How Robert Kuok launched Malaysia’s national shipping line

http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2121108/how-i-launched-malaysias-national-shipping-line-and-what-genghis

Xi JinPing: You get what you give

How to disagree with the chief, la?

2017年1月17日，中国国家主席习近平出席达沃斯世界经济论坛并发表主旨演讲。在反全球化思潮高涨、世界经济持续低迷的关键当口，这个演讲为推动经济全球化更好地发展，发出了铿锵有力的中国声音；为推动世界经济更快地复苏，开出了综合施策的中国药方。

在世界经济快速发展的时期，经济全球化被视为阿里巴巴的山洞，蕴藏了无尽的财富。在世界经济低迷徘徊的时期，经济全球化又被当成潘多拉的盒子，成了万恶之源。应该承认，经济全球化是一柄双刃剑，在推动全球贸易投资充分发展、全球供应链快速形成、全球技术进步高速推进的同时，也对一些国家的特定群体形成了冲击，一定程度上加剧了收入差距的扩大。国际金融危机爆发之后，经济全球化带来的问题更加放大突出，民粹主义、保护主义、反全球化思潮愈演愈烈，终于在刚刚过去的2016年引爆了英国“脱欧”等一系列冲击性事件。

那么，世界问题的根源是经济全球化吗？习近平在演讲中给出了坚定的判断——把困扰世界的问题简单归咎于经济全球化，既不符合事实，也无助于问题解决。

比如，中东北非难民问题、国际金融危机爆发等问题都不是经济全球化造成的，而是源自战乱、冲突和地区动荡以及金融监管严重缺失下的资本过度逐利。“甘瓜抱苦蒂，美枣生荆棘”，诚然，我们不应过度赞誉经济全球化，但也不应过度诋毁经济全球化，将其一棍子打死。

经济全球化是先进生产力和生产方式的发展方向，是经济深刻变革的进程。如同几百年前，工业革命中传统手工作坊生产方式被机器工厂生产方式取代，造成了传统手工业者与工厂工人间的矛盾一样，今天的经济全球化也带来了新的矛盾和问题。但今天世界上有几个人愿意将生活水平降低到工业革命之前的状况呢？受限于现有制度的不完善，经济全球化在增大蛋糕的同时可能使部分群体利益受损。但这里的问题不是经济全球化本身。回避问题的鸵鸟态度并不可取，因噎废食更不可取，勇于担当的领导者应当直面问题、顺势而为，引导好经济全球化走向，让经济全球化的成果更好地惠及每个国家和每个民族。

找准了病根，才好对症下药。习近平指出，世界经济长期低迷的根源在于，全球增长动能不足、全球经济治理滞后、全球发展失衡。针对这些问题，习近平指出，应该坚持创新驱动，坚持协同联动，坚持与时俱进，坚持公平包容，打造富有活力的增长模式、开放共赢的合作模式、公正合理的治理模式、平衡普惠的发展模式。这是一剂综合施策的中国药方，这是一套旗帜鲜明的中国主张。

中国是经济全球化的受益者，也是贡献者。世界为中国提供了机遇，但中国改革开放38年取得的成绩更是中国人民任劳任怨、流血流汗、一点一滴干出来的。中国也为世界作出了相应的贡献，对外援助、培训交流，体现了中国的大国担当。进口商品服务、吸引外资、对外投资、出境旅游，展现了中国为世界带来的机遇。习近平表示，中国张开双臂，欢迎各国人民搭乘中国发展的“快车”“便车”。

坚持改革开放，推进“一带一路”国际合作，中国将继续以大国担当的姿态引领经济全球化。

BR1Mful of relief but none for struggling Malaysia SME middle class

Here we go again… handout time again.

Good intention, but why not the government of Barisan Nasional think about really giving a useable lifeline to those who can and able to better generate the economy so that those who always received BR1M will not be needing it anymore cos they already can fend for themselves?

Damnit… Why don’t the Najib Razak government give a fishing line to those who will fish, not just handing out them fishes whenever you like it to those marhean to shore up some political uppance over some pakatan! Come to think of it, BR1M is like a shade of UB40…

Maybe Najib Razak and his cabinet of the wealthy ministers enjoying annual overseas holidays (on the rakyat’s charge) really do not know the reality on the ground.

Maybe Idris Jala too engrossed with the labs (brings to mind those poor lab rats, sacrificed for somebody’s need to play, oops, experiment). Maybe Pemandu‘s GPS is malfunctioned. One silly elite rich minister also likes study labs… (duh, you mean, you know nothing about your people’s misery until you get installed as Minister, set up labs to test them mice?)

Makes you wonder if BN has really lost it and will be lost forever…

Ain’t it more helpful and more realistic to just allow 15% early EPF withdrawal for those 45 to 49 years old. This more helpful and value added to this group who contributes most to SME middle class economic survival in hard economic times. BRIM is no use to economically aid this entrepreneurially inclined group, don’t the Najib Razak government know?

Hey PM, your economic advisors better not ignore this important group, or your political advisors will have a losing time coming GE.

I offer you this FOC advice so that BN can kill 2 birds with one stone. Show some love to your middle class and at the same time you prove to the world that there are still funds in KWSP. That’ll will shut up your detractors.

And we rakyat will have our share of fun watching both sides working really hard for real to win our love.

社社团的棋子

马华与火箭只不过是华社社团的棋子，华人社团从团体中栽培出人员送入马华与火箭的竞技场靠着社团支持力出战大选，所以假如有任何笨蛋国州议员请不要责怪马华与火箭应该怪的是我们华社社团，我们华社社团里所谓的“话事人”！他们当然不希望要个翁诗杰，胡逸山，蔡细历这些跟你讲procedure的领袖，他们最好找个江湖老大但是要听他们“进数三分清”的人去做总会长然后做国州议员，然后利用这些公会的名义谋取他们私人公司的利益，他们才不管你国家和公会的利益反正就是“社团的就是我的，我的就是我的”罗国本的爷爷不是罗氏公会的主席（罗老走后罗国本就人走茶凉）廖中莱的岳丈不是李氏公会的话事人这些菜包有何能力上位？郭鹤年要不是靠着他弟弟在马共的地位这些人真正的能力是叉烧包，讲难听点他们只不过是个团体的代理人，华社不能将任何的事情都指责马华！

社社团的棋子

MCMC are you awake?

Dear MCMC,

Instead of thinking to regulate the social media over the coming Malaysia General Elections, I really think you should just do your real job properly and follow the lead from the US.

Sincerely,
BC

…

Government Takes Legal Action Over Phone Spam

WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday that it had recently filed eight lawsuits in federal courts around the country against companies it accused of ordering or engineering the sending of hundreds of millions of spam text messages to mobile phone users.

In the eight federal civil cases filed across the country in recent days, the F.T.C. named 29 defendants, including 18 individuals, most of whom worked for companies that were hired to send the text messages. One complaint was filed against the operators of one of the Web sites to which consumers were directed by the messages.

About the rape in India

I read an interesting article on The New York Times Op-Ed “The Unspeakable Truth About Rape In India” and found an interesting comment from a reader about India.

Read and tell me about your reaction to below commentator.

Comment from: Cleanup from U.S.

“Crime like rapes etc are the result of lawlessness and political corruption in India. It is clear now, protests marches do not work as they are easily crushed the same way India’s Anti corruption movement was crushed.

The main curse of India is this- the country has been ruled by old, uneducated, inefficient, corrupt politicians who consider themselves lords and masters since the British left.

The opposition is the same.

The Prime Minister is educated but is unable to think outside the box.

Every project, every deal allows the politicians to collect huge cuts and the citizens end up with lousy deals, crumbling roads and infrastructure. Scam after scams are revealed only to be hushed up. Giving and taking kickbacks have been perfected to an art form and no one gets caught.

The politicians , public servants and their relatives are some of the richest in the world. It’s time the world comes to know the truth and hopefully these politicians would feel some shame for what is happening to this land of a billion plus people.

India needs massive doses of new blood,-educated modern thinking to be injected into the government. Indians must encourage educated result oriented, people from the private sector to join politics. If not this cancer of corruption, lawlessness will destroy this country. India is now one of the the largest kleptocracies in the world.”

 

Philosophy of new voters registration

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Always, always you hear Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat harping on importance of new voters registration for their party to win the polls. Always, always we hear anecdotes by politicians that registering new voters will add more votes to their party..

Sure or not?

In this age of more heightened human and consumer rights, how can UMNO, MCA, MIC, PAS, DAP, PKR, etc., not realise that most people who aren’t already registered aren’t registered for a reason?

That big reason being they don’t WANT to be registered? That the major reason being they don’t TRUST the political parties to do the lawmaking job effectively?

Consequently, even if you get them to register, it’s going to be tough to get them to actually turn out to vote.

Ain’t that a lot of time and energy wasted for minimal potential return?

Amazing isn’t it, the unthinkingness of our politicians…

I love democracy, do you?

Many displays of democracy nowadays for Malaysians to learn.

How have you enjoyed the spirit and principles of democracy so far?

Here’re a simple issue for you to make into conversation or to reflect upon with your buddies. Or, if you can, throw this question to your current / aspirant Member of Parliament.

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Q: Is this Democracy at work?

“Two anti-Bersih groups have surrounded the vicinity of Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan’s residence today…”

Source: http://malaysiakini.com/news/198937

vs

“BERSIH 3.0 will take the form of a sit-in (“duduk bantah” in Bahasa Malaysia) on April 28th 2012, and will take place across Malaysia and throughout the world….

Through BERSIH 3.0, we will continue our struggle for clean and fair elections, assembling and expressing our views peacefully as are our rights as enshrined in the Federal Constitution…”

Source: http://bersih.org/?p=4696

Why your constituents aren’t giving you their vote

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Why folks who voted your party in the past are not responding to you as passionately now?

For this Malaysia general election (which date may happen now or later at Mr Najib Razak’s whim/fancy/superstition), it is normal to have candidates and aspiring candidates sweating hot over this issue.

Let me venture some reasons why voters passion diverted:

1.  They didn’t receive your message.
2.  They don’t know you.
3.  Your messengers turned them off

 

Feel free to add more to this list, folks!

System error?

Negri Sembilan MCA chief Dr. Yeow Chai Thiam caused a minor brohaha recently when he disclosed his generous helping an opposition politician’s mother and was not thanked for the assistance. That subtly implied Teo Nie Ching (MP for Serdang) needed to be vocally thankful for his helping her mother who was in need of medical assistance some time ago.

But let us not get caught in the silly business of needing to be publicly thankful or grateful to politicians who offered social welfare/charities as their core business instead of law & policy making.

So for voting rakyat, the most important questions to ask of BN and particularly of MCA are:

1. Why are we having a health system whereby sick people need to get MCA bigwigs’ assistance in order to get proper medical attention”?

2. Is such a system being deliberately created by the BN government so that their party leaders can demonstrate their ‘importance’?

Thanks to a commentator by name of ONG who posted the very pertinent question here

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Hey, I’m not totally against MCA, but if MCA needs to get beyond GE13, its leaders and veterans need to clean up after itself before even thinking of contesting. Wiser for these oldies to just backoff and let new faces rise up to be MCA candidates.

btw, Can somebody clarify if Yeow Chai Thiam is a real doctor who took the hippocratic oath, doctor-patient confidentiality or a PhD graduate?

Hopefully medical doctors today will not take oath-taking as little more than a ritual with little value beyond that of upholding tradition of that time honoured profession.