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PM: Barisan govt always ahead of time in bringing change
Australia to ease visa rules to woo foreign students
DPM: M’sia not ready for hudud laws

PM: Barisan govt always ahead of time in bringing change

Posted: 22 Sep 2011 08:01 AM PDT

KUALA SELANGOR: The Barisan Nasional-led government has constantly been ahead of the times in bringing change to the nation said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Thursday.

"The changes are not only now, but from the start in our pursuit for independence. We have been ahead of the times with our approaches, which were not thought of by other nations.

"For instance, in pursuing independence, the government was represented by all races. In the 1950s, nobody thought of this. In Northern Ireland, the Catholics and Protestants clashed for generations before it was resolved a few years ago via the power-sharing approach," he told thousands at a dinner hosted by the Barisan Assemblymen's Club here.

He reminded the people not to fall for the Opposition's promises for change, as they had constantly failed to deliver.

"We must remember their biggest lie ever in history, when they said that the Barisan government will fall on Sept 16, 2008 and that they will take over Putrajaya," he said.

He pointed out that PKR was facing infighting and that had resulted in many people leaving the party, while DAP and PAS did not get along in many issues, including the formation of the Islamic state.

"We will bring change. We won't promise change, (but) we will deliver change," he said.

More in The Star on Friday

Australia to ease visa rules to woo foreign students

Posted: 22 Sep 2011 06:28 AM PDT

MELBOURNE: Witnessing a steep decline in foreigners' enrolment in its universities, Australia on Thursday announced that it would relax some visa requirements to win back overseas students.

The new changes, expected to be enforced from the second semester of 2012 in the Australian universities, follow a review of the student visa programme led by ex-New South Wales government minister Michael Knight, Press Trust of India reports.

Under the new rules, the financial requirements for student visas will be eased and applicants would need about A$36,000 less in their bank account than they do now.

And new post-study work visas will allow students to remain in Australia for two to four years after their course ends, depending on their level of qualification.

Significantly, Canberra had earlier tightened the visa regime stating that many came to Australia to settle down by taking admissions in non-skilled vocational courses like cookery and hair-cutting.

"We were taking hairdressers from overseas in front of doctors and nurses, it didn't make any sense," Australian immigration authorities had said last year while tightening the visa rules.

Overall, 50,540 fewer international students were granted visas to study in Australia in 2009-10 compared with 2008-09.

The Australian authorities also said that students applying for various course will also have to prove they are genuine students and genuine about returning home.

"It's not enough to be genuine about your studies and have no intention of going home, nor is it enough to be genuine about going home but not serious about your studies," Knight was quoted as saying in the report.

The Knight report made 41 recommendations, which have been accepted by the government.

Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans said the changes would help Australian universities to be more competitive in the international market.

"They have articulated for a long time that the visa processes are a barrier to attracting students in an increasingly competitive environment," he said.

Evans said the sector's previous growth rate was unsustainable and could not continue.

"I think we had some of those problems with student welfare because the system had just grown too quickly," he said.

"This will help put this sector on a very good footing to continue to grow." - Bernama

DPM: M’sia not ready for hudud laws

Posted: 22 Sep 2011 06:05 AM PDT

Published: Thursday September 22, 2011 MYT 9:05:00 PM

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is not ready for the implementation of hudud law, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Deputy Prime Minister said as a multi-racial and multi-religious country, Malaysia was not ready to introduce hudud laws as brought up by PAS leaders.

"Our stand is that in Malaysia, we cannot implement it in the present situation. I do not think in the present condition, it is suitable for implementation. We did not question the need to implement hudud law," he told a news conference after chairing a Cabinet Committee on Supply and Prices meeting here Thursday.

Muhyiddin said hudud laws could only be implemented when the situation was really conducive.

He said explanation and understanding of theses laws needed to be extended to cover all the people in the country so that they truly understood them.

"As a Muslim, I cannot reject hudud law. This is a fact from the Islamic law aspect but its implementation has become a subject of debate today. If Nik Aziz (Kelantan Mentri Besar) said it would be implemented in Kelantan, it is his wish," he added.

Under hudud laws, thieves hands are chopped off, adulterers stoned to death and murderers executed. - Bernama

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Khamis, 22 September 2011