Current Affairs

The Wholesale/Retail NKEA (National Key Economic Area) aims to raise Gross National Income contribution by RM108billion to reach a total contribution of RM165billion per annum by 2020. NKEA Wholesale Retail Lab Leader Dato' Haji Ameer Ali bin Mydin, Managing Director, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd talks about translating the NKEA into reality.

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Dr Chong Su-Lin, CEO of Sunway Medical Centre and NKEA Healthcare lab leader explained how the government will persuade the private sector to fork out the 99% of the RM23b needed cumulatively from 2011 to 2020 to fund growth in the healthcare sector and how Malaysia will compete with Thailand and Singapore for medical tourism.

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Chew Jit Seng, Vice President of Sustainability at Genting Plantations and NKEA lab member, tells us how smallholders will benefit from the ETP and why we should be confident that there is a future in biodiesel and whether the government will commit to the much awaited B5 policy.

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Tricia Yeoh, Research Officer at the Selangor Menteri Besar, talks about the book "The Road to Reform, Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor" which gives insights into what the Pakatan Rakyat led government has achieved and its shortcomings.

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NKEA Greater KL Lab leader Patrick Tay, Associate Director for Local Government and Infrastructure Services at PricewaterhouseCoopers Capital Sdn Bhd talked about translating the Entry Point Projects (EPP's) into reality. He explained the difference between Klang Valley and Greater KL, and how a greater KL project such as 1Malaysia Sungai Besi fulfills one of the tenets of NEM ie inclusiveness. He also talked about how the private sector will work with Selangor government, and addressed risks involved in the timly completion of the EPP's such as delay in tendering and awarding of projects, delay in project executions, political and legal kickbacks, as well as increase in raw material prices and building costs.

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NKEA Oil, Gas and Energy lab deputy leader Siraj Abdul Razak, Senior VP of Wasco Energy, Wah Seong Group talked about how they plan to carry out the EPPs (Entry Point Projects) for this sector. He talked about how they plan to attract investments, the challenges involved, as well as discussed plans to create a regional oil storage and trading hub and how that would complement SIngapore, Asia's trading centre for refined oil products. Sector champion selection is done by the sector's players themselves. 

He also addressed concerns about nuclear power, and plans for dealing with spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Where renewable energy is concerned, dependence on RE is inevitable, so higher costs in the short term are a necessary evil.

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Dr Ong Kian Ming, political analyst and lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Policy Science, USCI University, gives us a preview on what to expect in the government's ETP (economic transformation programme), in particular the education sector. There are some questionable recommendations and how implementation would take place.

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Malaysia Day Series: Race, Rights, Democracy

Part 1 of 3: Tunku Zain Al-'Abidin Tuanku Muhriz

Tunku Abidin Muhriz, Founder and President of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), talks about what the think tank is championing, whether affirmative action is still necessary, the obstacles to democracy (lack of press freedom, ISA), and whether a hung parliament is a bad thing for Malaysia, and the role of the royalty in promoting democracy.

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Malaysia Day Series: Race, Rights, Democracy

Part 1 of 2: Dr Azmi Sharom

Dr Azmi Sharom, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University Malaya, talks about the social contract, the concept of Ketuanan Melayu and the need for more freedom of speech in public universities. He is also the President of the UM Academic Student Union.

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Malaysia Day Series: Race, Rights, Democracy

Part 1 of 1: Haris Ibrahim

Haris Ibrahim, lawyer, blogger and co-founder of Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, talks about the fledging movement to promote deeper understanding of the Federal Constitution, our rights as citizens, and about fighting racism.

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