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German firm with Malacca plant files for bankruptcy

Anil Netto
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More bad news in the electronics industry in Malaysia.

German firm Qimonda, which has a plant in Malacca, has filed for bankruptcy in Munich – thanks to a global glut in memory chips.

From the Qimonda website:

Region: Malacca / Senai
Established: 1973
No. of employees: approx. 1,100
Areas of activity: Research and Development, Design and Testing, Production, Purchasing, Logistics, Planning and Controlling, Information Technology and Service, Support and Staff Functions

Meanwhile workers at Intel are worried they might end up with no proper compensation following the closure of the firm’s two plants in Penang, as the excerpt from this NST report suggests. No severance package?

While Intel has assured that it intends to offer some 1,000 affected Malaysian employees comparable jobs within its existing facilities in Penang and Kulim, a veil of insecurity and uncertainty is now shrouding those affected.

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Hotel set to tower over George Town heritage buildings

Anil Netto
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royale

The hotel being built behind the GPO in Penang – Image credit: NST

Happy Lunar New Year

Anil Netto
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Wishing all of you a very happy Lunar Year. May your coming year be filled with love, peace, joy, compassion and everything good.

And here’s a special message from Rakyat@work:

A New Year gift to Paula Khoo

Date: 28 Jan (3rd day of Chinese New Year)
Venue: Pattani Road Police Station,
Time: 8.00am

Dear peaceful rakyat of Penang and Malaysia.

Please make time to be with Paula Khoo because she have stood for you, possibly for your children too, in calling for the abolition of the ISA. (She has to report at the police station to find out if the police are going to press charges over her participation in an Abolish ISA vigil.)

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Govt audit reveals serious AP irregularities

Anil Netto
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The government is introducing new rules to plug serious abuses in the Approved Permit allocations for car imports.

I guess most of us will not be surprised by the scam that has been going on in the AP system. It’s all very muhibah, don’t you think? But not the best example of Malay-Chinese cooperation, unfortunately.

This excerpt from a Singapore Straits Times report:

The rules came about after a yet-to-be published government audit exposed serious irregularities.

The audit looked into the business practices of a small clique of well-connected Malay businessmen who received their AP allocations each year.

The audit revealed that a large number of the businessmen were hawking their import permits to mainly ethnic Chinese car dealers who dominate the country’s luxury vehicle dealerships, documents reviewed by The Straits Times show.

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Umno not alone in struggle to adapt to new conditions

Anil Netto
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If there’s any consolation for Umno as it struggles to adapt to a changing political landscape, it is that it is not alone. After having been in power for a long time, political parties tend to think they have the natural right to rule –  and then they fail to tackle the rot and adapt to the changing landscape. Like Umno leaders, the Republican leadership too is struggling to come to terms with the new reality and to heed the message of voters.

Check out this Bloomberg report:

Republican Battle for Party Chief Pits Leaders, Base (Update1)

By Heidi Przybyla

Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) — Republican leaders’ efforts to select a new national party chairman are stirring concerns among a vital constituency: Republican voters.

Rank-and-file Republicans are telling their leaders they want more ethnic, gender and age diversity in a party that is dominated by white males. They also want party leaders to cooperate with President Barack Obama, according to surveys.

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Heartfelt prayers at interfaith vigil for peace in Gaza

Anil Netto
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interfaith-gaza

A bashful Sukerit Kaur, 9, sings a message of human solidarity

He is my father

She is also my mother

She is my best friend

He is my brother

An interfaith prayer vigil and reflection for peace in Gaza was held in the hall of the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Penang last night, attended by about a hundred people.

interfaith-gaza-051Among those who led the prayers for peace was Fr Francis Anthony, the parish priest of the Cathedral. JIM central committee member Mohd Rashid Hasnon (centre) sang the azan and stressed the importance of peace in Islam.

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Kuala Terengganu a “major blow” for Najib

Anil Netto
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jalanceronglanjut

Reposting this entry as the earlier link to IPS was faulty.

Kuala Terengganu was a trip down memory lane for me. The good news is that I found the old terrace house we used to rent along Jalan Cerong Lanjut when I was 7-8 years. It was still intact and looked more or less the same.

But it was bad news for Najib, on the cusp of becoming premier. For him, the by-election there must have been a nightmare, a major blow. The good Johan Saravanamuttu, a political scientist (and singer-guitarist for the Aliran Singers!), shares his thoughts over Bloomberg here.

POLITICS-MALAYSIA: By-Poll Debacle May Hit Reforms

By Anil Netto

PENANG, Jan 22 (IPS) – A key parliamentary by-election on Saturday that fell to a resurgent opposition alliance has piled pressure on Malaysia’s prime minister-to-be, Najib Razak.

At issue now is whether the ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front or BN) coalition he leads is capable of pushing through reforms which many believe are vital for the long-term prospects of the coalition.

Najib, who spearheaded the BN’s campaign in Kuala Terengganu, capital of the oil-rich east coast state of Terengganu, was unable to stop a swing to the People’s Alliance, made up of the three main opposition parties.

Full article here.

3 exco members lose Penang PKR leadership positions

Anil Netto
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Three Penang state exco members  – Deputy Chief Minister Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, Law Choo Kiang and Abdul Malik Abul Kassim — have been dropped from their Penang PKR positions.

Balik Pulau division chief Dr Mansor Othman, Deputy Speaker Tan Hock Leong and state PKR election director Mustafa Kamal Mohd Yusoff will reportedly replace them in the Penang PKR leadership.

Certain Penang state exco members from PKR have been embroiled in controversy in recent months.

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LIVE: ‘ISA Vigil 23’ released on bail

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isa-vigil-23Photos courtesy of beyond51.blogspot.com

Rakyat@work reporting ‘live’ from the PJ Magistrates Court:

1628: After some confusion, all 23 are free – for now.  Next court date: 10 March.

1356: Bank accounts have been opened with the bail money, partly contributed by supporters. Now waiting for court to open at 3.00pm so that all required documents can be submitted. All the accused will be out on bail once the process is completed.

1347: Bail has been set at RM1,500 per person.

1245: No one is allowed in the courtroom  while waiting for bail to be posted. Good Samaritans among the rakyat are going to open bank accounts (for bail money to be posted) for those charged.

Among those present outside court are Raja Petra, Rev Hermen Shastri and Fr O C Lim.

1106: The accused are being charged with participating in an illegal gathering and defying orders to disperse under Section 27(4) of the Police Act, which provides for a fine ranging from RM2,000 to RM10,000 and a jail term of not more than a year.

1101: Among the crowd in the court premises are five priests, who can be identified by their cassocks.

priests

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They say he died due to ‘liquid in his lungs’

Anil Netto
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Caution: Video contains graphic scenes that could disturb viewers.

Kugan Ananthan, 22, from Puchong was arrested on 15 Jan in connection with car theft cases. He collapsed and died on 20 January at the Taipan police station in Subang Jaya.

A Serdang Hospital post-mortem revealed he died due to ‘liquid in his lungs’. The family are now seeking an independent post-mortem.

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