The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
- EC prefers simultaneous state and parliamentary elections
- Malaysia’s mission to Gaza expected to continue on land
- MCA: Give top 300 students overseas scholarships based purely on academic results
| EC prefers simultaneous state and parliamentary elections Posted: 24 May 2011 06:43 AM PDT SHAH ALAM: The Election Commission (EC) prefers state and parliamentary elections be held simultaneously as it will save cost, time and energy. Its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said EC was in favour of holding simultaneous elections, as it did not want to prolong politicking. "Imagine having one election after another, there will be no end to this," he told Bernama when contacted Tuesday. Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had said the Selangor State Legislative Assembly would not be dissolved even if Parliament was dissolved this year. Aziz said the Selangor government had the right to dissolve the legislative assembly after receiving assent from the sultan on the advice of the mentri besar. EC will have to call the election 60 days after the state legislative assembly is dissolved. Asked whether Selangor should bear the cost of holding a separate election, he said the cost would be borne by EC which received allocation from the federal government. Aziz said EC preferred simultaneous elections like Bukit Gantang (Perak), Bukit Selambau (Kedah), and Batang Ai (Sarawak) in 2009 and Merlimau (Melaka) and Kerdau (Pahang) in March. He likened holding elections simultaneously to organising a wedding for three children as it is cost-effective and save manpower. The 2008 general election cost over RM200mil while the Sarawak state election cost RM50mil. - Bernama Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Malaysia’s mission to Gaza expected to continue on land Posted: 24 May 2011 05:05 AM PDT EL-ARISH: The mission to send PVC pipes to Gaza is expected to continue by land following the Egyptian authorities' decision to allow the MV Spirit of Rachel Corrie (formerly MV Finch) carrying humanitarian aid to berth and unload the cargo at El-Arish Port. Bernama reporter Mohd Faizal Hassan sent a SMS text to the national news agency's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur: "It is understood that the Egyptian foreign minister has given permission (for the ship) to berth and unload the goods today...InsyaAllah (God willing), we will be on land." The Malaysian-owned ship had to wait outside El-Arish Port for a week, waiting for the Egyptian authorities to allow it to berth at the port. Now the ship's engine has broken down. On May 16, the cargo ship carrying 12 passengers and crew members, as well as two Malaysian reporters had to cancel its plan to enter Palestinian waters to deliver aid to Gaza when Israeli soldiers fired warning shots at the ship when it tried to run the blockade. The ship is skippered by a Malaysian, Captain Abdul Jalil Mansor, who is assisted by four crew members, Malaysians Zainuddin Mohamad and Mohd Jaffery Ariffin and Indian nationals Sharma Chandan Shimla and Pal Satya Prakash. Besides the Bernama reporter, onboard are New Straits Times reporter Iskandar Alang Zainuddin, volunteer Mohd Radzillah Abdullah from Felda, Derek Graham and Jenny Graham from Ireland, and Julie Levesque from Canada. - Bernama Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| MCA: Give top 300 students overseas scholarships based purely on academic results Posted: 24 May 2011 04:49 AM PDT *Dr Chua: MCA will set up an education fund worth RM30mil to help poor students from all races with grants and interest-free loans. KUALA LUMPUR: Four MCA ministers will propose to the Cabinet on Wednesday that the top 300 SPM students be selected for Public Service Department (PSD) overseas scholarships based purely on academic results and should not be required to go through an interview. Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Tuesday these students should be selected for the scholarships solely based on their academic results. "Currently, some of these top students only obtained local scholarships but they should automatically be granted overseas scholarships based on their results," he told a press conference after chairing the presidential council meeting here Tuesday. Under the PSD scholarships, 20% goes to top students based on merit but they still need to undergo an interview process before they are awarded the grants. Dr Chua, who met PSD director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Abdullah and a few party leaders on Tuesday, said the department had promised to rectify mistakes that involved 66 students who had a mismatch of courses that they had applied for. "It will also rectify the mistakes that involved 102 students who applied for degree courses but were given scholarships for diploma courses," he said. Dr Chua said two disabled students who failed to get the scholarships would also be awarded the grants. He said the issue would be brought up in the Cabinet on Wednesday to ensure that the PSD followed through with its promise to rectify mistakes in the distribution of the grants. When asked if it was appropriate for Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz to comment that MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong was "acting as a hero" when he tried to bring up the issue, Dr Chua said: "If Nazri, being a senior minister, does not know the role of MCA, that is rather unfortunate." On another matter, Dr Chua said the party would set up an education fund worth RM30mil to help poor students from all races. "The fund will be given out as financial assistance and interest-free loans to help these students," he said. He said party treasurer-general Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho would lead a committee which would prepare a proposal on how to disburse the fund. More in The Star on Wednesday Related Stories: |
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