BORNEO SABAH ARAMAII

Friday 29 June 2012

No favouritism when providing assistance

8th June, 2012
TAWAU: The Village Development & Security Councils (JKKK) are urged to implement their responsibility with the trust given to them and not practice favouritism when conducting a census on the poor and disabled at their respective areas.
Tanjung Batu Assemblywoman Datuk Hamisa Samat said that the BN government does not take into account the religion, race or culture of a person when making decision to provide assistance.
She said that the government has always been fair in the matter to ensure that the long existing unity and harmony would prevail.
“I hope that the unity amongst the multiracial society would continue to ensure that they live happily and comfortably without being divided by political or religious affiliation,” Hamisa said after visiting the home of Rita Bassuni, 40, who has five children with special needs at Kampung Tanjung Batu in Tawau on Thursday.
Two of Rita’s children are not yet in school and live with her younger brother.

CM says more funds not a problem

1st June, 2012
PENAMPANG: The State government will not hesitate to allocate more money to fund cultural events like the Pesta Kaamatan for the benefit of the State.
With such a rich culture, Sabah will benefit with larger scale celebration that will attract more visitors and the people to join in, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said.
Speaking at the closing of the state-level Pesta Kaamatan celebrations at KDCA hall here yesterday, he said the State coffers were strong to allow the government to allocate more funds for public events.
“If there is a need to have more funds, we will do so. With our strong unity, our financial position and financial management are rock solid,” he said.

Seven tonnes of mangrove bark seized

1st June, 2012
SANDAKAN: The Marine here detained a boat laden with mangrove tree bark near Sungai Tagahang, Beluran on Wednesday.
State Marine Operations Force Commander, ACP Abdul Manaf Othman said a patrol boat responded to information received at about 4.15am on May 30.
“Our boat PSC 13 carried out surveillance in the vicinity of Sungai Tagahang and spotted a boat laden with mangrove tree bark emerging from the river,” Abdul Manaf added.
The boat raced off on seeing the authorities approaching and ignored the order to stop.
The crew later jumped into the waters to escape and were unable to be located by the team as it was too dark during that time, he said.

Musa: More Chinese companies keen to invest in Sabah

4th June, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: Several Chinese companies have expressed an interest in investing in Sabah, particularly in tourism, agriculture and aquaculture, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
He said this was a positive sign as it would help further grow some of the state’s key economic sectors.
“We are open to hearing what investors are interested in. As long as the intentions are genuine, we will facilitate the creation of new businesses in Sabah,” he said when launching the 3rd World Youth Congress of Jiangmen, China, here yesterday.
The text of his speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai.
Also present were Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk VK Liew, Jiangmen City Mayor Pang Guo Mei, the Mayor of Kota Kinabalu City, Datuk Abidin Madingkir and organising chairlady, Datuk Susan Wong.

ygmy elephant translocated from plantation to forest reserve in Sabah’s East Coast

5th June, 2012
SANDAKAN: A Borneo pygmy elephant was translocated on May 28, from an oil palm plantation near Lahad Datu to the Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve, as part of a long-term programme to tackle human-elephant conflicts in plantations.
To track its movements within the 510km square reserve that has only 10 elephants, the bull was fitted with a satellite collar in the programme run by the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC).
According to a joint press release from the department and DGFCyesterday, the elephant has been “checking out” his new home in the past week, and both parties are hopeful it will adapt to the reserve.

KK Wetlands World Environment Day celebrations on Thursday

5th June, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society (SWCS) will be celebrating World Environment Day (WED) on June 7 at the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands.
SWCS President, Zainie Abdul Aucasa, said, this year’s celebration would be launched by state Tourism, Culture and Environment assistant minister, Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin.
Commemorated every year on June 5, he said WED was one of the principal platform utilised by the United Nations to stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and action, through its environment programmes.
“In our efforts towards a Green Economy and sustainable development, SWCS has initiated a public signature campaign in support of the KK Wetlands with the slogan “Our Wetlands for Now and the Future Generations”.

Importance of communal land titles, inquiry heard

5th June, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: Communal land titles are issued to villagers by the state government to protect the interest of Sabah natives, overcome the issues involving native customary rights (NCR) and solve overlapping land applications.
Communal titles are issued to villagers that have been identified living ‘in-situ’ by the village chief or village security and development committee chairman, said State Land and Survey Department deputy director Lee Chung Khiong during a public inquiry on the land issues affecting the natives in Sabah.
The title will eventually be sub-divided to the villagers, he said when responding to a query from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam who chaired a public hearing at Dewan Sedco here yesterday. The hearing is scheduled from June 4 to 16.

26 illegal immigrants caught while attempting to enter the country

5th June, 2012
TAWAU: An attempt by 26 illegal immigrants to enter the country was foiled after their boat ran aground while being chased by authorities in the waters off Pulau Sisipan, near here Saturday.
District Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) chief Capt Wan Mohd Affandi Wan Ahmad said yesterday the illegals caught comprised 20 men, four women and two children aged between six and 62 years.
Recounting the incident, he said the vessel was spotted by a Sabah parks patrol team, which immediately informed the MMEA.
“A chase ensued between the Sabah parks vessel and the unidentified boat,” he said.
The boat believed to be sailing from Bongao, Philippines ran aground, with the skipper trying to free the vessel.

KK’s New English Specialist School

5th June, 2012
KOTA KINABALU: English is compulsory in today’s modern world, language, of course, is knowledge, and in today’s world knowledge is one of the key factors in competitiveness leading to success.
In Kota Kinabalu, the demand for those needing to improve their English language skills has increased. Thus a new English Language specialist school “Global English Centre“ has been established to provide high quality English courses to the local community.
Global English Centre (GEC) is celebrating its grand opening on June 9. GEC aims to bring a new dimension of English studies to Sabah.

Read More : New Sabah Times http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my

Thursday 28 June 2012

Safety first folks!

Lots and lots of snarf thieves roaring around town lately and we need to take some precautions, especially for the ladies. Many cases have been reported in Peninsula and I hoped there is no such thing happened in Sabah. Here, I'd like to share with you the safety tips. Enjoy reading!


Wednesday 27 June 2012

Volunteers of NS Brigade will receive allowance, says minister

KUALA LUMPUR: Former National Service (NS) trainees who volunteer for the National Service Volunteer Brigade will be rewarded with a generous allowance, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.  He said the Cabinet had recently approved RM11mil for this purpose.  The Brigade, comprising NS alumni, was formed to provide help and relief to victims of all national calamities such as floods, fires, landslides and other disasters.  “Each volunteer in the convoy will receive an allowance according to the number of hours they clock in. However, only those who volunteer for more than 120 hours a year will be eligible.  “Those who volunteer between 120 and 239 hours will receive RM260, those who clock between 240 and 379 hours will get RM390, while those who volunteer for more than 380 hours a year will get RM580,” he said after flagging off the Brigade’s first public service convoy at the ministry here yesterday.  The convoy of 30 volunteers will travel over six days to various locations, starting from Pagoh, Johor and ending in Pekan, Pahang.  Their mission is to serve the community with activities such as gotong-royong and visits to orang asli villages.  About 200 volunteers will meet the convoy at each location to join them in their activities.  Zahid said that to date, over 34,000 ex-NS trainees have signed up to join the Brigade.  Zahid also said that improvements to the NS curriculum were being made regularly.  He was responding to Bukit Bendera DAP MP Liew Chin Tong’s claim that the NS curriculum was done hastily.


http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/27/nation/11554695&sec=nation

Tuesday 26 June 2012

177 abandoned private housing projects until May

KUALA LUMPUR (June 26, 2012): A total of 177 housing projects carried out by private developers have been abandoned until May 31, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin said of this number, 103 projects are ready for occupation, 58 projects are undergoing rehabilitation and there are discussions to revive the remaining projects.
"The government regards this problem seriously and is committed to helping buyers of abandoned projects. The ministry has carried out various efforts to tackle this issue," he said in reply to a question from Datuk Ismail Kasim (BN-Arau) who asked on the number of abandoned private housing projects and government measures to revive them.
Lajim said among efforts taken by the ministry include identifying capable and experienced developers to take over the projects, carrying out negotiations with quarters involved to find the best solution as well as monitoring the project's rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, he said to assist buyers the ministry has issued abandoned housing project verification letters to end-fnanciers for banks to reduce interest rates and restructure loans. – Bernama

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/416995

Economic climate has not affected views on global warming – poll




The cold financial climate of the last three years has made little impact on public attitudes towards global warming, according to a new Guardian/ICM poll.
As the world assembled for the Rio+20 UN sustainable development conference at the end of last week, the survey found that most British voters (57%) accept that man-made climate change is happening. That is one point more than the 56% who took the same view when ICM posed a near-identical question just before the Copenhagen climate conference of 2009.
The poll identified a hardcore of 7% of respondents who deny the planet is getting warmer, two points more than the 5% who said the same at the time of Copenhagen. The proportion who accept the planet is warming but insist this is not principally due to human factors has dwindled slightly, from 33% in December 2009 to 30% today.
The results suggest a remarkable pattern of stability in acceptance of climate change as established fact, a finding which may surprise politicians who have been lowering their environmental ambitions for fear of appearing out of step with hard times. The leaders who went to Rio were so resigned to an insubstantial outcome that they allowed their sherpas to agree the basic communique before they had even arrived.
A follow-up question on impressions of the summit also revealed more continuity than change. Only 17% of voters dismissed the Rio summit as a panic about an exaggerated threat – exactly the same proportion who said the same of Copenhagen.
But if the voters have not moved much, the same cannot be said of politicians. Whereas David Cameron had hailed Copenhagen's "historic importance" as opposition leader, in the months running up to Rio, he licensed his chancellor to argue that "we're not going to save the planet by putting our country out of business".
One thing that may help understand this shifting political positioning is a sense that – among that majority of voters who do acknowledge a climate change problem – the subject has slipped a little down the list of priorities. After three years of squeezed living standards, more of the people who accept carbon emissions need curbing warn leaders not to "lose sight of the need to maintain human prosperity". The number taking this view has edged up from 45% to 50% since Copenhagen. Meanwhile, the most committed environmentalists – those who describe the climate as "the most serious threat facing mankind" – have dwindled somewhat. Before Copenhagen, 30% were in that camp; today its strength has fallen back to 27%.
The modest swing towards putting economics before the environment is somewhat more marked among Tory supporters and backers of minor parties, and it could be that Conservative high command fear that excessively green positions could see the party surrendering some rightwing voters to Ukip. On the basic facts, however, a plurality of the supporters of all three parties are in agreement: 49% of Conservatives, 61% of Labour supporters and 67% of Lib Dems believe in man-made climate change. Even if some differences in the rhetoric between different political leaders is emerging, most voters appear to accept climate science, regardless of their own party affiliation.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/25/economic-climate-public-global-warming-poll

World carbon emissions: the league table of every country




The world emits 48% more carbon dioxide from the consumption of energy now than it did in 1992 when the first Rio summit took place.
The new data shows the rise of Asia, big increases in emissions in Africa, how Europe has plateaued - and how Iran has shot up the league table.
China - the world's biggest emitter of CO2 - has increased by 240%, as
The new data, published by the US Energy Information Administration this week, is the most comprehensive carbon emissions data with statistics for over 200 countries around the world since 1980.
The world emitted 31.8bn tonnes of carbon from the consumption of energy in 2010 - up 6.7% on the year before. The figure is up by 48% on 1992, when the first Rio summit took place.
China - which only went into first place in 2006 - is racing ahead of the US, too. It emitted 8.3bn tonnes of CO2 in 2010 - up 240% on 1992, 15.5% on the previous year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/datablog/2012/jun/21/world-carbon-emissions-league-table-country

NHS trust to be put in 'special measures' over £150m debt

An NHS hospital trust is on course to be placed in a form of special measures after accumulating a deficit of £150m dating back to what the government has described as an "unaffordable" private finance initiative signed under Labour.
The South London Healthcare Trust, which runs three hospitals in south-east London, is expected to become the first trust to be placed in the "unsustainable providers regime". Under powers introduced by Labour in 2009 Lansley would appoint an administrator to run the trust. The health secretary served notice on the trust, which runs Queen Mary's in Sidcup, Queen Elizabeth in Woolwich and the Princess Royal University hospital in Bromley, that he is minded to place it under control of a Trust Special Administrator. This would lead to the suspension of non-executive directors and would deprive executives, such as the finance director, of their positions on the trust's board.
Lansley moved to pre-empt a Labour attack by saying that many of the problems dated back to a £2.5bn deal signed by the last government under the private finance initiative (PFI), to rebuild the Bromley and Woolwich hospitals. This costs the trust £61m a year, 14.4% of its income, and will last until 2029-2030 in the case of the Queen Elizabeth hospital Woolwich and 2031-2032 in the case of the Princess Royal hospital in Bromley.
Lansley wrote in his letter to the trust: "A central objective for all providers is to ensure they deliver high quality services to patients that are clinically and financially sustainable for the long term. I recognise that South London Healthcare NHS Trust faces deep and longstanding challenges, some of which are not of its own making. "Nonetheless, there must be a point when these problems, however they have arisen, are tackled. I believe we are almost at this point.
"I have sought to provide NHS organisations with the help and support they need to provide these high quality, sustainable services to their patients, which South London Healthcare NHS Trust stands to benefit from. However, even after this support has been provided, your organisation still expects to be in need of significant financial resources from other parts of the NHS and I cannot permit this to continue. That is why I am considering using these powers.
"I appreciate that any decision to use these powers will be unsettling for staff, but I want to stress that the powers are being considered now so that patients in south-east London have hospital services that have a sustainable future. This will benefit patients and bring more certainty to staff, the public and other local stakeholders. I am determined to improve healthcare services for patients in south-east London and will take whatever difficult steps are necessary to achieve this."
A Department of Health source said: "This hospital trust was brought to the brink of bankruptcy by Labour. It is losing £1m a week, money which could be spent on 1,200 extra nurses for local people. Labour turned a blind eye to these problems for years, they burdened it with two unaffordable PFI contracts worth £61m a year and they crippled the organisation with debt from the beginning.
"The standard of care that patients receive at the hospital trust is not good enough, although there have been some improvements in recent months. It is crucial that those improvements are not put at risk by the challenge of finding the huge savings that the trust needs to make. We don't want a repeat of Stafford where crude attempts to balance the books had tragic consequences.
"This will clearly be a difficult and controversial process, but we are determined to turn this trust around so the patients in south-east London get the care they deserve. Unlike the last government we will not duck the difficult decisions if they are what is needed."
A source at the trust said that the action by Lansley was prompted entirely by debt and not by the quality of clinical care. "This is about historic debt. The quality of care has improved measurably. We have achieved some of the lowest mortality rates over the last 18 months. Infection rates are also three times lower than the national average."
Mike Farrar, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, welcomed the move, which follows a call at his organisation's recent annual conference for the government to support the redesign of services. Farrar said: "To recover the kind of sums you are facing in south London you really do need wholesale redesign of services in order to get something sustainable for the future rather than keeping on changing management. Therefore we welcome the fact that the secretary of state is seemingly now responding to that call for action.
"There have been a number of different management teams in there, so I don't think you could say it has been down to the failure of any particular manager. This is a difficult system and it needs this kind of radical action to put it into that regime where an individual can go in and look at the situation in the round to get sensible solutions. This is about sustaining the services in south London for the next 20 to 30 years, not about limping through."
In a statement the South London Healthcare NHS Trust said: "We have entered into discussions with the Department of Health and NHS London on the best future for the trust and our priority, and that of others involved, is to make sure that our longstanding and well-known financial issues are resolved. Our staff have worked hard for patients and in spite of significant financial issues, we are extremely proud that we now have among the lowest mortality and infection rates in the country.
"We expect these discussions to come to a conclusion in the second week in July when a decision will be taken by the secretary of state. In the meantime we can reassure local patients and the public that our staff will continue to provide services as normal."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/25/nhs-trust-special-measures-debt

UK is known as one of the wealthiest countries in the whole world. Due to the severe economic crisis recently, lots of changes have happened in UK. A new policy has emerged, named Social Mobility. What is Social Mobility? Let's take a look on it.

Social mobility: the charts that shame Britain

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, will announce publication of 17 data-led indicators showing how mobile we are as a society.
Social mobility is the kind of thing all politicians can sign up to: it's the idea that it doesn't matter where you come from, you should have the same chances to progress.
Here's what the figures show:
• Britain has some of the lowest social mobility in the developed world - the OECD figures show our earnings in the UK are more likely to reflect our fathers' than any other country

• Social mobility hasn't changed since the 1970s - and in some ways has got worse. For every one person born in the 1970s in the poorest fifth of society and going to university, there would be four undergrads from the top fifth of society. But if you were born in the 1980s, there would be five
• 24% of vice-chancellors, 32% of MPs, 51% of top Medics, 54% of FTSE-100 chief execs, 54% of top journalists, 70% of High Court judges …went to private school, though only 7% of the population do
• Education is an engine of social mobility. But achievement is not balanced fairly - for the poorest fifth in society, 46% have mothers with no qualifications at all. For the richest, it's only 3%
• Parental influence still makes a big difference to a child's education in the UK, especially compared to other countries - in fact in the UK the influence of your parents is as important as the quality of the school - unlike Germany, say, where the school has a much bigger role
• Higher education is not evenly balanced either in terms of aspirations - 81% of the richest fifth of the population think their child will go to university, compared to 53% of the poorest
• … or achievment: 49% of the poorest will apply to university and get in, compared to 77% of the richest
• There is a strong link between a lack of social mobility and inequality - and the UK has both. Only Portugal is more unequal with less social mobility
• If you are at the top, the rewards are high - the top 1% of the UK population has a greater share of national income than at any time since the 1930s

Eurozone crisis will cost world's poorest countries $238bn

The world's poorest countries will receive a $238bn (£152bn) hit from Europe's sovereign debt crisis as the knock-on effects from weak growth and austerity in the single currency zone affect trade, aid, investment and remittances, one of the UK's development institutes said.
A study by the Overseas Development Institute showed export-dependent emerging nations were vulnerable to a prolonged downturn in Europe triggered by fears of a break-up of monetary union.
Research found weaker demand in Europe for imports from low and low-to-middle income countries would have a marked impact on growth. In what it called a "bombshell" for poor nations, the ODI said the cumulative output loss in 2012 and 2013 would amount to $238bn.
The European Union is the biggest economic unit in the global economy and is the largest export market for countries in the developing world. The ODI said a 1% drop in global export demand could hit growth in poor countries by up to 0.5%, with Mozambique, Kenya, Niger, Cameroon, Cape Verde and Paraguay most at risk from the eurozone crisis.
Many developing countries, including the world's poorest region, Sub-Saharan Africa, have enjoyed growth in recent years, partly due to the strong demand for their raw material and commodities from China and other fast-growing nations.
Author Isabella Massa said: "There are three broad ways in which the eurozone crisis will affect developing countries – through financial contagion, as a knock-on effect of fiscal consolidation in Europe to meet austerity needs, and through a drop in the value of currencies pegged to the euro."
The ODI report says, Côte d'Ivoire relies on exports to the EU for over 17% of its GDP, while in Mozambique and Nigeria the figure was about 14% and 10% respectively. Tajikistan was most dependent on remittances in 2010, with up to 40% of GDP coming from citizens abroad.
Liberia and Democratic Republic of the Congo were dependent on foreign direct investment in 2010, with inward FDI as a share of GDP equal to over 25% and 20% respectively. Niger followed with a value of inward FDI as a share of GDP equal to 17%.
Robert Zoellick, outgoing president of the World Bank, warned developing countries that they needed to prepare for a renewed wave of global financial turbulence stemming from Europe, and said they should put their finances in order so they had scope to ease policy.
The Bank has already pencilled in an easing of growth rates in the developing world this year to 5.3%.
Massa said: "Poor countries are vulnerable to the euro crisis not only because of their exposure (due to dependence on trade flows, remittances, private capital flows and aid) but also because of their weaker resilience compared to 2007, before the onset of the global financial crisis.
"The ability of developing countries to respond to the shock waves emanating from the euro area crisis is likely to be constrained if international finance dries up and global conditions deteriorate sharply."
In order to weather the crisis, the ODI advised developing countries should continue to focus on the goals of solid public finances and economic stability as long-term goals, but should also "spur aggregate domestic demand, promote export diversification in both markets and products, improve financial regulation, endorse long-term growth policies, and strengthen social safety nets.
"For their part, multilateral institutions should ensure that adequate funds and shock facilities are put in place in a coordinated way to provide effective and timely assistance to crisis-affected countries."
The ODI report said that the ability of developing countries to respond to the shock waves emanating from the euro area crisis was likely to be constrained if flows of international finance dried up and if the global economy took another turn for the worse.
"The escalation of the euro crisis and the fact that growth rates in emerging BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies, which have been the engine of the global recovery after the 2008–9 financial crisis, are now slowing down make the current situation really worrying for developing countries."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jun/21/eurozone-crisis-cost-poor-countries

The generation poverty gap gets wider

Hey guys, welcome back to our blog. Still, an amazing week to go by. Hope you guys are doing well as well.

Alright, as far as we concerned, some of the issues are still under the limelight. We are still dealing with several issues in Sabah for instance, poverty, illegals and etc. But don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the efforts by the government. They have done a great job. *Applause*

So let's see what's happening around the globe. I was so intrigued to know what is happening in UK, specifically. I found this article very useful for our reference or maybe, Sabah can learn from that as well. Good luck yo!

*Below are the latest poverty gap in London recently*

The report itself is a comprehensive guide through every aspect of UK life, from public spending and debt, through educational costs and Carbon emissions.
In particular, the cost of housing was highlighted. Relative to salaries, it has risen from six times the annual salary of those in their 20s in 2000 to 10 times larger by 2010, while the number of new homes built in the UK – which could relieve pressure on house prices and rent by alleviating demand – has also fallen sharply. Plus youth unemployment versus overall joblessness was another key factor highlighted in the study: in 1990, young people were 50% more likely to be unemployed than the typical adult. By 2010, they were two-and-a-half times more likely to be jobless.

So what say you?






http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jun/25/poverty-generation-gap#

Households say finances look brightest for two years even as wages nosedive

Households are more optimistic about their finances than at any time for two years despite reporting the sharpest fall in wages for five months, according to the Markit household finance index.
The prospect of lower inflation improved the outlook of most households in June, as they looked forward to closing the gap between wages and rising prices over the next year, said Markit.
Household spending power continued to fall in June after 33% of households said their finances worsened and only 7% said they improved. The Markit index for current finances registered a balance of 37, well below the 50-plus level that indicates improvement.
The prospect of unemployment also weighed heavily on many households and accounted for a downbeat view of job security.
More households reported a deterioration in their job security than an improvement, though the gap closed to produce an index figure of 44.5, the second highest reading since April 2010.
The figures appear to support the government's view that while the economy remains weak it has stopped getting worse.
However, falling inflation has widely been seen as an indicator of the economy's increasing fragility. Official figures documenting activity in the manufacturing, services and contruction sectors have highlighted the UK's worsening situation in recent months.
Worrying signs of rising debt levels will add to concerns that the economy is likely struggle for at least the rest of the year. Households said they increased their debts for the fifteenth month running and at the sharpest pace since January.
Only the CBI's industrial trends survey has offered a glimmer of hope after it reported firms saying they expect to see rising orders and output this year, albeit from a low base.
Tim Moore, an economist at Markit, said: "Lower inflation provided some relief to UK household finances in June, ushering in a slower drop in cash availability and the least downbeat assessment of future finances for over two years.
"However, the overall picture is by no means akin to 'fog in Channel; continental woes cut off', and it will take much more than a dip in inflation to carry this resilience through the second half of 2012.
"A worsening global economic backdrop in June, alongside reports of a greater drop in income from employment, continued to keep the pressure on household finances. This in turn resulted in an aversion to major purchases, as well as a further erosion of savings and subdued spending patterns, especially among the lowest income groups."
Public sector workers were much gloomier about their personal finances than private sector workers, while in the private sector construction workers and those in manufacturing were the most nervous about their job prospects.


*I personally think that the housing problem in Sabah should be done once and for all. This article will help to ease the problem.

Moody's downgrades credit ratings of 28 Spanish banks

Moody's is cutting its credit ratings on 28 Spanish banks, saying the weakening finances of Spain's government is making it more difficult for the country to support its lenders.
The agency also said the banks are vulnerable to losses from Spain's burst real estate bubble.
The announcement came on the same day that Spain's government formally asked for help from its European neighbours in cleaning up its stricken banking sector. However the request left many questions unanswered, including how much of a $125bn loan package Spain would ask for.
That uncertainty led to losses on Monday in stock markets in Europe and the US. Bond investors pushed Spain's borrowing costs higher, a sign of lagging confidence in the country's ability to support its banks.
The downgrades are a measure of Moody's view on the ability of the 28 banks to repay their debts. Moody's said the downgrades stemmed from its lowering of Spain's credit rating by three notches earlier this month.
A downgrade usually means that banks will have to pay more for their debt. Investors demand higher interest for riskier debt, which is what the downgrades represent. However, with interest rates already at rock-bottom levels, the lower ratings may not significantly affect the cost of funding for the banks.
Spain formally asked the European Union on Monday for rescue loans to help clean up its troubled banking industry. The Spanish economy, the fourth-largest of the 17 countries that use the euro, is suffering from the aftershocks of the burst property bubble, which has devastated families as well as banks. Unemployment is nearly 25%.
The financial strength of Spain's government hinges on that of the country's banks. Two-thirds of Spain's government bonds are owned by Spanish banks, pension funds and insurance companies.
Moody's said in a statement that it was encouraged by the broad measures being introduced by Spain to support its banks.
The credit ratings agency made its move four days after downgrading some of the world's biggest banks, including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, reflecting concern over their exposure to the violent swings in global financial markets. Moody's also cut the ratings on seven German and three Austrian banks this month.
The series of downgrades weren't a surprise. But they come at a time of great uncertainty in the global economy. Europe's 17-nation currency union is under threat, the US economy is slowing and the economies of India, Brazil and China are cooling.
EU leaders are meeting on Thursday and Friday in Brussels for another summit aimed at reining in Europe's debt crisis. Greece is looking to renegotiate some of the budget-cutting measures it has agreed to in exchange for continued support from international lenders. The summit comes just a week after Greece's new coalition government was formed following months of political turmoil and two inconclusive elections.
Spanish government officials haven't said how much they will seek from the loan package offered by the EU 9 June. Two international audits last week found that as much as $77bn could be needed. Spain wants the loans to go directly to the banks so that the government wouldn't be responsible for repayment. That idea has met with resistance, however.Steep losses stung stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic Monday. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 138 points to close at 12,502.66, a loss of 1.1%. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell by 1.6%.
Many analysts believe big banks, including those in the US, would be the first to feel the hit of a freeze-up in Europe's financial system if Spain isn't able to convince bond markets that it can rescue its hobbled banks.
The uncertainty pushed borrowing costs higher for Spain's government. Its stock market plunged 3.7%.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jun/26/moodys-downgrades-credit-ratings-spanish-banks

NKRA of reducing crime enters second phase, needs private sector cooperation

JOHOR BAHARU, June 25 (Bernama) -- The National Key Result Area (NKRA) of reducing crime rates in the country has entered phase two of its implementation, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
One of the challenges faced in implementing this NKRA, he said, was to gain more cooperation and participation from the private sector in the transformation programme undertaken.
Therefore, he urged all quarters including the private sector to come forward to help strengthen the programme that was introduced under the Government Transformation Programme.
"We have entered phase two and have gone this far. We cannot turn back but to move and look ahead."
Hishammuddin said this to reporters after watching a demonstration on the Integrated Response System, a project worth RM95 million to reduce crime rates in the country, at the state police contingent headquarters, here, today.
The interactive system provides police with access to the monitoring CCTV recordings to enable information to be relayed to policemen on duty through a control centre in combating and reducing crime.
The four-minute demonstration showed that a robbery victim could make an emergency call giving basic details to the police who could immediately view the scene through the CCTV system and detect the criminals during real time.
Hishammuddin hoped to get feedback from the parties involved such as the emergency call centre, CCTV operators and the local authorities in three weeks' time so that coordination between police and them could be further improved.
"I also want the public to be more rationale and not emotional as foreign agencies have recognised that Malaysia's crime rates have dropped over the last few years," he said.

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/74793?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mycenews+%28MyCen+News%29

Najib launches own book of his speeches


KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday launched his book on the 11 agendas of Islam which covers the government’s administration of the country in the last three years.
The 232-page book, entitled ”The Agenda of Islam in National Transformation”, contains a collection of the prime minister’s speeches and messages relating to Islam.

 In the book’s foreword, Najib said the book contains useful agenda and messages which could be easily understood by the people.
“The book charts the journey of government led by me, based on the transformation of the national administration system.
“From that moment, I started empowering the agenda of Islam in the government’s administration. Since then, various parties have been waiting, observing and monitoring my every movement and words,” he said.
He said since he began leading the nation’s administration, he was very committed and responsible for the well-being of Muslims, and had always ensured they were with the government in moving towards national development.  
“Extracts of my speeches are clear. They are true stories in my journey in administering the country.
“The speeches reflected my thoughts and they are fleshed out by my political secretary Jailani Ngah,” added Najib.
The book, published by the Muslim Scholars Secretariat and Yayasan 1 Ummah, comes with attractive pictures and newspaper cuttings.
The prime minister hopes the book will be a guide and act as a source of reference for the people on the direction and initiative of the government in upholding the agenda of Islam in the transformation of the country. — Bernama

Ministry plans crop insurance

KUALA LUMPUR: A proposal to introduce crop insurance coverage for farmers has been submitted to the Cabinet for approval.
The idea was to provide insurance coverage for farmers whose crops were destroyed by natural disasters such as floods or dry spells, said Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar.
Although the Government currently provides a certain amount of compensation for farmers who lose their source of income in such circumstances, it is not enough to cover all their losses, he said.
“We originally proposed for insurance coverage to be made available to padi farmers but the Cabinet is currently studying the proposal to see which other agricultural sectors should be given insurance coverage.
“We will announce the decision once it is made,” he told reporters at the 7th International Postharvest Symposium 2012 here yesterday.  

The symposium, which was attended by leaders and academicians in the agriculture industry from 50 countries, presented papers on managing and reducing postharvest losses.
Themed “Postharvest for Wealth and Health”, the five-day event is jointly organised by the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (Mardi), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the International Society for Horticultural Science.
At the launch, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that in view of rising food demand, the Government would provide more incentives for the development of technology to manage postharvest losses.
“The estimated postharvest losses of highly perishable crops such as fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers in developing countries are about 40% about three times more than the losses faced by developed countries.
“Reducing postharvest losses will definitely add a sizable quantity to the global food supply,” he said.
He said that developing countries were currently the producers of about 78% of the world's horticulture.
“A reduction of even 10% in postharvest losses will significantly contribute an additional 105 million tonnes to the global market.
“This will facilitate efforts to mitigate food security issues, making food more available and affordable in developing countries,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/26/nation/11545984&sec=nation

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Solution seek to curb illegals in Tanjung Aru







An excerpt from New Sabah Times

Tanjung Aru water village is one of the dirtiest villages before, but it slightly improved due to Edward Yong's continuous strives. Locals have been complaining that most of the residents in that area are PTIs. Thus, investigations have been operated and several people have been detained (indeed are PTIs).

Now, more operations and actions need to be taken. So what say you?

BN will remain in power - Ahmad Maslan

KOTA KINABALU (June 17, 2012): Umno Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan is confident that Barisan Nasional (BN) will continue to be in power after the 13th General Election.


Ahmad Maslan, who is also deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, rejected the notion that BN would be toppled in the coming general election, based on feedback received.


"We are not theorising in an air-conditioned room. We actually meet the people and clearly the people are very happy with the government policies.


"The people get subsidies, get financial aid, jobs, houses and live in peace. There is no reason why the people want to change the government," he told reporters after a function, near here, today.
He also rejected rumours that the people's representatives, especially among Sabah BN leaders, would be jumping ship, due to the increasingly shaky position of BN.


"It is absurd. The opposition only knows how to play on sentiments. They use psychological warfare, purportedly they can rule Malaysia. But clearly they are lying and their leaders only know how to blow empty promises," he added. – Bernama


http://www.thesundaily.my/news/409890

MCA says no to private pension, jobless benefits plans

KUALA LUMPUR (June 19, 2012): The MCA has objected to the proposed private sector pension and unemployment insurance schemes recently mooted by the Human Resources Ministry.
Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said this is because the ministry is still dealing with the recently passed Minimum Wage Bill and the Minimum Retirement Age Bill.
"We need to monitor the impact of these two bills, and they must run their course before the ministry takes on anything else," he told a press conference after chairing the party's central committee meeting today.
Chua also said the Employee's Provident Fund (EPF) should maintain the fund withdrawal age at 55 years, and not raise it in tandem with the compulsory retirement age for the private sector.
The Minimum Retirement Age Bill raises the compulsory retirement age for the private sector to 60 years, but the move has caused concern among members that the withdrawal age will similarly be raised.
For many members, their EPF funds are the main source of income after retirement, and raising the withdrawal age may have a negative financial impact on those who choose early retirement.
"The MCA ministers will bring the matter up to the cabinet, while I will bring it up in the next Economic Planning Unit meeting," said Chua.
He also announced that a new Chinese independent school will be set up in Kuantan, Pahang, and that an application has been submitted by the Chung Hwa Independent School in Kuala Lumpur.
"We have met the deputy prime minister (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) who is also education minister to resolve certain technical issues.
"He (Muhyiddin) has also appointed (Deputy Education Minister) Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong as chair of a technical committee to fast-track the application for the school," he said.

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/411741


Musa: No RM10bil investments if chaos

Published on: Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Sandakan: The political stability and peace enjoyed by the country and in Sabah, in general, is a benchmark for other countries.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said Sabah in the first quarter this year had attracted about RM10 billion from foreign investors.
The investments in return, he said, would provide opportunities including employment to the people and spur the economy.
"Take for example the Sabah Ammonia Urea (Samur) project in Sipitang, Keningau Integrated Livestock Centre and lobster cultivation project in the east coast of Sabah," he said during a meeting with community leaders, here, Monday.
If Sabah was in chaos, no investors would want to come here, he said.

Avoid politics at work, civil servants told

Published on: Tuesday, June 19, 2012


Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin urged civil servants to perform their duties professionally, devoid of the influence of any politically sympathy to the struggle of political parties.
"I raise this matter as with the elections drawing close there are public complaints regarding the attitude of some civil servants who try to venture into politics.
"There is no doubt that every one of you as a public servant have your own political stance. This position is certainly in favour of or being sympathetic to the struggle of certain political parties.
"However in the course of duty, I feel professionalism should be practiced without taking in account one's personal political standpoint," he said.
He said this in his speech while officiating at the Excellent Service Awards (APC) and presentation of MS ISO 9001: 2008 certificate in 2012 the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry Sabah at Wisma Pertanian Sabah on Monday.
He said that professionalism is important in determining the state machinery runs smoothly and orderly.
Professionalism in their service means being transparent and or not be one sided in favouring any party and to carry out their entrusted duties successfully.

Monday 18 June 2012

Tourism boost in Sabah, is it sufficient enough?

Hi guys, been ages I haven't written down any. We have gone some interesting encounters in recent weeks and it certainly gave me chills. Why? Because I don't even know what to write about. (kidding)

Reading through some online news and books, brought me an idea to share with you guys with something. Years passed by, Sabah has undergone major changes, thanks to CM. Lots of places have been upgraded, roads, beaches been cleaned up (thanks to the beauty ambassadors as well), etc. Hence, many programmes have been designed to call for more tourists to come and visit, especially from China and Japan. Indeed, the state government is really putting effort into making Sabah as the number one tourist spot in Malaysia.


So, let me just share with you, a chart report on tourist spending in Malaysia (sorry, not Sabah in particular). I found this report interesting as I never came across with this type of " research ", I might say.


(for more info, please log on to http://www.thesundaily.my/news/399704)

According to this report, Malaysia actually has achieved nothing in local currency change and it saddened me, by the way. I thought Sabah will contribute more, in a sense that we have lots to offer. But anyhow, I believe more tourism programs and activities will be added to our yearly calendar, or perhaps a better suggestion for the Tourism Board, to have something to think about?

So guys, what do you think? 

Wound care teams in all public hospitals by next year

KUALA LUMPUR (June 17, 2012): All public hospitals will be required to form dedicated wound care teams to cut down the risk of diabetics losing limbs due to untreated infections and gangrene.
The first phase is already well on its way with more than half of 55 hospitals already forming their own wound care teams.
Another 75 hospitals are expected to have full-fledged teams by January under the second phase, Malaysian Society of Wound Care Professionals president Dr. Harikrishna K.R Nair told theSun.
Dr Harikrishna, who is is the sole wound care specialist in the country said this is in line with a Health Ministry's aim to enhance healthcare in the field of wound care and amputation prevention.
With more than 3.4 million diabetics in Malaysia, he said, caring for wounds has become ever more important, especially due to complications from a diabetic foot.
"It is difficult to categorise how many amputations are performed as a result of poor wound care.
"At the moment, we see about 25% of all diabetics developing foot-related complications, of which between 5% to 10% may face the risk of amputation," he said.
Diabetes is widely recognised as a catalyst to multiple health problems such as organ failure and the loss of feeling in the lower extremities (usually feet and toes) due to nerve damage.
The World Health Organisation estimates that one foot is amputated every 30 seconds – an alarming figure which is made all the more serious as 85% of all amputations would have been preventable with proper wound care.
Dr Harikrishna said rates of amputation are higher in the outskirt areas of the country as there is a delay in referring patients with serious, infected wounds to a tertiary centre, like Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), where he heads the diabetic foot care clinic.
"We are disappointed when they are referred too late. The single most important thing in wound care in the primary stage (clinics, general physicians) is to know what can be done at that level, and when to refer to a tertiary centre. That way, limbs may be saved," he said.
Dr Harikrishna added that at HKL,a pioneer study is being conducted on the use of an algorithm which standardises and streamlines the proper management of a wound, in addition to nationwide training workshops conducted with the hospital's wound care teams.
"We are hoping to create wound care professionals who are sufficiently trained, who are able to competently and safely manage wounds – we don't want patients to lose their limbs," said Dr Harikrishna, who is spearheading both the study and the workshops.
"Many medical staff are already doing wound care, but do not specialise in it. What we are trying to do is to increase their expertise in the field in order to enable them to competently use advanced environmental dressings such as silver dressings or composite dressings, as well as employ the correct wound therapy methods on the right patient," he said.
Silver dressings are dressings embedded with silver to treat infected wounds which are particularly resistant to antibiotics.
The formation of wound care committees would be the precursor to having wound care divisions or departments within public hospitals, which would be more in line with the global trend.
"Almost all major hospitals worldwide have dedicated wound care departments, and even wound care paramedics," Dr Harikrishna said.
He added that establishing such departments would require budget allocations, which would hopefully be possible by 2014.

http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/govt-can-achieve-vision-2020-with-people-s-help-1.95590

ENSURING SUCCESS: Their support crucial to meeting developed nation status, says Muhyiddin

 


TAIPING: THE next eight years is critical as the country moves towards achieving the Vision 2020 goal of being a high-income and developed nation.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday the government's transformation programmes and other projects would allow the goal to be met and ensure the people continued to enjoy unity, peace and stability.
"(However), the government's efforts alone are not enough to bring further development to the country. We need the people's support to ensure its success.
"It is our pledge that we will not allow anyone, for whatever reasons, -- whether for his political, ideological or personal gains -- to destroy the unity, peace and stability that we have enjoyed all this while," he said at the opening of the Jelajah Janji Ditepati carnival at the Advanced Technology Training Centre here.
Present at the event, which saw about 70,000 people, were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanazlah and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
There were exhibitions, as well as briefings on 1Malaysia initiatives, such as 1Malaysia Housing Programme (PR1MA), 1Malaysia Clinic and 1Malaysia People's Menu.
Muhyiddin also paid tribute and wished all fathers a Happy Fathers Day in his 30-minute speech, which was telecast live on TV3.
He said contrary to claims that plural societies, such as multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia would face all sorts of problems, the country had proven otherwise.
He said this was evident from various initiatives and commitment by the government.
"Based on the strong foundation we have built, we have prevented major racial and religious conflicts from happening."
Muhyiddin said it was important that a government brought about transformation.
He said the country was on firm footing in its transformation programmes following international recognition it received as one of the most successful developing countries in the world.
"Although 55 years is not a long time, the country has achieved commendable success in moving from an agriculture country to a manufacturing country.
"All these have also got to do with planning and every segment of the society benefited from it."
On the carnival, Muhyiddin said the strong presence of the people was a reflection of their confidence in the Barisan Nasional government.
Earlier, he announced a RM3 million allocation to replace the 100-year-old Changkat Jering Market.


Read more: 'Govt can achieve Vision 2020 with people's help' - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/govt-can-achieve-vision-2020-with-people-s-help-1.95590#ixzz1y6ubYCrz







Read more: 'Govt can achieve Vision 2020 with people's help' - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/govt-can-achieve-vision-2020-with-people-s-help-1.95590#ixzz1y6uXfYyp