0 2 / 2 0 1 6 pm: utc proof of gov m - mpc · 2016-12-01 · pm: utc proof of government’s m iri:...

PM: UTC PROOF OF GOV ER NMENT’S

M IRI: The Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) is the best example for the people to witness the good things the government has done for them and

they should judge the government with their eyes and facts, instead of believing the rumours spread via the social media, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“After the launch of the first UTC in Melaka in 2012, all 12 UTCs nationwide, had registered 11.5 million customers in 2015 alone, and I am proud to say that we have done rather extraordinarily in innovating our delivery system.

“I think this is the best example that as the government, we have put our foot forward in bringing the best to the people. We do not play politics (“tidak main politik”), nor play the politic of hatred and even more so, absolutely no fabricated story and defamatory postings on the social media,” he said in his speech during the launch of UTC Miri yesterday.

Najib reiterated that UTC is part of the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) which was introduced to improve the quality of services through strategic partnerships between government agencies and the private sector.

“More important, it breaks down the barrier between core government agencies as well as

C O M P E T I T I V E N E S S I N F O L I N E

bringing the public amenities and services of private sectors closer for the benefit of the people.”

The launch of UTC Miri as the 13th centre in the country was also witnessed by Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem who was represented by Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Dato Sri Michael Manyin; Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim; Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang; State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani; Communications Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Mayor Lawrence Lai, among others who attended the ceremony.

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Najib signing the plaque to symbolically mark the opening of the UTC Miri while looking on are (from left) Lee, Jabu,

GOVT ALLOCATES RM60M AS R&D AND

COMMERCI ALISATION GRANTS

K UALA LUMPUR: The government via Malaysian Technology Development Corp (MTDC) Sdn Bhd has allocated RM60 million as grants for research and

development (R&D) and product commercialisation for 2016. Of the amount, RM40 million is for commercialisation of the local R&Dfund, the technology acquisition fund (RM10 million) and business start-up fund (RM10 million). MTDC chief executive officer Datuk Norhalim Yunus said the funds are crucial for local companies to expand their businesses at home and in the global market. "The agency will act as a mediator to push for more collaboration between local and foreign companies. This is especially for the transfer of technology and opportunities to find partners in entering new markets," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Business Meeting Asia 2016 in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. MTDC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, is in charge of promoting the adoption of technologies by local companies via commercialisation of R&D or acquisition of foreign technologies.


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In the 11th Malaysia Plan, the Government doubled grants for R&D and commercialisation to RM500 million, compared with RM297 million in the 10th Plan. Meanwhile, the one-day Business Meeting Asia 2016, co-organised by MTDC and Korea's Asian Science Park Association (ASPA) attracted 34 foreign companies from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Datuk Norhalim Yunus MTDC Chief Executive oOficer

More than 30 local companies from various clusters, namely information, communication and technology, biotech, electronics, robotics, healthcare and machinery, also participated. ASPA secretary-general Dr Sunkook Kwon said the organisation holds one or more multilateral business meetings annually in the Asian region with the participation of small and medium enterprises. "Companies are able to seek partnerships, which can create a synergy effect in the international market, with the advantage of rapidly adjusting to the changes in high technology and sprawl out anywhere in the world," he said in his opening speech. In a separate update, MTDC is expected to manage the halal technology development fund, to be announced next month. At present, MTDC is managing five government funds involving R&D and commercialisation.

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SHORTER CUSTOMS INSP ECTION FOR

PASSENGERS, THANKS TO SHARED CIQ FACILITIES

P ETALING JAYA: Passengers taking the planned non-stop High-Speed Rail (HSR) service from Bandar Malaysia in Kuala

Lumpur to Jurong East, Singapore, can expect the experience to be much like a 90-minute flight. They will have their luggage X-rayed and undergo body scans just like at airports. But they will only need to clear the Customs, Immigration and quarantine (CIQ) checks of both countries once as the CIQ facilities will be co-located in both Bandar Malaysia and Jurong East. “This is just like taking the Eurostar (connecting London and Paris), where passengers undergo all the checks before boarding. “When they arrive at their destination, they just walk off the train,” said Mohd Nur Ismal Kamal, chief executive officer of MyHSR Corporation Sdn Bhd, the company responsible for the development and promotion of the bilateral project expected to see commercial services from 2026. Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the inking of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) by Malaysia and Singapore, he said the non-stop service would also be called the Express service, and its operator would also operate the Shuttle service


from Iskandar Puteri (formerly Nusajaya) to Jurong East.

Like the Express, the Shuttle service also has co-

located CIQ facilities in both countries.

“The fare for the Express service will be left

entirely to market forces,” said Mohd Azharuddin

Mat Sah, CEO of the Land Public Transport

Commission (SPAD), who added that it will be

deregulated like airline fares.

“You will see dynamic pricing, which varies

according to the day of the week, as well as the

time of the day,” said Mohd Nur.

He explained that it was not possible to pin down

the fares now as it would be up to the operator to

determine the level of fares that best optimised

ridership and profitability.

The third type of HSR service will be the Domestic

service that stops at Putrajaya, Seremban, Ayer

Keroh, Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri.

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T H E S T A R

Passengers who get off at Iskandar Puteri can still get to Singapore by boarding the Shuttle service, though

the entire journey (if starting from Kuala Lumpur) can be “slightly more than two hours”. The Domestic plus

Shuttle service to Singapore may be 50 minutes longer than the Express.

However, MyHSR and SPAD are keeping mum on the exact travel times for the domestic services, saying they need to allow the operator, OpCo Domestic, flexibility.

RM30BIL INVESTM ENTS TO BE APPROVED

K UALA LUMPUR: Some RM30bil worth of investments into Malaysia’s manufacturing sector will be approved by the end of this year, said International

Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. “We are targeting to achieve this throughout the second half of this year. We are still seeing a steady flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the sector, which should be finalised and approved by the end of the year,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Affin Hwang Capital Conference Series 2016, which was held here on Thursday. In his keynote speech, Mustapa noted that FDI into the country had steadily grown over the years, underscoring the robustness of the country’s economy. Between 2011 and 2015, net FDI averaged RM35.8bil. Last year, the country recorded an all-time high FDI of RM43.44bil as more corporations began setting up regional hubs in the country. As at the first quarter of this year, RM37.4bil worth of investments had been approved. Similarly, total investments, driven mainly by the private sector, had accelerated at a compounded rate of 8.3% per annum over the past five years,


Mustapa pointed out. “Malaysia’s growth remains sustainable while our fiscal deficit targets are being met year after year. “We are also no longer dependent on oil earnings, as they now make up only 14% of total Government revenue,” he said. Commenting on the recent round of layoffs by multinational corporations operating in Malaysia, Mustapa said that the country’s unemployment rate remained low at 3.2%. “However, we are aware that the job market has

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Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed International Trade and Industry Minister

become more challenging. Some retrenchments are necessary for companies that are undertaking a serious restructuring or due to new technological developments.

“It is not necessarily a consequence of what is

happening with the global economy,” he said.

Mustapa added that over the next two years, some

160,000 new jobs will be created in the

manufacturing sector alone thanks to new FDI,

which will more than offset the expected 15,000

jobs to be lost from retrenchments.

Among the latest major investments made this year

include UMW Holdings Bhd and Rolls-Royce’s

RM830mil investment to manufacture and

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T H E S T A R

‘MO RE CO MPANIE S SHOU LD ADOPT FLE XIBLE

W ORK ARRANGE ME NTS, S AYS TALENTCORP

K UALA LUMPUR: More Malaysian companies should look into implementing flexible work arrangement (FWA) as a survey result had shown that

only 10 per cent out of 130 listed companies, planned to enhance or implement the FWA, said Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp). Chief Executive Officer, Shareen Shariza Abdul Ghani, said she considered the number of local companies practising FWA is rather small compared with that of developed countries and the agency would help raise awareness and educate them on ways to implement it. "The FWA is important because talent and human capital response to different things. Flexibility helps employees achieve work-life balance while meeting the company's business demands. "If we don't have FWA, people with great talent may not want to be part of an organisation because it doesn't response to their ways of working," she told Bernama on the sidelines of the Asian Institute of Finance International Symposium 2016 on Wednesday. The one-day symposium, entitled 'Talent, Technology and Tomorrow's Workplace', features speakers, comprising business leaders and human


resource experts, who examines the factors and trends driving future changes in the workplace and what it means in managing talent and human resource more effectively. "It is different now, it's not that the people adapting to company, but how an organisation needs to adapt to different types of talents and different kinds of ways talents work. "The argument here is that when you have FWA, your productivity is low and profit suffers. There must be a way to deal with it. "In developed countries, the percentage is half-way mark or even more. Some Scandinavian countries offer nearly 100 per cent of FWA and they are still productive and still make profit," Shareen said. In Malaysia, she said, the majority of FWA adopters are multinational corporations like Digi and IBM, which have good FWA practices, while local companies like Maybank and CIMB are also looking into it. "So there are good local companies doing it but that is not enough. That is only 10 per cent out of the 130 companies that we surveyed in Bursa Malaysia are thinking of FWA," she said.

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Shareen, who helmed TalentCorp since June this year, also said the agency is currently working on how to translate the new economic model into a reality. "When we look at high income, we also look for inclusivity and sustainability. The focus is how we look at talents in those areas and deliver the development status we aspire to achieve by 2020," she said.

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The talent groups the agency is focusing on, among others, are young talents, top middle management talents and women, she said, adding that the agency was also looking for retirees so that the total approach would be holistic. "At the moment we don't have policies or programmes to help people who have retired," she added.

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T H E S T A R

Shareen Shariza Abdul Ghani, Chief Executive Officer, Talent Corp.

“It is different now. It’s not about

the people adapting to the

company, but how an

organisation needs to adapt to

different types of talents and

different kinds of ways talents

work”

MALAYSIA'S GDP EXPAN DED

4% IN SECOND QUARTER

K UALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian economy grew 4% in the second quarter of 2016

(Q2), driven by domestic demand, which registered growth of 5.7% during the quarter compared with 3.3% in Q1. The 4% year-on-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth brings the total growth for the first half of 2016 (H1) to 4.1%. GDP growth in Q1 was 4.2%. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim said domestic demand was stronger during the quarter due to higher contribution from private consumption and private investment, which contributed 3.3 percentage points and 1.1 percentage points to GDP growth respectively. "However, growth was set back by the continued decline in net exports and a drawdown in stocks," he told reporters at a briefing on the economic performance last Friday. Import growth in Q2 exceeded exports following stronger investment activity while the drawdown in stocks was due to lower production of palm oil and


manufactured products. Private sector activity remained the key driver of growth, expanding 6.1% in Q2 compared with 4.5% in Q1. Private consumption in Q2 grew 6.3% driven by continued wage and employment growth, and additional disposable income from government measures. Private investment grew 5.6% in Q2 driven by continued capital spending in the services and manufacturing sectors.

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“For this year, we

are quite

confident that the

current account

will remain in the

positive territory

although it will be

narrower”

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Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim Bank Negara Malaysia Governor

Public consumption grew 6.5% in Q2 compared with 3.8% in Q1 while public investment turned positive, registering 7.5% growth in Q2 compared with a 4.5% contraction in Q1. Net exports of goods and services declined 7% as real imports grew faster than exports. On the supply side, growth continued to be driven by key economic sectors, all of which reported growth except for the agriculture sector, which contracted 7.9% in Q2 and 6% in H1 due to the lagged impact of El Nino on crude palm oil production. The current account surplus narrowed to RM1.9 billion in Q2, equivalent to 0.6% of gross national income, due to lower trade surplus (RM17.9 billion), higher investment income received by foreign investors in Malaysia and continued outward remittances by foreign workers in Malaysia. "For this year, we are quite confident that the current account will remain in the positive territory although it will be narrower. For 2017, it will very much depend on global growth, whether that will impact our export and the intensity of our imports," said Muhammad. Net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows stood at RM8.8 billion in Q2 compared with RM15 billion in Q1. The bulk of the FDIs were channelled into the manufacturing and services sector, particularly the

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electrical and electronic and petrochemical segments. Despite uncertainties in the global environment, BNM maintained its 4-4.5% growth forecast for 2016, which will be driven by domestic demand. It also maintained its 3.1% fiscal deficit position forecast for 2016. AllianceDBS Research said the government's commitment to the fiscal position limits the upside in public expenditure contribution to GDP growth and expects targeted fiscal policies to stimulate private consumption to be announced in Budget 2017. “If the fiscal position allows, the government could even consider lowering the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate from current 6%for a period of time as a short-term measure to spur household expenditure,” it said in its report. However, it noted that the reduction in GST rate would be dependent on the projection of global crude oil price sustainability in the coming years, in order to make up for the forgone revenue from GST. OCBC Bank expects GDP growth to average 4.1% in H2 and full-year 2016 GDP growth of 4.1%. It revised its 2016 growth forecast from 4.3% to 4.1% due to the weak underlying momentum while MIDF Research maintained its 2016 growth forecast at 4% with a 4.1% growth projection in Q3.

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T H E S U N D A I L Y

MDEC EXPECTS ANOTHER

RECORD

CYBERJAYA: MALAYSIAN Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), which attracted its highest investment of RM4.6 billion last year, expects to set another record this year. “Despite the economic challenges, we have seen investments steadily coming in. In fact, I am quite confident we can break the record again,” said MDEC chief executive officer Datuk Yasmin Mahmood in an interview. As of last year, MDEC attracted RM283 billion of foreign and domestic direct investments, generated RM105 billion of export sales, contributed RM317 billion of revenue to the economy and oversaw the creation of 158,549 jobs. Yasmin said some 80 per cent of those jobs were �lled by Malaysians. “That’s what we really are doing at MDEC — creating a world-class corridor for tech-driven start-ups while making sure that the rakyat bene�t the most from it. Yasmin said Malaysia had come a long way since the establishment of Cyberjaya as a technological hub. “Where once our aim was to develop technological-driven corridors, we now have clusters upon clusters of start-ups trying to make it big in the global digital space. In fact, the growth of


digital economy represents 17 per cent of the national gross domestic product. That is substantial already but it’s not the end of the story. That is merely the beginning.” MDEC, set up in 1996 as Multimedia Development Corp Sdn Bhd, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Yasmin said so far this year, domestic investments had been stronger than foreign sources and she attributed it to Malaysia’s reputation as a “growth hub for scaleups”. “Statistics tell us that out of 10 start-ups, only two will survive to become something better.

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MDEC CEO, Datuk Yasmin Mahmood

It’s a tough scene, especially so in technology when everything moves at extra speed. Our main concern is to nurture those who survive and that is what we mean from start-up to scale-up.” Yasmin cites the example of iGene Sdn Bhd, which is in the business of digital autopsy — a procedure conducted by forensic pathologists using high performance computing and a unique set of proprietary algorithms to allow the autopsy to be done without cutting into the deceased’s body. iGene received RM7.5 million in funding in 2009 from Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd and RM70 million in 2013 from Agensi Inovasi Malaysia. Recently, iGene signed partnership deals with Australia and New Zealand �rms and is looking at expanding into Abu Dhabi, Indonesia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. iGene is one of those successful start-ups that changes the way the medical industry looks at medical autopsy. It offers a non-invasive and respectful way for autopsies to be conducted.

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“It offers something innovative that we had only seen in movies. I am so proud of this Malaysian startup that is making waves in the global medical industry,” said Yasmin. There are also other household names such as iProperty, JobStreet and iPay88. “iProperty, just like JobStreet, was one of the earliest tech start-ups out of Malaysia. It was bought over for US$534 million (RM2.1 billion) by REA Group, a News Corp subsidiary which owns property sites in Australia, China, the United States and Europe. “It is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, buy-out of a tech �rm in Southeast Asia. That’s a remarkably successful story. “And this is what we at MDEC ultimately want — scale-up the start-ups onto the global stage like iGene, or for them to have remarkably successful exit stories like iProperty,” she said.

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N E W S T R A I T S T I M E S

IDRIS: A HIGH -INCOME NATIONBY

2020 IS STILL ACHIEVABLE

MALAYSIA is expected to become a high-income nation by 2020 driven by the Government Transformation Programme’s (GTP) efforts to boost the economy. Performance Management and Delivery Unit CEO Datuk Seri Idris Jala said the government has narrowed its gross national income (GNI) per capita gap with World Bank’s standard threshold to 15% last year from 33% in 2009. “We have done a lot of work in the past six years to reach our goal. The result began t bear fruits as it helped to spur the economy. We intend to create 3.3.million jobs altogether,” he said after witnessing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) singing between KLSMC Stem Cells Sdn Bhd and the US –based Stanford University Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Idris said the government had also reduced fiscal deficit by 6.6% of the gross domestic product for the last few years.


“We want to grow our economy at mild expansionary. We don’t want a high-debt level because we don’t want to put so much debt on hthe government. High borrowings would make the future generation suffer,” he said. Idris said the government relies more on private sector’s investment that has reached 60% compared to 40% six years ago. “We’ve grown the economy with our debt level staying below 52.3%, a lot less than many other governments,” he said, adding that the focus is to get the private sector to invest more then the government. He said the mass rapid transit projects are the physical manifestation of the government’s efforts. The recent MoU for the construction of the high-speed rail that connects Singapore and Kuala Lumpur will be another example, he said. KLSMC was established to undertake the research and development of stem cell therapy for musculoskeletal treatment to commercialization , while the US-based biotechnology company KLSMC Stem Cell Inc was formed to pursue global approval for an innovative articular cartilage regeneration therapy, used to treat patients with knee pain and disability. On the signing, Idris said it was a good idea to use conventional technology to harvest stem cell as there is no risk associated with the treatment.

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The govt has narrowed its GNI per capita to 15% last year from 33% in 2009 __________________________________________ By AYISY YUSOF

“They have been working to move the medical trial and they are now doing in the phase 2B clinical trial for the US Food and Drug Administration approval,” he said. KLSMCCEO Dr. Saw Khay Yong said although the study focuses on cartilage regeneration in the knee joint but other collaborations can be done using stem cell technology. “we are in the middle of developing different instruments. Now, we can work with Stanford University, which has the research facilities,” he

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said. KLSMC had recorded over 600 cases with treatments involving stem cell therapy for musculoskeletal for the last nine to 10 years. The stem cell technology for regeneration of articular cartilage exploits the natural healing qualities of a patient’s own peripheral blood stem cells. By harvesting the stem cells and re-injecting them into the damaged tissues, it has been proven possible to generate and heal damaged articular cartilage.

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T H E M A L A Y S I A N R E S E R V E

Stanford University associate chief of staff Prof Christopher Mow (left) and Dr. Saw signing the MoU betwwen KLSMC and Stanford University while Idris (standing, left) and National Innovation Agency CEO Mark Rozario look on.

ON TARGET IN MEETING

BLUEPRINT GOALS

IT took a lot of effort to bring various parties

together, but after countless evaluation sessions

over the last three years, results from the First

Wave of the Malaysia Education Blueprint that

began in 2013 now has a report card of its own.

The Education Ministry released the 2015 annual

report of the Blueprint, an ambitious undertaking

that will transform the education system in three

Waves or Gelombang, with the first from 2013 to

2015, the second from 2016 to 2020, and the final

one from 2021 to 2025. Within the Blueprint are 11

Shifts or Anjakan that will take the country to where

it needs to be nine years from now.

The Blueprint contains 100 initiatives of which 25 came under the Blueprints’s First wave. In brief, the ministry claimed that it had “surpassed the targets it set for itself” when launching the latest annual report at its headquarters at Putrajaya on Tuesday.


Based on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to ensure “education for all”, the First Wave aimed to increase student enrolment, reduce the urban-rural divide, and ensure 100% literacy and numeracy (Linus) rates within the first three years of schooling. Greater inclusivity

On inclusivity, Education Minister Datuk Seri

Mahdzir Khalid said more students with special

needs have been enrolling in national schools.

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Meeting selected education transformation objectives so far paves the way for Malaysia to raise its standards, and be on par with the best globally.

“The integration of special needs students with

mainstream students in daily school activities has

been enhanced through the usage of a more holistic

and inclusive education model,” he said.

This is done through the Inclusive Education model

which saw an increase to 16,899 (23.2%) special

needs students in 2015, up from 10,700 (18.4%)

students in 2014.

Besides just studying with their mainstream peers

in classrooms, students under this model are also

included in school events such as the morning

assembly and co-curricular activities.

Overall, Mahdzir said the number of special needs

students enrolling in schools have increased from

58,006 in 2014 to 72,715 in 2015.

Preschoolers are also not left out of the inclusive education programme.

As of 2015, 46 children have been included in this

programme.

There are 860 special needs children in 197

preschool classes nationwide guided by trained

special education teachers.

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Permata Kurnia director Prof Dr Hasnah Toran, a

leading authority on autism in the country, said:

“The ministry’s Special Education Division has

taken a number of positive steps to improve

education for special needs children.”

Firstly, they have increased the number of children

with disabilities into mainstream schools.

“And they don’t just leave them there,” stressed Dr

Hasnah, who is herself a mother of an autistic child.

The integration programme provides for a “shadow

aide” (guru pendamping), where a teacher is tasked

to be extra watchful over a student. Teachers and

parents are also trained on teaching and caring for

these children, while other students are taught to

be more empathetic to their fellow special needs

schoolmates.

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T H E S T A R O N L I N E

Wave of success: Mahdzir (third from left) says there have been positive outcomes from the First Wave of the Blueprint. With him are (from left) Education director-general Tan Sri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof, Deputy Education Ministers Chong Sin Woon, Datuk P Kamalanathan and Education secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad.

Bigger intake: The annual report states that student enrolment in schools increased since the launch of the blueprint. – File photo

“By hook or by crook, the teacher has to do it,

because if the child can’t read, write or count, they

can’t proceed to the next step,” she said.

An English teacher from Malacca said many of her

pupils who come from English speaking

backgrounds have the ability to express themselves

rather well in English.

“The Primary School Standard Curriculum (KSSR) is

good, and if teachers are teaching accordingly,

there shouldn’t be any problem,” she said.

She added the increase in achievements for

Mathematics could be due to the relatively “simple”

questions posed.

“My colleagues tell me the questions are easy,

which would have contributed to the high increase

in Mathematics scores, as stated in the annual

report.”

Parent Action Group for Education chairman Datin

Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim shares similar

sentiments as the teachers.

While noting that it’s good that there has been

improvements for English and Maths, she argued

that equal emphasis should be given to the

Sciences.


On ways to teach effectively, Mahdzir reminded

teachers, especially long serving ones, to embrace

the fact that students now are nothing like those

they encountered when they first started teaching.

“School-goers these days are digital natives and

need to be taught using 21st century learning

methods,” he said.

When asked whether teachers are adequately

equipped to teach digital natives, a teacher from

Klang said that it may be tough for the older

teachers to keep up with the changes.

“However, the government is providing sufficient digital courses for teachers, so they (teachers) should be ready for these (digital) changes,” she added. Community engagement

The onus to improve the quality of education falls

not just on schools and teachers. In this regard, the

ministry has been taking concrete steps to get the

community and parents involved in the education

process.

Mahdzir said that since the Blueprint was

implemented, more parents have been actively

involved in school activities.

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The percentage of parents involved in six major

school events – including registration day, Parent-

Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, and sports

day – have increased to 74.6% in 2015. It stood at

57% in 2013.

The number of schools adopted by private

companies also rose to 539 in 2015 from 323 in 2013.

SMK Assunta Petaling Jaya PTA chairman Allan

Goh Wai Choong said the increase of parental and

community involvement in schools is a “good sign”

in the long run.

“As parents, we play an important role to help

improve shortcomings on issues involving

education. We need constant communication with

the district education office as well as the ministry

to solve issues hand-in-hand,” he said.

Goh also pointed out that all parties play a role in

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increasing parental and community involvement in

schools.

“The ministry is encouraged to conduct more

dialogues and activities with parents, while parents

would also need to reciprocate the ministry’s efforts

and participate,” he said.

Parents would also need to take the initiative in

asking their children about their daily activities and

the issues they face in school.

“When parents don’t ask, the children won’t tell,”

Goh said.

On his part, the minister seems unfazed by the

reactions from teachers and parents so far.

“Clearly, we have laid a solid foundation for developing holistic students by providing access to quality education as promised in the Blueprint,” said Mahdzir.

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T he ministry is also trying to improve the

quality of special education by

introducing Pentaksiran Alternatif

Sekolah Rendah (PASR), which is equivalent to

UPSR, but designed for students with special needs.

“This will make teachers more accountable and

allows us to track a child’s progress,” said Dr

Hasnah.

Then, there are the opening of new vocational schools, such as Sekolah Menengah Vokasional Pendidikan Khas Merbok in Kedah in 2015.

The vocational schools teach skills such as baking

and wiring. They also encourage special needs

children to find jobs in these fields after graduation.

To keep the not-so-academically-inclined in

schools, Mahdzir said his ministry has been actively

pushing for more students to enrol in technical and

vocational education and training (TVET) in schools.

He said 5.3% of students enrolled for TVET courses

at the lower secondary level in 2015, compared to

4.6% in 2013.

He also said that the Upper Secondary Vocational

Education piloted last year has already attracted

343 students. Students who opt for this programme

will graduate with both Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia

(SPM) and Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM)

certificates.


“The number is expected to jump to 4,260 in 2016

due to the high demand (for TVET courses),” he

added.

“It was not an easy feat as it involved various

agencies at the state levels. However, to ensure our

children receive quality early education, we will

continue intensifying efforts to achieve our target

of 100% enrolment in the Second Wave,” he said.

Mahdzir said preschool enrolment increased to

84.51% in 2015, compared to 80.2% in 2012, while

primary school enrolment rates reached 98% in

2015.

“These (enrolment) rates have exceeded the universal enrolment rate of 91% as reported by United Nations Development Programme 2015,” he

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Education for all: Muspirah Ahmad Salim, a teacher at Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas

(penglihatan) reading out the blueprint’s annual report to her visually

impaired students after the launch.

said, adding that the ministry is aiming to achieve universal preschool enrolment for children aged four and five by 2020. More literacy

The report also states that Year Three pupils have

achieved 99% Bahasa Melayu literacy and

numeracy, while English literacy stood at 94.11% in

2015, up from 78.3% in 2014.

However, those in the education field beg to differ.

Firstly, many English teachers argue that English

standards among pupils have declined these few

years, a period that coincided with the First Wave.

A recently retired English teacher from Shah Alam,

Selangor said many English teachers feel that

literacy levels are poor because Science and

Mathematics are no longer conducted in English.

“This reduces students’ exposure to the language,”

she pointed out, adding that it is only during English

Language lessons that pupils are exposed to the

language.

A primary school teacher from Perak said that the

ministry’s annual report suggesting that 99% of

pupils have mastered Bahasa Melayu and

Mathematics by the end of Year Three sounded too

good to be true.

“The figure does not seem true for my school, for

Mathematics at least,” said the teacher with over 30

years of experience in teaching English.

On English, she claimed that the literacy rate has

remained stagnant in her school.

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“The pupils don’t have the urge to do anything extraordinary. Many of them have lost interest,” she added.

National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP)

secretary-general Datuk Lok Yim Pheng said it is up

to teachers to ensure their pupils are able to read,

write and count, which is important to reach the

100% literacy and numeracy rates desired by the

ministry.

“Teachers do have enough resources and training

from the ministry,” she said when commenting on

the ministry’s claim that Bahasa Melayu literacy and

numeracy rates have reached 99%.

She maintained that teachers need to be creative

and innovative to ensure their charges can read,

write and count.

“With advancements in digital technology, the

teacher can download resources and come up with

something for the children,” said Lok, who added

that teachers regularly stay back with their pupils to

ensure they can grasp the three basic skills.

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Test in session: Primary school pupils have to undergo Linus screenings to ensure they can

grasp how to read, write and count.

ON THE ROAD TO VISIO N

2020

G iven its staggering growth in GDP and income over the years, Malaysia is in a good position to attract the necessary

investment and economic growth to achieve Vision 2020, says United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Bhd economist Julia Goh. “Looking at it from a macro perspective, Malaysia’s economic growth performance over the past few years is still commendable given the host of domestic and international challenges which have plagued the economy over the past few years,” she adds. “Some key factors that have dampened the country’s growth over the past few years include the persistently slower growth across various international market as well as the particularly volatile nature of key regional and international financial markets.” “Nevertheless, the largest impact from these factors is the resultant weakening of the Malaysian ringgit, particularly in 2015, which has affected all


sectors of the economy. So, despite these hurdles, Malaysia has still managed to grow steadily over the past few years.” Key initiatives and programmes which have been pioneered by the Malaysian government include the National Transformation Programme (NTP) among others, which is a public sector reform programme launched in 2010 to catalyze overall economic growth. This programme is currently at its significant mid-way point, and looking at the NTP’s progress, it seems to be a success, with an overall achievement rate of more than 100% for its various objectives, across various different economic sectors. Goh point out that tis is a positive indicator of the good momentum of the Malaysian economy over past years, and should the NTP continue with its currently trajectory, Malaysia should be well on track to achieve the objectives of Vision 2020. Indeed, based on the recently released NTP 2015 annual report, the programme has managed to achieve significant milestones in a wide range of industries, which should foster greater macroeconomic stability and a firmer ringgit, leading up to Vision 2020. The report highlights that despite facing short-term economic challenges, particularly in relation to the weak ringgit, the Malaysian economy is well on track to greater stability as confirmed by various other international rating agencies as well.

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UOB economist Julia Goh says Malaysia is on track to achieve its 2020 economic goals ________________ By Kenneth Joseph [email protected]

Specifically, Standard & Poor and Moody’s have improved their overall ratings of the Malaysia economy going forward, with economic ratings of A– and A3 respectively with both agencies affirming a stable outlook for the Malaysian economy. Nevertheless, Goh cautioned that despite this gradual economic recovery and forecasted stability for Malaysia, the going will only get tougher in the years ahead, with Malaysia having to cope with more competitive and open economies regionally and internationally. As such, she urged the need for greater investments in the private sector which will help boost growth of the Malaysian economy to back the steady investment from the public sector in recent years. But, this can only succeed with further concerted effort from the government to create an increasingly conducive and competitive landscape where multinational corporations, government-linked companies, private enterprises and innovative start-ups can thrive. Infrastructure is also another key aspect that will drive the Malaysian economy, and the government has invested huge amounts of capital into the development of various mega-projects both in peninsular and east Malaysia. Some key projects that will push national growth will be the MRT Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line (MRT 2), the Light Rail Transit 3, the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project in West Malaysia, along with the Pan Borneo Highway in Easy Malaysia. Goh affirmed that despite the heavy expenditure on the part of the government for such projects, the subsequent investment growth that will result from this in the next few quarters will be crucial in driving the Malaysian economy toward high-income status. Looking back at the progress and the growth of Malaysia economy over the past five years from 2010 to 2015, Goh notes that when examined as a whole, the economy has made significant and reassuring progress over this period. Looking at the numbers specifically, Goh points out that overall gross domestic product (GDP) for the country has grown by a staggering 30% in total, from a respectable RM797.3 billion in 2010, up to a

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whooping RM1.13 trillion by 2015. Individually, local Malaysian have also been experiencing significant growth in income, with the overall gross national income (GNI) growing by an equally impressive 37% over the five year period, reaching a new high of US$10,440 per capita in 2015. Another reassuring indicator as highlighted by Goh was the increase in number of new jobs over this five-year period for the Malaysian economy as a whole, with over 1.8 million new jobs created across the various sectors of the local economy. But, despite these promising overall domestic indicators, the million-dollar question for the Malaysian economy going forward is whether foreign investors will continue to find Malaysia an attractive destination. In this regard, Goh is confident of Malaysia’s future performance, pointing out numerous studies which indicate that historical growth and plans to catalyze future growth were the two most important factors in influencing foreign investor’s decisions. Malaysia performs well in both of these factors. Goh points to Malaysia's positive growth differential since 2011, with an average of 4% growth per annum since then, well above the performance of advanced G7 nations. Additionally, fiscal reform measures such as the introduction of GST and subsidy rationalization will also be viewed positively by foreign investors. In addition to these two overarching factors, Malaysia also has other strong indicators such as high labour force participation rate and positive employment growth along with favorable demographics, accommodative monetary policies and various government support measures. All in Goh is confident that Malaysia is in good stead to attract the necessary investment and economic growth to achieve Vision 2020 with the steady performance of public debt at a stable 54.5% as well as government guaranteed debt at 15.4%.

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M A L A Y S I A S M E

MALAYSIA BEATS NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH

KOREA IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT RISK

RANKING

K UALA LUMPUR, July 27 ― Malaysia ranked top among emerging countries in Asia in a BMI Research survey measuring

the risk of infrastructure projects, with its risk considered to be lower than in developed nations like Hong Kong, South Korea, New Zealand and Taiwan. Malaysia ranked fourth out of 21 countries in the Asia Project Risk Index by the Fitch Group research house, beating neighbouring nations like Thailand (9th), Vietnam (11th), the Philippines (12th), Indonesia (13th), Cambodia (20th) and Myanmar (21st). Singapore topped the list, followed by Australia, Japan and Malaysia. “Among emerging countries, Malaysia and Thailand outperform, scoring high in the Financing component, while Cambodia and Myanmar register the lowest scores, far below the regional average,” said BMI Research. Malaysia scored 75.6 out of 100 in the index, compared to Singapore’s 79. A higher score denotes lower risk.


Malaysia also ranked the second-highest in the “financing” category at 81.7, behind Japan’s 86.5. “Asia currently receives the most support of any region in terms of number of projects supported by MDBs, accounting for over 31 per cent of the global total according to our Key Infrastructure Projects Database,” said BMI Research, referring to the multilateral development bank (MDB) regime. Malaysia also ranked 7th in the “construction” category, beating other developing countries. “ The developed countries together with Malaysia lead the pack with regard to Construction Risk scores on the back of their strong performance in enforcing contracts (PPPs or otherwise) and their ability to realise infrastructure projects in a timely manner,” said BMI Research, referring to public-private partnerships (PPPs). “ However, 'Construction' is where Asia scores the lowest across the three areas of the index which reflects a still challenging construction phase in the emerging markets,” it added, partly attributing the region’s low score in the “construction-costs” factor to rising labour costs in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and China.

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BMI Research said labour shortages and low skill levels in developing nations, particularly Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, also posed difficulties to investors. In the “operation” category that measures the risk of operations, BMI Research said higher political stability in Asia together with lower crime and security risks in recent years has created “a more stable operational environment”. Malaysia ranked 5th in the “operation” category, followed by Singapore and neighbouring countries.“ Demand for infrastructure is also strong across the region. GDP per capita growth levels in the region are high and as such demand for transport and energy infrastructure is elevated, driven by urbanisation, efforts to improve regional inter-connectivity and growing tourism sector,” said BMI Research.

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M A L A Y S I A S M E

HISHAM: ARMED FORCES READY TO BE

DEPLOYED IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRO RISM

G ENTING HIGHLANDS: The military is ready to deploy its assets to specific locations in the country to deal with threats by the

Daesh militant group, if required by the National Security Council (NSC), said Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (pic). The Defence Minister said the issue of Daesh-led terrorist attacks required careful discussions, and the need to involve military personnel should be decided by the NSC chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. "In the fight against crime, military personnel have certainly worked with the police before, to conduct patrols under the National Blue Ocean Strategy, and the army's cooperation with the police is not an issue.


"The decision to include members of the military to deal with Daesh threats is not ours to make, the council will decide on that, we will wait for instructions and move according to the laws of the country," he told reporters after attending the Defence Ministry’s Roadmap programme here Sunday. He was asked by reporters if the Ministry would mobilise assets to monitor certain areas in the country, following the recent militant attacks in Jakarta. On the the Daesh threat, Hishammuddin said the Ministry had increased its preparedness through its intelligence corps and the anti-terrorism unit for quite some time now, and it was also cooperating with all security forces on the matter. He said the Ministry was also carrying out defence diplomacy with certain countries, as well as information-sharing with countries that have long been facing threats from the militant group. "It is not only us, but the whole world is also trying to deal with this threat. We must tackle this together, whereby relations with certain countries must be strengthened," he said. – Bernama

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