Tuesday, June 22, 2010

10MP: Entry age for school lowered to five

Published: Thursday June 10, 2010 MYT 2:04:00 PM
10MP: Entry age for school lowered to five

KUALA LUMPUR: Children will begin school a year earlier, at the age of five plus, during the 10th Malaysia Plan period in line with many developed countries.
It will be rolled out in stages starting with schools in rural and plantation areas, particularly in schools that are under-utilised to allow the pupils to benefit from an earlier head start.
Early childhood development and pre-school programmes will be stepped up for more children to be ready to enter school at a younger age, according to the plan tabled in Dewan Rakyat on Friday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
"The entry age for schooling will be lowered from 6 to 5 years during the plan period," he said.
The Permata early childhood development programme will focus on households with monthly income of below RM1,500.
A sum of RM36mil will be allocated to set up 181 Permata centres throughout the country.
Efforts will be made to raise pre-school enrolment for children aged between four and five from the current 67% to 87% by 2012 and 92% by 2015.
The quality of pre-school education will also be improved at the same time.
For this, RM2bil is earmarked between 2010 and 2012.
Another RM400mil is allocated between 2010 and 2012 for the Literacy and Numeracy Screening (LINUS) programme to ensure that all pupils have basic literacy and numeracy skills after the first three years of primary education.
"Improving literacy and numeracy skills is critical to reduce dropout rates due to the inability of students to cope with the syllabus being taught," the 10MP says. - Bernama

Water firms placed on ‘MARCWatch negative’

Wednesday June 9, 2010

By IZWAN IDRIS
izwan@thestar.com.my

It says uncertainty and hurdles in the restructuring process causing concern
PETALING JAYA: The ratings of companies involved in the water sector in Selangor were placed under “MARCWatch negative” by Malaysian Rating Corp Bhd (MARC) due to “high level of uncertainty associated with the restructuring of the sector.”
The rating action affects debt papers issued by Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Puncak Niaga (M) Sdn Bhd, Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd, RUN Holding SPV Bhd, Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd, Viable Chip (M) Sdn Bhd and Titisan Modal Sdn Bhd
“The MARCWatch placements reflect MARC’s immediate credit concerns over the impact of Syabas’ continued inability to meet in full its monthly bulk water payment obligations to water-treatment operators as the result of the former’s unresolved water tariff hike,” MRCB said in a press release yesterday.
A water tariff hike in Selangor, which was supposed to be implemented from January last year, has been deferred indefinitely.
MARC believed that “the significant hurdles” in the restructuring process, in particular the protracted negotiations between the Selangor state and water players, “do not bode favourably towards attaining a timely and orderly resolution” of the industry restructuring related issues.
Syabas staff checking for leakage at one of water-treatment plants
Hence, the rating agency believed that the contraints on “certain water-treatment operators” would become more acute in the coming quarters, as debt service reserves declined and expected revenue cash flow fell behind earlier projections.
MARCB said it would adjust the ratings “as warranted” to incorporate the shortening timeline towards potential defaults for the more severely affected issuers upon completing its review for potential downgrades.
Negotiations to resolve the water tariff issue in Selangor between the state government and water players started two years ago, but details on the progress had been sketchy at best.
Meanwhile, concessionaire Splash, which is 40% owned by Gamuda Bhd, had made a bid to take over all water concessionaires in Selangor for RM10.75bil - a higher price than the state’s last offer of RM9.2bil.
Splash’s bid seemed to have the backing of the Federal government after a revised offer in April that saw the participation of Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB), in compliance with the asset-light condition spelled out under the Water Services Industry Act.
Under the deal offered by Splash, PAAB would pay RM8.1bil for the assets to be topped up with RM2.6bil from Splash.

English is the way to go, says Johor Ruler's consort

Wednesday June 9, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is moving in the opposite direction compared with countries such as China and Indonesia that are fast catching up on becoming more proficient in the English language, said Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah (pic).
She spoke about the many youths who could not speak or write well in English.
“They are reluctant to participate in international conferences because they have no confidence in speaking up and writing reports in English,” said the Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim’s consort.
Delivering a royal lecture at the 19th Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (Melta) International Conference on Monday, Raja Zarith, who is the patron of Melta, said: “One way to boost students’ confidence in speaking in English is by asking them to do presentations regularly in front of the class.”
She also said that English could be used to communicate the message that Islam was a religion of peace.
“Post-9/11, there have been stereotypes and misconceptions about Muslims and Islam. With good English, we can tell the world that Malaysian Muslims do not prescribe to the doctrine of terrorism.”
Raja Zarith also paid tribute to the teachers for their efforts in moulding young minds and contributing to the country’s development.
“Nevertheless, education is always dynamic. Teachers need to be aware of the latest happenings in order to keep up with the students nowadays,” she added.
The Star is the media partner for Melta.

What makes a syarie lawyer?

Tuesday June 8, 2010
Ikim Views
By DR WAN AZHAR WAN AHMAD
Senior Fellow/Director, Ikim

A non-Muslim who wants to practise as a syarie lawyer must believe in all fundamentals prescribed by Islam and understand as many Islamic teachings, principles and tenets as possible.
LEGAL dualism in Malaysia is reflected by the application of two sets of laws – syariah and civil. The former has been practised centuries prior to the invasion of the colonialists, while the latter was introduced after the coming of the British to this land.
Now, there exists two groups of lawyers – syarie and non-syarie legal practitioners. Under certain circumstances, a section of them may practise in both systems provided certain requirements are met.
To become a civil lawyer, one must obtain the Bachelor of Laws degree from any tertiary institutions recognised by the Government. After being called to and admitted by the Bar or any other relevant body, one may serve as an advocate and solicitor in the country.
For syarie lawyers, they have to fulfil a number of additional conditions, which are generally the same throughout the country, but there are some minor variations in some states.
For example, Rule 10 of the Peguam Syarie Rules 1993 (Federal Territories) clearly provides that a person may be admitted to be a syarie lawyer if he
(i) is a Muslim and has passed the final examination which leads to the certificate of bachelor’s degree in Syariah from any university or any Islamic educational institution recognised by the government of Malaysia;
(ii) is a Muslim member of the judicial and legal service of the Federation; or, (iii) is a Muslim advocate and solicitor enrolled under the Legal Profession Act 1967.
Section (c) of the same Rule states that the aspiring applicant must be of good behaviour, while Section (e) stipulates that as an advocate and solicitor, he or she must pass the Sijil Peguam Syarie examination.
Considering the provisions mentioned, can a non-Muslim apply to become a syarie lawyer? The answer is obviously a categorical “No”.
But, we cannot solely rely on law and its legal provisions to deny any application, as people see no rationale justifying such a rejection.
Here, at least two rationales can be given to fill the seemingly lacunae. Firstly, in Islamic tradition, the terms “Islam” and “Syariah” have been applied interchangeably as synonyms.
Though the latter is generally perceived as more technical referring mainly to legal matters, in reality it covers all aspects of human life – theology, law, politics, economics, ethics, and so forth – to form a complete religion and way of life known as Islam.
Therefore, knowledge about syariah implies knowledge about Islam and vice versa.
In addition, Islam is a divine religion meant and brought to all mankind by Prophet Muhammad. Those who accept his call, recognise and believe in him as the last Messenger of God are known as Muslims.
Should disputes arise among them, possible solutions must be obtained within the parameters specified or recognised by the religion. It may be reached either inside or outside the formal court of justice establishable by syariah.
Realising the above framework, the duty of a syarie lawyer “is not only to present and argue a case for the interest of his client but, more importantly, to assist the court to arrive at a just and fair decision even if the decision of the court may not be in favour of his client”. (Farid Sufian Shuaib, Administration of Islamic Law in Malaysia, 2001).
In doing so, he must constantly refer to the primary and secondary Islamic legal sources, namely, the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet, consensus (ijmak), analogy (qiyas) and other methods agreed upon by Muslim jurists and scholars.
Therefore, for a non-Muslim to become an effective syarie lawyer, he must first of all believe in all fundamentals prescribed by Islam. He must make efforts to understand as many Islamic teachings, principles and tenets as possible and outwardly put them into practice.
He is also required to adequately master the art of applying and deriving conclusions from all those primary and secondary sources of Islamic law. And it takes years for one to sufficiently learn all the necessary processes.
How best can a non-Muslim “syarie lawyer” fight for the interests of his Muslim client if he himself actually does not sincerely believe in Islam and practise the religion?
Understanding Islam based on unguided readings or attending sporadic short courses is far from enough for one to claim so. A 150-hour course in Islamic law, for example, does not guarantee that one understands syariah to the extent that he is qualified enough to talk confidently in the area.
By analogy, can a non-Christian like me, after claiming some knowledge in the religion, apply to become a priest without changing my religion? By the same token, can I apply to be a Hindu or Buddhist monk just by having a certain diploma in certain respects of these religions without abandoning my original faith?
No religious authorities would allow that “encroachment” to take place as that would only create suspicions, problems and confusion in their respective groups in particular and in the masses in general. It does more harm than good.
“Accepting” Islam cannot be compared with accepting something non-religious or cultural in nature. Thus one may enrol as a martial arts student in silat, tae kwan do, kungfu, etc, irrespective of one’s religious or racial background.
Similarly, a non-Malay may adopt a Malay wedding ceremony; a Malay-Muslim may become involve in a certain Hindu arts, or join a Chinese Opera group. All these can be done, I believe, without having to compromise one’s religious beliefs.
Secondly and in brief, literature on Islamic law is abundantly written in Arabic. A good syarie lawyer will have to master the language for him understand the syariah better. Quranic and prophetic texts as well as juristic opinions are all preserved and recorded in Arabic.
Considerable works may be translated into and available in many other world languages but a tremendous amount of material remains in Arabic.
In Malaysia, I believe there is no non-Muslim lawyer who understands Arabic good enough that may help or enable him to comprehend syariah better to qualify him to practise in that field. Even if one manages to acquire and fulfil this requirement, his understanding of Islam remains doubtful.
Generally, for those who do not sincerely believe in Islam or do not properly practise the religion, and those who do not have the linguistic skill of Arabic, they are advised not to indulge in Islamic law as their profession, fully or partially, even if they are Muslims. Let alone if they are non-Muslims.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

What makes the Muslim leader

What makes the Muslim leader
2010/05/31

A plenary session on leadership at the recent sixth World Islamic Economic Forum explored the traits necessary to overcome new challenges, writes MOHAMMAD HASHIM KAMALI

"LEADERSHIP challenges for the new era" was the subject of a plenary session at the sixth World Islamic Economic Forum in Kuala Lumpur. The topic generated a lively discussion among a panel of eminent speakers. Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of Asean, moderated and referred in his opening remarks to the Quranic phrase ulil-amr (those in charge of affairs, Q.4:59), raising the question as to who were the ulil-amr of today, who could usher us into the new era.

The first panellist, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, rightly stressed the role of education and recounted a question he was asked during a recent visit to the Middle East, on how Malaysia had become a success story among Muslim countries. He responded that Malaysia allocated a big portion of its budget to education, an area where the country set a different record. Then he spoke passionately of the importance of grounding our youth in good values.

The former Pakistan prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, emphasised incorruptibility and transparency. He referred to prevailing problems -- financial crises, terrorism, climatic degradation -- which were the result evidently of bad decisions, and thus a shortage of good leaders.
Dr Ahmad Muhammad Ali, president of the Islamic Development Bank, recommended a bottom-up approach whereby leaders arise from the grassroots as opposed to the elite-based top-down model.

The moderator addressed the floor with a remark on why the young were so preoccupied with qualifications and career matters and uninvolved in public affairs -- only to invoke an energetic rebuttal from many youth speakers: youth everywhere are crying for attention, they want to be involved, but their voices fall on deaf ears. It's the leaders who are not opening up.

In my brief intervention, I explored the Islamic dimension of our discussion a little further, on which I elaborate here. Surin's quotation was reminiscent of another Quranic guideline: "...their (Muslims') affair is a matter of consultation among them" (42:38). Consultative leadership as such entails engagement, communication and partnership, also implying that leaders are connected, interactive, and maintain good relations with their grassroots.

Furthermore, wali al-amr is generic and inclusive of anyone in charge of community affairs. A company director, judge, member of parliament, minister and head of state all qualify. It has in turn been adopted into the juristic usage wilayah (plural wilayaat) to signify public authority. All government authorities are thus known as wilayaat.

The Muslim leader should be friend and protector, and must remain open to sincere advice (nasihah) and constructive criticism (mu'aradah).

A renowned hadith states that "every one of you is a custodian and responsible for what is in his custody... the ruler is responsible for what is in his custody and so is every man and every woman".

The prophet also instructed: "Be not weak in character nor simply do what others do, whether good or bad. Rather make up your own minds: you may follow others in good deeds but not when they do something wrong."

What we see then is open and accessible leadership, not of a single person, but one in which everyone can take charge of what is placed under his custody. The prophet also praised a leader who empathised with his people, reaching out to them and aligning with them around their needs and interests, and denounced leaders who distance themselves from the grassroots.

Humility and dedication to service run through Islam's guidelines on leadership, as in the hadith: "The leader of a people is (veritably) their servant." The second caliph, Umar al-Khattab, added his voice to say that "there is no pomp and ceremony in Islam".

Leaders must also listen. Thus, when someone rudely criticised Umar in the presence of senior companions, one of them asked for permission to deal with the intruder but the caliph responded: "No, let him speak. No good will come of us if we do not listen."

One should also admit perhaps that mediaeval Islamic history is littered with despotic leadership and grave neglect of basic guidelines.

Age is not a determining factor of leadership. Ali, later the fourth caliph, was the youngest of the companions but was a leading voice and a minister to the prophet.

Similarly, when the prophet appointed the l8-year-old Usama Zayd to lead an army expedition, elder Companions acceded, and events showed he was a good choice.

Gender should also not be a hindrance, as there is no prohibitive injunction on it, but issues have arisen due mainly to mediaeval society practices. The prophet's wife Aishah was a learned and leading figure among the companions, and later Caliph Umar appointed a woman, Shifa Abdullah, as market inspector of Madinah.

The only exception Muslim scholars have made is for the head of state, as he leads the army, but material changes in warfare and leadership make it inadvisable now for a head of state to lead the army in battle.

Al-Mawardi (d.1058), author of a renowned text on governance, enumerates many qualities of a good leader, which he summarises into three: knowledge, just character, and wisdom (ilm, adalah, hikmah).

Leadership arises from knowledge, insight and virtue, a vision of the good, courage, humility, commitment, and God-consciousness. These are the ingredients of hikmah in a good leader. Knowledgeable leaders exuberate clarity of purpose and persuasiveness. The Quran thus instructed the prophet: "Take not a stand on something you are not knowledgeable about" (17:36).

Firasah (farsightedness) is a synonym of hikmah, often used in the context of siyasah shar'iyyah (judicious policy), which affords the leader flexibility in the management of public affairs -- to make effective decisions in emergencies and fast unfolding scenarios. When calamity strikes, for instance, and looters take people's properties, the leader must act, and not, as it were, await legal technicalities of evidence and proof.

The writer is founding chairman of the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia

Blasphemy can lead to apostasy

Tuesday May 25, 2010
Blasphemy can lead to apostasy
Ikim Views
By DR WAN AZHAR WAN AHMAD
Senior Fellow/Director, Ikim

Though Islamic tradition offers no exact equivalent for the term blasphemy, Muslims without proper knowledge who criticise the religion may fall into infidelity or apostasy.
BLASPHEMY, derived from the Greek term meaning “speaking evil”, is contemptuous or irreverent words or speech about God or things regarded as sacred.
Its synonyms, among others, are abuse, desecration, execration, profanation, repudiation, derogation, denunciation, heresy, insult, impiety, sacrilege, scurrility and reviling.
“To blaspheme” is to speak about the Divine or those sacred things impiously, disrespectfully.
In Islam, words that pierce the Almighty God with insults (sabb), insinuate the Prophet Muhammad, or mock any part of the Revelation constitutes religious crimes.
Though Islamic tradition offers no exact equivalent, these situations are analogous or comparable to blasphemy. The Quranic term that comes fairly close to blasphemy is “words of infidelity” (kalimat al-kufr).
Theologically speaking, blasphemy may overlap with or lead to infidelity, i.e. deliberate rejection of God and Revelation.
To a lesser degree, but equally destructive, expressing religious opinions at variance with the standard established Islamic worldview or creed could easily be looked upon as blasphemous.
And this blasphemy may also be defined as any verbal expression that possibly gives grounds for apostasy (riddah).
Blasphemy can also be considered as equivalent to heresy (zandaqah). This pre-Islamic Persian term is employed in Islamic literature to describe the heretics (zindiqs) whose teaching becomes a threat to the state and religion. Originally zindiqs was used to refer to the followers of Mani (d. 277 AD) who deviated from the original teachings of Zorostrianism.
From the inception of Islam, the religion has been confronted with a lot of opposition. The Prophet Muhammad himself encountered vehement rejection from the Arab people and leaders of Mecca. They disputed, abused, rejected and ridiculed many Quranic teachings brought by him. They not only mocked his claim as the prophet of God but also accused him of many derogatory names and professions.
Based on the Noble Quran and Sunnah, the nature and conditions for blasphemy have been elaborated upon by scholars. They describe it as the expression of denigration, contempt or scorn for God, the Prophets, the Quran, the angels, or the traditional religious sciences based on Revelation.
The list goes to those remarks that offend the qualified and true religious scholars. Insults to the authoritative religious scholarship is tantamount to rejection of religious knowledge itself. It implies that the Revelation is untruthful, implicating the Prophet and ultimately Almighty God.
The aforementioned antagonism has been taking place in Islamic history since the time of the Prophet. It is still happening today and will continue to the future.
What is more unfortunate, is that it is done by Muslims themselves, the confused ones. They question the rationale and even validity of certain religious pronouncements, claiming injustices and discrimination, for example, against gender, as well as violation of human rights on the part of Islam.
The terms blasphemy and heresy are invoked here to remind and caution many modern educated Muslims who are inclined to follow the footsteps of those early blasphemers and zindiqs by criticising their religion without having proper knowledge.
It appears that those educated but ignorant Muslims become zindiqs or “free thinkers” making their external profession of Islam not sufficiently sincere due to improper guidance.
Therefore, Muslims must always be careful with their intentions, words and actions. They are supposed to be sensible enough to realise that whatever they do, it must be done in accordance with the true teachings of Islam.
All arguments must be constructed upon premises based on right knowledge. And true Muslims must always be ever willing to come back to the right path and correct themselves if what they are holding to is proven wrong.
Blasphemous Muslims must be aware that they may fall into infidelity or apostasy if they choose to remain obstinate after being told the truth.

What Chief Executives Really Want

What Chief Executives Really Want
by Frank Kern
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

A survey from IBM's Institute for Business Value shows that CEOs value one leadership competency above all others. Can you guess what it is?
What do chief executive officers really want? The answer bears important consequences for management as well as companies' customers and shareholders. The qualities that a CEO values most in the company team set a standard that affects everything from product development and sales to the long-term success of an enterprise.
There is compelling new evidence that CEOs' priorities in this area are changing in important ways. According to a new survey of 1,500 chief executives conducted by IBM's Institute for Business Value , CEOs identify "creativity" as the most important leadership competency for the successful enterprise of the future.
That's creativity—not operational effectiveness, influence, or even dedication. Coming out of the worst economic downturn in their professional lifetimes, when managerial discipline and rigor ruled the day, this indicates a remarkable shift in attitude. It is consistent with the study's other major finding: Global complexity is the foremost issue confronting these CEOs and their enterprises. The chief executives see a large gap between the level of complexity coming at them and their confidence that their enterprises are equipped to deal with it.
Until now creativity has generally been viewed as fuel for the engines of research or product development, not the essential leadership asset that must permeate an enterprise.
Needed: Creative Disruption
Much has happened in the past two years to shake the historical assumptions held by the women and men who are in charge. In addition to global recession, the century's first decade heightened awareness of the issues surrounding global climate change and the interplay between natural events and our supply chains for materials, food, and even talent. In short, CEOs have experienced the realities of global integration. The world is massively interconnected—economically, socially, and politically—and operating as a system of systems. So what does this look like at the level of customer relationships? For too many enterprises, the answer is that their customers are increasingly connected, but not to them.
Against that backdrop of interconnection, interdependency, and complexity, business leaders around the world are declaring that success requires fresh thinking and continuous innovation at all levels of the organization. As they step back and reassess, CEOs have seized upon creativity as the necessary element for enterprises that must reinvent their customer relationships and achieve greater operational dexterity. In face-to-face interviews with our consultants, they said creative leaders do the following:
Disrupt the Status Quo. Every company has legacy products that are both cash—and sacred—cows. Often the need to perpetuate the success of these products restricts innovation within the enterprise, creating a window for competitors to advance competing innovations. As CEOs tell us that fully one-fifth of revenues will have to come from new sources, they are recognizing the requirement to break with existing assumptions, methods, and best practices.
Disrupt Existing Business Models. CEOs who select creativity as a leading competency are far more likely to pursue innovation through business model change. In keeping with their view of accelerating complexity, they are breaking with traditional strategy-planning cycles in favor of continuous, rapid-fire shifts and adjustments to their business models.
Disrupt Organizational Paralysis. Creative leaders fight the institutional urge to wait for completeness, clarity, and stability before making decisions. To do this takes a combination of deeply held values, vision, and conviction—combined with the application of such tools as analytics to the historic explosion of information. These drive decision making that is faster, more precise, and even more predictable.
Taken together, these recommendations describe a shift toward corporate cultures that are far more transparent and entrepreneurial. They are cultures imbued with the belief that complexity poses an opportunity, rather than a threat. They hold that risk is to be managed, not avoided, and that leaders will be rewarded for their ability to build creative enterprises with fluid business models, not absolute ones.
Something significant is afoot in the corporate world. In response to powerful external pressures and the opportunities that accompany them, CEOs are signaling a new direction. They are telling us that a world of increasing complexity will give rise to a new generation of leaders that make creativity the path forward for successful enterprises.
Frank Kern is senior vice-president of IBM Global Business Services

28th Sultan of Perak: Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah

May 24, 2010 • 12:01 AM
28th Sultan of Perak: Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah ibni Almarhum Raja Bendahara Alang Iskandar (1887-1916)
SembangKuala is one year old today and in commemoration of this, we humbly present to you this updated post on Almarhum Sultan Idris I.

Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah. This photo was taken in 1911 at the famous Lafayette Studio in London, and is currently held at the V&A Lafayette Collection.
Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah was born Raja Idris ibni Almarhum Raja Bendahara Alang Iskandar at Kampung Kuala Keboi in Kampar, Perak on 19 June 1849, the third son of Raja Bendahara Alang Iskandar ibni Almarhum Yang di Pertuan Muda Sultan Ahmad Shah Johan by his second wife, Che’ Ken Uda Sari binti Panglima Dalam Abdul Rahman. His siblings were Raja Hasan, Raja Kulop Muhammad (father of Raja Perempuan Kelsom, consort of Sultan Iskandar Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Idris), Raja Lope Ahmad and Raja Putih Mas Kechil.
As a young man, Raja Idris had already shown a keen interest in education, especially that of Islam, a characteristic he exhibited throughout his life. Among his religious teachers were Sheikh Mohd Tahir Jalaluddin[1] and Syed Abdullah bin Abu Bakar Al-Attas (kadhi of Perak). Raja Idris later learnt English from a few of British administrative officers, which included M.E. Holmes, the District Magistrate and Collector of Land Revenue.
In 1876, Raja Idris was appointed as a judge on the examination of those who were charged with complicity in the assassination of J.W.W. Birch (the first British Resident of Perak). The assassination of Birch culminated in the Perak War (1875-1876) between the British forces and the Perak Malays. During the trial, his fellow assessors were J.G Davidson and Frank Swettenham. Raja Idris was later appointed Chief Judge of Perak, and between 1883 to 1897, he was invited by the Straits Settlement Government to assist in the settlement of a dispute over the definition of the boundary between Perak and Kedah, and Melaka and Rembau. Later as Sultan, he revised the primeval code of Perak Court customs and procedures, and the traditional and royal titles, with the approval of the State Council. This includes the creation of the office Orang Kaya-Kaya Setia Bijaya Di-Raja in place of the then defunct Orang Kaya Kaya Seri Agar Di-Raja Putra (following the conviction of Dato’ Maharaja Lela). Jeragan Abdul Shukor bin Mohamad Ali was the first holder of this title.

When Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin Muzaffar Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah I was finally installed as the 27th Sultan of Perak[2], Perak was declared a British protectorate on 11 May 1887. Raja Idris was then installed Raja Muda by the Perak State Council[3], apparently with strong support from Hugh Low, the then British Resident of Perak. However, about two months after the installation, Sultan Yusuf mangkat on 26 July 1887 and Raja Muda Idris was proclaimed the 28th Sultan of Perak at the age of 38. Sultan Idris was formally installed with the title Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah on 5 April 1889.

Previously, all the previous Sultans of Perak resided on the right bank of the Sungai Perak, as per agreement made by the 1st Sultan of Perak, Sultan Muzaffar Shah, with Tok Temong. However, Sultan Idris chose to reside to the left bank on Bukit Chandan. A palace called Istana Idris (later renamed as Istana Negara) was erected on Bukit Chandan in 1895. It was then demolished, giving way to the construction of Istana Iskandariah in the early 1930s. Besides Istana Negara, there were other istanas built, like Istana Chinta Berahi for the Raja Perempuan Nuteh Aishah binti Almarhum Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin and Istana Kasar Ma’amor for Tengku Permaisuri Uteh Mariah binti Haji Sulaiman.

It was during the time of Sultan Idris that Perak became part of the Federated Malay States. Perak then saw a vast economic growth from its export of tin and rubber. The first rubber tree in Malaya was planted in Kuala Kangsar by the botanist Henry Ridley.

Sultan Idris was regarded as one of the most influential sultans in Malaya at the time, as seen from the inaugural Durbar in 1897 held at the Istana Negara in Kuala Kangsar. Sultan Idris’ thinking was ahead of his time and he strove to meet the needs of his rapidly changing state and her rakyat. One of his principal concerns was education, of both Western or religious styles, and he was instrumental in the establishment of both the Malay College (Bab-ul Darjat was a lesser known name of the College) and Madrasah Idrisiah in Kuala Kangsar. Even after his passing, his vast contributions towards education of his rakyat was recognised and the Sultan Idris Training College in Tanjong Malim was named after him.

Sultan Idris was also a staunch advocate of increased Malay participation in the ranks of the state administration. To walk the talk as it were, one of his sons, Raja Alang Iskandar (later Sultan) joined the F.M.S. Police Force.
In recognition of his role in the modernisation of Perak and and his vast contributions to the welfare of his rakyat, Sultan Idris received a number British honours – the CMG in 1884 and KCMG in 1898 from Queen Victoria, GCMG in 1901 from Edward VII and GCVO in 1913 from George V.
During his lifetime, Sultan Idris had visited England four times:
1. 1884 – with Hugh Low and Raja Ngah Mansur ibni Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II, to request for the return of the Perak Royal Regalia which were kept in England since 1876 during the Perak War.

2. 1888 – by invitation of Queen Victoria for her Golden Jubilee, after his proclamation as Sultan of Perak. He was again accompanied by Hugh Low and Raja Ngah Mansur ibni Sultan Abdullah.
3. 1902 – for the coronation of Edward VII but the trip was postponed. During the trip, his son, Raja Alang Iskandar (then aged 21) followed him back to Perak after seven years in England, five of which were at Balliol College in Oxford.
4. 1911 – for the coronation of George V, and he was accompanied by Tengku Permaisuri Uteh Mariah, Raja Harun Al Rashid, Raja Abdul Rashid, Raja Chulan, Raja Puteh Kalsom Sultan Idris (wife of Raja Chulan) and Enche’ Yeop Nordin, Toh Muda Orang Kaya Setia Di-Raja. It was during this trip that Sultan Idris bought the Aigrette which was later added to the Perak State Regalia.
Upon returning to Perak in 1911, Sultan Idris health was under par and he rested at Port Dickson. Whilst recovering, he made a nazar, should he be restored a good health, he would build a mosque in Bukit Chandan. His vow later materialised with the erection of Majid Ubudiah but he did not live to see it completed.
Sultan Idris mangkat on 14 January 1916 at the age of 67. He was interred at the Royal Mausoleum, Kuala Kangsar with the title of Marhum Rahmatullah.
In the course of his life, Sultan Idris married seven times:
1. DYMM Raja Perempuan Nuteh Aishah binti Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin Mudzaffar Shah. She died at Istana Kasar Ma’amor, Kuala Kangsar on 6 October 1920.

Sultan Idris with Tengku Permaisuri Uteh Mariah
2. Tengku Permaisuri Che Uteh Mariah binti Haji Sulaiman (Orang Kaya-Kaya Shahbandar Paduka Indira). She died at Istana Cinta Berahi, Kuala Kangsar on 26 February 1924.
3. Toh Puan Besar Che Ngah Manah binti Manda Duwayat. She died 4 February 1922.
4. Che Alang Sawiya binti Che Kulup Abdul Samad. She died 16 November 1957.
5. Che Long Polam
6. YM Sharifah Alawiyah
7. YM Sharifah Maheran
The present Perak Sultanate is derived from his lineage. In addition, the Sultan Idris I lineage has links with other royal households in other States, namely Selangor and Pahang. Click here for the family tree of Sultan Idris I.
Footnote:
[1] Sheikh Mohd Tahir Jalaluddin was the father of Tun Hamdan Sheikh Tahir, the Yang di Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang from 1989 to 2001.
[2] Raja Muda Yusuf was made regent from 30March 1877 to 11 May 1887.
[3] The Perak State Council was founded on 10 September 1877, with Raja Idris as one of its founder members.
_________________________________
Reference:
1. Fawzi Basri. Cempaka Sari: Sejarah Kesultanan Negeri Perak. Yayasan Perak; 1986.
2. Hussain bin Mahmud. Sultan Idris: A personal study.
3. Kennedy J. A History of Malaya. London: Macmillan; 1962.
4. Encyclopedia Britannica. Sultan Idris ibn Raja Iskandar.
5. Laman Rasmi Pejabat Sultan Perak. SULTAN IDRIS MURSHIDUL ‘ADZAM SHAH I.
6. Sembangkuala. Perak after Sultan Ali.
7. Arkib Negara Malaysia

All systems go for science and maths reverting to BM in 2011

All systems go for science and maths reverting to BM in 2011

Written by Chua Sue-Ann
Tuesday, 18 May 2010 21:54

PUTRAJAYA: The federal government is ready to shift back to teaching science and mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia in 2011 and will not accommodate requests to remain with English as the medium of instruction for these subjects, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

The education ministry was at "the final stages of preparation" of implementing the policy, and textbooks for both subjects in Bahasa Malaysia were being written, he told a press conference after chairing a cabinet committee meeting on human capital development on Monday, May 17.

Muhyiddin, who is also deputy prime minister, said that he had received a report a fortnight ago indicating that the ministry was ready to proceed in 2011 with the first batch to be taught under the reinstated Bahasa Malaysia policy.

He had told parliament in October 2009 that the education ministry was mulling the possibility of teaching mathematics and science in Bahasa Malaysia to Standard One students in 2011, ahead of the 2012 target year set for other students nationwide.

On July 8, 2009, Muhyiddin had announced the cabinet's decision to abolish the policy of teaching science and mathematics in English (or PPSMI, the Malay acronym for the policy), that was adopted in 2003.

The decision marks a reversion to Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction for the two subjects in national schools as well as a shift back to vernacular languages in Chinese and Tamil schools starting 2012.

To another question, Muhyiddin said his ministry was aware that certain quarters had been lobbying for schools to be given an option to teach the subjects in English but it remained closed to the possibility.

"We are aware that some have requested that but if we take that into account, many problems will emerge (and it would seem as if) we are inconsistent on policy," he said.

"We understand what students and parents need. We want parents to give the ministry a chance to implement the policy (back to Bahasa Malaysia for the two subjects)."

Muhyiddin reiterated that the new policy would include steps to enhance students' command of the English language, including an increase in teaching time for the English language, several steps to transform the teaching of the language and the recruitment of more teachers.

"What is certain is that it (the teaching of the English language) will be more enjoyable... The new curriculum will be enhanced."

A group of parents who call themselves the Parent Action Group for Education (Page) had in October 2009 submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak seeking an exemption from the policy shift to enable certain schools to opt to continue teaching science and mathematics in English.

Page chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim had said that the group was pushing for the establishment of a new category of schools that taught both subjects in English, alongside existing vernacular schools.

Contacted on Monday, Noor Azimah maintained that Page's request for options was a "reasonable" one as it was not opposing the government's policy nor was it challenging the status of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language.

"It's a reasonable request. PPSMI is a policy matter. But this policy has been overly politicised. It is a win-win situation (if schools are given a choice)," said Noor Azimah.

Noor Azimah also pointed to the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision which affirmed that it was constitutional to teach mathematics and science in English. High Court judge Mohd Zawawi Salleh ruled on May 7 that the two circulars on the execution of the previous policy for vernacular and national schools to teach both subjects in English did not contradict Article 152 of the Federal Constitution.

Ex-head of Aminuddin Baki gets special award

Ex-head of Aminuddin Baki gets special award
2010/05/16
By Alina Simon and M. Hamzah Jamaludin

KUANTAN: Continuous support from family members, friends and various agencies has enabled the recipient of this year's Special Award for Educational Leadership to excel in his work and contribute to the community.
Professor Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid admitted that he was able to perform his best because of the strong support he received from his family and friends.

"At the same time, I could excel in my profession because of strong teamwork and the backing from the community, teachers, school heads and various agencies and ministries."

He said this after receiving the award from Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the national-level Teachers Day celebration at Universiti Malaysia Pahang here.

Ibrahim, 66, is the former director of Aminuddin Baki Institute and has held various posts locally and at the international level, including being the first director of Unesco-Regional Centre For Educational Planning in Al-Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

He is currently the vice-president and deputy vice-chancellor of INTI University College and helms various institutions, including the Asia Pacific Education Research Association.
He has written several books and is a regular contributor in the New Sunday Times for his column As I Wonder.

On the challenges faced by teachers today, Ibrahim said they should equip themselves with new skills in line with the development in other sectors.

"Teachers should not remain in their comfort zone and must accept the fact that the world is changing. The public is expecting more from teachers as they want a better quality of education."

At the function, Muhyiddin also presented the 2010 Tokoh Guru (excellent teacher) awards to four recipients -- Awang Mohamad (Kota Baru); Encharang Agas (Betong, Sarawak); Datuk Chuang Keng Kung (Penang) and Ainun Jamilah Mohd Ali (Kuala Terengganu).

Each recipient received RM10,000, a trophy, a medal and certificate.

Awang, 59, said such an award was important as it recognised the contributions made by 400,000 teachers and 7,000 school heads nationwide.

"As a former teacher, I urge all teachers to give their best without any excuse.

"We only have 30 years in the profession and must excel within that period," said Awang, who was promoted as headmaster at the age of 37 and had fought for the rights of school heads when he was the president of Malaysian Headmasters Council.

Ainun, 62, said the only thing that could make a teacher proud was to see his or her students excel in their lives.

As a principal, Ainun has helped her school clinch various awards, including the Education Minister's Quality Award in 1988.
Chuang, 72, received the award for his continuous contribution to the community even after he had retired from the teaching profession while 66-year-old Encharang was chosen for his efforts in promoting the Iban language in Sarawak.

Using EPF funds to pay for higher education

Using EPF funds to pay for higher education
2010/05/17

QUALITY higher education costs money and many may face difficulties paying for it.
With this in mind, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) offers the Higher Education Withdrawal scheme to help contributors to finance their education as well as that of their children. The withdrawal is applicable for both local and overseas study programmes.
Q: Who can apply?
A: You are eligible so long as you are below the age of 55 and have a balance in Account 2 of your EPF savings.
Q: How much can I withdraw?
A: You can withdraw the maximum amount of the total education fees or all the balance in Account 2, whichever is lower.
Q: How frequently can I apply for this withdrawal?
A: Provided that there is sufficient balance in your Account 2, you may apply for this withdrawal once every semester or academic year to finance the education fees.
Q: Can I use this withdrawal to help finance my children's education?
A: Yes, you can. This includes stepchildren and legally adopted children.
Q: What courses are covered by this withdrawal?
A: The withdrawal is for the purpose of financing diploma-level education upwards for contributors and their children. All study programmes must be conducted in approved institutions of higher learning. The full list of approved learning courses can be seen in our website, www. kwsp.gov.my.
Q: Can I apply for this withdrawal to reimburse the fees that I have already paid to the institute of higher learning?
A: Yes, provided the payment was made not more than one year from the date of your withdrawal application. You are required to produce the payment receipt for the tuition fees, your bank books or account statements, which are still active, and your passport, if you are a Malaysian residing overseas or an expatriate.
Q: How do I apply for this withdrawal?
A: Contributors must complete the EPF 9H (AHL) Form and provide certified true copies of their identity card together with the letter of offer from the institution of higher learning to you or your child; relevant academic qualification certificates; and other related documents as requested by the EPF from time to time.
For subsequent withdrawals, you must produce the relevant letter of registration from the institution of higher learning, student card and examination slips.
Q: How will the payments be disbursed?
A: There are three modes of payment depending on the case. If you or your child is attending a local or overseas study programme, the EPF will issue a banker's cheque payable to the institution of higher learning. For cases of reimbursement, payment will be directly credited into the contributor's bank account. Thirdly, if the withdrawal is for settling an education loan, payment will be in the form of a banker's cheque payable to the financial institution.
For further enquiries regarding withdrawal for higher education, contact the EPF Call Centre at 03-8922 6000 or log on to www.kwsp.gov.my.

5 varsities in Asia's 100

Thursday May 13, 2010
5 varsities in Asia's 100
By KAREN CHAPMAN
educate@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Five of Malaysia's universities are in the top 100 of the QS Asian University Rankings 2010.

Universiti Malaya (UM) is the highest ranked at 42, followed by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) at 58 and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) at 69.

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) is at 77, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) at 82 and International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) at 159.

QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd managing director Nunzio Quacquarelli told The Star that Malaysian universities had done well, with most institutions holding close to last year's position or improving.

Rankings are a way for universities to measure their performance against one another.
There are other placings such as the QS World University Rankings seeking to identify world-class universities, while the Academic Ranking of World Universities is compiled by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The best-known college and university rankings in the United States are compiled by US News & World Report.

This is the second time top Asian universities were evaluated in a regional ranking from QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd, which compiles the annual QS World University Rankings.

QS Intelligence Unit head Ben Sowter said the data collection process for the latest rankings was from late 2009 until the end of March this year.

UKM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin said rankings was only one of the measures of a university's global recognition.

“UKM will learn from the rankings and continue to pursue our core functions of research, teaching and service according to our transformation plan,” she added.

UPM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Nik Mustapha Abdullah thanked university staff for working hard.

IIUM rector Prof Datuk Dr Syed Arabi Idid, who is attending a conference in Azerbaijan, said ranking was important, although programmes to make graduates employable were more vital.

UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the university was progressing well according to its five-year plan, and he was glad that despite UTM not being a research university, it had ranked comparably.

USM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dzulkifli Razak said the university had formally informed QS that it was not participating in any of its rankings because of methodological flaws.

The University of Hong Kong tops the Asian University Rankings this year, followed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Techno-logy, the National University of Singapore and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

For full results, log on to www.topuniversities.com

People want improvement in 6 areas

People want improvement in 6 areas
2010/05/06

KUALA LUMPUR: In creating a strategic road map for Vision 2020, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak asked a simple question: what changes does the rakyat want?

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala said the answer to that question was equally simple.

"Surveys were conducted to find out what the rakyat really wanted and the clear answer was that the government should improve its delivery system," he said.

There are six fundamental areas which the public wanted immediate change in: reducing crime, fighting corruption, improving rural basic infrastructure, improving urban public transport, improving the prospects and standards of poor people and improving education for everyone.

Idris said from then on, massive plans were set in motion to achieve those goals.

One example which has already been introduced came under urban public transport.

"For a long time, the ridership of our public transport has been 10 per cent.

"This means that only 10 per cent of Kuala Lumpur residents actually use public transport.

"To change this, eight brand-new four-car LRT trains have been introduced and in the last three months, some 955,000 more people have begun riding the LRT.

"We've placed orders for 29 sets, which will be delivered by the end of this year. Who says the civil service cannot run (work fast)?" he said.

Speaking on TV3's one-hour Soal Jawab talk show hosted by Datuk Ahmad A. Talib, Idris said he was proud that civil servants had embraced the GTP and focused their energies on achieving Vision 2020.

"The challenge of working in the government is to understand what the rakyat wants.

"The majority of the rakyat is the silent majority, so when they are happy and satisfied, that is what really matters."

Najib, he said, had offered the country an opportunity to change its future. "It is true that our present is coloured by the past, but the truth is that we can choose the colours of the future."

MACC: Bribery by business people rampant

MACC: Bribery by business people rampant
2010/05/06

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) disclosed that giving of bribes by business people to government officers to assist in licensing approval to be "quite rampant".
The revelation was made by MACC deputy Chief Commissioner (Prevention) Datuk Sutinah Sutan. However, she did not provide the statistics.

"We have received complaints from business people about having to give an amount of money to get things done," she said here yesterday.

Sutinah was part of an 11-member delegation from MACC led by its chief, Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed, at a closed-door meeting with the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (Acccim) leaders. The Acccim delegation was led by its president, Tan Sri William Cheng.

She said most of the business corruption complaints received involved dealings between the local business people and officers of government agencies.

However, she added, MACC had yet to receive corruption complaints involving foreign investors.
She said in the bid to promote Malaysia as a choice destination for investment, the government had improved some of its services, including reducing red tape and providing a one-stop centre to assist investors in setting up businesses here.

"And we will continue combating corruption to ensure that Malaysia provides a clean business environment free from corruption. We want to tell the investors that there is no extra cost involved in doing business here.

"There are instances where people have to pay extra to do business.

"We don't want that to happen, that they have to pay extra other than that stipulated by the rules and regulations."

She pointed out that "bribery in the private sector is also an offence and should be reported".

On a related matter, Sutinah said MACC had also started to close in on bribe-givers.

On the meeting, Sutinah said MACC and Acccim had agreed to set up a special task force soon to create greater awareness within the business community on corrupt practices.

She said besides Acccim, MACC would also work with Hua Zong (Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia) on a similar partnership to combat corruption.

Meanwhile, Cheng hoped that such a partnership with MACC would help create better awareness on corruption and its impact on the economy.

"Hopefully, we will hold more of such dialogues with MACC and help it fight corruption and create a better environment to attract foreign investors," he said. -- Bernama

Educationists move to help out in Indonesia

Tuesday May 4, 2010
Educationists move to help out in Indonesia

CHINESE education group Dong Jiao Zong is lending a hand to their Indonesian counterparts to set up a similar organisation to develop and protect Chinese education in the country.
Dong Jiao Zong comprises Dong Zong (the United Chinese School Committees Association) and Jiao Zong (the United Chinese School Teachers Association).
Nanyang Siang Pau quoted Dong Zong president Dr Yap Sin Tian as saying that the Chinese community in Indonesia was hopeful that Chinese education there could be developed systematically by setting up more trilingual schools.
“These schools will teach Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia and English. They will replace those that teach Chinese through tuition classes,” he said.
Chinese education, banned in 1960s when Suharto became the president, was only revived in the 1990s.
Dr Yap said there were 60 trilingual schools in Indonesia, all set up and supported by the Chinese community.
“The problem for Chinese education in Indonesia is the severe shortage of teaching staff.
“It is very difficult to fill the vacancies, especially when it is compulsory for all primary school teachers to be at least undergraduates,” he said.
Therefore, he said, the New Era College would help the Chinese schools in Indonesia train 30,000 to 40,000 Chinese teachers.
> China Press reported that all 410 fully government-aided Chinese primary schools would have their water, electricity and sewerage bills paid by the Federal Government from June 1.
The daily quoted Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong as saying that the ministry began planning early this year to cancel the utility bill payments that it implemented in 2006.
“However, the schools objected, so the ministry decided to continue the payments and ensure that all three bills are paid by the ministry,” he said.

Concern over ‘exodus’ of medical grads

Tuesday May 4, 2010
Concern over ‘exodus’ of medical grads

KUALA LUMPUR: There is concern that some medical graduates who complete their studies do not register with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) for their compulsory service but opt instead to serve in another country.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) vice-chancellor Tan Sri Prof Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin said these graduates applied for their testimonials so as to obtain jobs in a neighbouring country.
“Among our medical students graduating in August this year, there are 20 who have applied for their testimonials,” she said yesterday when opening the Asia Pacific Conference of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences 2010 on behalf of Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.
UKM Medical Centre director and Faculty of Medicine Dean Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Saim said the university produces between 200 and 215 medical graduates annually.
“When someone wants to work in a foreign country, one of the prerequisites is a testimonial. Since they have not practised as doctors here, they are unable to get one from the Health Ministry, so they need to get it from me as the faculty dean,” he said.
Prof Sharifah Hapsah added that as long as the medical graduates had not registered with the MMC for their compulsory service, “they are free to serve in another country”.
She said the same was happening with the university’s allied health science graduates, with many opting to work in a neighbouring country.
“We must see how we can retain our talent. I am sure it is not just the salary that matters,” she said.
Prof Sharifah Hapsah said she was appealing to the graduates on moral and ethical grounds to remain and serve the country.
“We are not stopping them from going for further studies or work experience but want to remind them to fulfil their obligations to the country, as the degrees are highly subsidised by the Government,” she said.
Earlier, in her speech, Prof Sharifah Hapsah said UKM’s Audiology and Speech Sciences Department was collaborating with De Montfort University under the British Council Prime Minister’s Initiative II Grant on language development in Malaysian children speaking Malay and Mandarin.
When further developed and standardised, the potential of this tool to clinicians to assess and manage children with language difficulties would be enormous, she added.
She congratulated project head Dr Lixian Jin (from De Montfort University) and co-head UKM clinical linguist Assoc Prof Dr Rogayah A Razak for pioneering the prototype test, a first in Malaysia and South-East Asia.

Meritocracy system for varsities to remain

Tuesday May 4, 2010
Meritocracy system for varsities to remain

THE Government will persist in its practice of meritocracy in the intake of students into public universities, Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said.
He said the meritocracy system on education should be seen as a move to ensure that no Malaysian of any race would be left behind in the country’s development programmes.
As such, he said the Malay community’s worries about the performance of bumiputra undergraduates should not be used as an argument to reject meritocracy.
“The Government’s affirmative actions will ensure that no Malaysian will be left out of development programmes. We should apply meritocracy in the best way possible that will not create a negative environment for all races,” he told Senator Ahmad Husin in winding-up the debate on the motion of thanks on the King’s speech.
Ahmad had earlier called on the Government to withdraw the meritrocracy system, adding that it was not written in the Constitution except for the word “quota”.
Meanwhile, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the Government’s review of the school curriculum would stress on the acquisition of knowledge through fun learning.
The curriculum transformation programme begans this year for pre-schoolers, 2011 for Year One schoolchildren and 2012 for Form 1 students.
“It will focus on creative and innovative literacy knowledge of students,” he told Senator Datuk Abdul Rashid Ngah.
The curriculum transformation programme is to ensure that the system is no longer exam-oriented.

Mapping a learning journey that is fun

MUHYIDDIN YASSIN
Mapping a learning journey that is fun
2010/05/03

Understanding the importance of the English language and seeking to make learning an enriching and enjoyable experience, the Education Ministry has embarked on a mission to revamp the teaching module, writes MUHYIDDIN YASSIN
THE importance of English as an international language is not disputed.

Everyone agrees, even those who argue for Bahasa Malaysia to be recognised and used as the pre-eminent language, that proficiency in English is an asset. The question is not how important English is but how best it can and should be taught in our schools so that our pupils will be able to function effectively and confidently in this international language.

In order to achieve this goal, we need to lay a strong English language foundation in our primary schools. Before deciding on any curriculum initiatives, a number of questions have to be answered.

- Is there a need to change our English curriculum? If so, how?

- How should English be taught so that our pupils will not only learn but enjoy learning this language inside the classroom as well as outside?
- What about the English language itself? What are the developments in the language that should be accommodated in any curriculum transformation? Should we include all the different varieties of English (the so-called "New Englishes") in our curriculum?

In mapping out the curriculum, the Education Ministry engaged stakeholders (including teachers, parents, lecturers, students) in discussions and consulted local as well as foreign English education experts. It was decided that the six-year primary English language programme should achieve five objectives.

Pupils should be able to:

- Communicate confidently and appropriately in formal and informal situations;

- Read and comprehend English texts for information and enjoyment;

- Write using appropriate language, style and form through different media;

- Appreciate and understand English language creative works for enjoyment; and,

- Use correct rules of grammar in their spoken or written language.

The overarching goal of the curriculum is to create pupils who are articulate, confident, creative and of good character. We believe that this can be realised only if we engage our pupils in a language programme that is fun, meaningful and purposeful.

It has to be admitted that the classroom is not the most natural setting for enjoyable learning and meaningful fun interaction between children. Arranging 30 to 50 pupils in rows may be an economical way of managing a class, but it cannot ensure the focus and attention of every individual child. Hence, teachers have to find creative ways to engage their pupils, and nothing works like fun!

Only by making learning English fun can we generate enough interest in our pupils to want to acquire the language on their own, even when outside school. Teachers are reminded that it is "learning work" and not "busy work" that facilitates and enhances learning. Making children write a sentence 500 times without purpose or understanding is busy work that may keep them out of mischief for a while but it does not optimise learning. Learning work requires children to challenge themselves to improve intellectually and emotionally.

In order to have a balanced treatment of all the language skills, grammar and vocabulary, the proposed new curriculum is organised into five modules: listening and speaking, reading, writing, language arts, and grammar (introduced in Year Three).

The inclusion of Language Arts is aimed at providing opportunities for pupils to participate in fun activities such as singing, reciting rhymes or poems, acting in simple plays, or listening to stories. This module also encourages group work that helps develop creativity and social skills such as collaboration and cooperation.

In the teaching of language skills, the new English curriculum emphasises the need for pupils to have a solid foundation for further development in the language. This back-to-basics approach aims to provide learners with a set of basic skills necessary for them to acquire higher order skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Competent readers have a keen phonemic awareness, or the tacit knowledge of the relationship between letters and their sounds. Letter/sound recognition serves as a scaffold to help pupils become independent learners. It gives them confidence when encountering new words.

The mastery of reading skills is a sure way of making progress in a language.

The ministry is aware that there is a wide range of learner backgrounds among our pupils. There are pupils who have received preschool education and, therefore, may have had exposure to basic reading and writing training.

There are those who have never set foot in a kindergarten before entering Year One. Some children have already begun reading in English, while others need training in reading from scratch. We also have children from English-speaking homes and those to whom English is a foreign language.

To meet the varied needs of these different groups, the curriculum is modular so that teachers may pace the teaching of each language skill or language focus according to the level of performance of their pupils. Hence, pupils who are better at reading but weaker in writing may proceed faster in the reading module and slower in writing.

This learner-centric approach also adopts standard British English as the model for the classroom. The choice makes historical, pedagogical and logistical sense. The easy availability of reference material in this variety means teachers have access to a rich resource for self-improvement.

As users of English as a second language, most of our teachers are more accurately described as advanced learners of the language. With an identified model, they will be better able to focus on what they need to be better language models to their pupils.

The younger generation today are natives of the information and communication technology world. Thus, the new curriculum allows for the meaningful integration of new technologies in the language classroom. For example, during lessons, opportunities are provided for pupils to plan and present their work using new information and communication technologies.

We have seen how young children are able to interpret and express their understanding of stories, poems or songs using Microsoft programmes such as Powerpoint or Movie Maker.

We must also remember that teaching is a moral enterprise. The need to inculcate good moral values is an integral part of a teacher's job. Teachers should interact with their children in an instructive and constructive manner so that their charges may grow to become responsible, confident and productive.

Finally, we must not forget that a curriculum is a map that has to be translated into a rich learning journey. Our challenge is not just to ensure that our pupils reach the desired destination. We owe it to our pupils to make this learning journey enriching, exciting and enjoyable.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is the deputy prime minister and education minister

Where have all the teachers gone?

Monday May 3, 2010
Where have all the teachers gone?

WE OFTEN hear of students absenting themselves from school. Of course, the school authorities aren’t happy when it comes to students not attending class.
Yet, just walk into any school and it is disturbing to discover that some classes have no teachers. One school on a particular day had 17 of its 96 teachers absent from school.
According to the headmistress this has become a perennial problem and quite a bane to the school. She explained: “There is no more allocation for substitute teachers these days.”
In fact, this has become too common a problem at almost all schools for a long time. Some teachers are on maternity leave, some on sick leave and many others attending or giving courses elsewhere.
Yet some others have to attend meetings. On average, 10% to 12% of the teachers would not be in school during normal hours.
For parents, there can be many implications to this problem. Firstly, students will not have teachers in class to teach them and this will affect their studies. They are either in class doing what they want or sent to the library if it is not occupied.
Secondly, when parents realise this problem they fear that their children are not receiving enough education in school. Those with the means will opt for tuition classes. The poor parents live with it, praying hard for the school to provide the best for their children.
On the part of the Education Ministry, two steps can be taken to overcome this problem.
Schools should be allowed to employ substitute teachers immediately when classes are without regular teachers. Secondly, schools should not allow teachers to attend or give any in-service course during normal school days. Reserve all these for the term breaks.
Some teachers say they have to attend too many meetings at school, district, state and national levels. Reining in this problem needs the support of the ministry and the education departments.
Besides, more male teachers have to be trained and employed by the ministry to lessen the consequence of many going on maternity leave.
Most schools these days have more female teachers than male.
The gender ratio has to improve, especially at the secondary level.
The absence of regular teachers during normal school days has affected students in almost all schools in the country. Parents are certainly not too happy about this, and many parents have raised the matter during PTA meetings.
What parents desire is that teachers should not be allowed to be away from school during normal teaching hours other than for maternity leave. In this case, there must be a substitute.
No co-curriculum activities should affect the normal teaching hours. Let all such activities be outside such hours.
Most parents solely depend on teachers in schools to teach their children and their expectation is always high when it comes to this. Not all parents can afford to send their children for tuition when proper teaching is not done in school.

DR M.A. NAIR,
Kuantan.

Income tax: Give more tax breaks for education

Income tax: Give more tax breaks for education
2010/04/30
R.A.S., Kuala Lumpur

letters@nst.com.my

THE time for tax payers to submit their respective tax forms ends today.
This year, many changes and discussions have been centred on our education system and on educational development.

There seems to be a trend where more responsibilities are given out to parents, alumni and the corporate community.

The current tax rebates or incentives such as education-related purchases of computer, books, allowance for our children, tuition rebates, professional fees, charity or donations towards the arts, library and sports facilities, deposits in Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional (National Education Savings Scheme) and insurance premiums for education policies are good and fine.

But, those in the higher tax brackets who have children studying may need more tax breaks to finance their children's education.

Parent-teacher association fees should be given tax exemption, for instance.
Higher tax breaks should be given for children in private education and matriculation, or in foundation classes at the higher-education level.

Why must the benchmark for tax relief be at the government university level?

Since Malaysia wants to be an education hub, please give incentives to parents who wish to send their children to these world-class universities locally.

Most of our education centres need tax breaks to be given to the parents of their students and also enough incentives to run their education business.

Favourable education incentives and tax breaks to parents and industry practitioners will help turn Malaysia into an education hub.

Venture overseas, varsities urged

Friday April 30, 2010
Venture overseas, varsities urged
By TAN SHIOW CHIN
educate@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Besides attracting international students, universities should also offer their programmes for twinning with foreign tertiary institutions as part of their contribution to the New Economic Model (NEM).
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that private institutions of higher learning could also do their bit by setting up branches in neighbouring countries.
This would help establish Malaysia as a regional hub of education, he told reporters after opening the National Seminar on Higher Education and the NEM here yesterday.
“We accept the fact that there are some things expected of the higher education sector in order to ensure the success of the NEM,” said Khaled.
Among the other areas he highlighted was the role universities played in producing new and innovative products through research activities.
“In an economy based on innovation, we need a lot of research and development output. This economy can no longer rely on just capital; it will rely on our ability to produce new and innovative creations.
“And where best to cultivate this than in universities, which conduct most of our research?” he asked.
Khaled said the research produced must not only be for publication in journals but also benefit society.
In his speech earlier, Khaled said that universities and industries had no choice but to create a strong relationship with each other.
“I believe that such close links will enable the rate of technological transfer to be increased, as well as elevate the process of innovation at the industrial level itself,” he said.
The minister said he believed the time would come when industries would be prepared to invest in universities and provide a major source of funding for their research activities once such a link was developed.
With commercialisation and patenting being viewed as crucial elements in the economic role of the higher education sector, the minister encouraged universities to commercialise their own products via institutional start-up companies.

Two conditions for PTPTN loans for UEC students

Friday April 30, 2010
Two conditions for PTPTN loans for UEC students
By RICHARD LIM
educate@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Independent Chinese school students with the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) must meet two conditions to be eligible for National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans.
The first is that they must be accepted into a local private higher education institution, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said. The other condition is that the courses they pursue must be accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency.
“Once they fulfil these requirements, they can apply for PTPTN loans, just like any other student,” he said when contacted yesterday.
He was clarifying an earlier statement over the requirement of a pass in the SPM Bahasa Melayu paper for the students to be entitled to apply for the loans.
Acting PTPTN chief executive Wan Ahmad Wan Yusoff also confirmed that there would not be any SPM requirement for the students to apply for the loan. He added that the PTPTN would discuss the technical side of the move with Chinese educationist group Dong Jiao Zhong representatives on Monday.
“These details include the number of students who apply, the date of application, and so on,” he said.
It is learnt that the PTPTN board met yesterday over the issue.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said a letter from Higher Education Ministry sent to the party stated that any student who furthered their studies in local private institutions of higher education after passing the UEC would be eligible for the loan.

Mara to revive MRSM project

Friday April 30, 2010

PADANG RENGAS: The abandoned RM70mil Maktab Rendah Sains Mara project in Liman Kati near here will be revived under the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP).

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said Mara had made the revival its main project under the 10MP.

He added that the contractor had asked for RM103mil to revive the project.

Speaking to reporters after a working visit to the Kuala Kangsar district near here yesterday, Dr Zambry said the original plan was to accommodate 700 students.

“Now with the revival, the project will be enlarged to accommodate 1,000 students,” he said, adding that the project started in 2007 but was abandoned in August 2008.

“Unlike other projects, the contractor for this project did not abscond with the money.

“He gave up due to the spiralling cost of building materials during the economic crisis last year,” he said.

Be complacent and you're out, high performance schools told

Published: Tuesday April 27, 2010 MYT 2:42:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday April 27, 2010 MYT 2:43:35 PM
Be complacent and you're out, high performance schools told

JOHOR BARU: Be complacent and we’ll pull back the recognition.

This was Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s reminder to the 20 high performance schools nationwide, that such recognition was based on performance.
He urged the schools including teachers and principals to be creative and innovative to maintain their performance.

Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, said the schools should also provide assistance to lesser performing schools within their area.

This would not only help to uplift their standards but assist the other schools in the process, he said adding that all stakeholders including parents and students had role to play.

Muhyiddin also said the Government was focused on nurturing pre-schoolers and primary school students, whom he described as easier to mould.

He was speaking at the closing ceremony of SK Bandar Baru Uda 2 Parent-Teacher Association annual general meeting.

SK Bandar Baru Uda 2 is one of the high performance schools.

He earlier visited SMK Sultan Ismail and launched its 50th year celebrations as well as two new school buildings.

Muhyiddin, on his one-day working visit to the state, is expected to tour the new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex and meet state Barisan Nasional leaders.

Ex-students honour 'rugby man'

2010/04/15

IF not for Irishman Neil Joseph Ryan, the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) would not be renowned as a rugby powerhouse among Asian schools.
It was this dashing man, then 30-something, better known as N.J. Ryan, who introduced the sport to the residential college students way back in 1959.

Ryan, now 80, even donned Perak colours as a three-quarter centre, after playing for MCKK's All-Blacks team (so called as their jersey and shorts were all black, just like that of the New Zealand national team).

"I nearly died," said Ryan. "The weather was so hot then. But eventually I got used to it."

The sport gained momentum as the students readily accepted rugby, thanks largely to teacher-coach Leong Siew Loong, who is now 69.

"The boys played great rugby," Ryan said, "beating local teams and going on to become the best school in Southeast Asia. Along the way, we even beat some of the giant schools from Sri Lanka and Thailand."
MCKK has held an annual rugby game with Vajiravudh College of Thailand since 1961. "Of course, owing to age, many of the ex-students now play golf," he said.

Ryan, who celebrated his 80th birthday on March 20, was the last Mat Salleh (expatriate) headmaster of MCKK, serving the institution from 1959 to 1965.

Born to Irish parents, Ryan was introduced to the then Malaya when he was recruited by the British Military Administration to serve here during the Emergency period in 1948-49 to fight communist terrorists.

When he returned to England, he pursued a degree in history at Bristol University, London. Upon graduation, he was among three Britons who returned to Malaya in 1953 to serve with the Colonial Education Service.

"My first posting as a teacher was at Anderson School in Ipoh for two years. There, I was fascinated with rugby which was promoted aggressively by its headmaster G.E.D. Lewis, who later got posted to Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur," said Ryan, now an Australian citizen residing in Melbourne.

After his stint at Anderson, Ryan was posted to MCKK, first as a teacher and later as its headmaster.

"One of the great things I observed at MCKK was the speed at which things were done and the splendid facilities. Having studied at a boarding school myself in England, I was able to comprehend the situation there."

MCKK had some of the best teachers in the country, thanks largely to the government recognising it as a federal institution.

Ryan left Malaya in 1966 and took to writing books, among them The Last Expatriate (on life with MCKK) and several historical editions.

He went on to become the managing director of publishing company Longman, which produced many school textbooks.
In 2005, Ryan was a guest of MCKK during its centenary celebrations. Asked how he felt as an octogenarian, Ryan said: "I have lived a fruitful life. I guess I have reached this far by delegating some of my duties and not over-stretching myself by attempting to do everything."

In appreciation, 12 former students of Ryan, who played rugby for MCKK's All Blacks team, threw a belated birthday bash in his honour at the Carnaval Churrascaria Brazillian restaurant in Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, on Wednesday.

Present was Ryan's Hong Kong-born wife Josephine, 62, corporate figure and entrepreneur Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas, 66, and wife Chong Kheng Mee, 63, the restaurant's business partner.

Former MCKK headboy and 1964 rugby captain Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Mahmood, 66, had this to say of Ryan: "He was like a father to us, shaping our lives and teaching us to be leaders. He had such a great personality".

Megat Najmuddin said: "He knows his 600-odd students not only by sight but amazingly could call them by name."

Also attending were Leong, Abdul Halil Abdul Jabar, 66, Datuk Zulkifly Mustapha, 63, Azizan Abas, 64, Datuk Annuar Maaruf, 64, Zain Yusoff, 65, Ahmad Burhan Mokhtar, 63, Datuk Ahmad Anuar Mohamad, 65, Muslim Mohamad, 65, Azizan Abdul Razak, 66, and Rozalli Noordin, 66.

Ryan is expected to be bestowed an award by a state ruler next week.

Perspective: All eyes on Budak Koleq

2010/04/24
Dzulkifli Abdul Razak

MY alma mater made headlines last week. N. J. Ryan was bestowed the title "Datuk" by the Sultan of Perak.

The acclaimed last expatriate headmaster of Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) wrote a book entitled The Last Expatriate detailing his experience in the institution, better known as "Koleq".

He was at the helm from 1959 to 1965, the eighth Mat Salleh after William Hargreaves (to some of us he is "Bargreaves"), who took office in 1905 when the college was established.

Ryan turned 80 recently and was honoured by his former students, namely the more renowned rugby players of the MCKK All-Blacks. Some even dared to claim that they were as good as their New Zealand counterparts -- "a good try" as they say in rugby.

Ryan made rugby synonymous with the college. He turned the game into a passion among employees and students. Those who cannot play the game -- for one reason or another -- still knew the rules well. Others took to cheering keenly. When a game was on, all hell literally broke loose at the college field. Worst if the team lost!

Soon MCKK became the name to bet on when it came to rugby during the days of Ryan. The team was feared by many, near and far -- as distant as Sri Lanka. Most would remember the annual game with Vajiravudh College of Thailand started since 1961.
The All-Blacks made their presence felt at the Southeast Asian circuit, thanks to the Mat Salleh headmaster.

Apart from rugby, Ryan made MCKK an unforgettable place not only to study but also to live and learn. He was quoted as saying: "One of the great things I observed at MCKK was the speed at which things were done and the splendid facilities. Having studied at a boarding school myself in England, I was able to comprehend the situation there."

Just like rugby where speed is of the essence, an education at MCKK too shared many of the characteristics of the game, known for players' superb teamwork, dedication and courage.

Sadly, many of these qualities are missing today as our education seems to mirror another game -- national soccer.

The other headline was centred on yet another MCKK rugby player -- Datuk Dr Halili Rahmat. His name leaped into the public arena after the tragic accident of celebrity Zaiton Sameon some years ago.

To quote Shahril@Bob Petabi: "Dr Halili became famous as the surgeon who operated on Zaiton Sameon's brain."

Some would add he did it almost single-handedly! Such is the calibre of the neurosurgeon.

There are not too many of them in Malaysia, fewer still as good as Dr Halili.

Many know Dr Halili as a jovial and creative student. Asked to construct a sentence using the word "roket", he blurted out: "Kereta itu meroket lajunya!

Hailed from an ulu enclave (then literally), he is determined and hard-working.
And like all budak Koleq, he has own mischievous streak -- some called this a survival instinct of sorts, needed in a competitive place such as MCKK. Without one, life could be reduced to a nerdy one, and this is not what MCKK was all about!

So when his name grabs the headline, many sit up and listen! After all it is coming from a principled brain surgeon-cum-former rugby player.

A daily quoted Dr Halili as saying: "Saya tak pandai berkata-kata dan mengutuk orang tetapi saya hanya menyebelahi (pilih) pihak yang benar."

This can be traced back to the college motto: Fiat Sapentia Virtus! It would have made Ryan smile with pride!

Not to be missed at Dr Halili's recent press conference is another budak Koleq, Datuk Sallehuddin Hashim! He had his share of the headlines a while back.

No doubt some names are in the press virtually all the time, rightly or wrongly. But it is not as exciting as the cameos who appear and steal the limelight!

The coming days or weeks will prove even more exciting as the plot thickens. How it ends is difficult to tell, but my wish would be Dr Halili doing open brain surgeries on some politicians!

And that Malaysians live happily ever after!

The writer is vice chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Education Taxation

The time for tax payers to fill up their respective tax forms are ending on 30th April 2010. For those who are in charity / donations and have maximize their tax claims / rebates will be fuming mad if their remuneration relief’s has max out.

This year many changes n discussion have been centered on our education system n in education development. There seems a trend looking forward where more responsibilities are given out to parents, alumni, corporate community who are very concern n who believe strongly in our education system? Whilst we embrace the new economic concept n high income vision, we all know only through education that we will be in a better position to achieve those two objectives.

The current tax rebates / incentives such as in education related purchases of computer, books, allowance for our children, tuition rebates, professional fees, charity or donations towards the arts, library n sports facilities, deposits in SSPN n premiums in insurance for education policies are good n fine, but for some one who are in the higher tax brackets n who have children in preschool, primary, secondary n tertiary education may need more tax breaks to finance their children’s education. PIBG fees should be given tax exemption for instance.

Higher tax breaks should be given for children in private education n matriculation or in foundation classes at the higher education level. Why must the bench marks for tax reliefs be at the government university level? Since, Malaysia wants to be an education hub, please give incentives to Malaysian parents who wish to send their children to these world class universities locally, at higher education tax incentives than now. Most of our education centers need tax breaks for their student’s parents n also enough incentives for running their education business. If Malaysia aspires to be the next world class education hub, you need to incentives the education industry too.

If favorable education incentives are giving to the parents’ n industry practitioners, many issues will be resolve and would greatly jump start Malaysia to be the next education hub in the world. If the aspiration of having 150,000 foreign students to aspire us to be the education hub, what more of the more than 500,000 students every year who be going into the tertiary education system, if their respective parents and institution receive such tax incentives and tax breaks, it would definitely motivate these parents and educators and together will place Malaysia’s dream as an education hub.

Equal treatment over student loans, says ministry

Monday April 26, 2010
Equal treatment over student loans, says ministry

THE Education Ministry gives equal treatment to all Malaysian students who apply for National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans, China Press reported yesterday.
Quoting Deputy Higher Education Minister Dr Hou Kok Chung, the daily said there was no quota for PTPTN loans.
Dr Hou said students from Chinese independent schools would have to pass the Bahasa Malaysia subject in the Unified Examination Certificate examination.
The daily said of the RM32bil in loans that PTPTN had approved since 1997, RM6.7bil were given to Chinese students.
Dr Hou said loan repayment amounted to only half the sum given out.
He added that should the repayment rate remain, PTPTN’s deficit would reach RM46bil by 2020.
He urged students to repay their loans promptly.