Barisan Nasional's Election Manifesto

OUR PROMISE:

ECONOMY

􀂄 Raise the nation’s productivity, income and competitiveness levels
􀂄 Cushion the effects of rising prices and ensure quality living standards for the people
􀂄 Strengthen private sector’s role as the main driver of economic growth
􀂄 Nurture and assist 1 million SMEs and entrepreneurs over 5 years
􀂄 Generate at least 2 million quality job opportunities over 5 years
􀂄 Reduce the Budget deficit further –more funds for development, without increasing taxes
􀂄 Follow through on 5 Development Corridors to bring equitable growth, investment and job opportunities to all parts of Malaysia

DEVELOPMENT

􀂄 Eradicate hardcore poverty and bring the overall poverty rate down to 2.8% by 2010
􀂄 Increase quality rural jobs and incomes
􀂄 Improve services and facilities for low-income urban households including rural to urban migrants
􀂄 Improve provision of quality and affordable housing
􀂄 Ensure access to modern quality healthcare
􀂄 Upgrade urban public transport and reduce traffic congestion
􀂄 Enhance road development in rural and other less developed areas
􀂄 Upgrade rail and aviation infrastructure
􀂄 Improve rural electricity coverage in Sabah to 81% and Sarawak to 90% by 2010
􀂄 Improve water supply coverage to 70% in both Sabah and Sarawak by 2010
􀂄 Continue to close the digital divide and improve broadband internet penetration via the National Broadband Plan
􀂄 Continue to implement the New Villages Development Masterplan
􀂄 Equitable distribution of quality opportunities in income generation, employment, business and education to all parts of Malaysia. Towards this end, the ‘Kelantan Baru, Kelantan Maju’
initiative will deliver development and better quality of life to people in the state

EDUCATION

􀂄 Raise teachers’ minimum qualifications and provide more training opportunities
􀂄 Continue to make national schools the school of choice by, among others, expanding the teaching of Mandarin and Tamil
􀂄 Safeguard the position of national-type schools
􀂄 Enhance national unity by fostering student interaction
􀂄 Provide more scholarships at the undergraduate level for poor but deserving students
regardless of race
􀂄 Identify apex universities and provide more autonomy and resources for public institutions of higher learning to attain world-class standards
􀂄 Raise investment in science and technology particularly in indigenous R&D

LAW & ORDER

􀂄 Bring down the country’s crime index
􀂄 Tackle drug abuse and other social ills
􀂄 Address the issue of illegal immigrants
􀂄 Add 60,000 Police personnel by 2011
􀂄 Set up more than 150 new Police stations and beat bases to increase presence in more neighbourhoods
􀂄 Improve safety in schools, playgrounds and public areas
􀂄 Enhance community policing via partnerships with non-governmental organisations, the
private sector and local community
􀂄 Upgrade Police communications technology, armaments, vehicles, technical aids and training
􀂄 Focus Police operations and resources in crime hot-spots across the country
􀂄 Redelineate Police districts to better match Police resources with community security needs

PUBLIC SERVICES
􀂄 Speed up implementation of e-government initiatives
􀂄 Complete overhaul of all land offices and district offices
􀂄 Speed up issuance of licences and permits
􀂄 Establish rating system for local authorities to improve performance
􀂄 Tie civil servants' promotions, rewards and penalties more closely to performance targets
􀂄 Increase ethnic diversity in the public sector
􀂄 Have a 3 to 7-day response time by all government agencies to all public queries and complaints

REDUCING CORRUPTION AND IMPROVING GOVERNANCE
􀂄 Continue to enforce anti-corruption measures without fear or favour
􀂄 Strengthen monitoring and enforcement by agencies such as the ACA, Customs, Inland Revenue and local authorities
􀂄 Establish an effective Special Complaints Commission to act on complaints of misconduct in enforcement agencies
􀂄 Continue to foster a culture of integrity and high ethical standards through the National Integrity Plan

RELIGION, UNITY

􀂄 Build a better understanding of Islam among Muslims and non-Muslims through Islam Hadhari
􀂄 Enhance appreciation for diverse cultures among Malaysia’s multiethnic people
􀂄 Expand the teaching of J-QAF to more schools
􀂄 Ensure provision of reserve land for places of worship in newly developed areas in accordance with developed guidelines
􀂄 Facilitate construction, consolidation and relocation of all places of worship via state government mechanism, co-ordinated at federal level, that will protect the interests of all communities
􀂄 Increase dialogue on inter-faith issues through the Department of National Unity and National Integration
􀂄 Improve unity programmes, especially in schools and institutions of higher learning

FOREIGN POLICY

􀂄 Continue to play an active, principled and impartial role in international affairs
􀂄 Expand trade and investment linkages
􀂄 Advance the economic agenda of the OIC through capacity-building programmes in less developed OIC countries
􀂄 Promote strategic partnerships between the West and the Muslim world to advance the economic agenda of the Makkah Declaration 2005
􀂄 Continue to build bridges between the Muslim world and the West through continuous dialogue
􀂄 Contribute towards a development agenda for the world’s poorest countries

Tua Pek Kong predicts sluggish economy from Feb to June

PENANG: The country’s economy will be slightly slower than the previous year, according to the predictions of Tua Pek Kong or God of Prosperity.

The deity had predicted during the annual Chneah Hoay (flame-watching) ceremony here at the Hai Choo Soo (Sea Pearl) Temple in Tanjung Tokong that the country’s economy would be slow during the first four months of the lunar year (Feb 7 to June 3).

However, it is expected to pick up during the second third (June 4 to Sept 28).

The ceremony on the eve of Chap Goh Meh last night was the 118th Chneah Hoay at the temple.

The turnout was, unexpectedly, lower than in previous years but there were still hundreds, mostly businessmen, thronging the seafront temple to witness the ceremony.

It is believed that the deity could foretell the country's economy for the Chinese lunar year, through the flames from some 60 burning joss sticks.

The prediction is based on the height and intensity of the flames, and the speed with which the embers in the deity's urn flare up.

The embers were fanned in three stages – once each for every four months of the lunar year.

The ceremony, which lasted about 15 minutes, began at 11.55pm.

Lights, candles and oil lamps were put off to enable the Poh Hock Seah Temple committee members to scrutinise the flames for prediction.

Poh Hock Seah Temple president Datuk Lim Chooi Beng said embers from the burning joss sticks ignited after about nine minutes of the first fanning, signifying that the economy was slow in taking off.

“The second fanning took about two minutes while the last was only a minute, showing that the economy will be improving from mid-year onwards,” he said.

Advising the public to not panic, he said Chneah Hoay is only a religious ritual and the results merely a prediction.

Ref: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/21/nation/20400097&sec=nation

Zakaria dropped from BN line-up

The former Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros has been dropped from the Umno Selangor line-up for the general election.

However, Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Mohd Khir Toyo named Zakaria’s daughter-in-law Roselinda Abdul Jamil as the new candidate to replace him.
Roselinda, who is the Klang Puteri Umno chief and a Klang Municipal Council (MPK) councillor, is married to Zakaria’s son Zaidi.

Ref :http://www.thestar.com.my/elections2008/story.asp?file=/2008/2/21/election2008/20080221190017&sec=election2008

Veteran HK actress Lydia Sum dies

Veteran Hong Kong actress Lydia Sum, known for her iconic black-rimmed glasses and starring role in a range of film and TV comedies, has died at the age of 60.

The actress - affectionately known as Fei-fei, or "Fatty" - died at on Tuesday morning at Hong Kong's Queen Mary hospital.

The cause of death was not immediately clear, but Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK said Sum died after a protracted fight with liver cancer.

Sum was reportedly admitted to hospital two weeks ago after her condition worsened.
Born in Shanghai in 1947, Sum made her movie debut at age 13.

She appeared in more than 100 movies in Hong Kong and hosted more than 5,000 episodes of variety shows.

She also stared in the Singaporean English-language sit-com "Living with Lydia," which was broadcast in many Asian countries.

Donald Tsang, Hong Kong's chief executive, said "Hong Kong grew up with her laughter".

"She brought us a lot of joy," he said.

Sum is survived by ex-husband, actor Adam Cheng, and their daughter Joyce

Ref: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/577398FD-8CF8-4C8A-8E53-0A9B103524AD.htm

Malaysia's 12th general election

Malaysians will go to the polls on March 8.
The Election Commission announced that nomination day for the 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats would be Feb 24.
A total of 10,922,139 registered voters on the 2007 master electoral roll gazetted on Feb 5 would be eligible to vote. Of this, 221,085 are postal voters.

Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said the number of days for campaigning would be 13 days, inclusive of nomination day. The dissolution of Parliament took place 15 months before the expiry of its five-year term to pave the way for the 12th general election.

Abdul Rashid said 30 political parties registered with the commission would be contesting.
Stating that March 8 would be the start of a one-week school holiday, Abdul Rashid advised all registered voters to exercise their fundamental rights to cast their votes between 8am and 5pm.

He said the EC would be spending about RM200mil on the elections. There will 149,000 official appointees, mostly schoolteachers, and 50,000 casual workers.
Abdul Rashid said the commission had no power to endorse observers but that it was supportive of efforts by election watchdog group Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) to continue monitoring the conduct of the general election

Ref: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/15/nation/20334927&sec=nation&focus=1

USM is tops!

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has been named best overall university in Malaysia. This is according to the academic reputation survey carried out by the Nation Accreditation Board (LAN). The university scored a five-star rating, the only university in the country to be classified as excellent. The Academic reputation Survey (ARES), carries out by a team spearheaded by the Nation Accreditation Board (LAN), involved 17 of the 20 public universities. The survey covered 10 critical areas which included research quality, academic resources, reputation of academics faculty, Academic and Postgraduate programme quality, preparation of the leaders of tomorrow, the student’s choice of university and the quality of graduates.

It is a fact that about 70% of the University’s lecturers are PhD holders. This is indeed a fitting tribute to all their hardwork into making USM the best research university and top choice not only by local students from abroad.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said this was the first time the government was evaluating the quality of public higher education. Although generally public higher education institutions in the country are good, there is room for improvement. The University has been developing and expending since its inception, which started with an enrolment of 57 science based students. Now, USM offers courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels to approximately 20,000 students.

USM has also become a well-known university locally and internationally. It will be no surprise if the University is selected to become one of the nation’s apex universities, where it will be granted more autonomy and resources to create an environment that would attract the best students and faculty.

At present the University has a graduate students population of about 6,687 students, which constitutes more than 20% of its total students. About 1,424 of them are foreign students. Population mainly comes from Indonesia, China and countries in the Middle East, some African nations as well as a handful from Europe. These students are enrolled in 39 schools and four centres of Excellencein the areas of Medicine, Science and Technology, Engineering and Arts and are working towards their Masters of Doctorate Degrees.

Happy Chinese New Year to all

Laman Wira

Surprisingly this website still available, found using yahoo search engine.Visit at http://www.geocities.com/usmkck/.Many defects....no plan to rectify it yet.

Petition To Have Safer Bus Rides For Long Distance Routes

Two die, three injured in bus crash
IPOH: Two people died and three were seriously injured after the double-decker express bus they were travelling in lost control before crashing into a divider at southbound of Km382 of the North-South Expressway between Slim River and Behrang.
The two dead were identified as Mohd Zailini Mustafa, 23, and Lee Nian Ning, 21. Both are from Sg Nibong and Taman Bukit Gelugor, Penang, respectively.
The unidentified bus driver in the 5.55pm incident was also seriously injured.
There were 39 people on board including the driver and co-driver. The injured had been sent to the Slim River Hospital for treatment.
Slim River deputy OCPD Deputy Supt Adzhar Othman said initial reports found that the bus, which was travelling from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, had lost control and was lying sideways blocking both sides of the expressway.
“A multi-purpose vehicle, which was travelling behind the bus, could not brake on time causing it to crash onto the bus.
“The driver was however unhurt,” he said when contacted

Ref: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/26/nation/20139014&sec=nation

Bus crash: Driver had 13 outstanding summonses

By CLARA CHOOI
IPOH: The driver of a double-decker express bus that saw three of its passengers killed in a crash near Slim River on Friday had 13 outstanding police summonses issued against him.
Records in www.myeg.com.my revealed that Ruslim Isa, 43, who was sent to the Teluk Intan Hospital for a broken right leg after the 5.55pm accident, had seven summonses issued against him for speeding, five for illegal overtaking and one for not using an overhead bridge.
The summonses, amounting to RM2,660, dated as far back as 2000.

Ref: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/26/nation/20080126200549&sec=nation

Friends of Lee Nian Ning, a medical student who died in a bus accident on Jan 25, have set up a website to seek signatures for a petition on express bus safety that they will send to the Transport Ministry after Chinese New Year.
There is also an online forum at the website (http://buscrashnomore.blogspot.com) to discuss bus crashes in Malaysia.

To: Ministry of Transportation, Malaysia
We, the concerned youths of Malaysia express appalled anger towards the Slim River Bus Crash incident that claimed the life of Lee Nian Ning and two others on the 25th of January 2008. This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred. Despite numerous complaints and public uproar in the past, incidents like this continue to occur. It was reported that the driver’s company had 13 summonses on that bus itself. We find it unacceptable that such a company could have operated that vehicle on the road. What are the explanations? Hundreds of thousands of university students just like Nian Ning and us rely on such public transport to travel back home. Human life should not be taken lightly. How could a vehicle with 13 summonses be free on the roads and not held by the authorities? We, the following, hereby demand that the relevant authorities take immediate solid actions in ensuring that mistakes like this do not occur again in the future.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned

Petition : http://www.petitiononline.com/buscrash/petition-sign.html

ASUS Eee PC

click to enlarge

Law meant to set standards not criminalise docs, says Chua

PETALING JAYA: The Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act was never meant to criminalise doctors, said former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
“It was meant to benchmark and set minimum standards for health care in Malaysia,” he said yesterday when he contacted members of the press to comment on the recent verdict by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, which fined Dr Basmullah Yusof of the Al-Hilal Polyclinic RM120,000 or in default three months' jail for failing to register his clinic.
“The process of registration was also to identify the ‘real’ doctors from the bogus ones and subsequently be the basis of the setting up of the specialist registry,” said Dr Chua.
Some members of the medical fraternity had voiced their dissatisfaction over Dr Basmullah’s sentence and conviction.
He is currently serving the jail sentence after failing to pay the fine.
The Act was enforced on May 1, 2006, and a transition period of six months was given to enable compliance of the law.
Dr Chua said various dialogues had been held with stakeholders such as the Malaysian Medical Association and Federation of Private Practitioners Malaysia before the Act was implemented.
He said they understood the implementation of the Act, adding that a lot of compassion was given including providing the transition period.
“What has happened is rather unfortunate,” he said.
More than 6,000 clinics had applied for registration since the Act came into force.
“I hope the enforcement division of the ministry does not forget the undertaking that was given at that time and the spirit should be maintained. So, doctors, too, need to comply,” he said.

Ref: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/3/nation/20226395&sec=nation

‘Aesthetic medicine’ to be officially recognised

By AUDREY EDWARDS
PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will draw up a training module for aesthetic medicine that will see medical practitioners who undertake the programme being acknowledged as specialists.
Its director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said currently the ministry and The Academy of Medicine Malaysia did not recognise the field as a sub-speciality.
He said stakeholders including professional bodies and associations would draw up a proposal to be presented to the ministry.
They included the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), Malaysian Dental Council, Malaysia Medical Association, The Academy of Medicine Malaysia, Malaysian Association of Plastics, Aesthetic and Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons and Malaysian Society of Aesthetic Medicine.
A committee at the ministry would look into the recommendations.
"So, while this is pending, we will not allow a person to call himself an aesthetic specialist," he told reporters on Thursday.
"With the training module, it becomes a recognised sub-speciality with a three-year training scheme. All sub-specialists have to undergo this training locally and overseas before they can come back and claim to be sub-specialists." Dr Ismail said there were cases where the practitioner went for a five-day course and received a certificate. An additional five days gained him a diploma.
"We have characters like that in our midst," he said.
Dr Ismail added that with immediate effect, medical practitioners who currently offered aesthetic practices were required to produce evidence of their training and qualifications to the ministry's medical practice division before being allowed to carry out the procedures.

Ref: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/1/nation/20080201091901&sec=nation