Of Malaysia Facts and Figures of the Day

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Editorial

Introducing Malaysia Facts and Figures of the Day:

- Government had so far spent RM70 million on the TV 1 and TV 2 digitalisation project - cost could come up to between RM1 billion and RM1.5 billion by the time it is completed in 2015 - TV viewers would have to buy special decoders (worth RM300) to watch programmes when digital programming replaced the current analogue system - no policy at present to subsidise the price of decoders or give them for free to the lower-income group - “We have to do away with filtering and censoring and head towards self-censorship by letting the people decide"

- 2,000 people marched to hand over a memorandum to the King asking for the return of Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction for Mathematics and Science

- Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) is targetting 5,000 agro-based entrepreneurs by 2010 (currently, there are 2,900 agro-entrpeneurs) - under incentive programme, provide them with up to over RM100,000 worth of equipment

- Perak state government has allocated an additional RM13 million in development funds for 100 orang asli villages in Batang Padang = RM10 million to build new infrastructure and facilities + RM1 million to upgrade the Pos Bersih village clinic + RM2 million to buy farming equipment for orang asli wanting to venture into agriculture - RM6 million had already been allocated to the Orang Asli Affairs Department to help the community under the Ninth Malaysia Plan

- Based on Article 16(6) of the Perak State Constitution, only the Mentri Besar has the right to appear before the Sultan to seek His Royal Highness’ consent to dissolve the state assembly

- All Pakatan assemblymen have been told not to co-operate with the police unless the police are also investigated under Section 124 of the Penal Code (obstructing of elected representatives from carrying out their duties), said Perak DAP chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham

- 94 foreign women, mostly from Asean countries, have been placed at the shelter for trafficked women since its establishment in March 2008 - under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the ministry had set aside an allocation to build several shelter homes nationwide to provide safe havens for the victims

- Female civil servants with the Selangor Government are now entitled to 90 days maternity leave starting this year - Husbands whose wives gave birth will also enjoy a 14-day paternity leave, up from a week previously - Female staff whose husbands pass away, will also get 30 days’ leave, compared to three days emergency leave in the past

- Selangor would use its over RM50 million revenue from sand mining to fund various “people-centred’ activities and welfare programmes

- Selangor had identified about 40 villages to be headed by Indians and their appointment would be made April 2009

- DAP’s target for 30% of women to be involved in politics is still lagging behind with only more than 10% involved, said Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow

- Penang DAP had been giving away 1,000 stalks of flowers in conjunction with International Women’s Day each year since 2000 but decided to increase the number to 10,000 stalks this year

- 30 people have died from dengue in January to February 2009 - more than double the 12 deaths recorded between January 1 and March 3 2008

- Ministry of Health would speed up the employment of contract doctors to help ease the shortage in hospitals and health clinics nationwide - 53% of the positions had yet to be filled

- 15 Chinese associations here have called on the Government to allow AirAsia to fly direct between Singapore and Langkawi to help the resort island weather the current economic storm - business has been dropping by at least 30% so far this year - currently, only SilkAir provided direct flights between Singapore and Langkawi - Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said the low-cost carrier would only need a month to start daily flights

- Tourism Malaysia is exploring programmes to woo more tourists from Pakistan - Last year, 68,000 Pakistanis visited Malaysia

- More than 70,000 Bangladeshi workers are expected to arrive here soon to work in the plantation, construction and services sectors, said the Bangladesh High Commission labour counsellor Talat Mahmud Khan - arrival of the latest batch would swell the number of Bangladeshi workers to almost 500,000 - On the social impact of the Bangladeshi workers on Malaysian society, he said there was not much impact as the workers were confined mostly to their workplaces and seldom ventured outside - “However, considering the huge Bangladeshi population in Malaysia, a few Bangladeshi youths may get involved with local girls, but this is very rare,”

- All programmes to close the digital divide must be completed by 2010, said Energy, Water and Communications Ministry Deputy Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum - One of them was the RM600 million Universal Service Programme (USP) focusing on increasing communications infrastructure in the rural areas nationwide - target is to have 46 centres before 2010

- Government had given an assurance that all areas within a 15km radius of a small town would have better infrastructure by 2016

- Kedah will award logging concessions only through the open tender system - Via the open tender system, the state government derived revenue of up to RM16.3 million for 1,000 ha compared to between RM3 million and RM4.5 million under the negotiated tender system - Tenders would be open soon for some 2,400 ha

- Stamp duty rate introduced under the last Budget - it would cost 0.5% of the value of the contract sum as compared to previous stamping rate of RM10 per book contract - revision has increased the financial burden of developers and others in the related sectors

- The Chinese residents of Kuchai Brem Park Condominium, comprising 98% of the population, donated over RM2,600 to businessman Ruslee Mokhtar, 45, and his 35-year-old wife Rozita Abdul Malik, whose son Muhammad Aiman Izzat Ruslee, 10, drowned in the condominium pool

- Mini Estate Sejahtera project involving 98 ha in Kampung Sungai Laba, Pulau Sebatik - benefit some 33 hardcore poor families - Houses for them will be built at a cost of RM3 million and completed in 18 months - Each family will be allocated 3 ha of oil palm as part of the government’s efforts to eradicate poverty

- So far, only 50% of the 380 JPs in Selangor had re-registered themselves with the state JP council office

- Kota Batam Islamic Religious Affairs officer said that Malaysian and Singaporean men have been going to Batam to marry the local women there using unqualified “jurunikah” (marriage official), charging a fee of RM3,000.


Articles

Item 1: "Netanyahu's Middle East Outlook" interview with Lally Weymouth

Wisdom:

- I propose a [new] way, which I believe can achieve progress: to continue political talks and at the same time advance the economic development that has begun and also strengthen the Palestinian security forces.
- Hamas is incompatible with peace.
- I will continue the talks for peace with the Palestinians immediately, and I do not condition them in any way on the Iranian outcome


Item 2: "U.N. Peacekeeping Efforts Stretched into Thin Blue Line" by John J. Meltzer

Wisdom:

- eighteen separate deployments — the largest being in the Democratic Congo and Darfur
- After gaining a mandate, the Council must look to developed countries to pay for the operation while developing countries generally send troops - chief contributors being Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Nigeria and Nepal
- Costs for the 18 missions come to over US$7 billion annually