Current Affairs

The Gonville and Caius College in the University of Cambridge will be establishing the Tun Suffian College Lectureship, in honour of the former Malaysian Chief Justice and Lord President of the Federal Court. Tun Suffian, who was bestowed an Honorary Fellowship by the college, was the first Malay to win a Queen's Scholarship in 1935 to read law at the college. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree in 1939 and Bachelor of Laws in 1940, before being called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in London. 

Sir Christopher Hum, Current Master of the college says the decision to establish a lectureship came about during his meeting with Cambridge alumni last year, in a move that will hopefully strengthen links between Malaysia and the college.

"We have a very strong tradition in our university of teaching in small groups, that obviously has costs associated with it... Endowment will mean creating a sum to meet the costs for as long as possible.. gives the guarantee that the funds are available for us to continue teaching the way we want to," he says in a recent interview. Establishing a lectureship is part of the Cambridge tradition in commemorate each of the 30 college's own alumni.  

"Tun Suffian was very distinguished - Chief Justice, Lord Preisdent and made an Honorary Fellow of the college in his later years. He was very attached to the college and we are very attached to his memory," says Hum. 

Come April 19th, the college will be organising a fundraiser for the lectureship, together with Yayasan Tun Suffian in Malaysia. adding that the college will be organising a fundraiser for the lectureship, together with Yayasan Tun Suffian in Malaysia. A total of RM5 million is needed to fund the lectureship.

In the following interview, Hum also shares about what Malaysian universities can learn from Cambridge, in becoming a top-tier university, as well as the university's increasing focus on Asian students.

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In June last year the Cabinet approved a policy that set a target of 30% women representation in board positions and senior roles across all Malaysian public listed companies by 2016. To achieve this target, the Ministry of Women, family and Community Developement, through its agency, NAM Institute for the Empowerment of Women (NIEW) has kicked-off its Women Directors Programme and the Women Directors Registry. 

In the first of a two-part series, Tan Sri Datuk Dr Rafiah Salim, director of NIEW, discusses the plan of how to execute this policy to a reality. She also addresses critics' allegations that by focusing on gender instead of meritocracy, it will undermine choosing the best person for the job. 

Listen to Part 2 of the interview here:

http://www.bfm.my/current-affairs-140212-rafiah-salim-niew.html

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With the government’s five-year Langkawi Tourism Blueprint set to bring in 5 billion ringgit in tourism projects to Langkawi, environmentalists are lamenting the loss of flora and fauna caused by extensive development of the island. Is more development what the island really needs? Can conservation co-exist with development?

For Current Affairs, Eric Sinnaya, chairman of the Malaysian Nature Society in Langkawi has the answers.

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Recently, the Human Resources Ministry announced that after a series of bilateral talks with Indonesia, the moratorium on the despatch of domestic maids to Malaysia was officially lifted on December 1st. However the first batch of maids are only expected to arrive in March 2012, as the new rules require 15 stages of preparation, which includes a mandatory 200-hour training.

Jeffery Foo, the acting president of the Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (PAPA) explains the changes to the recruitment process for Indonesian maids being sent to Malaysia and why he thinks there needs to be a "new breed of employers".

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Illegal logging has cost Malaysia some 800 to 900 million ringgit a year, according to watchdog Transparency International. In the following interview, Surin Suksuwan, chief technical officer for WWF in Peninsular Malaysia, explains why forest clearing is the bigger problem, why enforcement is lax, and why information is power when it comes to forest conservation. 

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Shamsinah Che Shariff, president of the Association of Registered Child Care Providers Malaysia discuss why so many child care centres remain unregistered in the country, and the implications on the children it looks after. She also talks about the weak enforcement towards unregistered centres, as well as the recent case of the mysterious deaths of the two infants, just minutes apart from each other. 

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Former UMNO Supreme Council Member Tan Sri Kadir Sheikh Fadzir has claimed that UMNO members have been using cash handouts to win over voters during elections.

He says that he himself had been offered money to use as cash handouts in the past, and that the "bomb" tactic of vote-buying usually takes place few days before elections, not just in Peninsular Malaysia but "especially in Sabah and Sarawak".

"Yes, you know I've been on record saying that they used to. I used to be leading delegations from Kedah, to go and campaign for various by-elections and so on. And you know, as leader, they gave me lumps of money. Cash. To distribute. I said, oh please, don't give that to me. Go and give it to others to do it; I don't want to do it," he tells BFM in a recent interview.

The ex-minister, who is also currently deputy president of NGO Amanah, says he is choosing to reveal this information now, in line with the Prime Minister’s call for electoral reform.

"It’s Datuk Seri Najib himself, who has, in a way, strongly implied that there's definitely a lot of shortcomings in our electoral system. That's why he appointed this Parliamentary Select Committee for Electoral Reform, and he has even invited the Opposition parties to sit in it. In other words, he really wants a change. So I'm using this opportunity, you know, to help him to ensure that we can really change what we should not have done before... So I'm doing a great, great deed for my party," he says.

In the following interview, Tan Sri Kadir explains how "bomb" tactic works, the honourable "old school" politics of UMNO's founding fathers as well as why he never spoke out during his tenure as UMNO Supreme Council member. 

In Part 2 of the interview, we get UMNO Secretary-General Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to respond to the allegations. Click herefor the interview podcast.

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Mission schools have been educating generations of Malaysians since the 1800s, producing prolific alumni such as the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Dato Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

The purpose of mission schools was to give a holistic education to young Malaysians to prepare them in life and to contribute to society as well as nationbuilding, says Brother Anthony Rodgers, director of the La Salle Brothers in Malaysia. A former student, teacher and principal of a mission school, Brother Anthony believes that what made mission schools special, was that they focused not just on academic excellence, but more importantly, the human and spiritual development of the students.

In the following interview, Brother Anthony also sheds light on the different eras of education in Malaysian history, how the schools have evolved as well as the initiatives of the La Salle schools today in developing a student's potential -- even poor academic performers.

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Recently the MACC announced its proposal that all Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and their immediate family members declare their assets to the agency, after Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his state exco's declared their assets. Datuk Paul Low, president of Transparency International Malaysia, shares his thoughts on why elected and public officials should publicly declare assets.

Datuk Paul talks about what assets and liabilities should be disclosed, and dispells the myth that disclosure could endanger cabinet miniters and their families. He also points out that the move is more about prevention -- serving as a deterrent as the person knows he’s being watched.

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Rita Sim, non executive director of Media Chinese Internationa, co-founder of Cense, and author of the book "Unmistakably Chinese, Genuinely Malaysian" talks about the Malaysian Chinese identity, why Chinese school education is probably here to stay despite its limitations, and the issue of emigration. This is the final part of our series "Pendatang, Loyal Citizen". 

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Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim, the historian, talks about how the Chinese accumulated wealth and power in the 19th century, from Yap Ah Loy, the kapitan of Kuala Lumpur and head of secret societies, to acquiring tin mines from the Malays and making a killing, and how the Chinese eventually lost their power base in Kuala Lumpur. This is second part of the series "Pendatang, Loyal Citizen". 

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The loss of autonomy of mission schools has affected the performance and ethos of the schools in the country, says Yin Kam Yoke, honorary secretary of the Malayan Christian Schools Council.  "The mission schools began losing their autonomy with the implementation of the Aziz Report in 1971 when 99% of all teachers in service opted to be in government servants to enjoy medical, housing and pension benefits," she says, adding that she was one of the many who opted to be pensionable.

When the Aziz Report was implemented, the right of hiring and firing teachers was taken away from the mission schools' board of governors. "And thus began the slow erosion of autonomy of school boards," she says. Since then, teachers posted to mission schools came at the directive of the education departments and the Ministry of Education. 

Commenting on the Convent Bukit Nanas issue --  which involved the Education Ministry's non-adherence of the principle of maximum consultation with the school's board of governors -- Yin says that more often than not, the promise to consult mission bodies in the appointment of heads to mission schools "has been honoured in the breach rather than the observance".  The right principal, she says, is crucial in upholding the ethos and vision of mission schools.

In the second and final interview of our Mission School Series, Yin discusses the challenge of finding excellent teachers, the problem of Islamisation in mission schools as well as why Malaysia should follow the Hong Kong mission schools model to replicate its success. 

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Historian, Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim tells us the early history of Chinese settlement and migration in part one of the series "Pendatang, Loyal Citizen". The early Chinese came to Malay land as traders and not with the Hang Li Po delegation as what history books suggest. The Ming records do not show that a princess Hang Li Po was married to Sultan Mansur Shah, and Hang Tuah and his friends were only a legend. Khoo also talks about the various ethnic Chinese groups and their economic contributions. The Hokkiens were the early settlers and became a wealthy community as they were involved in international trade and subsequently owned tin mines, and employed the Hakkas. The Hainanese were also working class and were naturally inclined to Communism. The Cantonese were petty traders.

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Dato' Mashal Ahmad, Managing Directo

and

Professor Ismail Bahari, Radiological Advisor of

Lynas Malaysia, discuss:

- Reasons - response behind Lynas’ initial classification of its waste as 'industrial', with only it fourth submission to include “radioactive”;  
- Reasons behind the Gebeng LAMP facility being built on peat soil with the underground water level at less than 1 metre, with the risk of a leacheate contaminating groundwater;
- Lynas' radiological survey, and the radioactivity risk to local residents;
- Reasons for choosing Gebeng, Kuantan, despite the economic justification;
- Lynas’ long-term waste management plan;
- The perception that Lynas' public engagement has been one-way, and that its public documents are inaccessible.

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Lowering the banner bearing the likeness of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the UMNO headquarters was a sign of protest, says Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) student activist Adam Adli, who was suspended for 18 months by Sultan Idris Education University (or UPSI) for his actions. The incident took place after a group of SMM and Movement for Academic Freedom (BEBAS) student activists had handed over a memorandum on academic freedom to Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah on December 17th.

Adam stands by his actions, saying that prior to the rally that day, their previous memorandums had gone unnoticed in the past. "It was a sign of protest, and to show we are serious, we have to do it in a way that people will actually notice and pay atention. It's about getting attention from everyone - the students, the society, ministers and the Prime Minister, who as the head of the country, needs to pay attention to what we are demanding for," he tells BFM in a recent interview. "Without lowering the banner, how can I raise the flag of academic freedom?" he says.

In the following interview, Adam talks about previous flag-lowering incidents in Malaysia, whether being a student activist has affected his studies, as well as the cause he is fighting for. 

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Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia student activist Adam Adli, who lowered a flag depicting Umno president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the Umno headquarters on December 17th, has been suspended for one and a half years by Sultan Idris Education University or UPSI.

UPSI vice-chancellor Professor Dr Zakaria Kasa says the decision to suspend 22-year-old Adam -- a second-year TESL student at UPSI -- for three semesters was not harsh, as Adam had violated his "Aku Janji" promise to not act in way that will bring disrepute to the university. Zakaria says that prior to the incident, Adam had been issued a warning before, so a suspension was the next course of action. He adds that expulsion is the most severe form of disciplinary action to be taken by the university.

In the following interview, Zakaria discusses why he believes Adam's actions has damaged the university's reputation, his response to Adam's claims as well as the university's stand on student demonstrations. 

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Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been acquitted by the High Court on a charge of sodomising his former personal aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan due to a lack of corroborative evidence.

In light of the verdict,Current Affairs speaks to his eldest daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, on the emotional impact the acquittal has had on their family. Nurul Izzah, who is also the Vice President of PKR, talks about the next step for the party and discusses whether the acquittal has taken the wind out of PKR's sails. We also explore an alternate reality -- what if her father had been found guilty? -- and discuss how the family would have dealt with that outcome. 

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Malaysians should care about the verdict of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's trial because every person deserves a fair trial -- something which Anwar did not enjoy since he was charged in August 2008, says Lim Chee Wee, president of the Malaysian Bar Council. 

While the second trial was generally considered to be fairer than the first in 1999, Lim says "it doesn't make it [the second trial] right".

In the following interview, Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee discusses why Anwar should be acquitted, whether Free Anwar 901 could constitute subjudice, as well as whether the Prime Minister should have been subpoenaed to testify in the trial.

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With the government set to decide on Lynas Corp's fourth application for the pre-operating license of its Gebeng rare earth plant on January 30th, Kuantan member of Parliament Fuziah Salleh has highlighted several points of contention with LAMP (Lynas Advanced Material Plant).

In the following interview, she discusses the suitability of LAMP's location in Gebeng, the classification of Water Leach Purification (WLP) solid residue as radioactive waste, Lynas' long-term waste management plans as well as the nature of Lynas' communications efforts to the public.

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In the following interview, Daniel Martin, member of the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Forecasting Team discusses EIU's predictions for the year in its World in 2012 outlook.

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The recent child abuse case involving a single father chaining his two children at home has highlighted the issue of single fathers in Malaysia.

Lee Wee Min, executive director at Focus on The Family Malaysia says that single fathers face a number of challenges, such as the lack of support from a spouse, the inability to provide a mother's role model to his children as well as problems facing dual-parents, including work stress and life's challenges.

"It's instinctive, in most cases, for mothers to be parents... fathers have to be more intentional [in parenting]. And the law seems to gravitate to giving mothers the rights to take care of the children. However, some fathers do play excellent roles as the single parent, and in those cases, the  courts award these cases to the fathers," he tells BFM in a recent interview. 

Commenting on the case in Penang, Lee says the different stress factors do not justify a crime, but the public needs to try to understand the cause of certain behaviours and the crime, rather than simply casting judgment on the father.

"Among the challenges single fathers face, aside from providing for the needs of the children, is coping with the child itself. Nobody is trained to be a parent, especially when you are not brought up by the best role models."

He says that relationship issues also contribute to the stress of a single parent. "There's the oxygen mask principle - when our needs are not met, it's hard to meet the needs of those we love," he says.

In the following interview, Lee also discusses affordable childcare, support available for single fathers as well as best practices of single father support overseas.

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Malaysia's 13th General Elections is likely to take place this year, with Opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat expected to give Barisan Nasional a tough fight to deny the latter a two-thirds majority in parliament

Dr Ong Kian Ming, political analyst and lecturer at the faculty of economics and policy science at UCSI, believes that GE is likely to take place around March or April, as the ISA repeal is expected to be tabled in Parliament then.

Unlike the last GE in March 2008, there will be no "political tsunami" time time around, he says. 

He says that BERSIH 2.0 will not have the effect of shifting more voters towards the Opposition or away from BN, as "those most likely to be affected by BERSIH have shifted their vote in 2008". "What Bersih 2.0 may have done is to hold on to that vote, at least on the side of the Opposition."

"I think what is interesting to see is whether there will be other rallies held in 2012,  especially if (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim is convicted, and that would be a good test of not just the Peaceful Assembly Act but the police reaction to these rallies as well," Ong says.

In the following interview, Ong also talks about his predictions on the Anwar trial, the importance of young votes in the upcoming GE, which states will be hotly contested in the 13th GE as well as whether Pakatan Rakyat will be able to hold on to its four states.

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In conjunction with Christmas 2011, Current Affairs looks at interfaith issues in Malaysia throughout the year. 

Dr Amir Farid of the Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship (INSAF) and Dr Herman Shastri, the secretary general of Council of Churches Malaysia, discuss their views on issues such as the DUMC church raid, Sekualiti Merdeka, and if they think religion has been politicised in Malaysia. 

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On December 19th, North Korean state media reported that its 69-year-old leader Kim Jong Il, who rose to power in 1994, died from a heart attack during a train ride on Saturday. Evan Ramstad, Korean correspondent at the Wall Street Journal, says it is not unusual that Kim's death was announced so late, as his father's death in 1994 was also formerly made known in similar fashion.

Political observers and analysts are doubtful whether Kim's son, Jong Eun -- who was appointed to succeed him last year -- will have what it takes to run North Korea.  Ramstad says that given Jong Eun's lack of experience, it is likely that his uncle, Jang Song Thaek,  Jong Il's brother-in-law and close aide, could act as a regent to the young leader. Jong Eun is believed to be in his late twenties. 

Pauline Loong, policy risk analyst at CIMB Securities Hong Kong, also speaks to BFM on the implications of Kim Jong Il's death for China. She believes that China will continue to invest more heavily into North Korea, to preserve stability in the midst of uncertainty.

In the following interview, Ramstad and Loong also talk about the impact of Kim Jong Il's death on North Korea, its nuclear programme as well as the potential intensifying of human trafficking activity from North Korea into China.

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The proposed Computing Professionals Bill by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) has come under fire by IT industry practitioners, who claim that the requirement to register IT professionals with the Board of Computing Professionals will shrink the country's IT talent pool, as many are self-taught. MOSTI has reasoned that the bill will only affect those who tender for the government's Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) projects. Critics point out that the definition of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) projects is vague and open to ambiguity, which may lead to abuse of the Bill. 

PIKOM (Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry, Malaysia)  president Shaifubahrim Saleh tells BFM that PIKOM still wants the IT industry to be self-regulated, and that the proposed IT Bill should be seen in a positive light, as the Bill is meant to raise the standard of IT practitioners in the country. He stresses that the Bill is currently in its draft stage, and MOSTI is open to public feedback for the next one to two months. "If there is any other vehicle that we can actually enhance that further, let's look at it. Let's submit some recommendations. Nothing will be final in the next one or two months," he says, adding that there will be an FAQ published on January 13th for stakeholders and the community to understand the Bill further.

At MOSTI's open day yesterday (Dec 13), Shaifubahrim, along with three other panellists -- Datuk Halimah Badioze Zaman of the National Professors Council, alternate chairman of the Higher Education Ministry’s task force on ICT human resource Prof Zaharin Yusoff and Malaysian National Computer Confederation (MNCC) president Datuk Raja Malik Mohamed -- agreed that they have not yet come to an agreement on what sectors fall under the CNII. 

Shaifubahrim agrees that the definition of CNII needs to be clear to avoid ambiguity. He says it is the Chief Government Security Office (CGSO) who will decide on the definition of CNII, with the consultation of Cybersecurity Malaysia and Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) but public feedback is welcome as well.

In the following interview, Shaifubahrim also talks about the purpose of the Bill, the reasoning behind the compulsory certification for CNII project bidders, why the draft was done without first consulting IT industry practitioners and his assurance that the IT Bill will not contradict with the MSC Bill of Guarantees.

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The past few months have been eventful for the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil or RSPO, with Indonesia’s Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) withdrawing its membership in September and then, the RSPO failing to get a quorum to hold its General Assembly for the first time ever last month.

In the following interview, RSPO’s secretary-general Darrel Webber delves into these issues and whether RSPO certification is still relevant, in the face of alternative national certifications. He also discusses meagre sustainable palm oil premiums, the effectiveness of RSPO sanctions, as well as the recently passed Palm Oil Bill in Australia.

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2011 has been eventful - the clampdown on Bersih rallies calling for free elections, the speedy passing of the Peaceful Assembly Bill despite protests from the Bar Council, and the ban on Seksualiti Merdeka activities.

In conjunction with Human Rights Day, Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch gives us an update on how Malaysia fares in respecting the rights of individuals.

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Development Economics Professor at Cambridge University, Ha-Joon Chang, spoke to Carla Sapsford Newman about his counter-intuitive recommendation that Malaysia should stick to its manufacturing roots to ensure future sustained growth. He discusses why, in his opinion, a shift towards a service-oriented economy is not in Malaysia's longer-term interests. He discusses some of the problems associated with service-oriented economies:  rising wages, a brain drain, dependence on FDI from multinational companies and a dependence on a relatively small number of sectors which are more vulnerable to global economic conditions. He discusses why Budget 2012's liberalisation of 17 service sectors is the wrong direction for the country to be moving in.

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In this interview with the Senior Asian Economist at the think-tank IHS Global Insight, Rajiv Biswas, Carla Sapsford Newman explores the reasons behind the rising Malaysian interest in India.

Recent headlines addressed include:

1. The Malaysia-India Free Trade Agreement that went into effect earlier this year;

2. Increased diplomatic and trading ties between Malaysia and India, including a special envoy to India;

3. An ASEAN proposal for a free trade zone (AFTA);

4. The proposed American-led Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement; and

5. Rising interest from Western multinationals in investing in India.

Mr. Biswas also addressed areas of Budget 2012 which will further facilitate growth in the year ahead, such as a focus on SMEs, which can help offset global economic woes in the US and Europe.

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The UN Resident Co-ordinator for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Kamal Malhotra spoke with Carla Sapsford Newman on the results of their recently released Human Development Report 2011. The focus of the report this year was on equality and equity, and Mr. Malhotra stressed the need for Malaysia to look more broadly at development beyond a basic income threshhold. He said Malaysia has not made significant progress in improving income inequality, and in their capacity index Malaysia has dropped in rankings. He also said that the UN has recommended the government enact ethnicity-blind affirmative action policies to address the growing disparity in wealth between the urban and the rural poor, and in poverty between ethnic groups.

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In a wide-ranging interview with Chua Hak Bin of Merrill Lynch in Singapore, Kathleen Tan discusses the EPF portfolio, foreign investment portfolio, sustainability issues and how it compares to other EPF funds in the region. Currently, the Malaysian Employees Providence Fund is the world's third largest by percentage of GDP.

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Mumtaz Khan, CEO of Maybank MEACP in Singapore, talks about funding renewable energy projects despite headwinds faced by the industry.

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In our Solar Series part 2, Prof Joachim Luther, CEO of the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore talks about the republic's plans to become a leading R&D hub for solar energy in the world. 

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Malaysia has shown a decline in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index score, for the 3rd consecutive year, slipping to 4.3 this year from 4.4 in 2010. This is significantly lower than the government’s benchmark of 4.9.This morning on CA, Josie Fernandez the Sec-Gen of Transparency International-Malaysia speaks to Melisa Idris on why the lack of improvement in Malaysia’s ranking is a cause for concern.

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In the first part of our Solar Series, Professor Martin Green, Executive Research Director of ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence at the University of New South Wales talks about the problems of the feed-in-tariff system and why governments appear to be paying lip service to promoting use of renewable energy. The interview was done during the Singapore International Energy Week 2011.

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The Bar Council is calling for a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to be established to look into the Peaceful Assembly Bill, which was recently tabled for first reading at Parliament this week. According to Lim Chee Wee, president of the Bar Council, the PSC would then be able to garner public feedback and make further recommendations to the Bill, which in his opinion, does not guarantee or facilitate for the freedom of assembly.

"On such important bills such as these, similar to amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and electoral reforms, this is certainly an issue that the government must include the public in the process," he said in a recent interview with BFM.

During the Prime Minister's Malaysia Day speech on September 16th, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said that the government will review Section 27 of the Police Act by taking into account Article 10 of the Federal Constitution that relates to freedom of assembly. However, critics are pointing out that the Peaceful Assembly Bill is even more repressive and restrictive of civil freedom. 

While the Bar Council was consulted prior the the tabling of the Bill, Lim says that they were not shown a copy of the Bill, save for certain provisions that were read to them. "We were not told there was a prohibition on assembly in motion, or street protests as it is referred to under the Bill. We've specifically informed the Attorney-General to allow for assembly in motion," he says, adding that the Bar Council was surprised at the restrictions and conditions that the police are empowered to impose.

Lim says only two areas of the Bill were consistent with international best practice: assembly by notice instead of assembly by application for permit, as well as the collaborative process that potential demonstrators have with the local authorities, police and affected businesses along the affected routes. "Outside those two aspects, everything else seems far more restrictive. That's something the government must change," he says.

In the following interview, Lim also talks about how the Bill can lead to potential abuse of power by the police, approvals for public assemblies, the Bar Council's proposed amendments to the Bill, and what criteria should be used in determining whether a public assembly in lawful or not. 

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Despite ratifying the United Nation’s 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, the issue of stateless children continues to be rampant in Malaysia, particularly in Sabah, which has a large immigrant population from Mindanao in the Philippines, Indonesia and Afghanistan. 

Dr Nur Anuar Abdul Muthalib, UNICEF Malaysia monitoring and evaluation officer says that Malaysia may have ratified the convention but when it comes to fulfilling the rights, in areas such as registration of children, birth rights and opportunities of education, “it is not 100% (fulfilled)”.

He says that lack of understanding of their rights and fear of deportation are among the main reasons why the problem of stateless children continues to persist. “Even though the government provides the facilities to be registered, some parents are not fully aware of the importance of birth registration,” he says. Geographical barriers further compound the problem, with groups on remote islands not having the means to travel to the mainland to be registered as it is costly to do so.

Fear of deportation exists among the immigrant population as some are illegal without proper documentation, despite being married to a local Sabahan. “The child has a right to be registered, but they’re not [being registered] because there is no marriage certificate… Having proper identification is key to obtaining necessities in life, whether it’s education or opening a bank account in future,” he says.

With a lack of education, stateless children are later exploited because they do not have the knowledge to uphold their rights and lack a proper identity – a “vicious cycle that leads to other problems as they grow up”. Anuar believes it is the government’s responsibility to extend help to the different marginalised groups – the indigenous communities such as the Bajau Laut, and  plantation workers.

In the following interview, Anuar also talks about UNICEF's plans to provide alternative education to stateless children in Sabah, the problem of insufficient data as well as what Malaysia stands to lose if the problem is left unaddressed.

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Malaysia attracted nearly 400,000 medical tourists last year, and aims to increase that number to 1.9 million by 2020. Ana Nichols, Managing Editor of Industry Briefing for the Economist Intelligence Unit and editor of the report "Travelling for Health" discusses how Malaysia can compete in the medical tourism industry. 

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Following on the heels of the announcement that Aung San Suu Kyi will be running for an unprecedented parliamentary seat in the upcoming Myanmar elections, we spoke to Patrick Barta, Bureau Chief for Southeast Asia at the Wall Street Journal. And US President Obama just declared he is sending Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the country, the first high-level US visit in over 50 years. 

Patrick Barta had recently returned from Myanmar. In this interview, he described the mood there, the prospects for meaningful reforms, impact of the recent liberalisation on neighbours such as Malaysia, the renewed attention by the United States and how the West seems to want to buffer the growing influence of China in the region.

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In conjunction with Universal Children's Day, Nooreen Preusser, Training & Education director of Protect and Save the Children (P.S. The Children) speaks about sex crimes against children. She discusses children's exposure to pornography on the Internet, the modus operandi of online predators, and why there isn't a registry list of sex offenders in Malaysia.

Noreen also talks about how sexual predators picks and grooms the child before the sexual abuse occurs, and why in most cases it is often someone the parents know and trust.

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Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, President of Angkatan Amanah Merdeka, tells about this newly set up NGO and why there are no immediate plans to convert it to become a political party. He also highlights the issues that concern him the most - corruption and education.

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Malaysia scored a  'moderate to low' level in defence budget transparency in Transparency International's recent report, 'The Transparency of National Defence Budgets'. Transparency International programme director of defence and security programme Dr Mark Pyman says that Malaysia, along with 92 other countries, were evaluated based on the volume secret items in the defence budget, the level of scrutiny into those budgets, the extent of internal and external audit coverage of the budget, as well as budget transparency and disclosure. 

He says that while it has become a common practice among defence ministries worldwide to "classify things more than they need to be", there is very little reason why secret items should not be discussed internally. Pyman goes on to give several ways of increasing the transparency of the defence budget and in doing so, the level of public confidence as well. Among the best practices in defence budgets internationally are putting budgets and procurement plans online, electronic bidding, discouraging the use of middlemen, as well as the use of a semi-independent body to do price comparisons to ensure "value for money in defence spending", he says.

In the following interview Pyman also talks about the Scorpene scandal, Malaysia's allocation for the defence budget, practices such as offsets and counter-trade, as well as ex-military personnel holding directorships in defence firms.

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Syria has been recently suspended from the Arab League on criticism of the bloodshed from President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on anti-government protestors and civilians. According to the United Nations, more than 3,500 people have been killed since mid-March, leading the European Union to impose a seventh round of sanctions on the country. 

Nadim Houry, deputy director of Human Rights Watch in Middle East and North Africa, says that Syria’s suspension and sanctions are a move in the right direction as it exerts pressure on Assad to implement reforms outlined by the Arab League in early November and to step down. “But what is needed now is more concerted action to cut off sources of funding towards continued oppression,” he says in a recent interview with BFM.

The Human Rights Watch has also called for Syria to be brought to the International Criminal Court for its crimes against humanity. Houry reasons that this is necessary, given Syria’s “history of impunity”. “Those who commit crimes remain in power, and face no accountability. Twenty years later, they revert to using the same methods [of crimes against humanity],” he says.

Houry rejects the notion that ‘pushing too hard” for justice will prevent a transition to a new order.“Experience shows otherwise; it shows that by sacrificing justice for short-term stability, you're actually losing and jeopardising long-term stability in building a just and a fair society for the future,” he says.

In the following interview, Houry also talks about why the Arab League is still not a “paragon of democracy”, why it decided to take action against Syria, the fears of the average Syrian, as well as why it is a “false analogy” to compare Syria to Libya. 

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Felda Global is expected to be listed in 2012 and may be valued at RM5-6 billion but settlers question the deal. Details are still pending from Felda and its bankers.

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The recent ban of the Seksualiti Merdeka festival is a political one, says Pang Khee Teik, co-founder of the festival. "Elections are coming up... I suspect it [the ban] is because of the NGOs involved in our festival, who had  in the past, criticised the government  for lack of adherence to human rights. This is an opportunity for certain quarters to attack NGOs for the role they played," he says, adding that the ban may also be an attempt to distract the public from the recent Auditor-General Report on government spending. 

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community has been and remains an easy target to made use of by the government, he says. "We're like pawns to be sacrificed in this game. What we're doing here [organising the festival] and the controversy that has resulted over the past few days is a clear sign that Malaysia disregards the rights of not just LGBT but all minorities - we're all fair game for them, be it refugees, Orang Asli, LGBT, the State just doesn't care," he said in a recent interview with BFM.

Pang says that the purpose of the festival, which has been organised annually since 2008, was not to change the minds of the public to embrace the values of the LGBT community, but to consolidate the LGBT community, and empower Malaysians to recognise their rights.  "A lot of Malaysians are not aware of their human rights -- that the only qualification they need to have rights, is to be human. We have to recognise our rights first before getting others to recognise it as well," he says.

On November 7, Pang, together with former Bar Council chairman and BERSIH2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreevanasan, Tenaganita chairman Irene Fernandez and Bersih 2.0 committee member Maria Chin Abdullah were called into questioning by the police about the movement.

Asked whether the decision to invite Ambiga -- who is synonymous with Bersih -- to officiate Seksualiti Merdeka this year was inviting trouble, Pang says the organisers had done so to show that even the LGBT community have a vested stake in the building of the country. 

"We're not telling them [the public] to agree with us. I will stand for your right to believe that I am wrong, and at the same time I have the right to believe that I am not wrong. If we both give our space to each other to believe what we believe and exercise those beliefs responsibly, this country would be a better, much more peaceful place. There is a way for us to out aside our differences and work together in building this countr ," he says. 

In the following interview, Pang also talks about how the police treated him when he recorded his statement, the discrimination that the LGBT community faces as well as how the ban, though unwanted, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

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Rajiv Biswas, Chief Asian Economist for IHS Global Insight, discusses the financial think-tank's predictions for Malaysian and Asian GDP growth for 2012. He also highlights the factors that went into a lower prognosis for growth than the official one given by Budget 2012, what the government is doing right in terms of the Economic Transformation Programme, recent environmental disaster impact and how global market instability is predicted to further affect the economy next year.

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On october 31, in a landmark decision, the Court of Appeal ruled that Section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (which bars students from political participation) is unconstitutional and violates freedom of expression.

So what was student activism like, in the days before the Universities and University Colleges Act was enacted in 1971?

Dr Khong Kim Hoong, the 1968-69 president of the University Malaya Students' Union, shares his experience as a student activist during the height of the movement.

He also talks about how the UUCA has bred political apathy among young Malaysians.

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Section15(5)(a) of the Universities and University Colle­ges Act 1971 (UUCA), which prohibits students from being politically active, has been ruled unconstitutional.

In a landmark 2-1 majority decision, the Court of Appeal ruled that the provision was unreasonable and violated the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. The appeal was brought by four Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia students, known as the UKM Four, who had faced disciplinary action for being present during the by-election campaign in Hulu Selangor parliamentary on April 24th, 2010.

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The current situation of the floods in Thailand is a reflection of the country's deeply divided political situation, says Patrick Barta,  Southeast Asia bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal, who is based in Bangkok.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has come under fire for the government's strategic decision to protect Bangkok as the cultural and economic heart of the country, at the expense of the districts outside of Bangkok. "The irony is that the current government is perceived to the government of the common man, and the previous government - the government of the elites, whereas in fact, Yingluck has protected the elites and not the people in her natural constituency," says Barta in a recent interview. 

There is also the problem of the Bangkok governor and the Prime Minister's offices -- who are from opposing political parties-- not coming to an agreement in how to manage the floods. "Someone will send an order from the national government but it won't be executed by the city government. This is a reminder that in Thailand, when one person is in control, that person isn't always in control," he says. 

In the following interview, Barta shares his eyewitness account of the Thai floods, how the floods are affecting public confidence in Yingluck, as well as the economic impact of the floods, compared with Japan's Fukushima disaster in March this year.

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The abolition of the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English, or PPMSI, is premature, as nine years is too short a time to assess the accountability of a project, says Aisha Ahmad, president of the Montessori Association of Malaysia and member of Parents Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE). 

"How do you measure, gauge and confirm accountability in a project which hasn't been allowed to finish? These children who have been studying [Science and Mathematics in English] for 8 to 9 years, are now being told to flip to another language," she said in an interview with BFM recently.

Earlier this morning, PAGE had submitted a letter of appeal to the Prime Minister, asking for PPSMI to remain as an option for children of government schools nationwide. It has been two years since PAGE first began campaigning against the abolition of the policy in 2009. PPSMI was first introduced in primary and secondary schools by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003.

Since 2009, PAGE has sent seven memorandums to the government, to no avail.

Aisha says that learning Science and Mathematics in English would allow children a better chance of employability and more exposure in future. 

Asked about how rural children will be affected by PPSMI, she said "no child is unteachable", as all one needs is a good environment to immerse in the language. She says parents of rural schoolchildren have indicated that they want their children to continue learning the two subjects in English, and that suddenly reverting to Mathematics and Science being taught in Malay would be "unfair" for children and teachers "who have already gained momentum in thinking and learning in English".

One suggestion was to give students the option to learn Science and Mathematics in either English or Malay, which benefited not only children but gave teachers the satisfaction of teaching in both languages as well.

"What if they want to learn it in English -- what about those children? You're compelling a situation on them... To compel children to learn in a certain way just for the sake of a policy will do more damage to the child," she adds.

In the following interview with BFM, Aisha also talks about how PAGE will respond should the government spurn its communication efforts, how children have been affected by the flip-flopping of the PPSMI policy, as well as whether teachers should undergo more language training before being certified as teachers.

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After being fatally shot on October 21st, Libyan deposed despot Muammar Ghaddafi has finally been buried in an undisclosed location. Jeremy Keenan, professor of social anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, discusses what it will take to rebuild Libya.

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Dr Azmi Sharom, an Associate Law Professor at Universiti Malaya says Professor Aziz Bari's comments on the statements by the Sultan of Selangor concerning JAIS' raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church, should not be interpreted as seditious. Aziz is a professor of law at the International Islamic University and is being investigated by the police for sedition.

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In light of the Himpun rally which attracted 5,000 participants, Ahmad Fuad Rahmat, a research fellow at Islamic Renaissance Front, explains why Muslims are not allowed to convert out of the religion in Malaysia when it is permissible in other countries, and what constitutes proselytisation, and what could be done to bridge the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims. 

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Asked whether the water management system is to fault for the floods, he says that "what we face now currently exceeds our existing [water management] plan, with 30% more rain than last year due to typhoons". Boonpracong says that even with a "perfect" plan, the situation would have been as difficult to handle due to the change in weather. "Global warming has resulted in more unusual atmospheric activity with non-stop rain. If this happened next year, we would have more boats then," he said in a recent interview.

Commenting on mounting criticism levied at the government's handling of the flood, particularly on the lack of communication and miscommunication, Boonpracong said that the administration is only into its second month of power, and that the governor -- coming from the opposition party -- may not cooperate 100% with the current ruling government.

Recently, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra invoked the Natural Disaster Law, which gives the prime minister full authority over officials in the county, including at special administrative zones and local government officials. "The Prime minister invoked the law to ensure everyone complies with orders of opening canals to release the floodwater, which is not being executed on the ground. It's a question of cooperation - people just don't do it, so it's hard to give information in the climate of uncertainty," he said. 

Boonpracong acknowledged that the early flood warning system is partly to blame for the floods, but added that the government will be better prepared now after undergoing this flood crisis. He said the government was in a "lose-lose" proposition with regard to draining the floodwaters through the districts in order to safeguard Bangkok. Critics say the government cares more about saving Bangkok than the provinces, and that it  reflects the socio-political divide. However, Boonpracong says that failure to save the capital -- the centre of tourism and economic activity-- will also be criticised. 

"The priority is to get the water out, then we can think about it...  there will be a comprehensive plan to deal with [floods in future]."

In the following interview, Boonpracong also talks about how Yingluck's reputation as Prime Minister has been affected by the floods.

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Mark Mah, founder of Nergy OS and Clean Watts and Malaysian working in the US, talks about his collaboration with Talent Corporation to bring skills back to Malaysia, and how the government can take the lead by installing solar PV cells in public buildings and spaces like highways.

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Cambodia has recently banned its citizens from going to Malaysia to work as maids, following reports of abuse, rape and murder in the country.

While NGOs have lauded the ban, critics are saying that a blanket ban -- without the consultation of the Malaysian government --  is "drastic and harsh" as only a minority of Malaysian employers abuse their maids. Jeff Vize, consultant at the non-profit Cambodian League for the Protection and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), begs to differ, saying the ban is necessary to drive the political will of the Malaysian government to take measures to stop the few bad apples.

He attibutes the rampant incidences of human rights abuse to the lack of protection accorded to Cambodian maids working in Malaysia. "With a lack of protection, of specific clear policies, and noone to turn to, a situation like this is ripe for abuse," says Vize in an interview with BFM. According to LICADHO figures, an estimated 50,000 Cambodian women and girls have migrated to Malaysia since 2008. 

Vize says weaknesses in Cambodian legislation is to blame as well for failing to protect migrant workers. For example, the recently enacted sub-decree on the migrant labour does not specify minimum wage, working hours or require recruitment agencies to inform workers' families of their whereabouts. Cambodian legislation for migrant workers has also failed to curb human rights issues such as debt bondage, deaths inside pre-departure training centres, the recruitment of underage workers, illegal detention of workers, the facilitation of forged documents, and the failure to pay salaries.

LICAHDO will continue to advocate for the enactment of an MOU between Malaysia and Cambodia on labour exchange, he says.

In the following interview, Vize also talks about what provisions should be made to protect Cambodian maids, the need for heavier penalties towards human rights abuse cases in Cambodia as well as why the maid ban should apply to previously signed contracts in addition to fresh applications.

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Under Budget 2012, the PM has proposed an additional 10 million ringgit for free legal aid, bringing the total allocation to 15 million ringgit. Lim Chee Wee, president of the Malaysian Bar Council, discusses the weakness of the current system and how the allocation will helpallMalaysians have access to justice.

He also talks about claims of abuse in the UK system, which was brought up in an article in The Sun, and how such abuses are not likely to happen in Malaysia.

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2011 has been full of political turmoil, natural disasters, economic woes and gyrations in business confidence. So how has all of this impacted Malaysia's tourism industry?

Johan Svanstrom, Vice President and Managing Director of Hotels.com Asia Pacific discusses how the recent currency fluctuations and devaluations in Europe have made Malaysia more attractive as a tourist destination. Two countries that have shown the most change: Australia & Japan. The currencies of both countries have strengthened against the US dollar, causing outbound tourism to increase this year. 

Most tourists to Malaysia are from the Asia region -- driven by growing affluence in China and India, as well as better air connections. 

Johan also talks about the average tourism spend in Malaysia, especially in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) segment, and how low cost carriers have influenced the average spend. 

Finally he gives up a prediction of what we can expect in terms of tourism trends, as we wind down the year. 

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Despite transformation efforts, Malaysia has slipped one place from last year to rank number 78 out of 141 countries in theEconomic Freedom of the World: 2011 Annual Report.In 2006, it was ranked 25 places higher at 53rd placing.

Fred McMahon, Vice President of International Research and Director of the Centre for Trade and Globalization Studies at The Fraser Institute, discusses why Malaysia's ranking has slipped and the key factors behind it.

Malaysia's scores in each measurement category this year, compared to last year are:

- Size of government: declined to 5.55 point from 5.96 points in the last year's report

- Legal structures and security of property rights: increased to 6.54 from 6.24

- Access to sound money: declined to 6.50 from 6.58

- Freedom to trade internationally: declined to 7.23 from 7.27

- Regulation of credit, labour and business: increased to 7.61 from 7.55

(The Index measures economic freedom from a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being thelowest and 10 the best.)

Malaysia did well in the field of "Regulation of credit, labour and business", in fact, it's score is very close to that of the top ten in this category. 

Malaysia's lowest ranking was in the size of our government. It could mean the bureaucracy is too bloated, in comparison to the size of the population. Even worse, we scored zero under the sub-category 'Government enterprises and investments'. This shows the level of government's involvement inthe economy through GLICs and GLCs is very worrying.

The Economic Freedom of the World: 2011 Annual Report is published by the Fraser Institute, in partnership with the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) in Malaysia.

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The hudud controversy has now returned in the media after Kelantan announced it was setting up a special committee to look into the implementation of hudud law in the state.

Malik Imtiaz Sawah, a human rights lawyer, activist and current president of the National Human Rights Society (HAKAM) explains what Hudud law is, how it will affect all Malaysians and why this issue keeps creeping into the public sphere.

- Hudud is part of the Shariah: Hudud law refers to those specific crimes and their related punishment which have been categorically mentioned in the Quran. The crimes which cannot be charged under Hudud fall under the purview of ta’zir wherein the punishment and mode of proof is open to discussion and debate.

- From a legal standpoint, there is no real controversy over this, as matters of crime should be left to Parliament and should be made to apply across the board to Muslims and non-Muslims. To have a double system is discriminatory. There is also the possibility that a Muslim suspect could be exposed to double prosecution and punishment.

- Malik believes the issue tends to creep back into the public sphere whenever an election swings by. He says "Conventional thinking is that in order to appeal to Malay votes, you have to appeal to religion. And in order to appeal to religion, you have to take a very stern position on complience with religion."

- The politicizing of religion and race is very worrying.

- He discusses if Pakatan Rakyat is in danger of breaking up over this issue.

- Malik also brings up the arguments of modern Islamic scholars who believe Islam to flourish, it needs a secular (neutral) space. 

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Karim Raslan, chair of the World Economic Forum's Regional Agenda Council on Southeast Asia, discusses the socio-political relations between Malaysia and Indonesia.

Karim talks about the relationship between between the two countries and the perception each has of the other. He also discusses Malaysia's competitiveness compared with Indonesia's, in terms of FDI, and why for MNCs, size does matter.

He also touches on Indonesia's efforts to stamp out corruption.

On the issue of Indonesian workers in Malaysia, according to news reports, an average of 50 maid abuse cases are reported annually. However Jakarta has disputed this figure, saying the actual number of abuse per year is 1,000 maids. Karim puts this in perspective, saying the figure is relatively small compared to the size of the Indonesian worker population in Malaysia, He explains that in any social group of that size, crime and abuse are bound to happen. 

Finally, Karim looks at Indonesia's national indentity and compares that against Malaysia's racial indentity. 

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On October 7th 2011, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak proposed a RM232.8 billion budget for 2012, with goodies galore for the poor, civil servants, pensioners, policemen and even taxi drivers. Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Chief Executive of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) discusses the key points of the Budget, while he explains why one-off handouts are NOT the answer to the country’s problems, yet it is still what Malaysians expect in a pre-election Budget. 

The education sector has emerged as the clear winner as the PM announced the abolishment of payments for primary and secondary education, making these free for the first time in our history. 

However Wan Saiful pointed out that while the measures were welcome, he considered the tax incentives for private school operators is slightly one-sided, as parents who send their children to private schools are paying private school tuition fees as well as taxes that go into the public education system. 

He also equated the handouts to be similar to the "giving a man a fish", as opposed to "teaching a man to fish". However this is what Malaysians have come to expect, in a pre-election budget. 

The Shadow Budget by Pakatan Rakyat mentioned abolishing monopolies and dismantling cartels that hurt consumers, something which the Prime Minister's budget did not address. 

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Yeo Eng Ping, Executive Director for tax at Ernst & Young, expects a fiscally prudent budget and one that focuses on the needs of the poor.  

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From October 3rd to October 5th, Malaysia plays host to the SIFE World Cup, which involves university students from more than 40 countries competing on their best social entrepreneurship projects. 

Kris Balderston, Special Representative of Global Partnerships in the Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) , under the office of the Secratary of State in the US State Department, was in town to catch the SIFE World Cup in action and learn from the event.

In the following interview, Balderston talks about why GPI believes in public-private initiatives are key to establishing social entrepreneurships, as seen in its flagship partnership, 'Investing with Impact'.

He also delves into the challenges faced by GPI in making these public-private alliances happen, the support systems American social entrepreneurs enjoy in the US, what challenges social entrepreneurs encounter. He also gives his view on why SIFE is an example of what the Malaysian government can do to facilitate a more conducive environment for social entrepreneurs.

"One of my favourite quotes by an American president is Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who --  in the depths of the terrible Great Depression in the US -- encouraged people and the government to pursue 'bold, persistent experimentation'. He wanted people to try things. If we fail, that's fine, give up and move on to the next. That's something that is very American that I hope we dont lose, and there's this structure thats been put in place to create this bold persistent experimentation," said Balderston.

Having worked with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the past 10 years, he shares his personal take on working with not just with one but two Clintons. Balderston served former President Bill Clinton as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet from 1995 to 2001. Prior to his current role, he was Hillary's first Legislative Director in January 2001 and Deputy Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2009.

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On September 16th, the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak announced his intention to repeal the Internal Security Act 1960 or ISA, as well as three emergency declarations. Critics are saying that the Official Secrets Act or OSA, should be repealed as well.

Masjaliza Hamzah, executive officer at Centre for Independent Journalism, believes it is unlikely that the OSA will be abolished anytime soon, unless there is a change in how people view information - what should be kept secret and what should be open to public scrutiny. There has been a "regime of secrecy" in the ruling power, which further curbs the likelihood of a OSA repeal.

In the following interview, she talks about how the OSA has been detrimental to freedom of the press and the rakyat's right to public information, why the government continues to perpetuate the Act, and whether the Freedom of Information  Act -- which was enacted by the Selangor State government this year -- is a viable alternative to the OSA.

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Dr. Greg Fealy, Professor of Political and Social Change in the College of Asia & the Pacific at Australian National University in Canberra, spoke about Indonesia's soft power and the perception of Malaysia from the other side of the Malaysia-Indonesian divide. He discussed border disputes, the ongoing debate over cultural heritage, the perceived mantle of being a role model for the Middle East as the 'democractic Islamic country' in ASEAN, the treatment of Indonesian workers in Malaysia and recent survey results showing that Indonesians disliked Malaysia more than any other country.

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Rajiv Rishyakaran from the Association For The Improvement Of Mass Transit (TRANSIT) discusses the issues surrounding the My Rapid Transit project, such as the alignment of the MRT line, making public the feasibility reports, as well as the controversy over the need to acquire privately-owned land for the project.

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Recent figures make for grim reading: An average of 41 Malaysians go bankrupt every day, many of them young adults under 40, and mostly due to credit card debt. Overspending has now become a national concern.

Datuk Paul Selvaraj, CEO of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (FOMCA) discusses some of the measures taken to address this growing problem. 

He talks about the how there is a need to coordinate the current efforts between government agencies, the private sector and NGOs. Without coordination, it will be have to measure results and could also lead to wasted resources, if they are targeting the same group. 

Financial literacy is still very low, even among working adults. Datuk Paul suggests making financial education a formal subject at the school level; teaching children from a very young age basic financial knowlegde -- like what it means to save and borrow money, what banks do, interest rates, etc. 

As people are living longer, retirement planning is crucial. Depending on EPF is not enough, espcially when you factor in inflation and the rising cost of living. 

Financial education must go hand-in-hand with bank and finance policies. Regulators can help formualte preemptive policies that can help curb the problem of runaway spending; such as simplifying the legal terms in loan documents and revising the cap on credit card limits for a certain level of income. 

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It was recently reported that more than 1,000 out of 11,000 NS attendees from last year’s batch were found to be illiterate, and will be taking remedial classes. This is consistent with Pemandu figures, which stated that 15% of the population last year was illiterate, with the goal to achieve 100% literacy by 2012.

Last year, the Literacy and Numeracy (LINUS) programme was launched across primary schools nationwide to identify children in Year 1 that lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. 

To date, based on the two screenings done in March and June, Primary 2 students have already exceeded their 95% target for literacy and numeracy. Primary 1 students have also shown some strong results, achieving a literacy rate of 83% and a numeracy rate of 90%.

Tengku Azian Tengku Shahriman, director of Pemandu's Education NKRA, discusses what steps LINUS is taking to address the weaker students - those with learning disabilities, or those who come from vernacular schools, Orang Asli schools and rural schools, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak. She also talks about how the education system has not catered for children with learning disabilities, why there is a lack of special education teachers, as well as the efforts to improve teachers' command of the language.

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Lim Teck Wyn, Technical Director at Resource Stewardship Consultants and council member of the Malaysian Nature Society, talks about the rampant clearing of the Belum-Temengor wildlife area, and that the state should be compensated for eco-tourism revenue so that it has less incentive to allow indiscriminate development. Land clearing is often done by politically connected companies and a result of poor enforcement. Belum-Temengor has one of the richest biodiversity in the world and the rainforest is more than 100 million years old.

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Simon Anholt, the founder of the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index, speaks on the power of a country's "brand image" and what Malaysia can do to improve its global relevance.

He discusses how important national reputation is to future prosperity and progress of a country and how countries need good brand images -- just like corporations and products -- but in general, most countries get the image they deserve. 

Simon also talks about the difference between "nation branding" and a "nation brand" and how much of a nation's image is influenced by tourism campaigns. 

Finally, we ask him who is ultimately responsible for a country's brand and if there is a dollar value attached to a country's reputation. 

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Malaysia Day 2011 will always be remembered for the landmark announcement, made by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, repealing the Internal Security Act 1960 and the Banishment Act 1959.

In his speech he also announced the review of certain sections of the Restricted Residents Act 1933, the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and the Police Act 1967. 

BFM spoke to some of the country's most influential thinkers, politicians, activists and academics on what all this means for Malaysia:

Malik Imtiaz Sawah – human rights lawyer, activist and current president of the National Human Rights Society (HAKAM) – says the Cabinet and UMNO should quickly come out to support and endorse the PM's statements, adding that he'd also like to see a timeline being set down concretely as a more positive indication that the Government is serious about reforms. 

Professor Emeritus Datuk Shad Saleem Faruqi – a senior professor of law at Universiti Teknologi MARA and one of the country's foremost constitutional law experts – says six months should be sufficient time to enact these changes. He also talks about other draconian laws that need to be repealed.

Dr Ong Kian Ming – political analyst and lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Policy Sciences, UCSI University – says he remains skeptical as he has  yet to see the legislation that will replace the ISA. Also that he has not seen any significant or substansive risk or measure that Datuk Seri Najib has taken during his time as PM, where he has shown that he is willing to take on the conservative faction within his own party. 

Nurul Izzah Anwar – PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai MP – says it will not be easy for the PM but the Opposition is willing to work with him in repealing these laws, to ensure an increase democratic space in this country. 

Tan Sri Tony Fernandes – AirAsia boss – says political change has a big impact on business, as a free society and freedom of speech creates a more innovative culture.

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As we celebrate the formation of Malaysia on September 16th, critics have argued that the divide between Sabah and Sarawak is more than just geographical.

For the Current Affairs' Malaysia Day Special, Dr Arnold Puyok, a political analyst with University Teknologi MARA Sabah, discusses:

- The disconnect between Sabahans & Sarawakians with Peninsular Malaysia

- The strong regional indentity East Malaysians have, as opposed to a national identity

- How ethnic and religious harmony is more evident in Sabah & Sarawak than in West Malaysia. Interracial marriages have made the culture in East Malaysia is very fluid. Also religion is considered "a family matter"

- Why 16th September should be consider equally important, if not more, than 31st August. Simply making it a public holiday is not enough

- The 20-point and 18-point agreement between these two states and the federal government, made prior to the formation of Malaysia in 1963, and if these argreements are being honoured and if it is still relevant today

- The root causes of the extreme poverty rates in Sabah

- If he thinks Sabah & Sarawak is under-represented in Parliament

- And what can be done to close the socio-economic gap between the peninsula and East Malaysia

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Dr. Iwan Jaya Aziz, head of the Asian Development Bank's Office of Regional Economic Integration in Manila, discusses:

- capital inflows from Europe and the US given the volatile situation there;

- exposure to financial volatility in the West despite general decoupling in Asia;

- Malaysia's financial regulatory environment and progress made in the past year;

- competition between ASEAN members for foreign direct investment and capital; 

- and opportunities for further regional co-operation, such as an integrated bond market.

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Chinese educationists are calling for a revamp of remove classes, citing a joint study by MCA and the Education Ministry which showed dropout rates at Chinese secondary schools to be as high as 25%.

Datuk A Yogesvaran, president of theEducational Welfare and Research Foundation (EWRF) discusses the issues pertaining to remove classes in secondary schools, how remove classes have changed over the past 50 odd years and the importance of retaining remove classes despite the challenges. 

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Trade and investments between Malaysia and Africa have increased over six folds from RM4 billion in 2001 to RM25 billion in 2010, mainly in areas of oil and gas, education, and healthcare. This morning we will gain more insights on what it is like doing business in Africa.

Gregory Mthembu-Salter, consultant to the UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo, speaks about the possible areas of investment, as well as the risk and challenges of doing business in Congo. He also gives some advice for Malaysian companies that are planning to invest or conduct business there.

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With various crises in the Middle East this year, oil prices have been all over the map. Now that most of the region has settled down and is looking forward to rebuilding their economies, how will recovery from the political turmoil affect oil prices and national oil companies like Petronas? Martin Adams, Energy Editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit, shares some insight to what we can expect.

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On September 11, 2011, countries worldwide joined the US in commemorating the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, where terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and Pentagon killed almost 3,000 people. Three Malaysians perished in the collapse of the twin towers, including Vijayashanker Paramsothy, a 23-year-old financial analyst at Aon Insurance, located on the 103rd floor of the South Tower.

Vijayashanker's father, S Paramsothy, talks about that fateful day, from the moment he finds out about the terrorist attacks, the agonising wait for news of Shanker's whereabouts and coping with the reality of losing his only son. Paramsothy also shares his views of terrorism, the legacy of 9/11 and whether it is time to put 9/11 behind us all.

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This year marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11, a day where the earth seemed to stand still as millions around the world watched New York crumble.

'Current Affairs' speaks with Elina Noor, Assistant Director at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), who has written extensively on how our world has changed because of this day and the ensuing "war on terror". She was previously at the Brookings Institution's Project on US Relations with the Islamic World.

Elina discusses if the US is safer today from acts of terror and if Islamaphobia is as real today as it was in the days following the attack. She also talks about how the event changed America's diplomatic relations with Muslim nations, as well as the lessons that the world, and Malaysia in particular, has learnt since 9/11.

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Following the shooting death of a Bernama TV cameraman during an aid mission to Somalia on Sept 2, Mercy Malaysia has announced that it will still field another humanitarian aid team by year-end, to help alleviate Africa’s worst famine in history.

Professor Dr Mohamed Ikram Mohamed Salleh, Vice President 1 of Mercy Malaysia, shares from his experience of being on the ground at Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, where foreign relief aid is concentrated. He also talks about why the famine is the nation's worst over three decades, the sentiment of the local Somalis in Mogadishu and how local Malaysians can pitch in to help, beyond just giving money.

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Merdeka Center for Opinion Research's latest voters opinion poll saw the prime minister's approval rating dip to 59%, from 65% recorded in May 2011. The respondents, aged 21 and above, were interviewed via telephone between August 11-27. Respondents were selected through a random sampling method along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age and state of residency in Peninsular Malaysia.
Of the 1,027 respondents polled, 59% were Malays, 32% Chinese and 9% Indians.

Ibrahim Suffian, Executive Director of the Merdeka Center discusses the survey findings and defends his methodology.

Key findings from the survey:

(a)   59% of the Malaysians polled said that they were satisfied with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's performance in this survey which is 6% lower compared to 65% recorded in May 2011. Broken down into ethnic groups, the survey found 69% of Malays, 38% of Chinese and 69% of Indian respondents expressed satisfaction.

(b)   51% of the respondents felt that the country was headed in the right direction, down slightly from 54% in May 2011.

(c)   Economic related concerns have continued to rise, now comprises 38% of voters; this is markedly 14% higher than December 2010

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"I don't think there's a single solution to the world's energy problems," said Hector Ingram, founder of biocomposite company Ricycled that recycles rice husks into products. Assured investment conditions, such as the Feed-in-Tariff system for renewable energy in Malaysia,  is necessary to drive the adoption of biomass in Malaysia, because ultimately, businesses may have a green slant but they have to be profitable, he says.

In the interview, he talks about why Ricycled decided to focus on product manufacturing instead of energy generation, the profit margin comparisons, as well as the viability of biomass and other green energies in Malaysia.

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With Malaysia set to implement the Feed-in-Tariff system for renewable energy in December, many are concerned about how the initiative will impact the Malaysian solar industry players and consumers.

Ahmad Hadri Haris, former chief technical advisor for renewable energy at the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water*, debate these issues with Shamsudin Khalid president of the Malaysian Photovoltaic Industry Association.

They also discuss their views on SEDA's role and how SEDA approvals will affect the industry.

* Ahmad Hadri Haris has since joined First Solar as the Senior Director of Public Affairs for the Asia Pacific region.

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The ruling Democratic party of Japan is preparing to elect its new leader to replace Prime Minister Naoto Kan, following his decision to step down after 15 months of party infighting and criticism of his administration’s initial response to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

The winner will become the country's next prime minister -- its sixth in five years. The candidates are former foreign minister Seiji Maehara, ex-transport minister Sumio Mabuchi, trade minister Banri Kaieda, finance minister Yoshihiko Noda and farm minister Michihiko Kano. 

Koichi Nakano, associate professor of political science at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, speaks about the leading contenders, and the challenges that awaits Japan's next leader.

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In the final part of our Merdeka Series on Current Affairs, "Many Voices, One History", we take you back in time to the eve of Merdeka Day in 1970, where Tunku Abdul Rahman delivered his last nationally-broadcasted speech as Prime Minister.

In this heartfelt speech, he announced that he will be stepping down after 2 years as chief minister, and 13 years as the first Malaysian Prime Minister. The Tunku also said he will be recommending that Tun Abdul Razak to replace him.

The speech also came one year after the 1969 racial riots. Tunku Abdul Rahman urged all Malaysians to "never, never forget" the incident, that he called "a social and mental earthquake – one that shook us to the core" and that "we must NEVER, NEVER forget"
Themes from the speech -- UNITY, GOODWILL, LOYALTY -- as still relevant today. "No matter what we are, we are ALL Malaysians."

Tunku Abdul Rahman's 1970 speech gave a preview to the Rukunegara, which was later proclaimed the following day by the Yang di- Pertuan Agong on Merdeka Day.

The five tenets were formulated in the wake of the May 13th 1969 racial riots.

1. Belief In God
2. Loyalty to King and Country
3. Upholding The Constitution
4. Soverignity of the Law, and
5. Good Behaviour and Morality

PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE 1957

In 1954, Abdul Rahman led a delegation to London to seek independence for Malaya, but the trip proved to be unfruitful. The British were reluctant to grant independence, using the excuse that there needed to be evidence that the different races in Malaya were able to work together and cooperate before independence could be obtained. Later in 1955 Abdul Rahman, along with Tun Sir Tan Cheng Lock and Tun V. T. Sambanthan, made a trip to London to negotiate Malayan independence, and 31 August 1957 was decided as the date for independence.

At the stroke of midnight on August 30th, the Union Jack was lowered at the Selangor Club Padang (now Dataran Merdeka) and the Malayan flag was raised. The Proclamation of Independence, read by Tunku Abdul Rahman, at Merdeka Stadium on Saturday 31st August 1957, as watched by 25,000 people.

This recording of his emotional but determined voice leading the cheers, have become a familiar icon of Malaysian independence.

BFM89.9 would like to thank the National Archives of Malaysia, especially the Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman, for the audio recordings of Tunku Abdul Rahman's speeches.

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In this fourth part of our Merdeka Series:Many Voices, One History:

One of the country's top constitutional law experts Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi discusses the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Malaysian Constitution. Professor Shad is a senior professor of law at Universiti Teknologi Mara and visiting professor at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

In the interview he discusses:

(1)  The constitutional right to religious freedom

(2)  The conditions that govern the right to propogate one's religion

(3)  Whether the right for religious liberty includes the right to NOT believe, e.g adopt atheism, agnosticicism, humanism, etc.

(4)  Our constitutional right as individual citizens to freedom of speech

(5)  The rights of assembly and the legality of the rally on electoral refrom

(6)  The concept of Personal Liberty

(7)  The freedom to choose one's gender indentity

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Tan Sri Yuen Yuet Leng, former Deputy Director of the Special Branch and head of its secretive intelligence unit nicknamed "God's Little Acre", talks about his work during the Communist insurgency, and the 13th May 1969 racial riots. This is part two of the Merdeka Series 2011: Many Voices, One History.

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For the first part of our Merdeka Series: Many Voices, One History, we speak to Zainah Anwar, the author of the book 'Legacy of Honour', which traces the story of three generations of the Onn Family-- men who have influenced this country's history for well over a century.

In this interview, Zainah discusses the lives of three remarkable leaders — Datuk Jaafar Muhamed (the first Menteri Besar of Johor), Datuk Onn Jaafar (the founder of UMNO), and Tun Hussein Onn (the third Prime Minister of Malaysia). In researching the book, what she found similar in the three men was honour, integrity and a strong sense of duty in public service.

Zainah's father, Tan Sri Haji Anwar bin Abdul Malik, was a close friend of Dato' Onn Jaafar. Along with their companions Haji Syed Alwi bin Syed Sheikh al-Hadi and Mohamad Noah Omar, Dato' Onn founded the United Malays National Organization (UMNO)  as a means to rally the Malays against the Malayan Union. Dato' Onn took up the role of UMNO's president on May 1st 1946.

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Teh Chi-Chang, Executive Director of Research for Social Advancement (REFSA) discusses how consumers can be adversely impacted by the recent MAS-AirAsia tie-up. 

Under the comprehensive collaboration framework, Khazanah, which has a 69.5% stake in MAS, will take up a 10% stake in AirAsia through Tune Air, while the latter will acquire 20.5% of MAS.

REFSA believes the tie-up between MAS-AirAsia will impact consumers in terms of less frequent flights, higher ticket prices, poorer service levels and reduced job prospects. 

Reduced flight frequency

Consumers may be at the losing end as they may then have limited air travel options with less frequent flights

Higher Ticket Prices

Air fares will likely go up. Where previously both airlines would compete to offer the lowest possible fare, they can now collaborate to raise prices. Ticket prices can also be pushed up by reducing flight frequencies.

Poorer service levels

By eliminating healthy market competition, there will be less incentive to offer high service levels to consumers

Reduced job prospects

Airline employees will now have fewer job options, and likely smaller pay hikes. Collaboration between Air Asia, MAS and Firefly would mean fewer options for employees.

Chi-Chang also discusses concerns that the collaboration between both airlines may lead to cartel-like price-fixing of air fares, despite the anti-trust study and the Competition Act, which is set to be enforced next January.

REFSA is an independent, non-profit research institute providing information on social, economic and political issues affecting Malaysians, with the aim of promoting open and constructive discussions that result in effective policies to address those issues.

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Findings from Pemandu's  recent crime perception survey, which showed a drop in Malaysians' fear of crime from January to May this year, has been called into question, as critics say it is not representative of the general populace.

Professor Dr P Sundramoothy, criminologist and associate professor of the School of Social Sciences in Universiti Sains Malaysia, shares his views on Pemandu's survey, why Malaysians' perception of crime is high, and how the police force and crime prosecution process affects public perception of crime.

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Following last week's riots in the UK, Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to explore ways to halt the use of social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry Messenger if these were being used to plot "violence, disorder and criminality". All three have been implicated in rioters' ability to communicate since the violence began in London on August 6th.

The British Government, along with its intelligence agencies MI5 and GCHQ, are in talks with mobile phone companies and Internet service providers about how they might prevent gang leaders from co-ordinating looting raids using social media.

So is social networking technology really to blame for the UK riots?

Ben Eltham, Melbourner-based writer,  journalist & fellow at the Centre for Policy Development in Australia discusses Cameron's clampdown on social media, and if he really can rein in rioters by turning off Twitter, Facebook & BBM.

Eltham says the riots were caused by a number if factors and to blame it simply on social media is "simplistic". Also he thinks implementating a social-media ban is fraught with technical difficulty -- short of putting in place some "draconian measures", it will be very difficult for the British government to control social networking technology.

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The recent Norway bombing and shooting incidents have brought to the world's attention, the multiculturalism issue in Europe and other parts of the world. Anna Halafoff, lecturer at the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University Australia, says that globalisation inevitably results in a movement of cultures and religious groups worldwide. She believes that multiculturalism issues happen when minority groups feel threatened by new diversity in their communities, and desire to return to a monoculture identity. This also leads to the rise of right-wing, extremist groups, particularly in Europe.

Multiculturalism is also a bigger issue in Europe, where national identity is more entrenched in nation states, compared to a younger country such as Australia, she adds.

Halafoff says that the rise of conservative poltical, religious movements and narrow nationalism in the 1990s is a backlash to the growing openness toward accepting cultural minorities in the 1970s and 1980s. This was evident not just in the Netherlands but in younger nations like Australia as well, which was under the leadership of John Howard, she says. Political leaders play a vital role as they have the potential to fuel anti-multiculturalism sentiment, as well as to douse it.

In the interview, Halafoff talks about why nations face issues when it comes to multiculturalism, the role of politicians in dealing with multiculturalism as well as drawing the line between preserving national identiy and embracing multiculturalism.

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Thirty-four traders and shoplot owners along Jalan Sultan and Jalan Petaling, or Chinatown, received acquisition notices last week from the government, to make way for the Klang Valley MRT project.

Conservation architect Lim Take Bane talks about why an MRT project is usually preferred over railway links above ground, why he thinks the acquisition of the 34 units is unneccesary as well as suggestions for an alternative route.

Badan Warisan Malaysia executive director Elizabeth Cardosa then shares her views on Chinatown's worth as an important fabric of Malaysian heritage, why Malaysians should preserve it and what the government can do to conserve heritage buildings in Malaysia.

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Every country must decide for itself whether nuclear energy is the best option to meet its needs, as nuclear is not for everyone, says Professor Frederick Best, associate professor in nuclear engineering at Texas A&M University in the US.  

While nuclear has its pros -- no greenhouse gas emissions, a more stable cost structure and less pollution from coal -- countries should consider whether it can generate energy from natural renewable resources or whether there is a big enough electrical demand to make nuclear investments worthwhile. 

The development of a nuclear industry in Malaysia will also result in spillover benefits, such as the development of education and talent in engineering and health physics, says Best. He also comments on Malaysia's proposed nuclear plans, the Fukushima disaster's impact on the nuclear industry, and what is needed to launch a successful nuclear programme.

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Aidan Manktelow, senior economist and editor at The Economist Intelligence Unit, believes that the Asian markets' negative performance following the S&P downgrade of the US credit rating is due to various factors, and not solely because of the downgrade. The European debt crisis is to blame as well, he says, adding that France is likely to be downgraded soon. Manktelow says that it is unlikely that Chinese yuan will take the place of the US dollar as the global foreign reserve currency anytime soon.

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