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?
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
Star-studded study group: Sunway University students studying at the communal areas on their campus accompanied by cardboard cutouts of celebrities like Nicol David and Ed Sheeran. — ART CHEN/The Star
Colleges and universities take own initiative to make campus safer
It’s all systems go for the country’s higher education institutions as they wait to welcome students again after face-to-face learning came to a halt when the movement control order (MCO) was announced on March 18.
Both private higher educational institutions (IPTS) and public higher educational institutions (IPTA) have taken the necessary safety precautions and made arrangements for the return of their students.
They are now waiting for the related standard operating procedure (SOP) from the Higher Education Ministry, which is expected to be released soon.
“We have prepared the documents. They are currently pending approval from the Prime Minister’s Office to be released,” a ministry official told The Star yesterday.
Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (Mapcu) president Datuk Dr Parmjit Singh said its members had taken precautionary measures to maintain the safety standards of its campuses and facilities since the start of the pandemic.
“We are fully prepared to open and are just waiting for an official announcement to see how operations will be managed because so much depends on the ministry’s SOP,” he said in response to Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement on Wednesday that the National Security Council has approved the ministry’s proposal to reopen the institutions.
Ismail Sabri said the country’s Covid-19 outbreak had stabilised and the reopening of these institutions would include allowing foreign students to return.
National Association of Private Educational Institutions (Napei) president Assoc Prof Elajsolan Mohan said the IPTS had ensured that the learning environment was safe.
“We are ready and are following international best practices because we have many international partners. We already have measures in place. The security and safety of students will continue to be our top priority,” he said, adding that sanitation activities had been carried out.
He said the institutions had been looking forward to resuming classes because they were concerned about some “technologically disadvantaged” students who were unable to access certain online classes due to the lack of Internet connectivity. Its members will also allow staff to alternate between coming to campus and working from home while students can opt for blended learning (a mixture of face-to-face and online learning).
“One way to ensure crowd control on campus is to let students who have to commute and those in Sabah and Sarawak to use remote learning,” he said.
He added that institutions must address the issue of student assessment resulting from the difference in learning methods over the past four months.
Sunway Education Group’s chief executive officer Elizabeth Lee said students would be returning to the campus in stages this month.
And they will be greeted by some “fun social distancing companions” like Henry Golding, Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Datuk Nicol David, Chef Wan, Ed Sheeran, BTS’ Jungkook, Rowan Atkinson and Jack Ma – in the form of cardboard cutouts.
She said the “social distancing companions” placed on seats around campus would be effective in discouraging people from sitting too close to each other.
“Instead of the usual ‘X’, the cutouts of well-known personalities, which have been placed strategically at communal study areas, double up as fun photo props for students to take selfies with their favourite celebrities.”
Taylor’s University School of Food Studies and Gastronomy head Siti Ramadhaniatun Ismail said all of the the institution’s culinary arts students in semester one and finalyear students were allowed back on campus from Wednesday for their practical classes.
“They need to attend their practical classes to sharpen their practical skills component,” she said.
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) acting deputy vice-chancellor (academic and international) Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said the varsity had been quiet without students.
“We have precautionary measures in place and these take into account the many possible scenarios involving the movement control order (MCO).
“We have worked diligently to make sure our campus is a safe zone when the pandemic was at its worst.”
USM had initially planned to welcome students back next year, in accordance with the government’s earlier announcement that e-learning would continue until Dec 31.
“We will modify the current SOP to accommodate students who will be returning soon,” he said, adding that crowd control will not be a problem as USM will implement blended learning.
“We are only expecting students to return in early October as USM is almost finishing its second semester – students will soon be enjoying their holidays,” he said.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) deputy vice-chancellor (academic and international) Prof Dr M. Iqbal Saripan said all its faculties were opened to research and certain final-year students on Wednesday.
He said UPM had implemented a system to track the movement of its staff and students using a QR code.
The “reopening process” will continue in phases until next February.
“Twenty-five percent of our student body is on campus now. We hope that we can increase the number gradually, especially for research students.
“We allow staff, who are in the high-risk group and have small children, to work alternate days from home. But it won’t be a problem if they all choose to come to work.
“Reopening of the higher educational institutions is good news, but we need to ensure international students who are still overseas can access the classes while the borders are still closed.”
Noting that students are eager to return to life on campus, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Hamdi Abd Shukor said the existing SOP would be revised once the new advisories and directives are announced.
UKM has been operating at capacity as of June 10.
“Working from home only applies to certain staff who are in high-risk groups or have medical conditions.
“Lectures were offered in sessions and with a limited number of students,” he said.
He added that students who feel uncomfortable returning to campus can continue with online learning.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi said final-year students who require facilities such as the laboratory, studio and workshops, as well as students who need to complete industrial training on campus, can already return.
“We are also planning to allow students who lack electrical gadgets and are facing Internet connectivity limitations to return to campus to continue with their lessons using campus facilities.
“However, this needs the ministry’s approval first. If approved, we will observe the SOP strictly whereby there will not be more than 25% of the student body on campus, and facility usage will not exceed 50% of its capacity,” he said in a press release.
He added that the university would monitor students who use the facilities through its “We Care” application, an online application which can track movement in realtime.
“New pre-university students will be allowed to come to campus in stages starting August, while new postgraduate students can start returning in October,” he said. full
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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