My observation of the Kuala Terengganu By election

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To the readers, early wish of a blessed New Year. Have a cow of the new year.

The new job did not allow me to spend enough time to blog. And when i am back home or not travelling, have not the luxury to spend time writting articles. Yet, would just like to share my personal thoughts on the Kuala Terengganu by election last week that was won by PAS and its aftermath.

10 observations
1. MSM that spinned an UMNO win kept the news small when PAS won. Sore loosers.

2. UMNO to accept the defeat and work on change? People are still pointing fingers at each other. Good riddance.

3. Najib would not be able to bring about the necessary change. He plays safe.

4. Najib forsake his job as the Economic minister at a crucial time when our economy is stagnating even at a by election that is 'not important'.

5. Estimated between RM500 million to RM1 billion is thrown to the KT by election without results.

6. Too many luxury cars and police outriders blocking the road. Someone nearly died in Pahang when hit by a lorry as the junction is blocked for VIP to pass through.

7. Wan Farid is just an appointed senator who got lucky knowing the right people.

8. Terengganu chinese swings back to Barisan for economic reasons & probably not hudud. MCA is trumpetting as their achievement without wanting to know the real reasons. They will continue to loose support.

9. By elections are good. We almost have our electricity tariff lowered.

10.MCAC is confirmed toothless. It dares not act against many complaints of money politics in KT.

Fastest decision maker in 2009

Goes to Hishammuddin Hussein!!!

Selain itu, Hishammuddin juga mengumumkan nama Razali akan diabadikan di sebuah maktab perguruan di utara bandar raya Kuala Terengganu dan sekolah menengah di kawasan parlimen ini.Institut Perguruan Kuala Terengganu di Batu Rakit akan dikenali Institut Perguruan Dato' Razali Ismail dan Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bandar di Kg Gong Tok Nasek ditukar kepada SMK Dato' Razali Ismail berkuatkuasa Jumaat ini, 24 jam sebelum hari pengundian 17 Januari ini. ( Malaysiakini)

I wonder if the school was told yet by the Education Ministry that they would be called differently in 2 days time? Am sure that Hisham would have ordered a different plate for the school, give money to change all the buku latihan, t-shirts, logos and school uniforms. hehe. Hence, the title of the fastest ( does not necessary means the better) decision in 2009 belongs to him. His father would have been extremely proud.

Few days ago he directed 300 thousand teachers and 5 million students to demonstrate against Israel. Now , he arbitariry change names of schools. He decides like a communist, acts like a communist.

Recession or no recession?

(image ) Dun chee sak.

Malaysia will go to a technical recession

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 — Citigroup Global Market forecast that Malaysia will go into a technical recession likely in fourth quarter of 2008 and first quarter of 2009.

It also downgraded its gross domestic forecast (GDP) for 2009 to 0.5 per cent from 3.1 per cent.
The government official GDP forecast is 3.5 per cent.

In a media briefing on Malaysia’s Market Outlook for 2009 here today, it said that there could be a cut between 50-75 basis point in overnight policy rate in the first quarter of 2009.
According to Citigroup, GDP for 2010 is estimated at 4.2 per cent, while fiscal balance is forecast at minus five per cent in 2009 and minus 4.5 per cent in 2010.
GDP for quarter four 2008 is forecast at two per cent.

Despite the downgrade forecast by Citigroup, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop was earlier reported as saying that the government was confident that the country would not be experiencing a technical recession this year.

He said the country’s economic growth was expected to stay positive during the period from January to June this year based on the equity of the financial system which exceeds 13 per cent, total liquidity which is in billions of ringgit and the low non-performing loan (NPL) rate which is at about 2.5 per cent.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi "We are not having too much problem in the fourth quarter. Even the growth at two percent in the quarter, it would give us an average of more than five percent," he told reporters after opening the permanent secretariat of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation. ( Bernama)

Malaysia’s industrial output, which fell 7.7% in November last year from the same month in 2007, was worse than economists’ consensus estimates of a 6.4% fall. ( Star) - and will surely fall more in December 08, which means a high probability of a negative quarter.

Najib, Nor Yaakob and AAB has been championing the idea that Malaysia is insulated from the global recession/ depression since last year. Citing the strategy to sell products to China and India, they were not bothered to access the reality that both countries are also feeling a squeeze. Only at the end of the year, some conceded that there is very small, indirect effect but not the R-word. Recession is impossible! Especially during a by election. Hence, we are in the middle of January 2009 and the EPU has not submitted any data on the last quarter of 2008. Who wants to bet that the news won't be any good?

p.s. Singapore is transparent about its economic data when it showed its citizen that it was in recession and here are the plans. ( retraining, welfare, union enagement etc.). The Malaysia's ministry of labour till now has not come out with the framework on the retrenchment fund & guess the other ministers are still sleeping.

When Malaysian schoolchildren are forced to demonstrate

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Gaza madness has invaded our schools - www.malaysiakini.com

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) today slammed Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for plans to use schoolchildren to protest against the on-going crisis in Gaza. In a statement issued today, the party’s secretary-general, S Arutchelvan, said the organisers of the protest could also be accused of ‘exploiting’ the children, just like Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit) had been previously. Yesterday, English-daily New Straits Times reported that the education minister is planning a nation-wide protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza, involving about five million children and 360,765 teachers from more than 10,000 schools. Hishamuddin said the protest would prepare them for "global issues like peace, environment and the economic crisis". Arutchelvan, however, was not amused with the statement, arguing that the minister should get parental consent before involving children in such "dangerous" activities. "Do the children have consent from their parents as it seems that the minister has made the decision without even consulting the parents." (Source: Mkini)

JERIT got the brunt of the accusations by UMNO and Utusan for allegedly mis-using minors to demonstrate. Teenagers of 15-20 years old made their decision with their parent's consent yet they were caught by police and subjected to massive intimidation by the police force. The CPO of Selangor even claimed that the Sultan of Selangor is upset at the organisors. I wonder if the Sultan of Selangor is going to feel when 5 million schoolchildrens are forced to assemble or walk on the streets against their will and without their parent's approval.

• How can they be forced not to go to classroom on a schoolday when their primary task is to learn?
• And even if it is on a weekend, can the school authority force these children to participate?
  
• Are we teaching our children that demonstrations are ok, if government says so?

Here lies the hypocrisy of the current government. Children from primary and even until university are given the green light to engage in demonstration against Israel. Again, we are missing the forest for a tree. The decision makers are making a huge mistake by using a communist approach for a democratic right.