MCA up-righting negative discrimination

From Publius Melayu

The MCA has expressed fears that non-Malays will be sidelined if hiring quotas are enforced.

At least two grassroots leaders have stridently spoken out to oppose the government's requirement for public listed companies (PLCs) to provide a breakdown of their staff by race.

Kota Melaka MP Wong Nai Chi has issued a statement that non-Malay companies were worried that they would be forced to meet racial quotas for staff. The statement by Wong is quite telling, if not bringing things out into the open about the practice of racial discrimination in the staffing of PLCs.

The fact that non-Malays are crying foul over this only gives cogent explanation to the hidden practice of not considering Malays for positions over preference for non-Malays due to assumed and misguded incapabilities of the former.

By questioning such an arrangement, which was wrought following a study of the state of imbalance in the economy with reference to staffing ratio, the MCA is representing a scenario and status quo that speaks of another form of discrimination.

MCA Youth Economic Bureau chief, Datuk Henry Wong said the private sector relied solely on its own resources to hire personnel who can work most efficiently and productively for the company.

Just what did he mean by that? Is he implying that the Malays are below par in efficiency and productivity in the private sector? This kind of presumption is not doing any more good to improve the lot of the private sector staffing needs.

Lets look at the reality of the situation. This remedy needs to be invoked as it is for the good of the country and our well-being. Perhaps, it will only look threatening and discriminatory if one looks at it from blinkered perspectives based on morally corrupt views of equality in a country like Malaysia.

Kuota pengambilan pekerja syarikat awam: MCA membela diskriminasi negatif

Dipetik dari Publius Melayu

MCA telah melahirkan kebimbangan kaum bukan Melayu akan tersisih sekiranya kuota pengambilan pekerja dikuatkuasakan oleh kerajaan.

Sekurang-kurangnya dua pemimpin akar-umbi parti itu kini mempersoal dan menentang syarat kerajaan supaya syarikat-syarikat awam mendedahkan analisis sebenar nisbah kakitangan mengikut kaum.

Ahli Parlimen Kota Melaka Wong Nai Chin mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa syarikat-syarikat awam bimbang mereka akan dipaksa memenuhi kuota tersebut. Kenyataan Wong itu berbaur diskriminasi selain mendedahkan amalan selama ini di mana syarikat-syaraikat awam seringkali mengamalkan diskriminasi dalam pengambilan pekerja.

Dengan tindakan membantah dan bersuara lantang mengenai perkara ini, ia jelas sekali memberi kesahihan kepada tanggapan diskriminasi di mana calon-calon Melayu yang memohon mana-mana jawatan diketepikan untuk memberi peluang kepada yang bukan Melayu. Amalan ini berlaku kerana didorong andaian dan persepsi pincang majikan syarikat-syarikat awam bahawa calon berbangsa Melayu tidak berkebolehan dan tidak layak untuk diambil bekerja.

Juga dengan mempersoalkan perkara yang telah dikaji dan diselidik berdasarkan fakta-fakta terperinci oleh kerajaan ini, MCA seolah-olah mempertahankan pendirian asal yang sememangnya berbaur diskriminasi.

Ketua Biro Ekonomi Pemuda MCA, Datuk Henry Wong berkata sektor swasta hanya bergantung pada sumber sendiri dalam soal pengambilan pekerja, dan dalam konteks ini mereka akan hanya mengambil calon yang paling efisien dan produktif.

Apa sebenarnya yang di maksudkan oleh Ketua Biro Ekonomi MCA itu? Apakah dia membayangkan seolah-olah orang Melayu tidak setaraf daripada segi kecekapan dan produktiviti dalam sektor swasta? Tanggapan seperti ini tidak akan dapat mencorakkan agenda dan suasana pengambilan pekerja di kalangan syarikat-syarikat awam.

Lihatlah kepada realiti keadaan masakini. Sesuatu penyelesaian perlu diambil segera demi negara dan kesejahteraan semua bangsa. Perkara-perkara seperti ini akan hanya ditafsirkan sebagai diskriminasi jika seseorang itu melihatnya dari perspektif dan pandangan sempit serta korup di segi moral dalam sebuah negara seperti Malaysia.

A-G slams Lada over handling of housing project

The Langkawi Development Board (Lada) spent about RM78,000 over 15 months to repair and maintain houses that were unsold under its public housing project, the Auditor-General reported. 

It said there were 200 medium-cost units, 134 medium-low-cost units, 80 low-cost units and 200 Melayu Islam Kedah units. However, by November last year, there were still 323 units that were unsold, the report stated. 

"From the day the houses were completed in July 2005, to October 2006, Lada spent RM12,548 to repair the houses and RM65,696 to maintain the compound and surrounding areas. "Due to poor sales, the houses were broken into and damaged although there were security systems," the report said, adding that there was vandalism, and that bushes had grown all over the houses. 

It also said that the Property and Buildings Management Unit estimated that an additional cost of RM60,000 was needed for repairs and RM50,000 for maintenance. "This means Lada needs RM110,000 to rehabilitate and maintain the houses before the houses can be sold," the report said. 

The AG also reported that the projected returns for the 614 units were RM38.15mil but until October last year, the returns were only RM6.15mil. 

"The Auditor cannot find out the number of houses sold as well as the actual returns from the sales of the houses because Lada did not maintain its accounts and sales record," said the AG in the report. "The board of directors were also inefficient and held only one to two meetings in a year to discuss the progress of the project," the report stated. 

Based on the minutes of the meetings, the AG found that the sales committee never went into details about the sales of the houses and action that needed to be taken. The AG said Lada should take action against officers who failed to record the collection of sales and keep proper accounts. 

"There should also be an aggressive promotion to sell the houses through electronic media, radio, television and brochures," it said. 

Few questions on the disturbance in Kuala Terengganu last night

From Publius Melayu

The riot that broke out in Kuala Terengganu during a ceramah session last night begs for a few questions to be answered sensibly.

As a loyal and patriotic Malaysian (read: a patriot to the country.period!) who have just witnessed the nation's 'coming of age' at 50, I just will not allow myself to blindly believe what have thus far been reported in opposition blogs and alternative news websites.

Picking on succulent news bites, the citizen journalists who are mostly not witnesses to the melee were swift to embellish their reports based on 'spur of the moment' accounts of the incident. Beginning from some so-called eye witness accounts, the reports would take a life of its own through the ether and cyber space.

I am not taking sides as I am very much apolitical in my stand. However, given the gravity of the situation as well as the need to maintain public order, I would not blame the police for taking action.

Let us look back the few months of this year. Do we still remember the incessant reports that spoke of almost relentless escalation in violence, apathy and alleged non-action or by the authorities in fighting crime? Yes, our concerns supported by the reports brought forth through blogs and the mainstream media had prompted the authorities to come down seemingly hard on the under world. The blitz carried out by the police is on-goin without a let-up as yet.

In the midst of all these, can we ask ourselves whether are quite pacified by the proactiveness of the law enforcers? It is better than allowing our neighbourhoods to fall into the hands of gangsters.

Again, amidst all these many of us are quick to point fingers at the same law enforcers for carrying out their duties in trying to prevent an untoward occurrence, which incidentally did happen last night in Batu Burok, Kuala Terengganu. No, the police did not act without warning. The organisers were told to get a permit but they evidently had failed to heed this advice. They were told to hold their ceramah at Rusila, further down the road, and preferably within an enclosed area. All these advice went unheeded, however.

No, I just will not buy the suggestion that the police acted brutal to spark off the incident. No one in their right mind would want to do so under such circumstances as unnecessary aggression and violence will only be counter-productive in the light of all-out attempts by the police to get closer to the communities.

How else can they break up the gathering if all their calls and warnings were not heeded?Under such circumstances I believe the police would have excercised restraint that went beyond the necessary. And as for the shots that were fired, what would you do if you as a policeman are threatened and believe your life to be in danger? You may shoot into the air but there would be circumstances where this may not happen as required by procedures. It all depends on the situation.

Let us also look back at the fracas between the police and the pig farmers in Melaka recently. TV footagec clearly showed the amount of restraint the police excercised eventhough they were physically resisted by the protesters, who even threatened to use petrol bombs, etc.

There must be something congenitally wrong with anyone of us who sees all these in a blinkered way.

 

Nazri minta NUJ tubuh Majlis Media

Dipetik dari Publius Melayu

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz menyarankan kepada Kesatuan Kebangsaan Wartawan Malaysia (NUJ) supaya menubuhkan Majlis Media Malaysia yang berfungsi sebagai mekanisme kawalan etika pengamal media dan penetapan standard kewartawanan di negara ini.

Katanya ia perlu dianggotai para pengamal media yang bertanggungjawab terhadap pengamal profesion terbabit selain bertindak sebagai saluran kepada awam untuk membuat sebarang aduan terhadap wartawan atau pengamal media berhubung laporan mereka.

Nazri berkata 'watchdog' seperti ini penting kerana Malaysia sebuah negara berbilang kaum. Katanya lagi kebebasan media yang mutlak tidak wujud di mana-mana di dunia.

Mungkin ada kebenaran pada apa yang dikatakan Nazri, tetapi di sebalik itu ada juga rational lain berhubung isu kebebasan ini. Walaupun kebebasan mutlak tidak ada, namun media perlu diberikan ruang untuk bergerak dan menulis secara 'bebas.' Bebas dalam konteks ini ialah melaporkan berita dengan penuh tanggung-jawab terhadap pelbagai senstiviti.

Jika dilihat dari satu aspek, badan kawalan tidak perlu kerana memang sudah ada pelbagai rang undang-undang untuk mengawal sebarang kesalahan yang berlaku dalam dunia kewartawanan di Malaysia. Yang penting ialah penguatkuasaan.

Sebagai contoh, blogger-blogger pembangkang dan anarkis di internet secara terbuka melanggar undang-undang dengan tohmahan, spekulasi tidak berasas dan macama-macam lagi. Kerajaan selalu berkata segala apa yang 'dedahkan' mereka di laman web dan blog adalah pembohongan dan tidak benar belaka. Jika ini terbukti benar, mengapa tidak diambil tindakan segera?

Alasan bahawa server atau alamat domain berada di luar jurisdiksi perundangan Malaysia tidak boleh dilayan kerana apa yang ketara dan nyata, sebilangan besar dari mereka ini berada di sini dan identiti masing-masing tidak disembunyikan.

 

Dr Det fine after ops

From Publius Melayu

According to the latest update from Marina Mahathir, which was sent to Jeff Ooi's Screenshots a while ago, Tun is stable in the Intensive Care Unit. The operation was reported to have gone smoothly.

Doa untuk Dr Det

Masih ingat semasa saya kanak-kanak. Ayah bergegas menghantar saya dalam hujan ribut ke klinik Dr Det kerana mengalami bengkak dikepala yang memerlukan rawatan segera.

Dr Det, dengan senyuman dan kata-kata memberangsangkan begitu menarik perhatian saya dan tanpa disedari pisau bedahnya dengan pantas memotong bisul di kepala. Saya masih ingat wajah Dr Det dengan stetoskop dileher dan senyuman sebelum kami beredar.

Kini Dr Det menjalani pembedahan jantung di IJN. Rasa begitu sebak kerana pada usia 82 tahun apakah tubuh itu dapat mengharungi prosedur tersebut? Saya berserta jutaan yang lain berdoa untuknya...doa untuk seorang ayah.

Nota: Ayah saya yang sekelas, sebaya dan juga antara sahabat rapat Dr Det semasa di Alor Star kembali ke rahmatullah pada 1990.