BUDGET2013: Something For Everyone

RESPONSIVE and responsible. The 2013 Budget to be tabled today by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is likely to put a smile on almost everyone's face but yet calls for financial prudence.

Government officials described the much awaited Budget as "mildly expansionary but fiscally responsible", taking into account the challenging global economic environment and the need to continue with fiscal consolidation while enhancing the wellbeing of the people.

The Budget speech, which will be telecast live from Parliament at 4pm, will generally have something for everyone.

Every segment of the society — from small to big businesses, farmers, private sector workers and civil servants — will stand to benefit directly or indirectly from a slew of measures to help raise their incomes.

In fact, it is a continuation of initiatives and policies that the prime minister had introduced since he took office three years ago to improve the quality of life of Malaysians.

Malaysia's economy is expected to grow between 4.5 and 5.5 per cent next year, according to government officials, against 4.5 to five per cent this year.

The growth is being fuelled by strong private investment, a robust construction sector and various Entry Point Projects under the Economic Transformation Programme.

Higher government revenue will help spur more spending on addressing the needs of the people. These include improved public transport, public safety, educational and training facilities, and better business and investment opportunities.

Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Dr Ali Hamsa said yesterday there would be good news for the people, including the 1.4 million civil servants.

Something also can be expected for the urban middle-income group (earning between RM5,000 and RM10,000), with some speculating that it would be in the form of further tax relief.

While some may be inclined to label the 2013 Budget as an "election budget" in view of the expected "goodies", an official pointed out that improving the livelihood of the people has been Najib's mission since he took office in April 2009.

Apart from these socio-economic measures, the 2013 Budget is also expected to announce efforts to further consolidate Kuala Lumpur as a regional initial public offering (IPO) hub and Malaysia as the global leader in Islamic finance.

Some announcements are expected to make Malaysia a more attractive place for IPOs and issuance of bonds and sukuk.

Already, the value of the 100 companies that make up Bursa Malaysia's benchmark index has doubled in the last three years, thanks to the recent listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd, IHH Healthcare Bhd and soon-to-be-listed Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd.

Malaysia remains the global leader in the sukuk market, accounting for some 70 per cent of the total global sukuk outstanding as of middle of this year.

On the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST), the official said the Budget was unlikely to give a timetable but might indicate some initiatives to rejig the tax structure.

"There is a broad acceptance for GST but much has to be done to explain its benefits to the rakyat as the opposition has been stoking fear against this consumption tax."

On the issue of prudent financial management, the official said the government remained committed towards further lowering the fiscal deficit to around four per cent of gross domestic product next year, from 4.5 per cent this year, and to three per cent by 2015.

This would be achieved through better financial management.

Blue Bear
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device via Vodafone-Celcom Mobile.

Perhimpunan 926: Selamatkan Malaysia Dari Dong Zong

Dong Zong, sebuah pertubuhan ektremis Cina yang bertopengkan pendidikan Cina bercadang untuk mengadakan satu Perhimpunan yang dipanggil 926 di Parlimen hari ini bagi melindungi kuasa Lembaga Pengarah sekolah-sekolah Cina.

Menurut Timbalan Presidennya, Chow Siew Hong, perhimpunan tersebut perlu diadakan kerana terdapat usaha dari Jabatan Pendidikan untuk memanipulasi perlantikan lembaga pengarah melalui penolakan pendaftaran jawatankuasa di SJKC Jinjang Utara, dengan tujuan untuk mengawal Dong Zong.

Bagaimanapun, pihak Jabatan menjelaskan bahawa pendaftaran jawatankuasa tersebut telah ditolak kerana Presiden Dong Zong, Yap Sin Tian serta Siew Hong sendiri gagal menepati syarat iaitu melantik tiga ahli dari badan yang berkaitan dengan sekolah tersebut, seperti pihak alumni dan PIBG.

Walaupun masalah ini adalah masalah teknikal yang berpunca dari pihak mereka, tetapi seperti biasa, Dong Zong cuba menimbulkan prasangka buruk terhadap kerajaan. Sedangkan, hakikat sebenarnya ialah kedua-dua Sin Tian dan Siew Hong takut kehilangan jawatan dan tidak dapat bertanding dalam pemilihan Dong Zong yang akan datang apabila pendaftaran tersebut ditolak.

Namun begitu, pengumuman rasmi mengenai perhimpunan 926 tersebut tidak menyebut mengenai masalah lembaga pengarah atau jawatan mereka secara spesifik sebaliknya menonjolkan isu pendidikan Cina secara umum dengan membawa slogan 'Save Chinese Education Campaign' atau Selamatkan Pendidikan Cina.

Antara yang menjadi asas 'perjuangan' ini selain masalah di SJKC Jinjang Utara, ialah isu lama yang telah pun ditangani dan dijawab oleh kerajaan iaitu berkenaan kekurangan guru dengan latarbelakang pendidikan Cina dan sekolah persendirian Cina di Kuantan.

Di masa yang sama, Dong Zong juga menjadikan Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Wee Ka Siong sebagai sasaran dalam perhimpunan ini dan menuntut beliau meletakkan jawatan seolah-olah terdapat isu peribadi antara Dong Zong dengan beliau. Mungkin puak ektremis ini menganggap pemimpin berbangsa Cina yang menjunjung semangat jati Malaysia seperti Datuk Wee Ka Siong atau Chua Soi Lek, sebagai mengkhianati kaum Cina.

Di celah-celah itu, terdapat juga usaha dari satu pihak lain yang bercadang untuk memprotes tindakan Dong Zong untuk membuat perhimpunan dan membela Datuk Wee. Alasan kumpulan ini, fakta dan angka telah membuktikan bahawa Datuk Wee, dan juga Soi Lek telah banyak berjasa kepada pendidikan Cina. Fakta dan angka ini adalah benar dan tidak mungkin dapat dinafikan oleh sesiapa.

Namun, sebagai pemimpin yang rasional dan bertanggungjawab, Datuk Wee ataupun Soi Lek pastinya sentiasa memastikan bahawa jasa yang disumbangkan untuk pendidikan dan kaum Cina tidak seharusnya memaksa mereka mengabaikan hakikat kemajmukan dan jati diri negara Malaysia. Kepentingan Malaysia secara kesuluruhan wajib didahulukan dari kepentingan satu kaum sahaja, iaitu Cina. Selain itu, perjuangan membela kaum Cina seharusnya berlandaskan jalan yang benar dan tidak harus sampai menidakkan atau menukar sejarah serta mengenepikan perlembagaan.

Mungkin pendirian sebeginilah yang membuatkan Dong Zong begitu 'geram' dengan mereka kerana prinsip Dong Zong adalah kaum Cina wajib didahulukan dan kepentingan mereka mesti diletakkan lebih tinggi dari kaum-kaum lain.

Melihat dari apa yang telah kerajaan sumbangkan kepada pendidikan Cina serta sikap tolak ansur kaum majoriti negara ini yang sanggup membenarkan sekolah vernakular diteruskan menyebabkan slogan 'Selamatkan Pendidikan Cina' kedengarannya begitu lucu sekali.

Mana tidaknya, apabila Sekolah Vernakular tetap dijamin selamat oleh kerajaan walaupun kewujudannya jelas menjamin perpecahan yang berkekalan di kalangan rakyat Malaysia. Hakikatnya, Sekolah Cina, Bahasa Cina dan kaum Cina tidak pernah terancam di Malaysia. Tetapi Sekolah Cina yang sebenarnya mengancam kedudukan Bahasa Kebangsaan, perpaduan, kestabilan dan keamanan negara ini.

Oleh itu, slogan yang sepatutnya dilaungkan ialah, 'Selamatkan Malaysia dari Pendidikan Cina' kerana ia menjadi punca jurang perkauman menjadi semakin besar. Ini terbukti apabila akhir-akhir ini anak-anak Cina tidak lagi menghormati kaum dan agama lain sehingga sanggup secara terbuka mencemuh dan menghina kaum dan agama lain melalui laman-laman sosial termasuklah youtube.

Jika ada pun yang perlu Dong Zong selamatkan melalui perhimpunan tersebut, hanyalah kedudukan Presiden dan Timbalan Presiden mereka yang menghadapi risiko tidak dapat bertanding lagi. Atau, mungkinkah inilah tujuan sebenar perhimpunan tersebut? Iaitu kedua-dua mereka ingin meraih sokongan melalui publisiti, menjadi hero dengan mencabar Timbalan Menteri?

Hari ini, produk dari latarbelakang pendidikan Cina kebanyakannya tergagap-gagap dan lintang pukang menutur atau menulis Bahasa Kebangsaan mahupun Bahasa Inggeris.

Mereka ini seeloknya digelar warganegara separuh masak kerana tidak peka adat resam dan pantang larang atau budaya kaum lain, tidak sensitif dan tidak hormat kepada agama lain, tidak mampu bertutur dan bergaul dengan semua kaum dengan baik serta sukar menyesuaikan diri dalam acara yang melibatkan berbagai kaum apatah lagi majlis-majlis rasmi dan upacara adat.

Dan mereka inilah produk yang Dong Zong banggakan.

Ketika negara China semakin terbuka dan belajar menyesuaikan diri dengan dunia, Dong Zong terus berdegil ingin membawa kaum Cina di Malaysia ke belakang – ke era nenek moyang mereka di Tanah Besar yang mindanya tertutup rapat dan pandangannya terhad setakat tembok besar yang memisahkan negara mereka dengan dunia.

Blue Bear 

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device via Vodafone-Celcom Mobile.

Private Jet: Fund Which Is Given by PAS's Supporters?

They are still yet to rule but Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat had began to show lifestyle which is a lot more lavish than most developed countries' leaders, complete with custom bus and private jet to cater to wherever they want to go. And with no less than seven bodyguards which would be around Anwar each time, it seems like he is already looking like the country's leader.

If PR are to be at Putrajaya and Seri Perdana would be as well equipped as the White House with security system from Israel, family of the ruler, ministers and officers would definitely be provided with bodyguards as well. In short, rakyat may no longer get as close to their leaders like they always did in mosques, or even during hari raya or bazaar Ramadhan like how Tun Mahathir used to do back when he was the Prime Minister.

We can imagine that being under PR, Malaysia would witness its leaders living the luxury life but rakyat suffer just so that the management cost would be at its best.
This scenario gets even clearer when pictures of Anwar with a few other PR leaders were uploaded by Tian Chua on his social networking site. They seemed to be proud for being in a private jet to head to Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan to celebrate Hari Malaysia.

Anwar, Tian Chua and Nurul Izzah, being anxious, then provided three different answers. And we are still yet to get responses from other PR leaders, because if we are to ask the others, they would also definitely come up with different answers as well.

Anwar said, the jet was paid for by one of his 'friends', Nurul Izzah then said it was borrowed but then Tian Chua first mention that it was rented. Perhaps the statement made by Tian Chua was more accurate because Datuk Mohd Taufik Omar, the Chairman of Tjets Sdn Bhd did confirm that his company did rent a Dassault Falcon 900 jet, registration number N990BB to Anwar with amount of cost which remain a secret.
The cost for it must have been high even though Tian Chua tried to make it sound as if it was cheap.

If the rental cost was paid by Anwar himself, then he would need to explain where did the money come from. If it was from the Selangor government, so Khalid Ibrahim would need to explain why people of Selangor's money was used for PKR's political party, and so on.

If it was paid for, by other entity, like what Anwar mentioned, so Anwar is responsible to state who the sponsor is. Especially when it was proven that PKR or PR through SUARAM has been receiving funds from Zionists and George Soros. And fore that, Dr. Hatta Ramli, PAS's Treasurer would need to also explain to PAS's supporters about the source of the sponsor.

We want to make sure that it did not come from Jews, Soros nor the fund which is given by PAS's supporters.

The same thing goes if it was borrowed, like what Nurul Izzah. Rakyat would need to know who was the one who is so humble yet so rich that he would lend his private jet to Anwar. As a party leader which often fights for transparency and integrity, Nurul Izzah should state who lend the jet to avoid any doubt on any probable corruption case.

We do not understand why is it hard for PR to handle such easy question regarding this jet. If everything was done legally, why hide? Why the different answers?

And why wouldn't their supporters ask upon this matter in details? Why should BN be the only one who is transparent, not PR?
PR supporters should rise up and seek for real answers for this matter with evidence such as documents so that their fight for integrity, clean and transparent would be fulfilled.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device via Vodafone-Celcom Mobile.