Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, cadangan untuk membina sebuah jambatan merentasi Selat Melaka yang menghubungkan Melaka dan Sumatera memerlukan satu kajian rapi dan menyeluruh.
Menurut Timbalan Perdana Menteri, antara yang perlu dibuat kajian ialah kos pembinaan dan pulangan melalui pembinaan jambatan yang dianggarkan menelan belanja AS$$11 bilion (RM35.2 bilion) itu.
''Kita perlu buat kajian menyeluruh (terlebih dahulu) dan kemudian kita kemukakan kepada kedua-dua pemerintah. Kita kena tengok sama ada sesuai atau tidak dari segi kos dan pulangannya," katanya.
Najib berkata demikian pada sesi dialog sempena perasmian Konvensyen Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam (DMDI) Kesembilan di sini hari ini.
Kira-kira 1,000 peserta tempatan dan luar negara terdiri anggota DMDI menghadiri konvensyen tiga hari itu yang bermula semalam.
Pada sesi dialog tersebut, beberapa peserta memberikan maklum balas positif berhubung pembinaan jambatan terpanjang di dunia itu termasuk menggariskan beberapa cadangan mengenainya.
Cadangan pembinaan jambatan merentasi Selat Melaka itu telah dicetuskan pada konvensyen DMDI kelapan tahun lalu dan ia dijelaskan lagi oleh Mohd. Ali pada kali ini.
Mohd. Ali dalam ucapannya berkata, pembinaan jambatan Selat Melaka sepanjang 52 kilometer itu dirangka bagi meningkatkan pembangunan sosial ekonomi di kedua-dua wilayah tersebut.
Kata beliau, pihaknya sedang mencari pelabur dari luar negara untuk membiayai projek mega tersebut dan berharap satu jawatankuasa peringkat Pusat dapat dibentuk.
Bagaimanapun Najib berkata, buat permulaan kedua-dua wilayah itu akan dihubungkan dengan perkhidmatan feri antara Kuala Linggi di Melaka dan Dumai di Sumatera.
''Kita mulakan dengan feri dari Dumai ke Linggi dahulu. Mana tahu jambatan ini akan menjadi kenyataan," kata beliau sambil memaklumkan perkhidmatan feri tersebut akan beroperasi mulai April tahun depan.
Najib berkata demikian pada sesi dialog sempena perasmian Konvensyen Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam (DMDI) Kesembilan di sini hari ini.
Sumber : Utusan
Cadangan untuk pembinaan jambatan yang menghubungkan dua negara ini memang bagus tetapi perlu ada dasar tolak ansur yang seimbang antara negara-negara yang terlibat. Jangan sahaja di pihak Malaysia khususnya Melaka sahaja yang lebih bertolak ansur dan bertimbang rasa. Biarlah dapat mewujudkan situasi menang-menang.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Dr Asri: Pemilihan PM perlu libatkan rakyat
Bekas Mufti Perlis, Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin yang kini bercuti sabatikal di United Kingdom berpendapat sudah sampai masanya pemilihan Perdana Menteri dibuat dengan melibatkan setiap individu rakyat.
"Mungkin sudah sampai masanya untuk rakyat Malaysia memikirkan kaedah pemilihan Perdana Menteri negara ini dengan cara yang membabitkan setiap individu rakyat.
"Sistem yang digunapakai di Amerika, mungkin boleh difikirkan di samping beberapa pengubahsuaian berdasarkan kepada keperluan negara ini," kata beliau melalui emel yang dikirimkan baru-baru ini.
Kelebihan pemilihan terbuka, menurut Dr Asri, yang seperti di atas ini boleh dilihat kepada beberapa perkara berikut:
i. Pemilihan seperti itu akan benar-benar mewakili keredhaan majoriti rakyat.
ii.Cara pemilihan yang sebegini, dengan diberi peluang yang adil bagi setiap calon akan menghasilkan tokoh kepimpinan yang lebih berkarisma, berkemampuan dan telus.
iii.Kewibawaan atau kesetiaan rakyat untuk taat kepada sesiapa yang dipilih menjadi Perdana Menteri lebih nyata disebabkan setiap warga diberi peluang yang sama dalam pemilihan.
v.Cabaran atau ugutan penentang Perdana Menteri yang dipilih tidak boleh menggugat kewibawaan seseorang Perdana Menteri kerana dia benar-benar dipilih oleh majoriti rakyat.
v.Mereka yang tidak berwibawa atau bermasalah akan bimbang untuk menawarkan diri dalam pemilihan yang terbuka seperti itu.
vi.Kesedaran umat Islam tentang perpaduan dan ukhuwwah islamiyyah demi survival mereka akan meningkat.
Namun, jelas Dr Asri, cadangan ini jika hendak dilaksanakan hendaklah benar-benar dihalusi agar lebih mendekati maksud sistem syura yang dinyatakan oleh Islam.
"Penegakan akhlak Islamiyyah dalam pemilihan calon dan kempen hendaklah dijadikan asas yang membawa kepada keharmonian pemilihan," kata beliau.
Sumber : Minda Mufti
Mstar
Apa yang diperkatakan dalam ruangan tersebut mengajak masyarakat untuk lebih berfikiran matang dalam membuat keputusan dan sekaligus tidak akan ada penentangan terhadap keputusan yang telah dibuat secara majoriti.
"Mungkin sudah sampai masanya untuk rakyat Malaysia memikirkan kaedah pemilihan Perdana Menteri negara ini dengan cara yang membabitkan setiap individu rakyat.
"Sistem yang digunapakai di Amerika, mungkin boleh difikirkan di samping beberapa pengubahsuaian berdasarkan kepada keperluan negara ini," kata beliau melalui emel yang dikirimkan baru-baru ini.
Kelebihan pemilihan terbuka, menurut Dr Asri, yang seperti di atas ini boleh dilihat kepada beberapa perkara berikut:
i. Pemilihan seperti itu akan benar-benar mewakili keredhaan majoriti rakyat.
ii.Cara pemilihan yang sebegini, dengan diberi peluang yang adil bagi setiap calon akan menghasilkan tokoh kepimpinan yang lebih berkarisma, berkemampuan dan telus.
iii.Kewibawaan atau kesetiaan rakyat untuk taat kepada sesiapa yang dipilih menjadi Perdana Menteri lebih nyata disebabkan setiap warga diberi peluang yang sama dalam pemilihan.
v.Cabaran atau ugutan penentang Perdana Menteri yang dipilih tidak boleh menggugat kewibawaan seseorang Perdana Menteri kerana dia benar-benar dipilih oleh majoriti rakyat.
v.Mereka yang tidak berwibawa atau bermasalah akan bimbang untuk menawarkan diri dalam pemilihan yang terbuka seperti itu.
vi.Kesedaran umat Islam tentang perpaduan dan ukhuwwah islamiyyah demi survival mereka akan meningkat.
Namun, jelas Dr Asri, cadangan ini jika hendak dilaksanakan hendaklah benar-benar dihalusi agar lebih mendekati maksud sistem syura yang dinyatakan oleh Islam.
"Penegakan akhlak Islamiyyah dalam pemilihan calon dan kempen hendaklah dijadikan asas yang membawa kepada keharmonian pemilihan," kata beliau.
Sumber : Minda Mufti
Mstar
Apa yang diperkatakan dalam ruangan tersebut mengajak masyarakat untuk lebih berfikiran matang dalam membuat keputusan dan sekaligus tidak akan ada penentangan terhadap keputusan yang telah dibuat secara majoriti.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
No decision yet on Math and Science in English policy
PUTRAJAYA: The wrangle over the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English continued with seven proposals put before the final roundtable meeting yesterday.
Consultative mood: Dr Wee (left) and Alimuddin (right) having a light moment with three of the participants at the ministry’s fifth roundtable discussion Tuesday.
The proposals are:
> Stick to Mathematics and Science in English;
> Revert to Bahasa Malaysia;
> Let primary schools teach both subjects in the mother tongue and secondary schools use English;
> Let primary schools decide for themselves;
> Mathematics and Science be taught in Bahasa Malaysia and mother tongue for Years One to Three and in English from Year Four onwards;
> A combination of mother tongue in the first three years and a choice of mother tongue or English after that; and
> The two subjects will not be taught in Years One to Three and instead be integrated into other subjects.
These proposals were summarised from four roundtables organised by the Education Ministry since July to gather feedback from a spectrum of stakeholders.
However, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who chaired the fifth and final discussion yesterday, cautioned that the purpose of the dialogues was to gather feedback from all parties.
No decision on the issue would be made at this juncture.
“We will put together a report for Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who will then study it and submit the ministry’s findings to the Cabinet for a decision,” he told a press conference.
What was disclosed for the first time and of great interest to the 180 participants present was the analysis of the recent Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR), based on the performance of the first cohort of Year Six pupils who have gone through six years of learning Maths and Science in English.
“Overall, the trend has been positive. Pupils have actually done marginally better in many instances. More pupils in both urban and rural schools scored A, B and Cs in the two subjects.
“Even their performance in the English language has shown a rather big improvement of 4.4%, while the performance in Bahasa remained stable,” said director-general of education Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom, who presented the analysis.
Another encouraging sign was that the number of pupils opting to answer the two subjects in English had increased significantly, reflecting greater confidence in using the language.
In Tamil vernacular schools (SJKT), 62.76% of pupils answered in English for Science and 89.11% for Maths.
It was a totally different scenario in Chinese national-type schools (SJKC), though. Only 2.86% answered in English for Science and 1.29% for Maths.
Source : The Star
Consultative mood: Dr Wee (left) and Alimuddin (right) having a light moment with three of the participants at the ministry’s fifth roundtable discussion Tuesday.
The proposals are:
> Stick to Mathematics and Science in English;
> Revert to Bahasa Malaysia;
> Let primary schools teach both subjects in the mother tongue and secondary schools use English;
> Let primary schools decide for themselves;
> Mathematics and Science be taught in Bahasa Malaysia and mother tongue for Years One to Three and in English from Year Four onwards;
> A combination of mother tongue in the first three years and a choice of mother tongue or English after that; and
> The two subjects will not be taught in Years One to Three and instead be integrated into other subjects.
These proposals were summarised from four roundtables organised by the Education Ministry since July to gather feedback from a spectrum of stakeholders.
However, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who chaired the fifth and final discussion yesterday, cautioned that the purpose of the dialogues was to gather feedback from all parties.
No decision on the issue would be made at this juncture.
“We will put together a report for Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who will then study it and submit the ministry’s findings to the Cabinet for a decision,” he told a press conference.
What was disclosed for the first time and of great interest to the 180 participants present was the analysis of the recent Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR), based on the performance of the first cohort of Year Six pupils who have gone through six years of learning Maths and Science in English.
“Overall, the trend has been positive. Pupils have actually done marginally better in many instances. More pupils in both urban and rural schools scored A, B and Cs in the two subjects.
“Even their performance in the English language has shown a rather big improvement of 4.4%, while the performance in Bahasa remained stable,” said director-general of education Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom, who presented the analysis.
Another encouraging sign was that the number of pupils opting to answer the two subjects in English had increased significantly, reflecting greater confidence in using the language.
In Tamil vernacular schools (SJKT), 62.76% of pupils answered in English for Science and 89.11% for Maths.
It was a totally different scenario in Chinese national-type schools (SJKC), though. Only 2.86% answered in English for Science and 1.29% for Maths.
Source : The Star
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Asian markets up in early trade
Asian markets rose in early trade on Thursday, aided by the firmer close on Wall Street but the local stock market was basically lacklustre, with the benchmark KL Composite Index in the red, weighed down by TMI and Sime.
At 9.30am, the KLCI was down 0.95 point to 846.58. Turnover was 21.78 million shares done valued at RM27.81mil. There were 62 gainers, 43 losers while 79 stocks were unchanged.
Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 20.15 points or 1.23% to 1,660.72, Shanghai’s A Share Index edged up 1.48% to 2,094.46 while the Nikkei 225 added 0.37% to 8,033.66.
Light crude oil fell to US$46.60 per barrel while the ringgit was quoted at RM3.6365 to the US dollar.
Wall Street withstood another stream of bad economic readings Wednesday, closing sharply higher after investors shuttled between pessimism about the recession and hopes that the nation might start seeing relief soon, news reports said.
The major indexes saw big swings throughout the day, but all closed up more than 2 percent, giving the market its second straight advance.
The Dow rose 172.60, or 2.05 percent, to 8,591.69. The blue chip index has gained more than 442 points in the past two session, wiping out more than half of Monday's slide.
HwangDBS Vickers Research said it expected the local stock market to repeat yesterday’s performance and it expected the KLCI to trade in a narrow range amidst a mixed market breadth and light trading volume. Immediate resistance barrier for the market barometer remains at 860 ahead.
“On the data front, it will likely be quiet too with just one key economic report due for release today – the external trade statistics for October,” it said.
The research house said the consensus was still anticipating a positive momentum for Malaysia based on a media survey, which has projected an annual growth of 7.4% for exports and 4.0% for imports, translating to a monthly trade surplus of RM11.4bil in October.
TMI was the top loser, easing 12 sen to RM3.48 while DiGi fell 10 sen to RM21.30. PPB and Sime fell five sen each to RM8.35 and RM5.10 while also down by five sen were YTL and Public Bank to RM6.70 and RM8.20.
Genting shed two sen to RM3.88 but Resorts rose two sen to RM2.30 in active trade.
BAT added 25 sen to RM45.50, Petronas Gas 10 sen to RM9.85 while HLFG gained eight sen to RM3.88, MAS gained seven sen to RM2.61 while KFCH, Tenaga and Maybank rose five sen each to RM7.30, RM5.95 and RM5.15 respectively.
Source : The Star
At 9.30am, the KLCI was down 0.95 point to 846.58. Turnover was 21.78 million shares done valued at RM27.81mil. There were 62 gainers, 43 losers while 79 stocks were unchanged.
Singapore’s Straits Times Index rose 20.15 points or 1.23% to 1,660.72, Shanghai’s A Share Index edged up 1.48% to 2,094.46 while the Nikkei 225 added 0.37% to 8,033.66.
Light crude oil fell to US$46.60 per barrel while the ringgit was quoted at RM3.6365 to the US dollar.
Wall Street withstood another stream of bad economic readings Wednesday, closing sharply higher after investors shuttled between pessimism about the recession and hopes that the nation might start seeing relief soon, news reports said.
The major indexes saw big swings throughout the day, but all closed up more than 2 percent, giving the market its second straight advance.
The Dow rose 172.60, or 2.05 percent, to 8,591.69. The blue chip index has gained more than 442 points in the past two session, wiping out more than half of Monday's slide.
HwangDBS Vickers Research said it expected the local stock market to repeat yesterday’s performance and it expected the KLCI to trade in a narrow range amidst a mixed market breadth and light trading volume. Immediate resistance barrier for the market barometer remains at 860 ahead.
“On the data front, it will likely be quiet too with just one key economic report due for release today – the external trade statistics for October,” it said.
The research house said the consensus was still anticipating a positive momentum for Malaysia based on a media survey, which has projected an annual growth of 7.4% for exports and 4.0% for imports, translating to a monthly trade surplus of RM11.4bil in October.
TMI was the top loser, easing 12 sen to RM3.48 while DiGi fell 10 sen to RM21.30. PPB and Sime fell five sen each to RM8.35 and RM5.10 while also down by five sen were YTL and Public Bank to RM6.70 and RM8.20.
Genting shed two sen to RM3.88 but Resorts rose two sen to RM2.30 in active trade.
BAT added 25 sen to RM45.50, Petronas Gas 10 sen to RM9.85 while HLFG gained eight sen to RM3.88, MAS gained seven sen to RM2.61 while KFCH, Tenaga and Maybank rose five sen each to RM7.30, RM5.95 and RM5.15 respectively.
Source : The Star
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sultan: No titles for politicians this year
SHAH ALAM: No politician will be awarded a Datukship in conjunction with the Sultan of Selangor’s birthday on Dec 11.
This is because Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has put a freeze on awarding such titles to politicians this year.
“There will be no politicians – either from the past or present state government.
“The present state government is barely eight months old. Even a pregnancy is nine months,” the Sultan said in an interview at Istana Mestika here.
“I am sure there are deserving cases in the present state government but let us wait first. Let them focus on their work, not awards or rewards. Titles need not come with positions,” he said.
The Sultan said Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim understood the decision after his explanation on the need to limit the number of awards.
“There is no such thing as a quota for the MB or myself. We agree it should not be freely given to maintain its prestige,” he said.
He said he did not wish to talk about how certain states had given out the titles easily.
However, Sultan Sharafuddin said that if too many Datuk titles were given out, it would only “devalue the titles and the purpose of having these awards.”
He said the state limited the number of Datukships to 40 each year but added that he had never given more than 30 each time.
Except for the investiture ceremony on Dec 11 and the tea party with the people on the same day, the Sultan said that there would be no additional state functions.
“I have ordered the state administration to cut costs. There is no need for any unnecessary spending because of my birthday.
“This is a time to be prudent and not waste the rakyat’s money,” he said.
On the performance of the state’s elected representatives, Sultan Sharafuddin said he had instructed palace officials and even his brother to monitor their performance during the State Assembly sitting.
“I am not interfering in politics. I want to know precisely, not just from press reports, how they perform.
“Do they know what they are talking about and have they done their homework? Are they taking part or just sitting quietly to observe the proceedings with no contributions?
The Sultan said his decision was not aimed at any particular party.
“It does not matter if they are in the Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional.
“If they behave badly or ignore decorum, I will have a word with them because I expect high standards and correct behaviour because the rakyat is watching closely during the State Assembly.”
Source : The Star
This is because Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has put a freeze on awarding such titles to politicians this year.
“There will be no politicians – either from the past or present state government.
“The present state government is barely eight months old. Even a pregnancy is nine months,” the Sultan said in an interview at Istana Mestika here.
“I am sure there are deserving cases in the present state government but let us wait first. Let them focus on their work, not awards or rewards. Titles need not come with positions,” he said.
The Sultan said Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim understood the decision after his explanation on the need to limit the number of awards.
“There is no such thing as a quota for the MB or myself. We agree it should not be freely given to maintain its prestige,” he said.
He said he did not wish to talk about how certain states had given out the titles easily.
However, Sultan Sharafuddin said that if too many Datuk titles were given out, it would only “devalue the titles and the purpose of having these awards.”
He said the state limited the number of Datukships to 40 each year but added that he had never given more than 30 each time.
Except for the investiture ceremony on Dec 11 and the tea party with the people on the same day, the Sultan said that there would be no additional state functions.
“I have ordered the state administration to cut costs. There is no need for any unnecessary spending because of my birthday.
“This is a time to be prudent and not waste the rakyat’s money,” he said.
On the performance of the state’s elected representatives, Sultan Sharafuddin said he had instructed palace officials and even his brother to monitor their performance during the State Assembly sitting.
“I am not interfering in politics. I want to know precisely, not just from press reports, how they perform.
“Do they know what they are talking about and have they done their homework? Are they taking part or just sitting quietly to observe the proceedings with no contributions?
The Sultan said his decision was not aimed at any particular party.
“It does not matter if they are in the Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional.
“If they behave badly or ignore decorum, I will have a word with them because I expect high standards and correct behaviour because the rakyat is watching closely during the State Assembly.”
Source : The Star
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