DECEMBER 27, 2002
NEWS ANALYSIS
Business Week Online
By Michael Shari in Singapore
Mahathir's Succession Map
What will happen when Malaysia's Prime Minister -- Asia's longest-serving
ruler -- steps down late in 2003? Here's the likely scenario
When Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced in June that he
would step down in 2003, the Southeast Asian nation of 22 million people
was unprepared. Asia's longest-serving ruler, Mahathir has been in office
21 years -- and he has made an indelible imprint on Malaysia's society and
economy. And after his announcement, Mahathir would let slip only the
vaguest hints about his plans for retirement and succession.
In recent months, however, Mahathir and senior officials of the ruling
United Malays National Organization Party (UMNO) have dropped enough hints
for diplomats and economists in Kuala Lumpur to sketch a reasonably clear
scenario for succession. Also clear are the 76-year-old Prime Minister's
plans for the next general election, the makeup of the next Cabinet, and
even a sense of how the next government will manage the economy. While the
overall flavor of Malaysian politics isn't expected to change much, the
impact on Malaysian business -- which Mahathir has shaped through personal
relationships with the country's tycoons since taking office in 1981 --
could be profound.
The moguls whose businesses grew during Mahathir's reign -- and who managed
to survived the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 -- appear to be
scrambling to prepare for a more competitive business environment.
Infrastructure kingpin Ananda Krishnan, who has investments in industries
that require government licenses, such as cell-phone networks and gaming,
raised $1.2 billion in asset sales in 2002. Securities analysts in Kuala
Lumpur claim that Krishnan is preparing to reinvest the funds outside the
country -- which his aides vigorously deny.
MORE OF THE SAME. And then there's Tengku Mahaleel, CEO of national
carmaker Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional (Proton). The auto company will
remain protected until 2005, when tariffs on cars manufactured in Southeast
Asia will drop to 20% from current levels of as high as 300%. Twelve months
ago, Mahaleel embarked on a three-year project to invest nearly $1 billion
in developing a new engine and models, as well as building a modern
assembly plant on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. "We're preparing for a
worst-case scenario," says a Proton spokesman.
Some diplomats and economists, who spoke on condition of anonymity, see
Mahathir's succession and the general election unfolding in the fourth
quarter of 2003, probably in November or December. First, Mahathir will
chair the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in October as
planned, marking his final act as Prime Minister and allowing him to "go
out on a high note," says one diplomat. Then Mahathir would step down, with
current Home Affairs Minister Abdullah Badawi, his handpicked successor,
replacing him as Prime Minister.
Malaysia's politics are not expected to change a great deal under Badawi.
"I cannot imitate Dr. Mahathir's style," Badawi said in an interview with a
state-controlled TV station on Nov. 19, "but the objectives will be the
same." Badawi is expected to continue to distance the government from
business leaders whose influence grew through relationships with former
Cabinet members. He's also expected to scale down affirmative-action
policies that some say have been hijacked by the politically connected
elite at the expense of the intended beneficiaries -- poverty-stricken
rural Malays.
THE COMMON TOUCH. In the interview, which diplomats and economists
consider Badawi's most significant public performance as heir apparent thus
far, he emphasized poverty reduction and denounced Islamic extremists as
"spelling a lot of problems for a multiracial country like Malaysia."
The catch is that Badawi's leadership is expected to be temporary. Mahathir
has indicated privately that he's sensitive to widespread criticism of
Badawi as being politically indecisive and of weak character. That's why
Mahathir has put forward current Defense Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who
has a commanding personal presence and is considered polished by Western
diplomats, as Badawi's Deputy Prime Minister. The younger Najib is already
being groomed to succeed Badawi after one or two terms.
The British-educated Najib has spent the last two years rediscovering his
Malay roots in the remote rural constituency of Pahang. He has been
repairing the image problems that gave him only a narrow win in the 1999
general election. "His Oxford accent doesn't play well on the stump," says
another diplomat in Kuala Lumpur. Badawi has not publicly endorsed Najib,
but he's expected to play along with Mahathir's succession plans.
GAME PLAN. In the interim, Badawi hopes to leave his mark on the
government by filling his staff with technocrats rather than politicians,
forming Malaysia's most professional Cabinet to date. One of his first
moves is expected to be appointing a technocrat as Finance Minister. Such a
move would depoliticize a post that the ruling party's power brokers have
used to build up the empires of business cronies.
Already, on Nov. 19, Mahathir appointed Jamaludin Mohamed Jarjis, an
associate of Najib, to be Second Finance Minister. Jamaludin, chairman of
the state-owned electrical power utility and a member of Parliament, is
expected to remain in the next Cabinet under Badawi's handpicked Finance
Minister, and his appointment is seen as a prelude to Najib's appointment
as Deputy Prime Minister.
As Mahathir has suggested in recent public statements, general elections
are expected to be held by the end of 2003. This would allow Badawi to
demonstrate that he's capable of leading UMNO through an electoral victory.
In this scenario, the ruling UMNO Party would hold off on its internal
election until early 2004, at which point Badawi and Najib would be elected
President and Vice-President of UMNO, respectively.
PARTY LINE. That would leave Najib, who at 49 is 14 years younger than
Badawi, in a position to gain support from other party leaders to replace
Badawi after one or two terms. Mahathir -- whose office did not respond to
a request for an interview -- would deviate from this game plan only by
holding the internal party vote before the general election, suggests one
diplomat, and that would be "to avoid an UMNO food fight."
Now that Malaysia's economy is improving and its currency appears to be
undervalued, Mahathir should be able to maintain enough support to keep his
succession plans on course. In September, exports grew 13.5%
year-over-year, thanks largely to higher prices for palm oil and
stronger-than-expected electronics exports to the U.S.
Economists say the ringgit is 7% undervalued, and in the run-up to the
elections Mahathir may decide he has nothing to lose -- and some political
points to gain -- by freeing it from the peg that has held it at 3.8 to the
U.S. dollar for four years. "If we depeg the ringgit, it will become
stronger, not weaker," says Mohamed Ariff, executive director of the
Malaysian Institute of Economic Research. "But the timing is very
important. We need to go back in a position of strength, not weakness."
That's precisely the attitude with which Mahathir appears to be viewing --
and playing out -- his endgame.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
FEER(26/12/2002)Malaysian PM Backing Initiatives Against Extremism
By S. Jayasankaran in Kuala Lumpur
MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER Mahathir Mohamad is not going quietly. He has said
he will retire from his post in October, but as he approaches his final
months in office, he is backing several inevitably controversial
initiatives. Taken together, these will address the roots of what he sees
as the greatest threats to Malaysia today: the growth of Islamic extremism
and the racial polarization of the nation's youth.
DR. MAHATHIR'S PRESCRIPTION FOR EXTREMISM
THE SYMPTOMS
-- Creeping Islamicization that could breed extremism
-- Growing ethnic polarization in Malaysian schools
THE MEDICINE
-- Regulating private Islamic education; folding students into the
national system
-- Revamping education to bring back non-Malays to national schools
-- Ultimately taking religion out of education's mainstream but making it
compulsory for Muslims after school hours
-- National service for some 300,000 male Malaysians a year
In pursuing these goals, the 77-year-old leader will be making a concerted
effort to steer young Malaysian Muslims away from political Islam and
extremism and into the arms of the ruling coalition.
In order to do so, he would roll back some programmes that were put in
place years ago to elevate the status of the ethnic Malays who account for
most of the country's Muslim majority. His mission would entail an
ambitious overhaul of education in Malaysia that, if taken to its
conclusion, would effectively purge Islamic instruction from Malaysia's
daily curriculum.
Most parents in Malaysia enrol their children in a national school system
in which the Malay language is the main medium of instruction and Islam is
part of the curriculum for all Muslims. If they wish, they can instead send
their children to an Islamic religious school, a Chinese school (in which
Mandarin is the medium of instruction), a Tamil school or any one of a
variety of private schools. All nonprivate schools are supported to some
degree by government funding; private Islamic schools also receive some
funding. Mahathir made his priority clear in late November: "National
schools should be the preferred choice," he said. "Besides, mixing with
children from other races would help in national unity."
He has already put a temporary halt to government funding of private
Islamic schools. The next step, according to a top educational adviser to
the prime minister, will be to closely regulate the content of private
Islamic education, which Mahathir says engages in brainwashing."
The plans don't stop there. In early December, Hamid Othman, religious
adviser to the prime minister, said the government had decided to absorb
the estimated 126,000 students studying in private Islamic schools into
national schools to ensure they received "quality education."
Then, on December 12, in an as-yet-unreported meeting convened by Mahathir,
a high-level committee of officials and educational advisers agreed to
begin pushing for a new programme to deal with religion in the national
school system. The plan would relocate religious instruction to special
after-school classes with no political content.
To top off this careful restructuring of the lives of Malaysian youth, the
prime minister seeks to institute compulsory national service for
18-year-old men in an effort to break down racial barriers and keep youth
committed to national ideals.
In the light of revelations in the past year, it shouldn't be difficult to
convince Malaysians they face an Islamic threat. Over the past year
Malaysia has used its Internal Security Act, which permits indefinite
imprisonment without trial, to arrest over 60 people it says are suspected
terrorists. Among those detained are members of the Islamic group Jemaah
Islamiah, which has been accused of a series of terror attacks including
the devastating bombing in Bali on October 12.
The perceived extremist threat is great enough that Mahathir raised it in
his speech to the nation on the Id-ul-Fitri holiday on December 6, marking
the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He spoke of Jemaah Islamiah's
goal of forcibly creating a pan-Islamic state in Southeast Asia. "They go
to Pakistan . . . purportedly to learn Islam . . . but in fact they want to
learn how to make bombs and rob banks, commit murder and terrorism in
preparation to seize power in this country."
The educational and national service projects could strengthen the status
of Malaysia -- and its image abroad -- as a moderate, progressive Islamic
nation. But any change to the Malaysian educational system is extremely
controversial, and sensitive even to Mahathir's own party, the United
Malays National Organization, or Umno. The party is the pivot of the ruling
coalition, the National Front, which has built its support base on a
multi-ethnic doctrine and depends heavily on the support of the 40% of the
population that is not Muslim.
But Umno has its own, specific Islamic threat to deal with: its
increasingly powerful opposition from the Islamic Party of Malaysia, or
Pas. The party has gained ground in recent elections, and has introduced
Islamic legislation in the two states it governs out of Malaysia's 13
states. It is Umno's strongest competitor for the votes of the majority
Malays. Malaysia has had Islamic private education for more than 100
years. Schools range from prestigious institutions to dilapidated huts with
poor facilities and worse standards. Their actual number and enrolment
figures are uncertain as they are loosely regulated: No licence is required
to open one.
Some government officials say that some schools are breeding grounds for
militant Islam. One highly placed official charges that the "brainwashing"
of students begins at a young age with children taking morning oaths to the
virtues of jihad and martyrdom.
The more likely result of an Islamic education, and its greatest threat in
the view of ruling-party politicians, is that it could breed support for
Pas. The government has accused Pas of "politicizing" Malaysia's Islamic
schools. Pas officials have denied this, and denounced proposals to close
the religious schools.
Mahathir has said that members of his party who sent their children to such
schools had complained that their children had come home asking their
parents "to bring down pictures of the Pharaoh," a derogatory reference to
the prime minister and the photos of him that families of Umno members keep
in their homes.
In October, the government stopped funding for all private Islamic schools
pending an appraisal, Mahathir said, "to find out which are religious
schools and which are political ones."
He has also said that the government does not want to see Muslims
knowledgeable in religious matters only. There are certainly more people
trained in religion than there are jobs for them: When the government
recently advertised for 100 religious teachers for the national school
system, 4,000 people applied.
"It is not necessary for all Muslims to become religious teachers, so there
is no necessity for parents to clamour to send their children for religious
education," Mahathir said in November.
But Islamic schools continue to be popular, in part because they serve a
desire among Muslim parents to give just such an education to their
children. The government estimates that at least 15,000 of the Muslim
children who are pursuing private Islamic education do so because their
parents find the national curriculum "too secular."
According to a senior government official, Mahathir's top education
committee on December 12 tentatively approved a plan to adopt on a national
level what southern Johor state has done for decades: There, all pupils go
to school in the morning for "secular" education, and in the afternoon all
Muslims attend at least two hours of closely supervised and regulated
Islamic education. The state spends at least 80 million ringgit ($21
million) a year on Islamic education.
Moving Islamic instruction to special after-school classes may be just one
part of a process of overhauling the national education system. A radical
plan called the Brain Trust Report, commissioned by Mahathir and completed
in October, is meant to redress the divisive impact education has had on
Malaysian youth of different races.
An indication of the growing ethnic divide: In 1964, 98% of ethnic Chinese
children went to Malaysia's national schools; today the number is 5%, the
remainder opting for Chinese or private education. The shift was due in
part to a perceived decline in the quality of national education, and in
part to the switch to the Malay language as a medium of instruction, from
English.
The disappearance of Chinese from national schools has created a cleaving
of the races that begins in primary school. National schools have now
become overwhelmingly Malay. (Of Malaysia's population, 60% are Malay, 32%
Chinese, 7% Indians and 1% others.)
The Brain Trust Report, according to government officials, recommends
sweeping change, from more rigorous qualifications for teachers to a return
to meritocracy and the creation of "elite" schools, which had been
de-emphasized to accommodate a decades-long affirmative action plan for
Malays, who had previously found it difficult to get into top schools.
As national schools became overtly Malay, Islamic studies became part of
the school curriculum -- albeit a small one, comprising four sessions a
week.
The Brain Trust Report "seeks to Malaysian-ize education from its present
Malay-ized status," says a person familiar with the report. He adds that a
high government official told him that over 50% of the plan is likely to be
implemented.
The report only skimmed the issue of religion. Mahathir's educational
committee could also take religion out of the curriculum altogether. Under
the December 12 plan, normal school hours would have no religious material,
but all Muslim students would be required to attend two hours of religious
education each afternoon, either at the school itself or in another
location. Non-Muslims would be offered a choice to study their own mother
tongue or their religion.
And if any youngsters have been led astray or "brainwashed" by a misguided
education, Mahathir wants to introduce mandatory national service for the
300,000 Malaysians who turn 18 every year. "It's the best way to force the
races to mix," says an Umno official. "And it's a good way to shape young
minds." Umno has in the past rejected any proposals for required military
service.
The Defence Ministry will soon begin evaluating plans and getting public
feedback before drawing up proposals for the cabinet to consider. It has
not yet been decided what form military service would take. However it is
done, it will be certainly be very expensive.
With Mahathir's continued dominance of Malaysian politics, he may be the
one man who can push through such controversial plans. "Dr. Mahathir may be
prepared to take on some of Umno's sacred cows," says Michael Yeoh, who
heads a Kuala Lumpur think-tank, the Asian Strategic Leadership Institute.
"He may be the only one who can."
Many Umno members can be expected to oppose the plans for an educational
overhaul on the grounds that they will undo some affirmative-action
measures that have benefited Malays. Pas will likely oppose them on the
grounds that they are un-Islamic.
But some officials seem confident. "These things should have been done more
than 10 years ago," says the person familiar with the Brain Trust Report.
And if Mahathir doesn't get it all done by October, there's always his
successor, Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Abdullah has said Umno is
"committed to the projection of Islam in a positive light," and to
preventing extremism from taking root. Whether he can carry Mahathir's
torch remains to be seen. ---
Hari ini hari terakhir tahun 2002. Terlalu banyak kenangan tahun ini untuk aku ingati, atau kalau boleh lupakan.
Hari ini aku akan menghadiri satu majlis pengkebumian.Aku berpakaian serba hitam hari ini. Sudah hampir lima tahun aku bersamanya. Hari ini tiba saat untuk berpisah. Lima tahun bukan satu jangkamasa yang singkat. Aku membesar bersamanya. Aku berada di sisinya tatkala ia dilahirkan. Aku yang mengajarnya bertatih. Aku yang cuba menyuapkan makanan ke mulutnya. Hampir lima tahun aku bersamanya. Aku hidup bersamanya tatkala susah dan senang. Terlalu setia aku bersamanya. Aku ada di sisinya tatkala ia meniti zaman kegemilangannya. Aku juga berada di sisinya tatkala ia dilanda kemelut perubahan pengurusan yang besar. Aku tetap berada di sisinya kerana aku yakin. Hari ini aku perlu berpisah dengannya. Aku sendiri tak pasti dimana silapnya.
Andai aku boleh menuding jari, beban kesalahan di atas kematiannya aku letakkan di bahu Perdana Menteri. Keadaan ekonomi semasa yang meruncing (tetapi di dalam media digembar-gemburkan akan kepesatan ekonomi negara) itu punca sebenar. Ekonomi negara tidak menentu.Terlalu banyak syarikat ditutup. Terlalu banyak gejala sosial yang melanda. Along wujud kerana apa ? Bukahkah kerana kesempitan hidup serta masalah wang ringgit ? Terlalu banyak pengangguran di kalangan lulusan universiti. Inilah salah satu sebab mengapa cadangan MTUC untuk melanjutkan umur persaraan kepada 57 tahun ditolak.
Kerajaan Malaysia, tolonglah berterus terang ! Jangan takut dengan bayang-bayang sendiri.
teaser sultanmuzaffar version 2.0
Easing The Pain Of Retrenchment
Alfred Charles, Managing Consultant
Retrenchment is the discharge of the surplus employees due to a downturn in business, the installation of labour-saving machinery, the standardisation or improvement of plants and techniques. This will result in the reorganisation of the employer's undertaking; consequently, some employees may be redundant and may have to be retrenched. However, the retrenchment must be bona fide and not for the purpose of victimising employees in order to get rid of their services.
When redundancy becomes imminent, employers have to adhere to the provisions relating to redundancy and retrenchment in the Code of Conduct for Industrial Harmony. Conditions precedent to retrenchment are the employer should, in consultation with the employees' representatives or their trade union, or with the Ministry of Human Resources, take positive steps to minimise the reduction of the workforce by adopting appropriate measures such as:
- limiting recruitment
- restricting overtime work
- restricting work on the weekly day of rest
- reducing the number of shifts or working days in a week
- reducing working hours
- retraining including transfer to other departments and reassignment of duties
Where retrenchment becomes inevitable, the employer must undertake the following
- give as much advance as possible to affected employees
- introduce voluntary retrenchment and early retirement schemes and the payment of compensation
- retire employees who are over the normal retirement age
- offer help to employees in finding alternative employment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources
- ensure a phased rundown of employment
- do not publicise the impending retrenchment until the union and employees have been informed
Criteria for selecting employees to be retrenched may include:
- the need for the efficient operation of the establishment
- the ability, experience, skill and occupational qualifications of workers required by the establishment
- length of service and status (non-citizens, casual, temporary, permanent)
- age
- family situation
- any other criteria formulated in the context of national policies
The principle "last in, first out" (LIFO) when retrenching employees must be adhered to by the employer unless there are valid, acceptable reasons for a departure from this principle. The LIFO principle is subject to two limitations: first, the rule operates only within the establishment in which the retrenchment is to be made; second, the rule applies only to the category to which the retrenched workmen belong.
Departure from the LIFO principle may include the following. For instance, the employer may take into account the efficiency and trustworthiness of an employee with substantive and reliable evidence (recorded history) showing the inefficiency or unreliability of the employee. If poor performance is to be asserted, it is vital for the employer to maintain a proper and transparent appraisal system. An employee who is less productive due to long absences through medical leave may be selected for retrenchment in the interest of operational efficiency. Staff possessing special qualifications pertinent to the business may be retained over a senior employee with longer years of service.
If retrenchment s inevitable, advance notice must be given to affected employees and the union, so the criteria for selection can be worked out between the company and the union. Employees who come within the purview of the Employment Act 1955 must be given notice before retrenchment. The notice period ranges from four to eight weeks, depending on years of service with the company. serving this notice to retrenched employees is mandatory. Where there is a collective agreement, the union must be served with the notice before serving notices to employees.
Faced with redundancy, a reasonable employer must consider the alternatives before embarking on retrenchment, as this is provided for in the Code. It becomes imperative for the Industrial Court to examine the measures adopted and the consideration of alternatives by the company before it contemplated retrenchment. If there is evidence before the court that the company did not adopt cost-containment or cost-control measures and did not consider alternatives before embarking on retrenchment, it becomes imperative for the court to declare the retrenchment of employees mala fide and an unfair labour practice.
Industrial law in Malaysia has developed to a level at which employees have security of tenure of employment. Once an employee has been inducted into the permanent service of an organisation, the employee is said to have acquired proprietary rights. Thus the employee cannot be terminated, dismissed or retrenched, unless there is just cause for doing so.
Published in The New Straits Times February 28, 1998
teaser sultanmuzaffar version 2.0
The Law in Relation to Retrenchment in Malaysia
Asiah Bidin, UUM
The world was plunged into a global economic recession some two years now, and is still coping with trying to stay afloat. While some countries have remained buoyant throughout the crisis, others are already seeing signs of drowning.
This global infection has also affected Malaysia. And, as prove of the extensive reach of the downturn, many have been struck down as retrenched casualties.
Hundreds and hundreds of employees have been laid-off in what companies call 'reorganizations'. This word is used widely now and is now commonly known among the local workforce.
This brings us to the question, what is retrenchment? What are the conditions for laying-off an employee?
One would expect that such a word as retrenchment might have its specified definition. However, there is no definition of the word in any local labour legislation.
By norm, retrenchment refers to a surplus of labour as a result of reorganization in a company [in any manner for the purpose of economy or convenience (award 342/1992)]. An employer is generally justified in retrenching his employee when his or her service is in excess of requirements. In other cases, a certain posts might become obsolete, thus resulting in a reduction, diminution or cessation on the type of work the employee has been performing.
In Malaysia, the employer is required to report to the Labour Department under the Ministry of Human Resource before any retrenchment can take place.
The Labour Department has been empowered to administer and enforce labour standards as well as lay down protection measures under stipulated labour laws.
Apart from that, there is also the Department of Manpower, which functions are to undertake the registration and placement of job seekers in vacancies reported by employers. This department also provides career guidance services to job seekers, administers the Private Employment Agencies Act 1981 and regulates private employment agencies.
It is also responsible for establishing effective labour market information services to facilitate labour market clearing, job placements and many others.
Despite the existence of all these departments to stand guard over employees' welfare, many employers are still taking unfair advantage of the current economic situation, by retrenching their employees without paying due redundancy benefit.
As far as retrenchment is concerned, an employment can only be terminated in bona fide instances, or in true cases. An employer cannot actuate retrenchment by victimization or resorting to unfair labour practices.
In Credit Corp.(M) Bhd v. Rahime Muhamed (1997) 2 ILR, it was held that the company has to show absolute transparency and honesty so as to ensure that retrenchment was carried out in a genuine context.
In the case of Radio & General Trading Sdn. Bhd and Pui Cheng Teck & Ors (award 243/1990), two main factors were laid down in considering if the employer did act bona fide when retrenching the employee.
The landmark factors in dispute were if there was a surplus of service of an employee, and whether a redundancy situation truly did exist. And, these two factors will have to be aligned with labour laws for laying-off.
The law provides that in exercising retrenchment, the employer must comply with the 'last in first out' principle (LIFO).
Apart from acting bona fide, the other element to be adhered to by the employer is whether the retrenchment is within the ambit of the Code of Conduct for Industrial Harmony.
Initially, this code was set up to provide detailed provisions regarding redundancy. It lays down principles, guidelines and conditions, preceding retrenchment in order to achieve industrial harmony.
Among them, the code requires the employer to give a proper warning of impending redundancy and to consult the employee concerned. The code also suggests that the employer should make a reasonable effort to look for an alternate employment for the employee before he is retrenched. The employer can also make an offer to the employee concerned to opt for voluntary retirement and pay him retrenchment and retirement benefits.
In this regard section 30(5A), Industrial Relations Act, 1967, in approving the existence of the code, mentions that in when making a decision or award, the Industrial Court may take into account any code or agreement to the employment practices. However, there are cases, where the provision in section remained as a code and was not adhered in the court.
In the case of Malaysia Shipyard & Engineering Sdn. Bhd. Johore Bharu v. Mukhtiar Singh (1991) 1 ILR 627, the court held that there is no legal obligation on the part of the company to consult its employee before retrenchment. In other words, it is not the legal duty of an employer to have to give advance warning to his employee on the possibility of retrenchment.
Generally, the court will rule that any retrenchment practice is unfair if it is either mala fide, actuated by victimization, or carried out under unfair labour practices (award 245/1986).
Failure to follow the LIFO principle can also constitute unfair retrenchment, unless the employer has a very valid reason to depart from it. Since the LIFO principle is not a statutory provision, it serves merely as a guideline to be followed in order to avoid unfair retrenchment.
In Supreme Corporation Bhd and Doreen Daniel & Ong Kheng Liat (award 349/1987), the court pointed out that the LIFO is not a mandatory rule which can be departed from by an employer when retrenching staff.
If the employer fails to comply with the law, relating to redundancy and retrenchment in the Code of Conduct for Industrial Harmony, the employee has the right to seek judgement for unfair retrenchment under section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1967.
Di mana-mana hari ini tatkala hujung tahun saban kali kita mendengar jargon-jargon popular seperti retrenchment, VSS, bonus, naik pangkat, SSM, SSB heboh diperkatakan. Sudah hampir sebulan tatkala saya menyepikan diri, perkataan-perkataan itu berlegar di dalam kepala. Kadang-kadang tidur yang amat diperlukan jadi tidak lena kerana perkataan-perkataan itu sering bermain dalam fikiran. Rumours atau khabar angin sudah menjadi mainan mulut bila isu-isu seperti ini dihangatkan. Keadaan pejabat yang tenteram jadi ribut, keadaan kerja yang teratur jadi kelam-kabut angkara penyebar khabar angin. Saya turut menjadi mangsa. Penjelasan perlu sewaktu saat-saat sebegini agar dapat menjernihkan yang keruh. Apa yang pasti saya sebagai manusia berakal mahupun pilihan dan bukan mengikut membuta-tuli.
"Relocate me to different department or else I resign", itu kata dua dari saya. Muktamad. Saya tahu sayang mereka terhadap saya terlalu kuat.
SuaraAnum.com. Artikel Weblog Menjerit Bhg 1 keluar kat suaraAnum.com. Aku happy. Sempena tersiarnya article tersebut aku memaparkan semula arkib weblog aku. Biar orang tahu.
Sempena hari baik bulan baik ini, aku mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri kepada semua khalayak sultanmuzaffar. Terima kasih di atas sokongan anda.
Hari ini dengan rasminya aku mematikan sultanmuzaffar. sultanmuzaffar akan dikuburkan setelah aku merasakan tiada kejujuran dalam setiap penulisan aku. Dia tidak akan dihidupkan semula dan sultanmuzaffar juga perlu dimatikan. Jangan fikir akan wujudnya proses kehidupan semula setelah kematian. Aku mengambil langkah ini setelah mengambil kira perasaan kedua ibu-bapa aku. Aku sayangkan mereka. Anda semua masih boleh personal email kepada saya atau pun terus memeriahkan tag-board yang ada.
selamat tinggal
Baru-baru ini aku ada hantar artikel ke satu magazine, Siasah. Tajuk artikel itu Weblog Menjerit. Aku karang dan edit dari satu artikel yang keluar dekat PC.com dan juga terjemahan oleh Ghazali Bunari. Artikel ini ada dua bahagian.
Weblog Menjerit 1 (Bahagian Satu)
Oleh Sultanmuzaffar
E-niaga bukan hanya merujuk kepada perdagangan dan perhubungan yang melibatkan transaksi antara penjual dan pembeli. Rangkumannya meliputi juga sistem penyampaian maklumat. Globalisasi atau persejagatan telah menjadikan sistem maklumat lebih meriah.
Salah satu kaedah yang mula mendapat tempat, sungguhpun baru di negara ini ialah weblog. Apakah itu weblog dan bagaimanakah ia merubah budaya masyarakat sekarang terutama golongan muda-muda masa kini? Siasah memaparkan isu-isu yang berkaitan dengan weblog dan lihatlah bagaimana kuatnya pengaruh tersebut terhadap budaya kita.
Bahagian satu rencana ini akan memaparkan tiga isu; meraikan ego, anti-perkelompokan dan pemusnahan kekecewaan, manakala bahagian kedua Weblog Menjerit! Akan menyentuh perihal Keperluan Kemasyarakatan untuk Berkongsi, Bercita Menjadi Penulis dan Aplikasi Mesra Penulis.
Weblog mampu ‘menjerit’ dalam dunia tanpa sempadan ini. Weblog merupakan satu medium penyuaraan rasa hati untuk ia didengari ke seluruh pelusuk alam. Generasi baru mahu menjadi pelakon utama, maka memainkan peranan yang aktif dan bukannya sekadar penonton yang pasif dalam perubahan masyarakat (Ding, 2000). Blogger (http://www.blogger.com), merupakan salah satu syarikat penyedia alat untuk penerbitan di web kini menjadi kegilaan di kalangan remaja yang inginkan jeritan mereka didengar. Dalam satu kertas kerja yang bertajuk Weblog: Kuasa Menerbit Di Hujung Jari oleh Ghazali Bunari menjelaskan definisi weblog dan justifikasi mengapa weblog menjadi medium penulisan generasi baru. Kandungan weblog akan sentiasa segar kerana sering dikemaskinikan oleh editornya pada bila-bila masa. Kandungannya disusun mengikut kronologi. Kandungan weblog boleh berbentuk multimedia merangkumi teks, imej, audio, video dan pautan. Ciri yang utama terdapat pada satu weblog ialah catatan editornya dan buku lawatan untuk pembaca berinteraksi dengan editornya.
Di Malaysia khususnya, terdapat satu komuniti yang menggelarkan diri mereka Geng Jurnal (http://www.gengjurnal.net). Mereka terdiri daripada pelbagai latarbelakang, polar umur, tahap pendidikan, sosio-ekonomi, bangsa juga pemilihan seksual. Inilah suara hati generasi baru yang hidup dalam dunia globalisasi. Weblog-weblog mereka menjerit meraih perhatian. Setakat artikel ini ditulis, seramai 280 ahli berdaftar. Malaysia BolehBlog juga merupakan salah satu gerbang weblog muda-mudi Malaysia. (http://rantglass.insatiably.net/ring/index.html). Tetapi dalam banyak-banyak weblog yang ada, Kari Kambing (http://geocities.com/kari_kambing/main/) tetap merupakan himpunan weblog yang saya fikirkan terbaik.
Apakah yang merangsang seseorang itu menulis weblog? Dvorak (2000), seorang penulis untuk majalah Web, PC.com, menyenaraikan 5 justifikasi mengapa seseorang itu menerbitkan weblog. Ghazali Bunari, seorang pensyarah di Jabatan Bahasa Moden, Fakulti Pengurusan dan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia, UTM pula menyenaraikan 7 justifikasi, termasuk yang dicadangkan oleh Dvorak, yang menjadi pemangkin kepada penerbitan weblog.
1. Meraikan Ego
Ada penulis weblog yang memerlukan perhatian. Lebih banyak perhatian berjaya dikumpul, lebih tinggi kepuasan dirasakannya. Weblog sebagai alat perantara melalui komputer yang memudahkan bagi seseorang mengenengahkan pendapatnya dengan berani. Komunikasi dengan menggunakan Web dapat mengurangkan gangguan komunikasi yang berbentuk tidak verbal seperti yang terdapat di dalam komunikasi bersemuka. Mesej yang disampaikan bergantung penuh keberkesanannya pada cara teks tersebut ditulis dan bukan lagi pada isyarat fizikal seperti cara berdiri, bersuara, dan berpakaian. Mereka mengunakan weblog sebagai pentas mengumpul khalayak pembaca mengkuti ide mereka. Setiap komen dan peningkatan angka pada pembilang pelawat (hit counter) ditafsirkan sebagai maklumbalas pembaca yang memberi perhatian kepada apa yang hendak diketengahkan oleh penulis itu sendiri. Di dalam Gerbang Geng Jurnal (http://www.gengjurnal.net) sendiri terdapat beberapa weblog yang dianggap berkelas elit berdasarkan dengan gaya penulisan editornya. Sebagai contoh, weblog Mat Jan (http://syafizan.diaryland.com), seorang pelajar IPTA tempatan, menulis dengan laras humor mengenai aktiviti-aktiviti yang beliau lalui sebagai pelajar jurusan undang-undang. Berikut adalah petikan weblog Mat Jan pada 11 September 2002,
“Laman yang anda cari tidak aktif buat masa ini. Laman ini mungkin mengalami masalah teknikal, atau pemiliknya sedang sibuk menghadapi peperiksaan akhir semester.
Sha dapat 55%. Owin dapat 60%. AKU DAPAT 75%.
Aku sungguh gembira hari ini sebab assignment CYBER LAW aku dapat markah 75%. Kalau ikut gred kira A- lah.
Wahhh, hebatnya aku ;þ~
"Buat last minutes pun boleh dapat 75?" kata Sha dengan nada jealous.
Well, orang terror, hahaha!”
Nada weblog ini menjerit riang dalam nada humor dan adakalanya mampu membuatkan pembacanya tersenyum. Itulah Mat Jan. Kritikan dan penulisannya bersifat sindiran tajam yang menggeletek hati pembaca. Semasa beliau berkempen untuk kerusi Majlis Pewakilan Pelajar, beliau telah meletakkan poster-poster lucu kempen di weblog beliau. Beliau telah memenangi pilihanraya tersebut.
2. Anti Perkelompokan
Manusia mempunyai kecenderungan untuk melabel orang lain dalam kategori-kategori tertentu. Contohnya, seorang gay akan dilihat sebagai golongan yang lembut, tidak bermoral, tidak berpendidikan tinggi, tiada pegangan agama yang kukuh serta tidak mempunyai pekerjaan yang sempurna. Jika kita melihat weblog seorang penulis gay ini, tanggapan umum akan pasti berbeza apabila melihatkan dunianya yang jauh lebih sempurna. Pendiriannya juga tetap dan dari weblognya orang lain boleh mendapat maklumat-maklumat yang selama ini tidak diketahui atau diambil endah oleh orang lain. Sekaligus membuktikan bahawa golongan ini ialah golongan yang berperasaan. Sama seperti orang lain. Inilah yang dapat digarap jika kita membaca weblog Nizam Zakaria (http://nizamzakaria.blogspot.com) seorang penulis yang menerapkan unsur homoerotik dalam setiap karya-karyanya pada 26 Februari 2002,
“Semalam aku belek lagi gambar-gambar lama aku. Kemudian aku terjumpa kad lama yang pernah aku tulis kepada adik dahulu. Kad itu bertarikh 13/10/99. Pada masa itu aku telah menyayanginya tanpa pernah berjumpa dengannya. Kerana pada masa itu aku masih lagi menuntut di AS.
Di dalam surat itu aku telah mengingatkannya betapa aku semakin menyayanginya dan aku mahu dia menerima aku seadanya. Dan sebagai balasannya, aku akan menyayanginya tanpa berbelah bagi.
Semalam aku sedar bagaimana dia tidak pernah menepati segala janjinya itu. Air mata aku meleleh lagi memikirkan tentang masa lampauku dahulu.
Jadi dalam kesepian aku, aku pergi menelefon Nizam. Dia suruh aku lupakan Adik sama sekali. Dia suruh aku buang segala gambar-gambar serta surat-surat lama Adik. Tapi aku tak sanggup melakukannya. Aku mahu menyimpannya untuk mengingatkan diriku tentang Adik. Kerana aku tahu, jauh di dalam jiwaku, banyak memori manis aku bersamanya yang masih lagi mahu aku simpan. Semuanya akan terus aku simpan sampai bila-bila.
Lagipun. Rama-ramanya telah lama meninggalkannya.
Aku mahu terus simpan memori rama-ramaku ini di di dalam jiwaku yang lara ini...”
3. Pemusnahan Kekecewaan
Hidup memang selalu akan dihimpit masalah dan juga adakalanya masalah yang ditanggung terlalu berat. Dengan menulis weblog tidak banyak sedikit, masalah yang berat itu menjadi ringan sedikit setelah dikongsi di dalam weblog. Penderitaan yang ditanggung akan menjadi ringan sedikit setelah berkongsi. Kata-kata perangsang dari pembaca dapat sedikit sebanyak menenangkan fikiran dan menghilangkan kerunsingan. Weblog dapat menjadi medium dan alat rawatan jiwa serta menaikkan semula semangat yang hilang. Weblog saudara Rudy (http://www.bluehikari.com), kerap juga mengingatkan pembacanya akan kekuasaan Allah serta perlunya sifat tawakkal dalam setiap manusia. Berat mata memandang, berat lagi bahu yang memikul. Pada 11 Mei 2002, beliau menulis,
“Seperti orang lumpuh yang optimis satu hari nanti dia akan boleh berjalan kembali. Seperti orang yang mandul yang optimis satu hari nanti dia akan dianugerahkan zuriat oleh Allah. Segala-galanya mungkin. Ia tidak mustahil jika Allah memperkenankan segala permintaan hambanya yang berikhtiar dan berdoa kepadaNYA. Bertawakkal dan SABAR sehingga detik waktu Allah bebaskan penderitaan!”
Weblog Rudy pula seakan-akan sebahagian dari rawatan kepada penyakit yang dirasainya. Pembacanya banyak memberi kata semangat untuk beliau terus tabah menghadapi kehidupan. Kehidupan Rudy yang terumbang-ambing dengan kerja yang tidak tetap juga turut memberi kesan kepada penyakitnya. Kini Rudy telah selesa dengan kerja baru yang pasti memenatkannya.
Weblog sultanmuzaffar (http://sultanmuzaffar.blogspot.com) merupakan satu weblog yang cuba lari dari permasalahan biasa dalam masyarakat. Hidup dalam dunia ini tidak menjadikan dia seorang yang pengecut untuk berhadapan dengan kenyataan. Di dalam weblog ini juga diceritakan dari hari ke sehari tentang bebanan kerja yang menimbun ditambah pula dengan masalah perhubungannya. Kekecewaan dalam bekerja dan kekecewaannya terhadap kerajaan diperincikan secara jujur dalam weblog beliau. Lebih banyak kekecewaan di dalam weblog ini. Pembacanya banyak memberi nasihat di dalam buku lawatan dan juga terus ke email beliau. Sultanmuzaffar sebenarnya cuba untuk berkongsi dengan pembacanya akan masalah yang ditanggungnya agar dapat meringankan sedikit bebannya.
Rujukan
Dvorak, John C. [Online]. (2002, February 5). ‘The Blog Phenomenon.’ Pada: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,12899,00.asp [15/09/2002]
Wan Sabariah Shikh Ali. (2002) ‘Jurnal Pnline Papar Kreativiti Muda-mudi Melayu, Ruang Siber.’ Jelita. Februari.p.128
Ghazali Bunari. (2002) ‘Weblog: Kuasa Menerbit Di Hujung Jari.’ Pada: http://geocities.com/kari_kambing/weblog/ [13/09/2002]
11K-Coronary Risk Studies
Total Cholesterol 2.6 RR<5.2
HDL Cholesterol 0.79 L RR>0.90
LDL Cholesterol 1.4 RR<3.9
Triglycerides 0.9 RR<2.3
Total/HDL Ratio 3.3 RR<5.8
Cholesterol ada banyak jenis, ada yang baik ada yang jahat. Cholesterol yang ada dalam badan aku rendah, cuma 2.6. Cholesterol baik yang ada dalam badan aku ialah 0.79 juga rendah. Doktor menasihatkan aku supaya banyakkan bersenam untuk meninggikan kadarnya sehingga melebihi paras 0.90. Kandungan cholesterol jahat dalam badan aku juga rendah.
Aku hantar posting ni tadi kat satu laman web. Sajer menghangatkan keadaan sementara boss aku tengah leka meneliti skrin pc dia tengok pasaran saham. Boss aku sekarang datang office bukan buat kerja, tapi dia tengok skrin PC dia, check pasaran saham Dow Jones. No wonder kerja sampai ke pagi ikut time New York.
peminat fanatik siti:- dah beli ker album baru siti
Aku baru order buku ini dari Amazon.com: The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog. Aku berminat nak kaji tentang weblog dengan lebih lanjut. Mana tahu jika ada rezeki, aku nak buat Master.
the weblog handbook
When Perseus Publishing asked me to write a book on weblogs, I laughed. A book about weblogs? Everything you need to know is on the web!
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I've learned in three years of maintaining my own site--some of which is so obvious to experienced online denizens it doesn't seem worth explaining, but that as a newcomer I wouldn't have known to ask. Thus the weblog handbook was born.
I arranged the book in roughly the order I expect most people approach the subject, first explaining what weblogs are and why anyone would want to read or maintain one, and then moving through more practical considerations: how to choose a tool to update your site, how to make your weblog stand out, and how to attract an audience. I answer commonly asked questions about weblog etiquette, explain what you need to know about living online, and give you some suggestions for dealing with burn-out. In short, I've done my best to get everything I know about maintaining a weblog--any kind of weblog--onto the page so that you can benefit from my experience.
I also tried to place weblogs into a larger cultural and media context. In doing so, I explore the weblog's relationship to journalism, discuss the cultural context from which weblogs emerged, and examine the ways in which the community defined itself. I start the book with an explanation of the form and end with an examination of the emergence of the early weblog community in relation to pre-existing online culture, the ways in which old-media paradigms have informed perceptions and practitioners of the form, and the state of the Weblog Nation in 2002.
Aku jumpa lagu ini dalam satu laman web:-
Kalau gembira Siti kalah tepuk tangan
Kalau gembira siti kalah tepuk tangan
Kalau anda gembira beginilah caranya
Kalau anda gembira tepuk tangan...
Kalau suka rosyam menang tepuk tangan
Kalau suka rosyam menang tepuk tangan
kalau anda gembira begilah caranya
Kalau anda gembira tepuk tangan...
he..he..he. Best tak lagu ciptaan ati ni. Khas ditujukan buat peminat fanatik Siti yg tak puas hati, bengkak hati, sakit hati, patah hati dan macam-macam lagi. Permisi......
Peminat Siti Nurhaliza memang suka cari gaduh. Terlampau fanatik. Aku gelak ajer.
p/s:- Aku baru beli CD Konsert Untukmu Sudir 100% Live nyanyian Siti Nurhaliza. Konsert yang aku tak bangun untuk standing ovation pasal Siti nyanyi tengok lirik yang terpancar di belakang penonton. Siti ingat penonton bodoh ker ?
Aku jadi seronok dengan weblog aku. Weblog ini akan jadi teman aku. Hobi baru aku. Aku akan ubah design weblog aku sebulan sekali, aku harap. Seronok bila dapat gunakan ilmu yang ada untuk buat weblog sendiri. Dulu aku pernah ada impian nak buat website sendiri. Tapi kerana sifat aku yang perfectionist, website yang aku nak buat tak pernah siap. Aku tetap menukar design yang ada kerana tidak berpuas hati dengan hasilnya. Kini dengan adanya teknologi baru ini, membuat weblog menjadi begitu mudah. Senang. Di tambah dengan bantuan user-group yang ada. Semuanya siap sekelip mata. Aku bangga, kini aku sudah ada weblog aku sendiri. Cuma, gambar sendiri saja yang aku tidak letak lagi. Mungkin aku akan buat weblog personal yang mana seorang pun tidak akan tahu kewujudannya. Weblog itu untuk kegunaan resume aku. Jika ada kesempatan aku akan buat satu.
Secara keseluruhan aku dah discuss dengan Syed berkenaan Project 35M. Aku puas hati. Aku akan ada next meeting dengan orang dari Ministry tuh dalam minggu depan. Syed mintak aku bawak dia sekali. So that senang nak discuss dan negotiate bagi pihak aku. Nampak gayanya ini dah jadi Project persendirian, dah tak involve Dia sekali macam idea aku yang terdahulu. Elok gak tak involve Dia, aku bukan dapat apa pun. Memang mula-mula aku nak Dia join sekali. Tapi sekarang semua dah berubah. Biasalah, perancangan mana boleh jangka. Aku hanya boleh merancang, apa yang akan berlaku di masa depan kita tidak tahu.
Aku meeting dengan somebody dari Project 35M semalam kat Shah Alam. Cam sial kena ketuk awal-awal. Aku kena check ngan Marketing, nak mintak claim entertainment. Basically, Project 35M nampak macam akan berjaya. Company aku on the right track. Memang itu pun yang diorang nak. Aku kena discuss dengan Syed untuk dia proceed.
Malam ini aku akan jumpa dengan orang yang deal Project 35M tu kat Shah Alam. Macam aku cerita semalam, idea aku tak boleh pakai. Malam tadi Pan cerita macamana nak dapat both sides. So far dapat 5%. Pada aku sikit tu. Biasa ahh tamak sikit. Bukan tamak pada aku, just imagine the awarded company akan dapat 95%. So, tak salah aku dan kawan-kawan aku nak dapat 5% daripada 100% tu. Dah tu pulak, kena bahagi 3 antara kawan-kawan aku. Aku akan try deal untuk dapatkan lebih sikit, kalau tak pun, Pan have to do something at his side. Apa-apa pun malam ni penentu. Aku harap akan berjaya.
www.celcom.net.my bagi aku SMS berkenaan ramalan bintang aku untuk minggu ni :- ARIES - Take initiative now! U discover different sources of income. Rather than fear the unknown, exploit it! from InfoZap-celcom.net. Nampak macam aku ada untung baik minggu ni.
Ada satu perkara menarik aku nak cerita kat korang. Ada seorang "peminat fanatik" aku kat bomoh.mimos.my sampai-sampai office je terus bukak weblog aku. Kenapa dia suka sangat baca weblog aku pun tak tahu. Setiap 2/3 jam mesti bukak nak tengok ada update atau tidak. Kekadang tu kesian jugak, pasal aku sampai office kekadang lewat jugak. Yang dia pukul 8.27 dah terpacak nak baca weblog aku. Baguslah, teruskan membaca dan memahami kehidupan orang lain.
first time dlm sejarah dept R&D, byk graphics dari prog. ProjectX jadi new department dengan nama Research & Development Department. Project Coordinator aku automatik jadi HOD. Aku masih sama saja.
Perdana Menteri Malaysia letak jawatan ? Seronok aku tengok sarkis live on Astro semalam. Jarang dapat tengok sarkis live on TV. Kekadang seronok gak. Tapi yang pasti selepas PM kembali dari bercuti mesti beliau akan announce perletakan jawatannya secara rasmi. Itu sudah pasti.
Sebelumnya aku pergi ker Chow Kit dengan Yusof dan Zul. Kitorang pergi makan dekat satu kedai jual Mee Sup. Sedap pulak mee sup kat situ. Aku mesti datang lagi. Lepas tu kitorang pergi tempat jual jamu. Aku try 2 bungkus. Aku tak lalu nak habiskan. Effect ke atas aku lambat jugak. Pagi tadi baru terasa.
Pagi Ahad macam biasa aku baca surat khabar. Penuh paper muka badut tengah buat lawak. Ada yang menangis, ada yang menjerit, ada yang buat mulut senget (Metro Ahad - Rafidah Aziz). Aku nak buat kerja sikit. Untuk presentation hari Rabu ni. Esok kena siap untuk hantar photocopy. Molar bands aku tercabut satu. Berdenyut-denyut gigi geraham aku. Aku kena call Dr esok untuk tanya effect tu.
Berita dari Corporate Planning betul-betul menggembirakan aku. Aku seronok dengar news tu. Aku dan rakan-rakan sudah boleh kembali semula ke dunia asal. Hati aku kembali tenang. Keputusan telah dibuat. Kerja-kerja perlu disiapkan dalam waktu pejabat sahaja. Kecuali jika dengan kerelaan hati. Berita dari Project Manager itu betul-betul menyejukkan hati aku, walaupun aku sebenarnya masih tidak puas hati dengan workflow kerja ini.
Mood aku memang tak baik hari ni. Sejak semalam. Aku blah dari office pukul 9 malam. Aku boring buat kerja gila tuh. Tak bawak kemana. Aku jumpa Project Manager pagi tadi. Aku cerita. Tapi tak cerita detail pasal aku telah diarahkan supaya tidak cerita dengan orang lain. AKu dapat rasakan hidup & pekerjaan aku sedang dikawal oleh seorang diktator. Aku memang tidak suka ada orang lain control hidup aku secara paksaan. Aku bosan. Aku boleh contribute something jika ditukar ke department lain.
