Current Affairs

Terese Bird, learning technologist at Leicester University, talks about how the university is using mobile technology to enhance learning outcomes. Leicester is one of the leading educators in deploying mobile learning. The interview was done at the Mobilearn Asia Conference in Singapore.

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At the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, 188 countries voted in support of a resolution calling for the end of the embargo against Cuba by the United States. The only other country to reject it was Israel. "The economic damages accumulated after half a century as a result of the implementation of the blockade amounts to $1.126 trillion," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez is reported to have said. Malaysia has been a consistent supporter of the resolution, which was first proposed 22 years ago. "The call of the international community is getting louder and louder, demanding that the US government change its policy toward Cuba," said China's deputy UN ambassador Wang Min in an Al-Jazeera report. We speak to Yanila Reyes Paret, Charge d’Affairs of the Embassy of Cuba.

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Why take Budget 2014 seriously when the government has systematically ignored its own spending plans over the last few years? That’s the premise of Wan Saiful Wan Jan's critique of the Budget. Together with Deloitte’s Yee Win Peng, we talk about the political will to reign in spending, keep to Budget targets, re-think the role of government in the provision of services and whether citizens even recognize that its their money that the government is spending.

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What would disappoint? 'A failure to implement the GST', says Sim Kwang Gek. Sim has 15 years of experience in tax and business consulting for local and multinational corporations in manufacturing, property development, renewable energy and services industries. BFM speaks to her about public expectations in the run up to Budget 2014 and how we need to get to grips with generating revenues for government through various strategies, including a Goods and Services Tax, and more efficient tax collection. Also hoped for are moves to deal with sky-rocketing property prices.

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What can the budgets of past years tell us about financial management and economic policy formulation in the country? How closely tied are budget to the elections, either to pre-empt in the run up to an election or as post-election reward? Dr Lee starts with the problematic practice of having the Prime Minister play the role of Finance Minister, and also lists the concerns that have been addressed by previous budgets. 

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Speaking on behalf of the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality, Ren Chung explains the position of the NGO coalition about the recently passed amendments to the Penal Code. The statement draws attention to “section 203A, under which someone can be fined up to one million ringgit for disclosing information obtained under any written law” as well as section 326A which while penalising certain types of abuse between married spouses fails to be made consistent with the Domestic Violence Act 1994.

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While many are focused on the response of the Christian community and its leaders to the ruling on the use of the word “Allah” by the Catholic newsletter The Herald, responses within the Muslim community are of equal note. Not least because of the diversity of responses as well as attempts now to suppress dissenting views within the Muslim community towards the ruling. Dr Farouk Musa, director of Islamic Renaissance Front and cardiothoracic surgeon, helps us understand the nature of the debate within the Muslim community.

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Philip Koh, a lawyer and co-editor of Sheridan and Groves' The Malaysian Constitution (9th Edition) a leading commentary on Federal constitution weighs in on Monday 14th October Court of Appeal ruling. While the Deputy Home Minister sought to re-assure the Christian community that the ban on the use of the word Allah will be limited to the Catholic newsletter, The Herald, Koh points out troubling ramifications that could very easily arise from the ruling.

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“We filed the case because our detention was wrong. The police abused their power for political reasons,” Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael D Jeyakumar is reported to have said. Together with 5 Parti Sosialis Malaysia activist (PSM), Dr Jeyakumar was detained on allegations that he and other PSM activits were prime movers of the Bersih 2.0 movement, had plans to wage war against the King, planned bombings of police stations, and were attempting to revive Communist Party of Malaya. Yesterday the government and the party came to an in-court settlement of RM200,000 in favour of the EO6 as they were referred to during their detention. 

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Passed just after midnight the Prevention of Crime (Amendment and Extension) Bill 2013 has been billed ISA 2.0 by its detractors. Days before it was passed the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) called for the second reading of the bill to be passed but to no avail. We speak to SUHAKAM vice-president on the implications of the bill both locally as well as internationally. And Masjaliza Hamzah, executive director of the Center for Independent Journalism, observed the debate on the bill in parliament. We get her assessment of the quality of the debate.

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