TR EMERITUS

By Debra Chong from The Malaysian Insider Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah called Malaysia a democracy which only existed in name only, and said that reforms could not be expected from the incumbents in power, in an apparent attack against Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN). “To modify Tunku’s words, we now have a democracy existing in name, but grievously compromised in substance, reality and fact,” Tengku Razaleigh said today when launching Ideas, a new think-tank set up to promote democratic ideals, at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Memorial today. Razaleigh appeared to also single out Umno and former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his remarks about the current political situation, and for the attacks against democratic institutions and the judiciary. He said original founding ideals laid down by Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman had been warped. “We have left it to the deranged for too long ...To expect change from the incumbents is to expect, in the Malay saying, the mice to repair the gourd…‘Bagai tikus baiki labu.’ ” “Tunku Abdul Rahman was the founder of Malaysia…He brought together a Malaysia that had come together ‘through our own free will and desire in the true spirit of brotherhood and love of freedom’, in a union arrived at ‘by mutual consent by debate and discussion…through friendly argument and compromise,’ and ‘in the spirit of co-operation and concord’,” Razaleigh said in his speech at the launch of the new think tank set up and rooted in memory of the visionary late Kedah prince, fondly called Tunku. “That basis has been replaced by something alien to it, his memory has been suppressed, and our history revised,” he added. Razaleigh, more popularly known by his moniker Ku Li, bemoaned how the “founder” would not recognise today’s Malaysia because it has been replaced with the “cult of the great leader”. “Tunku built up a system of good civil service in which ordinary citizens did not need to see so-and-so to get things done. This has been replaced by a domineering style of leadership in which what you get done depends on who you know. “In place of the protection for ordinary citizens guaranteed by popular representation, rule of law and the checks and balances of independent institutions, we have the cult of the great leader,” said Razaleigh, who was a close friend of Tunku. “It is no accident that the erasure of his memory has gone hand in hand with the erosion of our institutions,” he noted further. Razaleigh pointed out that Tunku did not help Malaysia achieve independence alone but did it with “an entire class of individuals schooled in the culture and practice of parliamentary democracy.” - The Malaysian Insider  Read More →

By Katherine Murphy from The Age ABOUT 20,000 people will have their visa applications cancelled as the Rudd government launches a crackdown in the skilled migration program. In a move likely to inflame political sensitivities over the treatment of Indian students, the government is expected to deny migrants any opportunity of achieving ''back door'' permanent residency through the skilled migration scheme. The changes to be unveiled today will see 20,000 current applications binned; an overhaul of the queueing system that identifies occupations in demand and creates a points system; and state governments will be asked to develop new migration plans. The Immigration Minister will also gain new legal authority to set a maximum number of visas for a single occupation. The cancelled applications apply to all offshore general skilled migration claims lodged before September 2007. Refunding 20,000 visa applications will cost taxpayers about $14 million. Given the changes could have a significant impact on many foreign students already in Australia, the government will introduce transitional arrangements to apply until 2012. Foreign students who have a qualification for an occupation no longer considered in demand will get to apply for a temporary 18-month visa, allowing them to gain work experience. The 18 months will also give a foreign graduate time in which to find an employer willing to sponsor their application as a skilled migrant. If they are unsuccessful in that attempt, they will have to return to their country of origin. The overhaul of the system will set a new list of occupations in demand. The new system is expected to favour skilled workers including nurses, general medical practitioners, mechanical engineers and teachers instead of groups such as cooks and hairdressers. Employers are supportive. Yesterday, Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout said: ''The changes should result in a better connect between permanent residency and addressing Australia's critical skills needs.'' In a frank speech to be delivered this morning, Immigration Minister Chris Evans will argue that the skilled migration program has not been working in Australia's economic or demographic interests. ''The program has been delivering self-nominated migrants from a narrow range of occupations with poor to moderate English language skills who struggle to find employment in their nominated occupation,'' Senator Evans will argue. Senator Evans will acknowledge the impact of the changes on foreign students, but argue they can still gain residency if they gain qualifications in professions that are in demand. He said the current tensions and misunderstandings have been made worse by unscrupulous migration agents. ''[These agents] have been misleading many international students into believing that a course in Australia gave them an automatic entitlement to permanent residence,'' Senator Evans said. ''It does not, and it will not.'' Senator Evans will also argue that the government supports skilled migration and continues to want migrants, ''be they from India, the United Kingdom or China - our three largest source countries or elsewhere''. ''We want skilled migrants on terms that work both for Australia and for the migrants themselves. We need a program with integrity and direction.'' - The Age  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong wants older, low-wage Singapore workers to acquire new skills so that they can earn more. Speaking during a dialogue session yesterday, Mr Gan said: "The focus is how to make it easier for older, low-wage workers to continue to acquire new skills... to pursue higher-value jobs so that their incomes can improve over time." Mr Gan did not elaborate more on the measures taken to achieve this aim except that they can now enjoy more benefits from the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme. He disclosed that the the  scheme will be made more "relevant" and "effective" by shortening the qualifying period and increasing the frequency of payment. The Straits Times interviewed a father of six school-going children Mr Reduan Yussoff who receives WIS to supplement his meager monthly income of only $1,200. "I didn't want to repeat my experiences, so I aimed to learn new things...(the salary and WIS) is never enough in Singapore." Singapore's lower income group is having an increasingly tough time to survive in their own country. According to official statistics, their median salaries have remained stagnant for the last ten year, exacerbated by the relentless influx of cheap foreign workers into Singapore. The ruling party has largely eschewed providing more social welfare benefits for Singaporeans on the grounds that it will create a "crutch" mentality. In the aftermath of the 2006 general election, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said: "Welfare has been treated like a dirty word in Singapore and rightfully so." Singapore workers are constantly exhorted by PAP leaders to be "cheaper, faster and better" and to work for as long as they can. The elderly are commonly seen cleaning the toilets, scavenging for used cardboards or wiping the tables at coffeeshops for a living, a rare sight in a supposedly first world nation like Singapore. A UBS study released last year revealed that Singaporeans have the lowest domestic purchasing power among developed nations though they work the longest hours. There are no independent trade unions to represent the rights of Singapore workers, all of which are amalgamated into one single trade union - NTUC under the control of the PAP. Neither can Singaporeans participate in protests, rallies and strikes. A Public Order Act enacted last year outlaws even a solo protest. U.S.-based Freedom House described Singapore as not being a "democracy" and that Singaporeans are unable to change their government through the ballot box. Respected international NGO Human Rights Watch recently condemned Singapore as a "textbook example of a repressive state".  Read More →