The Malaysian Insider

In Brickfields, a Najib corners the Indian vote

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:32:54 +0000

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 – At the popular Restaurant Sri Kotumalai in the predominantly Indian neighbourhood of Brickfields a large picture of the prime minister hangs on a wall with the words “Najib’s Corner” printed on the side.

The photograph shows a smiling Datuk Seri Najib Razak surrounded by successful Indian traders drinking tea, an image hundreds if not thousands of customers must have seen since it first went up on April 4.

This is just one example of the direct approach that Najib took and is taking after becoming Prime Minister on April 3 to win the hearts and minds of an Indian community deeply alienated in the run up to the March 8, 2008 general election and which had overwhelmingly voted for the Pakatan Rakyat.

To mark 100 days, a cut in road toll and a slew of promises

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:26:47 +0000

By Lee Wei Lian

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 – To mark his 100th day in office, the prime minister pledged that his government would be accountable to voters.

He also announced a slew of measures, including a cut in road tolls and an increase in the number of individual taxi permits, in a bid to build on his high approval rating so far to win back support for the Barisan Nasional (BN).

Mixed reviews

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:10:29 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 – Here is what some newsmakers have to say about the prime minister’s performance in the last 100 days:

“While it is obvious that he is looking at new approaches to resolve long-standing issues, we are still trying to nurture our economy and the same time, attention is being given to distibution. The Prime Minister is looking at good policies but we seem to have problems with the delivery system. But yes, for just a hundred days in office, he has done a satisfactory job.” – Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry

Saifuddin: Najib spent 100 days copying our ideas

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:45:28 +0000

By Lee Wei Lian

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 – PKR leader Saifuddin Nasution has criticised the prime minister’s key policy achievements in his first hundred days in office as lacking in originality and a copy of Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) ideas.

Since taking office on April, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has spoken frequently about his 1 Malaysia philosophy which is aimed at fostering national unity among the different ethnic groups in Malaysia.

He has also risked the wrath of his pro-Malay party and made several key policy decisions widely perceived as an attempt to win back lost non-Malay support to the Barisan Nasional (BN).

BN parties divided over English U-turn

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:36:46 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 – Just days after the Malaysian government said it would scrap the use of English to teach maths and science in all schools, two parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition have called for the policy to be retained in secondary schools.

Others say individual schools should be allowed to choose whether they prefer to use English, Malay, Chinese or Tamil to teach the subjects.

At the other end of the spectrum, some want the policy to be abandoned now instead of waiting for three more years.

Anwar: Not much has changed under Najib

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:30:22 +0000

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 – Oppositon Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim believes that there have not been significant changes resulting from the prime minister’s first 100 days in office but is somewhat encouraged by the government’s economic reforms.

“The pronouncements, particularly in the economic realm, are encouraging although we have not had the opportunity to look at the details, like Ekuinas, what it means and why the need for a new agency, how transparent will it be?” he said. “These are the issues that needs to be resolved.”

Pitfalls of Putrajaya’s half-hearted policy

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:23:27 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 - Listening to Yeoh Chen Chow now, you would not have realised that his English was once so shaky that he needed remedial classes in university.

But when he first enrolled in Cornell University in the United States to study electrical and computer engineering, he was one of the eight out of 3,000 students who needed English lessons.

“My grammar was okay but my pronunciation was weak. In school (in Malaysia), if we spoke English, we’d be seen as showing off,” he told The Straits Times.

Manek Urai folk may make Umno swallow their … erm, fish

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:00:59 +0000

By Adib Zalkapli

KUALA KRAI, July 11 – Umno’s continued jibes at PAS’s candidate Fauzi Abdullah for being a mere fish wholesaler may well backfire on Barisan Nasional as members of two fishmongers and fish wholesalers associations yesterday gathered at a market near here to endorse the Islamist party in the Manek Urai campaign.

The fishmongers also promised to a hold grilled fish party today at all nine polling districts in the state constituency.

With three more days before polling, PAS leaders also continued defending their choice of candidate and his profession.

Kit Siang: Najib’s popularity a challenge for Pakatan

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:46:56 +0000

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 – A recent survey which showed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is rapidly gaining the support of the Malaysian majority has set off alarm bells in the opposition coalition.

DAP’s Lim Kit Siang cautioned his fellow PR comrades that the 65 per cent approval rating given to Najib’s 100-day performance as prime minister poses a strong challenge to Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

“No doubt as reflected by the poll, Najib’s newfound esteem poses a challenge for PR to meet or otherwise we would become irrelevant,” he told The Malaysian Insider in an interview at the party’s office here.

Tengku Razaleigh welcomes decision on BM for Maths and Science

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:32:04 +0000

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — Veteran politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah today welcomed the government’s decision to abolish the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English.

He said when the policy to teach the Year One students in national schools was implemented in 2003, the country was not ready.

“So, are we going to sacrifice the future of our children in wanting to adopt a new policy when we are not ready?