Happy New Year plus Advice

Wakakaka, let's start 2020 with a more moderate forum, thus:

1. Keep to thread - eg. don't post Taiwan Straits barrages and counter barrages in posts on wholly Malaysian affairs, and vice versa. Stay relevant to the topic-thread and don't just dump your anger, anxiety and annoyance on any post.

2. Strong hurtful abusive words should NOT refer to an entire ethnic group - eg. I don't want to read statements such as 'The Chinese are tai-seow piggies' or 'The Malays are eff-ing zombies' or 'The Indians are too eff-ing handsome for their own good', wakakaka. When you insult an entire race, you are an A$$h*le of a Bigot ...

From Malaysiakini:

“... Orang asing berasa selesa dengan negara kita dan mereka ingin tinggal di sini. Nak tak nak pun, kita terpaksa terima, kalau tidak kita tidak akan mencapai kemerdekaan”

(The foreigners felt comfortable in this country and wanted to stay. Like it or not, we were forced to accept or we would not have achieved independence) 

... nor to a religion - eg. I don't want to read 'Islam is an XXXX religion' nor 'Hinduism is YYYY' nor 'Christianity is ZZZZ' etc, though you could criticise clerics, idiotic adherents, etc but never the innocent religion, wakakaka. [Only sweet innocent naive kaytee has exemption, wakakaka]

3. No slandering of personalities eg. 'A stole RM1 Billion', 'B eff-ed so-and-so 6 o'clock' nor 'C sucked D's dingaling', wakakaka.

Happy New Year mateys, wakakaka.

From VN Express International:

... ABBA’s “Happy New Year!” is probably the most spirited and revered song of Vietnam after "Tiến Quân Ca", the epic national anthem written and composed by Văn Cao in 1944. How it came to be seen that way is very telling about the history of Hanoi.

Back in the 1980s, in the middle of the subsidy period, Vietnam was mostly closed to the outside world. The only links with foreign countries were with brotherly nations in the Soviet Bloc. Foreigners were rare in Hanoi. There were just a few Russians around, visiting as part of cooperation missions. Comparing with the war period, Hanoians saw them like “Americans without the dollars”.

But there was one, only one, Western country that maintained a close relationship with Vietnam. That country was Sweden. Driven by strong ethical principles, and rightfully indignant about the absurdity and the carnage of the American War, Sweden was unusual in having an embassy in Hanoi, and a large development cooperation program with Vietnam.

Olof Palme was the Swedish Prime Minister at the time. A fierce critic of the foreign policy of both the United States and the Soviet Union, he was known for his uncompromising non-alignment, and for his support of Third World countries. Among other daring initiatives, he was the first Western head of government to visit Cuba after its revolution. In 1986 he was assassinated in the streets of Stockholm, as he was leaving a movie theater with his wife. He was probably the only head of state who didn’t have personal security, or body guards. Why and by whom he was murdered remains a mystery.

Olof Palme was adamant in Sweden supporting Vietnam’s priorities, whatever these were. In the late 1960s an agreement was signed between the two countries to build a paper mill that would tap Scandinavian expertise in this sector. The paper mill would be located in Bãi Bằng, about 90 kilometers northwest of Hanoi. With an investment close to 500 million dollars of the day, the project was very large for a small country like Sweden. And in the end the cost escalated to almost four times the original budget. This was no doubt a very generous undertaking, paid for by Swedish taxpayers.

It took many years to get the paper mill up and running. But eventually a small Swedish-looking village made of wooden cabins emerged in North Vietnam. Tall blond inhabitants and sauna spas gave it a look that was unmistakably non-Vietnamese. But many of the Swedish experts that came to help with the project fell in love with the country. Quite a few ended up getting Vietnamese partners, marrying locally, and never going back.

Together with the paper mill, the sauna spas and the tall blond Swedes came the music of ABBA. The Vietnamese authorities of the time were very suspicious of Western influences. There was a fear that foreign cultural products could surreptitiously corrupt socialist ideals and values among the population. But Sweden was a trusted and tested ally.

From the time of Reunification to right before Doi Moi [period of market based economic reforms since late 1980s], the Swedish band ABBA was one of the most successful groups in the history of popular music, worldwide. Its songs were officially welcome in Vietnam, indeed celebrated as part of the culture of a close friend. But for ordinary Hanoians the glossy looks of the group and their easy music became the synonym of affluence and cheerfulness

The official acceptance of ABBA songs happened at a time when scarcity raged and there was very little to be celebrated in Vietnam. Hanoians could be queuing in endless lines with their ration cards in hand, just to get some meager portion of rice. Cultural life was minimal, debate was almost non-existent. But ABBA’s songs were there to remind them that there was a prosperous and optimistic world outside of Vietnam, one that reflected the deep aspirations of Hanoians for their country and their own families.

There is however some irony in the unwavering love of Hanoians for ABBA’s “Happy New Year!” In reality the lyrics were not that cheerful:

No more champagne

And the fireworks are through

Here we are, me and you

Feeling lost and feeling blue

It's the end of the party

And the morning seems so grey

Few people in Vietnam spoke Swedish at the time, and the English version was only released many years later. So the sorrow of the lyrics went mostly unnoticed. But it contained at hint of disappointment with ideals of brotherhood and love. “May we all have a vision now and then, of a world where every neighbor is a friend […] “may we all have our hopes, our will to try, if we don't we might as well lay down and die.”

Unknown to Hanoians, what this most beloved ABBA song exposed was not so much the contrast between Western happiness and Vietnamese frustration. Or between the prosperity of a market economy and the deprivation of the subsidy period. “Happy New Year!” is about the shared hope for a better world, against the odds, even if we are “feeling lost and feeling blue”. Which is what we all wish when we say “Chúc mừng năm mới!”, with a bittersweet smile on our faces.

* Martin Rama is the Chief Economist for the South Asia region of the World Bank. The views expressed here are his own.

How many parts does an onion have?

NST:

It won't be an onion-less Chinese New Year

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Malaysia currently imports onions from India, China, Pakistan and Holland. -NSTP/ RAMDZAN MASIAM 

By Audrey Dermawan

SEBERANG JAYA: The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry has assured that there would be ample supply of onions in the market, including for Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan 25.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Malaysia currently imports onions from India, China, Pakistan and Holland.

“Despite India halting the export of its onions due to severe shortage following flooding, we have ample supply of onions, including during the festive season.

“This is because we do not rely only on India for their onions. We also import from three other countries,” he said after the launch of a "Back to School" programme at Tesco Extra, here, today.

Some 150 underprivileged children received school bags, courtesy of Tesco.

On Friday, the ministry had said that a shortage of onions from India had led to the increase in prices following an export ban from the producing country.

According to media reports, one kilogramme of Indian onions previously priced at RM4 have now sky-rocketed to RM12.

Saifuddin said based on the existing trend, the price increase had nothing to do with the shortage of onions from India.

He said the price of onions was already high when they were brought in from the producing countries.

“Then, as it moves downstream, there are further increases,” he added.

On reports that onions imported by Malaysian companies were found in Thailand, Saifuddin said he had ordered his ministry to investigate the claims.

“We will look into the claims. For now, we will enhance checks at all entry and exit points into the country to prevent our onions from being taken out.

“We need to ascertain if there is any smuggling activity,” he said.

Every eff-ing year we have this sort of assurance or re-assuring slow-talk kerbau by ministers, senior departmental officers etc on supply of ingredients for festival food. 10 years ago it might have been eggs, 7 years ago perhaps chicken, 25 years ago I think it was sugar, condensed milk and god knows what.

Then we would have inspectors going around threatening poor vendors, hawkers and retail shops to sell at government-demanded prices even if those vendors lost money, or else (they would be traitors)? 

Why?

I have lived in Australia for donkey years and once in UK for several years but I had never heard of this kerbau. The only likewise talk was coal in UK in winter months during Margaret Thatcher's days and matey, coal was VITAL to survival during winter in UK, so everyone worried when miners went on strike, unless of course you owned a super duper electrical heater powered by a nuclear station which the UK didn't, wakakaka.

But the point is this happens EVERY YEAR in Malaysia. OK, I won't probe into who's the warlord behind the bawang-kerbau - instead let's move on to another matter.

So the minister told us that "Malaysia currently imports onions from India, China, Pakistan and Holland."

Do you know how eff-ing large Holland is, say, in terms of square-kilometres, and in comparison or rather in contrast, how large Malaysia is?

Holland - 41,543 km²

Malaysia - 329,847 km²

That's right, Malaysia is 8 times larger than Holland, and those Dutch export onions they had grown to us, supposedly an agrarian society, and even have time to grow tulips while we waste our time building Car No 3 when Car No 1 was a total failure in terms of export potential. A Malaysian national food bank is what Rais Hussin has been preaching and Mahathir threatened him. I shall say no more - you guys have him as your PM, wakakaka.

do you idiots realise a car has 4000 parts while an aircraft jet engine has 30,000?
how many parts does an onion have? 

Educationist accused Putrajaya of selective "free speech"

FMT:

Putrajaya accused of allowing free speech selectively

Educationist Johan Ariffin Samad says the teaching of Jawi and khat calligraphy has been ‘politicised, racialised and radicalised’ 

PETALING JAYA: An educationist who would have addressed the now-cancelled Dong Zong congress has accused the government of partiality in allowing free speech.

“It seems that preference is given to one group and others can’t speak up,” said Johan Ariffin Samad, a former CEO of Sabah’s Institute for Development Studies.

He told FMT he was disappointed that the authorities had prevented a discussion on a significant issue although it was to be held in a private hall.

The congress was to be held today and it was supposed to discuss the government’s decision to include the teaching of the Jawi script in the Malay syllabus for schools.

However, Dong Zong, a Chinese education group, called it off after police obtained a court order against the meeting. It would have attracted about 1,000 representatives from school boards, parent-teacher associations and alumni groups.

Johan alleged that the teaching of Jawi and khat calligraphy had been “politicised, racialised and radicalised” and “people are no longer free to express themselves and are under constant threat if their opinions and concerns differ” from those that are officially sanctioned.

“Education concerns all and not only one particular race,” he said. “This does not augur well for Malaysia Baru.”

One meeting that will go ahead as planned is the National Jawi Congress organised by a group calling itself Gabungan Seni Khat Action Team (Sekat).

“We were wondering if the police had taken an injunction against us as well, but luckily they didn’t,” Sekat national secretary Arun Doraisamy told FMT.

“We would like to ask all Malaysians to attend the congress and understand the real issue at hand. This is not a racial issue. This is a national issue, and it must be resolved with dialogue, information and facts, not emotions.”

The Sekat congress will be held at the Crystal Crown Hotel in Petaling Jaya tomorrow.

Should DAP leave the government?

FMT:

Should DAP leave the government?

by Dennis Ignatius

After fighting for and dreaming of a place at the table for years, DAP is now discovering that being part of the government, at least part of a Dr Mahathir Mohamad-led government, can be a bittersweet affair. With frustration growing among its grassroot supporters and consensus breaking down within the party’s top leadership, pulling out of the government is no longer as unthinkable as it might have been 19 months ago.

Before GE14, Mahathir was, of course, more than happy to be seen with DAP leaders, enjoying their enthusiastic support, and praising them for their contribution to the nation. He even went so far as to admit that he was wrong to demonise DAP and expressed admiration for the way they upheld the national language in their meetings. Without a doubt, he would not be where he is today without DAP’s support.

Back in power, however, his enthusiasm for them has waned. Suddenly, they have become a liability, a stumbling block to gaining wider Malay support, a competitor to be outmanoeuvred and brought into submission. In the face of blatantly racist attacks against them, including from within his own party, Mahathir has done nothing to defend them.

Not only has Mahathir frustrated the whole reform process that is critical to the DAP base, he has given them no face, no meaningful concessions, nothing to assuage their increasingly restless supporters. He seems entirely unconcerned that DAP, more than any other Pakatan Harapan party, is vulnerable on issues like the Sosma arrests, UEC recognition and even Lynas, and seems content to leaving them twisting in the wind.

It doesn’t help as well that on the all-important education file, Maszlee Malik is behaving more like an ustaz each day than an education minister; fears are certainly growing among non-Muslims about his ultimate intentions. His latest ‘dakwah’ memo is the last straw. And yet, Mahathir continues to defend him oblivious to the tremendous carnage he is causing both to the PH brand and the education system.

Indeed, for Chinese and other non-Malay educationists, the PH government has been an absolute disaster; and for that too, DAP will suffer.

The other thing that DAP has had to contend with is a level of ugly racism and bigotry the likes of which our nation has never witnessed before. Umno, PAS and a host of Malay NGOs have resorted to the most outrageous and egregious acts of racism and bigotry against DAP imaginable.

The latest spate of videos accusing Lim Guan Eng (LGE) of using his position as finance minister to take away money from the Malays to give to the Chinese and allegations that the communists (code for DAP and the Chinese) have taken control of the government, for example, are all part of a well-organised and systematic campaign to demonise DAP.

Clearly, right-wing Malay groups are incensed that DAP and non-Malays are now better represented in parliament and government. Willing to accept nothing more than token non-Malay representation in government, they are determined to frustrate the present political arrangement by any means possible.

What we are now seeing is the true face of the ugly racism that has long simmered under the surface of our politics. If anything, it has gotten worse under PH, largely because Mahathir has consistently declined to confront it.

Given this racist onslaught and Mahathir’s failure to come to their defence, DAP is, to all intents and purposes, politically marginalised. They cannot initiate anything because it will be turned against them and the PH government. Anything they are involved in, no matter how good or how needed, will immediately be targeted and stymied.

As a consequence, the DAP leadership is now facing huge political pressures both from within and without. They are at the table but powerless. They are in partnership with Mahathir at a time when the larger Chinese community is turning against him.

At the same time, DAP itself is showing signs of the ivory tower syndrome. Its leaders are seen as arrogant, unwilling to listen and out of touch with grassroot sentiment. The sense of estrangement between the leadership and its support base is such that DAP leaders no longer command the same respect as they did before.

As a consequence, DAP grassroot members are in no mood to entertain pleas for patience or understanding. Every time DAP leaders defend Mahathir, they get hammered on social media.

Clearly, the DAP strategy of trying to have it both ways – LGE on the inside supporting the government and Lim Kit Siang critical from the outside – doesn’t cut it anymore. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

DAP must now ask itself whether what they gain by sitting around the cabinet table is worth the price they are paying in terms of loss of support, whether staying in government helps or hinders their objectives. In the end, self-survival might demand a radical course correction.

Of course, there is a danger that leaving the government might precipitate a political crisis and perhaps lead to the creation of a Malay unity government. However, Malay political parties are themselves deeply suspicious of each other, cannot agree on leadership issues and do not share the same goals. Their common antipathy for DAP may not, therefore, be sufficient to unite them in any kind of long-term relationship, especially if DAP is no longer part of the government.

If DAP makes clear that it does not intend to engineer the downfall of the PH, that it will remain PH-friendly in Parliament, especially when it comes to implementation of the PH manifesto, it could avoid a political crisis while giving itself more room to manoeuvre.

On other matters, given the number of seats they have in Parliament, they might be able to rein in the worst excesses of Ketuanan Melayu ideologues.

Equally important, a departure from government would also take the wind out of the sails of all the racists out there who have long accused DAP of manipulating the government from within to undermine Islam and the position of the Malays. It would show the nation that, unlike so many Umno and PAS politicians who are willing to lie and manipulate their way back to power through backdoor arrangements and fake news, DAP is willing to make real and principled sacrifices for the good of the nation.

And finally, with DAP out of the way, Malay political parties will be less able to hide behind racial and religious narratives to distract attention from their own failures. Let’s see if parties like PPBM can come up with anything better than flying cars and black shoes.

Whatever it is, it should be clear by now that Mahathir is singlehandedly destroying PH and pulling DAP down with it. Helmed by Umno-minded PPBM ministers, PH is unlikely to deliver on the reform agenda; they were never enthusiastic supporters anyway. With all hope of Mahathir leading the nation to the promised land of Malaysia Baru gone, DAP can explore new avenues to pursue the reform agenda or go the way of the MCA.

Education eff-ed, students future eff-ed

Star Online:


The ashes of our education

By Siti Kasim in SITI LIGHTS





THERE are three portfolios, outside of the Prime Ministership, in the Cabinet that I consider the most important:

* Finance Minister
* Economic Affairs Minister
* Education Minister.

If the Prime Minister is essentially the Executive Chairman of Malaysia, the Finance Minister is basically the custodian of our Treasury and practically the Chief Financial Officer of the nation.

C.A.T = Cocky Arrogant Tokong 

I have written about the Economic Affairs portfolio before when I touched on economics – the Minister is for all intents and purpose hold a very powerful position with respect to the business of the nation, while not having a reporting function for the executive cabinet members. He is essentially the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the country.

The business and well-being of the economy, the growth and (business) development of the economy leads and runs through the CEO. He is accountable for the bottom-line. And I have already made my opinion known on the state and the rudderless situation of this portfolio, which has not been performing since its inception to this date.

Now I have written more than a few times about education, but today I shall return to it from a different perspective.

The education portfolio is nothing short of the Chief Human Resource (HR) Officer.

The so-called HR function is easily understood but in a nation this role is even more powerful than in a corporation. This is due to the portfolio not only develops but IMPLICITLY allocates the most valuable resource the nation has – its youth – into every sector of the economy, private and public.

Not too long ago, a photo of a widely smiling Education director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin, holding up the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) was published.

He proclaimed that its ranking showed Malaysia has improved significantly for all three categories of Science, Mathematics and Reading literacies. Smiling with pride, he announced that the ranking put us in the middle one-third of countries participating in the international assessment, from being in the bottom one-third in previous cycles.

Based on results released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Malaysia scored 440 in Mathematics, 415 in Reading and 438 in Scientific literacy in PISA 2018. Amin said that our country is thus above other Asean countries, except Singapore.

For the DG to tout a six-point drop in Maths and a five-point increase in Science as “Overall, Malaysia's achievement showed significant increase”, just takes the cake. (The 2015 PISA is 446 for Mathematics and 443 for Science).

Really, ladies and gentlemen, this is what the Education Ministry is proud of?

It seems that this PH Government after almost one and a half year in power has not been able to shed the old habits of the BN Government of sweeping the rubbish under the rug and putting lipstick on pigs.

Dear citizens of Malaysia, please see the chart given by OECD in their PISA result and how we stand and what it really means.

What is so difficult about calling a spade a spade, being honest about the state of affairs, having the integrity and courage to admit the problems and the issues; and then having the leadership and vision to lay out the exact remedy, strategy and plan to execute the corrective measures, improvement and development?

What is so politically difficult about that?

I don't like news that don't fit gnam gnam into my agenda 

Is it because you lack spine, or you lack the brains and capability to come up with the solution and the strategy to implement them?

I have just two words to describe the Malaysian education system as reported by the PISA 2018 result – a FAILURE and PATHETIC.

Then we have the widely celebrated Education Minister making the proud announcement of making free education available to Malaysians. Please tell me, what is the use of being given a free car if that car is a 30-year old clunker that will break down right inside the Sempah Tunnel before it can even get up to Genting Highlands.

If memory serves me right, when I first started school, my year was the first year all subjects were taught in Bahasa Malaysia (except English, of course) and SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) was first-time all-in Bahasa in 1980. I still recall the strength of our SPM curriculum, which was equivalent to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in England.

Our lessons were practically unchanged from the days of MCE (Malaysian Certificate of Education) in English the year before, the teachers we had were superb, even though some were struggling to adjust to Bahasa Malaysia. Also, unlike today, the science laboratories were available and fully stocked. The sciences were subjects I looked forward to in-spite of my not being a strong science student.

A good friend of mine who went to do engineering in one of the top universities overseas told me he practically did not need to go to class in his first semester because our standards were so high in Form Five that he already knew the things taught in the Basic 101 physics, chemistry and maths courses – which he practically aced, by the way.

That was 40 years ago. Looking at the PISA results, I doubt that we would still be at the same level today if a proper review was done. Look at where we stand in relation to Great Britain: a 67-point difference in science and a 62-point difference in maths. For goodness sakes, we are 40 to 50 points below the average for maths and science.

Singapore used to be the same level as us but within 40 years they are more than 100 points ahead in each of those categories. This is a complete embarrassment and a damning indictment of our education policy, system, administrators, teachers and schools. Not to mention the governance of our society.

By the way, should any one one dare to point out that Singapore is a small country and easier to manage and centralise their education etc. I would point to China.

China’s figures are even higher than Singapore and much far ahead than us.
Think about this.

The infamous Tiananmen Square incident was in June 1989. China was in a precarious situation in the 1990s, socialism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union was collapsing and the future of China under the Chinese Communist Party was at a breaking point. They were far behind Malaysia in terms of development and education.

Deng Xiaoping, then embraced capitalism and a scientific-driven education for his society. If you want to understand what this leader saw, remember that he left for France at the age of 16. He looked West and never looked back. And in less than 30 years, look at where they are compared to us.

What did we do instead?

Looked East for a short while before looking inward, became a more race-based, controlled economy and made our education religion-centric.

Did Deng Xiaoping embrace an increase in Taoist or Confucius “pondoks” or “madrasahs” and increase such classes in their schools?

Did they incorporate religious elements in teachings? NO. They went scientific.

They threw their youth out to the best schools in the West, most to study in the sciences and come back and rebuild their schools and universities on merit. They don’t spend wasted taxpayer funds to send their young for religious “education” nor do they tolerate teachers or universities that bring religion into education. They bring evidence-based knowledge, they bring maths and science.

We meanwhile have watered down our curriculum to make it easier to pass and handed out A’s by the bushels. Just look at the number of straight A’s per school every year when the results come out. It does not make statistical sense.

For what? “Syok sendiri” I call it, so that our teachers and school administrators can pat their backs. And our molly-coddled students can easily be admitted into universities via a disproportionate 90% racial quota. They then graduate out and start that cycle all over again by occupying positions in public administrations and GLCs that are incompetent and lose money year in and year out.

Why is this happening?

I always say one need not look any further than at the leadership. Since after Musa Hitam left the post of Education Minister in 1981, we have had a minister who was either of religious “scholar” in background or outlook in mindset. How then do we expect our education system to be world class and scientific?

We need a new scientifically- minded technocratic policymaker as Education Minister. One who is willing to dismantle the hegemony of religious influence in curriculum and racial mindset in educational opportunity.

We need a minister who understands that primary and secondary education is about imparting the basics of 21st century thinking knowledge, which can only be provided by maths and the sciences.

Someone who also understands that humanities and other types of electives are additional knowledge and skill at fundamental level that would allow our children to enter university with a more rounded evidenced-based critical knowledge.

Streaming is important because not everyone needs to learn calculus or higher-level physics or chemistry in secondary school. But those capable should be allowed to take them at the fundamental level so that they can compete at the level needed for tertiary education in the sciences.

The priorities of this education minister are so laughable that sometimes I want him to stay there forever as he is quite good comedic material, if it is not so tragic. He makes a big deal about “coding” as a subject. Coding skills are like any other skill, such as learning different languages, shop-skills, arts and the likes are all based on aptitude and interest. It’s an elective. It is not fundamental for education.

Focus on the basics.

Return our fundamental education to where it was in the 1970s and early 80s and update the curriculum to a tougher and higher level. For example, if in the 70s we taught up to Mendelian inheritance, today we should go right up to DNA structure and genetic evolutionary biology. If we stopped at Newtonian physics, then include general and special relativity now.

Put teachers who are truly interested and capable to teach these subjects, qualified at least at the master’s level and pay them what they deserve. Not having teachers and headmasters coming to school talking about religion in every other classes and having prayer gatherings.

Then let merit reign. Not everyone should go to university or be a university graduate. Those who do not merit such places can go vocational, learn the hospitality industry, obtain certificates in skills that we require for our daily economy to function at every level.

Why do you think if you go the USA there are no migrant workers at even the roadside diners? Because those who do not merit a degree are not accorded one and they pride themselves in working an honest day at decent wages. No need for migrant labour from Pakistan or Bangladesh or security guards from Nepal.

My final thought on this is: give options for other well-rounded humanistic knowledge of human civilisation, like languages of places where knowledge is today being produced – such as French, Chinese and German – world history and geography, music and the arts and... coding.

Education is not rocket science. But you need to be scientifically-minded, and therefore critical in thinking, in order to make true policy and substantive changes in our education system if we want to progress as a nation and not be left behind by the rest of the advanced world.

Note: The PISA, administered by the OECD, is a triennial survey of 15-year-old students that assesses the extent to which they have acquired key knowledge and skills essential for full participation in society. For PISA 2018,6, 111 students from 191 schools were chosen to represent Malaysia. These students were assessed and compared with students from 72 OECD and non-OECD countries

Siti Kasim

• sunday@thestar.com.my

Zaid Ibrahim disgusted with Mahathir's Police

FMT:


Why no action against those threatening spectre of May 13, asks Zaid

by Minderjeet Kaur

Former federal minister Zaid Ibrahim says such provocation should not be tolerated as it glorifies rioting and destruction of life and property 

PETALING JAYA: Former federal minister Zaid Ibrahim has questioned police for not taking action over threatening remarks that May 13 racial riots may recur as long as Chinese education group Dong Zong exists.

He said police can do many things to uphold the law.

“When leaders say there will be rule of law, it means the police will enforce it, regardless of who violates the law.

“When people violate the law and no action is taken against them, it shows some groups are immune from the law. This is not the rule of law,” the lawyer told FMT.

He was asked to comment whether police should take action against groups such as Malaysian Muslim Students Coalition (Gamis), who warned of bloody May 13, 1969 riots as long as Dong Zong still exists.

Gamis president Saifullah Baiduri had further claimed that Dong Zong is a “pus within the nation’s unity” and had urged the home ministry and police to ban the Chinese group, accusing it of opposing nationalistic government policies that work towards unity.

Zaid added that such provocation should not be tolerated as it glorifies rioting and destruction of life and property.

and Malays will respond in a "very Malay way" 

Asked on Dong Zong cancelling its scheduled Dec 28 closed-door meeting in Kajang to discuss Jawi lessons in vernacular schools after police obtained a court injunction, Zaid said he expected the police to be partial during the Barisan Nasional days, but not now.

“I expect them to tell the would-be rioters they will be punished if they proceed with their threats.

“It seems nothing has changed. The Chinese, it seems, are not able to get the same kind of protection as the Malays who famously organised the Malay Congress,” he said, adding that Dong Zong was merely trying to organise a peaceful gathering, but the security forces felt they were unable to protect them.

racist Mahathir referred to Chinese MKalaysians as "orang asing" 

In a statement to FMT, he further said the cancellation of the Dong Zong congress only means that rights can be trampled on by threats of violence and that those who use force and promise a riot like a repeat of May 13 win.

“Police do not think they can maintain public order and peace if the Malays threaten to use force and violence on the non-Malays. Democracy is now dead,” he added.

He said this is where Malaysia is now at a stage where the Malay and Muslim groups will be encouraged to continue their harassment of the non-Malays due to weakness in the country’s security apparatus to maintain public order.

Chye-Chye, don't look up, just focus or pretend to focus on your Sudoku

or they'll ask why we aren't doing or saying anything about Mahathir's vile racist threats 

“As a Malay, I feel ashamed that these small group of Malays and Muslims would go at such lengths to deny others of their basic rights.

(1) Jealousy at the success of vernacular schools? There is no more angry, spiteful and vengeful factor than green-eyed monsters, wakakaka.

(2) Fear at the success of vernacular schools?
Because Malay parents, especially the less affluent ones, have increasingly been sending their children to vernacular schools.
  
(3) CNA also said that these ultra groups have been encouraged by PM Mahathir's own prejudice that vernacular schools stand in the way of national unity, where his attitude has become more frenetic, frantic and fanatical as he aims to secure more Heartland support for his pathetic Parti PRIBUMI.
Also see my posts:

(a) Why Malay-Muslim groups fear vernacular schools.

(b) 90,000 Malays students in vernacular schools.

“Despite that, they are still taken seriously by the police. What has caused them to have such an attitude and behave like thugs? It must be their education and the values they were taught.

Malays may respond in a "very Malay way"

“Our education minister probably disagrees with me, but how else can we explain such behaviour?”

He further related such failures to the Islamisation policy in 1988 where people were told to assimilate Islamic values into the Malaysian education and administration of the country.

“We were told that with Islamisation, we would be a liberal democracy ready to achieve developed status in 2020,” he said.

Zaid further said that Malaysians were then told that Islamic values mean humanistic values, which are universal in nature.

“It did not turn out that way. The product of our Islamisation policy is seen in the conduct and behaviour of our leaders and younger members of various NGOs when faced with issues they dislike or disapprove.”

He called such groups “vile, uncouth and fascinated with fascist ideas, who exhort violence on those they do not like”.

“They have a complete distaste for human rights and democracy and the rights of minorities. Where are all the Islamic values of tolerance, compassion and respect for the rights of others? There are none to be seen,” he added.

‘More failures ahead unless measures are taken’

Zaid said after 30 years’ of failures, Malaysian leaders still persist with another wave of Islamisation policy, referring to Islamic Propagation Foundation of Malaysia (Yadim) to promote dakwah in schools, colleges and universities.

Zaid said this was a sign that their appetite for more indoctrination of failed ideas and values has not been satisfied.

“What new things will they teach the Malay and Muslims youth that will change their character as Malays? I hope not more fascination with violence and the denial of basic rights of others who do not belong to their group.”

The only small hope Malaysia has is the presence of multiracial parties in the country and the aspiration that more Malays will join them.

He said it will teach the Malays to remain humble and appreciate the contributions of others while the association with the Chinese will help them to be more focused on business and economy.