Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

Many of us are very reluctant to venture out of our comfort zone. We prefer to do things the same way we always do. But come a day, we will have to respond to the changed and changing environment around us. ICT is like a tsunami rushing at us and there can be no escape. We have to embrace it.

This morning, a new bill, “Electronic Commerce Bill 2006” is tabled for first reading.

This bill seeks to provide for legal recognition of electronic messages used in commercial transactions, the use of the electronic messages to fulfill legal requirements and to enhance as well as to facilitate commercial transactions through the use of electronic means.

However nothing in this Act shall make it mandatory for a person to use, provide or accept any electronic message in any commercial transaction unless the person consents to the using, providing or accepting of the electronic message.

Among others, it provides for the affirmation of the legal effect, validity or enforceability of contracts formed by the use of an electronic message.

I find electronic transaction useful. But I always think ICT is so difficult to use. But like it or not, it is going to be an essential part of our lives. Well, thanks to ICT, I am able to experience new things (like blogging). Have no fear and embrace it.

There are 1,118,392 civil servants in our country as at 31 December 2005. This works out to about 4.3 percent of the total population of 26 million.

Although the government has pushed the privatization concept to lessen government’s financial burden and to reduce the size of the civil service, the figure shows that civil service has in fact grown by 14 percent the last five years.

In a reply to Nur Jazlan bin Mohamed (BN-Pulai), the PM Department said that in principle, the creation of civil service positions are based on the need of the Public Service and not based on racial considerations.

However, we have heard so many times in Parliamentary speeches that there was a need to Malaysianise the civil services because of the overwhelming presence of one racial group in the service.

We also get a situation when government’s counter services are almost paralyzed because most of the staff have to take leave to travel back to celebrate festivals.

The civil service is an important player in our country. That’s why PM has given much attention to improve public services with emphasis on better delivery system, new mindset, integrity, good governance and ethics.

Abdullah has put his political fortune on the success of his reform pledge and the effective implementation of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. He therefore needs efficient and effective public services to support him.

Much has been said by Abdullah on improving delivery system. There are some improvements here and there. But we are still far from transforming our civil services into a First World Service with a First World Mentality.

Here is the racial breakdown of our civil service:

Tahun Malay Cina India Bumi(non- Malay) Lain-lain Jumlah

2000 750,604 78,345 48,823 64,705 36,987 979,464
2001 755,431 82,026 50,308 66,312 40,471 994,548
2002 783,712 84,238 53,450 70,843 33,900 1,026,143
2003 829,221 101,831 56,560 82,311 10,963 1,080,886
2004 858,085 87,613 51,175 90,778 10,987 1,098,638
2005 880,204 85,204 49,711 92,338 10,935 1,118,392

The Prime Minister is just acting as a trustee and has no personal interest in the Penang Outer Ring Road project.

This is the reply to my question asking the PM whether it was appropriate for him to be director of the Penang Bumiputera Foundation that control 34% equity of the Penang Outer Ring Road project and whether there will be a review of the project by offering it through open tender system and financed by government’s fund.

The reply said that the PM is the chairman of the Foundation set up to raise the economic status of Bumiputera in Penang. The equity in the concessionaire would be offered to Kumpulan Perhubungan Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary company of the Foundation.

The government also said that the Cabinet has approved the award of the PORR contract to Peninsular Metro Works through privatization after thorough and comprehensive evaluation. Therefore the government will not reconsider other methods of financing the project.

Well, it is difficult to accept that PMW has passed through the stringent evaluation process. Other than being an Umno outfit and its political credentials, I think it has not proved itself on the technical and financial aspects in running this project.

Why can’t the government consider the Jelutong Expressway module? The developer builds the road in return of right to reclaim land for property development on both sides of the expressway. The road is also toll-free.

I have never changed my view of the PORR that it is Penang Umno’s crony capitalism at works.

This morning’s Question Hour was quite mundane until Question 7. The MP for Beluran Ronald Kiandee wanted to know the value of properties confiscated from convicts in accordance with Dangerous Drugs Act 1989.

The Deputy Home Affairs Minister Johari Baharom gave details of the value of properties seized.

Then MP for Bukit Gelugor Karpal Singh requested for a chance to pose a supplementary question and pointed out that the Deputy Minister has misled the House because there was no such Dangerous Drug Act 1989.As a veteran lawyer,Karpal has these details at his finger’s tips.

Thanks to ICT, Fong Po Kuan (Batu Gajah) was able to access Lawnet and she confirmed that there was no such Act and she conveyed the findings to Karpal, who was sitting next to her.

Karpal then “rose” on a Point of Order No.36 (12) that the Deputy Minister has misled the House.

Several BN members were unhappy over Karpal’s move. MP for Kinabatangan, the infamous Bung Mohktar then raised his voice to heckle Karpal.

He shouted, “Duduk, duduk,duduk!” Bung Moktar must be “blind” because Karpal was indeed seated as he has been confined to the wheelchair since the unfortunate road accident.

Bung Moktar then thundered, “You nasib baik tidak mati!”

Karpal, true to his firebrand personality, shouted back. Several of us joined in and asked the “Big Foot” from Kinabatangan to respect the Standing Orders.

Bung Moktar was still unrelenting and raised on top of his voice, “Mana ada 36(12), mana ada 36(12).”

He must be obviously ignorant that the House has approved several amendments last session, including the order cited by Karpal.

Speaker Ramli Ngah Talib seemed to have lost control over the proceedings as there was a shouting match between the two benches.

Finally, he put the House into order by asking both sides to refrain from using harsh words against each other.

The Chinese newspapers and online media broke the news. The authority has ordered the popular Chinese affairs “Ai, Start Speaking without hindrances” to be taken off the air from the government-owned radio station, AiFM.

I am a regular listener as the programme is on current soc-culture and even political issues and allows listeners to call in to voice their opinions on a selected hot topic.

Last month, I blogged that 100 percent of the listeners called in to object the government’s decision to allow Tenaga Nasional to raise the electricity tariff.

Among topics discussed over the air included the Mahathir’s criticism against the Prime Minister, the scenic bridge, Chinese education and issues closed to the hearts of the Chinese community.

I found the interactive session very helpful as it gives me an insight to the views of the Chinese community on current affairs. The air is usually opened for 30 minutes to allow listeners to call in or SMS their comments. Although only about 10 listeners could air their views each session, it nevertheless represents grassroots’ feelings.

I found very bold remarks uttered in the programme and some took the government or certain politicians to task for their failure in addressing certain problems faced by the community.

Last Friday’s session on the reduction in the size of classes in Chinese primary schools was emotional with one lady caller closed to tear when talking about problems in Chinese primary schools.

I was taken aback when the host also echoed similar sentiment and even made a remark that would land him into trouble.

I am not surprised that the higher up finally decided that they have had enough of these “nonsense” over a government radio station.

So much about new liberalism and freedom in the Abdullah Administration. When it matters most, the government will never failed to act. The higher up are watching, be aware.

The Ministry of International Trade and Industry today tabled a bill to enact a new Act (Safeguards Act 2006) to make provisions for investigation and determination of safeguard measures on products imported into Malaysia.

This Act shall be applied in conformity with the obligations of Malaysia under the Agreement Establishing the WTO, done in Marrakesh, on 15 April 1994, including the GATT 1994, and the Agreement on Safeguards.

It also deals with the appointment of an investigating authority to take action in respect of the initiation of safeguard measures on imported product into Malaysia.

Last session, several DAP MPs raised concern over the opening up of the water management services to foreign interests and called on the government to be extra careful over the possibility of losing our sovereignty.

We also expressed concern over the ongoing negotiations on the US-Malaysia FTA because we do not want to see our domestic industry losing out in this era of globalization.

While such safeguards are necessary, the country should look into improving ourselves and to have the competitive edge over our neighbours.

In essence, it is not how much we protect our industries from world competition but to ensure our products are competitive. Government policies, private initiatives and human resources development are all important aspects.

Who are the “Other Bumiputera” and Other Ethnic Groups” in Sabah? According to an answer to Teresa Kok (DAP Seputeh), the PM Department said that there are 436,300 “Other Bumiputera” and 143,500 “Other Ethnic Groups” in Sabah. These constituted 25.9 percent of the Sabah population.

The composition of ethnic groups in Sabah as of March 206:

Melayu 342,500 15.3%
Kadazan/Dusun 530,000 23.7%
Bajau 399,300 17.8%
Murut 98,400 4.4%
Bumiputera Lain 436,300 19.5%
Cina 287,200 12.8%
Lain-lain Etnik 143,500 6.4%
Jumlah Warganegara 2,237,100 100.0% (75.1%)
Bukan Warganegara 743,600 (24.9%)
Jumlah 2,980,700 (100.0%)

The question is who are the “Other Bumiputera” and “Other Ethnic Groups” that cannot be classified according to a particular ethnic group. Are these “citizens” non-indigenous to Sabah?

If one is to add the “Bukan Warganegara” category to the above figures, it would exceed 50 percent of the total population in Sabah.

It is an open secret that the number of foreigners in Sabah far exceeded the locals in a span of a few short years.

We heard about the Project M to give “false ICs to foreigners in Sabah for political purposes?

No wonder local indigenous people feel like strangers in their own land.

Dr Mahathir should know the truth about this project in Sabah.