Show of defiance on Merdeka eve in Dataran

YOURSAY 'Kudos to all the courageous and right-minded people who showed up for ‘Janji Demokrasi' last night in Dataran Merdeka.'

Despite ban, yellow shirts swamp Dataran

Changeagent: Dang Wangi district police chief Zainuddin Ahmad told reporters that no untoward incidents were reported. "We'll investigate later (for any violations)," he said when asked about the yellow shirts.

No untoward incidents, but he will investigate later anyway. Malaysian police have too much time on their hands.

Quigonbond: The last part of Malaysiakini's LIVE reports where the police grudgingly said they will be investigating any "violations" reminds me of this story.

An immigrant found herself without a job and was scrounging for food. An elitist who accidentally left his credit card in a store happened to cross paths with her, and proceeded to accuse her to a police officer for stealing his card.

A samaritan, passing by and overheard the commotion, investigated. He found the elitist's card and brought it to their attention. The elitist said, "She could have stolen my card." The police then warned the migrant, "You better be careful or I'll book you for vagrancy next time."

The infuriated samaritan told the elitist and police officer to apologise to the migrant and to shake off their prejudice.

The story certainly reminds me of how things are in Malaysia where dissenters are treated as enemies of the state by the prejudiced police force. This national day, Malaysians should wake up and end this nonsense.

Mob1900: The 10,000 crowd is a very, very conservative number. There were at least 50,000, including those not wearing yellow and the crowd was peaceful and relaxed. Great showing, Malaysians!

AnakBangsaMalaysia: Kudos to all the courageous and right-minded people who showed up for ‘Janji Demokrasi'.

Will the police now launch a new 'investigation' headed by ex-police chief Hanif Omar or Musa Hassan to determine that the Janji Demokrasi group was infiltrated by dangerous subversive elements such as communists, Marxists, zionists, Stalinists, Maoists, imperialists, colonialists, artists, dentists and cellists?

Anonymous #92005027: What we want is a good government, elected through clean elections. So whether we attend this rally or not is not so important. We must exercise our right to vote when the election is held.

Kee Thuan Chye: This call for the government to fulfil the promise of democracy would in years past have come from opposition politicians.

What is remarkable about the 'Janji Demokrasi' gathering is that the rakyat are now the ones making the call - a multiracial rakyat, many of them youths.

When it comes from the rakyat, not opposition politicians, the ruling party should tremble. The call for change is in the air. Sure and resounding.

BN might as well surrender. It's time for Malaysians to be liberated and achieve their real Merdeka!



'Permission needed for Merdeka countdown?'

HYL: Is there any permit issued for the official Merdeka bash? How about during the rehearsals? Every morning over these past few days at Dataran Merdeka, loads of people have gathered for the rehearsals.

So did the police ask for the necessary permits for such gatherings? And if I were to go with my friends and family for the Merdeka celebration, do I need to apply for the permit too?

AnakBangsaMalaysia: Once again, we see the police putting up fabricated regulatory hurdles and making veiled threats in order to suppress the civil rights of Malaysians.

The real SOP (standard operating procedure) of the police is to unquestioningly obey the orders of their Umno masters. The police have become nothing more than the uniformed henchmen and hired thugs of the Umno-BN regime.

Dingdongman: I fail to understand why Janji Demokrasi needs to gate crash this event at Dataran Merdeka. Can't they just do it in Shah Alam and make the celebration there even merrier?

A.NB: Dingdongman, how are they "gatecrashing"? Is the event by invitation only, or are the public welcomed to join the Merdeka countdown?

If everyone is invited, then there is no question of gatecrashing here - celebrating Merdeka in yellow is still celebrating Merdeka.

YF: It is obvious that Umno had never expected this to be the most shameful Merdeka ever, from the time they used a cheap word-art logo, its BN slogan and a ‘gospel' song to hijack the National Day celebration.

Now they are in panic mode and all their statements are out of sync. It goes to show that nobody is in charge of the government.

Umno is at its weakest right now and their constant abuse of the law speaks volumes of the desperate state they are in.

Cannon: It's Umno-BN's farewell bash. Let them party and have their last hurrah at Dataran Merdeka and at Bukit Jalil stadium. Even as they celebrate, the writing is fast appearing on the wall.

Ipohcrite: It's time that Information Minister Rais Yatim tells the police that they have a duty of knowing what the Peaceful Assembly Act is all about and to abide by it rather than to find fault with the would-be assemblers even before they have even begun to assemble.

The police must do their job that the taxpayers are paying them to do, not serve the ends of their BN political masters.

Chandran Siva: Merdeka has been hijacked - there is no meaning in celebrating it since equal rights have not been granted to every rakyat to celebrate.

It is just a Umno-BN bash and using the rakyat's money. There will be no more true Merdeka celebrations if this government still rules Malaysia.

Fight Injustice: This is the biggest problem - in Malaysia, a minister makes one statement, the inspector-general of police (IGP) makes another, and the police department makes yet another. This is a very confused country.

NewMalaysia: Under colonial rule, the people fear the government. With independence, it is the government that fears the people.

Pakatan now aiming for more support from women

By Hafidz Baharom and Joan Lau

August 31, 2012

Dr Wan Azizah recently began an initiative for mothers against crime, a growing issue especially among women in urban areas. — File pic

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is ramping up its efforts to win over women voters with the formation of an initiative called Agenda Wanita Malaysia (Malaysian Women’s Agenda) this September 13.

 This comes on the back of political observers and analysts saying that both the youth and women are the swing voters who will determine who takes Putrajaya, as the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and PR are locked in an almost even tussle for support.

As women make up half of the country’s electorate, the fight for women voters is something the federal opposition is taking very seriously.

While reluctant to go into the details of the initiative ahead of the launch, Wanita PKR information chief Ramlah Bee Asiahoo said: “The agenda will focus on the enforcement of law, increasing quality of life, providing opportunity for women to involve themselves in the economy, revamping the educational policy, social harmony and the empowerment of young women.”

Although this sounds very much like political rhetoric, the initiative seems to be more than just talk.

Srikandi PKR chief Siti Aishah Shaik Ismail said they would also head to the ground and host forums as well as ceramahs. “Once Agenda Wanita Malaysia is launched, we will head to the ground starting with rural areas, and then suburban areas and finally target the young working professionals in the cities.

Wong said apart from welfare, Pakatan will concentrate more on policies.

“This is because those in the rural areas require more exposure than those in the suburban areas and cities,” she said.

 PR leaders are going to focus on bread-and-butter issues like safety and economy as it is believed that women vote principally on issues and established experience.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail recently began an initiative for mothers against crime, a growing issue especially among women in urban areas.

Another issue taking centre-stage the past week is the apparently lenient sentence for two men convicted of statutory rape, which both BN and PR have protested.

PAS Muslimat information chief Aiman Athirah Al-Jundi said the party’s women’s division would go door-to-door, a method that worked very well previously for Wanita Umno as well.

In recent years though, this personal touch has been replaced by mass gatherings where cash handouts are given to underprivileged families but now Agenda Wanita Malaysia is picking up where they dropped off.

“Giving aid is good, but it is very piecemeal and not enough. So apart from welfare, we must concentrate more on policies,” said PKR central committee member Elizabeth Wong.

These policies have to be explained and this is where door-to-door visits can help to drill down the nuts and bolts of these proposed policies.

“We need to step into their houses, sit down and spend some time explaining what we have to offer,” said Aiman.

In the race to win the next general election, it looks like the opposition is willing to do something a little retro — go down to the ground and meet potential voters face to face.

Ministry to discuss legal aspects of statutory rape with Nazri

UPDATED @ 12:12:55 AM 31-08-2012

August 31, 2012

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is to have a discussion with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz to scrutinise the legal aspects of statutory rape.

This was to ensure that victims were adequately protected and defended while offenders received the appropriate penalty, it said in a statement today.

The ministry said the family institution played an important role in preventing and tackling statutory rape among youths and, in this matter, parents must monitor the movement of their children for the sake of their future.

It said it respected the decision of the court in respect of the penalty meted out to two adult males found guilty of statutory rape recently.

"At the same time, the ministry views seriously public opinion which regarded the punishment imposed on the two men as light and not in accordance with the type of crime they committed," he said.

According to the ministry, as a state party to two international conventions ratified in 1995 — the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) —
it was the duty of the government to protect women and children from any form of exploitation, violence and physical, mental, emotional and psychological abuse.  — Bernama

Janji Demokrasi: 10,000 near Dataran Merdeka

About 10,000 people gathered near Pasar Seni and Dataran Merdeka to remind the government of its unfulfilled promises.

KUALA LUMPUR: About 10,000 people gathered peacefully near Dataran Merdeka tonight where the Janji Demokrasi coalition and supporters of Save Jalan Sultan converged to remind the government of its unfulfilled promises.

While the Janji Demokrasi coalition wants electoral reform, the Save Jalan Sultan group is opposing the construction of the MRT. The crowd started gathering as early 9.30pm.

There was an air of fiesta despite police presence and Dataran Merdeka itself was cordoned off to facilitate the official Merdeka celebration tomorrow morning.

PAS deputy president Mat Sabu’s presence was greeted with cheers from the crowd. Also seen in the crowd was PKR vice-president and Batu MP Tian Chua.

 National Laureate A Samad Said also arrived along with Empower executive director Maria Chin Abdullah – both also being the steering committee members of Bersih. Samad was expected to read out a poem before the gathering was officially called to an end just past midnight.

Earlier, more than 2,000 people from the Save Jalan Sultan group gathered at the Gospel Hall along Jalan Hang Jebat to protest the construction of the My Rapid Transit (MRT) line.

The crowd started congregating at around 8pm with many of them clad in yellow Bersih T-shirts. They demanded the government and the MRT project to stay away from the Jalan Sultan area.

Three demands


Their protest was part of a matter that dominated the area for the past 13 months: the building of underground tunnels, which some argued would put heritage sites there at risk.

Preservation for Jalan Sultan Committee chief Stanley Yong Yew Wei told the crowd: “If it is to be built, what will happen to the memory (of Jalan Sultan)?”

He was flanked by several Jalan Sultan landowners and DAP elected reps.

They were also supported by Himpunan Hijau Raub, Janji Demokrasi and other activist groups.
They then demanded three things:

• withdrawal of the new gazetting of the land and its subsequent land acquisition.

• for the importance of public consultation to be realised.

• urging Malaysians to make a “wise decision” in the next general election.

Yong further warned that the committee would not hesitate to call for another rally to defend Jalan Sultan “if necessary”.

The crowd later marched from the Gospel Hall at around 9pm towards the Pasar Seni LRT station. They were accompanied by drummers and a lion dance troupe.

Along the way, they chanted “Defend our heritage!” and “Bersih!”

Many of them later made their way for the Janji Demokrasi rally, which started at nearby Dataran Merdeka at 11pm. The iconic square itself is cordoned off to facilitate the official Merdeka celebration tomorrow morning.

Asked later on what he meant by more rallies, Yong said: “Certainly one rally is not enough to translate our message clearly (to the government)… It is clearly a useful tool to bring solidarity among the people.”

He added that he did not see large rallies forming along Jalan Sultan in the future unless there was a need for it.

The committee’s supporters, he said, would gather at Parliament or at various ministry headquarters, instead.

Despite ban, 10,000 yellow shirts swamp Dataran

The Merdeka Day eve countdown this year at Dataran Merdeka will see two activist groups join revellers, but the police are adamant they be kept at bay.

Gabungan Janji, a coalition of 47 NGOs, wants to converge at the northern-most point of Dataran Merdeka in yellow to pressure the government to fulfil its promises of electoral reform.

The police have declared Gabungan Janji's planned gathering will be illegal.

Another group aims to hold a short demonstration along Jalan Sultan to pressure the government to preserve heritage buildings earmarked to make way for the MRT project.

About 25km away in Shah Alam, the Selangor government is hosting its own countdown event at Dataran Kemerdekaan.

The crowd at Jalan Sultan are expected to join Gabungan Janji at about 10pm.

LIVE REPORTS
9pm - Dataran Merdeka - People are begin to trickle in, gathering in front of the iconic Sultan Abdul Samad building. There is a slight drizzle, possibly keeping others at bay.

Ironically, a Kuala Lumpur City Hall sign at both ends ofthe Sultan Abdul Samad building reads: "This area is closed to all activity".
9.05pm - Jalan Sultan - A crowd is building up near the Gospel Hall Church. Speakers advocating for the preservation of buildings along Jalan Sultan are addressing supporters.
9.15pm - Jalan Sultan - Led by a lion dance troupe including two ‘lions’ and drums, the procession along Jalan Sultan has kicked off and there appears to be no attempts by the police to stop them.


Instead, a few dozen police and People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) personnel helped to direct traffic.
9.30pm - Shah Alam - Some 500 people are trickling into Dataran Kemerdekaan for the Selangor state government Merdeka Day eve event.

9.40pm - Dataran Merdeka - The number of revellers are swelling at Dataran Merdeka. Another group is seen near the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman-Jalan Tun Perak junction trumpeting away on their vuvuzelas.
9.45pm - Jalan Sultan - The crowd has now swelled to about 1,000 people. They chanted “Save Jalan Sultan” along the procession and formed a 500m human chain in single file from Lok Ann Hotel to the site of the former Klang Bus Station which was recently demolished.

After reading their declaration again and singing Negaraku, organisers announced the end of the event and asked everyone to disperse.

However, many lingered on as the crowd dispersed slowly.

Even as of 10pm, many are still on the streets with crowds spontaneously breaking into songs such as ‘Rasa Sayang’, or shouting for others to go to Dataran Merdeka.
10.30pm - Dataran Merdeka - There are easily a few thousand people on or near the field now.

More vuvuzelas are seen among the pro-Bersih crowd.

10.45pm - Dataran Merdeka - An estimated 5,000 people are in Dataran Merdeka for the Federal Government organised countdown.

A stone's throw away, a multi-ethnic crowd of thousands more in yellow shirts are gathered near the northern-most police cordon and are trumpeting away on their vuvuzelas.

11.05pm - Shah Alam - Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim recites Osman Awang’s poetry titled Merdeka to a crowd of 2,000 at Dataran Kemerdekaan.

He then shouts “Merdeka” three times and the crowd reciprocates.

11.30pm - Dataran Merdeka -  The yellow shirt, led by Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson A Samad Said and Bersih secretariat member Maria Chin Abdullah, move away from Dataran Merdeka.

They regroup at an open area south adjacent to Kuala Lumpur City Hall headquarters to hear A Samad recite a poem.

11.45pm - Dataran Merdeka - It is now a 15-minute wait before the clock strikes midnight and the countdown will begin.

The federal government's theme song Janji Ditepati is heard from Dataran Merdeka.

Some yellow shirts belt out the same as well, changing the lyrics to Janji Dicapati.

12am - Dataran Merdeka - The yellow shirts sing Negaraku at the stroke of midnight. Some left to enjoy the fireworks while others are dispersing in a cheerful mood.

12.20am - Dataran Merdeka - A Samad Said declares the Janji Demokrasi gathering a success but is unable to estimate a crowd figure.

Malaysiakini journalists estimates that the yellow shirts number at 10,000.

“When I reached Dataran Merdeka, I found that the number (of yellow shirts) were beyond expectations. I was pleased to notice that they were mostly youths. This is important.

“This reflects the fact that they are aware that this is their era and their hands cause a regime change. I hope this happens,” he said.

After the countdown, A Samad and several Pakatan Rakyat leaders led a portion of the crowd on a short march towards Bandaraya LRT station before dispersing.

12.30am - Dataran Merdeka -  Dang Wangi district police chief Zainuddin Ahmad told reporters that no untoward incidents were reported.

“We’ll investigate later (for any violations),” he said when asked about the yellow shirts.

He confirmed that two youths were arrested for setting off fireworks. It is unsure if the youths were part of the yellow shirts.

He said a total of 205 police personnel were at Dataran Merdeka to monitor proceedings.
A full report will be published later today.

Janji Demokrasi: 5,000 near Dataran Merdeka

About 5, 000 people gathered to protest the building of the My Rapid Transit along Jalan Sultan.

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 5,000 people gathered near Pasar Seni tonight to protest the construction of the My Rapid Transit (MRT) line.

Congregating at the Gospel Hall along Jalan Hang Jebat at around 8pm, the crowd – many of whom clad in yellow Bersih T-shirts – demanded for the government to stay away from the Jalan Sultan area.

Their protest was part of a matter that dominated the area for the past 13 months: the building of underground tunnels, which some argued would put heritage sites there at risk.

Preservation for Jalan Sultan Committee chief Stanley Yong Yew Wei told the crowd: “If it is to be built, what will happen to the memory (of Jalan Sultan)?”

He was flanked by several Jalan Sultan landowners and DAP elected reps.

They were also supported by Himpunan Hijau Raub, Janji Demokrasi and other activist groups.

They then demanded three things:

• withdrawal of the new gazetting of the land and its subsequent land acquisition.

• for the importance of public consultation to be realised.

• urging Malaysians to make a “wise decision” in the next general election.

Yong further warned that the committee would not hesitate to call for another rally to defend Jalan Sultan “if necessary”.

Earlier, about 2,000 gathered at Jalan Sultan. The crowd, which swelled to about 5,000, later marched from the Gospel Hall at around 9pm towards the Pasar Seni LRT station. They were accompanied by drummers and a lion dance troupe.

Along the way, they chanted “Defend our heritage!” and “Bersih!”

The crowd finally stopped at the station and gathered there before dispersing at around 9:40pm.

Many of them later made their way for the Janji Demokrasi rally, scheduled to start at nearby Dataran Merdeka at 11pm. The iconic square itself is cordoned off to facilitate the official Merdeka celebration tomorrow morning.

The crowd cheered when PAS deputy president Mat Sabu showed up.

Asked later on what he meant by more rallies, Yong said: “Certainly one rally is not enough to translate our message clearly (to the government)… It is clearly a useful tool to bring solidarity among the people.”

He added that he did not see large rallies forming along Jalan Sultan in the future unless there was a need for it.

The committee’s supporters, he said, would gather at Parliament or at various ministry headquarters, instead.

A depressed Merdeka — Are you celebrating Merdeka?

By Dina Zaman

August 30, 2012

Seeing a headline shouting “Putrajaya offers cash rewards to N-Day event participation” does not encourage patriotism. It does not help that this year, just like the past few years, the atmosphere is muted. 

Very few Malaysians are in the mood to celebrate Malaysia’s 55th year of Independence, and that is a truly sorry state for the country to be.

There are many factors related to this. A declining economy, rising costs of living, gutter politics, crime, and there is also a general air of hopelessness among Malaysians when asked if they were looking forward to August 31, 2012.

If one is to believe the noise on social media, and in forums, it would seem that Malaysians hate their country. There seems to be nothing positive about the country, and every effort the government puts, is met with ridicule.

What does the average Malaysian think about this year’s Merdeka celebrations?

CS Tan of Terengganu finds that this year theme is a joke. “I ‘created’ a few phases to my Merdeka celebration. From primary to secondary school Merdeka was about how we managed to be independent, govern our country on our own terms, instead of being under British rule, and of course the colourful floats we saw on television. Tertiary – it’s about holidays. Young working life – it’s about holidays plus those outrageous uniforms from TNB and Telekom and other Malaysian companies we had to wear. Middle age phase – Merdeka is about able to think of myself after years of believing that the government can’t do wrong. This year – it’s about Merdeka from crime in Malaysia. Not optimistic huh?”

The 1Malaysia Merdeka logo provoked such outcry and ridicule, one can only feel sorry for the government. “I’m sure that our Government had the best of intentions when they commissioned the design …” a rather diplomatic professional who did not want to be named said.

Oso-San Anna disagrees. A Communications professional, she has worked in advertising agencies and in-house communications departments. She understands design and branding – she lives and breathes them.

“Firstly, for something as important as Merdeka, the Government should leave it to the pros. I mean real pros (and not some crony’s son) who has a solid understanding of the use of symbol and colour and collective expression of national pride.”

“Secondly, branding is powerful when built and layered over time with consistency and commitment.”

“Thirdly, where are the brand values? Both from the standpoint of the creator and the people it’s meant for? 

Is there buy-in from the Rakyat? I feel all 3 are missing in the 1Malaysia logo that was designed. We are 55 years old as a Nation. Sure it’s national pride but the meaning of real patriotism is already lost since it’s seldom practiced in soul & spirit,” she said.

Angelia Ong, who works in animation is saddened by recent celebrations. The idea of Merdeka has somehow lost its spirit, she says. “It used to be more alive and less about polishing the achievements of a particular political coalition. It used to come across as more inclusive and meaningful. The phrase “1Malaysia” has taken over so much, my youngest had one time thought our country was called 1Malaysia, rather than Malaysia. From a branding point of view, I guess they have succeeded in ensuring that it’s everywhere and anywhere, to the point of oversaturation.”

From a Malaysian’s point of view (on what she thought of the logo), “it was just a major facepalm moment.”

On Facebook, one lone friend is spotted asking on his status update, “Where can I get a Malaysian flag? I want to hang it from my balcony.” Very few of his friends responded to the query.

No 

Money, No Merdeka Honey

Malaysians at this moment can’t be bothered about politics. They’re concerned about GE, but right at the top of their heads is how to make a living in Malaysia. If corporate professionals turn to multi-level marketing as a side-income, and journalists to tuition and freelance writing to make up for their pay, what about the average Malaysian?

This year’s Ramadan revealed the rising cost of food. A pitiful currypuff is now 50 sen, when it used to be RM1 for three currypuffs. And it seems that it is the same everywhere, from Bangsar to Keramat. Maggi Mee, a staple for Malaysians, has gone up, and a cup of very sweet Milo at a small mamak-like café at Giant Kota Damansara now cost RM4. Could this be why crime is rampant?

Tania Leong, who runs a new age shop, is not confident of our economy. “Everyone I know who owns a business, has reported a decrease in revenue. Even my customers share a same complaint of their businesses, be it property, legal (clients unable to pay), travel agency, health spas, dvd shops, children's play facilities, restaurants etc. Sungai Wang Plaza in the city has always been golden hot property (probably one of the top 5 most expensive per sq.ft.), and even that is suffering.”

“What I have observed is that this country is lacking qualified personnel in many areas of work from a sale assistant to corporate positions, a low standard of education system, many government workers are slow, inefficient and clueless, there is no minimum wage, corruption appears to be the norm in our judicial, police & government departments, religion has been made into law, sex education in schools are non-existent or minimal and so we have children bearing children. Crime rates seemed to have soared the last couple of years.”

“If leaving the country was an option for me, I would leave in a heartbeat.”

Hani B works in retail and has first-hand experiences with customer spending. Her customers range from the wealthy Middle Easterners to young college students, and understands their buying habits. “I used to be confident that our economy can weather most adversities, now I get totally scared when reading that our national debt amounted to 257 billion in 2011 … yikes!!

When I google about our economy, the results go on and on about how much it's growing bla bla bla but retail wise, I just don't see it and my salary certainly doesn't reflect it.”

Like Tania, she notes that skilled workers are lacking. “I read that our country is among the top 20 nations to be labelled as losers of capital flight ... that is RM893 billion(!) siphoned out between 1970 and 2010, so why should we stay back and help with the improvement of wealth to the 1 per cent? Then again, what do I know, I'm just a shopgirl.”

At the many open houses around the capital, the Malaysians asked, professed to forgetting that Merdeka was around the corner. This year is bad, they said, and their open houses reflect that.

Open houses are celebrated on a smaller scale now.

Yet, there is still some cheer, among bankers and human resource professionals. An expatriate investment banker based in Kuala Lumpur is enthusiastic about life in Malaysia. “The wealthy Europeans and Australians are now heading to Asia for the quality of life it offers. Now, certain Asian countries like Hong Kong are a no-no for expats, because of its spiralling cost of living. While Malaysia has the infrastructure, it has to beat Thailand and Indonesia – these two countries reinvent themselves, to meet with contemporary demands.” Malaysia has the potential to be the top 20 countries in the world, but the numbers are teetering. 

He concedes that corruption happens everywhere – Malaysia is not unusual. “What Malaysia needs now is good managers of its wealth and resources.”

EK Cheah, Managing Partner, Aspac Executive Search, observes that looking at the economy from a broad point of view there are a few scenarios playing out. They are “… On one hand, Europe is on a downward trend, China is slowing down and the US is stagnating. This implies that Malaysia which is largely export-dependent will be impacted. Even on the commodities front, palm oil, prices are down due to oversupply.”

Growth is however present, due to the various government initiatives, e.g. ETP. From a HR view, he says, there will be hiring, but there is definitely a big gap in talent. Two factors contributing to this are Malaysians emigrating and basically greater job mobility due to globalisation.

So is there enough talent at the high-end/professionals level? “No, and this has been the case for many years and will continue to be the case for many years to come. As for TalentCorp – Why have they shifted their focus from getting Malaysians back to also attracting expats? (https://www.expats.com.my/rp/new/html/) They should be focusing on getting Malaysians back and on top of that also help correct the fundamentals that would be required to retain Malaysian talents over the long term.”

As for the Malaysian economy, he is confident it will still grow 4-5 per cent a year over the next 2-3 years but much still depends on the socio-economical situation.

Judging by the responses, it could well be a quiet Merdeka for many.