Bernama | KUALA LUMPUR, 10-July-2009 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said although he often criticised the government, it did not mean that he was not supporting the administration.

On the contrary, he said, the criticisms made were based on his personal observation and he had the right to have an opinion on certain issues.

“So far, (there are) so many things I do not agree with. That is my personal opinion, I am entitled to have my opinion, but it does not mean I do not support the government,” he said when asked for his opinion on the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on his first 100 days in office.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Mahathir, when met after delivering his keynote address at the Discourse on the Institution of the Monarchy and the Malays in the Federal Constitution from the 1Malaysia Perspective, here on Friday, said, however, that he could not make an evaluation of the Najib administration yet.

“I haven’t made a study yet…not a scientific study,” he said.

Asked to comment on the positive aspects of Najib’s administration, Dr Mahathir said among the things that deserved praise was his approach in going to the ground and meeting the grassroots.

“There are (positive aspects), he (Najib) meets more people, he doesn’t sleep. These are all positive (aspects),” he said.

On the negative side, Dr Mahathir said these included the proposal on the third bridge to Singapore and the failure of the government to tackle corruption in the government when there were still individuals who were found guilty of corrupt practices still holding position in the cabinet.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said the claim by certain groups that the New Economic Policy (NEP) posed an obstacle to the economic growth of the people was not right.

Dr Mahathir, who was also a former finance minister, said the policy which was introduced 38 years ago was not a reason for the slow economic growth.

On the other hand, the open policy adopted by certain countries on foreign direct investment (FDI) and the world economic recession had influenced the growth of the local economy.

Meanwhile on a separate issue, Dr Mahathir conceded that the controversy on the house of former Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo could affect the position of Umno and the Barisan Nasional in terms of morality.

In this context, he urged Dr Mohamad Khir to explain the source of funds for his house which was said to be worth RM24 million.

“He has to explain where he got the money (from)…(he) can’t just say RM3 million. I too have a house. I spent RM1 million on my house at The Mines. His house is how many times bigger than mine,” he said.

Meanwhile the fourth Malaysian prime minister, who celebrates his 84th birthday on Friday, shared his wish with the people: “My wish is to see Malaysia where people think they are Malaysians and not linked to anywhere else”.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when commenting on Najib’s first 100 days as prime minister, said he was happy that Najib’s leadership was getting more acceptance from the people.

“Alhamdulillah, because the support given to him was growing from 42 per cent before he took the oath of office to 65 per cent (based on a survey by Merdeka Centre, a local research centre).

“This means that he had succeeded in leading the country with the policies announced by him from time to time.

“Consequently, these policies will receive public scrutiny in terms of their kimplementation. I hope they can be defended,” he said.

— BERNAMA

The China Post | KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 10-July-2009 — Malaysia’s former leader Mahathir Mohamad on Friday gave a thumbs down to Prime Minister Najib Razak’s first 100 days in office, saying there has been “more negatives than positives” under the new administration.

Since taking power April 3, Najib has implemented a wide range of economic reforms to woo foreign investors as the country faces its first recession in a decade.

Mahathir, who retired in 2003 but remains an influential political figure, slammed Najib’s move to roll back an affirmative action program for ethnic Malay Muslims, including scrapping a requirement for Malays to own 30 percent equity in some sectors in the financial services industry.

Companies seeking to list on the stock exchange also no longer need to allot 30 percent shares for Malays.

Mahathir further criticized Najib for plans to scrap the use of English to teach math and science by 2012 in favor of the national Malay language, warning it would hurt the country’s competitiveness. It reversed a policy started by Mahathir in 2003 amid concerns that poor English skills were hindering students’ job opportunities.

Najib says the government remains committed to raise the level of English in schools by employing more English teachers and increasing the hours of teaching.

Mahathir also objected Najib’s plans to build a third bridge to neighboring Singapore and said he hasn’t taken concrete steps to fight corruption.

“I’m sorry to say this, there are more negatives than positives,” he told reporters when asked to assess Najib’s first 100 days. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t support the government but I think the government is doing the wrong things.”

Mahathir, was Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, in power between 1981 and 2003. He holds no government post but his views are widely respected.

Mahathir ran a fierce public campaign that helped pressure Najib’s predecessor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to step down in March, four years before his term expired.

Despite Mahathir’s assessment, the independent Merdeka Center research firm earlier this week said Najib’s approval rating has risen from 45 percent in mid-May to 65 percent, according to a telephone survey of about 1,000 voters nationwide. The survey had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

The center said the results indicate a rising number of Malaysians appreciate decisions made by Najib. Critics, however, said Najib’s popularity rating was still the lowest of all Malaysia’s prime ministers in their first 100 days.

Bernama | KUALA LUMPUR, 10-July-2009 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said although he often criticised the government, it did not mean that he was not supporting the administration.

On the contrary, he said, the criticisms made were based on his personal observation and he had the right to have an opinion on certain issues.

“So far, (there are) so many things I do not agree with. That is my personal opinion, I am entitled to have my opinion, but it does not mean I do not support the government,” he said when asked for his opinion on the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on his first 100 days in office.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Mahathir, when met after delivering his keynote address at the Discourse on the Institution of the Monarchy and the Malays in the Federal Constitution from the 1Malaysia Perspective, here on Friday, said, however, that he could not make an evaluation of the Najib administration yet.

“I haven’t made a study yet…not a scientific study,” he said.

Asked to comment on the positive aspects of Najib’s administration, Dr Mahathir said among the things that deserved praise was his approach in going to the ground and meeting the grassroots.

“There are (positive aspects), he (Najib) meets more people, he doesn’t sleep. These are all positive (aspects),” he said.

On the negative side, Dr Mahathir said these included the proposal on the third bridge to Singapore and the failure of the government to tackle corruption in the government when there were still individuals who were found guilty of corrupt practices still holding position in the cabinet.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said the claim by certain groups that the New Economic Policy (NEP) posed an obstacle to the economic growth of the people was not right.

Dr Mahathir, who was also a former finance minister, said the policy which was introduced 38 years ago was not a reason for the slow economic growth.

On the other hand, the open policy adopted by certain countries on foreign direct investment (FDI) and the world economic recession had influenced the growth of the local economy.

Meanwhile on a separate issue, Dr Mahathir conceded that the controversy on the house of former Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo could affect the position of Umno and the Barisan Nasional in terms of morality.

In this context, he urged Dr Mohamad Khir to explain the source of funds for his house which was said to be worth RM24 million.

“He has to explain where he got the money (from)…(he) can’t just say RM3 million. I too have a house. I spent RM1 million on my house at The Mines. His house is how many times bigger than mine,” he said.

Meanwhile the fourth Malaysian prime minister, who celebrates his 84th birthday on Friday, shared his wish with the people: “My wish is to see Malaysia where people think they are Malaysians and not linked to anywhere else”.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when commenting on Najib’s first 100 days as prime minister, said he was happy that Najib’s leadership was getting more acceptance from the people.

“Alhamdulillah, because the support given to him was growing from 42 per cent before he took the oath of office to 65 per cent (based on a survey by Merdeka Centre, a local research centre).

“This means that he had succeeded in leading the country with the policies announced by him from time to time.

“Consequently, these policies will receive public scrutiny in terms of their kimplementation. I hope they can be defended,” he said.

— BERNAMA

Reuters | KUALA LUMPUR, 09-July-2009 (Reuters) – The approval rating of Malaysia’s new prime minister has surged to 65 percent from from 42 percent in mid-May, according to a poll from the independent Merdeka Center published on Wednesday.

Najib, who was appointed prime minister in April, had initially struggled to establish his popularity but has in his first 100 days in office set out a raft of reforms to open up Malaysia’s economy to boost growth.

The new policies rolled back some of the decades-old economic privileges for ethnic Malays which have been criticised for stunting growth, although there had been a risk of a backlash from among Najib’s ruling party which represents the group.

The poll showed that 62 percent of the 1,062 respondents, questioned between June 19 and July 1, approved of the liberalisation measures and that 60 percent believed it would help Malays in the long term.

“Quite clearly, a growing number of Malaysians like some of the policy initiatives of the PM and his inclusive message,” said Ibrahim Suffian, head of the polling body.

“Some have begun to trust his leadership and some are giving him the benefit of doubt. This has translated into a higher approval rating,” he said.

Najib’s administration faces another major challenge starting on Wednesday with the trial for sodomy of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The trial is due to start at 9.30 am (0130GMT) and it could stoke tensions between the government and opposition supporters, although a repeat of the clashes seen in 1998 when Anwar was dismissed from government and charged with sodomy and corruption is seen as unlikely.

(Reporting by David Chance; Editing by David Fox)

The Star Online | 09-July-2009 – More and more Malaysians are giving the thumbs-up to the Prime Minister and his moves.

IT’S a ringing endorsement for Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ahead of his 100 days in office as Prime Minister.

A survey conducted by the Merdeka Centre revealed that Najib’s latest approval rating had gone up to 65%, from 46% in mid-May and 42% when he took over the country’s top post from Tun Abdullah Badawi on April 1.

The respondents were asked to give their input on the Prime Minister’s leadership, performance and their opinions on Najib’s implementation of the government’s policies.

The rating is expected because Najib has worked hard from day one. He is aware that he has come in at a difficult time – when the Barisan Nasional is still recovering from the massive losses of the March 8 polls and the global financial crisis.

With these political and economic burdens staring at him, Najib worked against time, well aware of the huge expectations on him.

The 100-day mark is used by the media as a benchmark and is arguably unfair as the period is too short.

But given the brief period, Najib has certainly done well as the approval ratings have proven.

Without doubt, the biggest score must be Najib’s move on economic liberalisations. His decision to scrap the 30% bumiputra equity requirement for companies seeking public listing showed his courage in making sound economic decisions even if they affect Umno politically.

Najib is surely aware that there would be criticism from the Malay voters who are used to affirmative action, but he must have weighed how the equity rule has affected the country’s economic competitiveness, particularly foreign direct investments.

With an economic slowdown, with jobs being lost and neighbours competing for investments, Najib decided to carry out what is right and responsible and not merely be popular among his Umno members.

Politics is no longer local, particularly on economic issues. His decision was reported in all newspapers in major financial capitals. In short, the nations that matter.

His 1Malaysia concept may have yet to fire the imagination of Malaysians but public acceptance has definitely taken root. No one with a sound mind can dispute the intention of this concept.

Through the Cabinet, he has also rightly decided that no child should be converted when one of the child’s parents has changed religion.

He has set things in motion and now, the various rulers and state religious councils are deliberating on the move.

Najib is aware of the need to win over the Chinese and Indian votes, which went to the Opposition on March 8.

The survey showed that 76% of Malays were satisfied with Najib’s performance while the level of support among Chinese and Indians was 48% and 74% respectively.

His walkabout to touch base with the people has also earned him brownie points. We just hope it would not be a photo opportunity for the 100 days but something he would continue.

So far, the media has found that these outings have been genuine surprise visits with only the national news agency Bernama invited to cover. Occasionally, editors found out about these visits on Najib’s Twitter.

On civil liberties, he has released detainees from the Internal Security Act with the Home Ministry now carrying out a review of the detention law.

He has expressed his readiness to face a critical press and editors have been invited to regular breakfast meetings with him, where they expressed their views on current developments.

The idea is to enable the Prime Minister to hear the news, however unpleasant it may be, and at the same time, let the editors know the rationale for the implementation of certain policies and decisions.

It is still very early days into Najib’s term but he has done remarkably well, given the economic challenges and political burdens he is carrying.

The state of the economy has remained the overriding concern of most Malaysians interviewed and the survey showed that they were fairly optimistic and confident of his ability to steer the country down the right path.

It’s a fair assessment and it shows that Malaysians, being better informed and more critical now, would be less generous of their compliments of politicians. The days of blind adulation are over.

But the bottom line is Malaysians have approved his leadership.

The New York Times | KUALA LUMPUR, 08-July-2009 — Malaysia will revert to using its national language, Bahasa Malaysia, to teach science and math starting in 2012, abandoning a six-year English policy that the government said had failed to improve student grades.

The long-awaited decision, announced Wednesday, came after months of lobbying by Malay nationalists and was largely viewed as a political decision by local commentators.

Malaysia has taught science and math in English since 2003, when former Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad implemented the English-language policy in an attempt to help graduates improve their English and employability.

However, the government has found that academic grades in science and math have fallen since English was introduced.

Students in rural districts, who are mainly Malay, suffered the most because their English proficiency was low, The Associated Press quoted Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as saying. He said the government would recruit more teachers and increase English classes in an effort to improve English levels in schools.

Professor James Chin, head of the school of arts and social sciences at Monash University in Malaysia, said the decision had also become a political issue.

“They decided to buckle under the pressure from the Malay nationalists who argue that by teaching students in English you are neglecting the position of the national language,” said Mr. Chin, a political commentator.

“I think what it shows is that the Malay nationalists feel that U.M.N.O. is very weak so that they can force U.M.N.O. to do a lot of things,” he added, referring to the United Malays National Organization.

Many parents and employers had called for English to be retained as the language of instruction.

Concerns have risen in recent years that students’ English skills have declined, with employers citing this as a major weakness among graduates. A 2005 government survey found that there were almost 60,000 unemployed university graduates.

The government is also investigating whether students should have to pass English in order to obtain the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, the compulsory certificate of education for 16-year-olds.

A recent poll by the independent Merdeka Center showed that 58 percent of Malaysians wanted English to remain the language of instruction for science and math, the Malaysia Insider Web site reported this week.

Some 69 percent of respondents believed students should have to pass English in order to receive their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia certificate.

The Malaysian Employers Federation had lobbied strongly for English to be retained as the medium of instruction.

“This is a setback for the efforts to enhance the command of English for the students,” said Shamsuddin Bardan, the federation’s executive director.

While Mr. Shamsuddin welcomed the government’s decision to improve students’ English proficiency by increasing the number of English teachers, he maintained that poor English skills remained a major weakness in the local workforce.

Mr. Chin said that English was the language used in Malaysia’s private sector.

“A lot of Malaysian parents are very worried about the standard of English,” he said. “A lot of parents realize that for their children, without English they can’t survive, not in the private sector.”

The Malaysian Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 08-July-2009 — Yes, his approval rating is up. Yes, the majority of Malaysians have confidence in his handling of the economy. Yes, nearly 50 per cent of Malaysians believe that he makes a better prime minister than Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

But before Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his comrades in Umno/Barisan Nasional start believing that the ruling coalition is back in the groove, and that Malaysians are once again firm believers in BN, they should pause and study some of the nuggets of information thrown up by the survey on 100 days of the Najib administration.

Malaysians are at best ambivalent whether the country’s sixth PM will be able to bring about reforms needed by the country. They also have not seen much evidence that institutions like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the judiciary will bloom under his leadership.

The poll of 1,060 registered voters in Peninsular Malaysia by Merdeka Center was carried out between June 19 and July 1. It shows that 65 per cent of those polled are satisfied with Najib’s performance since he became prime minister on April 3.

When the polling institute conducted a survey in mid-May, Najib only obtained an approval rating of 46 per cent. A significant segment of the respondents then were undecided, unwilling to give their stamp of approval until some of the flowery rhetoric which all new Malaysian leaders spout was matched with deeds and disturbed by the baggage which accompanied him into office.

In the recent survey, the percentage of undecided has dropped to 13 per cent. What this means is that some fence-sitters have decided to support Najib, persuaded perhaps by his firmer leadership and efforts to dismantle some affirmative action economic programmes.

And turned off by the seemingly endless disagreements and bickering among Pakatan Rakyat partners.

But the support for the Najib administration is not without qualifiers.

Only 43 per cent of Malaysians polled are confident that he will able to bring about reforms in the country, 26 per cent are not confident and 30 per cent are undecided. Broken down according to race, the most sceptical are the Chinese with 32 per cent saying that they are confident of his ability to bring reforms against 49 per cent Malays and 47 per cent Indians.

Drilled down, only 46 per cent of respondents are pleased with the police force under the Najib administration, with 45 per cent not confident and 9 per cent undecided.

The findings are even more dismal with regard to the MACC, judiciary and execution of government projects.

Only 41 per cent of respondents have confidence in the MACC, with 46 per cent having no confidence and 13 per cent undecided. Some 39 per cent have confidence in the judiciary under Najib, with 43 per cent not confident and 19 per cent undecided. These findings are hardly surprising given the low estimation in which both institutions are held by the public.

The general view is that the MACC is a tool of the administration and shows more enthusiasm going after opposition politicians while independence is not a word most Malaysians reach for to describe the judiciary. Respected jurists and legal experts have assailed the judiciary in recent months for not upholding the doctrine of separation of powers in the Perak crisis.

Still, in all likelihood Umno/BN supporters will choose to ignore the public sentiment on Najib’s ability to bring about reform and focus instead on the headline findings. It is hard to blame them for doing that. Across the planet, politicians do that — focus on the positives.

The danger in taking that approach is that sometimes you miss the nuances which suggest that all is not right, which suggest the support is conditional.

The Malaysia Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 08-July-2009 — Despite giving Datuk Seri Najib Razak a high approval rating as the country’s new prime minister, Malaysians appeared to view the continuing political tussle in Perak as a major black mark for the new administration.

The results from a survey by the independent Merdeka Center shows that 44 per cent of Malaysians polled backed the call for fresh elections as the way to resolve the crisis.

Those who feel the best resolution is to “persuade the people to accept the Barisan Nasional (BN) state government” accounted for just 18 per cent of those polled.

Another 18 per cent want fresh elections in the three seats belonging to the three Pakatan Rakyat (PR) defectors. The three defections had helped tip the balance in favour of BN and sparked an unprecedented political and constitutional crisis.

A striking result of the poll showed that a majority of Malay voters also backed fresh elections.

A total of 38 per cent of Malays agreed that the state assembly should be dissolved, with 15 per cent calling for polls in the three affected seats. Some 30 per cent of Malays backed the BN government.

Among the Chinese polled, 54 per cent wanted fresh elections, 20 per cent wanted polls in the three seats while just 8 per cent backed the BN government.

For the Indian community, 46 per cent wanted fresh elections, 24 per cent called for polls in the three seats, and only 15 per cent supported the BN government.

Ousted Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) said the poll vindicated his stand of fighting for the state assembly to be dissolved.

“They should call for fresh elections in Perak. Najib is behind the power grab and drama there and if he wants to save BN, he should dissolve the state assembly and I would believe that he would be encouraged to dissolve it to ride on the momentum of his popular support,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Some 1,060 selected registered voters were surveyed between June 19 and July 1.

They were asked a range of questions to gauge the PM’s performance, sentiment on the country and economy and measures to liberalise the economy.

The margin of error is about +/- 3 per cent. The survey was jointly commissioned by Merdeka Center and a research house. Najib’s approval rating was 65 per cent, a spike from the tepid 46 per cent in mid-May and 42 per cent just before he became the country’s sixth leader.

Twenty-two per cent are dissatisfied with his performance while 13 per cent were undecided.

“I would think that Najib should capitalise on the encouraging survey which shows that he is popular because of his policies and call for a state election in Perak.

“Najib is on the rising wave and he can ride it further on a sustained basis if responds to the aspiration of the people,” said Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam from the Centre for Public Policy Studies.

The survey appeared to show that there is broad appeal for Najib’s economic reforms.

But BN’s power-grab in Perak, which happened in February before Najib took office, is seen as an affair which has left a bad taste in the mouth for Malaysians.

The power grab, masterminded by Najib, has resulted in continuing political unstability with countless court battles and even two farcical state assembly sittings.

Nizar is still challenging the legitimacy of Datuk Dr Zambry Kadir’s appointment as mentri besar.

Tomorrow, the Federal Court in Putrajaya will hear Nizar’s final appeal.

The Malaysia Insider | KUALA LUMPUR, 08-July-2009 — The majority of Malaysians want the teaching of mathematics and science in English to continue, the latest survey by an independent polling house shows.

The poll also showed that even more Malaysians backed the recent proposal by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to make a pass in English compulsory in the SPM examination.

Despite the very vocal protest by some educationists and politicians, the poll by the Merdeka Center suggests many ordinary Malaysians did not agree with their nationalistic views and concerns that rural and Malay students would not be able to cope.

A whopping 69 per cent of Malaysians polled believed that a pass in English should be made compulsory.

Only 26 per cent of those polled disagreed, while five per cent were undecided.

Asked about the teaching of science and mathematics in English, 58 per cent of Malaysians polled wanted the policy to be maintained.

Only 32 per cent of those polled wanted the English policy to be reversed, while nine per cent were undecided.

The polling house also asked Malaysians their opinions on the move the limit the number of subjects in the SPM examinations to just ten, 58 per cent of Malaysians backed the proposal.

A total of 32 per cent of those polled did not agree on limiting subjects, while nine per cent were undecided.

Some 1,060 selected registered voters were surveyed between June 19 and July 1.

They were asked a range of questions to gauge the PM’s performance, sentiment on the country and economy and measures to liberalise the economy.

The margin of error is about +/- 3 per cent. The survey was jointly commissioned by Merdeka Centre and a research house.

But despite the evidence of the poll, those in the anti-English camps remained undeterred.

“I accept the survey outcome, but more details on the sample should be provided.

“ The results may be driven by the aggressive campaign by the government to promote the policy, and the 1060 participants do not represent the hundreds of thousands of students affected by the policy,” Abu Qassim Norazmi from Muslim students organisation PKPIM told The Malaysian Insider.

“The outcome will be different if the survey was focussed on rural areas. Such a sample composition will definitely produce such results,” Alinor Kadir, Secretary General of Malaysian Islamic Science Academy, Asasi, said when asked to comment on the poll results.

According to the methodology of the survey, 44 per cent of the respondents were classified in the rural demographic while 56 per cent were from urban areas.