GLCs investing in bloodsucking industries, says Chin Tong

Source : Free Malaysia Today   Sheith Khidhir Bin Abu Bakar | September 30, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP central executive council member Liew Chin Tong has accused government-linked companies (GLCs) in the country of squeezing the middle class of their income.

Speaking at a forum entitled “Envisioning The Future Beyond GE14” here today, Liew, who is also MP for Kluang, said the country’s GLCs invested in industries that pinched the pockets of Malaysians, citing the healthcare industry as an example.

“In Malaysia we have a two-tiered healthcare system where if you have money you go to private hospitals and if you don’t, then you go to government hospitals.

Ambiga: Parties in power have agenda to keep people poor

Source : Free Malaysia Today    Sheith Khidhir Bin Abu Bakar | September 30, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer and human rights activist Ambiga Sreenevasan has accused certain quarters holding the reins of power in Malaysia, of deliberately keeping people in poverty to make them believe they are dependent on those ruling over them.

“When you are poor you are very susceptible to fear, and those in power can easily keep their grasp on power by telling you that you are dependent on them by giving you the occasional handout,” she said.

Empower people through legal reform, says human rights lawyer

Source : The Malaysian Insight   Chan Kok Leong   Published on 30 Sep 2017

REGARDLESS of what happens in the next general election, Malaysians need to build a better Malaysia by empowering people through laws.

“There are laws that govern the freedom of people but they do nothing to empower Malaysians.

“As such we need to review all the laws that restrict the freedom of speech, expression and association,” said human rights lawyer Syahredzan Johan in Kuala Lumpur today.

Envisioning the Future : Malaysia Beyond GE14

Malaysians are confronted with three issues that impacts on the quality of life and standard of living of the various key sectors of the population: youths stuck with spiraling debt, workers facing stagnant wages, and patients confronted with a rising cost of healthcare.

At the heart of these problems is the widening inequality in the country, one that is skewed in favour of the rich.

At present, at least 11 youths go bankrupt daily because they are unable to pay their education and housing loans. 57% of parents go into debt to pay for their children’s education loans. The loans are subsequently transferred to their children who are burdened with debt even before they secure employment.

Parliamentarians come together to promote human rights in the context of trade

25 August 2017,      Source : ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights

JAKARTA – Governments in the process of negotiating the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) must ensure that the trade deal’s provisions protect human rights. That was the message from parliamentarians and other stakeholders who convened in Jakarta this week to discuss the RCEP and its implications for the region’s citizens during a two-day dialogue organized by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ), and the Extraterritorial Obligation (ETO) Consortium.

The meeting brought together members of parliament from countries involved in the RCEP, international experts, civil society representatives, and government officials to discuss the ongoing negotiations and the trade deal’s likely impact on human rights. At the conclusion of the dialogue, parliamentarians called for more attention to the deal’s human rights implications.

Time to review the management of migrant workers

26th July, 2017     Source : Berita Daily

This repeats like a mantra in Malaysia. When journalists follow leads to break stories that take a whack at the government, cabinet members jump on a bandwagon to cry foul.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is no different.

He told parliament that the Al-Jazeera report, which exposes entrenched graft in the movement of workers between Malaysia and migrant source countries especially Bangladesh, is misleading.

Halt the mission - nuclear energy is not an option

by Malaysian Coalition Against Nuclear (MyCAN)     Published 21 Apr 2017   Source : Malaysiakini

The Malaysian Coalition Against Nuclear (MyCAN) is appalled that the Malaysian government is determined to go down the nuclear energy route with the completion of the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission for Phase 1 of ‘readiness’ that was conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last October.

When receiving the final mission report from the IAEA on March 8, at the sideline of the 8th Annual Nuclear Power Asia Conference, held in Kuala Lumpur, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri proclaimed that Malaysia is “thoroughly prepared” to decide on adoption of nuclear power generation.

Minister Nancy has said that the report would be presented to the cabinet soonest for a decision to be made as Malaysia has 30 days to respond to the recommendations.
In light of this latest development, MyCAN urges the government, in the interests of transparency, to do the following: