Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has announced the following new cabinet line-up in Putrajaya at 5pm today.
Prime Minister : Datuk Seri Najib Razak
Deputy Prime Minister : Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Minister in PM's Department: Jamil Khir, Wahid Omar (Senator), Idris Jala, Joseph Kurup, Shahidan Kassim
Defence Minister: Hishammuddin Hussein
Finance Minister I: Najib Razak, Finance Minister II: Ahmad Husni
Education Minister 1: Muhyiddin Yassin, Education Minister II: Idris Jusoh
Home Minister: Zahid Hamidi
Works: Fadilah Yusof
Acting Transport: Hishammuddin Hussein
MITI: Mustapa Mohamed
Women, Family and Community Development: Rohani Karim
Youth and Sports: Khairy Jamaluddin
Tourism: Nazri Aziz
Natural Resources and Environment: G. Palanivel
Energy, Green Technology and Water; Maximus Ongkili
Agriculture: Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Federal Territories: Tengku Adnan
Science, Technology and Innovation: Ewon Ebin
Health: Dr.S. Subramaniam
Foreign: Anifah Aman
Domestic Trade: Hassan Malek
Rural and Regional Development: Shafie Apdal
Communication and Multimedia: Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Among those dropped from the line-up are Shaziman Abu Mansor and Noh Omar
New Straits Times News 15 May 2013
- Current Mood:
apathetic
LEADERSHIP: If people cannot look to politicians as role models of statesmanship, then they have to look elsewhere
IN the aftermath of the elections, there is the clean-up of posters and bunting and all kinds of mess. But there are also other kinds of clean-up which need to be done.
The lambasting of everything and everyone else because targets are not achieved becomes a kind of desperate ploy to appease various stakeholders.
Poor political mindset is based on the world view of nostalgia of the past and distorted imagination of future sce-narios.
Positive mindsets can be moulded by the clarification of principles, values, ways forward and focus on strengthening of national character of virtues and wisdom.
There is a prevalent blame syndrome. Blame of others, self-blame, blame the past and blame the future.
Of course, some blame the experts and the political strategists. As there was a celebrative mood before the elections, there is despondency among all parties and individuals.
In a strange way, all parties involved are winners, but yet all are losers. Everyone worked hard. Everyone gave their best. Everyone had high expectations. Everyone who lost has to accept defeat. Everyone who won has to be magnanimous.
The people, too, are tired. The blame game must end sometime because the audience as well as the actors suffered mental fatigue, some kind of post-election depression.
Responsible leaders have to engage all parties in group psychological counselling and political healing lest there are widespread cases of cognitive confusion and mental sickness.
The election is supposed to be elegant and we are supposed to reach our higher selves. We are supposed to respect leaders who lead us to higher levels of consciousness, existence and elegance.
We acknowledge our democratic capital. We lauded our democratic experiences. We boast to the world the supremacy and rightness of our ways. If we do not handle victory and defeat wisely, we may escalate and prolong public psychological depression.
If we have no strategies of being confidently constructive and soundly mature, we cannot tell our story of the excellence of a people. The problem is the people are fine but there are leaders and non-leaders who instigate people to be ill.
When the story is told of the 13 general elections, beyond the political analysts and other pundits, there will be more accurate versions of ideas, events, personalities, parties, factors, immediate and long-term causes of success and failures.
Historical narrative will go beyond the journalistic narrow and shallow reports, beyond fallacies and fiction. From history we will have the advantage of perspective.
If people cannot look to politicians as role models of statesmanship, then they have to look elsewhere.
When the younger generation search for role models, it is clear that they need to look at many role models and emulate the leaders for their different strengths: scholars for their passion for knowledge, the scientist for their scientific minds, the civil servants for their public service, the trade union leaders for their workers' rights and dignity, preachers for religious guidance, the ordinary people for their patience and goodwill, statesmen for their inspiring diplomacy and politicians for what?
Politicians who have a combination of the qualities could be among the most revered of leaders, but many will lose the opportunity to be role models long remembered.
In times of high expectations, confusion and conflicts, true leaders will emerge. Such leaders are expected to be wiser than the pack.
In such times, level-headed followers are expected to be courageous. The wise leaders will rise from the leaders of the future as well as the reemergence of leaders from the past.
It is a law of social change that those who are wise and bold will rise up to the occasion and will not be bedazzled by the fiction of those who are in power and in control of resources.
What more do the people want? The people want true leaders.
The people do not want hate-mongers, creation of eternal dominance fallacy and fiction, religious bigotry, blatant and subtle signs of religious or cultural bigotry, threats, the culture of fear and continuing spin.
The people know and indulge the political mercenaries, the spin doctors, the merchants of doubt and the hidden persuaders.
The people want servant leadership. The people want the rule of law. The educated citizenry -- and Malaysia has everyone schooled, so the people want scholar gentlemen and not "intellectual barbarians" or whining and pining leaders.
The people want to move ahead unmanipulated and build a great society with sustainable resources and will, for the future generation, be a shining example to the world.
Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid | iabaiw@yahoo.com New Straits Times Columnist Opinion Wednesday, May 15, 2013
THE Education Ministry should be commended for recognising teachers' contributions and services by awarding them special awards for exemplary and excellent service.
The icon award for those who excel in their fields irrespective of age and years of service was newly created for exemplary teachers ("Icon award for exemplary teachers" -- NST, May 1).
This award is in addition to the existing excellent teachers' posts.
However, the selection of excellent teachers and the newly created icon award should be streamlined and reviewed.
The post of excellent teacher is a highly sought after one in schools as it is a fast track to a higher pay scale and an upgrading and promotion exercise.
The "excellence" in the post signifies the creme de la creme of the teaching profession.
A successful candidate should possess skills and knowledge of the subject matter far beyond the ordinary teacher.
An excellent teacher should be passionate about teaching and be vibrant and eloquent in communicating.
A successful candidate should be a role model and a reference point and pride of the teaching fraternity.
Careful consideration and care must be put into place before selecting and awarding an excellent teacher.
The head teacher, the senior assistants, the panel heads and the parent-teacher association board members should sit together and nominate potential candidates in their schools for the post of excellent teachers.
Students should also be interviewed to get a better assessment of a teacher's potential and expertise.
Shortlisted candidates can then be inspected by officers from the education ministry, who can check their record books, documents and files.
Though these documentation procedures are important, emphasis should be on the teaching and learning process in the classroom.
The inspectors should focus more on the teacher's classroom interaction and teaching abilities.
The observation procedure should not be staged. Most of the time, the teachers are told well in advance to prepare for a model lesson to be presented to the inspectors.
Teachers would then rehearse their lessons and stage an ideal lesson for the inspectorates. This should not be done.
Passionate teachers would be able to teach at short notice without much preparation.
Some are born to teach. These teachers should be rewarded.
Nominees for these prestigious awards should be meticulously selected.
At the core of the selection criteria should be how the teacher teaches and functions in the classroom.
There's a saying that goes:
A mediocre teacher tells,
A good teacher explains,
A superior teacher
demonstrates,
A great teacher inspires!
Moses S.Y., Seremban, Negri Sembilan New Straits Times Letters to the Editor 12 May 2013
Tahniah kepada semua calon yang menang, sama ada kerusi Parlimen atau Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dalam Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU-13), 5 Mei lalu. Setelah dipilih menjadi calon dan menang, sekarang adalah masa untuk bekerja. Yang Berhormat (YB) hari ini bukan macam dulu. YB hari ini perlu bekerja keras kerana mereka akan diadili oleh pimpinan parti, sebelum khidmat mereka dinilai oleh pengundi dalam pilihan raya umum berikutnya.
Bagi yang kalah, Belalang percaya ia adalah satu pengalaman berguna. Daripada pemerhatian Belalang, calon Barisan Nasional (BN) sepatutnya boleh menang lebih banyak kerusi Parlimen dan DUN. Cuma, terlalu banyak cerita yang didengar mengenai sikap mementingkan diri sendiri pemimpin setempat dan penyokong BN. Ada yang langsung tidak turun membantu calon kerana kecewa tidak dipilih bertanding, ada yang memburuk-burukkan calon, menutup bilik gerakan dan sebagainya. Mereka dan pengikut masing-masing sanggup melakukan apa saja, bak kata pepatah Melayu ‘biar putih tulang, jangan putih mata’. Alang-alang tidak dapat menjadi calon, biar semua kalah. Mereka lupa penyokong pembangkang pula tidak akan memberi undi kepada calon BN. Pada penyokong pembangkang pula asalkan simbol bulan, roket atau mata, itulah yang mereka pangkah. Malang bagi penyokong BN kerana waktu itulah mereka bertelagah. Kesannya, kerusi yang boleh dimenangi, jatuh ke tangan pembangkang.
Melayu Tolong Melayu
Gabungan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (GABEM) pernah menjuarai perjuangan memperkasa ekonomi Melayu dengan slogan ‘Melayu Tolong Melayu’. Selain mendedahkan dan cuba membantu mengatasi masalah ketirisan ekonomi Melayu, GABEM yang dipengerusikan oleh Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik, ketika itu cuba memberi kesedaran kepada orang Melayu supaya memajukan perniagaan dan perusahaan Melayu. Peniaga dan pengusaha Melayu pula digalak membantu orang Melayu lain untuk bergiat dalam bidang perniagaan. GABEM berpendapat, jika Melayu tidak menolong orang Melayu, siapa lagi yang diharapkan. Bagaimana pun, usaha itu dingin kerana GABEM memikirkan langkah itu tidak selari dengan usaha murni kerajaan untuk mewujudkan keharmonian kaum di negara ini. Slogan ‘Melayu Tolong Melayu’ dianggap tidak selari dengan matlamat kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN). Berikutan sikap kaum Cina terhadap kerajaan BN dalam Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU-13), mungkin ada usaha menggerakkan semula slogan ‘Melayu Tolong Melayu.’
Hikmah PRU-13
Rupa-rupanya, di kebanyakan kawasan pilihan raya, ramai pengundi Cina sudah keluar awal pagi untuk menggunakan hak mereka dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU), 5 Mei lalu. Di mana saja, terutama di kawasan bandar, malah di pekan-pekan kecil, ramai pengundi Cina daripada semua peringkat umur, beratur panjang sebaik saja pusat mengundi dibuka. Mereka begitu bersemangat untuk mengundi kali ini?. Kononnya mereka diberitahu bahawa dalam PRU-13 ini, pembangkang yang diterajui DAP akan mengambil alih kerajaan daripada Barisan Nasional (BN). Konon ceritanya, walaupun jawatan Perdana Menteri diberikan kepada Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, kerajaan yang baru akan dikuasai oleh orang Cina. Seperti diumumkan Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh jawatan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Satu akan diberi kepada Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang manakala Penasihat DAP, Lim Kit Siang akan dilantik sebagai Timbalan Perdana Menteri Dua merangkap Menteri Dalam Negeri.
Janji pembangkang
Mendengar janji inilah pengundi Cina begitu ghairah keluar beramai-ramai untuk memastikan pembangkang menang. Bagi mereka, inilah masanya orang Cina akan dapat memegang kuasa politik dan sekali gus kuasa ekonomi di Malaysia. Dengan slogan ‘ubah’ serta kempen besar-besaran yang dijalankan oleh Anwar yang dianggap menjadi pemimpin sementara, ia meningkatkan keyakinan kaum Cina bahawa mereka akan dapat menubuhkan kerajaan pembangkang menjelang tengah malam pada hari berkenaan.
Terbukti, peratusan keluar mengundi masyarakat Cina dan jumlah undi yang diperoleh di kebanyakan kawasan majoriti pengundi Cina menunjukkan kaitan yang rapat. Disebabkan negara ini mengamalkan sistem demokrasi, diperkuatkan pula dengan strategi pembangkang, keputusan PRU-13 terpaksa diterima walaupun pahit untuk ditelan bagi yang kalah, khasnya setelah kerajaan memberi begitu banyak keistimewaan kepada masyarakat Cina. Cuma, walaupun DAP, PAS dan PKR menggunakan pelbagai helah untuk memperdayakan pengundi, mereka gagal menumbangkan kerajaan BN.
Bagi kawasan Parlimen, BN memenangi 133 daripada 222 kerusi yang dipertandingkan manakala PAS 21, PKR 30 dan DAP 38. Bagi kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri, BN tewas di Selangor, Kelantan dan Pulau Pinang. BN dapat menawan semula Kedah. Inilah asas kepada kenyataan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak bahawa pengundi Cina telah diperdaya oleh pembangkang kononnya undi mereka boleh menumbangkan kerajaan BN. Menurutnya, BN tetap mendapat mandat daripada pengundi Melayu dan Bumiputera serta India. Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad pula tanpa berselindung, mengatakan orang Cina menolak persahabatan yang dihulurkan oleh orang Melayu.
Perhimpunan bantah keputusan
Keputusan sudah pun dibuat dan tidak ada apa-apa boleh dilakukan lagi. Sepatutnya, semua pihak perlu menerima hakikat bahawa rakyat sudah pun membuat keputusan. Malangnya, tiga hari selepas keputusan dibuat, Anwar melancarkan perhimpunan membantah keputusan PRU-13 di Stadium Kelana Jaya, Selangor kononnya dihadiri lebih 60,000 orang. Perhimpunan yang sama diuar-uarkan akan terus diadakan.
Sebetulnya, inilah caranya Anwar hendak meyakinkan penyokong yang kecewa dengan kegagalan pembangkang membentuk kerajaan melalui peti undi.
Akibat kegagalan merampas kuasa itu, pembangkang menyalahkan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) dengan mengatakan bahawa proses pilihan raya tidak telus dan berlaku pelbagai kesilapan. Mereka juga menuduh bahawa kerajaan dan SPR menipu rakyat, sedangkan pembangkang menang di tiga negeri. Jika berlaku penipuan, semua negeri menjadi milik BN. Dengan melemparkan tuduhan kepada kerajaan dan SPR, pembangkang terlepas daripada kemarahan pengikut mereka. Malah, mereka dapat menebalkan persepsi kepada pengikut mereka bahawa kerajaan tidak adil. Mereka boleh menepuk dada dan mengatakan jika tidak berlaku penipuan, mereka sudah tentu akan menang.
Dapat sokongan kaum lain
Pengundi di negara ini bukan semua pengundi Cina. Mereka lupa orang Melayu, India dan Bumiputera lain masih taat kepada BN. Jika tidak dapat undi Cina pun, BN masih mendapat sokongan daripada kaum-kaum lain. Yang jelas, orang Melayu sudah marah dan menganggap orang Cina tidak tahu mengenang budi. Setelah mendapat kekayaan, kemewahan dan pelbagai kemudahan di negara ini, mereka masih tidak menghargai jasa BN. Orang Melayu sudah mula memikirkan bagaimana mahu ‘mengajar’ orang Cina secara politik dan ekonomi. Pelbagai pihak sedang mengusahakan pelbagai rancangan untuk mengurangkan pergantungan daripada orang Cina. Bagi mereka, apa juga pertolongan yang hendak diberikan mestilah didahulukan kepada orang Melayu. Keputusan PRU-13 ini sebenarnya mempunyai banyak hikmah. Dengan keputusan yang agak mengecewakan, BN dapat belajar sesuatu yang berguna dan bangkit menebus kekalahan yang berlaku pada PRU-13 ini.
Mior Kamarul Shahid Berita Harian Online Rencana Belalang Jalan Riong 12/05/2013
Label itu juga boleh menjejaskan kepercayaan orang luar yang bekerjasama dengan universiti tempatan selain boleh menjejaskan imej negara.
Timbalan Naib Canselor (Penyelidikan & Inovasi), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Prof Ir Dr Mohd Azraai Kassim, berkata pelantikan jawatan profesor dibuat berdasarkan merit dan ketelusan serta tiada unsur pilih kasih dengan kriteria jelas.
Katanya, antara penilaian ke jawatan itu merangkumi kesarjanaan mereka melalui penulisan impak tinggi dalam jurnal antarabangsa, buku ilmiah, pengajaran dan penyeliaan serta sumbangan serta keahlian dalam badan profesional antarabangsa selain calon perlu melepasi saringan dalam dan luar negara.
“Pelantikan profesor di universiti amnya perlu melepasi tahap tapisan teliti dengan mengambil kira kriteria pencapaian luar biasa bagi memastikan kredibiliti calon dipilih benar-benar mencerminkan ikon yang disegani dalam bidang dan kepimpinan mereka,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan kepada BH, di sini, semalam.
Sebelum ini, Rafizi dalam ceramahnya yang mendakwa Naib Canselor atau profesor di universiti tempatan adalah “profesor kangkung” yang membodek kerajaan untuk kenaikan pangkat menyebabkan mutu universiti tempatan menurun.
Mohd Azraai berkata bagi jawatan pentadbir seperti Timbalan Naib Canselor, Dekan, Timbalan Dekan, Ketua Jabatan dan sebagainya, proses pemilihan adalah melalui pengiklanan jawatan dan undian di peringkat fakulti terbabit.
“Proses ini turut dilaksanakan di kebanyakan IPTA (Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam) lain bagi memastikan tahap ketinggian ilmu dan kesarjanaan profesor atau pentadbir akademik yang dilantik,” katanya mempunyai pengalaman lebih 20 tahun sebagai pentadbir akademik.
Dekan Penyelidikan di UTM, Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi menyifatkan tuduhan Rafizi sebagai tidak berasas dan hanya retorik.
Beliau yang dilantik sebagai profesor ketika berusia 36 tahun tidak menolak kemungkinan ahli politik pembangkang itu dalam kedudukan terdesak.
Berita Harian Online Nasional 30/04/2013
Sometimes we have to come down hard on our children and colleagues to attain the high standards and outcomes that we all desire.
I WAS seated in a South Indian restaurant in Taiping some time ago, when I saw an elderly Punjabi man arrive on his bicycle to buy two pieces of chapatti for himself.
I heard the waiter asking him if he wanted the chapatti to be heated.
The man nodded. Soon, the two pieces of bread were placed on the round griddle used to make roti canai and thosai.
The man then took it upon himself to take a wad of tissue from the counter and using this, he began to press the chapatti on the hot pan.
Every now and then, he inspected the chapattis. Only when they had both been thoroughly cooked to his satisfaction did he allow the waiter to have them packed.
I smiled when I saw this as I understood his actions.
Anyone who enjoys a good chapatti must understand how it is cooked.
When it is on the griddle, not only must the griddle be hot, the chapatti on it must also be pressed to ensure that every part of its surface comes into contact with the hot surface of the flat pan.
In expert hands, this takes micro-seconds!
When I began making chappattis at the age of 13, my eldest sister taught me how to identify the areas to press and how much pressure to apply.
On top of that, I had to be pretty quick to prevent the bread from getting burnt.
She also cautioned me to handle the areas of the bread which swelled carefully.
Puncture these by accident and you will get a hand scalded by escaping hot air!
People always say that practice makes perfect but I have learnt from my time in the kitchen that perfection is actually the result of the “right” practice.
Getting it right
You have to do the “right” thing over and over again to get good results.
Even in cooking this flat bread, I had to painstakingly learn how to be both effective and efficient.
As you can see, mastering the art of using the right “pressure” requires regular practice combined with skills derived from experience.
I met a doctor recently who is a father of two boys aged 13 and 15. He complained that some of the young teachers in the school his sons go to, come across as “half-baked” to him.
“My children are the ‘victims’ when they are taught by such teachers,” he bluntly told me adding that he had to incur extra costs by sending them to private tutors.
I must say that not all teachers are like the ones the parent mentioned.
Older teachers who lack the right attitude and aptitude add to the problem too.
Whther they are young or old, teachers who don’t do a good job at teaching, cause much anxiety to both parents and students.
When you come across such teachers, you can be rest assured that what they really need is to be “grilled” further.
The question is why aren’t they?
When I was the head of the Science and Mathematics Department of a school before, I had to come down hard on two teachers who were chosen to become head of the Science and Mathematics Subject Panels, respectively. Both my protégés were young.
Unaccustomed to high expectations, they were tardy and lackadaisical. They handed in half-completed work and never even bat an eyelid.
No excuses
I took them to task for it, explaining that their youth and inexperience were not barriers in performing a task well.
While I was friendly enough for them to approach without fear, I began to pressure them.
This might have seemed easy, but it wasn’t. If I pressured them too hard, they would rebel. But if I were too “soft”, they would perform their duties perfunctorily.
The same went with my students. I remember a bright lad whose project report I returned because I felt it could have been better.
Frustrated, he came to me with this question, “Why are you so hard on me?”
I told him that his report was only passably good and did not reflect his potential.
I told him that he could submit the report as it was or submit an improvised one with my suggestions. He took the report back.
Last year, when I presented a talk in a school, I discovered that the head of the Sci-ence and Mathematics Department was none other than one of my protégés.
She complained of the difficulties in handling the teachers under her wing who were not performing as well as they should.
I then related the chapatti story to her.
As for the boy, he went abroad and had later e-mailed me to say: “You used to press me to do well in school, but now that I am in varsity, I have to push myself to succeed. It’s not easy but I plan to do my best.”
He is right. Pressure, be it internal or external, affects outcomes.
For instance, without the right pressure exerted in teacher selection, training, monitoring and evaluation or the “no-cutting-corners” emphasis on quality education, all of us will have to contend with “half-baked” goods.
As for the upcoming voting day, it would help to remember the words of American linguist, historian and political critic, Avram Noam Chomsky, who said: “To some degree it matters who’s in office, but it matters more how much pressure they’re under from the public.”
Like I said, it would be good to put some pressure!
NITHYA SIDHHU The STAR Online Education Sunday 28 April 2013
Speaking isn’t just about stringing words in a sentence. It’s also about pronouncing it right.
HOW can I quickly improve my English?”
This is a commonly asked question and the general response is usually “Focus on enhancing your personal macro English skills”.
The productive macro skills are Speaking, Writing and Interpreting, while the receptive ones are Reading, Listening and Viewing.
To raise one’s personal speaking prowess, it is important to improve one’s pronunciation knowledge and understand how English words are traditionally pronounced.
Another recommendation would be to focus on the spelling of the word.
Enhancing pronunciation is almost always the first and foremost imperative for a non-primary English language speaker because as soon as a person opens his or her mouth and begins to converse in English, listeners, intentionally and unintentionally, begin to make mental judgments about that person’s English language proficiency.
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter at all if a person makes grammatical mistakes or pronounces words wrongly but other times, particularly in situations where English is a communicative prerequisite, it does.
There are occasions when speaking errors made in grammar, pronunciation and stress can be quite embarrassing, not only for the speakers themselves but also for the people with them at the time or, occupationally, for the entity they represent or for whom they work.
For example, to ask, “Who are you attending the conference with?” will rarely “raise an eyebrow” even though in traditional English, one should ask, “With whom are you attending the conference?”
However, if someone was heard to say, “Me and me IT manager is going to the Expo,” then a few smiles and inner chuckles would probably be the reaction.
It is sometimes understandable why many people for whom English is an additional language have difficulty pronouncing certain English words.
Often, the reason is found when one researches the mother tongue.
The English pronunciation of the word “industry” is “industry”, with the stress or emphasis of the first syllable “in”.
In Bahasa Malaysia, the same word is “industri”, pronounced as “industri” with the stress on the second syllable “dus”.
Does it really matter? Often the answer is: No!
Listeners will still understand what is meant but the question comes back to whether one wants to be a competent and confident English language communicator.
If so, then the challenge is to take up the task of learning “Why English words say what they say.”
There are a number of influencing factors when it comes to the way English words are pronounced.
The first one is obvious — Accent. This accent difference is easily demonstrated by considering the way a Londoner or a person from Middle England or Scotland says “book”.
Another example is the different way Australians and New Zealanders say “six”.
From a nationalistic aspect, all renditions are correct and acceptable.
The second obvious pronunciation difference also involves a nationalistic comparison or what is sometimes called “British Speak versus the US of A”.
Common examples are the contrasting way that words such as “semi-trailer”, “semicolon”, “premature” and “premonition” are pronounced by those who follow British English pronunciation and by American speakers.
While the differences are nation-based, the variations occur because of the way traditional rules of pronunciation are applied.
It may surprise many readers that when it comes to the application of the century old, traditional rules of English pronunciation, in many instances, the Americans are more traditional than the British themselves.
One of the traditional English pronunciation rules that can be traced back over 300 years is: “Open syllables usually end in long vowels”.
This means that if the first syllable of a word ends in a vowel, then that final vowel normally says its own name, eg. pi/lot — ba/ker — re/turn — pre/pare — pro/mote, etc.
In the case of words such as “semi-trailer” and “semicolon”, those who follow the English pronunciation approach where the final “í” says “eee..” — as in “knee” — are really adopting the European “ee..” sound for “i” as heard in “piano” and “police”.
In contrast, the Americans apply the traditional English rule of saying the final “i” as a long vowel, that is, as “i…” as in “pie”.
The syllabic break-up of a word is another main reason why words can be pronounced differently and often incorrectly.
Words such as “premature” and “premonition” are also pronounced differently because of the “Open Syllable Rule” but they are initially affected because of the way speakers break them into syllables when speaking.
In these two examples, American speakers break the words as “pre/ma/ture” and “pre/mon/i/tion”.
In doing so, the first syllable in each word is “open”, thus requiring the final vowel to be long, saying its own name.
In the case of other pro-British speakers, the syllabic break-up is different, eg. “prem/a/ture” and “prem/on//ition”.
In doing this, the first syllable is “closed” by a consonant which introduces another valuable, traditional English rule that teaches: “Closed syllables end in consonants and the vowel is usually short”.
This syllabic break-up results in the “e” in “prem” being pronounced as its regular, short sound heard in “pet”.
In the next column, further consideration will be given to the importance of the syllabic break-up of words and also to when and what syllables should be stressed when speaking.
■ Keith Wright is the author and creator of the 4S Approach To Literacy and Language (4S) — a modern, innovative and proven method of accelerating the learning of English.
The 4S methodology and the associated Accelerated English Programme (AEP) mentioned in this fortnightly column are now being used internationally to enhance the English proficiency of people with different competency levels. E-mail contact@4Sliteracy.com.au for a free PDF copy of 4S Superior English Communications.
KEITH WRIGHT The STAR Online Education Sunday 28 April 2013
The Ministry of Education's target is to refurbish some 5,400 schools nationwide this year through its RM1 billion special fund allocation known as the Special Stimulus Package or Pakej Rangsangan Khas (PRK).
Its secretary-general Datuk Dr Rosli Mohamed said this was 1,150 schools more than the total listed for refurbishment works under the same fund last year.
Rosli said the list also includes boarding schools for the first time as they were not part of the project last year.
"We are still fine-tuning the list as of now but we are anticipating the number to be around 5,400 schools nationwide, which includes 67 boarding schools as well for the first time," Rosli said in an interview here.
The special fund which was first introduced under the 2012 Budget aims at providing additional funds to upgrade and refurbish government schools of various segments including public as well as government-aided schools.
Of the RM1 billion allocation, RM900 million was allocated to the Ministry of Education while the remaining RM100 million went to Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) for the same purpose.
"For this year, the same amount was allocated under the 2013 Budget, and this time we are disbursing the allocation according to school categories.
"Mission schools, government-aided schools, Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools as well as boarding schools will each receive an allocation of RM100 million a year whereas the remaining RM400 million will be channeled to national schools," Rosli said.
Last year, a total of 4,250 schools nationwide were listed as having to undergo the refurbishment process. Of the number, 1,640 have completed the process as of now.
Rosli said refurbishment works cover structural and non-structural scopes.
"The structural scope involves major upgrading or construction works, including the building of a new block whereas non-structural involves minor repair works like fixing of doors and the ceiling," Rosli said.
"This year we will also expand the non-structural scope to cover other areas like termite control, the fire system as well as sewage system," said Rosli, adding that a special committee had been formed to monitor the implementation and progress of the project.
"I myself will be chairing the special committee where we will visit the schools and provide a report on the progress every three months to ensure that we are not behind schedule," he added.
When asked about the selection process, Rosli said a special study is conducted beforehand to identify schools that require refurbishment before the selected schools are short-listed.
This is to ensure that schools that are in dire need are given the priority, considering that the total number of schools nationwide exceeds 10,000.
The PRK, which is part of the Private Financing Initiative (PFI) framework was introduced to ensure proper funds are allocated to refurbish schools and upgrade its facilities.
It also aims to provide a more conducive learning environment for both teachers and students in line with the government's vision to elevate the standard of the national education system.
Previously Rosli said, school maintenance and refurbishment expenditure was obtained from the operating allocation allocation under the ministry.
"The operating allocation fund covers a wide scope of financing including salaries for teachers and ministry staff which comprise 544,000 personnel.
"Through the PRK, school upgrading and refurbishment works can be carried out more efficiently and we will no longer depend on the operating allocation as it is very limited," Rosli said.
He added that the government, through the Ministry of Education was always committed towards improving the education system from all aspects including the wellbeing of teachers and students.
MUHAMMED AHMAD HAMDAN | news@nst.com.my New Straits Times General 24 April 2013
THE Literacy and Numeracy Screening programme (Linus 2.0) will be taken a step further this year with earlier intervention measures introduced for students to ensure they are able to read and write, as well as possess basic arithmetic knowledge.
The Education Ministry's head of delivery management office Dr Noorliza Zakuan said this was to ensure that Year One students who have weak literacy and numeracy skills are given necessary attention right away rather than having to wait till they get to Year Two as what had been exercised in the past.
"We feel that it is very important to take pre-intervention measures on Year One students who are identified as weak (in literacy and numeracy) after the first screening, so as to increase their chances of improving in the identified areas," Noorliza said in an interview here recently.
Apart from that, she said the unit was also working closely with the Ministry of Health particularly to help identify whether the affected students had learning disabilities.
"Last year, about 2,000 students were identified with symptoms of learning disabilities. With the help of the Health Ministry, about 700 of them were confirmed and diagnosed to have learning disabilities. From the results, we were able to give appropriate assistance and intervention for the students."
Noorliza said previously, parents were only given recommendations to consult a doctor for further diagnosis, and given the option whether to proceed with the suggestion.
"This year, every student that is found to have weak literacy and numeracy skills must undergo a medical diagnosis," she said.
The programme, which is designed specifically for Year One to Year Three students, will also see some 450,000 Year One students screened for English literacy for the first time this year, a new cohort added to the Linus 2.0 as compared to the earlier edition of Linus which only focused on Bahasa Malaysia (literacy) and arithmetic (numeracy).
She said the baseline screening for the students would be carried out in May followed by the first screening scheduled in June.
"This is to determine the literacy level of the students and pinpoint those that need specific guidance in English," Noorliza said.
"English literacy screening was added to ensure that all students are literate in English starting from Year One in preparation for the need to pass English in the SPM."
Linus, which was introduced by the ministry in 2010, is a remedial programme specifically introduced to ensure pupils acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills at the end of three years of primary education.
It is aimed at pupils who are weak in reading, writing and arithmetic.
Noorliza said the programme has thus far been a resounding success. For the first batch of students who completed the three-year programme last year, 99.84 per cent passed the literacy screening while 99.92 per cent excelled in the numeracy screening.
She said the remaining 0.15 per cent and 0.08 per cent were made up of various categories of students, including slow learners and students from remote areas. "We will continue to work towards ensuring that these students acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills, too."
Linus 2.0 will only conduct two screenings per year as opposed to three screenings previously, Noorliza said.
She said all teachers teaching Bahasa Malaysia and Mathematics in all primary schools nationwide are equipped to teach under Linus. The upskilling for Linus English will start in May for Year One English teachers.
MUHAMMED AHMAD HAMDAN | muhammed@mediaprima.com.my New Straits Times Online General 19 April 2013
CLOSE WATCH: Mustapa Mohamed and Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat are forces to be reckoned with in this polls
IN contemporary Kelantan politics, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed are the most recognisable faces in the state.
Generally referred to as "Tok Guru" and "Tok Pa", both have built up a strong base of admirers for their political struggles through Pas and Barisan Nasional (BN) respectively through the years.
As any other political brand names, they have drawn ardent critics, too. As they go out to the hustings, 82-year-old Nik Aziz and Mustapa, 63, will be the faces to look out for as they captain their respective party ships to the finish line at the polls.
Keen political watchers can already make a calculated guess of who between the two will have the most energy to last the rigorous pace of campaigning unscathed.
On the basis of physical health, Mustapa, an Australian and United States-trained economist, may likely set a more blistering pace when hitting the campaign trails in his efforts to win back Kelantan for BN.
With old age catching up on Nik Aziz, the veteran politician may not be able to reach out to all the voters in every corner of the state like he used to. Reports of his hospital treatment for fatigue has become too often that questions have been raised about his ability to lead Kelantan.
The recent pictures making the rounds on the Internet of Nik Aziz, a five-term menteri besar, showing him being carried by aides after a ceramah in Johor reflect his physical condition and health. Despite this, he has been adamant that he will not quit politics as long as he lives.
Those in Pas' inner circle have been whispering that Nik Aziz, who studied at universities in India, Pakistan and Egypt's Al-Azhar, might be on the last leg of his political career for health reasons.
On the other hand, Mustapa who has held various cabinet portfolios, including finance minister II and his last posting as the international trade and industry minister, looks suitably determined to turn the table against Pas.
It is only fitting that a leader entrusted to bring change to the political landscape must not only be physically robust but also be packed with fresh ideas on how to turn around the fortunes in Kelantan once BN is in power.
He and his BN colleagues have outlined wide-ranging programmes in the BN election manifesto if the people give the mandate to BN in the election.
Conversely, Pas under Nik Aziz has begun to look like a spent force after two decades of running the state.
For this election, it appears that the people are preparing to send a strong signal to Pas that they are no longer satisfied with its excuses about the lack of new programmes to propel the state forward.
In the case of Mustapa, there is a clarity of thought in his future plans for Kelantan. It is not far-fetched for the people to have faith in him that Kelantan under BN will be a better place to live compared with the present situation.
With BN candidacy confirmed, Mustapa will re-contest his Jeli parliamentary seat apart from standing as a candidate for the Air Lanas state constituency.
The selection of him to go for the state seat has prompted talk that he will be the likely candidate to be appointed the new Kelantan menteri besar if BN wrests back the state from Pas. Such an idea is not too far off the mark as Mustapa has all the skills and administrative savvy from his long years in Federal Government service to hold the post.
Back in the 2004 election, Mustapa, who also went neck and neck with Nik Aziz when they were leading their parties, was denied by mere whiskers by Pas to form the state government.
BN was then only two seats short of ousting Pas when the coalition managed to win 21 of the 45 seats in the state assembly.
As for Nik Aziz, he will re-contest in Chempaka, a state constituency under Pengkalan Chepa deemed to be one of Pas' fortresses in Kelantan.
While the political heat rises, the faces of Tok Pa and Tok Guru adorn campaign posters and banners to reinforce the notion that they are forces to be reckoned with in this polls.
Nik Imran Abdullah | nikimran@mediaprima.com.my New Straits Times Columnist Thursday, April 25, 2013
