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news without borders
‘Go back to simple things to beat downturn’
by Hemananthani Sivanandam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: A return to simple things
and less dependency on subsidies are some of
the ways to beat the economic downturn, says
a consumer researcher.
Speaking at a forum on the global financial
crisis last week, Consumer Research and Re-
source Centre CEO Paul Selva Raj noted that
resources such as oil, natural gas, topsoil, fresh
water and forests are non-renewable and will
someday be depleted.
“We should realise this and change the way
we do things,” he said.
He said the government has neglected the
agriculture sector by focusing more on manu-
facturing.
“We should go back to simple things. Manu-
facturing was good but it was at the expense of
agriculture. We need to import more food.
“The government should focus more on ag-
riculture as it has been neglected. I’m not say-
Three more reports
on Nube
lodged with MACC
by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com-
mission (MACC) received three more reports over the
past week on financial irregularities at the National
Union of Bank Employees (Nube).
Two of the reports were filed by axed members
of the union while another was filed by an ordinary
member at MACC’s headquarters in Putrajaya.
The complainants forwarded several copies of
financial transaction receipts to the MACC.
theSun learnt that the reports were made with re-
gard to several transactions and payments amounting
to more than RM280,000.
The transactions, claimed to be unaccounted and
unaudited for, were paid out in instalments to the ac-
counts of senior office bearers in the union via bank
cheques.
The reports, among others, alleged that the pay-
ments were questionable and tantamount to graft.
A MACC official confirmed receiving the reports.
On March 19, theSun carried a report on MACC re-
opening several investigation files on Nube for alleged
misuse of funds and graft.
Nube general-secretary J. Solomon issued a state-
ment the following day, saying the union welcomes the
investigation and will cooperate with MACC.
ing that manufacturing is bad but both should
be given priority as both are important.”
Paul said only with better agriculture
policies will the country have security when it
comes to food stability.
The “Diverse Perspectives: Rethinking
Strategies, Surviving Challenges” forum was
organised by the Socio-Economic Development
And Research Institute (Sedar), Centre for Public
Policy Studies and Wawasan Open University.
The forum addressed key issues such as
trade, business strategies, the second stimulus
package, the Ninth Malaysia Plan and invest-
ment performance.
Paul, who is also a committee member of
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associa-
tions (Fomca), said the public need to realise the
reality of depleting non-renewable resources as
well as re-analyse their consumption pattern.
He said consumers are comfortable with
their lifestyle and make no effort to change it
to adapt to changing situations.
“To them (consumers), if prices go up,
Uneasy
Easter
for China
Catholics
pg 7
Vernacular
education
no hurdle to
success: Gerakan
PETALING JAYA: The admission of Soon Yin-Wei
and Sharon Teng Hui-Li to Harvard University
proved that their mother-tongue education was
not a hindrance in competing with other high-
achiever students on an international level, said
Gerakan Youth secretary-general Dominic Lau.
“Despite their early years in vernacular
school, they achieved academic excellence,”
he said in a press statement. “Coming from a
multi-racial society and background gives them
an advantage over others.”
theSun reported last week that 19-year-old
Teng, a Bank Negara scholar, received her early
education at SJKC and SM Tinggi St David, while
Public Service Department scholar Soon, 18,
studied at SMJK Keat Hwa, Alor Star.
Both will pursue their bachelors degree in
economics at Harvard in August this year on
annual scholarships worth about US$53,000
(RM198,750).
They were shortlisted for Harvard entry
interviews after passing their SAT I and SAT II
examinations.
As part of their entry evaluation, Soon wrote
an essay titled Durian using the fuit as an anal-
ogy of his personality while Teng’s essay entitled
Beaded Slippers described the cohesiveness of
the multi-racial population in the country.
the government needs to make the changes,
but not them as they want to maintain their
lifestyle,” he said.
Describing the trend of subsidies as one
of the reasons consumers do not change, he
said: “Fomca has been heavily criticised for
not demanding for more subsidies or not
fighting more for price controls but we realise
that is not the right way. It is not a sustainable
model.”
Paul stressed the need for the younger gen-
eration to understand the economic crisis, say-
ing they do not understand inflation, thus they
do not feel the need to change their lifestyle to
adapt to the current situation.
“They would say, ‘what recession? If there
is a recession, my father needs to work harder
but I still need my iPod and my coffee from
Starbucks’,” he said.
He noted that consumer culture among
the younger generation starts at a young age,
in some parts of the world as young as pre-
school.
briefs
Two years to regain people’s
trust: Muhyiddin
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday Umno and the
Barisan Nasional (BN) had this year and the next
to regain the confidence and trust of the people.
He said people were talking of the 13th gen-
eral election in 2013 but he felt that work must
start right now on the approaches and changes,
whether they were on the Umno organisation,
structure or programmes.
Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy presi-
dent, spoke to reporters after a “tahlil” and “doa
selamat” for Umno members from his Pagoh
division at his residence, here.
He said the primary focus of action during the
two-year period would be to ensure that the lead-
ership at all levels understood the new direction of
the party and took measures to revive the party’s
image and improve the people’s perception of it.
“I do not want the people to wait too long.
There will be talk then that Umno has yet to
change. There will be statements that the BN is
the same as before. The ‘wow’ factor will not be
there. This is not good for the party.” – Bernama
Sabri promises to do his best
BERA (PAHANG): Domestic Trade and Con-
sumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ismail
theSun | MONDAY APRIL 13 2009
Quoting author Susan Thomas who wrote
about how consumer and culture manipulate
parents and harm young minds in her book
Bye Bye Baby, Paul said kindergarten kids in
the US appear to be exposed to branding at a
very young age.
“I thought that was the lifestyle of the people
in the US, but when I met my sister-in-law who
runs a kindergarten in Klang, I was shocked to
hear how some kids in her kindergarten also
behave the same way.
“They (the children) demand branded prod-
ucts and will not use anything else,” he said.
Paul said the effectiveness of promoting
consumption brand awareness among chil-
dren is a serious issue as it determines the
consumption patterns of the current and next
generation.
As such, the government should encourage
more communication with the youth, he said.
“It’s time we reach out and explain to them
(youth). They should be educated on social-
economic issues as well,” he said.
Guiding
light ...
Girl Guides
of Catholic
High School in
Petaling Jaya
stage a play
to mark the
opening of their
clubhouse on
Easter Sunday.
The Guides
Lodge was
opened by
Catholic High
School board
of directors
chairman
Datuk Lim Hock
San followed
by a charity
fundraising fair.
Sabri Yaakob said yesterday he will give
priority to ensuring that prices of essential
items did not go up arbitrarily.
Ismail Sabri said as the minister with
responsibility to look after the interests of
consumers, he would do the best to protect
the rights and interests of the people.
“I am aware the responsibility is a heavy
one as it involves the people’s problems. God
willing, I will do the best,” he told reporters
after launching the Rakan Muda Wawasan
Desa Masyarakat Orang Asli at Pos Iskandar
Bera. – Bernama
Khaled plans KPI for varsities
JOHOR BARU: The Higher Education Ministry
will extend the use of key performance indica-
tors (KPI), introduced to gauge the performance
of ministers and deputy ministers, at public
universities nationwide.
Its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled
Nordin said the move would enable the ministry
identify existing weaknesses at each university so
that improvement could be made.
“Actually, KPI at the ministry has been started
to assess the implementation of the National
Higher Education Strategic Plan. Now, we are
extending its use to achieve the desired quality.
“But the performance outcome will not be
made public because our main objective is to
help enhance the unversity’s performance and
not to confuse the people on the good or bad
of a particular university,” he said after a blood
donation drive organised by Taman Permas Jaya
Wanita Umno, MCA and MIC branches and the
Lions Club here yesterday. – Bernama