would remain neutral at least but the political reality was that GPS had to make a stand.

If there was one big factor that had made up the final decision of the GPS, it has to be the DAP.

Outspoken Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Masing has consistently said that GPS would not support a coalition that included DAP in the ongoing political crisis.

He blamed DAP’s “administrative arrogance” for this, adding that the party did whatever it pleased without listening to others, citing Lim Guan Eng as an example.

He pointed out that the former Finance Minister had announced that Sarawak would go bankrupt within three years when the DAP leader came to the state last year.

The reality is actually the opposite.

In 2019, S&P Global Ratings has affirmed its ‘A-’ rating on Sarawak with stable earnings outlook and said the state’s exceptional budgetary performance and liquidity will likely mitigate its elevated debt, supporting its creditworthiness.

The state’s healthy financial standing and its stable socio-political environment have earned Sarawak commendable investment-grade credit ratings of A-, A3 and AAA by reputable international and domestic rating houses.

A Google search of the financial standing of the country’s largest state is sufficient to show that.

Lim’s hurtful remark, and other past disputes with the DAP, seem to have left a deep-rooted resentment of the party among GPS members, and last week, was payback time.

While it has been said that there are no permanent friends or foes in politics, this doesn’t seem to apply in the case of the GPS in this regard.

At one point, Masing even said the GPS was “more comfortable working with PAS than DAP.”

As the situation turned desperate, Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen said the party was willing to make concessions with GPS to keep the Pakatan Harapan government intact, appealing to GPS “to put aside all past political differences and work together with Pakatan to save our country.”

Many interpreted the offer to mean the DAP’s readiness in not contesting in the upcoming Sarawak state elections.

But it came too late as the GPS had already made up its mind after having huddled together for two days at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

It remains to be seen what the GPS had asked for and what Muyhiddin has to offer.

It will be Sarawak’s gain over neighbouring Sabah as Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal opted to stay with Pakatan.

A statement from the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Office on Feb 29 said GPS supported Muhyiddin to restore political stability in the country without sacrificing Sarawak’s interest.

It also said that GPS would be friendly to the new Federal Government but was not a member of the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Some senior leaders of the GPS said privately that they wanted to see what would be on the table but expected to be rewarded accordingly.

Others said that they were prepared to wait till the state elections were over – as these veteran politicians were aware that Pakatan would most certainly use the alliance with Perikatan Nasional as a rallying call against the GPS in the state polls.

Unlike Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawakian leaders are more interested in protecting and keeping their state positions rather than federal posts.

“The interest of Sarawak is more important than the interest of lawmakers, ” Masing told this writer.

But the immediate priority would be to demand a higher oil royalty from the current 5% and if this was a sticky point under Pakatan, it will likely remain so for the new Perikatan Nasional government.

The other is the Malaysia Agreement 1963, or more popularly known as MA63.

The agreement – an 18-point pact for Sarawak and 20-point for Sabah – was signed on July 9,1963, before the formation of Malaysia.

It is an important document safeguarding the rights and autonomy of the two states.

The 18-point and 20-point agreement covers religion, language, constitution, immigration, the position of the indigenous people, finance, tariffs and citizenship.

Sabahans and Sarawakians are understandably annoyed when they hear “orang Malaya” remark that these two states “joined Malaysia”, pointing out that they had, in fact, helped to form Malaysia.

In the peninsula, the governing state leaders are known as state executive councillors but over in Sabah and Sarawak, they are known as state ministers.

That also explains why Malaysians from the peninsula side need their identity card or passport when entering these two states, and state immigration have the right to deny anyone entry.

“Orang Semenanjung” who want to work in these two states have to apply for a work permit.

The same goes for lawyers who wish to appear in the courts of either state – they have to get approval beforehand.

Most Malaysians may not understand fully what MA63 is all about, even if they have become contentious political issues.

But most believe that the Federal Government has not given due recognition to the MA63 or that these safeguards have not been honoured or taken away.

Sarawakians want a greater degree of financial and political autonomy as compared to other states in the peninsula and not end up being merely one of the 13 states in Malaysia.

It remains to be seen how or what posts would be given to the GPS MPs, and whether this state coalition wishes to wait till the state polls are over before moving in but what is certain is that the new Prime Minister certainly cannot ignore the Land of the Hornbill.

Abang Jo’s words (now you know the value of the GPS) would surely ring continuously in the ears of the Prime Minister.

And now, this explains why a tiny country like Malaysia, with a population of over 32 million people, has a big Cabinet – it is simply because the Prime Minister has to accommodate so many geographical and ethnic interests.

It is also very possible that the Prime Minister may announce the appointments in batches, starting with the crucial ones. This will allow him time to tinker.

Drawing up the Cabinet list will be a more complicated task this time, unlike previously, as there are just so many variables that need to be considered.



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Related posts:

Malaysian minority citizens being marginalized in Malaysia! We want leaders with calibre!

 

https://youtu.be/0sBKSDwRKt0

Monday 7 November 2011

Malaysian education heavily politicised, Quality & English standard not up to par!



Give everyone a choice in education

ANALYSIS by BADARAN KUPPUSAMY

Our education system is heavily politicised and needs to be de-politicised to offer good, simple and advancing education for all citizens – one they can be proud of.

SCIENCE and Mathematics were taught in English until all subjects switched to Bahasa Malaysia in 1970 under the national education policy.

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, worried over the decline of English and the poor employability of graduates who had been taught in Bahasa Malaysia, then decided to revert to teaching the two subjects in English, beginning in 2003.

Now, the Education Ministry, under persistent pressure from Bahasa Malaysia advocates, has decided to go back to teaching Science and Mathematics in the national language.

From English to Bahasa Malaysia, then back to English and again to Bahasa Malaysia.

We should not be playing kick-ball with the lives of young students who are subjected to enormous stress by such policy changes called by special interest groups.

Parents too are subjected to horrendous pressure as policy shifts come and go at the drop of a coin.

Parents want the best for their children; they want a good, simple and advancing education that arms the children with knowledge to compete in the world and succeed.

They want their children to be on par with other societies, like in Singapore or Hong Kong, which had inherited a colonial education system but decided to build on it, rather than pull it down.

Malaysians from Johor travel by bus in the early hours of the day to study in Singapore, while their parents take courses to keep up, communicate with and help in their children’s studies.

The world has become that competitive.

There was a referendum in Hong Kong after the former British colony was handed back to Chinese sovereignty in July 1997, whether to continue in English or switch to Mandarin.

Parents wanted to maintain English overwhelmingly.

In Hong Kong today, there is a system of dual languages, where Mandarin is taught along with English, attracting an international student clientele to Hong Kong.

Parents are important stakeholders in the field of education and know better what their children should get by way of a modern education.

Democracy offers alternatives and choices. You do not shut the door on any stakeholder.

The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE), which is fighting to retain the learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) policy, is spot on in pursuing its goal.

While the group is strongly supported by the MCA, MIC and Gerakan – all component parties of the Barisan Nasional – many in Umno also see the promise that an education in English holds for the children.

PAGE has submitted another memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, asking for special schools to teach the subjects in English. Najib will have to decide on the request because it is becoming a political hot potato.

Najib had said the era of “the Government knows best” had been long over. He has emphasised this several times to indicate that policymakers have to listen to all stakeholders and not go on a tangent of their own.

But his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, has said the situation would be “chaotic” if the ministry were to provide facilities for the teaching of Science and Mathematics in both Bahasa Malaysia and English.

But there are practical solutions, such as hiring Indian teachers from overseas. They have a good proficiency in English and can teach well.

Our education system is heavily politicised and needs to be de-politicised to offer a good and simple education for all citizens – one they can be proud of.

Given the chance to decide, even parents in rural areas would vote for PPSMI as it gives their children a leg up in today’s competitive world.

Our society has developed many alternatives to the Bahasa Malaysia-only policy – private education, home schooling and international schools – which the Government throws open to all.

These centres of excellence in education come at a price. They are expensive and the poor cannot afford it.

So, the rich – of all races – escape our Bahasa Malaysia-only policy, study in alternative schools and eventually move overseas to continue their education and then stay back to work and live there.

There are, ironically, Africans, South Americans and other Asians enjoying a multi-cultural education in English in Malaysia.

If we insist on teaching only in Bahasa Malaysia, we will eventually have just Bahasa Malaysia-speaking students in a society that privately offers English-language education for anyone who wants it.

An estimated one million Malaysians have left for greener pastures abroad and we are now wooing them back through Talent Corp and also offering incentives to bring them back.

Never mind if things are initially “chaotic” – it is the Government’s responsibility to provide for all its citizens.
Eventually, we should aim to democratise the cluttered and over-burdened education system that is pulling various ethnic groups asunder. We need to provide choices for all – rich and poor.

English standard of undergrads still not up to par

M. Saraswathi
KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 6, 2011): Malaysia is on par or ahead of some of the regional countries in terms of investment in education. However, the quality of its undergraduates' command of English still remains an issue.

Dr Marie Aimee Tourres, a senior research fellow at the Department of Development Studies, Universiti Malaya, said it was crucial for graduates to have a good command of English to ensure they would be able to compete effectively, in the global job market.

Nevertheless, “in terms of education spending, Malaysia is comparable to some countries in the region based on the percentage spent over its gross domestic product (GDP) growth,” she told Bernama in an interview here.

She said Malaysia was actually spending more vis-a-vis other countries.

In Budget 2012, RM13.6 billion was allocated to the social sector, including education and training, health, welfare, housing and community development.

Dr Tourres said there was also a lot of focus given for training and re-training for graduates, which was important to continuously upgrade skilled and knowledge workers in the country.

However, the quality of undergraduates remains an issue in Malaysia, since the students find it difficult to grasp the English language.

"Language is definitely an issue,” she said, citing a recent publication by the World Bank entitled The Road to Academic Excellence, which was a study on what contributes to a world-class research university.

The study compared Universiti Malaya (UM) and National University of Singapore (NUS) in a chapter entitled The National University of Singapore and the University of Malaya: Common Roots and Different Paths.

In the report, it was stated that as NUS kept pace with the demands of a growing economy that sought to become competitive internationally, with English continuing as the language of instruction and research, UM began to focus inward as proficiency in English declined in favour of the national language.

The publication, which is based on a study conducted by two scholars, Philip Altbach and Jamil Salmi, also stated that because UM taught courses predominantly in the national language, it had much more limited internationalisation of programme, academic staff and student body.

"This generation will have to face international standard and competition in terms of job market, as part of globalisation," said Dr Tourres.

She cited Pakistan as an example, where she gives lectures.

"In Pakistan, although the people speak different dialects, next to the Urdu language, their English is better than our graduates,” she pointed out.

It made them more marketable in the competitive global environment, she noted.

"The immediate result of their English capacity is that you can find many Pakistanis who work for international organisations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund,” noted Dr Tourres.

She believed that even if Malaysia gave more focus in English, the national language and culture could still prosper, provided that teaching was made interesting.

"More English in school will not deter Malay, Indian and Chinese culture per se. We should not mix the issue of a command of good language and the preservation of national heritage," she said.

As for the distribution of the book voucher worth RM200 to all Malaysian students in public and private local institutions of higher learning, matriculation as well as Form 6 students nationwide, she believed that it should be monitored to ensure that it served the purpose.

This assistance is expected to benefit 1.3 million students with an allocation of RM260 million.

“That is a lot of money. Probably, it could have been done based on meritocracy to ensure that it is properly utilised,” said Dr Tourres, pointing out that there were risks of students re-selling the voucher, especially when the new targeted generation lacked the reading habit and prefered to go online to search for their study materials. -- Bernama



Importance of being earnest

ON THE BEAT WITH WONG CHUN WAI

The DPM has said it would not be possible to use English in teaching Science and Mathematics. Let’s look at other options to improve proficiency in English.

WE all know and acknowledge that our standard of English has taken a beating. We all know that many of our teachers cannot even construct a sentence in English without grammatical errors, and many of them are teaching our kids the language.

We all know that many of our university lecturers are in the same boat too, as well as some of our politicians and senior government servants. For them, it is a struggle to speak in English.

A letter, presumably written by an examiner or a parent, that appeared in this newspaper’s education section last Sunday startled me. The writer made a comparison between our 2011 Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) English paper and the 2011 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) English Reading Paper.

The latter is used to test students’ English proficiency in private and international schools, which have increasingly become the choice of urban Malaysian parents who can afford to send their children there.

Giving detailed comparisons, the writer claimed that the PMR English paper taken by our 15-year-olds is much easier than those taken by Year Four Malaysian students in private and international schools and Year Three Singaporean pupils in similar schools.

“How can we expect our local students to compete with students from other countries if the standard of English in our PMR exam is even lower than the standard of English required for Year Four pupils in private and international schools?” he asked.

In short, the PMR English paper is too easy. We have long cast doubts on the quality of our students who earn a string of distinctions. We hear grumbles that in some papers such as Physics, the grading is so ridiculously low you just need to answer a few questions to get the A, but that’s another story.

Older Malaysians – those who sat for Senior Cambridge (Form 5), Lower Certificate of Education (LCE) for Form Three, Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE) for Fifth Formers and the Higher School Certificate (HSC) for Form Six – will vouch that the standard of English was much higher then.

The Prime Minister and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin are products of the early education system which has enabled them to speak and write well in English. It is such a joy, for example, to listen to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak delivering a speech in crisp English.

We know that much of the Cabinet deliberations are conducted in English. So are the Cabinet committee meetings, where most ministers find it more comfortable to express themselves in English.

When they attend international conferences, one or two ministers whose command of English is described as atrocious still have to use the language, but they would just read from a prepared text.

In a tweet last week, prominent human rights lawyer Malik Imtiaz lamented the poor English in the written judgment of a Judicial Commissioner. The legal reasoning was equally bad. This is sad because the Malaysian legal system is primarily based on English common law and most students have to use English textbooks.

I have just returned from India where I attended an international conference on the advertising industry. It was a joy to listen to people there – from the emcee, former Miss World Diana Hayden, to Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan to leaders of the industry – speak in English with confidence, eloquence and wit and without referring to a prepared text.

These people are able to speak so well because India has not allowed its nationalists to tear down the legacy of the British education system in the name of nationalism and race. Yes, there are millions in India who can only speak Hindi or other dialects but English remains in a dominant position.

In Singapore, the medium of instruction in schools is English and to ensure that the young get the best education, teachers are among the best paid in the island republic’s civil service.

Certainly, those given the responsibility to nurture, teach and inspire young minds deserve the best, but let the best join the profession and keep out the mediocre.

The DPM has said it would not be possible to use English in teaching Science and Mathematics (PPSMI), citing possible chaotic situations if parents were given the option to decide if they wished to use English or Bahasa Malaysia.

He said some teachers were not efficient in teaching English and that it would also be hard for the Education Ministry to plan.

I think these are sound and valid reasons but we must also look for other options. It is not a zero sum game. We should not see the controversy from a “them and us” situation. Neither do we want politicians and groups to cloud the issue further by using race to silence proponents of the PPSMI.

We can introduce English Literature in schools and also increase the teaching hours in English as the next step. Even Physical Education, Art and Moral Studies classes can be taught in English.

We will go nowhere if we continue to cite lack of English teachers as the reason why we cannot move forward. The situation we are in is a reflection of the failure of our education system as far as English is concerned. It is a statement of our lack of commitment.

Let’s hire teachers and trainers from India and other Commonwealth countries, compile a data bank of retired teachers who still want to contribute, and even graduates who are keen to teach English in schools.

For urban parents, the option should not be the private and international schools. Haven’t our children been divided by the different schools they go to already? The last thing we want to do is to create a class system where the better-off go to private schools while the less privileged have to settle for national schools.

Chua: Make pass in SPM English compulsory; Malaysians should be multi-lingual by being well-versed in Bahasa, English and Mandarin

By KAREN CHAPMAN, TAN EE LOO, FLORENCE A. SAMY, CHRISTINA CHIN, HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH, DESIREE TRESA GASPER and REGINA LEE

PETALING JAYA: While the MCA welcomes the decision made on the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) policy, it is now calling for the language to be made a compulsory pass subject for SPM.

“We should work towards making English a compulsory pass subject in the SPM examination and also make English Literature a compulsory subject,” said party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

On the policy, he said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had paved the way for clear guidelines on the matter and put an end to any confusion.

In a statement yesterday, Dr Chua said the Government had listened to the voices of the rakyat in coming up with a win-win situation for all.

It was also the party’s fervent hope for the Education Ministry to emphasise the usage of English to equip Malaysians with the universal language to keep up with the rest of the world, he added.

“The MCA would like to re-affirm its stand that all Malaysians should be multi-lingual by being well-versed in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Mandarin to ensure we are more competitive in the globalised world,” said Dr Chua.

In Friday’s announcement, Muh­yiddin – also Education Minister – said the current batch of Year Two to Form Four students would continue under the policy until they complete their secondary education.

Year One pupils this year are already learning the two subjects in Bahasa Malaysia.

Speaking to reporters after attending the SJK (C) Mun Yee fundraising dinner here last night, Dr Chua hit out at the Opposition, saying it should make up their mind on the PPSMI policy and not make “flip-flop” statements.

Responding to a suggestion by PKR’s Selayang MP William Leong that there should be English- medium schools in the country, Dr Chua said DAP and PKR had previously expressed their support towards using Bahasa Malaysia to teach the two subjects.

“In Pakatan Rakyat, they have different stands. Now that the Govern­ment has allowed English to be continued to be used until 2020, they again switch.

“The rakyat has the right to know what is PKR’s policy and stand,” he said, adding that DAP’s stand was also inconsistent.

MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel said the PPSMI decision was a step in the right direction for the future of affected students.  

Taking a page from history