Shadow Policy Committee

We are referring to the recent announcement made by the defence minister today saying that the military will be deployed this Sunday in order to curb people's movement on the streets and eateries around Malaysia. First of all, why do the defence ministry need to deploy the military? Is there an unrest happening on the streets? The police force already have sufficient manpower to deal with the enforcement of the movement control order. Furthermore, General Operation Force (Pasukan Gerak Am-PGA), the enforcement officers of the various municipal councils nationwide and the voluntary security force (RELA) can also be deployed to assist the police force in enforcing the movement control. The military deployment is completely unnecessary since there is no civil disobedience taking place. It is only the people are still unclear of the situation, given the fact of the government's continuous flip flop on relating information and details to the public. Furthermore there are ...

Transparency International’s (TI) recognition of anti-corruption efforts by the Penang state government through CAT governance is backed up by savings of nearly 12% of the 2008 Penang state budget of RM 36 million from operating expenditure. This RM 36 million savings has allowed the state government to carry out social programs and implement its people-oriented government of 3Es that: - Enables the people with skills, knowledge and education to provide equal opportunity for all to create wealth - Empowers the people with fundamental rights, basic freedoms and responsibilities with full observance for the rule of law - Enrich the people by sharing wealth and economic benefits to pursue socio-economic justice. The success of the Penang Pakatan Rakyat state government in fighting corruption has been commended by Transparency International in the 2009 Global Corruption Report(GCR) released yesterday that stated, “Penang state has introduced several measures to improve the regulatory envir...

A Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) department head has resigned after the council initiated a domestic inquiry into his department’s activities. Council president Farizan Darus confirmed that Md Pilus Md Noor had voluntarily quit as building department director from March 1 after having served the council for about 20 years. “Currently, he is clearing his annual leave till the end of the month,” he told The Star in an interview yesterday. Farizan said Md Pilus, who is in his 50s, had been relieved of his official duties since Jan 22 to facilitate internal investigations following complaints against him. Last month, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng gave the council a two-month ultimatum to clean up its act and to boost productivity. Lim ordered Farizan to take action against incompetent officers and contractors that gave the council a bad name. Last month, it was reported that Farizan had relieved a senior officer of his duties. Yesterday, Farizan said the department’s assistant direct...

Red tape and bureaucratic procedures have prevented the state government from opening a trust fund to help wipe out hardcore poverty in Penang, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. He said although it had been over a month since state Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh discussed with state officials, a bank account for the fund has yet to be opened. “The account is vital so that the corporate sector and public can obtain tax exemption on their contributions to the fund. “Unfortunately, this delay has hampered efforts to wipe out hardcore poverty in Penang by our original March 8 deadline,” he told reporters after opening the Bagan constituency free medical camp in Lucky Garden, Raja Uda, here yesterday. Penang has 904 hardcore poor families with a monthly income of RM400 or less, Lim who is also the Bagan MP said, noting that the state wanted to raise their monthly income to RM500.