Archive for May, 2008
Malays Fear Rights Eroded After Opposition Wins Selangor State
SELANGOR : Selangor - Malaysia’s richest and most developed state - which is now under opposition control, is bracing itself for more changes.
But the coalition state government said it will move at a pace that is manageable for the electorate, amid growing concerns among the Malay population that their rights are being eroded.
For most Malaysians, the Petronas Twin Towers are a source of national pride and a symbol of the country’s economic progress. But in Selangor, not all Malaysians are reaping the rewards.
“There is of course this economic marginalisation of the Indian community that has been on going for quite some time, but it came to a climax when the last level of security was breached by the Selangor state government. Just one week before Deepavali when the Kampong Java temple was demolished. And for the Hindus,… religion is a very sensitive matter,” said Professor KS Nathan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Occidental Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Insensitive temple demolition and economic deprivation fuelling Indian anger, which cost the ruling Barisan Nasional government the Indian vote.
During the last election, the Barisan Nasional lost the state to the opposition after garnering only 20 of the 56 state seats.
Riding on the strong support of the non-Malay electorate, the coalition parties of Keadilan, DAP and PAS took the jewel in the crown - Selangor. But the coalition government knows full well the road ahead is paved with challenges.
After decades of waiting, non-Malay Malaysians are now anxiously asking - how soon before they can get access to business licenses, scholarships and university places.
“Things like business licences and infrastructure projects, we have a certain power at the local level. The second thing is we have to move at a pace that is manageable for the electorate. We have to bear in mind that Malays are now feeling very unsettled,” explained Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Political Secretary to the PKR Chief Minister, Selangor State Assemblyman.
On the national level, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) - the bedrock of Malaysia’s ruling coalition - secured only 79 parliamentary seats, a huge drop from the 110 in the 2004 general elections.
This got the Malay population worried, questioning if their personal rights will be eroded if the opposition dismantles the New Economic Policy - an affirmative action programme for Malays. But Keadilan leaders said they are pursuing the multi-racial agenda in a way that Malays can accept.
“Anwar Ibrahim has done very well. He has kept repeating this idea of ‘Ketuanan Rakyat’ or the people’s supremacy instead of Malay supremacy… He has been pushing the boundaries because Ketuanan Rakyat is central to the Malay political consciousness. But Anwar is saying I’m a Malay, I’m a Muslim, and Malay interests will be protected. Article 153 on the special rights of the Malays and Article 152 on the status of the Malay language as a national language - all these things will never be compromised,” said Nik Nazmi.
UMNO too has embarked on a re-engineering phase, and has started taking stock of what the Malaysian electorate is saying.
“Certain aspects of the New Economic Policy… are not acceptable anymore by some of the population, be it the Malays, Chinese and Indians. They talked in terms of distribution of economic wealth and some felt they were not being given fair treatment. It maybe an issue of perception or there could be some truth in these kinds of sentiments, and we cannot just set that aside… (We need to) do something about it, to address this problem,” said Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysian Minister for International Trade and Industry, and Vice President of UNMO.
Political commentators said if UMNO is able to make serious policy changes, they might just be able to help the Barisan Nasional regain lost support, which makes the next few months leading up to the UMNO general assembly in December a must-watch event in Malaysian politics. - CNA /ls
Channel News Asia
Teachers’ Day: It All Starts From School
The Teachers of Excellence Scheme is the government’s way of recognising teachers’ contributions
Teachers have much to celebrate this Teachers’ Day following the announcement of the “good news” package by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. National Union of The Teaching Profession Secretary-General Lok Yim Pheng tells SUZIEANA UDA NAGU and MOHD NOOR ASWAD the steps teachers have to take to improve their professionalism
Teachers must have a passion to teach
Q: How do you interpret this year’s theme Teachers of Excellence Make A Country of Distinction?
A: Firstly, I want to congratulate teachers and wish them Happy Teachers’ Day.
NUTP believes that teachers of excellence - as the Teachers’ Day theme this year suggests - will make Malaysia a country of distinction. It all starts from the school. We must have quality teachers to produce outstanding students.
It is clear that the Education Ministry (MOE) wants to produce more exceptional teachers. That is why it has introduced the Teachers of Excellence Scheme.
The government has created 11,678 posts under the plan, which is open to teachers - including school heads - of primary and secondary schools nationwide. This is MOE’s way of recognising teachers’ services and contributions and producing more excellent teachers.
Q: What is the response from teachers to the Teachers of Excellence Scheme?
A: It seems that teachers are not taking up the offer. Of the 11,678 vacancies, only 30 to 40 per cent have been filled. This was revealed by the Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein during a recent meeting between MOE, NUTP, the Public Service Department (PSD) and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.
Q: Why aren’t teachers interested in the scheme?
A: We don’t know why teachers are not keen to apply for the posts. But as a responsible union, we plan to explain (about the scheme) to our members through awareness campaigns. In fact, MOE has asked us to conduct a campaign on this. We want to encourage teachers to grab this opportunity, view it as a challenge and not stay in their current posts for years.
The selection process is strict, so teachers have to improve themselves to ensure that they are well qualified for the post of excellent teachers. Those who have been recognised as teachers of excellence have achieved a certain level of competence.This is something to be proud of.
Furthermore, MOE has relaxed one criterion to encourage teachers to apply. Teachers will now be assessed by their principals and not school inspectors. Apparently, (the idea of being assessed by school inspectors) had put pressure on teachers. This may have discouraged them from applying. Hopefully, more teachers will now be interested in the scheme.
Q: How do you nurture teachers of quality?
A: This has to start at the teacher training colleges. We hope that steps will be taken to ensure that candidates selected for teacher training colleges are of good quality. They must have a passion for teaching, too.
Trainees must undergo a proper process of training which must take at least three years. The training provided under the Graduate Teacher Training Scheme (or its Malay acronym KPLI) - where teachers attend a six-month course and later undergo teaching attachments for another six months - is not enough.
What is lacking among new teachers is the skills to handle parents, students and management (such as handling funds for school events or school administration). They have been grounded in teaching pedagogy but most don’t know how to cope with the non-teaching aspects of being a teacher. These skills should be part and parcel of a teacher training curriculum.
Q: At the recent Teachers’ Day celebration in Malacca, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had announced measures to improve teacher’s salary scale. How do you feel about that?
A: NUTP had expected this year to be a good year for all 350,000 teachers in Malaysia.
We are grateful to MOE as well as to the PSD and Mohd Sidek for taking immediate action on issues pertaining to teachers’ welfare and their services.
NUTP recently forwarded a memorandum to PSD, MOE and Mohd Sidek on grievances and problems of teachers in the salary scale groups from DG8 to DG41. This group had lost so much in their salary increment because their seniority in the non-graduate scale was not recognised.
At the recent Teachers’ Day celebrations, the government had announced that every three years of service in the non-graduate scale will be recognised as one year of seniority. The maximum is nine years of service (in the non-graduate scale) or three years of seniority.
Those serving as district education officers and those in state education departments are now eligible for promotional positions such as the those under the Excellent Teachers Scheme. About 10 per cent of the promotional opportunity is reserved for them.
School heads with a minimum of three years of service in the DG41 scale will be promoted to the DG44 scale.
Q: What about other teacher-related issues?
A: NUTP has strong views about certain issues and we hope our voice will continue to be heard. We will act fast on matters pertaining to teachers’ welfare. NUTP deals with different types of issues -teacher services, career path, administration and promotional opportunities. But there are also matters pertaining to policy which will take some time to resolve as they involve negotiations with the relevant bodies.
That is why we hope that MOE will consult NUTP before making major education-related announcements in the media. We believe we would be able to give genuine feedback to the government before any policy is implemented.
As a union leader, we will continue to highlight issues - even controversial ones - regarding the teaching profession and education for the benefit of teachers, students and parents.
NUTP is currently trying to solve the problem of teachers who have obtained the Bachelor of Information Technology degree which has yet to be recognised by the government.
We advise teachers to choose courses which are recognised by MOE. Many have registered for online or distance learning courses with local universities. But some have not checked with the Teachers’ Training Division to see if the subjects have been approved by MOE. They will not be eligible for promotion if their degree is not recognised by MOE.
Q: What about vocational education?
A: We also look forward to schools offering more vocational classes to cater to the needs of average achievers and slow learners. We cannot emphasise technical schools alone.
Q: What are your concerns about discipline in schools?
A: As a measure to ensure discipline in schools is intact, we had proposed the position of head of discipline. Our aim is for zero truancy in schools. This will not be easy but the presence of head of discipline will help to realise this aim.
Q: Teachers often complain about their heavy workload. Is a solution in sight?
A: We are happy with the announcement made by Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein that MOE is going to conduct a comprehensive study on teachers’ workload.
At this juncture, we don’t deny that teachers are overloaded with paperwork. More importantly, we are worried about schools being too exam-orientated.
Teachers are pressured to train students on how to answer exam questions. There is so much expectation from parents (for their children) to achieve As - so much so that we have forgotten the goal of producing a holistic child. The focus on exams has impaired communication between students and teachers.
So, it is good that the Minister has taken a keen interest in teachers’ workload.
Q: Do you have a solution to the problem?
A: MOE can create a system or programme where all basic data can be centralised. Teachers have to fill in so many forms. It would be easier to have a centralised database, which can be accessed online. It will be a massive project but it will save a lot of time.
Q: What is your message to teachers this Teachers’ Day?
A: As teachers, we must always maintain the quality of our work. Always try to improve our productivity; acquire knowledge and skills to develop human capital ready to face the globalised world.
I hope teachers will take the PM’s announcement positively and work hard to ensure that our children get a good education.
I also urge parents to work together with teachers as a family and respect the role and duty of teachers.
New Straits Times
More Businesses In S Korea Catering To Children’s Needs
SEOUL : May is the month of the family in South Korea, with the Children’s Day and Parent’s Day holidays.
And as the country has one of the world’s lowest birth rates, the attention on children is growing, with businesses popping up to cater to their needs.
Four-year-old Joo Eun Chea often goes to a hair salon for children called Bubble Story to get her hair cut.
A mother, Song Yoo Kyung, said, “This place is just perfect for children. It is set up for children and so I come here because the children can be happy here.”
There are plenty of toys and games for the children while getting their hair done - whether it is a perm or a cut.
Kwon Soon Hyung, owner of Bubble Story, said, “There are more people who want their only child to be prettier and better than others. And so with that in mind, this place allows children to be more free and to play while getting their hair done.”
A hair cut at the salon costs about US$20, and some might say it is a lot to pay for children’s hair.
But in recent years, places focusing on children’s needs are popping up in South Korea.
These children are referred to as Gold Kids in South Korea these days. They are usually the only child and they receive ‘gold treatment’ from their parents.
South Korea had the lowest birthrate in the world in 2006.
That rate has slowly picked up in the last two years, due to incentives offered by the government for couples and newborns.
But it still remains one of the world’s lowest, and the South Korean government said it needs to do more to raise its birthrate.
Kim Seo Joong, an official at the Health Ministry, said, “The very important reason for low birthrate is because people are getting married late. We need to come up with plans to get them married faster.”
And so it is not surprising that Joo Eun Chea is also the only child.
And as more Korean women prefer to stay single and couples decide to have only one child, places like Bubble Story are expected to do well in South Korea. - CNA/ms
Channel News Asia