Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Journalist Jahabar and Ho should not be held overnight? Rights of suspects and powers of police?

According to a recent Malaysian Insider report, Jahabar and Ho will have to spend a night in the police lock-up. Why? Will the police be ' doing investigating' overnight? Why not just release them on police bail - and ask them to return the following morning? See relevant post:-  Jahabar Sadiq of MI arrested for Sedition? No need for an arrest or remand if just investigating?


The three other journalist also were made to spend a night in the police lock-up, and the police failed in their remand application. This fact should have guided the police in their treatment of Jahabar and Ho - why keep them in the police station overnight. Note that they were not arrested and dragged to the police station - but went there voluntarily to only be arrested.

The conditions of Malaysian lock-ups are said to be worse than the condition of prisons that house the convicted. Lock-ups which house mere suspects should really be improved and be better than prison conditions. 

The reasons for the arrests allegedly is in connection with a news report - which after reading it, I find that there really is nothing that wrong considering that it was a report based on sources. If the report disclosed facts that were not true, then the aggrieved party should have just contacted the said media and demand a retraction and a clarification - and I am sure that a report correcting the wrong facts would have come out. Here, apparently only a police report was lodged.

Most news reports - are just that 'reports' - they are not deeply investigated and heavily researched reports. Reports will reveal not just different opinions but also differing perception of the facts - and media will always try to get both sides to present a balance view or a verification of the facts where possible. But being a daily, time sometimes may be a hurdle - and sometimes, there really is no clear sources where one will be able to get confirmation or verification. Do we kill the news because of this? Or do we report now what we have - and publish later other views or clarifications? That is the questions that confronts journalists and editors everyday..

In any event, I believe that arrest, overnight detentions and remand applications are certainly excessive actions by the police in these cases. The police have the power to do this but at the same time, they should try to avoid having to detain suspects overnight and for longer remand periods for crimes of these nature. After all, we are dealing with mere 'suspects' - persons who should be presumed innocent at this stage..

See relevant post:-  Jahabar Sadiq of MI arrested for Sedition? No need for an arrest or remand if just investigating?

 Rights of suspects and powers of police

When the police arrest a person, that person is a suspect and not just a witness(or a person whose assistance is sought for in an investigation).

Unlike a witness, a suspect is under no obligation to talk to the police - a suspect can simply elect to be 'silent' or he can make the following statement 'Anything I have to say, I will say in court.' 

If one is being called as a witness(whose person whose assistance is sought in connection with a case), then one is 'bound to answer all questions' only if (a) it is related to the case; OR (b) if the answer that you will be giving will not expose you to possibility of a '...criminal charge or penalty or forfeiture...' If you are not sure whether you should say this or that to the police, good to consult your lawyer. Always good to have your lawyer present when you are call to the police station.

111  Police officer's power to require attendance of witnesses.(Criminal Procedure Code)
 
(1) A police officer making an investigation under this Chapter may by order in writing require the attendance before himself of any person who from the information given or otherwise appears to be acquainted with the circumstances of the case, and that person shall attend as so required.

(2) If any such person refuses to attend as so required that police officer may report such refusal to a Magistrate who may thereupon in his discretion issue a warrant to secure the attendance of that person as required by such order.
112  Examination of witnesses by police(Criminal Procedure Code)

(1) A police officer making a police investigation under this Chapter may examine orally any person supposed to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case and shall reduce into writing any statement made by the person so examined.

(2) Such person shall be bound to answer all questions relating to the case put to him by that officer:

Provided that such person may refuse to answer any question the answer to which would have a tendency to expose him to a criminal charge or penalty or forfeiture.
(3) A person making a statement under this section shall be legally bound to state the truth, whether or not such statement is made wholly or partly in answer to questions.
(4) A police officer examining a person under subsection (1) shall first inform that person of the provisions of subsections (2) and (3).
(5) A statement made by any person under this section shall, whenever possible, be taken down in writing and signed by the person making it or affixed with his thumb print as the case may be, after it has been read to him in the language in which he made it and after he has been given an opportunity to make any corrections he may wish.
If arrested, you are a SUSPECT - and the police can detain you for up to 24 hours...and if the investigations cannot be completed, then they need to apply for remand...

117  Procedure where investigation cannot be completed within twenty-four hour

(1) Whenever any person is arrested and detained in custody and it appears that the investigation cannot be completed within the period of twenty-four hours fixed by section 28 and there are grounds for believing that the accusation or information is well founded the police officer making the investigation shall immediately transmit to a Magistrate a copy of the entries in the diary hereinafter prescribed relating to the case and shall at the same time produce the accused before the Magistrate. ....
What are the possible elements of investigation that would require your presence in the police station

a)  Police may want to take your photographs, your fingerprints, ..
b)  Police may want to interview you or take your statement [Now, if the suspect clearly states that they have nothing to say and 'anything they have to say, they will say in court' - then really this cannot be a reason used to continue keeping you at the police station?]
c)  The police have witnesses and they want you for an identification parade...
d)  In the case of migrants, police may say that they need time to verify with the immigration department that your passport and visa/work pass are valid..(Same can also happen with a Malaysian - but it is rare)

So, as you see, most of these can very easily be done in a couple of hours at most...

So when the police arrest and keep a person in custody for a long time, or even go for an application to remand even longer, I wonder whether this may be just a case of 'abuse of power' ...

Some may say - well, what do you mean - release all them guilty folks 

BUT - remember every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty ...

AND, the police can always immediately charge them in court - and if they have very good reasons, bail can be denied and they will be in detention until the end of their trial...of course, speedy trial should happen... for nobody wants to deny an innocent man his or her freedom.


Court rejects request to remand TMI editors




Lionel Morais, Amin Shah Iskandar and Zulkifli Sulong walks out of The Edge office shortly after their arrest yesterday. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 31, 2015.Lionel Morais, Amin Shah Iskandar and Zulkifli Sulong walks out of The Edge office shortly after their arrest yesterday. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 31, 2015.
 



The Magistrate's Court today rejected an application by police to remand The Malaysian Insider (TMI) managing editor, Lionel Morais, Malay section editor Amin Iskandar and features and analysis editor, Zulkifli Sulong.

Zulkifli's daughter, Nadia Zulkifli, who is among the lawyers representing them, said the three are expected to be released from the Dang Wangi police station at 7pm today.

Another lawyer for the three, Syahredzan Johan (pic, right) tweeted that remand was rejected by magistrate Tuan Nazri Omran.

Syahredzan said he had submitted to the magistrate that the three had given full cooperation to the police. "We even told them who wrote the article. So there is no need to detain them further," he said.

The three were arrested yesterday over the portal's report on March 25 that the Conference of Rulers had rejected a plan to amend a federal law that would allow hudud, or the Islamic penal code, to be enforced in Kelantan.

However, TMI chief executive Jahabar Sadiq and The Edge Media Group CEO, Ho Kay Tat, are still being detained.

The duo were arrested this morning at the Dang Wangi police station when they went to give their statements
. The Edge Media Group owns TMI.

Police said they would apply for a remand order for Ho and Jahabar.

Syahredzan said the duo would be spending the night in custody.

The arrests are part of investigations after a police report was lodged by an official from the Conference of Rulers last week. Another report was lodged against the portal by Kedah Umno Youth.

Police confiscated the editors' phones and a laptop to facilitate investigations.

Lionel, Amin and Zulkifli spent the night at the Dang Wangi police station.

Civil society leader and former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan came to the remand hearing at the Dang Wangi police station this morning.

The report published on March 25 said the Conference of Rulers had rejected a proposal to amend a federal law that would pave the way for hudud to be enforced in Kelantan.

The article said that the proposal to amend the law was in a report by the joint Hudud Technical Committee, which comprised Kelantan state religious officials and those from the federal government. The joint committee had prepared the report on the proposed amendments for the rulers to consider at their meeting on March 11, but it did not go through.

The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal lodged a police report on March 26 to deny that the Conference of Rulers had discussed the matter, saying it had never issued any statement on hudud in Kelantan. – March 31, 2015.
 

Rulers’ office denies issuing hudud remarks, lodges police report

Thursday March 26, 2015
05:30 PM GMT+8
File picture shows the Raja of Perlis and Sultan of Selangor attending the 237th Conference of Rulers in Istana Negara. The Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal denied issuing any statement on Kelantan’s hudud plan, and wanted police to investigate. — Bernama picFile picture shows the Raja of Perlis and Sultan of Selangor attending the 237th Conference of Rulers in Istana Negara. The Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal denied issuing any statement on Kelantan’s hudud plan, and wanted police to investigate. — Bernama pic KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — The Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal denied today issuing any statement on Kelantan’s hudud plan, and is seeking a police investigation into the matter.

In a statement quoted by Bernama, Datuk Seri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad said a report has been lodged at the Jalan Travers police station.

The Conference of Rulers has never discussed the matter at its meetings.

“The office (of the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal) did not issue a press statement dated March 25 on the matter,” he reportedly said.

Online news portal The Malaysian Insider carried a report yesterday claiming the Conference of Rulers had rejected Kelantan’s proposed amendments to a federal law meant to enable the enforcement of hudud.

A Kelantan government leader, however, disputed the article.

Datuk Mohd Takiyuddin Hassan, who is head of Kelantan’s permanent secretariat on hudud, said yesterday he was informed by Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yaakob that the state’s hudud plans were never presented to the royal council in the first place.

He went on to point out that the implementation of hudud in Kelantan had already received blessings from the royal institution as far back as 1993 when the state’s Shariah Criminal Code II enactment was passed.

Hours after the article was published, a statement purportedly by the Council began circulating on social media.

The statement allegedly quoted a spokesperson from the Conference of Rulers refuting The Malaysian Insider’s article as false and erroneous.

Earlier today, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will investigate the matter.

The minister said the Conference of Rulers did not issue any official statement to refute a news report by an online news portal on the hudud issue.

On March 19, PAS-ruled Kelantan passed key amendments to its Shariah Criminal Code II 1993 in a move to enable the eventual implementation of hudud in the Malay-majority east coast state.

Hadi last week served notice to Parliament on the proposed Bill, but BN’s de facto law minister Datuk Nancy Shukri said it may not make it into the order paper for the current session as there are many others on the schedule.

With DAP and PKR’s rejection, PAS and its 21 MPs in the lower house must rely on all of Umno’s MPs plus more from other non-Muslim parties in order to get a simple majority of 112 votes to get the Bill passed.

Media Bodies Express Regret Over Detention Of Media Staff

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- A number of media associations have expressed regret over the arrest of five media personnel over a report allegedly linking the Conference of Rulers to the issue of the proposed implementation of the hudud law in PAS-led Kelantan.

National Press Club Malaysia (NPC) president Mokhtar Hussain said the authorities should not come down hard on the individuals, who worked for a local media group which operates a news portal.

"The authorities should not be too harsh on the journalists, and we hope they will be released soon," he told Bernama.

The NPC, he said, would also like to propose that the news portal be asked to apologise if it had reported wrongly on the issue.

At the same time, Mokhtar said, journalists should uphold good journalistic values at all times.

National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia general secretary Schave Jerome De Rozario was also critical of the detentions.

"They were merely doing their job as journalists. This action does not augur well for the government's promise to allow the Malaysian media to operate freely and without fear of their reporters being detained under questionable reasoning," he said.

Young Journalists Club of Malaysia president Dzulkarnain Taib said that if the authorities acted due to anyone having exceeded the limits of the law, there was no reason to blame the act or the police.

Three of the five media personnel were arrested yesterday to assist investigations under the Sedition Act while the other two were picked up earlier today.

The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal Datuk Seri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad had on Thursday lodged a police report denying any statement had been issued on the stand of the Conference of Rulers on the proposed implementation of the hudud law in Kelantan.

-- BERNAMA 

NUJ: Police should stop intimidation against media | theSundaily
KUALA LUMPUR: All journalists have the right to share insights into cases of public interests and the police . . .
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1370483

Jahabar Sadiq of MI arrested for Sedition? No need for an arrest or remand if just investigating?

Why is the police arresting journalists like The Malaysian Insider chief executive Jahabar Sadiq? Police could simply ask them to come to the police station to assist in the investigations, and I am sure they will come - now, if they do not turn up, then and only then is there a good reason to arrest people...

Remember when a person is arrested by the police, naturally they are 'suspects' and as such they have the right to not give any statement  - they can simply say...'anything I have to say, I will say in court'...and that is that. So, no reason whatsoever to arrest and remand them... If the police wants to charge them in court, just charge them...

The arrests are about articles/reports in their publication - they will not deny this fact. So, why are they 'raiding' the Malaysian Insider office and going through stuff... This is not right. 

Police arrest Edge, TMI executives for sedition


Police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) officials yesterday raided The Malaysian Insider office and arrested three editors. Today, they arrested The Edge publisher Ho Kay Tat and TMI chief executive Jahabar Sadiq. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 31, 2015. 
Police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) officials yesterday raided The Malaysian Insider office and arrested three editors. Today, they arrested The Edge publisher Ho Kay Tat and TMI chief executive Jahabar Sadiq. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 31, 2015. 
 
 
Police have arrested The Edge publisher Ho Kay Tat and The Malaysian Insider chief executive Jahabar Sadiq under the Sedition Act over the news portal's report on Islamic criminal laws or hudud.

Both were arrested this morning when they turned up at the Dang Wangi police station for their statements to be taken. Police said they would apply for a remand order for the duo and three other The Malaysian Insider editors arrested last night.

"These arrests appear to go beyond just our reportage about one hudud article," Jahabar said before he was arrested.

"The Malaysian Insider will continue to report without fear or favour despite these arrests. It is business as usual," he added. The three arrested last night were Lionel Morais, Amin Shah Iskandar and Zulkifli Sulong.
 
Lawyer Syahredzan Johan said the detentions of Ho and Jahabar were also under the same laws used to arrest the three other editors – Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act and Section 4 of the Sedition Act.

This brings the number of arrests of media personnel to five from the The Edge Media Group: four editors and one director.

Syahredzan was engaged yesterday to represent Morais, Amin and Zulkifli.

Morais is the portal's managing editor, Amin its Bahasa section editor and Zulkifli the features and analysis editor.

They were arrested at The Edge Media Group's offices in Mutiara Damansara yesterday evening.

Police are seeking to remand the three detained yesterday. The remand hearing will be held this morning.

The five arrests are over a report published on The Malaysian Insider on March 25 which said the Conference of Rulers had rejected a proposal to amend a federal law that would pave the way for hudud to be enforced in Kelantan.

The article said that the proposal to amend the law was in a report by the joint Hudud Technical Committee, which comprised of Kelantan state religious officials and those from the federal government. The joint committee had prepared the report on the proposed amendments for the rulers to consider at their meeting on March 11, but it did not go through.

The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal lodged a police report on March 26 to deny that the Conference of Rulers had discussed the matter, adding that it had never issued any statement on hudud in Kelantan.

Kedah Umno Youth also filed a police report against the portal. Barisan Nasional MPs have complained about the portal in Parliament, while Utusan Malaysia has carried several reports calling for action against the portal.

The Edge and The Malaysian Insider have also been reporting on problems with the government-owned strategic investment fund, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). – March 31, 2015.
 
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/police-arrest-edge-tmi-executives-for-sedition#sthash.pmzxiItS.dpuf

Dragnet continues: TMI top bosses detained

The Edge publisher Ho Kay Tat and The Malaysian Insider (TMI) chief executive Jahabar Sadiq were arrested this morning when they turned up at the Dang Wangi police station for questioning.

The arrest of the duo came hot in the heels of the arrest of three senior TMI editors - Lionel Morais, Amin Shah Iskandar and Zulkifli Sulong - over a report on the Conference of Rulers published by the news portal which is said to be erroneous.

Late yesterday afternoon a team of police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) officials raided the TMI office and seized a number of laptops.

According to TMI, the police will be applying for a remand order for five editors later today.

"These arrests appear to go beyond just our reportage about one hudud article," Jahabar told TMI before he was arrested.

"The Malaysian Insider will continue to report without fear or favour despite these arrests. It is business as usual."

The Edge is owner of the TMI news portal.

The five are investigated under Section 4 of the Sedition Act for publishing seditious material and Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998.

If found guilty, they can be fined up to RM5,000 and jailed up to three years or both.

Under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, they can be fined up to RM50,000, jailed up to a year or both.

More than 100 politicians and civil society activists have been arrested in this month alone.

[More to follow] - Malaysiakini, 31/3/2015, Dragnet continues: TMI top bosses detained

Should we not be able to challenge in court decisions of the Public Prosecutor?

The power to prosecute, or the power to prosecute properly is something that needs to be looked at.  The power now  rests with the Public Prosecutor - the Attorney General. We have many cases whereby even when a few are involved, we find that maybe one or two is charged in court and others are not. This, to me, is not right. This is also discriminatory - and it opens to the possibility of corruption and abuse of power. 

Likewise, also decision to appeal or not - as what happened in the case of Razak Baginda.

The power should be given to us to be able to go for a Judicial Review of the Public Prosecutor's decision/s.  A necessary check and balance?

Prosecution failures can also be something that was intentional or negligent. The decision to charge a person when there really was insufficient evidence for the prosecution to be able to prove an offence beyond reasonable doubt. Remember, subjecting a person to a trial in such a situation is 'punitive' for the person who is being tried - not to mention the mental and emotional suffering, but also the financial losses in engaging a lawyer and to defend a case. Worse still if it was a case the person was denied bail, or just could not afford bail who had to remain in detention. The idea of providing criminal compensation to such persons need to be seriously considered. 

There have been several cases involving big names - when prosecution allegedly failed to do a good job - they failed to call material witnesses ( some of these observations can also be seen in judgments of the court). Why did these things happen? Intentionally or was it just simple incompetence...questions...questions. See also earlier postings:- Kasitah Gaddam & Eric Chia - Prosecution's failure to call witnesses - Was it just incompetence OR....?

 

 

PMO: Insufficient evidence to pursue Razak Baginda

 

The Attorney-General's (AG) Chambers did not appeal against the High Court's decision to acquit Abdul Razak Baginda for allegedly abetting the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder, purportedly due to a lack of evidence.
"After a careful and detailed study, the AG's Chambers was of the opinion that there were no strong testimonies to prove Abdul Razak's involvement in the murder.

"Thus, it was decided that the appeal would not be filed," said de facto Law Minister Nancy Shukri.
She said this in a written parliamentary reply to Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) who had asked Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for the "real reasons" for the government's failure to appeal.

Nancy added the prosecutors had done an in depth study on whether the appeal was necessary.

Abdul Razak was charged with abetting two police personnel to carry out the murder in 2006.

He was acquitted in 2008 while the two officers accused of carrying out the act were ordered to stand trial.

Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, who were part Najib's security detail at the time when he was deputy prime minister, were eventually found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.

While Azilah is currently on death row, Sirul managed to flee to Australia after the duo were acquitted, albeit briefly, by the Court of Appeal.

Najib: Sirul's claim 'utter rubbish'
On Jan 13. The Federal Court overturned the Court of Appeal's decision.

After seven years of silence, Abdul Razak emerged after the Federal Court decision to claim that Najib was a victim of a political conspiracy.

Abdul Razak claimed that the murder was a "straightforward case" and stressed there was no need to establish a motive, a response to criticisms that the government had been evasive in revealing why the gruesome murder was perpetrated.

Sirul, meanwhile, told Malaysiakini in February that the act for which he was to hang was a directive and he had only done what he was told, a claim Najib immediately responded as "utter rubbish". - Malaysiakini, 30/3/2015,
PMO: Insufficient evidence to pursue Razak Baginda

Sunday, March 29, 2015

TPPA - Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) Clauses - No more improvement in Malaysian life?

Malaysia seems not to be concerned about the future of workers, members of the public, environment, etc. They seem to be only concerned for 'state owned enterprises' ....not even Malaysian own enterprises.. They are concerned about healthcare - this is good but more details please..

'...that the government had agreed to the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system.,,,The ISDS allows foreign corporations to take a country to court if its policies or laws have affected the firm’s business...Putrajaya, however, assured MPs that it had agreed to ISDS with reservations and was working to exempt certain policies from falling under ISDS,... “They have said that Malaysia will ask for exemptions such as for state-owned enterprises and healthcare...'

Odd too because Malaysia just told us in February that they are doing a Cost Benefit Analysis(CBA), which is expected to be completed in June 2015 - so, how come the decision to agree to the ISDS clause. Now, this ISDS is something that will most affect all of us in Malaysia...Even when government's raise minimum wages, they risked being sued by the foreign investor..  

 The government is expected to conclude its final Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) by the end of June this year, says International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

See earlier posts:-

For raising minimum wages, Egypt sued by Veolia, a French multinational?

TPPA and ISDS must be a concern for caring Malaysians - Right to know before it is signed?

Malaysians Need to stop Najib until... [TPPA equals holding nations to ransom, warn experts (Malaysiakini) ]

TPPA - Do not let the foreign investor affect the improvement of livelihood, better health/environmental policies and better worker rights

 


Putrajaya okay with investor-state dispute clause in trade pact, says DAP lawmaker


The controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement which has come under fire by many Malaysian groups and individuals, including former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, contains clauses that could give foreign companies the right to sue the Malaysian government over any dispute. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 28, 2015.The controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement which has come under fire by many Malaysian groups and individuals, including former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, contains clauses that could give foreign companies the right to sue the Malaysian government over any dispute. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 28, 2015. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Putrajaya has agreed to a contentious element in negotiations for the supra-trade pact the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), which its critics have charged would affect the country’s ability to make laws.

DAP's Klang MP Charles Santiago (pic) claimed that Putrajaya’s negotiating team in the TPPA had told MPs recently that the government had agreed to the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system.

The ISDS allows foreign corporations to take a country to court if its policies or laws have affected the firm’s business.

Putrajaya, however, assured MPs that it had agreed to ISDS with reservations and was working to exempt certain policies from falling under ISDS, Santiago said. “They have said that Malaysia will ask for exemptions such as for state-owned enterprises and healthcare.

“But if we finally do sign on to the TPPA, our laws, federal, state, local and even court decisions can be challenged at the international level,” said Santiago.

The ISDS has been seized by TPPA critics as problematic as countries have been brought to international arbitration tribunals by multinational firms over their policies.

Santiago cited the example of the Phillip Morris case against Uruguay in 2009 and Australia (2011), where the tobacco giant sued the governments of both countries for their anti-smoking policies.

Both countries had wanted to force companies to enact plain-packaging on cigarette packs to curb smoking.

But Phillip Morris took both countries to international arbiters and claimed that such a policy would hurt the firm’s sales. This was done through different trade agreements both countries had signed on and which contained ISDS.

In both cases, Santiago said the countries had also asked that public health policies and laws be exempted from ISDS.

“So even with carve-outs (exemptions), private corporations can still take countries to court,” said Santiago when met after a debate titled “TPPA and Economic Liberalisation: Is it good or bad for Malaysia?”.

In a further sign that the ISDS is already affecting policy-making, Santiago claimed that other countries are now waiting for the Phillip Morris case decision before enacting their own plain packaging laws.

The TPPA debate was organised by IDEAS and the Nottingham University (Malaysia) school of politics, history and international relations.

Critics of the The United States-driven TPPA have charged that it seeks to go further than a free trade agreement by rewriting each country’s economic policies to benefit large corporations.

The TPPA would, among others, raise the price of healthcare and give foreign corporations too much power in the local economy through the ISDS.

The TPPA also demands that participating countries not give preferential treatment to state-owned enterprises or government-linked companies.

Santiago said talks between Malaysia and the US are in their final phase. The US is also courting 11 other countries, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Singapore, Mexico, Japan, Brunei, Peru and Canada.

Fears of Malaysia losing more than it would gain from the TPPA have seen 60 groups from a variety of disparate backgrounds, such as the Malay Economic Action Council and Malaysian AIDS Council, banding together to pressure Putrajaya against signing the pact.

However, a free trade expert Associate Professor Dr Razeen Sally argued that the Phillip Morris case is actually an isolated example and not a general principle when it came to ISDS cases.

“The overall track record is overwhelmingly positive. But there are ways to prevent cases like this from happening again by inserting protections to allow for public health policies to be carved out,” said Sally, who is chairperson for IDEAS’ Political Economy and Governance.

The ISDS is mainly to protect investors’ interests in countries with weak legal institutions and from their profits or assets being wilfully taken over by a government.

During the debate, Sally argued that pacts like the TPPA can end some of the biggest bugbears of the Malaysian economy, a lack of good governance and competition which is caused by cronyism.

He said this was because the TPPA would force governments to open up their economies, including sectors which have traditionally been closed except to a select few with political connections.

“It has some negatives but more positives. It would open the market up to foreign firms to compete, spur locals to innovate and lead to better living standards for consumers,” said Sally.

For instance, the TPPA would entrench a policy of open tenders in government contracts which would help the public to get the best deal when it came to projects.

“An open procurement system would be a good thing since it would lead to better governance and more transparency through competition”, said Sally, who is also visiting associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. – March 28, 2015.

 
  Final TPPA Cost-benefit Study To Conclude By June: Mustapa





KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- The government is expected to conclude its final Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) by the end of June this year, says International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.
He said a few outstanding issues need to be resolved and talks on the proposed regulatory and investment treaty are still ongoing to ensure it is in Malaysia's favour.

"We are going to execute the final CBA study in the near term, collaborating with an international firm, on whether the TPPA is beneficial for the country or otherwise," he told reporters after the ministry's session with Heads of Foreign Missions here today.

He said the CBA revolves around four issues, starting with the TPPA's impact on the nation, including the country's sovereignty and whether it would affect the weightage in delivering the government's policies.

The second is the TPPA's impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), followed by repercussions on Bumiputeras, while the fourth issue looks at the repercussions if the country chose not to participate in the TPPA, Mustapa said.

"Therefore we need a commendable firm that has not only international linkages but also experts in broad issues in order to give inputs for the government to make a sound decision whether it's beneficial in joining the TPPA," he said.

An interim CBA was carried out earlier by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). - Ministry of International Trade and Industry(MITI) Website

Saturday, March 28, 2015

FLASH MOB protest against GST at the KL Central?

Creative and interesting FLASH MOB protest against GST at the KL Central  - Malaysia

A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual, interesting or entertaining action for a brief time, before quickly dispersing. 

It  is an easy creative way of protesting or expressing a view - Pamphlets are distributed educating the public on a particular issue or viewpoint... 

It starts at a particular fixed time - and it ends speedily usually less than 5 minutes > and the protesters are GONE... and when the authorities turn up (if they do) - it is all over... 

Remember that any public protest is to garner greater public support - hence the message must be clear and it is a good practice for people to receive something they can read to understand better the issue..pamphlets, etc



Friday, March 27, 2015

Peaceful protest is OK but gatecrashing the PM's daughter's wedding reception is not good?

Malaysians have a lot of legitimate grievances against the Barisan Nasional government, and a peaceful protest/assembly  to express these grievances, discontent, objections or even support is fine. But, if people are going to 'wedding crash' the Prime Minister's daughter's wedding reception, it is not right and it is also not very Malaysian. The daughter should not be punished for the sins of the father or the Barisan Nasional.

Malaysia is a democracy - and the government of the day is the Barisan Nasional government, and our issues must be with this BN government - not focused on Najib, the current Prime Minister.  Sadly, many and even media has 'shifted' the target from the BN government to sitting Prime Minister. 

There was this struggle against Mahathir - well, it fizzled out when there was a change in Prime Minister. Then, there was this opposition to Pak Lah - and again, a change of Prime Minister takes away the sting. Najib may be replaced - and again the struggle becomes weakened - as many will say 'give the new PM a chance'. Are we really just against the PM - or really what we want is something other than BN?

It is the majority of the sitting Members of Parliament that 'chooses' who is to be the Prime Minister, and if the majority loses confidence in any sitting Prime Minister, it is they that can remove and change the Prime Minister > Hence, the one responsible for the messes we are in, and who has the ability to change the PM is the MPs themselves. Are we doing enough to convince our MPs ....to change policies and laws, or even to get rid of 'bad PMs'? 

Wait - at the end of the day, power really lies with the people - yes, the people who choose the MP? But for most people, the question is whether there an alternative - well, the problem now is that many of the candidates who are fielded and win sadly 'fails to shine' as good alternative MPs - every MP can ask about 15 questions every parliamentary session and get answers > well, did our Opposition MPs even ask questions? Did they get any answers? And what was these answers? Why have they not been 'transparent' about this? ...well, there is much that our MPs can do to be better.Why no record of written questions and answers in Malaysian parliament website?

Cabinet - well, members of the Cabinet who oppose to positions taken by the Prime Minister can always openly state their personal objections to the public. Silence would imply agreement. Alternatively, they can always resign the cabinet...and lobby support with the MPs towards a change of Prime Minister. 

Najib cannot be said to be all powerful - the power is in the hands of the MPs to have him removed by reason of 'loss of confidence of the majority'...  The silence or inaction by the MPs would mean that they are OK with what the current Prime Minister is doing....

DAP refuses to gatecrash wedding bash

PKR wants full mobilisation of its members for the Kita Lawan rally tomorrow but DAP is having reservations about gatecrashing the wedding reception of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's daughter.

When contacted, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke admitted this.

As such, he said the party has not instructed its members to join the protest tomorrow, which is to press for the release of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"There is no instruction to join," Loke told Malaysiakini but added that there was no directive prohibiting DAP members from participating either.

However, with this decision, it is expected that most DAP top leaders would be absent from the protest.

Protesters would gather at three locations, namely Masjid Jamek, Dataran Merdeka and the PAS headquarters before marching to the Sogo shopping mall and subsequently to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) at 4pm.

Najib's daughter, Nooryana Najwa Najib and her husband, Kazakhstan national Daniyar Kessikbayev, would be holding their wedding reception at KLCC tomorrow.

Yesterday, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli ordered the mobilisation of all party members to join the rally tomorrow.

Aside from demanding for Anwar's release and protesting the police crackdown on dissent, the rally tomorrow would also focus on the upcoming goods and services tax (GST) and the debt-riddled 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Following the directive to participate in the rally, Rafizi today was arrested by the police at his service centre for sedition. - Malaysiakini, 27/3/2015
 
 



Thursday, March 26, 2015

Why are relevant laws absent from state and local government websites?

Like the Federal Government, State government also passes law - and the public deserves to know these laws - for in all these laws, our rights will become clear.

When we go to the Pahang State Government website - we should be able to have look at all State laws, regulations, rules, etc... I visited the Pahang State Government website, and it was not there...

Likewise, when I visited the Temerloh Town Council, again the relevant laws are not there. What are the duties and obligations of the Town Council according to the law? I cannot find out ...

Now, when it comes to a Building Project Approval - there are laws about how the application is to be made, ...and more importantly who has a right to object...and when they can do this? Previously, anyone could make an objection - all of which will be considered by the Local Authority...before a decision is made. What are the matters that will be considered by the Local Council before making a decision to approve or not...

HIDE THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS - AND PEOPLE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO KNOW THEIR RIGHTS, ...OR KNOW WHAT THE AUTHORITIES MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION (knowing this is important - because we the people can raise these matters if we know what they are...). Keep the people ignorant...and so easily we can 'move'....and approve. Well, it also makes 'corruption' easy - does it not?

The way forward:-

At the State Government Website - all Laws of the State should be available..

At the Local Council Website - all applicable laws should be available...(and this includes all regulations, rules, etc...)

At the Police Website - again all relevant laws should be available...

Laws belong to the people - it is not an 'official secret' - and in this ICT age, it should be freely available...

Is it available anywhere? Yes, it is - maybe one may find it at the State library - or the government gazette... or we may need to subscribe to some 'online service provider' paying a couple of thousand ringgit a year...

There may be legal publishers that print laws - but most of the State Laws or Local Council laws... are not there in the shops... there is no reason why government and government agencies should not make available all relevant laws, regulations, rules, by-laws, etc available online for all of us to read and be better CITIZENS..rate payers..or people generally. 

Ignorance of the law is something that a 'bad government' will advocate - but sure our governments, State governments, Local Councils, police and... are GOOD - and are happy to make known to everyone the relevant laws....

 


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Local Council cannot even sent a reply to a letter? Wasting time to bring to notice possible wrongdoings?

I lodged a complaint with the Majlis Perbandaran Temerloh - I sent them a 4-page letter by post on 2/8/2014.

I am still waiting for a reply from the Town Council - The lack of a reply is really unacceptable.

4/8/2014 - Send an email to the Town Council - attaching also the letter dated 2/8/2014.

4/8/2014 - A prompt reply from the Town Council acknowledging receipt...

ENCIK/CIK/TUAN/PUAN! TERIMA KASIH DIATAS ADUAN ANDA. TINDAKAN SEWAJARNYA AKAN DIAMBIL.HARAP MAKLUM DAN TERIMA KASIH. DARI UNIT ADUAN MP
Received phone calls - one of which informed me that the matter will also be referred to the District Office since one of the complaints was concerning possible encroachment into land designated as road reserve. I also later called the officer at the District Office whose number was given to me.

Then there was no news for some time....no letter of reply.

12/8/2014 - I send another email asking for a reply to my letter - also the actions taken.

13/8/2014 - Received an email in reply 
Tuan, mohon diberikan no HP tuan untuk maklumbalas aduan tuan kelak. Terima kasih.
Rather odd, since they had called me before this on my handphone - anyway, I gave it to them again 

19/8/2014 - Send another email - telling them that there was a tractor digging up the 'road reserve' and I saw a truck carting away the soil - this was most strange because normally roads are always higher than the surrounding land. I suspected land theft.

[Oh yes, I called the police as well - and a patrol car arrived - the tractor was still there, and so was the lorry - but the policemen who came was not interested in getting 'evidence' - photographs of the 'suspects', their names and details, etc. They had a cigarette and the person with the tractor just told them his boss told him to do this - and the police seemed alright with that. I said that they were there witnessing the possible crime, and they should do more. They were not happy and said that if I wanted anything to be done, I should go and make a police report - I said that since the police was already there, they should make the report - and should at the very least take the details of the alleged perpetrators, the vehicles used, etc - they were not bothered - happy that they had done their duty by coming to respond to a call I made to the emergency number...]

19/8/2014 - Again the Local Council responded to my email 

Tuan, aduan tuan telah direkodkan dan tindakan sewajarnya diambil.

Tuan, mohon disertakan no telefon HP Tuan untuk maklumbalas aduan tuan kelak.Kerjasama tuan amat dihargai.
20/8/2014 - I responded with yet another email providing my handphone number and making aditional points and concerns {No response from the Town Council to this email)

2/9/2014 - Another email to the Local Council -  I was getting frustrated at the apparent 'tidak apa' attitude and inaction. I wanted to know what was being done to the various different concerns/complaints...

12/9/2014 - Another email - now the Developer was building a 'fence' a few inches from the tarred kampung road...a dangerous move, since the road is narrow and one car has to stop by the side to allow another coming from the opposite direction to pass. Further, many people walk along the road - but when the fence is so close to the road, people will have to walk on the road. 

8/10/2014 - Another email - I was losing faith and confidence with the Local Council.

21/10/2014 - Another email to remind them that I was still waiting for their letter....

6/11/2014 - Another email asking for their response - and raising more concerns about what was happening.(Also made an additional complaint)

Giving up on the Local Council - what is the use of lodging complaints or bringing their attention to wrongs - They seem to be not bothered - and the Developer continues with the project.

If the Local Council reacted fast, that all wrongs could be easily remedied - because building had not commenced - but now houses are up. Maybe laws may be broken - but now all that they may do is maybe fine... a small fine.

What are some of my concern?

1- People have a right to object to proposed development - previously there was a Notice Board that asked people to send their objections, concerns, comments to the Local Council by a certain date - whereby all these are considered BEFORE approval is given for a project. If needed, there was also the right to be heard - whereby one will be called to the Local Council who will hear your concerns. [Then, they took away this practice - but still there is an obligation for the Local Council to send notices to owners of lands adjacent to the land where the project happens.. my parents land was in such a position, but we never received a Notice... surely the fact that there was the kampung road between the project site and the land was not a reason to deny us the right to object] >> These laws that provide for these rights should really all be made available on the Local Council Websites - people have a right to know their rights in law. I believe such laws and regulation are also not available in bookstores... keep us all in the dark - and rights can easily be violated without people knowing about it.

2 - The kampung road. we got from the State government, after much struggle - it was a good road, and beside it the land was 'road reserve' - hence, I believe, it just cannot be 'given' to the developer..

There were other issues...but the main point is the way the Local Council failed to even respond formally...

Eralier, there was email replies - but later...total silence..

This kind of behavior by the authorities is unacceptable - authorities should respond in writing to queries and complaints. People bring to the attention of the authorities possible breaches of law, or even crimes - but authorities do not even provide a proper letter in response giving answers - telling people what has been done..or the results of the investigations...

So, better just not complain - is that what our Local Government wants? Is that what our government wants?

If we had Local Council elections - I am sure the Local Council would have been more responsive to public concerns, complaints, etc ... Now, they do not depend on us people of Temerloh...

I hope for improvement - I believe all of us in Temerloh hope for the same.
 







 

TNBJOU, MTUC, ITF and others express concern and demands PM's intervention in 6,000 MAS's employees possible loss of jobs?

Tenaga Nasional Berhad Junior Officers Union (TNBJOU), United Malaysia Labour Centre (UMLC), Public Services International, International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam), and Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) had a press conference on 6,000 MAS's employees loss of job and they also apparently sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister (well, the Memo is still not on the MTUC website - so we have to just guess its contents - will try to post it when I get access to it)

MEDIA Coverage - well, an important issue about the potential loss of jobs for 6,000 and matters related to MAS - but alas, mainstream media seem to be not on the job telling all of us about this. Why? If MAS, the employer, issues a statement, more likely than not it will receive massive coverage. Malaysians deserve to know both sides...

Sadly, save for NUFAM, the other unions representing MAS employees was not there. Why? 

Earlier related posts:-

MAS Employees - Terminated, Termination Benefits, LIFO, Unions?

MTUC and 36 Groups concerned about all MAS employees loss of employment...

MAS Admin Bill - even all existing Unions in MAS are at risk?

All MAS employees set to lose their jobs when the MAS Admin Bill becomes law, and a new entity MAB takes over the national carrier?

MAS Bill - Hansard for 27/11/2014 not out - Senators may be forced to debate the Bill today without benefit of knowing what happened in Dewan Rakyat?



 

Unions call on PM to intervene in MAS' restructuring plan that will result in loss of 6,000 jobs


PETALING JAYA: Employee unions have banded together to call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to intervene in Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) restructuring which will see 6,000 workers being retrenched.

International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam), and Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) are among those who jointly sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office on the issue.

Other unions showing solidarity with MAS workers include Tenaga Nasional Berhad Junior Officers Union (TNBJOU), United Malaysia Labour Centre (UMLC), and Public Services International.

Nufam president Ismail Nasaruddin demanded that Khazanah Nasional Berhad, which owns 70% of shares in MAS and is overseeing restructuring operations, consult MAS in-house unions and threatened to picket if this is not done before downsizing starts in June.

"We will object to any termination letters and will picket if they do not consult us about the restructuring exercise.

"We hope the Prime Minister will pay attention to the issues MAS workers are facing; we do not want to picket and oppose the government, we only want open and harmonious discussions," Ismail told a press conference at the Crystal Crown Hotel today.

He said MAS' financial predicament is due to mismanagement and leakages from the top, and it is the management that needs to be restructured.

As proof, Ismail said he has data and financial records which he will reveal "when the time is right", and that reports have already been lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in January and February.

Nufam secretary-general Mohd Akram Osman added that the average years of experience for MAS employees is 17 and those retrenched are unlikely to be able to work in other industries due to their training and age.

ITF Malaysia Chapter secretary-general Tan Sri Zainal Rampak said the restructuring has been taking too long and MAS' 20,000 employees have been left to wonder if they will be axed.

"Why is Khazanah not taking any proactive measures to solve the problems faced by these 6,000 employees?" Zainal asked.

MTUC secretary-general N. Gopal Krishnan said Khazanah is under the Finance Ministry of which Najib is the minister, thus he has to ensure that the job is done properly.

Gopal asserted that cutting MAS' workforce by 30% does not amount to restructuring the airline, noting that the carrier had been downsized to 18,000 employees in 2006, only to have 2,000 of them re-employed.

He added that changing one or two persons in the top management does not equal to a revamp, and more needs to be done to save MAS.

MAS lost RM1.17 billion in the 2013 fiscal year, and the MH370 and MH17 twin tragedies exacerbated its financial performance throughout 2014 as customers lost confidence in the airline and the safety of air travel. - The Sun Daily, 23/3/2015, Unions call on PM to intervene in MAS' restructuring plan that will result in loss of 6,000 jobs


UPDATED: Mar 23, 2015 02:44pm

Union wants PM to intervene in MAS’ retrenchment exercise

zainalrampak-m
The Transport Workers Union secretary-general Tan Sri Zainal Rampak is wondering why Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the majority shareholder in MAS, has not consulted the unions. —TRP pic by Wan Kah Hoong


PETALING JAYA, March 23, 2015:

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) wants Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to intervene in the plan by Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAS NewCo) to retrench 6,000 of its staff.

TWU secretary-general Tan Sri Zainal Rampak said Malaysia Airlines (MAS) had more than enough time to come up with a workable solution on what to do with the staff in its restructuring plan, but nothing had come up and the unions were still in the dark.

Zainal rapped Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the majority shareholder in MAS, for not consulting the unions which would have better ideas.

“Take the unions as your partner as MAS is funded by taxpayers.

“But Khazanah is not very serious even though it has appointed consultants to look into it.

“When you are serious, you must be very positive but there are no end to the discussions,” said the former Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) strongman at a press conference here today.

He said six trade unions will submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office today to urge the government to intervene.

The six are Amalgamated Union of Employees in Government Clerical and Allied Services (AUEGCAS), Kesatuan Pencantuman Pekerja-pekerja TNB, Junior Officers Union Tenaga Nasional Berhad (JOUTNB), University of Malaya General Staff Union (UMGSU), Malayan Nurses Union (MNU) and Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU).

The memorandum, among others, demands a stop to the plan to retrench 6,000 MAS employees.

A discussion must be held as soon as possible involving the Human Resources Ministry, Khazanah and MAS with every legally recognised union in MAS.

The negotiation process on the restructuring of MAS must also be done in a transparent manner and in accordance with the Federal Constitution and labour laws.

Zainal declined to comment on the possibility of a strike if no progress was made as outlined in the memorandum.

MTUC secretary-general N. Gopal Krishnan said the Prime Minister had a moral obligation to find a solution for the workers, saying they had invested their life in MAS.

“Restructuring is not new but reducing the workforce is not restructuring.

“In the past, MAS had laid off some 3,000 staff but later on employed another 2,000.

“MTUC is strongly behind the workers. Since nothing is forthcoming from the management, we need the Prime Minister to act.” - The Rakyat Post, 23/3/2015, Union wants PM to intervene in MAS’ retrenchment exercise

Kesatuan desak pemimpin Khazanah letak jawatan

Sekumpulan kesatuan sekerja hari ini mendesak pemimpin atasan Khazanah Nasional Bhd meletak jawatan kerana didakwa gagal menyelesaikan masalah pemberhentian 6,000 kakitangan Syarikat Penerbangan Malaysia (MAS).

Khazanah adalah syarikat milik kerajaan yang menjadi pemegang saham terbesar dalam MAS.

"Pemimpin atasan Khazanah harus letak jawatan kerana gagal menyelesaikan masalah (pemberhentian) 6,000 pekerja MAS,” kata Pengerusi Persekutuan Pekerja Pengangkutan Antarabangsa (ITF) Malaysia, Tan Sri Zainal Rampak.

Bercakap dalam sidang media di Petaling Jaya hari ini, beliau berkata mereka akan menghantar memorandum kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak memohon campur tangannya untuk menyelesaikan masalah itu, petang ini.

Memorandum itu antara lain mendesak agar pemberhentian 6,000 pekerja dihentikan serta merta dan rundingan hala tuju MAS serta masa depan pekerja dibuat segera.

Jelasnya lagi, penstrukturan semula MAS harus dibuat dengan telus dan mematuhi Perlembagaan Negara serta undang-undang.

“Kami mahu menerangkan kepada PM, Khazanah tidak dapat menyelesaikan masalah MAS, kami mahu kerajaan dan PM campur tangan,” katanya.

Setiakawan pelbagai kesatuan sekerja

Pelbagai kesatuan sekerja lain hari ini turut hadir dalam sidang media itu hari ini bagi menyatakan setiakawan mereka dengan kakitangan MAS yang mungkin hilang mata pencarian mereka.

Kesatuan-kesatuan itu turut menandatangani memorandum kepada Najib. Mereka termasuk Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC), Rangkaian Kesatuan Sekerja Antarabangsa Malaysia (UNI-MLC) dan Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja dalam syarikat GLC dan Penswastaan (GLC).

Turut menyatakan sokongan termasuk Kesatuan Kebangsaan Anak-Anak Kapal Kabin Malaysia (Nufam), Kesatuan Pekerja Keretapi Tanah Melayu (RUM), ASEAN Services Employees Trade Union Council Malaysia (ASETUC) dan Public Services Internationa Malaysia (PSI).

Sementara itu, Senator Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud yang turut serta dalam sidang media itu berkata beliau sudah membangkitkan perkara itu dalam Dewan Negara tetapi jawapan menteri didakwa tidak meyakinkan.

“Sebelum ini saya sudah bangkitkan dalam dewan negara, tapi jawapan yang diberikan oleh menteri itu tidak meyakinkan,”kata Syed yang juga Setiausaha Eksekutif Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-pekerja Perusahaan Alat-alat Pengangkutan dan Sekutu.

Tahun lalu, Khazanah mengumumkan pakej RM6 bilion untuk mengurangkan 30 peratus atau 6,000 pekerja sedia ada MAS bagi membolehkan syarikat tersebut kembali menjana keuntungan dalam tempoh tiga tahun, atau menjelang 2017.

Rancangan itu turut melibatkan penubuhan satu syarikat baru untuk mengambil alih aset dan perniagaan syarikat lama.- Malaysiakini (BM), 23/3/2015,
Kesatuan desak pemimpin Khazanah letak jawatan