The Stock Market is Nothing More Than A Casino

During my college days we were asked to write a critical essay on 'The Stock Market is Nothing More Than A Casino.'

It's astounding that this has become a reality across the Globe where investments are little valued on the dividend or net asset value models anymore and the underlying business itself is often totally disregarded since it's only share prices that are dealt with on a 'virtual' basis!

Instead, due to excessive leveraging, especially by banks and hedge funds, shares prices are manipulated (ramped up) by 'hot' money flows and then dumped to leave the smaller players and genuine investors with huge losses.

More than that, USA Congressional hearings day before yesterday in the USA have revealed that mega Investment Houses and Merchant Banks (in particular Goldman Sachs) who act as underwriters for huge share offers, placements and right issues, have been allowed to SHORT SELL investment they themselves recommend to their clients to BUY, thus standing on its head the principle that the buck stops with the Underwriters! This conflict of interest has huge ramifications in the financial world where it is now clear that all the risk is born by unsuspecting investors, and the fact that Govt Will bailout the big banks and financial houses has been factored in!!

Govts and Central Banks everywhere must set clear rules limiting Banks, Merchant Banks, Financial Houses and Hedge Funds from over-leveraging. My personal view is that Equity:Debt ratios should not exceed 2:1. This would allow for an element of speculation, but not an excessive one for investments in share markets. Speculation in futures and currencies should be totally banned, except for genuine producers, buyers and sellers who taking actual physical delivery of goods and services.

Such controls might reduce the huge volume of speculative trade that has unhealthily driven the USA and European economies, but that is infinitely preferable to the boom and bust economic cycles we are now struggling with that threatens to bankrupt the whole world every time it occurs!

If USA will not lead the way for a total revamp and reform of financial trading due to selfish interests, perhaps Asia and Malaysia can take the first steps!

Majority of non-bumi M’sians cannot afford private universities’ fees

Written by Tan Keng Liang
Sunday, 13 December 2009 22:00

I refer to the statement by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the opportunities given to bumiputeras to enter public universities should not be disputed as a racist act that favours one race at the expense of the others. Our former prime minister was further reported to have stated that:-

1. The enrollment of bumiputeras in private institutions of higher learning (private universities) is low at only about 10% as the bumiputeras could not afford the fees;

2. If we conduct a census of the number of students in private universities, there are more non-bumiputera students in private universities. That’s why the government gives attention and more places to bumiputeras in public universities; and

3. The affirmative action policy of bringing bumiputeras into the mainstream of development in the country was not something extreme because although they made up about 60% of the population, the quota was only 30%.

With due respect to our former prime minister, I would like to state that:-
1. Majority of the non-bumiputeras Malaysian too cannot afford the fees of the private universities. A large number of non-bumiputera Malaysians have to take out loans to enter private universities and subsequently, they have to repay the large education loan (due to the higher education fees in private universities) upon graduation by instalments. This would be an extreme burden to the non-bumiputeras at a later part of their life. But what choice do these non-bumiputera Malaysians have if they persist in furthering their education?

2. As the number of places for non-bumiputera Malaysians in public universities is extremely limited, there are no other options for non-bumiputera Malaysians who wish to further their education in the country, except to enrol in local private universities. That’s the obvious and actual reason for the high rate of non-bumiputera Malaysians in private universities. On the contrary, it is cynical to state the existence of more non-bumiputera Malaysians in private universities would be a good reason for the government to give attention and more places to bumiputeras in public universities.

3. No doubt, Article 153 (8A) of the Federal Constitution permits the reservation of places for bumiputeras in public universities. However, I am doubtful of our former prime minister’s remarks that the bumiputera quota is only 30% for enrolment in public universities.

Tan Keng Liang
Kedah Gerakan Youth chief

Thaksin back in Cambodia as Thai "spy" to be freed

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Cambodia on Sunday, a month after a visit that sparked a diplomatic row when the Cambodian government refused Bangkok's request to extradite him.
Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra (L) is embraced by a supporter as he greets red-shirted supporters at a hotel in Siem Reap November 12, 2009. (REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea/Files)

Thaksin came to Phnom Penh in November to take up a job as economic adviser to the Cambodian government, a move that fuelled fears of further political instability in Thailand since it gave him a base over the border for his campaign to unseat the Thai government.

The episode led to a Thai engineer working for Cambodian air traffic control being found guilty of spying for leaking Thaksin's flight details to the Thai embassy.

Siwarak Chutipongse, 31, was pardoned last week after a request to Cambodia's king from Thaksin and others, according to a Cambodian minister speaking at the time, and Thaksin went immediately to see Sirawak on his arrival on Sunday.

He travelled to the prison where Sirawak is being held, before his release on Monday, in a police-escorted convoy of 14 vehicles.

"I am very happy that Thaksin, who is economic adviser to the government, and Prime Minister Hun Sen, helped to release my client," Siwarak's lawyer, Khieu Sambo, told journalists outside the prison.

Thaksin was ousted by the military in 2006 and later sentenced to jail in absentia on conflict of interest charges.

HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS

Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said Siwarak would be officially freed on Monday at Hun Sen's residence.

He told Reuters that Thaksin had not had a direct role in Siwarak's release and that the billionaire former telecoms tycoon would hold economic seminars this week with Cambodian officials.

"He is going to be released because of humanitarian reasons and because his mother requested a royal pardon," Siphan said, adding this was a sign Cambodia's government wanted good relations with the Thai nation.

Last Tuesday a court had jailed Siwarak for seven years for breaching national security by passing on Thaksin's flight schedule to a Thai diplomat, who was subsequently expelled.

Siwarak's arrest last month prompted Cambodia to take temporary control of Thai-operated Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS) and suspend Thai expatriates at the company.

The two countries were already at odds over an ancient temple on a disputed stretch of their border, the scene of deadly clashes over the past 18 months.

Critics have dismissed Thaksin's visit and his involvement in the pardon as publicity stunts to rile the Thai government.

Hun Sen has openly given his backing to the pro-Thaksin Puea Thai party in Thailand and calls Thaksin his "eternal friend", who he says is the victim of a vendetta by powerful opponents.

The extradition issue and Cambodia's offer of a home and a job to Thaksin led to the recall and expulsion of diplomats and the freezing of bilateral agreements, including a pact to jointly develop untapped energy reserves in the Gulf of Thailand.

Despite the pardon, there has been no move by either side to restore diplomatic relations.

(Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Charles Dick)

Merger of Pemuda and Beliawanis in Gerakan

The merge of the Pemuda and Beliawanis is not a solution in achieving our struggles, it wont help in recruitment nor unity. We should look at the real problem that make us fail. I noticed that we were having too many 'fanatic" Chinese in the party that make public look down upon us, and our leaders dare not to stand tight on the party's struggle. Because afraid lost of support in the election, our leaders listen to the majority in the party, sacrifice the minority, which is majority in the nation( the Malays).

We must start changing from the youth. Youth head must play a very important role on the party's struggle. He must be brave and really fight for the people regardless of race or religion. He don't have to follow listen to those not with the party or any Chinese fanatic. The Chinese who fight only for the Chinese and not ready to be Bangsa Malaysia should stay in MCA but not Gerakan. This is the cancer within the party that will make the wrong person stay and the right person leave.

I notice that some members joined the party not because they have the same ideology with the party but for their personal agenda by using Gerakan as their jumping stone or as their platform. These people recruit those who having the same dream with them but not same dream with the party struggle.

People will not loyal to the party nor the leaders, people on loyal to the struggle. If the leaders of the party out of track, bringing the party and the members far away from the party struggles, the members with good mentality will definitely leave and only the party's loyalist or leader's loyalist will stay. These people who stayed have no awareness in the spirit of Bangsa Malaysia.

We want the govt to be fair to all of us regardless of race but we still thinking like a racist, this mean we are selfish. We only want to take but not willing to give.

The merger of Pemuda and Beliawanis really wont make any different if we never change our culture. We don't need the quantity but we want quality people to support our struggle, eventually will add value to our party's struggle.

Inilah PERPADUAN yang sebenar.

Bukan sahaja kaum cina yang tak sanggup mengorbankan budaya, semua kaum pun tidak sanggup korban apa-apa untuk sesiapapun. Jangan kata negara lain yang bersekolah satu aliran, malah negara yang hanya ada satu kaum pun boleh berpecah ranah. Melayu dgn Melayu pun boleh berpecah, Cina dgn Cina, India dgn India, malah bukan setakat pecah tetapi yg hancur pun ada.

Saya rasa keadaan kita di Malaysia selama ini sebenarnya sudah baik sekali, jadi kita tidak perlu bising untuk kesamarataan kerana kita semua masing-masing tidak pernah ada keadilan di dalam diri. Setiap manusia nampaknya hanya pentingkan diri masing-masing. Hak orang lain kita nak, tapi hak kita tak sanggup korban, jadi lebih baik kita senyap sahaja. Jangan sampai orang nampak perut sangat.

Seperti yang selalu saya katakan, perpaduan seperti yang diimpi-impikan tidak akan berlaku walau apa pendekatan sekalipun. Perpaduan hanya akan berlaku apabila semua manusia dapat cari makan, apabila perut kenyang manusia secara automatik akan manjadi malas bising, atau lebih senang didengari adalah manusia yang mudah cari rezeki akan bersyukur.

Kita tidak pernah dengar rungutan rakyat Singapura malasah perpaduan sedangkan rakyat mereka terdiri drpd lebih banyak kaum lagi berbanding negara kita. Mana taknya, Bangla, Nepal, Burma dan lain-lain termasuk Malaysia, ramai rakyatnya sudah mendapat status penduduk tetap dan tidak kurang juga yang telah mendapat status kerakyatan sepenuhnya. Tidak ada masalah perpecahan walaupun tidak kedengaran tentang perpaduan.

Untuk apakah perpaduan? Ianya hanya satu angan-angan indah dan sesuatu yang tidak ada apa-apa, usaha yang sia-sia. Sedangkan sekeluarga yang sama kaum, sama agama, sama latar belakang pun boleh berpecah belah. Apakah puncanya? Jawapannya adalah masalah kewangan dan terlalu pentingkan kebendaan. Bagaimana untuk menyelesaikan masalah kewangan rakyat adalah dengan usaha pentadbiran ke arah pembangunan modal insan melalui pendidikan manakala jawapan kepada masalah rakyat yang mengutamakan kebendaan pula dgn meningkatkan kesedaran moral dan juga agama, sebab ramai yang sanggup menggadai harta agar diri berharga, sedangkan kita tidak perlu mencari penghormatan dgn menggunakan wang, penghormatan adalah datang daripada kemuliaan.

Inilah Perpaduan sebenar.

Perpaduan Dan Realiti

Sememangnya perpaduan tidak akan wujud 1000% sekiranya hendak mengikut kata-kata rakyat yang berbilang kaum, berbilang agama, berbilang darjat, berbilang-bilang pandangan… Kita semua datangnya daripada pelbagai latar belakang, akan tetapi kita harus mempunyai hala tuju, cita-cita dan visi negara yang sama. Kita tidak boleh mengikut kehendak setiap orang untuk memperkasakan latar belakang atau budaya masing-masing dan membelakangi cita-cita negara, iaitu perpaduan.

Saya sendiri bekas pelajar sekolah aliran cina, dan memang mengakui ada nilai-nilai yang amat berguna dan tidak terdapat di mana-mana aliran kerana tamadun China yang telah melebihi 500 tahun. Kita juga dapat melihat ramai anak-anak bukan dari keturunan cina juga dihantar ke sekolah beraliran cina kerana ibu bapa yang prihatin dan sanggup mengorbankan latar belakang yang disayangi, agar anak-anak mereka juga dapat menimba ilmu yang telah lama tamadunnya. Tetapi apa yang kita dapat telah menjadi sebaliknya. Ramai kaum cina yang terlalu bangga dan angkuh dengan budaya dan tamadun nenek moyang mereka, mereka tidak belajar ilmu kaum lain, sebaliknya ilmu mereka sedang dibelajar dan diamalkan oleh kaum lain. Budak Melayu atau India yang bersekolah cina boleh menulis dan bertutur dalam bahasa cina dengan baik, pada masa yang sama tidak pernah kalah dalam bahasa ibunda masing-masing. Kaum cina pula yang kononnya memiliki nenek moyang yang hebat, hanya berjaya menguasai bahasa ibunda tetapi tidak pula bahasa tanah air di mana darah tertumpah. Tidak pelik sekiranya generasi tua kaum cina tidak petah berbahasa kebangsaan, tetapi ianya berjangkit sehingga ke generasi paling muda dan ianya akan berterusan sekiranya tiada perubahan dalam sistem pelajaran.

Memang tidak dinafikan, sekolah satu aliran bukannya jawapan kepada perpaduan, malah mungkin akan menjadikan keadaan lebih huru-hara. Baik buruk sesuatu tindakan sebenarnya berdasarkan kesedaran rakyat pelbagai kaum. Kesedaran tentang kepentingan perpaduan. Tidak ada gunanya sekiranya hanya Perdana Menteri yang beria-ia hendak mewujudkan perpaduan, sedangkan rakyat tidak inginpun bersatu atau berpadu dengan kaum bukan sejenis. Kaum dan agama yang sama pun banyak yang berpecah belah, manakan pula nak gabungkan semua. Rakyat negara Thailand yang satu kaum, satu agama, satu aliran sekolah pun boleh berpecah dan saling membunuh sesama sendiri.

Langkah pertama untuk mencapai perpaduan adalah menyemai kesedaran dan cita-cita yang sama kepada rakyat terutamanya generasi termuda. Pastikan kita semua memahami apakah erti sebenar perpaduan.

Tetapi bagi pendapat peribadi saya, semakin bertambah populasi manusia, semakin bertambah perpecahan, kerana setiap manusia masing-masing dikurniakan dengan sebiji otak yang tidak sama modelnya, ini menyebabkan pendirian manusia yang pelbagai, kreativiti manusia yang sentiasa baru, akhirnya manusia akan hidup keseorangan dengan cara dan budaya tersendiri, menjadikan semakin pelbagailah latar belakang setiap manusia di bumi ini.

PROF KHOO KAY KIM kata hanya sekolah satu aliran boleh capai matlamat 1Malaysia

Oktober 22, 2009

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Sistem pendidikan negara perlu disusun semula termasuk melaksanakan sistem sekolah satu aliran bagi memastikan matlamat gagasan 1Malaysia tercapai, kata tokoh sejarah dan akademik Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim.

Beliau berkata, sistem pendidikan yang mengamalkan sekolah pelbagai aliran ketika ini tidak membantu rakyat menyelami makna sebenar gagasan itu.

Katanya, sejak dari kecil lagi rakyat sudah diasingkan mengikut aliran dan bahasa ibunda masing-masing dan apabila dewasa, semangat kerjasama dan persefahaman sukar untuk dijalinkan.

"Kita tidak perlu kepada sekolah yang banyak aliran, bahasa ibunda setiap kaum boleh diselitkan sebagai sebahagian daripada kurikulum di bilik darjah," katanya kepada pemberita selepas menghadiri program wacana "One Malaysia: Cabaran dan Harapan" sempena program semarak perpaduan dan patriotisme Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia peringkat kebangsaan di sini hari ini.

Namun begitu, beliau menjangkakan ada pihak yang akan membantah cadangan itu tetapi mereka yang berbuat demikian perlu menilai semula sejauh mana sistem pendidikan ketika ini boleh membantu mengukuhkan pembentukan sebuah negara bangsa. Mengimbau kembali sejarah terbentuknya sekolah pelbagai aliran di negara ini, Prof Khoo Kay Kim berkata, mengikut sejarah, British membenarkan penubuhan sekolah pelbagai bahasa di Tanah Melayu kerana kebanyakan pendatang ketika itu tidak mempunyai niat untuk menetap di negara ini.

"Jadi, British membenarkan mereka membuka sekolah menggunakan bahasa ibunda masing-masing supaya mereka dapat belajar mengenai negara sendiri. "Bagaimanapun, sistem ini tidak lagi perlu diteruskan sekarang kerana mereka sudah menjadi warga negara Malaysia dan perlu dididik supaya menerima negara ini dan masyarakat berbilang kaum yang ada di sini sebagai sebahagian daripada diri mereka," katanya lagi.

Khoo juga berkata, kebanyakan rakyat negara ini tidak tahu dan tidak memahami sejarah negara sehingga menyebabkan mereka berfikiran secara sempit.

Menurutnya, ada segelintir ahli politik yang lebih mengutamakan kepentingan diri dan agenda masing-masing berbanding matlamat utama negara bangsa.

"Ada ahli politik kita yang tidak mahu berintegrasi dan lebih suka kepada pemisahan, dan lihatlah bagaimana negara menjadi kucar-kacir kerana adanya ahli politik yang tidak mengutamakan negara bangsa tetapi lebih kepada agenda sendiri," katanya.