Share
-
FlagCounter
.my Malaysia from Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2007-2008
Documento(s) 26 de 45
Musa Abu Hassan and Mohd Safar Hasim
IntroductionSince achieving independence in 1957, the development programmes of Malaysia are conducted through Five-Year Development Plans. The year 2006 marks the beginning of the country’s Ninth Development Plan. Besides the Five-Year Plan, Malaysia has Vision 2020, a plan to achieve developed country status for Malaysia by the year 2020 that was envisioned and launched by ex-Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad in 1991. Vision 2020 contains nine central strategic challenges, the sixth of which is the challenge of establishing a scientific and progressive society, a society that is innovative and forward-looking, and one that is not only a consumer of technology but also a contributor to the scientific and technological civilization of the future (Government of Malaysia 2006). Key to meeting this challenge is the adoption and use of information and communication technology (ICT) by all sectors of government and society. The deployment of ICT as an important component of development started in the Seventh Malaysian Plan 1996–2000. During this period the National Information Technology Council (NITC) was established as a think-tank and advisor to the government on IT development. The NITC initiated the formulation of a national IT plan and the identification of key programmes for the transformation of Malaysian society into a knowledge-based society (Malaysia 1996). The government also launched the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) during this development period. Conceptualized in 1966, the MSC has since grown into a thriving and dynamic ICT hub, hosting multinationals, and foreign-owned and home-grown Malaysian companies involved in multimedia and communication products, solutions, services, and research and development (Multimedia Development Corporation 2006). The MSC has seven flagship applications to enhance the socio-economic development of Malaysia: Electronic Government, Multipurpose Card, Smart School, Tele-health, Research and Development Clusters, E-Business and Technopreneur Development. Another crucial component of ICT development in Malaysia is the National Information Technology Agenda (NITA) that was developed to spearhead and guide ICT development in the country. Its three main interrelated components are people, applications and infostructure. Hashim (2000) noted that NITA grants equal opportunity to every citizen to access the info-structure in order to transform Malaysia into the value-based knowledge society envisioned in Vision 2020. This chapter presents the Malaysian scenario of ICT for development. For further information, readers are encouraged to refer to the websites listed at the end of the chapter. Technology infrastructureSince 1987, Malaysia has been actively involved in reforming and restructuring the telecommunications sector (Kementerian Tenaga, Air dan Komunikasi 2006). The participation of the private sector has ensured the development of the necessary information infrastructure. For instance, trunk fibre networks now crisscross peninsular Malaysia and extend across the South China Sea to connect Sabah and Sarawak in the eastern part of the country. With Malaysia’s own satellite (MEASAT I, MEASAT II and MEASAT III), completion of the Malaysian infrastructure superhighway is within reach. Six licensed telecommunication companies provide telephony services: Telekom Malaysia (TM), Celcom, Maxis Communication, Time Telekom, DIGI Telekom and Prismanet. Two of these companies, TM and Maxis, are also Internet service providers (ISP). Another ISP currently operating in Malaysia is Jaring by MIMOS. At of the end of 2005, there were 2,839,000 fixed-line residential telephone subscribers (49.5 per 100 households) and 1,527,000 fixed-line business subscribers. The total of 4.366 million fixed-line subscribers represents a penetration rate of 16.6 per 100 inhabitants in Malaysia (Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission 2006). The cellular phone penetration rate was higher at 74.1 per 100 inhabitants at the end of 2005. There are 19.545 million cellular phone users in the country, with a ratio of eight prepaid users to one postpaid user. The penetration rate of dial-up Internet in the same period was 13.9 per 100 inhabitants. The penetration rate for broadband Internet was 1.9 per 100 inhabitants. The personal computer penetration rate in 2005 was recorded at 21.8 per 100 inhabitants (Malaysia 2006). The Malaysian government is pursuing an overall technology infrastructure development strategy called the MyICMS 886 Strategy, which is short for Malaysian Information, Communication and Multimedia Services 886 Strategy. The numbers 886 refer to eight new services to catalyze and promote the development of eight essential infrastructure that are to generate growth in six areas that have been identified as key for the consumers and business in Malaysia (Ministry of Energy, Water and Communication n.d.). The eight new services are high-speed broadband, 3G and beyond, mobile TV, digital multimedia broadcasting, digital homes, short-range communication, VoIP/Internet telephony, and universal service provision (USP). The eight essential infrastructures are multi-service convergence networks, 3G cellular networks, satellite networks, next-generation Internet protocol (IPv6), home Internet adoption, information and network security, competence development, and product design and manufacturing. The six growth areas are content development, ICT education hub, digital multimedia receivers, communication devices, embedded components and devices, and foreign venture. Specific to broadband service, in 2006 TMnet started providing Streamyx at 384 Kbps and above. Broadband services are available via fixed/cable (ADSL and fibre), satellite (VSAT and DTH) and wireless. The growth of the communications industry in Malaysia is also underpinned by demand for new services arising from the convergence of information technologies in the field of switching and transmission. For example, ATM, ISDN and SDH have created new services like VOD, video conferencing and many other multimedia applications on the Web, such as graphics, audio and animation, video and virtual reality, to mention a few. The key to this trend is liberalization, whereby government has allowed private participation in this sector. The thrust of the competition policy as envisaged in the Equal Access Policy is that it must lead to improvement in the quality of service as well as bring down prices as a result of improvements in operation efficiency. In keeping with this principle, 3G services have been awarded to four private companies. Key institutions dealing with ICTsAll of Malaysia’s 27 ministries and the Prime Minister’s Department are urged to utilize ICT to the fullest in delivering services to their target sectors. The following government organizations are specifically tasked with ICT development in Malaysia:
Private companies such as Maxis are expected to target ICT exposure, Internet access, basic computer training skills and computer literacy. Cybercafé entrepreneurs are expected to provide access to the Internet and the digital experience to various communities. R&D in microelectronics and IT is the responsibility of government-linked companies such as MIMOS Berhad. The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) is responsible for the implementation of the MSC. Education content is provided through the education portal Utusan Melayu. ICT industriesThe MSC was set up in 1996 to build a competitive cluster of local ICT companies and a sustainable ICT industry in a 750 sq km area south of Kuala Lumpur. Five cities and cyber centre ecosystems have been developed within the area: Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), KL Tower, Technology Park Malaysia and UPM-MTDC incubator centre. By the end of 2005, a total of 1,421 companies were awarded MSC status. More than half of these companies are engaged in software development for general enterprise solutions and data warehousing, as well as high-end specialized applications and e-commerce (Malaysia 2006). More than 500 companies were set up in 1996–2003, the first phase. Some 22,000 high-value jobs were created and some MYR 6 billion (USD 2.2 billion) in revenue was generated. By August 2006, the number of MSC-status companies had increased to 1,556, of which 1,485 are MSC Malaysia technology companies, 52 are institutions of higher learning and 19 are incubator companies. Sixty-seven companies are international world-class companies, such as Nokia, Siemens, Motorola Multimedia Lotus, Lucent Oracle, Intel, Fujitsu and Unisys. Under phase one there is only one corridor, the MSC. Under phase two, called Next Leap (2003–10), there will be a web of corridors with Penang-Kulim in the north, Johor in the south, the east coast, and Sabah and Sarawak. Under phase three, (2010–20), MSC benefits will be extended to the rest of the country, thereby transforming Malaysia into a value-based knowledge society and a one-nation Multimedia Super Corridor. To further speed up the development from August 2005, the states of Perak, Melaka, Pahang, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur are to receive MSC benefits. Enabling policies and programmesWhen Malaysia chose ICT to drive its economic and social development in the early 1990s, it was in ready mode. By the late 1980s, Malaysia had privatized its telecommunication and broadcasting industries (Hasim 2000). Equally important, the Microelectronic Systems of Malaysia (MIMOS) was established on 1 January 1985. In 1994, Malaysia set up its National IT Council with then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as chairperson. The Council was tasked with policy formulation, setting the strategic direction, policy coordination and evaluation and technology assessment and adoption, as well as industry promotion. The Council unveiled Malaysia’s IT Agenda (NITA) in 1996. Rooted in Vision 2020, NITA identified ICT as the means to help Malaysia leapfrog from being an industrial society to a post-industrial society. Entitled Turning Ripples into Tidal Waves, the document formed the basis for the informatization of Malaysian society—that is, the use of ICT in all walks of life to improve productivity and enhance quality of life. The focus was ICT for development (ICT4D) to address the issue of equitable development. Thus, the NITA document outlined a balanced and people-centred approach to ICT development. The K-Malaysia migration strategy is part of the NITA document. Its vision is to evolve a values-based knowledge society in the Malaysian mould, where the society is rich in information, empowered by knowledge, infused with a distinctive value-system and is self-governing (John 2002). The strategy follows three stages of development: information society by 2005, knowledge society by 2010, and values-based knowledge society by 2020. The phases coincide with the three phases of physical development, where the first phase is development within the MSC; the second phase extends the corridor to the north, the east coast, the south, and Sabah and Sarawak; and the third phase will cover the whole country. Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, Malaysia will enhance its position as a global and multimedia hub, expanding the communication network to ensure more equitable access to information and services and bridging the digital divide. MSC phase II will be rolled out, expanding multimedia applications, identifying new sources of growth in ICT, developing a skilled ICT workforce, accelerating e-learning acculturation and enhancing information security. Legal and regulatory environmentMalaysia’s approach to ICT development is two-pronged: providing the hard infrastructure in terms of physical development and laying out the soft infrastructure in terms of laws and regulations. At the start of Malaysia’s push for using ICT, six cyber laws were enacted, namely: Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission 1998, Computer Crime Act 1997, Digital Signature Act 1997, Telemedicine Act 1997 and Copyright (Amendment) Act 1997 (Hasim 2002). Together with the Bill of Guarantee, these laws became the soft infrastructure for the development of ICT. Each is discussed briefly below. Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 This is the cornerstone of all cyber laws in Malaysia. It is the basic document for the MSC and Malaysia’s efforts for future digital development in Malaysia. One of the most important elements of the Act is absence of censorship of the Internet. The Act repealed the Telecommunications Act 1950 and Broadcasting Act 1988. Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission 1998 This law enables the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to be set up as a new regulator for the communication and multimedia industry in Malaysia. The Act is based on the principles of transparency and clarity, more competition and less regulation, more emphasis on process rather than content, administrative and sector transparency and industry self-regulation. The Act covers only networked services and activities. Computer Crime Act 1997 The law covers six crimes related to misuse of computers: unauthorized access, unauthorized access to commit fraud or dishonesty, modification of computer content, communication of a password to persons other than the person for whom the password is intended, abetting a computer offence, and custody or control of a computer program or data without authorization. Digital Signature Act 1997 This Act, which legitimizes and provides for the use of digital signatures, aims to encourage electronic commerce. On 1 November 2001, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission was appointed as the Certifying Agency for digital signatures. Telemedicine Act 1997 The Act provides for the use of multimedia in telemedicine. It provides a legal framework for the practice of telemedicine. Copyright (Amendment) Act 1997 This is an amendment to the Copyright Act to include the Internet. Security issuesThe extent of security threats through the Internet in Malaysia can be gauged by the reported cases recorded by Niser, a body set up by the Malaysian government to monitor such incidents. Niser classifies security threats as mail bomb, spam, harassment, forgery, hacking, virus, malicious code, denial of service, destruction and intrusion. MyCert, which was set up before Niser and is now part of it, began collecting data on these security threats in 1997. In 2005, a new category called malicious code (such as W32.Brontok worm and W32.Nyxem worm) was included. During the past 10 years (August 1997–2006) Niser has recorded 30,803 cases of security threats: 23,330 cases of spam, 2,890 cases of virus, 1,775 cases of intrusion, 1,675 cases of hack threats, 339 cases of harassment, 198 cases of fraud, 137 cases of malicious code, 104 cases of mail bomb, 99 cases denial of service and 27 cases of destruction. It must be noted that these figures represent only incidents reported to Niser; the actual number of incidents could be much higher. Police have taken action on many of the reported cases under Computer Crime Act 1997 and Communication and Multimedia Act 1998. Police action under the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 resulted in 282 cases prosecuted, with damages totalling about MYR 1.17 million (USD 307,000). Most of the cases are related to licensing (Hasim 2005). Since 2000, when the Computer Crime Act was enforced, some 4,846 cases have been prosecuted with a total value loss of MYR 10.5 million (USD 2.76 million). Except for 2001 and 2002, the number of cases prosecuted under the Computer Crime Act appears to be dwindling. It is not clear whether the decline in number of cases is a result of fear of police action or inability of the police to take action. The police have recently taken in many IT graduates to beef up its computer crime section. Education and capacity buildingOne of the flagship MSC projects is the Smart School project, which aims to: (a) prepare school leavers for the Information Age; (b) bring about a systematic change in education, from an exam-dominated culture to a thinking and creative knowledge culture; (c) re-emphasize science and technology education with a focus on creativity and innovation; (d) equip students with IT competence; and (e) inculcate Malaysian values among students and produce a generation of caring, peace-loving and environmentally concerned citizens (Curriculum Development Centre 1997). The Ministry of Education is implementing the SchoolNet Project in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communication towards achieving the Smart School initiative. The initial target was connecting 10,000 rural and urban schools and some educational institutions. However, in the Ninth Malaysian Plan the government decided on ‘Making All Schools Smart.’ The Ministry of Education is also developing MySchoolNet, an educational portal for students, schoolteachers and school administrators (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia 2002). The Malaysian Grid for Learning (MyGfL) is another national initiative for e-learning. It is being undertaken by MIMOS Berhad to: (a) provide e-learning systems and tools to enable and support e-learning activities and processes for life-long learning; (b) bring together all relevant players in the e-learning ecosystem (learners, enablers and providers) to participate in the overall e-learning value chain and be part of the national learning grid; (c) develop e-learning standards to ensure conformance and adoption of best practices in e-learning content and systems; and (d) encourage sharing and development of local/indigenous content, thus stimulating the content industry (MIMOS Berhad 2005). An example of projects under MyGfl is Cikgu.net, maintained by Jaring, a subsidiary of MIMOS Berhad. The private sector also plays a role in providing educational resources to students and the public at large. For example, the Utusan Melayu Berhad has set up an educational portal called Smart Utusan Education Portal. This educational gateway attracts an average of six million visitors every month. It carries learning and teaching materials for all school levels, including pre-school and pre-university (Portal Pendidikan Utusan 2005). Within the portal, students can get access to the past year’s national examination questions, and teachers can view teaching plans and mathematics and science teaching scripts which provide ideas or activities to make teaching and learning more interesting. There is also an interactive section for visitors to share their thoughts through an online forum and cyber chat, try the e-laboratory or play games. Under the ‘Community’ heading is Sekolahku (Myschool) where schools can publish their Web pages. Online servicesICT has brought about changes in the way Malaysians conduct their work, social activities and leisure, especially since the Internet was made available in 1992 (Abu Hassan 2002). Many Malaysians now get their news, transact with banks, request services from or file complaints to the Local Authority, interact with the government officials, and communicate with friends and family online. From the Malaysian government official portal, citizens and residents of Malaysia can get information and services related to education, employment, health, social welfare and community, property and investment, legal matters, public amenities and utilities, security and safety, taxation and collections, and travel and transport. There are also links to all government offices, government tenders, job vacancies in government offices, and many more. Thus, it can be said that it is a comprehensive portal. In August 2006, the portal received an average of 42,000 visits monthly (MAMPU n.d.). To ensure that the public has access to e-services provided by government, telecentres have been set up in rural and urban areas by the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communication, the Ministry of Information, the State Government and the Local Authority. The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development has the Infodesa Project (see ‘Digital Content’ section). The Ministry of Energy, Water and Communication is collaborating with Pos Malaysia, Telekom Malaysia, and the MSD group of companies (Kementerian Tenaga, Air dan Komunikasi) in setting up Rural Internet Centres (RIC). The RIC project aims to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban communities. In 2006, there were 42 RICs throughout the country, all located at the post office where people congregate to pay utility bills and conduct other business. Members of the RIC can use the computer and Internet facilities for free. Each RIC has a website containing information on topics that are of interest to the local communities, such as health, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, arts and culture, security, entrepreneurship, local and national news, and local history. The RICs also conduct regular workshops to train the local community in the use of computers and the Internet. One RIC has conducted a workshop on starting a blog. The Maxis Bridging Community (MBC) project is an example of a private initiative to help bridge the digital divide in Malaysia. Maxis has trained 1,343 teachers and 2,722 school children from 719 schools in the Cyberkids Camp started in 2005. Using the ‘Train the Trainer’ concept, the camp includes classroom and outdoor activities designed to enable participating teachers and students to effectively use computers and the Internet and subsequently train others in their respective communities. The programme targets rural primary schools (Maxis Communication Berhad 2006). Open source initiativesThe Malaysian Administrative Modernization and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) is mandated by the government to take the lead in implementing the open source software (OSS) initiative for the public sector (Malaysian Public Sector 2006a). The four main components of the OSS Master Plan are: (a) framework and strategic thrusts, (b) technical implementation plan and roadmap, (c) open source competency centre and (d) OSS policies and guidelines. Subsequently, the government formulated six objectives for the OSS implementation plan, namely: (a) reduce total cost of ownership, (b) increase freedom of choice of software usage, (c) increase interoperability among systems, (d) stimulate the growth of the ICT industry, (e) promote the growth of the OSS user and developer community and (f) reduce the digital divide (Malaysian Public Sector 2006b). Since the launching of the OSS initiative, several workshops and seminars to create public awareness have been conducted regularly, mainly by the Open Source Competency Centre (OSCC) set up by the government. The 2005 human resource targets of the OSS initiative were for all Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Information Technology Personnel (ITP) to be OSS literate, 60 per cent of ITP to be trained in OSS and 10 per cent of ITP to be certified in the use of OSS. Other targets for 2005 were for 60 per cent of all new servers procured to run on open source operating systems, 60 per cent of Web servers (software) to use OSS, 30 per cent of office infrastructure (e-mail, DNS, Proxy) to use OSS and 30 per cent of desktop solutions to use OSS (Malaysian Public Sector 2006c). Digital content initiativesThe NITA document identifies content development as one of the strategies to be pursued as part of the implementation of the seven MSC flagship applications. An important aim is to develop culture-appropriate content. A key programme under content development is the Demonstrator Application Grant Scheme (DAGS). Its objectives include: (a) acculturating Malaysians to ICT, enabling them to maximize the benefits of ICT applications at work and at home, (b) building an integrated network of electronic communities using multimedia technology and (c) enhancing closer cooperation and collaboration between public agencies, private corporations and non-profit organizations through joint ventures and institutional linkages (NITC 2002). The DAGS funds Demonstrator Application programmes (DAs), which are small, focused and short-term projects that seek to create, develop and promote new ICT-based applications that create new content value for community development within specific contexts. To date, 75 projects have been started (some have been completed) under the DAGS strategic priority areas of Social Digital Inclusion, Economic Competitiveness and e-Public Services. Examples of DAGS projects are e-Bario, e-Homemakers, ICT in Masjid as a Neighbourhood Centre, MyBiz, Penang e-Doctor and Smart Taxipreneur (Demonstrator Application Grants Scheme 2003). Another content development programme is Infodesa by the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development. This content exchange platform intended for rural communities has two main components: Medan Infodesa or MID (Infodesa Centre) and Titian Digital (Digital Bridge). MID is a physical entity that is built or housed in the rural areas and equipped with ICT infostructure and functions; it serves as the district training centre and as a catalyst for local entrepreneurs. Digital Bridge is a communication gateway for the local community to interact through ICT with service providers and those involved in rural development activities. At present, there are 30 MIDs throughout the country. Examples of MID are e-Bayangan in Sabah, e-Gulang in Selangor and e-Bujang in Kedah (Kementerian Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah 2005). Research and developmentMIMOS Berhad has been designated to lead R&D activities related to ICT in Malaysia. Its approach to R&D has been collaboration and smart partnerships with universities, industry, research institutions and the government (MIMOS Berhad 2004). Four technology thrust areas are being emphasized by MIMOS: Pervasive Computing, Cyberspace Security, Microelectronics, and Grid Computing and Bioinformatics. To support research activities, the Malaysian government has introduced several research grants. For instance, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) has the task of coordinating the ScienceFund, TechnoFund and InnoFund (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation 2004). There are few research grants from the private sector so far. A number of studies regarding various aspects of ICT have been conducted by several universities in Malaysia. For example, academic staff and undergraduate and graduate students of the Department of Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia have completed more than 50 ICT-related studies since the early 1990s. The research respondents include the general public, family members, youth, women, public and private sector staff, cybercafé users, members of urban and rural communities, as well as cyber communities. Among the aspects of ICT that have been studied are Internet addiction, techno stress, computer anxiety, telecommuting, IT in agriculture, the contents of community Web pages and societal readiness to accept IT. At Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, an e-community research centre was set up in 2000. Among others, the centre monitors and assesses the impact of ICT on society, especially on changes in quality of life. It is hoped that systematic monitoring of e-community programmes would lead to better strategic planning, policy formulation, as well as theory-building. Membership in the e-community research centre is open to researchers from other academic and government institutions. There is a need for information sharing among researchers from various universities and other research institutions regarding what ICT studies are being undertaken. In this way, new areas of research can be identified, the findings of previous research can be utilized, duplication can be reduced and research resources can be optimized. ChallengesGiven Malaysia’s ICT capability, it would be good to get as many Malaysians as possible online. Making citizens ICT users is one of the major challenges in the Malaysia ICT scene. Equally challenging is increasing Internet penetration throughout Malaysia. The way forward is to lower cost in terms of tariff and maintenance, so that more people can use the Internet. The government announced recently its intention to equip 1,500 schools with cybercafé facilities as part of the bridging the digital divide initiative. These facilities should also be made accessible to the public, especially in marginalized and rural areas. Another challenge is keeping cyber laws up-to-date. It has been about a decade since the current laws were passed. A review of these laws would make them more relevant and attuned to changing technologies and online applications. For instance, the US government has come up with a law disallowing credit card companies from honouring payments for gambling through the Internet. Above all, Malaysians should strive to ensure that Malaysia is ready to realize Vision 2020—that is, Malaysia as a developed nation and a value-based knowledge society. ReferencesAbu Hassan, M. (2002). Internet in Malaysia. In Rao, S. and Klopfenstein, B. (eds), Cyberpath to development: Issues and challenges (pp. 137–57). Westport, CT.: Praeger. Curriculum Development Centre. (1997). Concept. Retrieved 28 September 2006 from http://www.ppk.kpm.my/smartschool/concept.html Demonstrator Application Grant Scheme. (2003). Demonstrator application grant scheme (DAGS). Retrieved 29 August 2006 from http://www.dags.net.my Government of Malaysia. (2006). Malaysia as a fully developed country—One definition. Retrieved 9 September 2006 from http://www.pmo.gov.my/website/webdb.nsf/ Hashim, R. (2000). Memasyarakatkan teknologi komunikasi maklumat (TKM) menerusi projek e-komuniti: Yakin boleh? [Socialization of information and communication technology (ICT): Have the confidence?] Paper presented at Seminar on Socialization of ICT, 10–11 May 2000. UPM Serdang. Hasim, M.S. (2000). South East Asian countries’ response to the advent of the information era: With emphasis on Malaysia. Jurnal komunikasi, 16, 1–32. Hasim, M.S. (2002). Introduction to media and cyber laws. Kuala Lumpur: Utusan Publications and Distributors Sdn. Bhd. Hasim, M.S. (2005). Opportunities and challenges of the Internet: Coping with legislations in cyber space. Paper presented at IAMCR Conference, 27 July 2005. Taipei, Taiwan. John, K.J. (2002). Towards a K-Malaysia: A vision and strategy. Paper presented at the International Conference Partnership Networks as Tools to Enhance Information Society Development and Knowledge Economy, 9 December 2002, Moscow, Russia. Retrieved 4 February 2007 from http://www.globalknowledge.ru Kementerian Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah. (2005). Infodesa. Retrieved 26 September 2006 from http://www.rurallink.gov.my/Pk_Default.php? Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia. (2002). MYSchoolNet. Retrieved 28 September 2006 from http://www.myschoolnet.ppk.kpm.my/main/perihal.htm Kementerian Tenaga, Air dan Komunikasi. (2006). The industry. Retrieved 11 September 2006 from http://www.ktkm.gov.my/template.asp Kementerian Tenaga, Air dan Komunikasi. (n.d.). Portal komuniti desa [Rural community portal]. Retrieved 30 August 2006 from http://idesa.net.my Malaysia. (1996). Seventh Malaysian Plan 1996–2000. Kuala Lumpur: Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad. Malaysia. (2006). Ninth Malaysian Plan 2006–2010. Kuala Lumpur: Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad. Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission. (2006). Facts and figures. Retrieved 15 September 2006 from http://www.mcmc.gov.my/facts_figures/stats/index.asp Malaysian Public Sector. (2006a). Government decision on OSS implementation. Retrieved 18 September 2006 from http://opensource.mampu.gov.my/index.php Malaysian Public Sector. (2006b). Objectives of OSS implementation. Retrieved 18 September 2006 from http://opensource.mampu.gov.my/index.php Malaysian Public Sector. (2006c). Master plan—Target to achieved. Retrieved 18 September 2006 from http://opensource.mampu.gov.my/index.php MAMPU. (n.d.). Citizen and resident of Malaysia. Retrieved 26 September 2006 from http://www.gov.my/MyGov/BI/Directory/Citizen/ Maxis Communication Berhad. (2006). Giving back to society. Retrieved 2 August 2006 from http://www.maxis.com.my/personal/about_us/profile/giving.asp MIMOS Berhad. (2004). The organization. Retrieved 16 August 2006 from http://www.mimos.my/about2.html MIMOS Berhad. (2005). About MyGfL. Retrieved 28 September 2006 from http://www.mygfl.net.my/mygfl/index_php3?page=About&Lang=571&ms=main Ministry of Energy, Water and Communication. (n.d.). MyICMS886 strategy. Putrajaya. Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. (2004). MOSTI grants. Retrieved 18 September 2006 from http://www.mosti.gov.my/MasterPortal/website/index.jsp Multimedia Development Corporation. (2006). The multimedia super corridor. Retrieved 9 August 2006 from http://www.msc.com.my/msc/msc.asp NITC. (2002). DAGS’ pride: A collection of DAGS projects. Kuala Lumpur: NITC Malaysia. Portal Pendidikan Utusan. (2005). Tentang kami [About us]. Retrieved 28 September 2006 from http://www.tutor.com.my/tutor/info.asp?pg=about.htm Documento(s) 26 de 45
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
INTEGRITY: YOU KNOW IT BUT DO YOU HAVE IT?
4 Feb 2012
This speech was delivered at UNITEN Inaugural Integrity Lecture Series on 3 Feb 2012
It is used with permission
INTEGRITY: YOU KNOW IT BUT DO YOU HAVE IT?
By
Tun Abdul Hamid Bin Haji Mohamad
(Former Chief Justice of Malaysia)
I thank UNITEN and the Institut Integriti Malaysia for giving me the honor of delivering the first lecture of this series. I am more honored by the fact that this lecture is on integrity which makes me believe that I must have some integrity, at least sufficient to deliver this lecture, provided that the invitation is not a mistake !
As I am not an academician, I have decided to speak about what I have seen, heard and experienced throughout my life, vis-a-vis integrity. So, if you were to ask me how long I took to prepare this lecture, my answer is “Sixty nine years and ten months!”
I hope you will bear with me for a while, while I narrate the story of this man whom I am taking as an example.
At the close of the nineteenth century, a baby was born in Permatang Tinggi Bakar Bata, Kepala Batas, Province Wellesley. He grew up in the village, attended a pondok school in Kedah, then in Kelantan and later spent a few years in Makkah where he attended classes at Masjid al-Haram.
He returned home, married a girl from the same village, worked as a rice planter. He taught the Qu’ran on a voluntary basis twice a day to the children in the village, besides being the Imam of the mosque in the area.
In 1950’s there was no school in Bumbung Lima. He and the people in the area decided to build a school. They collected money after every harvesting season which was entrusted to him for safekeeping. They went into the nearby forest to cut down trees and bamboo and, in the gotong royong tradition, built a three-classroom school made of attap roof and woven bamboo walls and windows. The Government provided the teachers and the children in the nearby villages went to school.
The mosque with woven bamboo walls, was old and rotting. He initiated a fund to rebuild it, collecting RM15 (if I am not mistaken) from each family after every harvesting season. He kept the money in safe custody, bundled in an old piece of cloth and known to the wife and children as duit Masjid and no one would touch it. During that period, he bought an old Austin 8, the first car in the village. Fearing that people might think that he had misused the duit Masjid to buy the car, on the following Friday, he carried the bundle of money to the mosque. Before the prayer started, he placed the bundle on the floor of the verandah of the mosque (called balai lintang because it lies horizontal to the main building) and announced to those present. ”Those of you who think that I bought the car with the “mosque money”, come and count it.” There was a complete silence. The mosque was built and completed, wholly from the money collected from the villagers and their sweat.
There was an Imam Muda, a lebai from Kedah, married to his niece. There was a rumor that he used to go and collect money from the taukeh of a shop where gambling was going on. A date was fixed for a “hearing” and, as usual, on Friday. Our subject challenged those who saw the incident to come forward and repeat their allegation. Two men came forward and swore that they were in the shop and they saw the Imam Muda came and took money from the taukeh. The Imam Muda was relieved of his position. There was no Majlis Agama Islam yet at that time.
There was an Indian man by the name of Banggaru living just outside the village. He had eleven young children and his wife had died of childbirth. Their mud house was flooded. He invited Banggaru and his children to live temporarily underneath his Malay-type kampung house built on stilts. They lived there until the flood subsided. About thirty years later, a car came to our subject’s house. There were three Indian men in the car. The two younger men carried an old and sickly man, sitting on the back seat of the car into our subject’s house, which was a new one though on the same spot as the old one. The old and sickly Indian man was no other than Banggaru. He wanted to meet “Haji” (that was how he called our subject) for the last time before he died and to thank “Haji” for all his help. Banggaru died soon after that. He knew how to say “thank you”.
There were two Chinese families living just outside the village. They always quarreled with each other and would run to “Haji‘s” house to complain about the other. Needless to say, our subject would advise them to live as good neighbors, after all there were only two of them there.
Another Chinese man. a complete outsider, came to open a bicycle shop in the nearby Bumbung Lima. He had no money. He went to see our subject to borrow a few hundred Ringgit who gave him the money and mind you, strictly without interest as interest is riba‘. The Chinese man’s business grew and he ventured into other businesses before he died. His children inherited his businesses and are well off now but I doubt whether they know the story.
One day, the aged mother of the Penghulu came to his house crying: her son had chased her out of the house. More than a decade later, the Penghulu himself, now retired, came to him complaining that he had been chased out of the same house by his son. Of course, our subject reminded the Penghulu of the earlier incident.
He was already very old then but he could still cycle. Someone informed him of some people gambling in the bushes nearby the village. He cycled there and on seeing him approaching they all fled. It was not a case of fear but ashamed to be seen by him gambling.
He died at the age of about 100, unfortunately we do not know his date of birth. Even then, he died in style. He had complained of feeling feverish. He wanted to take his ablution, which he did. He asked for a clean sarong and baju Melayu, He dressed up for prayer, placed the prayer mat facing Ka’abah and said “Soon the Imam will come”. Not comprehending what he really meant, his son replied, “No, it is still too early for Maghrib”, He collapsed, dressed for prayer and while waiting for it, complete with ablution. Then the children understood what he meant by “Soon the Imam will come”. That night, three generations of his students kept awake and recited the Qur’an for him. The youths in the village insisted that they wanted to carry his body to the cemetery about two miles away instead of being transported by van.
Why do people go to him for advice, for settlement of disputes and for all kinds of things? Why do people not want to be seen by him doing something wrong? The answer is that they have a lot of respect for him. Why do they respect him? Simply, it is because of his integrity.
Who is that man? Today, sixteen years after his death, UNITEN and Institut Integriti Malaysia, not knowing the story, invite his youngest son to deliver this lecture. Yes, that man is my father, Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Abdullah or known as “’Pak Su’ or ‘Pak Cik’ Haji Ahmad”, depending whether you are from the paternal or maternal side. If I deserve this invitation, I owe it to him and I dedicate this lecture to him. May Allah bless his soul.
What can we learn from him regarding “integrity”?
First, he did not even know the word “integrity” whether in Malay or English, what more words like “transparency”, keutuhan and so on. But he knew what was right and what was wrong and he always chose to do what was right. I surmise that, most probably, he knew such Qur’anic words like haq and batil, ma’aruf and munkar which could have influenced him greatly, as they did on me. My point is, you may live a life full of integrity without realizing it but by doing what you know is right and avoiding what you know is wrong.
Second, I believe he knew the word jujur and ikhlas but, in all my life, I did not hear him use those words even once. But what he did not preach through words, he, perhaps without realizing it, was preaching through examples. There is nothing more effective than preaching through example. As far as I have read that was what Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. did. Due to his excellent examples and more so being a Prophet, the sahabah like Abu Hurairah would follow him, observed every movement he made and every word he said, in answer to questions or otherwise, and recorded them faithfully. All those examples became traditions and followed all over the world for one and a half millennium now. That is the power of leadership by examples, good examples.
Why was “Kepimpinan Melalui Teladan” forgotten almost as soon as it was launched? Because the good examples were not forthcoming. As a result, very few people, took it seriously and soon it became irrelevant and was forgotten.
Even Madonna, the “material girl”, knows how to appreciate integrity when she speaks about her father:
“My father was very strong, I don’t agree with a lot of the ways he brought me up. I don’t agree with a lot of his values, but he did have a lot of integrity, and if he told us not to do something, he didn’t do it either.”[i]
Now, listen to this:
“O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do?
Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.” – Al-Saff (61): 2 and 3. (Sahih International)
I do not think anyone would suggest that Madonna and/or her father had read those two verses!
Third, integrity has to be earned the hard way throughout our life. You may have spent years or decades doing the right thing and accumulating your integrity, but one misstep, one mistake, one indiscretion affecting your honesty or morality, the whole of what you have accumulated, is wiped out. Once you lose it, it is even more difficult to accumulate it again.
Fourth, a person’s academic qualification is quite irrelevant for a person to attain integrity even though it helps to understand it. But understanding integrity does not make one a person of integrity. A person may be an intellectual but he may be intellectually dishonest or he may be dishonest with his maid or driver both of which, trivial as they appear, would put a blot on his integrity. You will be surprised that what appears to be trivial may have a big negative effect on a person’s integrity.
On the other hand, a person may not be able to define integrity. He may not be able to give lecture on it. With the fitrah that Allah has given us, with right upbringing, right surrounding, a person would know, what is right and what is wrong. True enough that right and wrong could be subjective, greatly influenced by your religion, culture, society and law. Yet, when it comes to honesty, the core ingredient for integrity, I do not think there is any room for a difference of opinion. So, lack of integrity is not due to ignorance. You know integrity but the question is: do you have it? Whether you have it or not depends on you, on what you do throughout your life. In other words, it boils down to our character. But, we are all human. Everyone has moments of weakness and indiscretion. However, what makes the difference is how serious and how often. When such moments of weakness and indiscretion become the norm rather than the exception, what more when those “wrongs” have become “normal”, then there is something really very wrong with the person.
Fifth, a person’s position is irrelevant too. He may hold a very high, important and powerful position. If he has no integrity, the very same people who salute him, bow to him, greet him and try to please him, may not have any respect for him deep in their hearts. A good indicator is what people say behind your back or how the same people treat you after you retire: whether, seeing you walking at the supermarket, people whom you don’t even remember or recognize would walk up to you, greet you, introduce themselves, ask how are you and wish you well or, even those you recognize just turn away. That is why I used to say that the real assessment of our career while we are still alive is when we retire. The final one is when we die.
Sixth, integrity requires no advertisement if you have it, neither can you hide it if you don’t have it. Actually, a person’s honesty can be seen on his face. I am sure you have experienced listening to a speaker whose delivery was impeccable, who was very fluent and witty and who spoke without text. You were mesmerized by him but, when he stopped and the moment the sound of clapping died down, you wondered whether he meant what he said. On the other hand, you would have experienced listening to another person, who read his speech with some difficulty but even as he spoke, to quote Allah yarham Tun Mohamed Suffian, “you could see his honesty shining through his forehead.” [ii]
Out of curiosity, I tried to check what other people have said or written about integrity, focusing on the word “integrity” itself in relation to “individual integrity” as against “organizational integrity”. I find the results interesting. Let us run through a few of them.
- “A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times.” – Unknown.
- “Integrity is what we do, what we say and what we say we do.” – Don Galor
- “Integrity is the essence of everything successful.” – Richard Buckminster Fuller[iii].
- “Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching.” - Anonymous.
- “Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” – William Clement Stone[iv].
- “Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” – Spencer Johnson.[v]
Surprisingly, they seem to be talking about the same thing.
I have been talking about integrity at individual level. To me that is where it begins, whether you are looking at individual, group, society or organization level. Of course, at group, society and organizational levels, other additional factors come into play.
Let us take a glance at the society level. First, let us take a few random samples focusing on honesty, the key ingredient to integrity.
A Professor of Polish origin who taught at the National University of Singapore, told me whenever he crossed the causeway to Johor Bahru he would take a taxi driven by a man wearing a white cap because he found him more honest.
A Professor from the United States left his jacket with his purse and passport in it in a train in Japan. He rang up the number on the ticket. He was told to go and collect it at the next station. He found everything intact.
A Captain of an international merchant ship told me that the worst port in the world in terms of cheating is a port in a predominantly Muslim country in the Middle East.
Traveling in Switzerland I saw farmers placing a table on the side of the road with vegetables for sale. The vegetables had been weighed and each bundle had a price tag on it. There was a box on the table for you to put money into. If you have no change you may open the box and take your change. Mind you, there was no one around. (I told a friend about it. He said that if we were to do it here, even the table would be gone!)
A friend of mine told me of blatant cheating at a temple that he went for pilgrimage to.
In 1981, I was transferred to a State as the State Legal Advisor. A few days before the Aidil Firti, I went to the mosque to pay my fitrah. The Bilal, an ‘amil was there. He asked me whether I had “registered”. I replied “No. I have just come to live here”. I paid him the required amount. He put it in his pocket. I waited. Then he said, “Dah selesai”. I asked “What about the receipt?” He replied, “No need because you have not registered.”
If you go to Makkah you will find that the moment the azan is heard, shop keepers would just leave their merchandise and head for the mosque. You are impressed by it. But, when you want to buy something, then you realize that you don’t even know the reasonable price for a particular item. You are at the mercy of the shopkeeper. He may quote whatever price he likes, sometimes taking advantage of the ignorance and the naivety of the customer. It is up to the customer to bargain. To him it is legal, Strictly from the fiqhi perspective it may be legal, but is it honest? Is that what the Shari’ah is all about? To me, Shari’ah is not only law. It has a soul. The soul is iman and honesty is an integral part of it.
A few years ago, I went into a sports shop in The Hague, Netherlands. I liked a pair of shoes with a tag of 25% discount on it and I told the shop attendant about it. He went to fetch the other side of the shoe and came back to me. He pointed to a small hole on the side of the shoe.”You see the hole here. We only have this pair, I cannot sell you for 25% discount, If you want this pair, I’ll give you 50% discount. Or, you can go to our other branch and get a new pair” (at 25% discount, of course.)
The Makkah and the The Hague experience are very interesting really. The Hague shop assistant was actually practising the Shari’ah principle that it is obligatory for the seller to disclose the defects in the goods he is selling, without knowing that that is a Shari’ah requirement. On the other hand, the shopkeeper in Makkah was practising the common law principle of caveat emptor (buyers beware) without knowing it either. Between the two practices, which is more Islamic?
Perhaps, it is these kinds of things that made Mohammed ‘Abduh[vi] to remark after his trip to Europe: “I saw Islam without Muslims”. I do not know whether back in Egypt then he saw Muslims and Islam or Muslims without Islam.
Looking at these samples, my first comment is that you can find both honesty and dishonesty everywhere, only more here or less there. Neither can you point to one particular factor as the reason why one group of people whether in the same country or in different countries are more honest than the other. You cannot say it is religion, for example, because you will find that people in developing countries who appear to be very religious, at least ritually and appearance-wise, are less honest than the people in developed countries, the majority of whom care very little, if at all, about religion. The examples I gave earlier would bear testimony to this statement.
We also cannot generalize that people belonging to a particular religion is more honest than the other. We find that people belonging to the same religion in one country is more honest and less corrupt than in another country.
I think the answer lies in a combination of factors. Including, religion, moral, ethic, culture, education, upbringing, level of economy, opportunity (in the case of corruption), greed and competition (especially in the business world) and law and order.
Besides these factors, the behavior of members of organizations, e.g. in Government departments and companies, I think, depend very much on the leadership and the philosophy of the organization. The story of the professor who left his jacket on the train in Japan, the story of the shop assistant in The Hague, the story of the shopkeeper in Makkah are examples of the philosophy of the organization.
At national level, more so in the fight against corruption, there must be political will: the determination to fight corruption and the example of not being involved in it.
Singapore has been quite successful in this. Admittedly, politics in Singapore is more straight forward. There is no opposition, really. There, a political party does not need big capital to fight an election. On the other hand, there is a completely different election culture here. Sadly, that has become the Malaysian culture. My worry is that we have reached a stage where voters are “offering their votes for sale” to the highest bidder purely for short-term personal gains and the political parties have no choice but to keep bidding, disregarding its effects on the country and the nation, what more if the politicians have stopped thinking beyond five years!
Once I was in The Hague on a general election day. I would not know that it was an election day had I not been told about it: there was not a single poster along the road. Still there was an election.
Whatever it is, corruption is not always in the form of political donations. It is more personal and direct.
What is important is that the political leaders, top level administrators, corporate leaders must be serious about combating corruption and must lead by examples, good examples.
When I mention “corporate leaders”, I am referring to all the “givers”. Very often, people tend to focus only on the public sector while the private sector escapes attention: Government, public servants, Judges and others must be clean; companies and businessmen need not be clean as they are only to be judged by how much profit they make. That culture has to change.
When I mention “politicians”, I mean all politicians, whether they are at the moment running the government or in the opposition. For those in power, the attitude that they are an exception is definitely not going to help. In the fight against corruption, no one is special and no one is an exception. For those in the opposition, the attitude that today is your turn and tomorrow will be our turn is not going to help either.
Unfortunately, even in combating corruption, political interest still rules. I was Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) until I resigned because of my long hospitalization. During the two years that I was Chairman, I saw the frustrations of the officers who were discharging their duties diligently and honestly. They should get the full support from everyone because the fight for corruption is a common ground for all. Instead, some groups, take side according to their vested interests, in the name of the people, justice, fairness, equality, freedom of speech, human rights, democracy and so on. They screamed for action to be taken against their opponents. But, when their members were investigated, they alleged that they were persecuted. When their opponent was arrested, charged, tried and convicted, there was a complete silence from them. When one of their men fell from the office of the MACC and died[vii], they straight away blamed the MACC for it. The NGOs too joined in. When an inquest was held, it was criticized forgetting that such inquests were normally held in such cases since the British introduced the Criminal Procedure Code in this country. While the inquest was going on, demonstrations were held, in effect demanding that decision be made the way they want it to be. That inquest took 51 working days over a period of 18 months.[viii] It was followed by a Commission of Inquiry of five members which took another 51 working days of public hearing.[ix]
Everybody sympathizes with the deceased and his family. Nobody wants such an incident to happen. But, we should be fair to all. Let the process of the law take its own course, first, at least. Independence of the judiciary does not only mean non-interference by the Executive. What applies to the Executive equally applies to everybody.
In a very similar incident involving a Senior Customs Officer[x], which happened about two years later, only an inquest was held. It proceeded quietly and smoothly and it took only 15 working days over a period of three months.[xi] There was no Commission of Inquiry. There were no demonstrations and even the NGOs that were so vocal in the first case were notably quiet in the second case. How do you explain that?
I am also a member of the Judicial Appointments Commission. (Let me make it clear that I saying all these in my personal capacity). We are doing our best to recommend the right candidates for appointment as Judges and also for promotions. We are also trying to restore the integrity of the Judiciary which was at its lowest following the V. K. Lingam video clip incident. I dare say that the integrity of the Judiciary has improved significantly in the last four years. Besides, the Courts have succeeded to reduce the backlog and to reduce the period taken for the disposal of cases to such an extent that even the World Bank has given a favorable report about it.
But, look at a recent case involving an opposition political leader[xii]. (I am not saying whether the judgment is right or wrong. I am only talking about the proceedings.) His trial took 88 working days over a period of 2 years and 10 months. During the trial he made 17 applications and 8 appeals. Amongst his applications, 3 were to disqualify the Judge[xiii] on the ground of bias which, in reality, was challenging his integrity. We also read reports of attempts to discredit the Judiciary and to question the independence of the Judiciary not only domestically but also internationally. There was a campaign to release him even before the judgment was given.
However, when the judgment turned out to be in his favor, he said that he was acquitted because the Government (I repeat, the Government) was worried about the negative image abroad if he were convicted[xiv]. Is that not equating the Court with the Executive? Is that not an allegation or an inference that the Judge took instruction from the Executive to arrive at his decision or that the Executive dictated the decision to him? Or, to use the “popular terminology”, is that not an allegation or inference that there was a “conspiracy” between the Government (i.e. Executive) and the Judge (i.e. Judiciary) to acquit him? By that statement, is the independence and the integrity of the Judge, the court and the Judiciary not brought into contempt? (It is interesting to note that on the following day, his own counsel denied (“sangkal”) the reason given by his client for his acquittal and went on to say that the judgment was based on evidence and that the Government had nothing to do with it.)[xv]
During the same period, a former Menteri Besar[xvi] was charged for corruption. The trial went on smoothly and quietly. It only took 19 working days over a period of one year.[xvii] Even when he was convicted, he did not criticize the Judge or the Judiciary. Similarly, Datuk Haji Harun Bin Haji Idris[xviii], Haji Abdul Ghani Bin Ishak[xix], Dato’ Wa’ad Bin Mansor[xx], Datuk Haji Zulkifli Bin Datuk Abdul Hamid[xxi], Datuk Sahar Arpan[xxii], Dato Haji Mohamd Muslim[xxiii], Dato’ Mokhtar Hashim[xxiv] or, for that matter, Tun Dr. Ling Leong Sik[xxv] and Dato’ Chan Kong Choy[xxvi], whose trials are still pending, all fought or are fighting their respective cases on merits, not by attacking the Judges and the Judiciary.
I sympathize with those Judges and government officers. I know a great majority of them are discharging their duties diligently and honestly, without even looking at the clock. However, they should not despair because, eventually, truth will prevail and honesty will supersede all. Believe me. I am speaking from experience.
Actually, on every human being, on every one of us, there is a price tag, an integrity price tag, though unwritten and not displayed, is known and agreed to by all. Behind the praises, the handshakes and the smiles that people give us, deep inside their hearts, it is that invisible integrity price tag attached to us that matters. Perhaps that is why Ralph Waldo Emerson[xxvii] said. “A little integrity is better than any career.”[xxviii]
To conclude, and with the voice that Allah s.w.t. has given back to me, let me remind myself and those who do not mind being reminded with the words of Allah:
We have indeed created man in the finest of molds,
Then We reversed him to the lowest of the low,
Except those who believed and did good works; for them there is a reward unending. - At-Tin (95): 4,5 and 6 (Maududi).
Hopefully, we will be among the exceptions.
Thank you.
NOTES
[i] Searchquotes.com
[ii] He was referring to Tun Hussain Onn
[iii] American systems theorists, architect, engineer, author, designer, inventor and futurist.(1895-1983)
[iv] Businessman, philanthropist and New Thought self-help book author (1902-2002)
[v] Writer. (1940- ) Searchquotes.com
[vi] An Egyptian jurist, scholar and reformer regarded as the founder of Islamic modernism. (1849-1905)
[vii] Teoh Beng Hock, a Political Aide to a DAP State Assemblyman. Date of incident 15.7.2009.
[viii] Source: Office of Chief Judge (Malaya)
[ix] From first day of hearing until the report was completed (printed). Source: Office of Chairman of Commission of Inquiry.
[x] Ahmad Sarbani Bin Mohamed. Date of incident 6.4.2011
[xi] Source: Ofice of Chief Judge (Malaya)
[xii] Y.B. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim
[xiii] Source: Office of Chief Judge (Malaya)
[xiv] Utusan Malaysia Online 10.1.2012
[xv] Utusan Malaysia Online 11.1.2012
[xvi] Dato’ Mohd Khir Bin Toyo
[xvii] Source: Office of Chief Judge (Malaya)
[xviii] Datuk Haji Harun Bin Haji Idris v. PP (1977) 2 MLJ 155 (FC)
[xix] Haji Abdul Ghani Bin Ishak & Anor. v. PP (1981) 2 MLJ 230 (FC)
[xx] PP v Dato’ Waad Bin Mansor (2005) 1 CLJ 421 (FC); (2003) 3 CLJ 833 (CA)
[xxi] Datuk Haji Zulkifli Bin Datuk Abdul Hamid v. PP (1981) 1 MLJ 112 (FC)
[xxii] Datuk Sahar Arpan v. PP (2007) 1 CLJ 326 (CA)
[xxiii] PP v. Dato Haji Mohamed Muslim ((1983) 1 MLJ 245 (HC)
[xxiv] Dato Mokhtar Hahim & Anor. v. PP (1983) CLJ (Rep) 101 (FC)
[xxv] Former President of Malaysian Chinese Association
[xxvi] Former Minister of Transport
tahamidm@yahoo.com
UKM and Four Other RUs Granted Autonomy
26 Jan 2012
UKM and Four Other RUs Granted Autonomy
By S. Sivaselvam
Pix by Ahmad Shahiddan Saidi
PUTRAJAYA, 26 Jan. 2012 – The government today granted the National University of Malaysia (UKM) and four other research universities full autonomy.
This followed an audit process based on the University Good Governance Code and Index (CUGG and UGGI) in four areas – institutional governance, finance and revenue generation, academic management and student admission as well as human resources.
Higher Education Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin presented the autonomy warrant to a representative of UKM Board of Directors, Dato’ (Dr) Megat Abdul Rahman Megat Ahmad and Vice Chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin at a ceremony here.
Mohamed Khaled also delivered his New Year Address for 2012 at the occasion, focusing on the path ahead for higher education in the country on the theme “Think Global Act Local.”
The autonomy given to UKM in effect transfers decision-making powers from federal agencies and the ministry to the university.
He regarded it as an important basis in efforts to empower the university in realising its agenda for excellence.
The minister said the governance system based on autonomy involves a high level of integrity and accountability that needs to be observed by UKM.
While he was confident that UKM is all set to assume this responsibility, he nevertheless reminded that the two basic principles should be the guide and yardstick for every action taken by the university management.
He said that autonomy is a vital precondition in evolving a campus environment that is dynamic, via a university management that is more competitive, creative and flexible.
Referring to UKM’s status as a research university, he felt that it should reduce the number of its undergraduate programmes as well as the students for them.
“This needs to be done by taking into consideration the ideal ratio between undergraduates and graduates, coming up with relevant programmes so that these are feeders to postgraduate programmes that have a research thrust,” he added.
“In this context, a research university must decide on a strategy to draw the interest of students to continue their education to the postgraduate level rather than stop with just a first degree.”
UKM has begun introducing the teaching of entrepreneurship throughout its curriculum in all years, and Mohamed Khaled stressed that efforts to strengthen this, either in inculcating an entrepreneurial mind or in generating entrepreneurs, are vital in improving the marketability of graduates as well as helping overcome the unemployed graduate issue.
In introducing entrepreneurship in its curriculum, UKM is working closely with Stevens Institute of Technology in the U.S. The Minister said local universities should study the various new entrepreneurship models that are being worked on at institutions of higher learning all over the world in order to arrive at a partnership of best practices.
Four other universities, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putera Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, were also presented with their autonomy warrants. 
Autonomy Will Move UKM Towards Excellence, UKM VC
26 Jan 2012
From UKM News Portal
Autonomy Will Move UKM Towards Excellence, UKM Vice-Chancellor
By Abdul Ghani Nasir
Pix by Ahmad Shahiddan Idris
BANGI, 26 Jan. 2012 –Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Malaysia (UKM) Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin is confident the autonomy status given to UKM today will make it more cost effective and will rise to the occasion as it moves towards excellence.
In her message to staff and students of UKM she said:“Today we were given the letter to state that we were granted full autonomy by the Ministry of Higher Education.
I wish to thank and congratulate all the staff of UKM who have worked very hard for us to gain this status. It is well deserved because autonomy is not given on a platter. We have demonstrated we are capable of governing the university ourselves.
The four areas we were audited on showed our University’s Management Council (MPU) consist of the right people who are capable of making decisions in critical areas of finance and human resource.
Our senate is also able to make decisions on behalf of government agencies like the Public Services Department (JPA) and the Treasury.
Now with autonomy decisions on human resources lies with the University Management Council (MPU). Financial decisions, though not all of it, will be given in stages. We have negotiated in some areas where we can be given autonomy for example there’s a rise in the ceiling where decisions can be made at the board level and not refer to the treasury.
This will expedite matters. Decision we made can be implemented without having to wait.
This is the meaning of autonomy for us. It is with responsibility and with accountability and we are able to make decisions faster and this will make us move towards excellence. So this is about autonomy at university level.
But I would like the faculties and PTJ to understand that autonomy is cascaded downwards. From now on for example faculties and institutes will have to know that autonomy is responsibility and accountability on their part as well and we will sit down to discuss this.
We will allocate certain amount of money for staff salaries and so on and you must know now how to manage your own affairs.
The sense of responsibility, being efficient and effective must be cascaded down if not it becomes meaningless.
UKM played a major role in developing the university of good governance and tools for measuring whether a university is prepared for autonomy.
Together with this we are developing another tool for evaluating the cost of each programme .
What we have done is to know things like staff salaries, resources to run programmes and the factors that go to its cost and the minimum number of students intake to maintain a particular course that will also be based on student-teacher ratio.
We allocated a certain amount based on the number of student intake and if you are not able to attract students with good teachers and with enough resources due to many reasons – maybe (they are) no longer relevant or without having enough good people to run it, then the faculty will have to think very hard what to do. You must learn what you want to do about it or you will lose the allocation.
You must then learn how to be accountable. You must learn how to be cost effective as well. Down to the faculty level.
You must think what action you might want to take, maybe to reorientate your staff, reskill them or do some other programmes.
Faculties will have to take note. You must think of being cost efficient in getting academic and support staff. Because that’s the money we allocated.
The Registrar or the Treasurer will no longer do it for you. Of course we will have training sessions on management for heads of departments, deans, deputy deans also leadership courses. We are preparing our people to face the autonomy.
At the end of the day it will make the university more cost effective. As we move more towards excellence we will rise as a university as envisaged of a university with autonomy.
We have a transformation plan already in UKM and now we must use this autonomy to push it even further to reach our goal in achieving excellence .
The main areas in our transformation plans have several features and one of this is the niche we developed in eight areas.
So we can focus and get things moving with multi-disciplinary team to work together for greater impact.
We have been able to achieve this in the research areas. You can also see this in the innovation park, the renewable energy park which can demonstrate the project or the community service.
We are also trying to work in the eight niche areas for community engagement and development and other important areas in the educational area. I believe this will be the way for us to improve quality and to attract people to do our programmes.
Creative Glasswares
27 Dec 2011
These photos were taken in a Creative Glassware factory in Canberra. For more photos taken inside the factory, please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/safarigallery/sets/72157625623508260/
Malaysia’s RU Are Among Top 600 Universities in Webometrics Ranking
21 Dec. 2011
Malaysia’s Top 10 Universities Based on Webometrics
All five Malaysia’s Research Universities are in the 600 of top world universities according to Webometrics’ ranking which surveyed 20,000 universities throughout the world.
In this ranking, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (ranked 419) leads the pack, followed by Universiti Sains Malaysia (428) in second placing. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (462) is third, Universiti Malaya (552) fourth and Universiti Putra Malaysia (589) in fifth place.
In the next tier were Universiti Teknologi Mara (1077), Multimedia University (1131), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (1299), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (1419), and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (1515).
| POSITION | ||||||
 |
||||||
| WORLD RANK | UNIVERSITY | SIZE | VISIBILITY | RICH FILES | SCHOLAR | |
| 419 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | 437 | 418 | 800 | 312 | |
|
|
||||||
| 428 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | 550 | 381 | 1,088 | 218 | |
|
|
||||||
| 462 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia / National University of Malaysia | 736 | 408 | 784 | 414 | |
|
|
||||||
| 552 | University of Malaya | 614 | 446 | 1,294 | 546 | |
|
|
||||||
| 589 | Universiti Putra Malaysia | 402 | 860 | 740 | 239 | |
|
|
||||||
| 1077 | Universiti Teknologi MARA | 444 | 1,297 | 1,911 | 827 | |
|
|
||||||
| 1131 | Multimedia University | 1,081 | 1,622 | 1,169 | 936 | |
|
|
||||||
| 1299 | Universiti Malaysia Perlis | 2,140 | 1,115 | 3,063 | 969 | |
|
|
||||||
| 1419 | Universiti Malaysia Sabah | 2,219 | 2,005 | 2,450 | 1,024 | |
|
|
||||||
| 1515 | Universiti Tenaga Nasional | 2,877 | 2,438 | 1,605 | 1,421 | |
Article 10 of the Malaysian Constitution: Was Clause 2 (b) A Later Addition?
20 Dec. 2011
Dear Editor
Thoughts and Opinion
Sunday Post
Kuching, Sarawak
I wish to respond to an article in the Edge of town column of Sunday Post, on 21 Nov. 2011 (pg 17), entitled The law is an…
In the article your columnist, Zaharom Naim, contended that the Clause 2 (b) of Article 10 was added later, through an amendment. Zaharom was writing on Peaceful Assembly Bill which he started by discussing Article 10 (1) (b) of the Federal Constitution which provides for freedom of assembly.
He is entitled to his opinion with regard to the Peaceful Assembly Bill. I just want to correct two points he made in his preamble to the article.
Firstly, he stated that Article 10 (1) (b) (all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms) was curtailed by clause (2) (b) of Article 10, which he said was included “during one of the many times our Constitution was amended – nay, tampered with…”. He erroneously assumed that the Clause was not there when Lord Reid Constitutional Commission prepared the Malayan Constitution.
This contention is not correct.
Clause (2) (b) was already there in the original 1957 Constitution from the very beginning, as proposed by Lord Reid Constitutional Commission. It was never included at a later stage through an amendment. One needs only to refer to the original 1957 Constitution of Malaya which was gazetted in 1957 to see the complete Article 10 of the Constitution.
Since Merdeka in 1957 until today, only one material amendment was carried out to Article 10.
This was done in 1971 following the May 13 1969 incident which involved Clause (2) (a) which prohibit the questioning of any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogatives established or protected by the provisions of Part III, Article 152, 153, or 181 otherwise than in relation to the implementation thereof as may be specified in such law. The amendment was carried out through Act A30, dated 10/3/1971.
Another amendment, if it could called so, was done in 1963 through Act 26/1963, dated 16/9/1963 when the Constitution of Malaya was adopted as the Constitution of Malaysia, with additional safeguards and provisions related to Sabah and Sarawak. In reality, no material changes were made to Article 10 or its clauses.
It should be stressed that only Clause (2) (a) was amended and not the other two clauses. i.e Clause (2) (b) relating to freedom of assembly, and Clause (2) (c) relating to freedom of association were not amended at all.
Secondly, Zaharom quoted Clause (2) (b), namely : “Parliament may by law impose on the right conferred by paragraph (b) of Clause (1) such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof or public order” to conclude that there was a major contradiction because of the restrictions imposed by Clause 2.
Article 10 (1) provides for freedom of speech, assembly and association. However, these freedoms are restricted by Clause 2.
The three freedoms provides by the Constitution of Malaysia are vast, but the restrictions are limited to the laws as passed by Parliament. As such, the restrictions are limited to a small portion of that freedom, which hardly amounted to a contradiction.
While the columnist is free to desire a democracy that is totally free, there are others who would want a democracy with certain restrictions for the sake of peace and harmony. The Malayan Constitution, which became the basis for the Malaysian Constitution, was constituted by Lord Reid Constitutional Commission based on the desire of the majority of the people for peace and harmony.
It should be pointed that the amendment made to Clause (2) (a) by Parliament is hardly done subjects to the whims and fancies of dominant group that have political power. He only needs to read the debate in the Hansard during the 1971 when Clause (2) (a) of Article 10 was amended.
Thank you.
Prof Dr Mohd Safar Hasim
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Email: msafar@ukm.my
Categories – My Malaysia
Tags – Malaysian Constitution, Article 10, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Association
A Morning at Putrajaya Hospital
17 Dec. 2011
I was early at Putrajaya Hospital yesterday for my regular medical test. When I arrived at 7.00 am to take my blood sample, the endocrine counter was still not open. So I placed my card on the table. And I sat in one of the many chairs for the patients. I was the first for the check-up. About 15 minutes later, a medium-aged lady came by the table. She looked around and seeing there was already a card there, placed her own card besides it. She sat herself a few chairs away.
Several minutes later two or three patients came and placed their cards next to cards already on the table. By this time there were already six cards on the table. I fixed my eyes on the table and the cards, enjoying the “small drama” taking place.
Then, a new comer came. She stopped to look at the arrangement of the cards. She placed her own card on one of the cards. Before, she could move away, a lady who was also intently watching the cards as I did, moved forward to the table and told the new-comer, “you should place your card here,” pointing to the next card. The new-comer obediently did as she was told.
At about 7.30 am, a counter clerk came and began making arrangement for the day’s work. She placed two baskets for patients to place their cards, one for those who wanted to provide their bloods and the other to consult their doctors for the blood analysis.
After that the counter clerk took all the cards without and placed all of them, now about seven or so, one on top of the other. Then, she began to record all the cards one by one. There was one card which was read and called out the name of the card-holder. She said: “you need to go to the registration counter first to get your number.” The man took the card and moved away. The man was supposed to see his doctor for his blood analysis. So he needs to be registered first. The other patients, who just need to provide their blood, need not register.
The counter clerk called one by one and asked the patients to move to next counter for further processing. I was next. I was given number 3. So, I told the counter clerk that I was the first to be at the counter. I wasn’t complaining, just stating fact. Smilingly, she said: “Is that so.”
“Ok, sir. You will need give one sample only this time.” In a way I am quite happy as normally I would have to give five samples. I thanked her and moved to the next counter not far away from there.
After picking my empty tube for my blood sample, and provide urine sample, I waited at the Procedure F room. A name was called. I heard the name sounded like my name, so I moved forward. However, another patient came to the the nurse and he was led to a table. I was worried. Could it be my name that she called. What if the blood sample of another patient was taken, instead of mine.
Shortly afterwards, my name was called. Oh, what a relief! The nurse skillfully took my blood sample. I thanked her and made my way to the hospital canteen. It was 8.00 am. I took my breakfast and then hurried back to the office…
Interview With Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus
9 December 2011
From UKM Web TV
Watch this exclusive interview with Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus who is UKM Laureate in Residence,
IPTA Students Wowed Audience At Orchestra Presentation in UKM Bangi
From UKM News Portal
Monday, 28 November 2011 00:00
By Abdul Razak Hussin
Pix by Abd Raai Osman
BANGI, 28 Nov. 2011 – Students who took part in an Orchestra Workshop for Public Institutions of Higher Learning (IPTA) showed their musical playing talents at an orchestra presentation at the Chancellor Tun Abdul Razak Hall at the UKM campus here today.
The orchestra presentation was conducted by Senior Fellow UKM, Dato’ (Dr) Johari Salleh and Mohd Adzan Mohd Fadzil, an officer from UKM Cultural Centre. The students joined up with a number of musicians from the RTM Orchestra and wowed the audience with their prowess.
The IPTA Orchestra Workshop which began on Thursday ending last Sunday was organised under the RTM Rhythm Programme with the cooperation of the Malaysian Universities Culture Council (MAKUM). It was held to discover and promote students’ creativity in playing musical instruments.
Participant at the workshop which was also conducted by Dato’ Johari were guided on the intricacies and techniques of playing musical instruments used in an orchestra presentation. Participants were drawn from students who know how to play musical instruments that are used in an orchestra.
Among those who attended the concert were UKM Vice Chancellor, Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin, Chairman of MAKUM, Prof Mohd Fadzil Abdul Rahman; Deputy Vice Chancellor of Sultan Idris Educational University (UPSI), Dato’ Paduka Dr Junaidi Abu Bakar and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students’ and Alumni Affairs) UKM, Prof Ir Dr Othman A Karim. UKM News Portal
Go to this link to view photos and story:
http://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/en/extras/906
