Posts Tagged ‘discrimination’

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Statistics of Penang civil service employment

November 14th, 2008
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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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Jayathas and Thanenthiran called to police station

November 13th, 2008
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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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30 percent Bumiputra ruling relaxed

November 13th, 2008
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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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Anyone can be PM says Mahathir

November 12th, 2008
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Well, we have to agree that anyone can be a PM because Mahathir himself is a living proof. In fact, I have mentioned that all our PMs are of mixed ancestry. None of them are actually pure Malay (if got such a thing).

But he is smart enough to highlight that the person must command the majority of the house (Dewan Rakyat). In current scenario, its only UMNO because they conquered most of the seats. So, in order to change the PM, another party must take over. For sure MIC, MCA, etc. are out of the question. In fact any other BN coalition member cannot be considered because among them, UMNO stands in most seats. So, that leaves us with the opposition coalition – which because it consists of only 3 parties – are quiet evenly represented. Thus any leader from PKR, DAP or PAS can be Prime Minister if they win the next elections or manage to command majority support from current MPs.

Thus it is clear that under BN, a non-Muslim can never be a PM unless UMNO changes its membership rule.

Under PR, PAS has firmly said that it would only support a Muslim Malay for PM post if the PR takes over the government. Thus, its very difficult for PKR and DAP to go for it by themselves and take over the government.

So, when can we see a change? When the rakyat can accept the idea. We cannot depend on politicians because once they sense the rakyat are changing, these politicians will do anything and everything to cling on to their powers.

It does not matter if the Prime Minister is Malay or non-Malay, as long as he enjoys the trust of all Malaysians.

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said there was no
specification in the country that a Prime Minister must be a Malay.

“But when you talk about having a non-Malay as a PM, you are being
racist yourself because you shouldn’t ask the question if one is Malay
or non-Malay.

“If he is acceptable to all Malaysians, yes, he
can become PM. The specification is that he must be the leader of a
majority party and if he can be such a leader of that majority party.
Don’t ask if he is Malay, Chinese or Indians,” he told reporters after
delivering a keynote address on “Bangsa Malaysia” at the Perdana
Leadership Foundation on Wednesday.

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We are better than USA since all our prime ministers are of mixed ancestry

November 6th, 2008
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PM Badawi mentioned that “anyone” can become a leader of a country while congratulating Barack Obama on his presidential win:

It is possible for anyone from a minority group to be a nation’s leader, even in Malaysia, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi.

“It is up to the people to decide, just as the Americans had done through the democratic process,” he said while extending his congratulations to Senator Barack Obama.

Reporters had asked him in the Parliament lobby yesterday if it were possible for a person from a minority group to become Prime Minister in Malaysia.

While we Malaysians rooted for Barack Obama to win (due to his manifesto and his minority background), we should not be misled that this kind of miracle only happens in USA. In fact, we in Malaysia are far better than USA! How you ask? Well, in its 232 years of independence, this is the first time an American of mixed parentage became the president. While in Malaysia, we have in our 50 years of independence, not one, not two, but all Prime Ministers who came from a mixed background!

  • Tunku Abdul Rahman is born of a Malay father and Siamese mother.
  • Tun Abdul Razak is from Bugis ancestry.
  • Tun Hussein Onn is from Turkish ancestry.
  • Tun Mahathir is born of a half-Malayalee (Indian) father and Malay mother. Mahathir’s father was born of a Malayalee father and Malay mother.
  • Abdullah Badawi’s maternal grandfather (on his mother’s side) was from mainland China.

OK, I’m kind of stretching it a bit, but still we have one half-Siamese, a quarter-Indian, and a quarter-Chinese as prime ministers. Not bad for a 51 year old country.

However, it wrong to say that just about anyone can be a Prime Minister in our country. the Prime Ministers is decided among the MPs (one who commands the support of the majority of the MPs). So, we elect MPs, who then in turn, choose the PM based on their coalition, principles, and so on. Its totally different from USA, where you know who are the candidates for presidency and can vote for or against him/her. In Malaysia, the candidate for PM has always been the president of UMNO, but only a selected few have the power to choose him – the UMNO delegates and division members. And, by virtue of being a party limited by race, only a person of that race can be the president, and subsequently the Prime Minister. Of course, “halfbreeds” and “quarterbreeds” are also accepted as in the case of our Prime Ministers. The only way I see a minority becoming a Prime Minister is by being a Muslim. That means a non-malay muslim who is a member of MCA/MIC/Gerakan/PPP or in DAP/PKR (if opposition becoming ruling coalition in the future). But I think a non-muslim will be a better Prime Minister since will not be pressured by the religious zealots in the country.

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