Politics 101 Malaysia

As both Seputeh parliamentarian and Kinrara state assembly representative, Teresa Kok has had to deflect criticism that she has taken on too many political posts.

She explains the situation in an interview with Soon Li Tsin of malaysiakini and also talks about how she is managing the Selangor investment, industry and commerce portfolio. Tell us more about your state portfolio on investment, industry and commerce.

My job is to put investors in contact with the business community, to understand their problems, assist them and woo them to put their investments in Selangor. As you know Selangor is an industrialised state and our economic growth rate (about 6.4 percent) is slightly higher than the national rate (6 percent).

I have to learn about businesses, learn about economy and economic planning. It is not entirely new (to me) because I’ve learnt about investment and business from here and there. But this gives me the opportunity to know more about businesses in Malaysia and to be in touch with investors. So this is something new for me as I have been an activist for many years. ”Continued”

Exclusive interview by Fauwaz Abdul Aziz, malaysiakini, Mar 26.

The new Selangor menteri besar vows to pursue the allegations of wrongdoing against his predecessor. However, Khalid Ibrahim stresses on the importance of facts, and not sentiments.

Malaysiakini: What are your short-term and long term goals for Selangor?

Khalid Ibrahim: Selangor has got opportunities as much as challenges. One of the challenges is how to accommodate the growth in population. In Selangor and Federal Territory, the Malaysian population is around five million, while the total number of people is about eight million. At least 1.5 million of these people are foreign labourers.

They bring in economic resources to the state as well as social issues. I thought that over the years, if Selangor is to progress, we have to find ways and means to reduce our dependence on foreign labour. That is one of our objectives.

To solve that, I think we should also tackle the issue of employment among youth - those between the ages of 22 and 35. I want to make sure that all the youth in Selangor are eventually fully employed. What I want to do is to have a skills training programme to enhance the quality of the youth so that they can work in higher-income areas and be, for example, artisans such as specialised welders.

Young ladies can train to become nurses, dental assistants, or work as assistants in surgery rooms, for example. Young men could become audio and computer specialists, and move from low-skilled jobs to higher skilled jobs.

After two to three years in our programme, our target is for these youth to earn at least RM2,000 a month. If that happens, and say there were 500,000 youths in this programme, we would have reduced the income gap while at the same time create more consumer demand. ”Continued”

(synopsis of a forth-coming book)

Books have been written about Tun Daim Zainuddin, but not many people know who the real Daim is. He is famous for being taciturn. Everyone knows that Daim is the silent type; so silent, in fact, that the victims of his scheming and conniving have fallen like ten pins without ever knowing what hit them.

He has, on the quiet, made a career of shooting poison darts, laying booby traps. and knifing friend or foe in the back. His hand is never seen, but his mark is everywhere. Truth to tell, he has been at the root of many national crises, but his name has never been smudged, thanks to the wealth he wields and his bond of friendship with Dr. Mahathir.

Most members of Umno’s new generation are aware that Daim is an acquisitive millionaire and a macho man with a taste of young women, but they concede him these weaknesses because they see in him a clean and competent Economic Adviser to the Government.

But the generation of Harun Idris, Musa Hitam and Manan Othman to name just a few of the old hands - they are the ones to ask in order to discover who the real Daim is. It was Datuk Harun who plucked Daim up from the depths of failure in the salt business. Daim’s wife, Mahani and Harun’s wife, Salmah were good friends and an influential pair in the early 1970s. It was wife power that moved Harun to give Daim 160 acres of prime Kampung Pandan land. And thus Syarikat Maluri was born. ”Continued”

I hope the new governments of Penang, and especially, Perak and Selangor get the states’ accounts independently audited and then make the reports public.

AsiaSentinel, Jan 30.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is probably wrong if he is as confident as he says he is that that Malaysia is positioned to avert any negative fallout from a threatened US recession by virtue of trade with the rest of Asean, which on its surface outweighs that of the US.

Following the Davos conference in Switzerland, the prime minister pointed out that 86 percent of Malaysia’s GDP is domestically generated and added: “This has become one of our economic strengths (as we are no longer acutely dependent on external trade), and these strengths have come from the policies that we have drawn up and implemented, which are far-sighted.”

The speech and figures, probably prepared for him by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, are hardly realistic. ”Continued”

By Jed Yoong, AsiaSentinel, Jan 7.

With local oil and gas reserves diminishing and armed with close to RM30 billion (US$9.1 billion) in cash, Malaysia’s national oil company, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), is seeking to expand aggressively overseas. The company has little choice.

A top Ministry of Finance official told Asia Sentinel in November that Malaysia is expected to become a net importer of energy as early as 2011 – and it can look for stiff competition for additional supplies from China and India, which are roaming the planet tying up tracts in countries that include pariahs like Burma and Somalia.

Malaysia’s domestic crude oil and condensate reserves are officially estimated at about 4.8 billion barrels, a 19-year reserve. But falling production means imports will surpass exports in just three years. Total gas reserves are expected to last about 33 years. ”Continued”

Finally, Bank Negara is to do away with the one sen mentality. Hip, hip, horray!

I saw it coming.

Mr Prime Minister, do you need another feng sui master to get second opinion for a blessed election date?

Or for a sexy date for the opening of your signature hotel on your own turf.

The chances of a snap election appear to have faded as investors and political experts weighed up the government’s 2008 budget.

The budget, announced last Friday, showered gifts on low-income earners but failed to meet hopes for a major vote-winner like a cut in personal income tax, instead reserving its most generous tax measure for companies rather than voters.

“This is not an election budget, absolutely not,” said Terence Wong, head of research at investment bank CIMB.

“I was waiting for the signals and the signs (of a snap poll) but I do not see any of them. I think it’s second half of next year or even stretching to the last minute, early 2009.”

Many market and political analysts had expected Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would use the budget to spend heavily on crowd-pleasing measures and pave the way for a general election either late this year or early next year.

Instead, he announced a further cut to corporate tax rather than personal income tax, and changed the rules governing dividend payments in a way that analysts believe will benefit institutional shareholders more than retail investors. ”Continued”

The 2008 Budget Speech: Together Building the Nation & Sharing Prosperity

Mr. Speaker Sir,

I beg to move the Bill intituled “An Act to apply a sum from the Consolidated Fund for the service of the year 2008 and to appropriate that sum for the service of that year” be read a second time.

INTRODUCTION

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful.

1. Praise be to Allah, for enabling me to present the 2008 National Budget in this Honourable House. The year 2007 is momentous as we celebrate the nation’s 50th year of independence. The 2008 Budget is, therefore, particularly significant as it is the first Budget as we enter the second 50 year-phase as an independent nation.

2. In the first five decades of independence, the nation has achieved significant progress amidst peace and prosperity. As we enter the next 50 years, it is important that we leverage on the strength of our diversity and remain united in our quest towards achieving developed nation status. ”Continued”