[Malay] Kekayaan Taib Mahmud, Mana pembelaan rakyat Sarawak?

Sebuah badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) berpangkalan di Switzerland Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) telah menganggarkan aset keluarga Ketua Menteri Sarawak Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud adalah sebanyak RM64 bilion. Kekayaan Taib sahaja dianggarkan sebanyak RM46 bilion, sekali gus menjadikannya rakyat Malaysia yang terkaya, mengatasi hartawan Robert Kuok.

Gaji seorang ketua menteri RM 20,000 sebulan, RM 46 billion aset adalah sama dengan 2.3 juta bulan bekerja sebagai ketua menteri Sarawak!

Satu lagi NGO yang berpangkalan di London, Global Witness (GW) (Video boleh didapati di bawah) juga telah mendedahkan bukti video yang mendakwa bagaimana ahli keluarga Ketua Menteri Sarawak, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud dan rakan perniagaan menyalahgunakan lesen pembalakan untuk memperkayakan diri mereka.

Sebagai pemimpin Sarawak yang korup selama 32 tahun, Taib Mahmud telah merompak sebahagian besar kekayaan hutan balak Sarawak untuk keluarga dan kroni perniagaannya serta memusnahkan kehidupan dan alam sekitar penduduk pribumi.

Hutan Sarawak dimiliki oleh semua rakyat Sarawak, bukan Taib Mahmud dan kroni-kroninya.

Ubah Sekarang, Bersihkan Sarawak! 

VOTE FOR CHANGE


VOTE FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE SARAWAKIANS


VOTE FOR

[Malay] Parliamentary Debate: Nurul Izzah Anwar VS Raja Nong Chik on interest rate on the poor

The video is in Malay language as the debate took place in the 12th Parliamentary session between then Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar (Pakatan Rakyat) and then Minister/ Senator Raja Nong Chik (Barisan Nasional).

Both politicians will square off in the Lembah Pantai Parliamentary Constituency of Kuala Lumpur in the 5th May 2013, 13th General Elections.

Let judge for ourselves on the professionalism on each candidate based on their track record. Nurrul Izzah Anwar asked the minister if he could agree on reducing the interest rate of 6.5% paid by the poor on housing loan on which Raja Nong Chik replied reducing the interest rate of 6.5% to 2.5% made up only a difference of RM 80 (Which he believed no made no significant difference) but RM 80 does mean something to the poor.

As citizens and voters we must be well informed of the candidates and coalition aspirations and track records, never rely only on one sources of information, especially when the source is controlled by a political party.

Bumiputera Bangsa Pendekar / Warrior Race

Anwar Ibrahim : "I am a Malay, I am Muslim, and I will fight for the rights of all Malaysians. I will defend the rights of the Malay, the Chinese, the Indians, the Kadazans, the Iban and all Malaysians."
(Saya adalah seorang Melayu, seorang Islam dan saya akan memperjuangkan hak semua rakyat Malaysia. Saya akan mempertahankan hak anak Melayu, anak Cina, anak India, anak Kadazans, anak Iban dan semua rakyat Malaysia)

(Anwar Ibrahim is a Malay warrior that fights for what is right, the PM-Designate when Pakatan Rakyat wins the upcoming 13th Malaysia General Elections)

 

 

Dasar Ekonomi Baru telah diperkenalkan dan dilancarkan oleh Barisan Nasional selama 40 tahun. Namun begitu, kebanyakan bumiputera Malaysia masih hidu...p dalam kemiskinan dan kurang berdaya saing. Hanya kroni-kroni BN sahaja yang berjaya mendapat kekayaan yang menakjubkan. BN menyebarkan perasaan benci dan dendam antara kaum dengan isu-isu perkauman yang tidak mendatangkan sebarang kebaikan tetapi merasionalisasikan dasar-dasar BN yang hanya mendahulukan kroni.

Nilai yang baik perlu menjadi ikutan. Yang buruk/kurang elok wajar diperbaiki. Negara kita menjadi maju bukan kerana parti politik rasuah tetapi nilai-nilai murni seperti saling membantu, bertoleransi, berdikari dan rajin. Marilah orang Malaysia bersatu-padu untuk membina Malaysia baru dan menghapuskan BN yang rasuah, perkauman dan tamak.

Barisan Nasional's Janji Ditepati 2.0.5

Kerajan Barisan Nasional juga menepati "janji"- Hampir 250,000 rakyat Malaysia diumumkan muflis diantara tahun 2005 sehingga 2012.

Setiap hari mempunyai purata 52 orang yang diumumkan muflis sekarang berbanding purata 36 orang pada tahun 2007.

25% daripada 105,519 rakyat diumumkan muflis dalam masa 6 tahun kebelakangan ini adalah disebabkan tidak membayar hutang kereta.

Tidak melupaka cukai kereta yang tinggi di bawah sistem Kerajaan Barisan Nasional, rakyat kena pinjam untuk membayar cukai kereta!

Barisan Nasional's Janji Ditepati 2.0.4

Kerajaan Barisan Nasional juga telah menepati "janji" - Pengaliran wang haram dari Malaysia ke luar negara dalam bentuk transaksi wang, pembelian harta, pelaburan yang tiada rekod urusan yang sah: RM872.8 Billion daripada tahun 2001 sehingga 2010.

Kalau pengaliran wang haram yang berjumlah (RM 872,000,000,000) ini tidak berlaku, Malaysia mampu:

• Setiap rakyat Malaysia daripada 28 juta orang boleh mendapat BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia) sebanyak RM 31,000 setiap orang!
• atau setiap rakyat Malaysia daripada 28 juta orang boleh mendapat BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia) sebanyak RM 3,100 setiap orang setiap tahun selama 10 tahun!
• atau cukup untuk membina 178 buah Menara Kembar Petronas (Kos Menara Kembar Petronas - RM 4.9 Billion)!!

my previous blog post in December 2012 also report this, please click here.

Barisan Nasional's Janji Ditepat 2.0.3

Hutang isi rumah Malaysia adalah antara yang paling tinggi di dunia. Secara puratanya, data menunjukkan isi rumah Malaysia membelanjakan separuh daripada pendapatan isi rumah untuk membayar hutang. Hutang isi rumah adalah persamaan 77% GDP / Produk Domestik Kasar pada 2011. Antara sebab hutang isi rumah yang tinggi adalah cukai kereta yang tinggi, di samping peningkatan pendapatan yang hampir sama dengan peningkatan kos sara hidup.

Barisan Nasional's Janji Ditepati 2.0.2

Sleepless villagers long to return to bombed homes

By Boo Su-Lyn

March 07, 2013

Media are barred from entering Embara Budi community hall. — Pictures by Saw Siow Feng

LAHAD DATU, March 7 — Tired of being squeezed with some 650 people into a community hall here with only four toilets, some villagers want to return to their flattened homes in Kampung Tanduo, which was taken over by Sulu gunmen last month.

The Kampung Tanduo residents said that they fled their village on February 12 to Kampung Tanjung Labian with just the clothes on their backs after some 200 Sulu gunmen arrived, but were forced to flee again to the Embara Budi community hall here last Monday as they feared the intrusion of the southern Filipino militants.

“We sleep on the cement floor; no blankets, mattresses or pillows,” Ben Harun told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

“It is uncomfortable. I can’t sleep well. There are too many people,” added the fisherman who was born in Kampung Tanduo, which is a seaside village in eastern Sabah.

People waiting for rations at the Embara Budi community hall.

 

Erlinda Hamid says no sanitary pads are provided.

Ben, 48, said that most of the villagers staying in the Embara Budi community hall are women and children, who are not placed separately from the men. Families sleep together in the blue-roofed hall.

Despite losing all his property and livestock — including 100 goats, 38 cows and 100 chickens — after Kampung Tanduo was pounded by air strikes last Tuesday, Ben longed to go home.

"I hope to return to Tanduo... we are suffering here,” said Ben, who was wearing a black T-shirt and checked trousers.

He pointed out that he has been wearing the same clothes for days and that he would just don a sarong after he washes those clothes.

The villagers at the hall yesterday received family rations including two bags of rice, two packs of chocolate biscuits, 10 tines of sardines, two tins of condensed milk, one bag of oil, one pack of fine salt and one bag of sugar.

“We cook food once or twice a day. We must save, if not it’ll be difficult,” said Ben.

The Embara Budi hall that houses 650.

Ben Harun says that people sleep on the cement floor without mattresses, pillows or blankets.

Children ran about outside the hall and in a nearby playground with rusty swings as The Malaysian Insider interviewed Ben through the fence. The police prohibited media from entering the hall that was mostly filled with villagers from Kampung Tanjung Labian.

It is understood that several hundred villagers have also been placed at a small town called Fajar Harapan, which is similarly off-limits to the press.

Clothes were hung to dry on the barbed fence surrounding the Embara Budi hall, and even on bushes outside the building.

I hope to return to Tanduo... we are suffering here. — Ben

The hall, which is located at a Felda Sahabat plantation, is surrounded by oil palm trees. Felda Sahabat has 57 plantations and is twice the size of Singapore. It is spread out across a hilly terrain with straight, narrow roads that the occasional egret crosses.

Embara Budi is located some 5km from Kampung Tanjung Labian. Gunfire could be heard yesterday afternoon from a checkpoint near the village.

Several military and police vehicles zoomed past the hall yesterday, even as the authorities announced that the search operations have been expanded from Kampung Tanduo to Kampung Tanjung Batu.

Armed Forces chief Gen Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin admitted yesterday that the nine bodies found were of Filipino militants killed during last Friday’s shootout. Three more bodies have yet to be discovered. One Sulu militant was shot dead yesterday morning, bringing the total Sulu casualties here to 13.

Self-proclaimed princess Jacel Kiram reportedly said yesterday that Sulu militant leader Agbimuddin Kiram and his group of Sulu sultanate followers survived last Tuesday’s aerial assault since invading Kampung Tanduo on February 9.

Kampung Tanduo resident Erlinda Hamid, 22, said sanitary pads were not provided at the hall.

“I really wish to go home,” she said, as she breastfed her one-year-old daughter at a nearby cousin’s house that was filled with flies.

Kampung Tanjung Labian community leader Assaffal Alian, who is a Dusun, said that the rations were supplied by the National Security Council.

“Of course we want to go back as soon as possible. Life is not as normal as it’s supposed to be,” said Assaffal, 48, adding that he arrived at the Embara Budi hall last Monday.

Many southern Filipinos fled to Sabah in the 1970s to escape the civil war in Mindanao.

The sultanate of Sulu, which is a province in the southern Philippines, claims Sabah as its ancestral land and insists that it has done no wrong in intruding into the Borneo state.

Factory worker Farizan Bayah, 23, said that people have stopped harvesting palm oil, pointing to the dense oil palm plantations along the way to the Embara Budi hall.

“People are scared of getting kidnapped,” he said.

Malaysia's debt on the rise...worrying trend (Hutang Negara Malaysia kian bertambah)

People's Uprising Rally- The winners and losers in KL112

The winners and losers in KL 112- People's Uprising Rally "Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat"

-Malaysiakini

The winners and losers in KL112

7:13PM Jan 13, 2013

For the past few decades, the authorities had placed numerous obstacles for opposition parties to gather en masse, citing security concerns and traffic as the usual reasons.

The People's Uprising Rally (KL112), in keeping with its revolutionary theme, saw the authorities essentially giving opposition parties free passage to do almost whatever they wanted.

Obviously, there was a political gamble at play in view that the 13th general election is around the corner. Malaysiakini examines who had most to gain from this high stakes gamble.

WINNERS

Pakatan Rakyat

Even before the rally was concluded, photographs of an overflowing Stadium Merdeka had gone viral over the Internet, proving to undecided voters that the coalition does enjoy mass public support and is a legitimate candidate for Putrajaya.

What Pakatan needs to do now is to take advantage of momentum and spread the central message of the rally - the ten point declaration - throughout the country.

Civil society

Several key civil society movements, especially for environmental causes, have grown exponentially in strength over the past years and command a sizeable following, which was displayed during KL112.

Evolving from the initial not-in-my-backyard (Nimby) philosophy, Malaysia's various green movements have now gone national as people begin to recognise the importance of civil society in shaping the nation.

Ismail Omar

In the run up to KL112, the police released several statements in an accommodating tone, to the extent of promising that they had set a ‘zero casualty' target.

The whole time, inspector-general of police Ismail Omar didn't say a single word, leaving the talking to his subordinates.

Had things turned sour, Ismail would have taken the rap as usual. But now, he will be remembered for the fact that his men stayed true to their word.

Traders near Stadium Merdeka

Save for one stall owner selling gas masks, traders who set up shop around Stadium Merdeka were all smiles because they were enjoying brisk sale of T-shirts, drinks and food.

Previously, one group of traders claimed Bersih 3.0 had cost them great losses. Perhaps they should sharpen their eye for opportunities.

LOSERS

Najib Abdul Razak

In the past, Pakatan wasn't able to fill half of the 25,000 capacity MBPJ Stadium in Kelana Jaya. Was the prime minister hoping for the same this time round, so he could ridicule them later?

Internally, Umno die-hards are probably curious to know why their president allowed the event to proceed when it could have been dealt with, by many old and proven methods.

More importantly, the public will also be questioning Najib and his party on whether they can pull off a similar spectacle without paying the participants.

Umno and BN

From sodomy to a Christian conspiracy to eroding Malay rights, Umno and BN component parties have slung mud in every shape and size at Pakatan since 2008.

If the turnout was an indicator of reputation, nothing appears to be sticking.

Mainstream media organisations

Save for Sinar Harian and all the Chinese media organisations, the focus was not on turnout nor the message of the rally but the various infractions chalked up by the rally organisers.

Unfortunately for them, videoclips and photographs - in particularly an aerial shot by AFP capturing the scene in and around Stadium Merdeka - are being widely circulated online, helping the public to have a clearer understanding of what transpired.

- adapted from Malaysiakini news portal at www.malaysiakini.com

What minimum wage opponents don’t get

Erna Mahyuni blogs at ernamahyuni.com when she's not subbing for TMI. A slave to Bioware, Bethesda and her mini-zoo of two cats and a rabbit.

Minimum wage law? YES or NO?

The previous article presents the minimum wage dilemma. Eventhough many middle-class and low-income group may favour a minimum wage policies, goverments of emerging economies (a.k.a. developing countries) may delay introducing a minimum wage policies due to the fact "As an emerging country, the pressure to maintain low wage policies has been considered as an unfortunate – but necessary — outcome in order to achieve low unemployment rates and steady job growth. Overseas manufacturing-based industries will automatically seek out the most efficient labour market for their plant locations. Thus, we should not misguide and sacrifice workers’ wages in a “race to the bottom” and compensate with foreign direct investment inflow. "

Goverments with no minimum wage policies (low wages policies) are often seen good on the record with low unemployment rates and up-to-expected foreign direct investment inflow. The author of the previous article posted on this blog calls for "improving infrastructure, enhancing labour productivity and labour movements, establishing better vocational training, eliminating political influence over the minimum wage avoiding drastic increases, and implementing good governance policies."

 

In my opinion, minimum wage should be implemented with the objective of eradicating hardcore poverty and cushion the effect of stagnant wages and rising cost of living. There should be a general minimum wage policy, followed by fine-tuned conditions under it. For example, a labourer may have a lower minimum wage if lodging/ accomodation and/or meals/ and/or transportation are provided by the employer, reflecting the current rising cost of living.

 

Minimum wage policy should be determined by the purchasing power of the residents of the country/ state. (United States has a federal minimum wage, and state minimum wage which the higher wage is enforced). For example, a day's minimum wage (8 to 12 working hours) must exceed the ability of the employee to pay for three descent meals and other basic cost of livings. In a more detailed manner, for a month's minimum wage, an employee is able to pay for 5kg of rice, 2kg of flour, 500gm of sugar, 20 eggs, 2 chickens, 500gm of oil, 200 liter of crude oil and have at least 70% of the wages left for access to healthcare, education, family, savings, and accomodation.

 

It would be undeniable that by enacting a minimum wage policy (in a country without that policy) will lead to a higher unemployment rate because it means a higher production cost for the employers. By setting a minimum wage policy, a goverment may provide options for employers to implement the policy or face a higher corporate tax rate, which it's higher tax revenue will be used to improve workers' skills, vocational training, productivity and quality of education.

 

Remember, enacting a minimum wage policy is not a one-off solution to hardcore poverty and curb inflation but one of the crucial steps to prevent the poor getting poorer and offer an opportunity for hard-working people to improve their standard of living.

 

In the end,

 

1) a good government must serve its people!

2) if the government cannot serve its people, then it should be changed!

3) if a government said that a minimum wage will lead to higher unemployment permanently, then it is not thinking enough! Because the growing population of a country and the world will means a higher demand for food! clothes! education! healthcare! services! Don't tell me you cannot create job opportunities on these sectors, then it should be changed!

 

In Malaysia (year of 2012), I would said an employee without food, accomodation and logistic provided by the employer must get at least RM 1000 or USD$ 320 per month (Federal mimimum wage):,

 

1) RM 300 (Food, RM 10 a day for 30 days)

2) RM 200 (Accomodation, an average room rent-rate per month)

3) RM 90 (Healthcare, insurance)

4) RM 90  (Utility bills, communication bills)

5) RM 90 (Transportation: fuel, maintenance, tickets..etc)

6) RM 120 (Clothing, shoes, savings)

7) RM 110 (Deduction for Employee's Provident Fund for retirement)

 

+ Goverment must strengthen Welfare Insituitions/ Agencies to help poor families with dependent children or elderly, after all RM 1000 is only barely liveable for a single person with no debts or family responsibilities and would still be tough for those who lives in urban areas.

 

States/ Territories (year of 2012) like Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur should have a State/ Council minimum wage of RM 1200 or USD$ 385 per month.

 

MINIMUM WAGE POLICY = OBJECTIVE TO ERADICATE POVERTY + CURB THE BURDEN OF RISING COST OF LIVING

 

That's all I have to say for now :)

 

God bless us all

 

Joshua

 

Double standard

The worst of kind of malpractices is double standard. Two different sets of law or policies for people of different status.

More power, more wealth and arrogance are the hardcore pillars of greed and selfishness in one's heart. The rich and oowerful have always been given a bigger say in everything (in the society) compared to the less wealthy and less fortunate. Unfortunately, this has been going since the dawn of mankind and will persist for generations to come until greed and selfishness no longer have place in one's heart.

Even the voices of poor need influential and rich people to get their attention across. It reminds me of a great humanitarian, none either than Mother Teresa whom gave up her life to serve the poor among the poorest. Her dedication and sacrifices are no doubt for others. Despite the harshest and most ridiculous crictisms mount her work, she never gives up in what she believes.

I believe that Mother Teresa's work and her love for the poor and the hungry itself is a powerful voice itself against the arrogance of wealth and power.

Any solution to wipe out greed and selfishness in the hearts of man?

None other than a simple answer: LOVE.

Joshua

An emaciated and malnourished child

Kevin Carter's 1994 Pulitzer Prize award-photograph.

"In March 1993 Carter made a trip to southern Sudan. The sound of soft, high-pitched whimpering near the village of Ayod attracted Carter to an emaciated Sudanese toddler. The girl had stopped to rest while struggling to a feeding center, whereupon a vulture had landed nearby. He said that he waited about 20 minutes, hoping that the vulture would spread its wings. It didn't. Carter snapped the haunting photograph and chased the vulture away. However, he also came under heavy criticism for just photographing — and not helping — the little girl:

"The man adjusting his lens to take just the right frame of her suffering might just as well be a predator, another vulture on the scene "

- Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Carter#Prize-winning_photograph_in_Sudan

While people continue to harp on criticsms directly on Kevin Carter, let us look at the bigger picture. Thousands or even ten of thousands of human (no lesser than those who are reading this from the computer screen) die everyday because hunger and malnutrition. How much longer that the world must go on like these?!!!

In humility and with deep regret, I have not done enough and have never being doing enough to assist in alleviating the sufferings of poverty and hunger that hundreds of millions people are facing at the very moment.

The picture has such a deep impact on me that it has changed the entire course of my life personally. No child should go to bed in hunger. The world according to FAO (United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation)is producing nearly twice the amount of food/resources that required by the current 6.7 Billion human beings. In January 2009, FAO estimates that 1.02 Billion/ one-sixth of the world population is malnourished.

As ordinary citizens of the world, we should realize how lucky for those who are reading this from the computer screen (One assumes that when you own a computer and internet connection, you should not be malnourished). It is not only for us to realize how lucky we are but also to take action to HELP our fellow humankind. Living in ignorance and greed must not be our way of life eventhough it has encroached deeply into our society.

Back to Kevin Carter's award winning picture. We may never know if the emaciated girl in the picture survived the day after the picture was taken eventhough we all hope that she does and still living today. Everyone is responsible when a fellow human die in hunger, especially for those who know that this is happening. Let this picture change our course of life, living a life to honor God (for those with faith) by sharing our fortunes with the less fortunate, for others, may it serve as a wake-up call that we are just ordinary people nothing more special than the girl who struggled to a feeding station while being watched by a vulture.

There is no person on earth that could be untouched by this poignant picture unless that they're heartless. It is true that charity begins at home, conserve resources and let not a single grain being flushed away as watse from today onwards, start looking for viable and reliable route to help a child or a community battling poverty and hunger even with a penny/ a cent a day from tonight onwards.

Let us not repeat the mistake that Kevin Carter had done. Let us lend our hand and a reassuring embrace with love and encouragement to the less fortunate today starting with a prayer now.

Joshua

Global economy slump, who are the victims?

With everyday headline coverage of the global economy crisis in the media. Who is the most unfortunate in victims of all?

Definitely not the shareholders or executive officers or board of directors of Chrysler or General Motors of the US Giant auto vehicle industries. The most affected would be the middle classes and more so for the general workers working in various plants which faces the threat of unemployment and ultimately the lost of the mean to provide to the family.

While the economists, bosses, executive officers, shareholders worry about their stock exchange, and restructuring of their bussiness and companies, they have forgotten the most fundamental business or corporate ethics of looking after the welfare of the employees, who some have worked many years and loyally. For most, people working in blue collar jobs are not only often underappreciated but they are first ones to be kicked out in the face of crisis in the corporate/ business world.

Some bosses touched by the torn of human conscience have even agree to reject a pay rise in their salary. What about the hundreds of thousands or even millions dollars of expenses paid by the company/ business for family vacations, food, leisures, or some even private jets?

It is most shocking to see some top executive officers besides being paid more than millions a year, are claiming other mostly non-essential benefits from the company often more than their basic salaries!

I am not saying whether the executive officers should be paid or given those expenses or not but how about those working as blue collar jobs?

Far more unfortunate are those who are already living under poor conditions of less than a dollar a day and without the excess of clean water and basic sanitation!

They continue to go hungry, thirsty, sick, cold as usual or perhaps more during the global economy crisis when charitable organisations are among the hardest hit in the current economy downturns.

While many groups fight for social equality in various causes around the globe, one of the most injustice situation remains by large in silence. The poorest among the poor especially in Africa, parts of Asia and Latin America has to plead for help instead of fighting for fair and equal treatment they should be receiving.

In short, with the current global economy slump, who are the victims?

The answer would be those who are already victims of social and economy injustice before beginning of the the current economy crisis.

Joshua