NILAI SEBUAH MARUAH

Nazri nafi letak jawatan

PARIT BUNTAR 4 April – Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz menafikan dakwaan sesetengah pihak kononnya beliau akan meletakkan jawatan sebagai Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri dalam tempoh terdekat.

Menurutnya, dakwaan itu tidak benar sama sekali dan beliau akan terus memegang jawatan tersebut selagi diperlukan oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

‘‘Saya masih di sini sebab UMNO tidak kalah, Barisan Nasional (BN) juga tidak kalah. Saya sendiri masih menang dan kekal sebagai Ahli Parlimen Padang Rengas,” katanya.

Beliau menyatakan demikian kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan bantuan wang tunai antara RM500 hingga RM3,000 kepada 124 mangsa ribut daerah Kerian di sini hari ini.

Beliau sebelum itu diminta mengulas desas-desus bahawa beliau akan meletakkan jawatan sebagai menteri dalam tempoh terdekat.

Antara sebab beliau dikatakan wajar meletakkan jawatan adalah kerana kelantangannya di Parlimen telah menyebabkan ramai yang tidak menyukai sikapnya itu hingga pengundi menolak BN pada pilihan raya umum lalu.

Komen: Di negara Jepun, bagi mereka yang pernah bekerja atau melawat ke sana, maruah diri merupakan aspek terpenting dalam kehidupan orang Jepun. Tidak hairanlah jika mereka menemui kegagalan dalam suatu perkara, mereka tidak keberatan bukan setakat letak jawatan, malah mengambil nyawa sendiri. Kita tidaklah mencadangkan individu membunuh diri jika gagal dalam suatu perkara, cuma hendak menyatakan betapa tinggi maruah diri/ harga diri seorang insan berbangsa Jepun beragama Shinto. Masa era DR M dulu, polisi pandang ke timur begitu hebat diperkatakan rakyat dan pemimpin, tetapi kini sudah lesu dan dingin. "Hikmah adalah barang yang hilang dari orang Mukmin, ambillah ia di mana kamu temui", maksud hadith.

Di negara kita, berlakulah apa saja, sebut apa saja, jambatan runtuh, feri karam, tanah runtuh, pelaburan rugi, kilang meletup, bank bankrap, kanak-kanak maut, kapal selam tenggelam, jet pejuang terhempas, payung terjun tak terbuka dan lain-lain musibah, jangan mimpi malam atau siang pihak yang bertanggungjawab akan meletakkan jawatan. Pasal terima pujian atau penghargaan merekalah yang pertama mengaku buat itu dan ini, tapi bila sesuatu yang tak kena berlaku, itu bukan salah saya.

Kenapa berat sangat nak lepas jawatan? Sebab "so much and so many at stake". Inilah masanya nak buat harta, murah rezeki, peluang banyak, kabel kuat, projek atas bawah kiri kanan, komisyen tak habis makan dan bermacam-macam lagi keistimewaan serta manfaat. Bodoh, tak ada otak le nak lepas tak pasal-pasal.

Read More “NILAI SEBUAH MARUAH”  »»

GUNA TENAGA

Perangkaan Tenaga Buruh Malaysia 2007 yang diambil dari laman web Jabatan Statistik Malaysia di bawah ini merupakan laporan terperinci Jabatan tentang maklumat mengenai tenaga buruh . Tujuan utama kita muatkan dalam blog ini ialah untuk menunjukkan betapa pentingnya maklumat yang tepat, terkini dan pantas dalam membuat sesuatu keputusan, khususnya bagi para pentadbir, pembuat polisi dan ahli korporat. Kaedah saintifik dalam membuat keputusan dan peruntukan belanjawan untuk sesuatu agenda, perancangan atau isu dapat mengelakkan pembaziran serta kekurangan dan menjamin kejayaan, Insya Allah.

Information obtained from the Labour Force Survey provides input for analysing the labour market situation and for formulating, implementing and monitoring the policies and programmes related to human resource development.

Terdapat agensi dan jabatan kerajaan di Malaysia yang kekurangan kakitangan untuk menguatkuasakan satu-satu undang-undang, contohnya Jabatan Alam Sekitar. Betapa banyak kilang, tapak pembinaan, loji, gudang, sungai dan sebagainya yang perlu dipantau dan diperiksa. Oleh kerana kekurangan kakitangan, jabatan bertindak hanya jika terdapat aduan orang ramai. Begitu juga dengan Jabatan Kesihatan, perkara yang sama berlaku. "Outsourcing" bukan tiada masalahnya. Memang benar ia mengurangkan beban kerajaan atau satu-satu syarikat swasta, namun jika "operasi" atau "fungsi" yang diambilalih syarikat atau organisasi luar itu "kritikal", maka sebarang masalah yang mungkin berlaku pada operasi atau fungsi berkenaan akan menjejaskan jabatan atau syarikat yang terlibat.

Menurut statistik, penduduk Malaysia di penghujung tahun 2006 adalah seramai 26.6 juta orang. Pada suku pertama tahun 2007, terdapat 10.8 juta tenaga buruh Di Malaysia , yang mana darinya seramai 365,400 (3.4%) merupakan penganggur. Terdapat 6,318,300 pekerja dari negara luar yang mengisi pelbagai jawatan di Malaysia. Di Selangor, terdapat 1.5 juta pekerja asing yang mencari rezeki dalam pelbagi sektor di negeri Darul Ehsan ini. YAB Menteri Besar Selangor bercadang untuk memperkenalkan surcaj sebanyak RM9 sahaja sebulan kepada majikan bagi setiap pekerja bertujuan mengisi dana pembangunan belia sekaligus mengurangkan jumlah pekerja asing di negeri maju ini. Pihak MTUC membantah cadangan ini atas alasan gaji yang kini diterima oleh pekerja asing sudah sedia rendah dan minimal. Sebarang bentuk potongan gaji akan menjejaskan taraf hidup golongan ini, kata MTUC.

Pada zahirnya, majikan lebih berminat untuk menggaji dan menggunakan tenaga luar negara atas beberapa alasan, pertama kosnya rendah, tanpa "overhead" lain seperti SOCSO dan KWSP, kedua golongan ini mudah di"kawalselia "dan tidak banyak karenah, ketiga sesetengah majikan mengarahkan pekerja asing melakukan pelbagai bidang tugas yang di luar jawatan hakiki mereka tanpa memberi imbuhan lain, keempat penggunan tenaga kerja luar negara memberi majikan kelebihan, kerana pekerja asing tidak memiliki kesatuan sekerja dan terikat secara longar dengan undang-undang buruh negara ini.

Sebenarnya, banyak isu boleh dibincangkan mengenai pekerja asing di Malaysia.

Read More “GUNA TENAGA”  »»

INDEKS JENAYAH MENINGKAT: KE ARAH NEGARA YANG TAK SELAMAT

KADAR JENAYAH DI MALAYSIA

-Berdasarkan kajian yang dibuat oleh suratkhabar Nanyang Siang Pau, hanya 50% mangsa jenayah membuat report polis. ,(Komen Penulis: Dalam kes kehilangan kad pengenalan atau dokumen penting yang memerlukan salinan report polis atau melibatkan tuntutan insurans laporan polis terpaksa dibuat )

-Ini bermakna statistik jenayah yang sebenar mencecah dua kali ganda daripada statistik jenayah yang direkodkan oleh pihak berkuasa.

-Faktor ekonomi/pengangguran merupakan antara faktor terpenting dalam kes-kes harta benda. Sekarang kenaikan harga barang?

-Kajian polis menjangkakan kadar jenayah akan terus meningkat untuk tahun-tahun yang akan datang berdasarkan trend semasa.

-Malaysia menjadi negara yang semakin tidak selamat untuk didiami.

-Kadar kebimbangan di kalangan penduduk terhadap kebarangkalian menjadi mangsa jenayah adalah tinggi.

-Berdasarkan kajian polis, berikut adalah faktor-faktor penyumbang peningkatan kadar jenayah: kekurangan anggota, peralatan polis yang kurang canggih, peralatan penjenayah yang canggih, korupsi polis dan kekurangan dana.

ROGOL

-Kes rogol telah meningkat 85% dari 2004 hingga ke 2007.

3177 vs 1718

Ini bermakna wanita Malaysia adalah 1.85 kali lebih risiko untuk dirogol pada 2007 berbanding 2004

SAMUN

-Kes samun (melibatkan kekerasan) telah meningkat sebanyak 61% atau 1.6 kali ganda pada 2007 berbanding 2004

24587 vs 15288

PECAH RUMAH

-Sebanyak 33599 kejadian pecah rumah direkodkan pada 2007 berbanding 24904 pada tahun 2004

- pertambahan 35%

- pertambahan 8695

Sumber: Statistik Polis DIraja Malaysia & Journal of the Kuala Lumpur Royal Malaysia Police College

JENAYAH INDEKS 2005-2007

JENAYAH KEKERASAN	2005		2006		2007
	Jumlah Kes	Kes Selesai	Jumlah Kes	Kes Selesai	Jumlah Kes	Kes Selesai
BUNUH	497	328	604	385	588	404
CUBA BUNUH	94	75	*	*	*	*
ROGOL	1,887	1,769	2,435	2,238	3,177	2,938
CABUL KEHORMATAN	*	*	2,023	1,646	*	*
SAMUN BERKAWAN BERSENJATA API	40	7	68	18	77	13
SAMUN BERKAWAN TANPA SENJATA API	1842	774	2,658	1,043	7,067	2,524
SAMUN BERSENJATA API	317	59	247	44	202	27
SAMUN TANPA SENJATA API	13,210	6,474	18,446	7,878	17,241	8,221
PEMERASAN	*	*	1,549	1,020	*	*
UGUTAN JENAYAH	*	*	6,336	4,972	*	*
MERUSUH	*	*	2,261	1,627	*	*
MENCEDERAKAN	4,246	3,546	5,716	4,582	6,806	5,465
JUMLAH	22,133	13,032	42,343	25,453	35,158	19,592
JENAYAH HARTA BENDA
CURI	34,317	19,626	37,128	20,099	44,617	23,520
CURI VAN/LORI/JENTERA BERAT	5,507	1,667	6,328	587	5,047	858
CURI MOTOKAR	9,711	4,532	11,101	2,935	12,427	3,096
CURI MOTOSIKAL	51,709	22,448	64,858	10,330	67,584	20,242
CURI RAGUT	9,617	5,325	9,551	4,264	11,127	4,339
PECAH RUMAH SIANG HARI	6,923	2,653	8,253	2,749	9,159	2,734
PECAH RUMAH MALAM HARI	17,542	7,001	19,060	6,864	24,440	7,889
JUMLAH	135,326	63,252	156,279	47,828	174,440	62,678
JUMLAH JENAYAH INDEKS	157,459	76,284	198,622	73,281	209,559	82,270

* Bukan Jenayah Indeks (BJI)

Read More “INDEKS JENAYAH MENINGKAT: KE ARAH NEGARA YANG TAK SELAMAT”  »»

INFLATIONARY SPIRAL CALMED BY ELECTION TSUNAMI

Package to keep inflation in check

By : Jennifer Gomez

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is working on a complete package to curb inflation, including putting more money into consumers' pockets and spreading the benefits of economic development to a wider pool of people.

International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Finance Ministry was studying how best to put the package together.

"(Second Finance Minister) Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop will come up with a full report on the new initiatives (to curb inflation)," he said after his visit to Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Berhad yesterday.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi chaired a meeting on inflation. Besides Muhyiddin and Nor Mohamed, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Amirsham A. Aziz, Economic Planning Unit director-general Datuk Seri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob and Treasury secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah.

Muhyiddin said Abdullah wanted the package ready as soon as possible. "What can be done sooner will be of benefit to the people."
Inflation in February accelerated 2.7 per cent year-on-year, the fastest pace in 12 months, led by increases in food prices.

Meanwhile, an analyst with Kenanga Investment Bank said the most obvious way to curb inflation for the time being was not to cut subsidies as they kept prices stable in the interim period.

However, she concurred with the World Bank statement that subsidies should be "temporary and targeted to ensure they do not place an onerous burden on government and divert resources from essential sectors".

She warned that Malaysians would eventually have to face the consequences of subsidy cuts.

"The whole scenario has changed since the elections. If before, we were bracing for a cut in subsidies this year, now given the impact of the election results, the government has to postpone plans for any cut this year."

She expected a subsidy cut next year at the earliest.

CIMB Investment Bank chief economist Lee Heng Guie felt that the government should review the effectiveness of price controls to determine whether they had outlived their purpose.

"The objective of price controls is to ensure that prices of essential items remained stable. But the government should also look at allowing market forces to determine pricing. For instance, by giving more licences to manufacturers, it would lead to better competition and prices would be competitive as well."

Lee said policymakers needed to look and analyse the source of the inflation to determine the causes of rising prices in the last few months in order to come up with the right strategies going forward.

"If you look around, the increase in the cost of raw materials largely contributed to the increase in the price of goods. It's more cost-driven inflation rather than demand-pull".

Read More “INFLATIONARY SPIRAL CALMED BY ELECTION TSUNAMI”  »»

WHY WE NEED OPPOSITION: A CASE IN POINT

THE LONG AWAITED REFORM. HAS CORRUPTION BEEN IN THE WAY OF REFORM?

PRICE MANIPULATION: Stern measures needed by Melati Mohd Ariff, BERNAMA:

Malaysian consumers can now heave their sigh of relief after the newly-appointed Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, Datuk Shahrir Samad said the government may import goods to overcome shortage and price increase.

He said this method curbs price manipulation by local traders and producers, who all this while ’pull the strings’ to determine the goods’ quantity and price in the domestic market.
The government’s stern move in dealing with the unscrupulous traders is eagerly waited by consumers, who have long being victimized by the irresponsible merchants, particularly during festive seasons.
“The government is responsible to ensure the well-being of all Malaysians.
Those in the lower-income group should be given assistance to enable them to meet the rising cost of living.
“Price of the controlled goods should be regulated by more progressive measures like opening the door to more importers”.

Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations’ (Fomca) chief executive and secretary-general, Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah told Bernama this when commenting on Shahrir’s statements on the government’s possible moves to curtail price manipulation of goods.

PRICE CONTROL

Muhammad Sha’ani said a loose price-control that does not take into account the production, import and opportunity costs like what happened to palm oil, would become a bane for producers to continue supplying the commodity for domestic consumers. He said as those who depend on profit for survival, the traders could not afford to take losses.
“If the traders could not obtain a reasonable profit margin, then they will raise the price. If the price is controlled, then they will stop production or the import.
“There are producers like those for steel bars and cement who are forced to sell their wares at controlled prices but had to impose various extra charges in order to meet the production costs.
In this case, issuance of import licenses and permits would boost supply and stabilize the retail prices.

He said the move would provide local producers the thrust to improve quality and marketing of their products.
“For example, sugar and wheat flour are imported by several companies granted permits. These ’few’ are able to easily influence the market price (KUOK family)
“And in a monopoly-like market, they will not try to look for alternative supply sources to make the price for sugar and wheat flour more competitive,” he said.
In the case of the chicken, where the production cost does not jump when there is a hike in demand, the producers still demand for higher price.
“Such a situation should be monitored and a preliminary measure should be in place to allow for seasonal imports to control price surge during festive seasons,” said Muhammad Sha’ani.

SMALL MARKET

Muhammad Sha’ani said the suppliers are able to manipulate the domestic market, as Malaysia is a small country.
“The few number of importers and producers enable them to function as a cartel, like claiming their respective areas, distribution, fixing of price and quantity of goods”, he said.
He said if the government imposes price control over the standard goods, the producers would stop producing the items.
Then, the producers will move to non-standard items like vitamin-enriched wheat flour and bread to circumvent the price-control regulations.
Despite being a mechanism to safeguard the interest of lower-income earners, price control also cuts down the incentives for producers.
“There are times when producers totally stop their supply of standard goods, forcing consumers to purchase essential items at higher price as they have no other choices, said Muhammad Sha’ani.
“This situation is worse in the rural areas as consumers have no other alternatives in terms of shops and rural traders also depend on smalltime distributors for their supply,” he said.
However it is unfair if legal action is taken against retailers as wholesalers and distributors control the price, said Muhammad Sha’ani.
"Strict legal measures disrupt supply of essential goods for consumers in rural areas,” he said.

FOMCA’S CALL

Muhammad Sha’ani said price control has its own costs in terms of enforcement, subsidies, leakages like smuggling, and usage in other sectors that are not supposed to benefit from the mechanism as well as supply inefficiency.
At the same time, price control also benefits those in the higher-income group as they use the goods in much higher quantities as compared to the low-income earners.
“The subsidized raw materials are used to produce export products and this actually benefits foreign users who acquire the products,” he said.
He said if the subsidies are to be withdrawn, it should be done in stages.
Muhammad Sha’ani said a mechanism for cost of living support for the lower-income earners should be implemented based on the per capita income.
He said the assistance and support programmes for all public transport operators in order to slash handling costs and improve consumers’ comfort.
"For example, provide assistance and grants for all public transport vehicles to switch liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
“Interest-free loans can be issued to all public transport operators to enable them to change their 15-year-old buses. The bus’ price can be obtained from vehicles’ suppliers via the open tender system,” said Muhammad Sha’ani.
He said, Fomca calls for all licenses for petty trading and hawkers’ premises be limited for the period between three and five years and barred from being leased out to third parties.

N.B TO PREVENT SMUGGLING OF SUBSIDISED ITEMS, MORE PERSONNEL IN THE MARINE POLICE, CUSTOM DEPT, UNIT KAWALAN KAWASAN PERSONNEL SHOULB BE RECRUITED TO BEEF UP THE FORCE. DO WHAT IT TAKES TO REDUCE AIR, LAND, SEA SMUGGLING.

NB. TO DISCOURAGE SMUGGLING OF SUBSIDISED ITEMS LIKE PETROL AND DIESEL, HEAVIER PENALTIES SHOULD BE IMPOSED ON THE CONVICTED CROOKS AND THEIR ASSETS CONFISCATED.

Read More “WHY WE NEED OPPOSITION: A CASE IN POINT”  »»

SUHAKAM FEELS IGNORED BY PARLIAMENT

This report is obtained from NSTonline. It highlights the apathy of Malaysian Parliament pertaining to issues of human rights, police brutality and violation of justice.

Suhakam vice-chairman Tan Sri Simon Sipaun (left) lamenting the fact that 11 annual reports submitted to parliament have never been debated by MPs. Seated next to him is Suhakam commissioner Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh Onn Kheng.

KOTA KINABALU: Is the Human Rights Commission relevant to Malaysians?

This may have been uppermost in the minds of participants at a dialogue yesterday in the wake of a discouraging evaluation of its effectiveness by a senior official.

Vice-chairman Tan Sri Simon Sipaun said none of the 11 annual reports submitted by Suhakam to parliament had been debated.

He said only a handful of complaints had been amicably resolved "with response from the authorities being very discouraging".

In 2006, Suhakam received 723 complaints, of which 501 were from Sabah, 124 were from Peninsular Malaysia and the remainder from Sarawak.
In Sabah and Sarawak, most of the cases involved land disputes. In the peninsula, they were mostly related to the police.

Last year, Suhakam received 301 complaints in Sabah.

Sipaun said it was a pity that the annual reports had not been debated in parliament as they contained, among others, Suhakam's recommendations on human rights issues and violations.

"I expect members of parliament to persistently remind the government to act on Suhakam's recommendations," he said, hoping that a national human rights action plan would be implemented in future.

The government had previously turned down the idea insisting that the Federal Constitution was adequate.

Sipaun said that while Suhakam did not have enforcement powers, this was not unusual as most human rights institutions worldwide were in similar circumstances.

"However, their recommendations are highly regarded by the judiciary and they command a lot of respect and influence."

He said the commission was pushing for recommendations to the government and judiciary to be taken seriously.

"It is very difficult, but we are hoping that through our connections and commissioners who are former judges we will be able to get the authorities to be more receptive to our recommendations."

Also present were Suhakam commissioners Dr Chiam Heng Keng, Datuk Choo Siew Kioh, Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh Onn Kheng and Datuk Khalid Ibrahim.

Read More “SUHAKAM FEELS IGNORED BY PARLIAMENT”  »»

DEBT MANAGEMENT: NST ADVICE

In today's society, being in debt seems almost inevitable.

Not many of us are able to buy a house or a car outright with cash.

Instead, we apply the 90/10 formula — that is, 90 per cent loan with 10 per cent down payment for these purchases.

Some people even go as far as 100 per cent financing with no money down.

In fact, we can apply the very same formula in almost every consumer items, from home furnishings to electrical appliances to even vacations.

This is mainly attributed to the increasingly consumer-driven society we live in, coupled with all those “Easy-Payment Instalment Schemes”that are widely offered. Before we realise it, we find ourselves going deeper and deeper into debt.

Let us identify some of the sources of our debts.

When it rains, it pours

Although overspending seems like an obvious culprit, there are many other factors that can contribute to financial debt. For example, unexpected life circumstances such as a divorce, major illness, unemployment or accidental injury compounding the problem.

Suddenly,wemay find it challenging to keep up with our monthly payments, and incur even more debt from late fees and interest payments.

We are plunged into helpless and stressful situation that affects critical areas of our life. Our relationship with our families and friends would be strained.

Our work may suffer and we may eventually lose our job.

Bills keep piling up and reminders keep pouring into our mailbox. We have no one to turn to except our “everfriendly” Mr Ah Long.

This would be the start of a sad and sob story, end of our financial freedom and the beginning of a never-ending financial bondage. As the saying goes: “It doesn’t rain but pours.” In order to start on the right track to reducing your debt load and managing that debt effectively, you have to be honest with yourself about howyou are currently handling your finances. Ask yourself these three questions:

•Am I ever late on paying the rent/mortgage payments?

•Am I constantly dipping into my savings account to cover some bills?

•Am I starting to use credit cards for purchases I used to make using cash?

If you have answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you may need to reassess howyou are managing your debt, and educate yourself on ways to improve it.

Let’s take a look at how we can manage our debts wisely.

Effective strategies for debt management

Determining a solid strategy to reduce your debt will help you to stay on track and reach your financial goals. Stay on target with these suggestions:

• Make a commitment to go no further into debt

This means that all your future purchases must be made in cash and if you don’t trust yourself with all those plastic cards, cut them up immediately.

• Create an emergency buffer

Normally, financial planners will recommend putting aside sufficient funds to tide over three to six months’ expenses. In this way, you’ll be able to hold to your commitment when other “surprises” pop up.

• Develop a realistic budget

This should include the monthly amount dedicated to debt repayment (which should be the first item on the list of expenses). Here, you’d need to cut-off all those “nice-to-have” items and focus on eliminating your debts first

• Create a realistic repayment schedule

In creating this schedule, we’d first need to prioritise our debts, beginning with the ones with the highest interest charges, while ensuring the required minimum repayment is made to the rest.

After settling the first one, move on to the next until all debts are eliminated. Some people may prefer to start with the smallest loan and work their way to the bigger ones later.

Use the strategy that works best for you but do remember to give yourself a small treat after repaying each debt and a bigger treat at the end of it all.

You truly deserve it.

• Be accountable to someone special

Nothing drives you more than doing something for your loved ones. They will be able to give you the required moral and emotional support to help you stay on track.

• Set up a visual system to show your progress

This can be in the form of a chart or graph that shows your declining debt balances each month. Paste it right in front of the television, on the refrigerator or even in the toilet! It will not only serve as a reminder but more importantly as a motivating factor to spur you on till you eliminate all your debts What a big relief! Finally, you ’re debt free and can feel a heavy load off your back. This may take from one to five years but make a vow to yourself to never ever get trapped into this situation again.

Continue on with that discipline and use the amount that you’d allocated toward your debt for other productive purposes like saving for your retirement or perhaps paying your mortgage off early.

If you are currently in debt, educating yourself on ways to become debt-free and sticking to those methods is the key to living a healthy financial life.

Agensi Kaunseling Dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) is an agency set up by Bank Negara Malaysia to provide financial education, credit counseling and debt restructuring services to individuals. All services offered by AKPK are free of charge. For further information, please visit www.akpk.org.my or call us toll free at 1-800-88-2575.

Read More “DEBT MANAGEMENT: NST ADVICE”  »»

? I.K.I.M. USED FOR WHAT AGENDA

April 04, 2008 23:39 PM

IKIM Capable Of Explaining Islam To Non-muslims

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM) is a credible institution to explain about Islam to non-Muslims.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said IKIM could help translate the philosophy and principles of Islam Hadhari into action as many people failed to understand them.

He said that to this end, the "inter-faith dialogue" organised by IKIM was a good effort.

"Many people had related the poor election result to Islam Hadhari as it had different meanings for different people," added Zahid, following a visit to IKIM here Friday.

He was accompanied by his deputy, Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim.

Read More “? I.K.I.M. USED FOR WHAT AGENDA”  »»

EXCO BAYANGAN PEMBANGKANG SELANGOR

Wakil Rakyat BN bentuk Exco bayangan diketuai Dr Khir

SHAH ALAM, Jumaat 4 April : Barisan Nasional (BN) Selangor membentuk Exco bayangan bertujuan menjadi pembangkang yang kuat selain berhasrat membela nasib rakyat tanpa mengira kaum di negeri itu yang kini dikuasai Pakatan Rakyat. Kesemua 20 Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) BN yang menang pada pilihan raya umum lalu, bertanggungjawab sebagai Exco dan timbalan Exco setelah semuanya bersetuju berbuat demikian dalam mesyuarat bersama Adun BN pada 24 Mac lalu. Mesyuarat itu juga bersetuju membentuk Jawatankuasa Pembangkang Selangor diketuai bekas Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo sebagai Ketua Pembangkang. Beliau turut memegang portfolio yang disandang Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim iaitu Pembangunan Tanah, Kewangan, Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Selangor (MTES), Belia dan Sukan. Datuk Mohamad Satim Diman (Adun Seri Serdang) dilantik Timbalan Ketua Pembangkang, manakala Datuk Mohd Shamsudin Lias (Sungai Burung) Setiausaha dan Bendahari. Bercakap dalam sidang media di sini, hari ini Dr Mohamad Khir berkata, portfolio yang disandang setiap Adun BN itu berdasarkan portfolio Kerajaan Selangor sekarang ini. Katanya, Exco bayangan itu akan memantau pentadbiran kerajaan campuran PKR, Dap dan PAS serta membangkang jika ada tindakan yang tidak menguntungkan rakyat. “Kita bersedia memberi sokongan jika ada keputusan yang membawa kebaikan kepada negeri dan rakyat,” ujarnya. Katanya, kerajaan negeri sekarang diberikan tempoh 100 untuk mentadbir dan selepas itu sebagai pembangkang, semua Adun BN akan menentang perbuatan yang merugikan rakyat dan negeri. "Kita akan jadi pembangkang yang baik. Mana yang tidak baik kita akan tegur dan mana yang baik untuk rakyat dan negeri, kita akan sokong," katanya di sini, hari ini. Dalam pada itu katanya, semua Exco bayangan sedia mengisytiharkan aset jika diarah berbuat demikian bagi mengikut langkah kerajaan negeri. Bagaimanapun, menurut Dr Mohamad Khir, pengisytiharan itu perlu membabitkan semua ahli keluarga tanpa pengecualian kepada anak Exco berumur lebih 21 tahun. Katanya, pengecualian itu bertentangan Akta Pencegahan Rasuah 1997 yang menetapkan semua ahli keluarga yang ada pertalian darah mengisytiharkan harta tanpa pengecualian. "Pengecualian kerajaan negeri ini membolehkan anak Exco ada kepentingan dalam bidang tertentu. Kita berharap Menteri Besar bertindaklah dengan mematuhi Akta Pencegahan Rasuah," katanya. Dr Mohamad Khir berkata, beliau dan Exco kerajaan negeri terdahulu juga sedia membuat pengisytiharan harta kepada Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri (SUK) jika diminta kerana tiada maklumat yang perlu disembunyikan. Senarai Exco Bayangan BN Selangor : 1. Exco Pembangunan Tanah, Kewangan, MTES, Belia dan Sukan -Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo -Datuk Marsom Paing (timbalan) 2. Exco Hal Ehwal Islam, Adat Melayu, Infrastruktur dan Kemudahan Awam -Datuk Abdul Rahman Palil -Datuk Mohamad Busro Mat Johor (timbalan) 3. Exco Permodenan Pertanian, Pengurusan Sumber, Pembangunan Usahawan dan Pembangunan Luar Bandar -Datuk Raja Ideris Raja Ahmad - Hasiman Sidom (timbalan) 4. Exco Perumahan, Pengurusan Bangunan dan Setinggan, Kerajaan Tempatan, Kajian dan Penyelidikan -Datuk Mohamad Satim Diman -Johan Abdul Aziz (timbalan) 5. Exco Pelaburan, Perindustrian dan Perdagangan -Datuk Mohamad Idris Abu Bakar -Datuk Subahan Kamal (timbalan) 6. Exo Kesihatan, Kerja Ladang, Kemiskinan dan Kerajaan Prihatin -Datuk Dr Abdul Karim Mansor -Sulaiman Razak (timbalan). 7. Exco Pelancongan, Hal Ehwal Pengguna dan Alam Sekitar -Datuk Mohamad Shamsudin Lias -Datuk Warno Dogol (timbalan) 8. Exco Pendidikan, Pendidikan Tinggi dan Pembangunan Modal Insan -Datuk Amiruddin Setro -Mohd Isa Abu Kassim (timbalan) 9. Exco Pembangunan Kampung Baru dan Penyelesaian Kilang Haram -Yap Ee Wah -Ismail Sani (timbalan) 10. Exco Kebajikan, Hal Ehwal Wanita, Teknologi dan Inovasi -Abdul Shukor Idrus

Read More “EXCO BAYANGAN PEMBANGKANG SELANGOR”  »»

PENAGIHAN DADAH: STATISTIK PEMADAM 2005

Imej di bawah telah diambil dari laman web PEMADAM yang memaparkan statistik Jan -Dis 2005 serta profil penagihan dadah di Malaysia mengikut kategori (1) Taburan penagih menurut negeri- Pulau Pinang jadi juara (2) Jumlah penagih mengikut status kes - kes ulangan lebih tinggi peratusnya (3) profil penagih mengikut jantina - lelaki lebih ramai, hampir 98% kes baru adalah lelaki, sementara 99% kes ulangan adalah dari kaum lelaki. (3) profil penagih mengikut bangsa: Melayu johan dengan 69% kes baru, 67% kes ulangan, dan 68% secara keseluruhan. (4) Profil mengikut umur ketika dikesan: bagi kes baru, kebanyakan di kesan ketika berumur 20-24 tahun dan untuk kes ulangan, ramai dikesan berumur 25-29 tahun (5) Profil penagih mengikut jenis dadah yang digunakan: bagi kes baru dan ulangan, kebanyakannya mengunakan heroin. (6) Profil penagih mengikut pekerjaan: kebanyakan penagih bekerja sebagai jurujual atau dalam bidang pembinaan

Read More “PENAGIHAN DADAH: STATISTIK PEMADAM 2005”  »»

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX: CARE TO KNOW?

The following notes have been copied from the Dept Of Statistics web site. Do you notice any anomaly in the "basket" of goods and services used to represent the average pattern of purchases? Refer to answer at the bottom of this posting please, for answer.

Technical Note On Consumer Price Index A. Introduction The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the percentage change through time in the cost of purchasing a constant “basket” of goods and services representing the average pattern of purchases made by a particular population group in a specified time period. The “basket” is of an unchanging or equivalent quantity and quality of goods and services, consisting of items for which there are continually measurable market prices over time. Changes in the costs of items in the basket are therefore due only to “pure” price movements, i.e. price movements that are not associated with changes in the quality and / or quantity of the set of consumer goods and services in the basket. This “basket” covers a wide range of goods and services, classified according to the United Nations “Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (COICOP)” in the following twelve groups: • Food and Non-alcoholic beverages • Alcoholic beverages and tobacco • Clothing and footwear • Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels • Furnishings, household equipment & routine household maintenance • Health • Transport • Communication • Recreation services & culture • Education • Restaurants & hotels • Misc. goods & services The Consumer Price Index for each region measures price changes from one time period to another within the specific region. Thus, while regional CPI show the movements of prices over time in each region they do not indicate price level differences between regions. Malaysia’s index is a composite index, weighted by regional expenditure weights of three regional indices computed separately for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. B. Coverage Commencing in January 2006, the weights used in the calculation of the CPI are based on the pattern of expenditure obtained from the Household Expenditure Survey conducted from June 2004 to May 2005. Based on the 2000 Population and Housing Census results, the number of price collection centres were increased from 116 to 135 which were made up of 87 urban centres and 48 rural centres. These comprise of 98 collection centres in Peninsular Malaysia, 19 collection centres in Sabah and 18 collection centres in Sarawak. C. Prices The prices used in the calculation of the CPI are retail prices irrespective of whether they are described as regular or special inclusive of all sales and excise taxes applicable to individual commodities. The prices are collected each month during a fixed time period. Prices are collected on a monthly basis for all items except for perishable food items where the collection is done on weekly basis. Rent at value is an exception where the prices are collected once in a quarter. The selection of outlets in which prices are to be collected is purposive (other than for rents) with the sample designed to cover outlets with high sales turnover. Prices of 460 items are used in the computation and these are obtained from about 20,000 retail outlets in Peninsular Malaysia, 2,200 outlets in Sabah and 2,400 outlets in Sarawak. D. Weights The weights used in the calculation of the Consumer Price Index are periodically updated. This procedure is necessary to ensure that the weights reflect changes in consumer expenditure pattern thereby maintaining the relevancy of the index. Annex 1 shows the comparison of the 2000 and 2005 expenditure weights used in the Consumer Price Index by major components for Malaysia. E. Time Base Consumer Price Index for Malaysia is expressed in terms of 2005 = 100. The 2005 base year became effective with the release of the January 2006 index. The basket of goods and services as well as the base period for the CPI, is revised approximately every 5 years to take into account the changes in household spending pattern. F. Rate of Change A rate of change representative of movement in prices may be derived in several ways. The current method of calculating CPI uses three measures of changes, i.e the percentage change between any given month and the same month a year ago (year-on-year); the current month over previous month (month-on-month) and the percentage change between annual average for the specific current year to the same fixed period on the previous year. The following example illustrates the computation of index point and percentage changes Index Point Change Consumer Price Index Less previous index 125.4 124.3 Percentage Change Index point difference divided by the previous index, multiplied by one hundred Equal to 1.1 125.4 – 124.3 = ----------------- x 100 124.3 = 0.9% G. Reconstructed Indices The average indices for the three years series from 2003 to 2005 shown in the respective tables 3, 4 and 5 in the current publication (2005=100) were reconstructed historically to reflect the introduction of the new “Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose (COICOP)” as compared to “Classification of Households Goods and Services (CHGS)” used in the previous years. With the release of the January 2006 index, the regional index (Malaysia, Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak) is computed based on the urban and rural regional indices using the respective regional composite weight. Answer: In the "basket" of goods and services, purchase of petrol, diesel and cooking gas have been omitted purposely or inadvertently. As we all know, the spiralling cost of petrol, diesel and cooking gas has multiplying effect and compounding effect on the cost of purhases of other goods and services. So, please take it with a grain of salt when THEY say "CPI has remained stable or has gone up by 0.5 percent".

Read More “CONSUMER PRICE INDEX: CARE TO KNOW?”  »»