RENESAS appeal dismissed unanimously by the Federal Court - hopefully the secret ballot would be conducted soonest, and the Union be accorded recognition

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RENESAS appeal dismissed unanimously by the Federal Court - hopefully the secret ballot would be conducted soonest, and the Union be accorded recognition

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• RENESAS appeal dismissed unanimously by the Federal Court - hopefully the secret ballot would be conducted soonest, and the Union be accorded recognition
• Project IC
• Sinopsis Forum Adakah TPPA Satu Bentuk Penjajahan Moden Amerika?
• Stop Procrastinating, Reform the Police
• Poll: Should Kedah charge Penang for raw water?
• Why Obama has retreated on Snowden
• SPRM siasat SPR, ibarat pencuri siasat penyamun...kome udah tau jawapan yob...
• What a Monday!
• Do We Need Reconciliation? What Do We Need After Each General Election?
• Discrimination based on gender in Malaysia - CEDAW; Bar Council - A Right Step in a Long and Unfinished Journey
• Boss yang terus dijual PEMANDU
• Persoalan Angkat Sumpah
• California chalk protester hit with gag order for protesting Bank of America!

RENESAS appeal dismissed unanimously by the Federal Court - hopefully the secret ballot would be conducted soonest, and the Union be accorded recognition Posted: 01 Jul 2013 12:09 PM PDT RENESAS Semiconductor KL Sdn Bhd (formerly known as NEC Semiconductors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd] have denied workers recognition of their union, the Electronic Industry Employees Union Western Region, Peninsular Malaysia (EIEUWR)/ Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Barat Semenjung Malaysia(KSIEWBSM)]. The first application for recognition was on 18/1/2010. The 4th claim was on 8/9/2011.  RENESAS’s now challenged the validity of the registration of EIEUWR(the UNION) itself, and the qualification of the UNION’s General Secretary, one Bruno Gentil Pereira. When the Minister rejected this objection on 9/4/2012, RENESAS proceeded to filed a High Court case to challenge the Minister’s decision on 8/5/2012, whereby on 28/6/2012, the High Court dismissed the RENESAS’s  application. RENESAS then appealed to the Court of Appeal who also unanimously dismissed the case on 5/12/2012. And, now on 1/7/2013, the Federal Court also dismissed the case.   [See earlier post: 87 Groups :- RENESAS MUST IMMEDIATELY ACCORD RECOGNITION TO THE UNION AND REINSTATE WAN NOORULAZHAR] Picture of the workers at the Federal Court Now, even though there has been no order after 28/6/2012 stopping the Director General of Industrial Relations(DGIR) from proceeding with the process of secret ballot to determine that more than 50% of the workers are for the Union, the  DGIR had procrastinated.  After about 5-6 months, the DGIR started writing to RENESAS for the company to submit Form B, a required Form before the secret ballot can happen. The company procrastinated, advancing reasons that there was the Federal Court case pending - but there was no court order stopping the process towards recognition. It is alleged that the DGIR also had to threathen to take legal action against the company. Finally, RENESAS  submitted the required Form B - but has allegedly failed to attend meetings called by the DGIR.  Now, on 1st July 2013, the Federal Court has unanimously dismissed RENESAS's appeal - and hopefully the secret ballot is conducted soonest, and the workers at RENESAS finally get union recognition. [In Brief:- Union recognition must be obtained before the Union can begin negotiating Collective Bargaining Agreements. In Malaysia, the first step is to REGISTER the Union. Then the Registered Union would need to apply to the employer, in this case RENESAS, and RENESAS could immediately accord recognition. But if the employer does not accord recognition, then there would be a need for a secret ballot to determine that more that 50% of the workers want the Union - then the Union would be accorded recognition.]

Project IC Posted: 01 Jul 2013 08:59 AM PDT Datuk Azeez “Putera” Rahim ‘Project IC’ here has got nothing to do with the controversial RCI on the naturalisation of many persons as citizens in Sabah which is on going. It is about ‘integrity’ and ‘credibility’. Especially in a Federal Government purpose incepted body for depositors to save up for Hajj pilgrimage. We are bringing up  a prickly issue so many persons who contacted us at BigDogDotCom and expressed their grouses and deep concern on the appointment of MP for Baling and UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Azeez Rahim as the new Chairman for Tabung Haji. It is baffling how Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak does not have his ears on the ground and why he would allow something like this to happen. Let us get real; Azeez or how Datuk Rocky described him, “The man with two ‘E’s” is not a man of high credibility and integrity. Even though his highly dubious ‘MBA from Preston University U.S.A. has been removed from all of his briefs or resumes in the public domain since four weeks ago, one can’t help being questioned about it in too many circles. In fact, his name has been over and again mentioned if not marred with dubious deals. In not so finer words, he is someone who is not spoken highly of when it comes to ‘trustworthiness’. Updated brief resume of Datuk Azeez Rahim, in Tabung Haji website So much ‘market talk’ is centred about the appointment to an investment savings corporation of 9.7 million depositors and RM 35 billion in assets and cash. Professionals and like minded educated Malays are ‘very concerned’ on the abuses that Azeez might do in the new post. Unfortunately, that is not a major consideration for many. Azeez is seen as a’powerful political tool’ within UMNO and he is often spoken of  ”Someone who works hard for the party”. Like Datuk Rocky aptly put, “Due to some sleek rebranding exercises”, Azeez managed to organise over 30 overseas humanitarian missions under the banner of ‘Kelab Putera 1 Malaysia’. That  is hardly surprising. Tabung Haji could now do a lot more ‘favours and goodwill’ considering the amount of “Disposable cash they have in the name of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR)” and ‘jump on the queue’ to perform Hajj. Many could gain instead of being listed in the queue which could extend unto 18 years, considering that is a list of almost  a million depositors waiting to go for pilgrimage. Then again, Tabung Haji and Malaysian pilgrims to the holy land are confined to the quota set by Saudi Government. And now that Haram Al- Shariff in Mecca is under massive expansion renovation, the quota system would shrunk and tighter for a few more years. In the minds of many, Azeez should play a bigger role in NGOs designed specifically to give assistance and bring a better social standing of unfortunate and downtrodden Malaysians especially the Malays. He would definitely earn termendous support and accolades, since he is good with that and more over, he is even very ‘marketable’ since he is so media savvy. However, that organisation is not and should not be Tabung Haji. It is bad enough he was appointed a BOD member two years ago. The question asked me many; now as the Chairman? Is he of credible training and experience to conduct a board of directors meeting, which is a statutory forum of any organisation? This appointed will erode further the confidence of professional Malays towards Prime Minister Najib. Undoubtedly, this is ‘Thinning of the Wedge’.

Sinopsis Forum Adakah TPPA Satu Bentuk Penjajahan Moden Amerika? Posted: 01 Jul 2013 09:15 AM PDT Sinopsis Forum Adakah #TPPA Satu Bentuk Penjajahan Moden Amerika? i) Tajuk Forum: Adakah TPPA satu bentuk Penjajahan Amerika Moden? ii) Panelis: 1) Prof Dr Nazari Ismail (Pakar Perdagangan, UM) 2) Dr Rosli Yaakob (Bekas Timbalan Pengarah, BNM) 3) Fifa Rahman, MHL (Pakar Undang2 Kesihatan, MAC) iii) Moderator: Anas Alam Faizli (BLINDSPOT) iv) Tempat / Masa: KLSCAH, 27 Jun 2013, Khamis, 8.00 malam, No.1, Jalan Maharajalela, 50150 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia KEHADIRAN KETUA PERUNDING SDR J JAYASIRI MENGHANGATKAN SUASANA FORUM “ADAKAH TPPA SATU BENTUK PENJAJAHAN MODEN AMERIKA” Satu forum berkenaan TPPA telah dianjurkan bersama oleh badan bersama Blindspot, DPMM, MTUC, GBM, dan IKRAM bertempat di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina pada 27 Jun 2013, 8.00 malam. Tiga panelis utama terdiri daripada Dr Rosli Yaakob, Cik Fifa Rahman dan Prof Nazari Ismail dibantu moderator Anas Alam Faizli telah berjaya mengemukakan pandangan masing-masing, tetapi pihak penganjur mendapat peluang mendengar sendiri maklumbalas daripada ketua perunding Saudara J Jayasiri. Penganjur sangat berterima kasih dengan kerjasama daripada ketua perunding. Objektif Forum diadakan:- Memupuk kesedaran awam mengenai isu TPPA yang bakal memberi kesan besar kepada negara Mendesak kerajaan untuk memberikan lebih disclosure mengenai isu kandungan perjanjian TPPA Menubuhkan gabungan bertindak terdiri daripada NGO-NGO untuk membawa isu-isu TPPA Mendesak kelulusan perjanjian TPPA dibuat bukan di Kabinet tetapi melalui penelitian Parlimen / Jawatankuasa Khas Parlimen Memohon kerajaan memberikan keputusan kajian laporan penuh Cost Benefit Analysis yang dibuat oleh UNDP Antara tetamu yang hadir adalah YB Nurul Izzah, YB Saari Sungib, Dato Alayuddin (DPMM Putrajaya), Khalid Atan (presiden MTUC), Syed Shahir (bekas presiden MTUC), Wan Saiful Wan Jan (CEO IDEAS), Zul Fikri Zamir (Chairman TFTN), Syed Ibrahim (IKRAM), Ho Yock Lin (GBM), Tan Sri Abd Aziz (bekas pengerusi MAS), Puan Che Mazni (Pengarah Dasar & Penyelarasan FTA, MITI), ahli-ahli NGO dari IKRAM, ISMA, Penang Institute, MTUC, DPMM, MAPEM, KLSCAH, IRF, SUARAM, pensyarah dan pelajar Universiti serta ahli-ahli perniagaan. Moderator, Anas Alam Faizli (Co-Founder BLINDSPOT) memulakan forum dengan memberikan sedikit latar belakang mengenai perjanjian TPPA dan sejarahnya, status penglibatan  Malaysia dan status terakhir perjanjian TPPA. Pusingan rundingan berikutnya akan diadakan di Kota Kinabalu, 15 – 22 Julai dan perjanjian dijangka ditandatangani Oktober 2013. Penting untuk memastikan bahawa perjanjian TPPA ini akan mengutamakan kepentingan kedaulatan negara  dan kebajikan rakyat – lebih dari apa2 manafaat perdagangan yang mungkin diperolehi dari perjanjian TPPA. Apapun manafaat perdagangan tersebut  boleh dipertikaikan – sayugia tidak wajar untuk menanggung risiko tinggi mengharungi satu perjanjian yang penuh dengan ranjau. Antara isu pokok yang diambil perhatian adalah peningkatan kos ubat, pencorotan hak pekerja, isu rokok, artikel 153, kedaulatan undang-undang, SME, akta hak-cipta, penjajahan ekonomi dan isu HALAL. Panelis, Cik Fifa Rahman (Policy Manager, Aids Council) seterusnya memberikan fakta dan bagaimana harga ubat akan naik dengan pemanjangan tempoh patent dan menyebabkan ubat generic (ubatan tidak punyai jenama) lebih lambat dihasilkan atau tidak langsung boleh dihasilkan disebabkan peraturan ‘evergreen’ yang boleh membenarkan patent di sambung sampai bila2. Fifa menjelaskan beberapa dasar TPP yang akan menyebabkan ianya sukar untuk membuat ubatan generik yang lebih murah, termasuk data exclusivity. Dia juga menceritakan tentang harga ubatan kanser yang amat mahal (RM9,600-RM10,000) oleh kerana banyak ubatan kanser merupakan ubatan biologik (dihasilkan daripada bahan hidup), ia akan terikat dengan exclusivity untuk 12 tahun. Cik Fifa kemudiannya menjawap 2 soalan dan terpaksa meninggalkan majlis untuk program lain. Panelis, Dr Rosli Yaakob menerangkan bahawa perjanjian TPP adalah di rangka berdasarkan konsep dan  rangka NAFTA (FTA antara US, Canada dan Mexico –yang ditandatangi pada 1994). Maka kita boleh menjangkakan kesan-kesan negatif yang boleh berlaku dibawah perjanjian TPP ini berdasarkan beberapa  pertikaian dan litigasi yang telah berlaku dalam perjanjian NAFTA tersebut. Begitu juga dengan FTA (perjanjian perdagangan bebas) antara US dan Peru. Dr Rosli telah memberi contoh pertikaian antara syarikat US dan kerajaan Peru – dimana syarikat US itu telah menyaman kerajaan Peru sebanyak USD4.2 billion walaupun syarikat itu yang jelas telah mencemar sungai2 dengan racun2 kimia yang membunuh rakyat Peru terutama kanak2. Malah syarikat seperti LYNAS juga boleh menyaman kerajaan Malaysia jika agensi alam sekitar menyekat operasi mereka dengan penguatkuasaan peraturan alam sekitar. Ini bermakna undang2 bagi keselamatan dan  kesihatan awam akan jatuh sekunder pada perjanjian TPP  tersebut. Begitu juga dengan program sosio-ekonomi saperti affirmative action  juga akan terkesan dengan TPP.  Perolehaan kerajaan di bawah TPP tidak boleh dilaksanakan untuk tujuan affirmative action atau dasar sosial yang lain. Panelis, Prof Nazari Ismail kemudiannya menerangkan kebaikan dan keburukan trade dan menceritakan bagaimana Rasulluah saw juga adalah seorang peniaga. Jadi Islam menyokong perniagaan bebas. Namun jika ada unsur yg merosakkan masyarakat Islam akan menyekatnya. Sebab itu perniagaan arak diharamkan. Sekarang ini suasana perniagaan dirosakkan akibat dua ciri utama – syarikat adalah besar dan hutang adalah banyak. Akibatnya ialah suasana perniagaan yg menekakan masyarakat di mana berlaku pengangguran. Ini terutama di negara barat seperti Amerika dan eropah. Bermakna TPPA bukan penjajahan Amerika sebab rakyatnya juga merana. Punca utama masalah ialah sistem yang salah yang bertunjangkan industri kewangan. Apa yang perlu ialah perubahan kepada sistem yg menjadi konteks perniagaan sekarang. Majlis kemudiannya menjemput Encik Jayasiri ketua perunding Malaysia naik ke pentas untuk sesi soal jawab. En Jayasiri menegaskan bahawa beliau adalah rakyat Malaysia dan akan cuba yang terbaik memastikan trade agreement ini memberi kebaikan kepada Malaysia. En Jayasiri menerangkan bagaimana kita perlu memahami kenapa patent disambung untuk Intellectual Property. Moderator menanyakan mengapakah itu perlu sedangkan industri ubat adalah antara yang paling untung di dunia dan patent 20 tahun sekarang sudah memadai. Syed Shahir, bekas presiden MTUC kemudian bertanya mengapa TPPA dijalankan dalam keadaan rahsia dan jika baik mengapa ketua perunding Chile telah tarik diri? Moderator menambah soalan dimana Thailand juga pull-out oleh kerana capital control dan Australia pula mendapat pengecualian ISDS di mana syarikat tidak boleh menarik Australia ke International Tribunal dan mereka juga mendapat pengecualiaan ubat generik. YB Saari Sungib kemudian menanyakan bagaimana TPPA akan mengesankan kerajaan negeri Selangor dimana pelaburan bernilai RM49.74 billion. YB Nurul Izzah mengutarakan isu system yang lebih berstruktur seperti di Amerika Syarikat yang menubuhkan Trade Congress dan kumpulan istimewa untuk meneliti perjanjian TPPA untuk memastikan mereka mendapat yang terbaik daripada TPPA; tetapi adakah Malaysia melakukan perkara yang sama? Malah CBA yang dijanjikan oleh MITI juga masih belum diterima. YB Nurul juga meminta agar sidang hadirin bersama MITI mendesak kerajaan Malaysia meratifikasi TPPA menerusi sebuah jawatankuasa parlimen yang dibentuk, mekanisme pemantauan ini bakal membantu Rakyat menilai serta memastikan keberkesanan TPPA. Saudara Azlan telah menanya jika jurang antara miskin dan kaya tidak akan ditangani  dalam perlaksanaan ETP walaupun ekonomi dijangka berkembang hingga  mencapai RM 1,700 billion pada 2020 – tidak kah liberalisasi dibawah TPP ini akan menjadikan jurang kemiskinan lebih teruk lagi? Saudara Zahir Hassan dari IKRAM mengatakan bahawa beliau tidak akan dapat tidur nyenyak selagi beliau tahu apakah bidang kuasa perunding-perunding daripada MITI. Wakil MTEM, Sdr Aliff Basri pula mengadu mengenai jawapan yang mereka masih tunggu dari Menteri MITI setelah beberapa perjumpaan diadakan bersama beliau. Sesi soal jawap diteruskan dan dijawap oleh kesemua panelis termasuk En Jayasiri. Forum kemudiannya ditutup dengan komitmen dari hadirin untuk meneruskan agenda dan objektif yang disarankan oleh BLINDSPOT serta rakan-rakan NGO (DPMM, MTUC, GBM, IKRAM dan lain-lainnya). Laporan Media Gambar forum boleh di lihat di pautan berikut:- http://jinggo-fotopages.blogspot.com/2013/06/rakyat-malaysia-perlu-tahu-apa-itu-tppa.html TPPA: Jangan sembunyi apa-apa dari rakyat – http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/headline/20394-tppa-jangan-sembunyi-apa-apa-dari-rakyat TPPA: Harga Ubat Bakal Naik http://www.selangorku.com/?p=30542   Sinopsis di sediakan saudara Anas

Stop Procrastinating, Reform the Police Posted: 01 Jul 2013 08:59 AM PDT First of all, I would like to express my commiseration to Youth and Sports Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin whose house in Bukit Damansara was burglared in broad daylight over the weekend.  My own terrace house had been burglared twice in 2009 and 2010, which was a reason why my family moved into an apartment which has 24 hours security in 2011. No one, whether a Minister, politician, whether from Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional, or any man on the street, should be subjected to the trauma of crime in this country. We are thankful that in this instance, no one was injured in the incident. The above, and many other crime incidents in recent months occuring to VIPS, including family members of  other ministers and senior police officers proved that crime is not mere perception in Malaysia. If Minister’s and senior police officers are not safe from crime, then how can the ordinary city folks even sleep in peace? Khairy himself has accepted as such in his Facebook comment yesterday evening on the incident. He wrote that "Insiden ini adalah peringatan kepada kita semua bahawa jenayah merupakan masalah serius di negara kita. Masalah ini adalah perkara yang nyata, bukan semata-mata persepsi." The threat of crime has forced the man on the street to take matters into their own hands by setting up "illegal" boom gates and access barriers as well as forking out millions of Ringgit every year to employ security guards to protect themselves. Therefore these acts of barricading their housing estates into war zones are certainly not acts of wanting to "live in exclusivity" as alleged by Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Member of Parliament for Kota Belud previously in Parliament. There is no question that crime statistics over the past years have been manipulated to give Malaysians a false perception of security. The government claims that street crimes have been reduced by 40% in recent years while the crime index has fallen by 25% from 2007 to 2011. What the government has attempted to hide from Malaysians was that non-index crime index have over the same period increased by a whopping 69%! The most incredulous of the BN Government claims must be that Malaysia is the safest country in Southeast Asia, even safer than Singapore, and some say, Hong Kong and Japan. We must stop lying to ourselves and the Government must start admitting the severity of crime in the country.  Only and unless the Government and the police are willing to accept that fact, there will be no sense of urgency among the authorities to make things better.  What we will get instead is excuses by the police force and even Pemandu itself, that the repeal of Emergency Ordinance to keep suspects under 2 year detentions have caused an increase in crime. The Malaysian Police must concede that the real reason behind the weaknesses in fighting crime is the sheer misallocation of resources within the force.  Over the past 8 years, the criminal investigation department (CID) comprises barely 9% of the police force. In stark contrast, 41% of uniformed police perform management functions, while 31% are tasked with internal security and public order such as the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU), the Light Strike Force as well as the General Operations Force. Even the Special Branch of the police has nearly the same number of personnel as the CID.  In fact the Budget figures in 2010 showed that the police produced 733,237 reports and security checks by the Special Branch, but only 211,645 criminal investigation papers. So Special Branch produced more than three times as many reports as the CID. The 2005 Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) Report has recommended about 20,000 uniformed personnel or 22% of the force could be reassigned to go back to active core policing work. Unfortunately this recommendation was never taken seriously by the Home Ministry. The Home Ministry and the Malaysian police must stop giving excuses to the rising spate of crime.  It must accept the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry carried out 8 years ago, and implement all the necessary measures to improve the effectiveness and professionalism of the police force.  The failure to do so will only see crime persist at high and increasing levels, making Malaysia unsafe not only for its citizens, but also as a conducive country of business and investment.

Poll: Should Kedah charge Penang for raw water? Posted: 01 Jul 2013 06:48 AM PDT Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir wants to impose a charge on Penang for raw water. To help you with the poll, here is a map showing the Muda River flowing from the north and then along the northern Penang-Kedah border. View Larger Map

Why Obama has retreated on Snowden Posted: 01 Jul 2013 02:53 AM PDT It seemed so incongrous to me: On the one hand, Obama was in South Africa paying tribute to freedom icon Nelson Mandela, but on the other, the US president had been pursuing a global campaign against Edward Snowden, the man who had exposed a massive online surveillance campaign undertaken by US security agencies. There was [Read more]

SPRM siasat SPR, ibarat pencuri siasat penyamun...kome udah tau jawapan yob... Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:24 AM PDT Isu dakwat kekal: SPRM siasat SPR... Pengarah siasatan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) Datuk Mustafar Ali berkata siasatan kini sedang dijalankan ke atas Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) berhubung pembelian dakwat yang didapati dapat ditanggalkan dengan mudah ketika digunakan dalam pilihan raya umum 5 Mei. Laporan Sinar Harian menyebut, Mustafar mengesahkan bahawa satu pasukan siasatan dibentuk sejak minggu lalu, susulan rungutan orang ramai berhubung ketahanan dakwat yang digunakan untuk menanda jari pemilih yang telah membuang undi itu. “Saya hanya boleh mengesahkan bahawa SPRM menyiasat isu ini sama ada terdapatnya penyelewengan dalam pembelian dan spesifikasi (dakwat),” katanya seperti dipetik Sinar Harian.-malaysiakini Petugas SPR dapat bonus RM200 juta, kata menteri... Para petugas Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) yang menjalankan tanggungjawab dan bekerja semasa pilihan raya umum ke-13 lalu telah menerima wang bonus sebanyak RM200 juta lebih, kata Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim dalam jawapan bertulis di Dewan Rakyat hari ini. Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri itu berkata sebanyak RM400 juta telah diluluskan kepada SPR untuk menjalankan pilihan raya pada 5 Mei lalu, peningkatan sebanyak 100 peratus berbanding kos Pillihan Raya 2012 yang hanya berjumlah RM200 juta. "Untuk makluman Ahli Yang Berhormat, kos perbelanjaan Pilihan Raya Umum 2013 yang telah diluluskan oleh Kementerian Kewangan adalah sebanyak RM400 juta," kata Shahidan. "Bayaran perkhidmatan dan saguhati kepada semua petugas pilihan raya umum adalah sebanyak RM204,100,000."  Dalam jawapan tersebut lagi, Shahidan juga berkata SPR diberikan sebanyak RM5,081,000 diberikan untuk elaun lebih masa, bayaran utiliti (sewaan pengangkutan, barung semak daftar pemilih, peralatan ICT, sewaan talian, telefon dan faks, dan lain-lain) sebanyak RM98,465,000 dan lain-lain perbelanjaan pula sebanyak RM92,354,000. Susulan jawapan daripada Shahidan tersebut, Ahli Parlimen Seremban (DAP) Loke Siew Fook mempersoalkan peningkatan perbelanjaan SPR pada pilihan raya kali ini berbanding tahun 2008 sambil menyifatkan jumlah perbelanjaan RM1.8 juta untuk setiap kawasan Parlimen adalah tidak munasabah. "Mengapa dalam tempoh 5 tahun perbelanjaan untuk pilihan raya boleh melambung 100 peratus walaupun bilangan pengundi yang terlibat hanya bertambah 20 peratus. "RM400 juta untuk mengendalikan pilihan raya untuk 222 kerusi Parlimen bermaksud purata kos untuk pengendalian sebuah kawasan Parlimen ialah RM1.8 juta! Ini merupakan satu angka yang besar memandangkan had perbelanjaan untuk seseorang calon yang bertanding di peringkat Parlimen hanyalah RM200 ribu," kata Loke dalam sidang media di lobi Parlimen pagi ini. Beliau juga mendesak SPR untuk mendedahkan setiap perbelanjaan mereka sambil menyifatkan agensi pilihan raya tersebut telah menghabiskan duit rakyat secara boros terutamanya dalam kontroversi yang menyelebungi dakwat kekal bernilai RM7.1 juta walaupun dakwat tersebut sebaliknya tidak kekal. SPR berdepan tekanan selepas pendedahan di Parlimen baru-baru ini dimana bahan kimia dalam dakwat tersebut telah diganti dengan pewarna makanan yang menyebabkan ia mudah ditanggal. Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Shahidan Kassim mengakui di Dewan Rakyat pada Rabu lalu pewarna makanan, bukannya nitrat perak yang digunakan dalam dakwat kekal. Beliau berkata dakwat tertanggal kerana bahan kimia yang sepatutnya adalah punca dakwat tersebut mudah dibersihkan tetapi juga menyalahkan pengundi yang cuba membasuhnya sebagai punca ia tidak kekal. Pengerusi SPR Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof juga berhadapan tekanan daripada umum selepas dilaporkan beliau menerima surat daripada Kementerian Kesihatan mengatakan kerosakan buah pinggang dan risiko barah berkemungkinan dihadapi oleh pengundi sekiranya dakwat kekal mengandungi nitrat perak melebihi daripada satu peratus. Dakwaan Aziz kemudiaan ditolak oleh Menteri Kesihatan Datuk Seri Dr. Subramaniam yang berkata laporan sedemikian tidak pernah dikeluarkannya serta mendakwa mereka tidak menerima permintaan untuk membuat analisis. - 1 Julai, 2013.-malaysian insider MACC task force to probe indelible ink fiasco... The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has formed a task force to investigate the indelible ink fiasco. Sinar Harian quoted director of investigations Mustafar Ali (right) as saying that the probe would be an in-depth one, and that the team would examine whether or not there were abuses in the purchase and specifications of the ink used in the May 5 polls. The Malay-language daily reported that the investigating team was set up last week after Shahidan Kassim, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, revealed that the ink contains food colouring. Also according to the report, PKR’s Batu MP Tian Chua has renewed calls for the top two Election Commission officials - chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof and his deputy Wan Ahmad Wan Omar - to be suspended pending the outcome of the probe. Umno supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah has welcomed the probe, saying this would alleviate the accusations levelled against the EC. Wan Ahmad has reportedly said the EC is not worried and is prepared to be investigated. The indelible ink, which the EC had claimed would last seven days, was found to come off easily within hours of the application on polling day.-malaysiakini MACC is investigating EC??? ha! ha! ha!...joke of the week...the fact that no Malaysian has trust the EC, PDRM and MACC... EC, workers got RM200 million bonus for GE13... Putrajaya gave RM200 million in bonuses to Election Commission (EC) officials and workers on duty for Election 2013, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat today. The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said RM400 million was allocated to the EC for the May 5 general election, which was a 100 per cent increase from the budget for the 2008 general election. "The expenditure cost for the 2013 General Election that was approved by the Ministry of Finance was RM400 million," Shahidan said in his reply. "The payment for services and bonus to all election workers is RM204,100,000," he added. Shahidan told the house that RM5,081,000 was disbursed as allowance for overtime payment, payment for transport services, utility bills, ICT equipment, telecommunications service payment. In the lobby, Seremban MP (DAP) Loke Siew Fook questioned the expenses compared to the 2008 general election. "How come in five years the expenses for a constituency can increase by 100 per cent even though the number of voters had increased only by 20 per cent? RM400 million to carry out elections in 222 constituencies which averages out to RM1.8 million per constituency ? ” he asked. He said the EC had been generous with public funds especially in the way it had spent RM7.1 million on the indelible ink, which he claimed was not at all effective in preventing fraud. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Shahidan Kassim told the house last Wednesday that food dye and not silver nitrate was used in the ink . EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof also received flak from MPs when he said that the Health Ministry had warned about possible damage to health. He had claimed that the ink should not have content of more than one per cent silver nitrate. However, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the Ministry had issued no such warning to the EC. He also said the EC had not made any request from to the ministry for any analysis. - 1 July, 2013.-malaysian insider cheers.

What a Monday! Posted: 30 Jun 2013 11:30 PM PDT It's only Monday and we've had a hilarious start to the week. These 2 little stories should make you feel some pain as a tax-paying Malaysian. One story will hurt you in the head like a face-palm  kind of pain. And the other one will surely make you feel a sharp pain in your ass.  You can choose which one you want first. (fave-palm type) Story... Najib says Br1M of RM500 will last a Malaysian household a whole year.  Now, Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan says that BR1M of RM1,200 will sustain a Malaysian household for only 2 months! Actually, both are right. It just depends whether you are Malaysians who insist on eating every day or only eat once every leap year. It also showsthat Najib is totally unclear of ... anything. And that his cabinet colleagues maybe out to make a fool of him.  ---o0o--- Sharp pain in your ass story... The Elections Commission received RM200million in bonuses for their work in the 13th General Elections!!! Now as a tax-payer my question to Putrajaya is...HOW MANY OF THOSE FUCKERS WERE THERE? AND WHAT THE FUCK DID THEY DO TO DESERVE TO DESERVE A BONUS?  Didn't the boss fuck up the indelible ink shit? Really la. Please tell us what the bonus payments were for. PLEASE! In the real world you get a bonus for a job that's been performed extraordinarily well. Not for doing what you were paid to do. Hard as the circumstances might have been. I think it is true to say that right at this moment not very many Malaysians believe that the EC is worth shit!  NIAMAH!!!

Do We Need Reconciliation? What Do We Need After Each General Election? Posted: 30 Jun 2013 09:46 PM PDT The Malaysian Insider said the "GE13 was like a tornado cutting through Malaysian society, tossing friendships like confetti and leaving the country reeling under the rubble of hate, fear-mongering, suspicion and just plain nastiness."  It added that "Malaysia cannot continue on this path of score-settling and destruction. At stake are race relations, its economic well-being, political stability, simple civility and the country's hard-earned reputation for moderation." It asked if "the Najib administration will put aside the corrosive elements of anger, betrayal, retribution against born and bred Malaysians who did not vote for Barisan Nasional – and focus instead on building bridges." There is another burning question: Do we need a reconciliation after every GE? Is the Najib administration responsible solely for national reconciliation? What about the PR coalition's reluctance to accept the GE results and its demands on reconciliation e.g. BN must admit electoral fraud, sack the EC leadership and reform the electoral system? The first demand is enough to kill any possibility of reconciliation. If reconciliation is unachievable, what can we achieve post-GE? Firstly, it is very important to address the need for politicians to focus on nation building and not on its destruction through a lack of interest for policy making and governance. It is pertinent to remind the politicians that the electoral process is used to select and elect policy makers whose job, after the GE, is to provide leadership in governance. It is not a game or a competition. Winners are not rewarded with gold bars or riches. It means shouldering the responsibility to govern and to serve the nation.  However, the electoral process has become a sort of competition lately where political parties and politicians are more interested in winning rather than the responsibility and expectations that follow after the elections. If politicians are able to appreciate the true meaning of elections, then there is a little need to focus on reconciliation after every GE. The focus should not be on the politicians but the nation and the people. It is an irony that the whole nation is now being held ransom by the unending and continuous political bickering after the GE. Secondly, I agree that some reforms have to be done. It is undeniably important for all participating parties and stakeholders to accept, respect and embrace the electoral system as an important democratic instrument to elect leadership. Hence, instead of focusing on a negotiated truce we should instead focus on building the credibility of the electoral system. This is going to be very difficult because who or which organization is capable to arbitrate the process of gaining acceptance and respect of the electoral system from all parties? The answer may rests in the independence of the Election Commission. Here, I agree with Bersih's chief Ambiga that the commission should be made independent of the parliament but any changes or proposals made by the commission must be tabled at the parliament for approval. It means the leadership of the Election Commission is going to be paramount. Its leaders must not come from the civil service or ex-civil servants and should be appointed by the King. Is Malaysia short of eminent persons? On this aspect, I agree that there is a need of a total leadership revamp of the EC after the indelible ink fiasco. Although it might be difficult to prove that the 'edible/delible' ink had contributed to electoral fraud but its procurement was a clear cut negligence and incompetence. Unfortunately, the EC leadership has to be made accountable for the folly.  Next, I think it is pertinent for a reliable, credible and independent third party to organize a meeting between the BN and the PR to work out mutually acceptable reforms and ground rules for the 14th GE. The third party has to be the EC. Hence, it is very crucial to sort out the new appointments of EC leadership before any 'reconciliation' and reforms can kick start. I also agree that the MPs and elected assemblymen should work for the collective interest and well-being of the people. There is a need to change the orientation of the current political landscape in the country. The focus now is overwhelmingly on politicians. It is time we end our infatuation and idolization of politicians. It is time we demand for service and results because we are paying for it.

Discrimination based on gender in Malaysia - CEDAW; Bar Council - A Right Step in a Long and Unfinished Journey Posted: 30 Jun 2013 08:32 PM PDT ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Press Release A Right Step in a Long and Unfinished Journey The Malaysian Bar welcomes the decision by the Attorney General to withdraw the Government's appeal at the Court of Appeal in the case of Chayed bin Basirun & Ors v Noorfadilla bt Ahmad Saikin. The legal question in Noorfadilla’s case arose when the Malaysian Government revoked and withdrew her appointment as a Guru Sandaran Tidak Terlatih (“GSTT”) because she was pregnant.  The High Court held that this act amounted to gender discrimination and constituted a violation of Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution, which deals with equality before the law. What was significant in this case was the High Court's reliance on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (“CEDAW”), to which Malaysia acceded in July 1995, in clarifying what is meant by the terms “equality” and “gender discrimination”.  To quote from the judgment of the High Court: … the word “gender” was incorporated into Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution in order to comply with Malaysia’s obligation under the CEDAW.  It is to reflect the view that women are not discriminated. . . . In Article 11(2)(a) of CEDAW, it provides that State Parties shall take appropriate measure to prohibit, subject to the imposition of sanctions, dismissal on the grounds inter alia, of pregnancy. . . .  [CEDAW] has the force of law and [is] binding on members states, including Malaysia. [sic] The High Court also stated that: . . . in interpreting Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution, it is the Court’s duty to take into account the Government commitment and obligation at international level . . . there is no impediment for the Court to refer to CEDAW in interpreting Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution.  Hence, applying Article 1 and 11 of CEDAW I hold that pregnancy in this case was a form of gender discrimination.  The plaintiff should have been entitled to be employed as a GSTT even if she was pregnant.  Further, the plaintiff was pregnant because of her gender.  Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy is a form of gender discrimination because basic biological fact that only women has the capacity to become pregnant.” [sic] Notwithstanding this welcomed decision, the Malaysian Bar calls upon the Government to do more to eradicate gender discrimination in Malaysia.  Apart from the amendment to the Federal Constitution, which was made in 2001, the Government has not passed any specific legislation to prohibit gender discrimination.  Indeed, in the first test case after the Federal Constitution was changed, Beatrice Fernandez v Sistem Penerbangan Malaysia & Anor in 2004, the provisions of CEDAW were also invoked but without success.  That decision, which still stands today, held that the forced resignation of an airline stewardess after becoming pregnant was a matter of private contract law, and not gender equality or discrimination. A further disturbing decision was that of the Court of Appeal in March 2012 which upheld the right of an employer, Guppy Plastics Industries Sdn Bhd, to enforce the retirement of female employees at an earlier age than male employees. Enacting specific anti-gender discrimination legislation will go a long way towards promoting and protecting gender equality in Malaysia.  The government should also consider addressing the other concerns of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women expressed in their Concluding Observations issued after their review of Malaysia in May 2006.  Many of those concerns remain outstanding, notwithstanding the passage of seven years. The action of the Malaysian Government in withdrawing its appeal in the Noorfadilla case is a step in the right direction.  However, the journey remains long and unfinished. Christopher Leong President Malaysian Bar 30 June 2013

Boss yang terus dijual PEMANDU Posted: 30 Jun 2013 07:30 PM PDT Dua orang bos besar sedang lepak-lepak sambil minum kopi di Coffee Bean. Bos sorang ni berkata, "Hey, awak nak tahu, saya punya PEMANDU  punya laa bodoh. Kalau tak percaya, sekejap saya panggil dia". Dia memanggil PEMANDU dia dan berkata,"Ah Beng... awak amik ini RM10, pergi kat showroom dan belikan saya Porche 911 Turbo". Ah Beng jawab,"Yes sir! Orait!!" dan terus bergegas ke showroom kereta. Bos yg satu lagi pulak berkata,"Ohh.. tu ok lagi. Saya punya driver lagi bodoh. Leman!, meh sini kejap!!". Leman berlari ke bosnya, "Apahal tuan?". Bosnya berkata, "Awak pegi balik rumah, check sama ada saya ada di rumah atau tidak". Leman jawab, "Orait tuan!!", lalu bergegas balik ke rumah bosnya. Bosnya berkata kepada bos satu lagi, "Tengok! Si Leman ni memang bengap nak mampos. Dah tau saya kat sini, takkan laa dia tak boleh fikir yang saya ni ada di rumah ke tidak. Hahaha...". Petang itu, bertemu laa dua orang PEMANDU tadi. Si Ah Beng berkata,"Lu tau ka, gua punya bos aa... maaaaanyak bodoh laa. Dia kasi sama gua sepuluh ringgit suruh beli Porche. Dia tatak tau ka ini hari, hari Ahad. Mana kedai bukak?". Si Leman balas balik, "Hehe.. bos aku laaagi bodoh. Ada ke dia suruh aku check dia ada kat rumah ke tak. Dia ada henset, call je laa rumah kalau nak tau sangat. Bengap betul". PEMANDU yang pandai pun tahu arahan boss dia bodoh. Sekarang ramai PEMANDU yang pandai-pandai dan kerja dalam makmal yang membelanjakan jutaan ringgit untuk dikendalikan. PEMANDU ini begitu hebat dan sempurna KPI masing-masing sampai undi Cina semua lari ke pembangkang.  . Ingatkan cerita habis, rupanya PEMANDU yang sudah jual boss masih diberi kepercayaan untuk menjual boss sekali lagi.  Biarkan! Biarkan! Kata SI Luncai Wow! Jual boss memang untung, lagi untung PEMANDU jual boss dua kali

Persoalan Angkat Sumpah Posted: 30 Jun 2013 06:16 PM PDT Persoalan angkat sumpah sebagai ahli Parlimen telah banyak menimbulkan perbahasan di kalangan semua pihak. Ada di kalangan penyokong PR sendiri yang beranggapan bahawa Ahli Parlimen PR tidak seharusnya mengangkat sumpah. Mengikut pandangan mereka, mengangkat sumpah akan memberikan ‘legitimasi’ kepada proses pilihan raya yang jelas tercemar dengan beberapa isu tidak ketelusan. Walaupun tidak ramai yang berpandangan begini, namun usaha mereka untuk meyakinkan semua Ahli Parlimen supaya tidak mengangkat sumpah dilakukan secara bersungguh-sungguh. Komitmen mereka terhadap usaha ini dan kesanggupan mereka untuk memperjuangkan pandangan mereka, sehingga berhadapan dengan pihak FRU di hadapan Parlimen untuk menghantar memorandum, amat saya kagumi. Mungkin harapan mereka disebalik desakan dan tindakan mereka ialah supaya dengan itu Parlimen tidak dapat berfungsi dan dibubarkan dengan segera dan pilihan raya diadakan kembali. Tanggapan mereka ialah sekiranya Ahli Parlimen tidak mengangkat sumpah, khususnya Ahli Parlimen PR, maka pihak BN akan tertekan sehingga terpaksa membubarkan Parlimen dengan kadar segera. Walaupun saya mempunyai pandangan berbeza dalam persoalan ini, saya menghormati pandangan mereka serta kesungguhan mereka dalam menyatakan pandangan dan keyakinan mereka. Saya harap mereka juga boleh menghormati pendirian saya sepertimana akan saya jelaskan di bawah ini. Ahli Parlimen BN mempunyai sikap yang ‘seakan sama’ dengan rakan kami di atas. Namun sikap mereka adalah atas niat dan tujuan yang berbeza. Sebenarnya mereka ingin supaya diberi laluan mudah di Parlimen. Hanya mereka tidak menyatakan niat mereka sebenar tetapi sebaliknya mengatakan bahawa kehadiran kami adalah pengiktirafan bahawa pilihan raya ke 13 adalah pilihan raya yang adil dan telus. Bila ditanya mengapa ianya boleh disimpulkan begitu, mereka tidak mampu menjawab dan hanya berdiam. Bagaimanakah kehadiran kami mengangkat sumpah dianggap pengiktirafan terhadap bersih dan telusnya pilihan raya ke 13? Hakikatnya, hujjah mereka hanya helah untuk menghalang kami dari hadir. Dengan itu mereka akan mencapai apa yang merupakan matlamat di sebalik penipuan semasa pilihan raya ke 13. Iaitu menghilangkan suara wakil PR di dalam Parlimen! Saya, seperti saudara saudari semua yakin bahawa pilihan raya ke 13 sememangnya banyak kepincangannya. Namun saya merasakan saya wajib menghadirkan diri untuk mengangkat sumpah. Ini adalah kerana kemenangan saya adalah hasil dari perjuangan gigih warga Shah Alam sehingga segala penipuan dan kepincangan diatasi! Amatlah pelik apabila kemenangan yang diusahakan dengan sebegitu gigih dicapai, maka ianya ‘diserahkan’ kembali kepada pihak lawan. Kedua, saya tidak yakin bahawa ketidak-hadiran kami akan menyebabkan pihak BN gelisah dan keluh-kesah sehingga akan bubarkan Parlimen dengan seberapa segera. Malahan bagi mereka ianya akan menjadi peluang keemasan untuk meluluskan persempadanan baru, GST dan sebagainya tanpa sebarang perbahasan atau bantahan. Pada ketika itu mereka akan menyatakan bahawa ianya diluluskan sebulat suara tanpa bantahan dan kita akan dipersalahkan oleh rakyat kerana tidak berusaha kearah menghalangnya setelah rakyat memberikan mandat. Kita diberi amanah dan tanggung-jawab untuk membahaskan semua isu di Parlimen tetapi memilih untuk tidak hadir. Oleh itu ketidak-hadiran kita akan dilihat sebagai tindakan tidak bertanggung-jawab oleh masyarakat umum. Ianya juga akan dilihat sebagai tindakan ingin memaksakan sesuatu ke atas masyarakat dan akan back-fire. Dalam erti kata lain, tindakan itu akan menyebabkan masyarakat marah dan bukan menyokong kita. Ketiga, yang kita bantah ialah golongan yang menang melalui penipuan. Bukan mangsa penipuan tetapi telah berjaya mengatasi penipuan tersebut! Maka sepatutnya yang dibantah adalah yang menang melalui penipuan yang sudah pastinya bukan Ahli Parlimen PR. Saya memahami keresahan yang dirasai rakan dari kumpulan NGO. Sememangnya pilihan raya di Malaysia amat sangat berat sebelah dan tidak adil. Daftar pemilihnya tercemar, media dikuasai dan banyak lagi yang tidak patut berlaku telah berlaku. Namun dalam keghairahan kita untuk membawa perubahan kita perlu mengakui juga beberapa fakta. Pertama, UMNO/BN masih mendapat sokongan rakyat, khususnya orang Melayu. Walaupun mereka menyokong atas sebab diputar-belit fakta, dimomok-momokkan dan sebagainya, hakikatnya, sokongan itu tetap ada. Walaupun ianya bukan majoriti dari rakyat, ianya jumlah yang tetap agak besar. Fakta kedua yang perlu kita iktiraf juga ialah, sebahagian dari penyokong PR itu sendiri adalah pada dasarnya penyokong atas pagar. Mereka boleh saja berubah dan menyokong BN kembali sekiranya dilihat kita tidak memenuhi peranan seperti yang mereka rasakan perlu. Mereka bukan penyokong tegar yang memahami semua persoalan sepertimana kita fahami. Oleh itu, biarlah tindakan kita bersifat berhikmah dan berperancangan. Kita terus bina kekuatan dan sokongan. Masih banyak yang perlu diperjelaskan kepada rakyat dan jangan kita bertindak dengan cara yang memungkinkan sokongan yang ada hilang. Jangan jadi seperti kata pepatah “yang dikejar tidak dapat, yang dikendong keciciran”. Akhir kata, ini bukan kali terakhir kita akan berbeza pendapat. Oleh itu adalah amat sangat diharapkan bahawa perbezaan pendapat dapat diterima dan diuruskan denga cara yang matang dan penuh perasaan saling hormat menghormati. WaLlahu 'Alam KHALID SAMAD www.khalidsamad.com

California chalk protester hit with gag order for protesting Bank of America! Posted: 30 Jun 2013 04:56 PM PDT wtf, it appears the bank is afraid of its own shadow anit? anyway, what’s the difference between a bank and a bench? None! They mean the same thing and they are as thick as thieves scamming in the same den! >>> In support of Jeff Olson, Chalk Activist facing 13 years in jail for protesting […]

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