Decentralisation: The way to deepen democracy, promote good governance — Francis Loh
MARCH 31 — The GE13 is around the corner. Regardless of who takes over Putrajaya, a critical and urgent issue is decentralisation. On account of over-centralisation of our political system, we read and hear of differences and conflicts between the federal authorities and the state and local governments. Invariably, the rakyat is always the loser.
Chinese navy makes waves in South China Sea
USA TODAY
Analysts: Country's bold move spurred by 'U.S. inaction.'
(Photo: Gao Yi, AP)
BEIJING 27/03/2013– The appearance of a Chinese navy flotilla at an island chain 1,120 miles from its home shores is a clear sign that the new Communist regime is moving to enforce its claims to the entire South China Sea, experts said Wednesday.
James Shoal is 50 miles from the coast of Malaysia, one of several countries that have appealed to the United States for help in countering China's aggressive attempt to seize 1 million square miles of fishing and energy resources.
Aquino Gesa Proses Rundingan Berhubung Tuntutan Ke Atas Sabah
MANILA 18/03/2013: Presiden Filipina, Benigno Aquino pada Ahad berkata proses rundingan adalah satu-satunya jalan untuk menyelesaikan tuntutan Kesultanan Sulu terhadap Sabah dan beliau turut mengkritik tindakan kumpulan bersenjata menyerang Malaysia.
Aquino turut mengecam konspirasi terancang pihak tidak bertanggjungjawab yang menghantar pengikut-pengikut kesultanan Sulu ke Sabah kerana ia telah mengancam keselamatan 800,000 rakyat Filipina yang tinggal dan bekerja di negeri itu.
Bercakap di Akademi Elit Ketenteraan di Filipina pada Ahad, beliau turut mengutuk tindakan pengikut Sultan Sulu, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III yang membunuh dengan kejam sembilan anggota pasukan keselamatan di Malaysia.
Malaysia facing policy 'blowback'
Ex-Philippine rebel says fighters once backed by Malaysia part of group battling for control of country's Sabah state.
The former head of a Philippine separatist group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), has told Al Jazeera that despite support from Malaysia in the 1960s, some of his fighters have now turned against the Malaysian government.
Skim gaji minimum bermula hari ini
Kuala Lumpur 1/1/2013: Kira-kira tiga juta tenaga kerja swasta termasuk pekerja asing dalam pelbagai sektor akan menerima gaji minimum mula hari ini apabila lebih 500,000 majikan di negara ini melaksanakannya.
Setiausaha Majlis Perundingan Gaji Negara (MPGN), T Shanmugam memberitahu BH, sebelum ini 4,200 daripada 800,000 syarikat memohon penangguhan sementara bagi melaksanakan skim itu, bagaimanapun hanya 632 majikan diberi kelulusan.
Majikan Tidak Boleh Serap Elaun Jadi Gaji Pokok
KUALA LUMPUR 29/12/2012– Majikan tidak dibenarkan menyerap elaun tertentu seperti penyediaan kemudahan tempat tinggal, kemudahan perubatan, elaun perjalanan dan bonus sebagai gaji pokok pekerja berikutan pelaksanaan gaji minimum pada 1 Januari ini.
Setiausaha Majlis Perundingan Gaji Negara (MPGN), T.Shanmugam berkata, majikan juga tidak dibenarkan menyerap elaun penyediaan makanan, elektrik dan air atau nilai konsesi perjalanan untuk tujuan itu.
Gaji minimum: Majikan boleh struktur semula gaji pekerja
KUALA LUMPUR 29/12/2012- Majikan boleh menstruktur semula gaji pekerja dengan menyerap elaun tertentu menjadi sebahagian daripada gaji pokok bagi melaksanakan gaji minimum, kata Setiausaha Majlis Perundingan Gaji Negara T.Shanmugam.
Beliau berkata, majikan boleh melakukan penstrukturan semula gaji itu selepas berunding dengan pekerja-pekerja.
Sabah hasil pengeluaran 2,790 tan durian setahun
KOTA KINABALU 24 Dis. - Jumlah pengeluaran hasil durian di Sabah pada masa ini menunjukkan perkembangan memberangsangkan dengan menyaksikan hasil pengeluaran kira-kira 2,790 tan durian setahun.
Timbalan Pengarah Lembaga Pemasaran Pertanian Persekutuan (FAMA) negeri, Mohd. Shukri Doel Majalin berkata, sebanyak 10 daerah dikenal pasti sebagai kawasan pengeluaran hasil durian berpotensi di negeri ini.
"Daerah yang terkenal dengan hasil durian di negeri ini ialah Ranau, Sipitang, Tenom, Sandakan, Tawau, Kota Marudu, Sandakan, Tawau, Beaufort dan Keningau.
Govt mulls deferring 30% affordable housing policy
KOTA KINABALU 16/12/2012: The Local Government and Housing Ministry will consider deferring the implementation of the newly announced policy of requiring 30 per cent affordable housing in every new development project next year, if there are still many unsold units of affordable houses.
Its minister, Datuk Hajiji Noor, said this in response to the statement by Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda), asking that the government reconsider the policy.
“We will see how many unsold affordable houses we have in Sabah. Our officers are now working on it and we will have the result soon.
“From the initial report, Shareda has said more than 5,000 affordable houses are still in the market, however, the ministry will check on the figures and will consider accordingly if it is found to be true,”
TAX INCENTIVE POISED TO BOOST INVESTMENT
KOTA KINABALU 7th December, 2012: The recent decision by the federal government in approving a special Investment Incentive Package for the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) is poised to further intensify the investment momentum in the state.
Describing the announcement of the incentive as timely, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said the package would cover activities in, among others, the tourism, manufacturing and agriculture sectors and major industries.
JAKARTA 3/12/2012: Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono akan mengambil pendirian tegas berikutan tuntutan daripada kesatuan buruh agar mengakhiri persepsi antarabangsa bahawa Indonesia menjadi syurga bagi pelabur yang ingin memperoleh tenaga kerja yang murah.
Berikutan beberapa perhimpunan dilakukan kesatuan terbabit baru-baru ini yang sering berakhir dengan keganasan, Susilo berkata, pendirian kerajaan mengenai kebajikan buruh selaras dengan tuntutan mereka.
“Menjadi tanggungjawab moral kita untuk berjuang mengatasinya. Era untuk tenaga buruh murah dan ketidakadilan sudah berakhir,”
‘Foreign-owned’ shops turning away local customers claim
KOTA KINABALU 19/11/2012: A number of shops operated by foreigners allegedly turned away local patrons for no valid reason.
Democratic Action Party (DAP) Kota Kinabalu Youth assistant chief Junz Wong told reporters yesterday that they were informed by members of the public that some of the suovenir shops owned by foreigners had refused to let locals patronise their shops.
Sabah’s oil curse strikes again
Poverty-riddled Sabah is the sixth biggest contributor to the national economy, contributing more than a quarter of the total oil and gas produced in the country.
KOTA KINABALU 12/11/2012: Sabah lost control of its oil wealth more than 30 years ago but the fallout of the widely acknowledged cock-eyed contract is continuing to roil business dealings in the state.
The state Barisan Nasional government is now facing more questions over how it is managing the Petronas-sponsored Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) project that began more than a year ago.
Prepare for liberalization, tourism players told
KOTA KINABALU 12/11/2012: Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun has urged tourism players in Sabah to prepare for the eventual liberalization of the industry.
“The trend is towards liberalization, so my advice to tourism players in Sabah is to gear up for the eventual liberalization of every industry in the world. Malaysia is a member of the international committee and if you look at it, the trend is towards liberalization, that is eventually there will only be one system to operate in the world. So we need to prepare for it.
‘AES not suitable for Sabah roads’
Sabah and federal authorities should first ensure that state roads are in good condition before indulging in road-safety campaigns.
KOTA KINABALU 8/11/2012: Sabah roads may not be suited for the expensive and controversial Automatic Enforcement System (AES) which the government is planning to install nationwide to reduce road accidents.
A Sabah MP pointed out that the poor infrastructure and conditions of roads in the east Malaysian state should be addressed first before the expensive AES project is implemented.
“It is pointless for the government to spend a huge sum of the taxpayers’ money to install such a sophisticated system, when in the first place it can’t even provide a good and safer road for the people to drive on,”
Presiden Hu Jintao Seru China Jadi Kuasa Maritim Baru Dunia
BEIJING 8/11/2012: Presiden Hu Jintao menegaskan, Republik Rakyat China harus menjadi kuasa maritim dunia yang baru.
Berucap di hadapan 2,200 perwakilan pada Kongres Parti Komunis China di sini, pada Khamis, Hu berkata, China perlu meningkatkan keupayaannya dalam eksplorasi sumber marin.
Juga katanya, China harus berupaya mempertahankan hak dan kepentingan maritim mereka.
Ini, katanya, hanya boleh dicapai sekiranya China menjadi kuasa baru maritim dunia.
Are Malaysian graduates doomed to mediocrity?
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — Almost everyone complains about them: wanting high pay but not willing to put in the hours. Hankering for instant fame but with little substance to show. Becoming famous for very little talent. Demanding for work-life balance just so they can party after 5pm, or be with their boy/girlfriend. And some bring their parents into the picture; parents call up would be employers to demand why their child’s demands are not being met. None of them want to work in the trenches — life is too short to work hard. So now Putrajaya has stepped in with funds to make the unemployable, well, employable.
85,200 Sabahans jobless last year – Pang
KOTA KINABALU September 26, 2012: Sabah recorded an unemployment rate of 5.2 per cent, with around 85,200 unemployed citizens in Sabah last year.
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Peter Pang En Yin said the percentage of unemployment was relatively low and had not increased despite an increase in population.
The percentage was higher than the national level at three per cent,
1School 1Clinic: Set time frame for implementation – Masidi
PENAMPANG September 14, 2012: A deadline for implementation must be set for all good proposals to become realities, and not empty promises to the people, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.
Good policies must have a time frame for their implementation so that the people would not be left waiting, he said when commenting on the 1School 1Clinic proposal.
