poobalan.com

The Star had a mild version:

The Penang government will ensure all races have the same rights and opportunities to join the public sector and that the recruitment of state employees is not dominated by a particular race.

Deputy Chief Minister II P.Ramasamy said that as of Sept 30, 7,092 people worked for the state government, its statutory bodies and local authorities and, of the total, 81.95 percent were Malays, 12.92 percent Chinese, 5.05 percent Indian and 0.08 percent other races.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim (BN-Penaga) said that to be fair, the state government should also ensure the Malays were given the same opportunities to join the private sector which was dominated by other races

But Malaysiakini provided the explosive parts (excerpts below):

The fireworks started when Deputy Chief Minister (II) Dr P Ramasamy accused the Umno-controlled Public Service Department (PSD) of ‘tearing up’ job application forms submitted by non-Malays.

According to the former UKM lecturer, this was among the tactics employed by the Umno-dominated government to stop non-Malays from joining the public service and to ensure that the government sector is controlled by one community.

“It’s a lie that non-Malays lack interest in joining the government sector. The truth is they were denied the chance to join,” he said in response to a written question.

“There are instances when government officers have torn application forms of non-Malays,” he added, drawing flak from the opposition.

However, the deputy chief minister insisted that his argument was based on facts unearthed during his own research on the lack of non-Malay participation in the public service.

According to statistics disclosed by Ramasamy, the public service sector in Penang has a total of 7,092 employees, with 5,812 Malays (81.95%), 916 Indians (12.92%) and 358 Chinese (5.05%).

The state public administration has 2,886 Malays (92.16%), 165 Indians (5.27%) and 79 Chinese (2.52%).

Statutory bodies have 191 Malays (71.54%), 46 Chinese (17.22%) and 30 Indians (11.24%), while local municipalities have 2,735 Malays (74.1%), 721 Indians (19.5%) and 233 Chinese (6.3%).

Later, Ramasamy explained to the House that the state government would conduct a study to implement a new policy to rectify the ethnic and gender imbalanaces in public employment based on meritocracy.

To a question by Umno’s Azhar Ibrahim (Penaga) on whether a similar plan would be extended to the private sector, Ramasamy assured the state government’s commitment to wipe out racial and gender discrimination in all sectors.

When Azhar demanded for the state government to unveil its plan in the next assembly sitting, Ramasamy hit back that the opposition was not qualified to give a time frame for the new Pakatan government to resolve an issue.

Hmmm..quite an arguement!

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Received via email:

13/11/08. BALAI POLIS SENTUL

No report ; SENTUL/13812/08

We were call under Section 111 to investigate regarding Section 48(1) Societies Act

the question they ask ;-

1)Were you at Parlimen on 22/10

2)What was purpose of coming to Parlimen

3)Was there a press statement

4)How you know there’s a press statement

5)Who did the press statement

6)What are the statement done

7)Are you a member of any society

8)Who are the reporters present

9)What is the position in that society

10)What’s the puspose of the society

11)Is the society registered with Suruhanjaya

12)How long was the press statement

13)How many supporters came

14)How many people attended the press statement

15)Was there Q&A

16) Did you distribute any articles

17)What are the contends  of the articles

18)What was the situation of the press statement

19)Do you know who is HINDRAF leader

20)What’s the purpose of HINDRAF

21)How did you came to the Parliment

22)Did you get financial aid to come here

23)Do you represent any society

24)Do you  know your suppoters names

25)Did you know HINDRAF been banned.

We only answered the first question.

The rest of the Question we invoked Section 112(2)- our fundamental  right to remain silent.

This action by the Royal Police Force of Malaysia is nothing but harassment and intimidation of our right as citizens of Malaysia. We as Malaysian citizens have a   right to go to Parliment. What is so wrong in going to Parliament to provide evidence of the lies by the Malaysian Home Minister. Malaysia is degenerating into the darkness of Political Autocracy. SHAME ON THE UMNO REGIME  THAT PREVENTS ITS CITIZENS TO GO TO PARLIAMENT. THE POLICE ARE USED AS UMNO’s TOOL TO SUPPRESS DEMOCRACY.

S.JAYATHAS

POLICE WATCH & HUMAN RIGHTS COMITTEE

Valga Makkal SAKTHI

The following is reported by NST:

Former coordinator of the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) R.S. Thananthiran was summoned by the police today over a commotion in Parliament on Oct 22.

Besides Thananthiran, Police Watch Malaysia member S. Jayathas was also seen entering the Sentul police headquarters at 10.15am. They left about two hours later.

Sentul police chief ACP Zakaria Pagan said later that police had recorded statements from the two individuals.

Thananthiran told reporters: “Both of us were asked some 20 questions on the handover of a memorandum on Oct 22 but we only anwered a few because it is our right not to answer. We are only ordinary citizens.

“Why were we called to give evidence when we only went to Parliament that day to hand over a memorandum? Nevertheless, we thank the police for their professional conduct today,” he said.
He also said members of Parliament for Kapar S. Manikavasagam and Teluk Intan Dr M. Manogaran had been summoned to give statements over the same incident tomorrow.

“I feel Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar should also be called to give evidence since there are over 40 police reports lodged against him nationwide over his inaccurate remarks about Hindraf,” Thananthiran said.

Valga Uthaya SAKTHI

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A bit of good news in that the ruling of needing to have 30 percent equity for those planning to list in Bursa Malaysia has been relaxed. The company must show proof that the allocation was not fully subscribed after two levels of offering exclusive to bumiputras. After that, it can be opened to general public (which of course include the bumiputras as well).

Companies seeking listing on Bursa Malaysia can now open their shares to the public if all efforts to get the 30% bumiputra equity participation fails.

Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said while the 30% bumiputra equity participation policy was being maintained, the shares could be offered to the public through the initial public offering (IPO) balloting process, should they not be fully subscribed.

“There is a change in the way it (the policy) is being implemented,” he told reporters after a briefing by the Securities Commission (SC) here yesterday.

“This is part of our efforts to make our capital markets more competitive.”

He said there would now be two tiers for bumiputras to acquire their 30% equity.

The first tier was through International Trade and Industry Ministry-approved bumiputra institutions and the second would be the bumiputra public.

If the 30% equity was still not taken up, it would be opened to others.

“In the event the allocation is not fully subscribed by the bumi public as well, then the company concerned would be deemed to have fulfilled the 30% bumiputra NDP (National Development Policy) requirement,” he said.

“So this takes out the element of uncertainty.”

When asked if this would jeopardise the bumiputra equity in the long run, Najib replied:

“I don’t think so. Actually, this will allow bumi individuals to participate as well.”

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