Samy will reply in 1 week (he said 2 weeks ago) – still no reply

(no reply yet)

Read Samy’s earlier statement 2 weeks ago.

1 week to reply

PSD is fair?

THE process of awarding Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships is fair and transparent and there is no need to review it.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Abdul Rahman Suliman said applicants, especially for overseas courses, needed to fulfil a set criteria and the availability of places for the courses applied would be a consideration.

Otherwise, their applications would be rejected even if they had scored excellent marks in the examinations, he said.

Abdul Rahman said the scholarships were based on several criteria such as academic achievement (65%), co-curriculum activities (10%), family background (10%) and the candidate’s performance in the interview process (15%).

Scholarship award system is fair

Samy’s Pan Borneo Highway

Chong Chieng Jen (DAP – Bandar Kuching) questioned whether Samy Vellu’s answer on the setting up of restrooms and restaurants along the Pan Borneo Highway was truthful.

“There is no highway in Sarawak,” he said.

Samy Vellu replied that several sections of the highway had been completed and once linked would be known as the Pan Borneo Highway.

“I know the law better then you do. Sit down, I am not going to give you face,” he said.

Samy’s other fumbles:

1 week to reply

Works Ministry not accountable to Public Accounts Committee

NRD policy unconstitutional

Problems arising from
the current policy requiring a person who wants to renounce Islam to do
it through the Syariah Court must be addressed before it becomes worse,
the Federal Court heard.

Lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar argued that the National Registration
Department’s requirement was “a process that could not stand in law”
and was “unconstitutional.” Malik, who was holding a watching brief for
the Bar Council, was invited to make submissions yesterday in the
appeal of Lina Joy against the dismissal of her application to have the
word “Islam” deleted from her identity card after she denounced the
religion and embraced Christianity.

“To say that there is freedom to choose the religion that one
wants to profess but it must be exercised through the Syariah Court is
putting one in a Catch 22 situation,” he said.

The Syariah Court has no jurisdiction over persons who do not profess Islam. It has no power to declare a person who professes to not be a Muslim an apostate,” he argued.

“Any law that has such effect, whether express or implied, would be unconstitutional.”

His argument prompted Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim to ask whether the current policy, which imposes on Muslims to have the word “Islam” printed on their identity card, was discriminatory.

“Why is it that it only applies to Muslims and not peo-

ple who profess other religions?” Ahmad Fairuz asked.

“I think they cannot do this on the basis of religion. Don’t you think so?”

Malik agreed.

Justice Gopal Sri Ram, who gave his dissenting judgment, said the NRD’s refusal to make the amendment in Lina’s identity card without an order or certificate from the Syariah Court was null and void and of no effect.

NRD policy ‘unconstitutional’

MPs can make baseless allegations?

“If an MP makes an allegation and the allegation is not confirmed and baseless, it is not wrong for him legally. It’s a matter for the party to decide,” he said after chairing a Cabinet committee meeting on AIDS at his office here yesterday.

Commenting on the issue, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said MPs should not be denied the right to speak up in Parliament on any matter, as they are covered by parliamentary privilege.

When pointed out that such accusations could affect the credibility of the department, Najib said a number of MPs had made allegations that were not supported by facts.

Lodge report, MP advised

our MPs in the august house of Parliament

Karpal Singh said: “Point of order. MP dari Sabah (Bung Mokhtar) dia otak tidak centre (The MP from Sabah is insane). Standing Order 36 (12) states that one cannot create a diversion in the House.”

“MP for Kinabatangan is behaving like an animal. He is not sane. He is not fit to sit in this House,” he said.

Bung Mokhtar responded with: “You should keep quiet. It’s a lucky thing that you are in a wheelchair. You almost died once (in an accident last year).”

Karpal Singh then said: “Shoo the animal out of the House. You are nothing more than a big fool from Sabah.”

To this, Bung Mokhtar fired back: “Although you are almost dying, you still want to come to Parliament to create trouble.”

MPs trade insults and compare each other with animals

DBKL spends RM100,000 on social grooming course

Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) decision to spend almost RM100,000 on a social grooming-cum-etiquette course for its top officials has drawn the ire of Federal Territory Members of Parliament.

Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun said it was a waste of public funds to spend so much on the course.

“The money should have been put to better use, such as improving facilities for city folks,” he said.

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok questioned the need to also purchase tuxedos costing RM2,500 each for the DBKL officers as part of the course.

“It is not in Malaysian culture to wear tuxedos and we hardly see people wearing them for social functions. Frankly, it is a waste of taxpayers money,” she said.

However, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique said such courses were necessary as they would benefit the officers, who had to deal with the public and private sectors and other agencies as part of their daily duties.

“I am aware of the controversy surrounding the issue. I have just received a report from ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan on the matter and will issue a statement soon,” said Zulhasnan, adding that budget for such programmes required the approval of the minister.

DBKL slammed over social graces course

Said Yusof wants to turn tables on Customs

Datuk Mohd Said Yusof has turned the tables on the Customs Department by alleging that senior officers were involved in questionable practices involving the sale of luxury cars.

Under investigation for his “close-one-eye” request to the department over the import of logs, the Jasin MP claimed the going rate for Mercedes Benz and BMW was RM40,000.

He said the “special deals” for friends, contacts at palaces and government departments were to please the buyers for specific reasons or curry favour to get datukships.

He cited the case of two Mercedes Benz cars seized from a showroom in Johor and allegedly sold to two senior government officials for RM50,000 and RM45,000.

New Straits Times – Malaysia News Online

Malaysia cannot lure foreigners

Malaysia cannot compete with Thailand and the Philippines in luring foreigners to make the country their second home because Malaysian women cannot be easily influenced to become wives of wealthy foreigners

The foreigners not only want a second home, they also want a second home

- Kelantan Tourism committee chairman Datuk Anuar Tan Abdullah (PAS – Kota Lama)

Learn Chinese to become more competitive globally

Having knowledge of the Chinese language will only make Malaysians more competitive globally, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said.

Chinese has certainly impacted the world in the light of globalisation. Malaysians must also take the effort to learn the language so that we can be competitive and tap China’s huge market,” he added.

Westerners and Japanese are already equipping themselves with the language and this will give them greater opportunities,” he said, adding that Malaysia was lucky in the sense that a strong system was already in place for learning Chinese.

Learn Chinese, advises Ong

Refer earlier remarks:

Mandarin demand is discriminatory

Mandarin should be optional