Math and Science in Bahasa or mother tongues

The Cabinet has decided that all national primary and secondary schools will teach Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Melayu and Vernacular schools, meanwhile, will teach the subjects in either Chinese or Tamil respectively beginning 2012.

The Government made this decision after studying in detail the result of studies and close monitoring of the PPSMI by the Education Ministry and independent bodies since the policy was implemented in 2003.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin said, the policy will be implemented in stages for Year One, Year Four, Form One and Form Four in 2012. The changes do not involve Form Six and Matriculation students.

All examinations for Science and Mathematics will remain bilingual until 2014, so as to not jeopardize the performance of students under the current policy - Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English or its official abbreviation PPSMI (Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris).

A Contemporary English Literature Programme For Children to inculcate the reading habit and introduce elements of literature will be introduced. English labs will be set up in schools to help students learn the language more effectively, incorporating information technology through the use of appropriate software.

To expose students to scientific terms, elements of science and technology will be absorbed into the teaching of English.

Kg Buah Pala land is a state matter

Land matters and the local government are directly under the purview of state governments, this is the Rule of Law in Malaysia which should not be questionable.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said, the Federal Government cannot interfere in the Kampung Buah Pala issue because land matters are under the purview of the respective state governments.
“Land is a state matter. If we are to intervene, it will create a major precedent for other similar cases.

“In fact, there are many other cases, and we will be asked to intervene in these other cases as well,” he said when asked to comment on the request by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that the Federal Government step in to resolve the Kampung Buah Pala issue.

Lim had asked the Federal Government to consider paying back the cost of paying for Kg Buah Pala.

He added the state government could not afford to pay for the prime land as the sum was much higher compared to the original selling price of RM3.2mil by the previous state administration.

Straight fight between BN and PAS in Manek Urai

The Manek Urai by-election on July 14 will be a straight fight between BN and PAS.

The straight fight between PAS candidate Mohd Fauzi Abdullah, 50, a fishmonger, and Barisan Nasional candidate Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat, 39, a manager at the South Kelantan Development Authority (Kesedar) after a nomination process that passed without incident.

In the 2008 general election, Ismail, a five-term assemblyman, defeated Barisan candidate Zulkifli Omar with a 1,352 majority votes.

PAS had lost here in 2004 when the much-liked Ismail did not defend his seat but reclaimed it in 2008 by a huge majority when he beat BN's Mohamed Zulkifli Omar in the 12,000-voter constituency.

The constituency has 12,293 voters. The by-election has been called because of the death of state assemblyperson Ismail Yaakob of PAS on May 22.

Pakatan government close to collapse

Pakatan government is indeed a fragile coalition, it’s now close to collapse and it could fall at any time.

The Kedah DAP had announced its decision to withdraw from the PAS-led government over the demolition of the sole pig abattoir in the state.

The PKR Member of Parliament for Kulim Bandar Baru in Kedah, Zulkifli Noordin said, it was meaningless for DAP to remain in Pakatan if it could not tolerate its two partners in the alliance. The party had to exercise mutual understanding to remain in the opposition pact or strike out on its own.

In George Town, state PKR chairman Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim accused Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of failing to practice the principles of justice and compassion in the running dispute over the sacking of PKR Seberang Prai municipal councillor Johari Kassim.

These incidents clearly presented evidence of the role of internal conflict of Pakatan. They lack common policies and common stand on issues that may arise anytime. From time to time, sensitive issues may arise which require some disciplinary intervention that Pakatan has yet to develop.

Undeniably, the ideological isolationism of DAP, PAS, and PKR but driven the narrow alley of a political coalition in order to share power, is by far the main factor to cause the collapse of the fragile coalition government.