PKR MP Wee Choo Keong drops a bombshell

PKR MP Wee Choo Keong has dropped a bom shell - he has accused a certain Selangor state exco member of allowing his office to be used as a meeting place by people connected with "undesirable business activities."

The outspoken politician has even said that this was an open secret in the administrative secretariat and had given the impression that the state executive councillor endorsed such businesses. Wee has not named the state exco member concerned and what kind of underground activities were involved.

But he should take his allegation another step by naming the state exco member after arousing our curiousity. He can be expected to be challenged to do so. Wee made the statement in support of PKR MP Azmin Ali who has called for changes in the Selangor exco line-up.

DAP state exco member Teresa Kok fired a salvo against Azmin for the statement, saying it was arrogant. Wee, a former DAP stalwart, today made the same remark against Teresa, describing her a "greenhorn" in politics. The former Bukit Bintang MP, in his blog, took a swipe at Teresa for carrying the "senior state exco member" title, saying no such designation existed.

PKR MP Zulkifli Nordin: English-speaking Filipinos become maids

You got to hand it to Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Nordin. We may not agree with his warped views but this PKR lawmaker has never been afraid to speak up. It's his right as much as we disagree with him. By the way, he sits in the Pakatan Rakyat's Higher Education Committee, the shadow Cabinet of the coalition. That's frightening, isn't it?


He has not just applauded the move to stop the use of English to teach Maths and Science, the official stand of the BN and PR, but he has asked for Jawi to be reintroduced as the foundation for Bahasa Melayu. Zulkifili has defended his stand, saying there was no reason to be apologetic as Malay was the national language. In any case, what good are the English-speaking Filipinos who are merely exporting maids - that's his own words in his blog - and he has also called for the political will to close down all non-national schools.


With views like Zul Nordin, no wonder both sides of the political divide are adopting a similar stand in this issue. The reality is that on the ground, continuing the use of English to teach the two subjects would mean more failures. To fail in English and to fail further in Maths and Science was not acceptable. That's the logic. Those who push for the use of English are in the minority, let's face it.


Dr Mahathir Mohamad's blog may have garnered much support for English but if Utusan Malaysia and the Chinese newspapers were to carry out their own surveys, they too, would have overwhelming support for the use of Bahasa and Chinese. The only difference is that MCA politicians and the educationists prefer English to be used at the secondary level. Not all the way, as some other politicians prefer, to appease their voters.


So in Malaysia, you have a situation where you study almost everything in BM, Chinese or Tamil at the primary level, then study in BM for most subjects at the secondary level. At the local universities, the lectures are in BM but most of the books are in English. No wonder, we have half-baked graduates from local universities. When I was studying in UKM, I had friends who were required to attend English proficiency classes asking me to help draft out their essays - so they could memorise it line for line for their exams. I never heard of such a thing until I entered the university. I am told that's pretty normal in all local universities.


So, in the name of nationalism and realpolitik, we are prepared to forego our competitive edge. If we are not proficient in English, we will go nowhere. That's a fact. Except for Indonesia, the minute we fly out of Malaysia via KLIA or LCCT, we have to start using other languages. In Hong Kong, they have gone back to using English to teach Maths and Science. The fact that HK is under Chinese rule has not affected their decision. Yet, the ever practical HK people understand the economic-political value of Chinese.


Enough has been said by all sides. The fact is that a decision has been made and we have to get used to the idea that those who wanted to keep English has failed. It's better that the focus of their energy is engaged towards ensuring more teaching hours in English and training proper English teachers for our schools. Read Patrick Teoh on Zul in niamah.blogspot.com

Judith Hill - Heal The World

She's half Japanese and half black. She has suddenly become the most recognised newcomer since the Michael Jackson memorial on Tuesday. Judith Hill from Pasadena, California, did a superb job rendering "Heal The World." She was scheduled to be one of the back-up singers for Michael's 50 performances in London. There is no information on why Hill, whose parents met in a funk band in the 70s, was picked to be the lead for one of the most important songs at the memorial. The unknown has suddenly become a global sensation, in just one night. Thanks to the power of the international media. She has also become one of the most googled names since the memorial. It does help that she has a pretty face, beside her pretty voice.

Maths and Science: When the BN and PR agree

It's very rare for opposing forces in Malaysia to come to an agreement. The exception must be the stand taken by both sides to stop the use of English to teach Maths and Science. The BN and PR component parties have all agreed to revert to Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil to teach these two subjects.

Anwar Ibrahim has put on record his stand. So has Nizar Jamaluddin who even proposed a motion to halt the use of English at the recent PAS general assembly. The Malay nationalists and Dong Jia Zong Chinese educationists also shared same sentiments.

So, it's pretty clear that these political and education groups must know what they are talking about, politically, that is. From my discussions with some of them, the feedback is that teachers, students and parents in rural areas, including new villages, are doing badly, especially in the teaching of Science. Parents are furious that their kids are unable to learn.

Teachers cannot use English fluently, let alone teach the language, while students are completely at a loss. Parents, who do not speak English nor use the language, are not helping either. One Mentri Besar narrated to me of what he saw at a rural school when he made an inspection. Sitting from behind the class, he was horrified that the teacher could not speak the language well but was however competent when BM was used.

So the question is should these classes be stopped because of the language problem? That's the problem affecting our schools, especially in rural areas, after decades of abandoning the use of English as a medium of instruction. We have a new generation of graduates including teachers, doctors and lawyers, who cannot string a proper sentence in correct English, let alone teach. Our diplomats are no longer invited to draft communique or statements because their language skills are an embarrassment.

For that matter, many of our politicians cannot hold themselves in front of an international crowd, let alone impress them. How many of them can speak English like Najib Tun Razak or Khairy Jamaluddin, who are Bristish-trained?

Urbanites are taking a different view. They are aghast and frustrated at the decision. It seems to cut across all races, especially among the middle class. They talk of sending their children to private schools except that the same ruling also applies there. Maths and Science would still be taught in BM, Chinese or Tamil but at least, better English classes can be expected. However, not everyone can send their children to private schools.

The government has promised that there would greater emphasis on the teaching of English as a compromise. We hope the assurance would help but many urban parents feel let down by the government's decision to give way to the Malay and Chinese educationists.

Farewell MJ: A picture paints a thousand words...

The picture and headline on the front page of The Star today say it all...

Zulkifli Nordin wants fresh polls in Kota Darul Aman

Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Nordin has taken his fight with the DAP another step - he wants the DAP state assemblyman for Kota Darul Aman to quit and a by-election to be held. He has accused Lee Guan Aik (picture), the elected representative of being arrogant and chauvinistic, strangely all the traits that Zulkifli is accused of by his nemesis.

The maverick lawyer-politician has said that the honourable thing for Lim to do, now that he has declared himself an independent, would be to quit his seat and for fresh polls be carried out. The challenge is not just to Lim but also the DAP leadership.

Now, that's a power punch. The same politician had earlier challenged the DAP to pull out from the Pakatan Rakyat following the DAP's pullout from the Kedah Pakatan Rakyat. He has also questioned the non-compromising attitude of Kedah DAP chief Thomas Su.

Equity issue: Hadi Awang has a serious problem

PAS president Hadi Awang has a serious problem. We are beginnining to see more and more of the real Hadi. He has opposed the removal of the 30% equity requirement for companies seeking public listing. He said that the timing was not right as the Malays were not strong enough to face economic challenges.

Hadi is talking rubbish as the Malays who would benefit from the 30% equity requirements would surely not be the poor Malay fishermen or farmers in Terengganu. It would be the statutory bodies or rich Malays who can afford to pay for the shares.

The position taken by Hadi is serious because no other PAS leader has taken a different stand. In short, their silence means they endorse Hadi's stand. Non-Muslims who believed that PAS would be different should be able to see what PAS is like now. They must be dreaming if they expect PAS to be liberal and moderate.

Even the party's reformist Khalid Samad supported a resolution to ban Sisters in Islam. He then claimed it was a mistake but the party didn't bother to retract the resolution. Perak Mentri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin called for a halt to the use of English to teach Maths and Science.

And when PAS leaders call for gender segregation among the press covering the PAS general assembly, there was hardly any response from these prominent PAS leaders.

PAS is not just playing up religious issue but also exploiting racial issues when it called for a halt to the use of English and for the 30% bumi shares rule to be retained. What PAS is telling their supporters nationwide at ceramahs in villages is that Umno is selling out to the non-Malays. Period.

We would like to hear what the PAS Supporters' Club, which has been campaigning for these politicians in religious cloaks, has to say about the stand taken by Hadi? Or will they just close their eyes and pretend it did not happen, blaming the mainstream press for spinning instead of taking the issue head on?