20 December 2007

We would like to wish all our Muslim members and friends “Selamat Hari Raya Haji”

May the lights remove darkness and ignorance

Hence bringing wealth and prosperity

into your lives

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bahasa Malaysia term for the national language will remain as it is and will not be changed to Bahasa Melayu, said Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin.

“The Cabinet decision is final. The Cabinet has already ordered the term Bahasa Malaysia to be used by all government departments, schools and in all official matters,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

Zainuddin was responding to a remark by the Overseas Umno Club Alumni deputy chairman Datuk Rais Zainudin on Sunday that a resolution would be submitted to the party’s supreme council to revert the term to Bahasa Melayu as it was still the Malay language.

The Alumni Club adopted the resolution during the Third Malay Agenda Seminar: Malays 2057 – 1st Series: Politics at PWTC on Sunday.

Zainuddin said from the psychological aspect, the use of the term Bahasa Malaysia was a more friendly and effective approach in the effort to unite Malaysians.

“Even Indonesia uses the term Bahasa Indonesia although the Malay language is used.

“Our Father of Independence Tunku Abdul Rahman felt that Bahasa Malaysia should be used as it creates a sense of belonging among the multi-racial community and makes them feel that it is their language,” he added.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak took Malays to task for certain negative traits that he said had even led to an influx of foreign workers.

In addressing “The Spirit of the Struggle” in his opening speech at the Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings assembly, Najib lamented that the current culture was unlike that practised by previous generations.

“There is a reluctance to pay debts, lack of punctuality, non-diligence in doing work, and an aversion to certain type of work to the extent that it has led to an influx of foreign workers.

“Obviously such behaviour must be changed and a new culture must be adopted,” he said.

Najib added that the new culture had to include a readiness to serve and to sacrifice.

He said that, in the old days, people might have been poor but they were rich in spirit and were always ready to fight for what they believed in.

“As time goes by, and long after we have grasped power, values erode and value systems change. Beware the onslaught of materialism for it can change you and your beliefs,” he said.

Najib said Malays were capable of working hard, maintaining discipline, being loyal, working as a team, standing up for the truth and helping one another and that they had to make the most of these traits.

Najib also touched on how Malays had to stay united in the face of political differences in order to progress and not become weak.

“As a people, we the Malays cannot afford to be left behind. History has taught us well that we must never let our differences get the better of us,” he said.

“Avoiding this is one of the biggest challenges in elevating our nation’s civilisation.”

Najib said Umno also had to put a stop to money politics if the party was to remain on the path of the virtuous.

KUALA LUMPUR: Rocket Clubs will be set up in schools to instil interest in aerospace and astrophysics, Umno Youth vice-chief Khairy Jamaluddin said.

He said Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein was inspired to set up the clubs following the successful mission of the first Malaysian Angkasawan.

Hishammuddin had called on Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Major Dr Faiz Khaleed to support the programmes.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and Dr Faiz were at the Putra World Trade Centre to share their experiences with Umno delegates.

They also handed over the Jalur Gemilang, which Dr Sheikh Muszaphar brought to space, to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Asked if Umno Youth would woo Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and Dr Faiz to join the party, Khairy said the response from the duo had been encouraging.

“We hope the two will develop political interest. We will take it from there,” he added.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar said the Umno assembly could be used as a platform to generate interest in science, technology and aerospace.

“I have a greater responsibility now. I am willing to play an active role to instil interest in aerospace, especially among the younger generation,” said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, who also presented a slide show on his experiences in space.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak outlined five main thrusts to elevate the national civilisation to greater heights:

> A glocal people with first-class mentality as primary drivers;

> Knowledge and education as core components in nation-building;

> Religion and culture as the foundation of civilisation;

> Economic growth and equitable distribution as a source of strength; and

> Political stability as a prerequisite.

“We must master languages and spawn innovation, we must strengthen our faith, adopt a culture of excellence and we must keep our aspirations high, as high as the heavens,” he said in opening the Wanita, Youth and Puteri Umno delegates meetings here last night.

Najib said efforts to reach for the stars were not about the literal act of going into space, although that in itself was an achievement.

Rather, it was about daring to dream the impossible dream and then pursuing it relentlessly, he added.

“A space nation should rightly mean a nation that is elevated and highly evolved; a nation with high aspirations; a nation that is in itself an outstanding civilisation,” he added.

On the creation of Glocal Malays, Najib said they should be able to catapult themselves by enhancing their competitiveness at the global level through creating sharp and trained minds.

“The Malay mind must therefore be driven towards learning and training in positive, creative, lateral, proactive and innovative thinking,” he said.

On human-capital development, Najib said: “The most important investment is the investment in our children’s education and ensuring that they get the best and highest level of education possible.”

Najib reminded the Malays to be more actively involved in economic activities and to ensure that wealth distribution was more equitable.

The sharing of power among the races should not be limited to the political realm but should also include the economic realm, he added.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno members need to tread carefully when raising religious issues during the general assembly – this was party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s advice at a closed-door briefing to the delegates ahead of the Puteri, Wanita and Umno Youth meetings today.

He also reminded them to practise religious tolerance and “not to speak in anger” when raising religious issues.

Delegates at the briefing related to newsmen that Abdullah spoke at length on the challenges which were beyond the government’s control which they had to face, including the rising cost of goods and fuel.

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Abdullah expressed confidence that Umno could address the challenges confronting the country based on its track record in the past 50 years and its ability to maintain national unity.

Supreme council member Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said that Abdullah told the delegates that they each played a role in maintaining racial harmony.

“He said that sensitive issues should not be overblown and overplayed. He took stock of religious matters and told members not to abuse the freedom given to them, in the interest of social harmony,” he said.

Jasin MP Datuk Mohd Said Yusof said Abdullah told them to “have some control” in their speeches which touched on religion and racial sensitivities.

“He said that the nation had achieved great success because the people had lived in unity for 50 years but now religious and racial issues have crept up, so we have to be very careful,” he said.

Mohd Said noted that Abdullah took religious sensitivities very seriously.

He added that the Prime Minister hinted of a possible fuel price increase.

“He told us to be ready and that rising prices were beyond our control. Whether you like it or not what the Government had promised (on imposing no further increase in petrol prices) is only good until the end of the year, which is two months to go,” he said.

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that Abdullah outlined his plans to raise the income of the people.

Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahadzir Khalid said that Malay unity was also on the agenda, as there must be a greater effort to reconcile unity among urbanised and rural Malays.

“The onus is on party members and the Malay community to realise that achieving Malay unity and national unity is a bigger accomplishment than dealing with a split and fractured community,” he said.

Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Abdullah reminded the delegates that Malaysians lived in a society that faced many challenges, and religious and cultural issues should be dealt with wisdom.

“This is something our youths may lack some experience in and need to learn, especially those who offer themselves to become leaders,” he said.

Umno Youth deputy head Khairy Jamaluddin described Abdullah’s address as a reality check where he expounded on the economy, its management, prices of goods brought on by the rising global crude oil price, besides the need to sustain racial tolerance.

“There are big challenges (ahead) and I think not a single sound was made in the hall because everybody listened intently.”

“As the general election is coming, I hope that delegates will focus their speeches on strengthening the party and not go off tangent. This is not the year that we can merapu-merapu (talk without substance),” said Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

KUALA LUMPUR: Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor plans to end his bachelorhood by 2009.

While declaring that he would want to get married by then, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar did not say if he had any girlfriend or was seeing anyone special at the moment.

He merely smiled when the question was posed to him twice by reporters at the Parliament Lobby yesterday when he met MPs and attended the luncheon hosted by the Backbenchers Club.

Earlier, he said: “I am already 35, going on 36 and hope to be married by 2009.”

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar wants to end a two-year contract that he signed with the Government which requires him to remain single so that he could concentrate on the space programme.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis had said in his speech that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar wanted to end the contract earlier now that he had completed the space mission.

“We signed the contract with him last year and he has one more year to go,” he said.

Dr Jamaludin also said that the second Angkasawan Dr Faiz Khaleed, who was scheduled to go to space by 2011, would have to extend the contract requiring him to remain single.

Dr Faiz probably would have to extend it by another two years, said Dr Jamaludin.

He also revealed that Russia has offered to sell the Soyuz spacecraft, which carried Dr Sheikh Muszaphar to space, to Malaysia.

Dr Jamaludin said he was in the midst of gathering feedback from people on whether the spacecraft should be bought before presenting the proposal to the Cabinet.

He told the MPs to support the proposal and discuss the issue in the Dewan Rakyat.

“I would gather feedback first to see whether the people are for it and whether the price offered is good before making any proposal to the Cabinet,” he said.

Dr Jamaludin said the purpose of doing so would be to sustain the interest of the younger generation in space for a longer time by enabling children to have a chance to take a look at the spaceship.

Also present at the event were two scientists from the ministry, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abd Aziz and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid, as well as the Speaker Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib.

Opposition MPs Teresa Kok (DAP - Seputeh) and Ismail Noh (PAS - Pasir Mas) were also present.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar cut a cake, signed a plaque, answered questions raised by MPs, signed autographs and also posed for photos with the MPs and Parliament staff members.

Dr Jamaludin also said that a foundation would be set up for the space programme and some private sector firms had offered to support it.

The foundation would also take care of the welfare of the two Angkasawan who were regarded as national treasures, he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Internet age and blogs were recognised as an information reality, even as the leaders of the Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri movements warned against their abuse.

Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said that such openness in the age of information technology cannot be stopped.

This, he said, meant that the public was exposed to a whole lot of information choices, including blogs.

“The community of bloggers is very active in our country today and I believe that many of them are quite responsible and give high quality information.

“Such (contributions to the country’s) development should be looked at positively, as part of the democratisation of information in the world and of cyberspace.

“For the younger generation, blogs are part and parcel of their current day lifestyle and this level of sophistication has created a YouTube and Facebook generation among them,” he said Tuesday in his policy speech at the Umno Youth assembly.

Hishammuddin said that even though this phenomenon was good for the country’s development, with freedom comes responsibility.

“Freedom must steer (viewers) towards a maturity of our Malaysian society. Freedom is not absolute. It is not a licence to lash out, ridicule, slander or belittle others.

“The openness of the Government should not be used as an excuse to use the cyber media to sprout lies and to instigate,” he said.

Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz warned that “the main challenge facing us as parents is balancing the good and the bad elements that are now easily accessible through the Internet.

“We do not want the openness made possible by the latest technology being misused by irresponsible groups to spread chauvinistic messages,” she said in her policy speech.

She said that the minority should not be allowed to hijack democracy, by trying to do things that could jeopardise the interest of the majority.

The Puteri Umno movement was concerned that abuse of the ICT would have negative implications towards freedom of religion, political stability and racial unity.

Movement chief Datuk Noraini Ahmad said that under the banner of freedom, irresponsible bloggers would slander, lie, use abusive and vulgar words, and incite racial tension among its readers.

“No matter how much the freedom, the users must be responsible and work along strong ethical lines,” she said, adding that close monitoring of website operators and bloggers were necessary to ensure the society would not be influenced by negativity.

“We fully support the right to freedom of speech but it should never, never be abused,” she said.

KUALA LUMPUR: The keris is a protector of not just Malays but everyone as the Government will protect Malaysians of all races, said Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

With this assurance, he hoped to lay to rest concerns about the keris which had been a bone of contention among non-Malays.

He said that the keris had been misinterpreted last year by some quarters, who questioned why he had unsheathed and kissed at the Youth assembly.

“They said the keris is a symbol of fighting. It looks like 50 years after independence, there are still some of our people who do not understand the culture of our people and country,” he said in his speech at the Umno Youth assembly on Tuesday.

Saying that the keris is a symbol of strength and for centuries a part of Malay heritage, he said it signifies sovereignty, power, dignity, and responsibility.

He added that the keris is unique in the way it is made, sheathed, worn and used, and it carried with it specific dos and don’ts.

Unlike the axe which is used to chop or the parang (machete) which is used to slaughter, the keris is not an everyday weapon and is carried to official functions and to the palace.

He noted that the ceremonial keris used by the King has its origin from iron derived from 11 keris from the different states in Malaysia.

Thus, he said, the keris was not just a symbol of strength but also of unity, wisdom and knowledge.

Hishammuddin said that he kissed the keris because he accepted the power and the responsibilities that came with it and pledged to be fair in discharging his duties.

“The keris is unsheathed with the aspiration to defend our people and country, not just the Malays but also the non-Malays in the country.

“The Malay keris is a protector of all, just like the Government of today will always protect people of all races. So don’t let anyone be fearful or nervous about this everlasting symbol,” he said.