10,000 jobless so far

More than 10,000 Malaysians have lost their jobs since Jan 1, according to Malaysian Employers Federation(MEF) executive director Shamsuddin Bardan.
He said more were expected to lose their jobs in the days ahead as companies, particularly in the manufacturing sector, struggled to stay afloat.
In an urgent appeal to the Government yesterday, he said it was of utmost importance for the second economic stimulus package to be released fast so that companies could know clearly where they stood.
The Government released a Rm7 bil stimulus package last month and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak promised a second ine soon.
Shamsuddin said the economic downturn this time was much worse than the one in 1997 because it was more widespread globally.
The situation was more critical as almost 600,000 job seekers flooded the local market every year, he added.
Another factor that added to the woes of the jobless was the presence of 1.5 million to two million illegal foreigners vying for the same jobs.
He suggested that the Government, as a long-term measure, repatriate all illegal-workers, replace legal foreign workers in stages with Malaysians, freeze foreign recrruitment and give job priority to Malaysians.
In Seremban, Menteri Besar datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said employers in the manufacturing sector in the state had been told to reduce their dependence on foreign workers.
Many foreign workers are untrained. They do not even know how to mix cement and they are paid RM50 per day. Locals can do such jobs.

Kuala Terengganu Parliamentary by-election

The Barisan Nasional's defeat in the Kuala Terengganu by-election on 16 January(Saturday) drew mixed reactions from politicians across the divide.

1. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the result -which saw PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut win with a 2,631 vote majority over BN's Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh -was merely a set back and would not have any bearing on the national political landscape. The loss does not mean they will in any way waver in their commitment to the people. They will redouble their efforts to serve the peoplr even better and take this nation to a higher level of success.

Many factors could have influenced the by-election's outcome and local factors could not be read as having a great bearing at the national level.

2. MCA president datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said the by-election saw an increase in support for the BN from the chinese community. Chinese viters renained with BN and MCA members had worked tirely during the campaign period. Despite the unfavourable result, he would like to thank the Chinese voters for staying with MCA diring these difficult times. MCA would not take the trust shown by them lightly. The people have, through the ballot demonstrated to us that aspirations of yesterday can be diffeent from today or tomorrow. We are now even more determined to work harder to serve the people the way they want to be served. We can no longer think we know better. The outcome strenthens our courage to change and accept that what we strive for for the nation may not totally reflect what the people want.

There are differences as well as common ground. We must learn and appreciate better these differences in order to shape a better tomorrow.

Chinese votors make up 10.9% of Kuala Terengganu's 80,229 voters.

3. Umno stalwart and Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah decribed the loss as a " humiliation for the BN" at the polls for the third time in 10 months. He has full admiration for hardworking party members who toiled for two weeks on a local struggle. But they lost because of national problems. The rakyat rejected Umno in its present form and style, and they rejected its leadership. Despite ringing signals the the rakyat through March 8 and Permatang Pauh, Umno has either not heard the call for fundamendal change or is unable to respond to it.

Money, machiney and incumbency could not trump the call for change. BN will lose, and will in the end lose everything , untill we respond fully and sincerely. But the respond from the leadership yet again is that this should not be interpreted as the the voters spurned BN. Their leadership remains in denial. Loyal Umono members and the BN will feel they are on the sinking ship. Tengku Razaleigh said Umno had lost by a large majority in a constituency in which 90% of voters are Malay despite throwing the national resources of a party in federal power into the by-election. This was more than a referendum on the leadership. It was a test of the relevance of Umno in its present form. If Umbno is no longer relevant to the Malays, the BN formular is dead. The Chinese will have no reason to support MCA. The power- sharing consensual bargain on which their political system has been based since independence is broken.

4. Opposition Leader datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the victory would motivate others in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition to work harder and bring about much needed changes in the country.

5. DAP stalwart and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang said the by-election had lived up to the historic significabce of the March 8 general election and delivered two important messages.First, the political tsunami in on course, confirming that the paradigm shift in Malaysian politics 10 months ago was not a fluke-shot but represented the wide-ranging political aspirations of malaysians. Secandly, a dire warning to Umno and soon-to-be prime minister datuk Seri najib, if they refuse to heed the people's call for hange.

No more village elections

No more village elections

There will be no more elections for heads of new villages in Perak.
Menteri Besar, datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said the state government had discussed the matter with Parti Keadilan Rakyat(PKR) leaders last week and the latter had agreed not to pursue it.
On New Year's day, PKR leaders held village head election at Kampung Baru Gunung rapat despite a directive from the stste government three weeks earlier that all 134 new village heads in tghe state would be appointed.
PKR leaders Dr Lee Boon Chye, who is Gopeng MP and PKR vice-president and Gunung Rapat state assemblyman Chang Meng kai defief the directive and held t6he election in Gunung rapat which was won by Gunung Rapat PKR branch chairman Ten Chon g Yong.
They later announced that four more new village head elections would be held in Simpang Pulai, Ampang Baru, Lawan Kuda and Kopisan. These villages are located in Dr. Lee and Chang's
constituencies.
"There will be no more new village head elections.The stste government however accepts the kampung baru Gunung Rapat election as a test-case to see if the idea is acceptable by the people," he said after chairing the stste executive council meeting in Ipoh yesterday.
On whether the state government was prepared to accept Ten as the village head, Nizar said that wouldb be decided later, adding that the state government would wait for a report from Chang.