MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki responds to a claim by tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing of alleged corruption involving ...
If Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing is
right, something is very rotten with the Immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Tiong said he was there to attend to a complaint lodged by a Chinese tourist that some Immigration officers were allegedly demanding money to either free tourists from detention or to get them through a special lane into Malaysia.
It is not clear if the Chinese tourist was asked to pay any money, but she is said to have been fed only once in the 15 hours she was detained. If this is true, it is an abuse of power that must not be tolerated. Even a prisoner gets fed at regular intervals.
These are tourists who will take these unpleasant stories home to be told and retold about Malaysia, which is "cruel" to foreigners.
Somewhere in the ugly narratives will be lodged the tale of Malaysia being a land where money can buy almost anything. And it starts at Malaysia's main gateway, the KLIA.
Here is the scale of graft fees, not printed in any permanent form, of course, but to be passed from one tourist to another. An oral tradition of sorts to keep the greedy officers fed. Anything from up to RM3,000 to RM15,000.
If a tourist wants to get out of detention, the "fee" is up to RM3,000. If a speedy passage is needed, the tourist needs to cough up RM15,000, RM3,000 for a "special lane" and RM12,000 for visa-processing costs.
It appears that Tiong was armed for the surprise visit. He brought along his team of integrity officers, whose purpose is not clear. He may have done better by going there with the director-general of the Immigration Department.
A slip he may regret, now that he is being accused of demanding the release of the Chinese tourist, an accusation he is denying vehemently. This is a developing story, of which the nation will hear more.
Be that as it may, corruption among some Immigration officers is regularly featured in the media. Occasionally, Parliament gets to hear about the misconducts or crimes committed by Immigration officers at the gateways to Malaysia.
On June 21, the Dewan Negara, the upper house of Parliament, was told that 136 Immigration officers were found guilty between 2020 and last year: 112 cases were for misconduct and 24 were for convictions by court.
Not a number to be proudly paraded given that it is just to do with the processing of foreigners' entry into the country. Add them all, and it will be a national embarrassment.
How these wayward officers manage to get appointed, or worse, stay in service until they are caught is a question the D-G of the Immigration Department must answer.
The chief secretary to the government may have to revisit the selection, retention and reward systems of public offices to weed out the corrupt and corruptible.
There should be no place for them in public service, not just the Immigration Department.
Tiong has a colourful phrase for the "forever" malaise at the Immigration Department: culture of corruption. Expect this phrase to have a prominent place in the report that Tiong has promised to submit to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
a mother accused of facilitating the abuse of her own child for money.Read more here:https://ab.co/3SVFd0R
New facility: Comm Hussein cuts a ribbon at the launch of a new hall at the Seri Kembangan police station.
Cases involve minors, says Selangor top cop
SERDANG: A rise in sexual cases involving those who are underage is a cause for concern and could possibly be due to a lack of knowledge of the law among the people, says the state’s top cop.
Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the last four months of the year saw around 155 such cases including statutory rape, with most of the victims being female students.
Asked about the reasons for the high statistics, Comm Hussein said a lack of knowledge regarding statutory rape laws could be a contributing factor.
“In some cases of ‘suka sama suka’ (consensual relations), it was possible that the suspects did not know that statutory rape is a big offence. The poor understanding of the country’s laws could contribute to cases such as these.
“If the victim is below 18, it is an offence regardless of consent,” he said, adding that reports were generally lodged by the victim’s parents, guardians or teachers once they find out.
Comm Hussein said some cases involved people who had only known each other for days and the youngest victim identified was only 13 years old.
“We also believe that this increase in sexual cases is due to social media and the easy access to pornography online,” he said.
He warned that the unsupervised use of social media applications could lead to unwanted incidents such as these.
“What I am worried about are these students that are below 18 who are then sentenced to prison for years and years.
“The victim, too, even if it was consensual, their future could be affected due to mental and physical health issues,” he said.
While more public engagements at schools can be conducted, Comm Hussein said efforts must also come from the parents themselves to ensure their children remain safe.
PEDOPHILIA is not a new sex crime. What is new is the attention that it is getting in the public arena in Malaysia especially after the case of
Huckle (pic). In fact pedophilia has developed into the hot topic in Criminology.
EDUCATION institutions should play a more active role in helping youths be more politically literate.
Political literacy, when honed in the groves of academe especially, would enable youths to make more informed voting decisions at the polls.
As it stands, a recent study by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies (TCLC) found that Malaysian youths mainly acquired their political knowledge from family and friends.
These two groups, the study found, significantly influenced the youths' voting decisions.
ALSO READ: Study: Malaysian youths rely on family and friends for GE15 voting advice
TCLC chairman Dr Chin Yee Mun said poor political literacy is partly to be blamed for this lack of independent thought among young voters.
Higher education institutions (HEIs), he said, should take on the mantle of getting youths to be more politically literate.
“HEIs are supposed to be the centre to build critical thinking individuals who will eventually be wise and responsible citizens.
Chin: Poor political literacy is partly to be blamed for the lack of independent thought among young voters.Chin: Poor political literacy is partly to be blamed for the lack of independent thought among young voters.“>>
Such aspiration is enshrined in most HEIs' vision. Imparting knowledge and creating experience that is related to politics are part of the pathways to build such citizens,” he told StarEdu.
HEIs, he suggested, should start creating subjects that specifically educate youths about politics and the election process.“Such a subject should be made compulsory.
At the same time, activities that encourage students to be responsible voters should be carried out by various clubs and societies in HEIs,” he said, while calling on HEIs to organise more forums and conferences to discuss national and international political issues.
Most local universities, according to the Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (Mapcu), include political literacy discussions in the various General Studies modules which all students are required to take.
Mapcu president Datuk Dr Parmjit Singh, however, noted that the discussions are carried out sensitively so as “not to encourage the sort of polemics that could lead to disharmony”.
“The focus is on strengthening students’ sense of citizenship and ensuring that students can make sense of fundamental principles such as parliamentary democracy, rule of law, separation of powers, elections, and the first-past-the-post system,” he said.
Parmjit echoed Chin’s view that HEIs should educate youths so that they can be more independent in their voting decisions.
Parmjit: It’s important that students receive early exposure to political literacy.>>
“Universities and colleges can play a role in developing political literacy among students by ensuring that they are well-equipped with the ability to critically evaluate the options available to them and to make informed, mature decisions amid all the information and misinformation that they are constantly exposed to, particularly in social circles and on social media.
“This thought process is a natural outcome of university education,” he said.Improving political literacy among youths is even Parmjit: It’s important that students receive early exposure to political literacy.Parmjit: It’s important that students receive early exposure to political literacy.more pertinent now with Undi18.
The constitutional amendment, which came into force last year, lowers the minimum voting age and age of candidacy from 21 to 18. The law also introduces automatic voter registration.
Following the implementation of Undi18, over 450,000 students in HEIs will be eligible to vote in the upcoming elections.
ALSO READ: NNoraini: Committee to prep students for GE15
This is about 38% of the 1.2 million students in the country’s HEIs, according to the Higher Education Ministry.Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, on Jan 27, said the ministry has a role to play in preparing students from a political point of view.
“Based on a study the ministry conducted last year, varsity students’ political literacy can be improved by consolidating and strengthening their appreciation of existing policies and Acts.
“The ministry is collaborating with other government departments and agencies to raise students’ awareness (of political matters) as they prepare to become voters,” she said.
Malaysia is expected to see almost 23 million eligible voters in the 15th General Election (GE15), an increase from the 15 million for GE14.
Early exposure necessary
Given that the minimum voting age has been lowered, it’s also worth considering an earlier exposure to political systems and election processes for students.
Parmjit said this could begin when youths are in their formative teenage years.
“It is important that students receive this sort of exposure even before they enter university or college.
"In this regard, schools, particularly at the secondary level, need to play a role in sowing the seeds of political literacy,” he said.
If it’s up to Chin, though, the learning process should begin at an even earlier stage.
“There should be a dedicated subject to educate Malaysians on politics at the primary school level.
"Currently, such knowledge is built into the syllabus through the teaching of Bahasa Melayu, English, Moral Education and History subjects,” he said.
The current syllabus taught at the primary school level, according to Chin, concentrates mostly on the Malaysian political system but it’s “simply not enough”.
Nisa: Youths need to be more proactive in seeking out political knowledge on their own.Nisa: Youths need to be more proactive in seeking out political knowledge on their own.>>
“While this information is important, other aspects of political education should be inserted too. They should be taught what politics is and how it functions.
“Similarly, they should be exposed to the various political systems that are practised around the world,” he said.
Political education, Chin said, should be taught as a standalone subject.
He added that as students advance to secondary school, more complex topics – such as political sociology and political science – can be taught.
“The inclusion of critical thinking skills via these disciplines will make the study of the Malaysian political system interesting and useful,” he said.
Undi18 programme associate Nisa Muzamir Shah also believes that political literacy should be instilled at the primary level.
“We need to amend the syllabus to equip students as young as 13 years old with essential modules related to democracy to better prepare them for Undi18.
“We definitely need to revamp our education syllabus to introduce fundamental topics on politics and democracy. There needs to be a committee that oversees the process to ensure that these syllabi are not biased.
“On this point, teachers should also be equipped with sufficient training to allow critical thinking and encourage healthy political discourse in classes,” she said.
Learn as they go
While formal education is certainly important, it’s not the be-all and end-all of political literacy.
Educationist and Universiti Malaya former professor of education Tan Sri Dr T. Marimuthu said developing political maturity happens over a long period.
Educationist and Universiti Malaya former professor of education Tan Sri Dr T. Marimuthu said developing political maturity happens over a long period of time. - Filepic
It isn’t something that one merely learns within the confines of a lecture hall – or a classroom, for that matter.
“What you get in the classroom is just information. What is more important is that youths are able to differentiate between what is good what is not,” he said.
Und18’s Nisa said youths need to be more proactive in seeking out political knowledge on their own.
Information is easily accessible and research is made easy with so many resources available, she said.
“They need to train themselves to view a particular issue from different perspectives in order to come up with a well-thought-out solution and to be able to have empathy on how certain policies or regulations could be disadvantageous or oppressive to some groups of people,” she said.
What’s important is that youths should feel that they have a say in political decisions.
“Every vote counts in our democratic system. We get to choose the people who represent us in Parliament and who advocate for and address the issues we care about,” she said.
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) senior manager of research Aira Azhari agrees that youths must exercise their voting rights.Aira: Youths must exercise their voting rights.Aira: Youths must exercise their voting rights.>>
Youths, she said, must realise that being allowed to vote in an election is a basic human right in global democracies.
That said, Marimuthu believes that youths can always learn about politics as they go.
When youths first cast their ballots at age 18, they are still new to the game.
“At this point, they are novices just starting to get a feel of politics. They are bound to be influenced by those around them. But that is not a bad thing.“They are coming into the political arena, and they will make a difference if they exercise their rights to vote.
“As they grow up, they will be more politically mature,” he concluded.
1. Which countries invaded and occupied Indonesia? *Netherlands for 350 years and Japan for 3.5 years*.
2. Which country was once the colony master of Malaya & India? *Britain*.
3. Which countries invaded and occupied Vietnam? *France 1857-1940 & 1946-1954, Japan 1940-1945 and USA (in Southern Vietnam) 1955-1975*.
4. Which countries were responsible for colonisation of the African continent? *Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Italy*.
5. Which 8 countries were responsible for the occupation of China in early 20th century?*Britain, US, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Italy & Austria-Hungary*.
6. Which countries are responsible for colonising and almost annihilating the Red Indians in northern America? *France & Britain*.
7. Which country colonised and almost annihilated Aborigines in Australia and New Zealand? *Britain* .
8. Which are the member countries of G7? *United Kingdom/Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan & USA*.
And now the million dollar question...
9. Why are the G7 members see China as a threat even though China is the only major nation on earth that has never invaded or occupied another country?
DidikTV goes on air to fill education gap in a world ravaged by a pandemic.
PM: Students affected by pandemic can keep up with their studies
The all-day educational television channel DidikTV Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) will help ensure more students who cannot resume face-toface learning can keep up with their studies, says the Prime Minister.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this is especially necessary for students who do not have access to the Internet or possess electronic gadgets to use for learning.
He added that the government understands that online home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) could not reach every one of Malaysia’s 5,000,000 school students in the short time since it was introduced on March 18, 2020.
“The Education Ministry always emphasises that whatever teaching and learning method used must be suitable for teachers and students,” he said when launching DidikTV KPM yesterday.
Muhyiddin said this is the first time a channel is being dedicated to educational content in Malaysia and is among the ministry’s efforts to increase access to quality educational content for all students.
“I believe that DidikTV KPM will help students with their PdPR, especially those who do not have access to online PdPR,” he added.
He said that the content is based on the Education Ministry’s curriculum and co-curriculum.
“This channel will also broadcast news about the education world from preschool until Form Six, and edutainment,” he said, adding that there would also be lifelong learning programmes that emphasise character development and moral values.
Separately, Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said DidikTV differs from the previous TV Pendidikan, totalling 11 hours of content on different channels, in that it is now 17 hours in one dedicated channel, aired on ntv7 from 7am to midnight.
Previously TV Pendidikan was broadcast on TV Okey RTM, Tutor TV Astro and DidikTV@ntv7.
Top teachers will be delivering the content to the students, said Radzi, adding that right now, with the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2020 looming, they are focusing more on programmes to prepare the candidates for the examinations.
He also said the ministry decided to create a dedicated television channel with educational content based on the positive feedback on its Road To SPM 2020 programme, which catered for SPM 2020 candidates.
Based on available data, about 95% of Malaysian households have a television set, making this a suitable medium to deliver PdPR to everyone, he said in an interview with TV3 yesterday.
“The content is not limited to the national curriculum or co-curriculum,” he said, adding that there will be programmes to build character, improve general knowledge, and showcase students’ talents.
Radzi also said that the ministry will be monitoring feedback on the programmes to identify areas that need to be improved.
Learning at home: Azza Azrin Juri (left), 33,
guiding her sons Arrizqy Izzran (centre) Arruzain Izzul, as they follow
a lesson on Didik TV. - IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
Teachers on Zoom calls with students ages five to eight who are at home or in daycare might find this a familiar bugbear: the sounds of other children, siblings, parents and barking dogs.
The students have noise-canceling headphones that block the noise for them, but not so much the teachers.
In addition, some students use iPads that have a plug for their headphones but no plug for a noise-cancelling external microphone (headphones that include microphones are expensive).
If this is what you’re facing, block the background racket by using noise-cancelling software instead of noise-canceling microphones.
There are two types of this software: The Zoom video call app, which has controls for cancelling out background noise at the student’s end of the conversation, and third-party programs for your computer that cancel out student background noise before the sound plays through your computer’s speaker.
In order to use the Zoom noise-cancelling feature, your students must connect to the call via the Zoom app on their iPads (as opposed to connecting without the app through the Zoom website).
In addition, an adult must examine the app’s settings to make sure they aren’t set to “original sound”, which means background noise is not filtered out. Toggling off “original sound” automatically turns on background noise cancellation. (For directions, clic here.)
Unfortunately, the noise-cancellation feature in the iPad Zoom app has its limits. Unlike the computer app, the iPad app doesn’t let you adjust to block specific types of sounds. It also doesn’t allow noise cancellation to be increased or decreased.
A better solution may be to download a third-party noise-cancellation program to the PC or Mac that you use for Zoom sessions. The app most suited to your needs is probably Krisp, which can filter out student background noise before you hear it. Krisp is free to use for up to 120 minutes a week; unlimited use costs US$5 (RM20) a month. (See details here and downloads here). – Star Tribune (Minneapolis)/Tribune News Service
Show of solidarity: Fellow teachers and
unionists gathering at the Seremban magistrate court last month in
support of Cikgu Azizan (centre in white).
ONE tight slap – I still vividly remember that hard, stinging smack across my cheek as my teacher flew into a fit of rage after I did something naughty as a primary school pupil at St Xavier’s Institution in Penang.
I can’t recall which teacher hit me, but there must have been more than one. They pinched my stomach and even my nipples. Many of my classmates can attest to that, even 40 years on.
There was also the occasional caning, which I felt was an act of gross injustice and, perhaps, even one of perversion on the part of our disciplinary teacher. To me, back then, he was an unfair individual, and my opinion still stands. To this day, I have no idea why I was caned and not given the chance to defend myself.
But, bless his soul, because he has passed on. Most students from back then would have forgiven him by now, for he probably knew not what he was doing.
However, one thing is certain – as far as I know, none of us returned home and complained about this disciplinary action to our parents.
Comedian Harith Iskandar always reminds his audience that if one complained to their parents, they can expect to get another tight slap that “would burn your face and send an electrifying chilling effect to all parts of your body,” and consequently, leave a lifetime’s reminder.
So, the smartest thing to do, as most older Malaysians can testify, was to keep quiet. Of course, we also warned our classmates, some of whom were our neighbors, to swear to keep things under wraps and not tell their parents about the drama at school.
The caning and slaps, by disciplinary standards, were the “final” punishments. We surely remember the use of rulers, feather dusters, belts, black board dusters and in my case, even a shoe that flew in my direction.
And I wasn’t even in the naughty boys’ category. I didn’t get into fights or was caught loitering with the bad hats after school.
As one writer, Adrian Lee Yuen Beng, wrote in Aliran: “The teachers were our ad hoc parents who taught with joy and passion, and like their predecessors, never demanded any recognition. They customarily stood at the back of the class, silently rejoicing as the students celebrated their exam success.
“We received an education steeped in tradition as mission schoolteachers took teaching seriously; it was not a mere job, but a vocation, nay, a calling.
“Our teachers were proud of their lessons and believed in their form of education. They shaped us into intellectuals, sportspersons, politicians, educators, religionists, physicians and other important societal figures.”
Fast forward to today – and it’s the total reverse. The guilty party – the student – runs home to complain to his parents.
Now, the father and mother fly into a rage and decide to confront the teacher at school the following day. What unnecessary drama!
Adding insult to injury, the parents then seek the help of a politician, who has likely been deprived of the media’s glare for a while. Then, all three confront the teacher.
Lodging a police report is, of course, the next thing they do, and to embarrass the teacher and school further, they call for a press conference.
This is modern Malaysia. Perhaps, today’s family is smaller. There are only one or two children in a family, and they are, invariably, pampered.
During my time, there were at least four or five siblings and even so, we were still regarded a small family. Dad was always too busy earning a living, trying to put food on the table, so, he was thankful that the teacher played surrogate father, at least during school hours. The lesser-educated father would have been equally respectful of teachers. After all, it’s accepted that teachers mould the character, calibre and prospects of their students.
However, the modern-day father thinks he’s smarter and earns more than the teacher, his condescending and confrontational attitude not boding well for the situation.
He probably thinks the teacher has a dead-end job or is too busy distributing business cards to pupils for after-school tuition.
But, for an old-school type like me, I find it difficult to accept news of teachers being hauled to court for purportedly hurting their students.
Honestly, don’t the police and prosecutors have better things to do than to charge these teachers who were merely trying to discipline the children – responsibilities which may have been neglected by their caregivers?
In December, a teacher facing the charge of hurting his student, was given a discharge not amounting to acquittal by the magistrate’s court.
Magistrate Mohd Zaki Abdul Rahim delivered judgement after the prosecution told the court that they wished to withdraw the case.
Azizan Manap, also known as Cikgu Azizan, claimed trial to the charge of slapping an 11-year-old male student on the left cheek in April for indiscipline, the misdemeanour including sniffing glue, bullying and playing truant.
He was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt and was left facing a jail term of up to a year, a fine of RM,2000, or both, upon conviction.
Leading up to his discharge, several hundred people, including fellow teachers, gathered at the court in a show of solidarity for Cikgu Azizan.
By all means, go ahead and Google it: there are numerous reports of teachers threatened or roughed up in schools, and surprisingly, we seldom hear of offensive parents charged in court for criminal intimidation or causing bodily harm.
We have now been made to understand that the old ways don’t work anymore. The children need counselling and their hair needs to be stroked to motivate them. Have these methods worked better? That remains to be conclusively proven.
One thing’s for sure, though, the tight slap was unbeatable in my time in instilling discipline. Now, when I enter a lift, the millennials are too busy looking at their handphones, so don’t expect them to address you as “sir” or even greet you.
You’d be lucky if they called you “bro” and gave you an enthusiastic high-five, instead.
Would the proverbial one tight slap work today in curing disciplinary ills? Hardly likely.
By Wong Chun Wai
Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang, and has served The Star for over 27 years in various capacities and roles. He is now the group's managing director/chief executive officer and formerly the group chief editor.
On The Beat made its debut on Feb 23 1997 and Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for the occasional press holiday when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star.
Nisa: Youths need to be more proactive in seeking out political knowledge on their own.Nisa: Youths need to be more proactive in seeking out political knowledge on their own.>>
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) senior manager of research Aira Azhari agrees that youths must exercise their voting rights.Aira: Youths must exercise their voting rights.Aira: Youths must exercise their voting rights.>>
Youths, she said, must realise that being allowed to vote in an election is a basic human right in global democracies.
That said, Marimuthu believes that youths can always learn about politics as they go.
When youths first cast their ballots at age 18, they are still new to the game.
“At this point, they are novices just starting to get a feel of politics. They are bound to be influenced by those around them. But that is not a bad thing.“They are coming into the political arena, and they will make a difference if they exercise their rights to vote.
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