PART 1
If you didn't care what happened to me,
And I didn't care for you,
We would zig zag our way through the boredom and pain
Occasionally glancing up through the rain.
Wondering which of the buggars to blame
And watching for pigs on the wing.
PART 2
You know that I care what happens to you
And I know that you care for me
So I don't feel alone
Of the weight of the stone
Now that I've found somewhere safe
To bury my bone
And any fool knows a dog needs a home
A shelter from pigs on the wing
-- Pink Floyd, Animals (1977)
Additional RM2.9 billion for Rural Education, Hidup Pak Lah!
It was only reported 5 days ago on February 15th by AgendaDaily that the Government is allocating additional budget of RM2.9 billion for rural education.
Even if it is an election move to draw rural support and questionable procedure, I am all for it. Any move to improve rural education will always receive my approval.
My position on rural education is more radical to the extent of stopping the allocation for building of more boarding schools. The present situation is serving the middle class and urban kids. Let boarding school be for the more ill-equipped rural and lower economic class kids.
Textbook Scheme from 2008 Cancelled Due To Increase Cost By RM100 Million, Fikiran Apa Ini Pak Lah?
What is this? They can provide additional RM2.9 billion but not additional RM100 million. Read the excerpt below from the February 18th, 2007 Bernama report to believe it:
KUALA LUMPUR, 18 Feb (Bernama) -- Akhir tahun lepas, Kementerian Pelajaran mengumumkan skim pinjaman buku teks akan diberikan kepada semua pelajar sekolah rendah dan menengah mulai tahun 2008.
Langkah kementerian tersebut menerima pujian dan sanjungan daripada ramai ibu bapa, terutamanya mereka yang mempunyai ramai anak yang masih bersekolah dan dibebani dengan perbelanjaan yang besar untuk membeli buku-buku teks.
"Ini menunjukkan kementerian prihatin dengan keperluan ibu bapa," kata kalangan orang ramai.
Tiba-tiba langkah murni itu ditarik balik dengan begitu cepat. Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran Datuk Noh Omar berkata langkah itu telah dibatalkan kerana beberapa faktor.
Antaranya ialah kementerian terpaksa menanggung kos sebanyak lebih daripada RM100 juta lagi jika langkah itu dijalankan serta, setelah kementerian mendengar rayuan daripada pihak penerbit dan pengedar buku teks.
Noh menjelaskan skim pinjaman buku teks akan kekal pada sistem sekarang di mana hanya pelajar yang pendapatan keluarga tidak lebih daripada RM2,000 sebulan layak untuk skim tersebut.
The surprised Dato Rohanie was asking here:
Rocky was cynically asking here why we can't afford the additional RM100 million with the RM1 trillion booning total trade.Apa dah jadi ni? Kerajaan boleh batalkan skim buku teks yang meliputi seluruh pelajar sekolah rendah dan sekolah menengah di seluruh negara mulai 2008, semata-mata kerana tak mau menanggung kos tambahan yang melebihi $100 juta?
Dato Ron was wondering how to face the people come GE. As he said it:
Rakyat akan tanya, beli belon [bahasa Sarawak, ertinya kapalterbang] beratus-ratus juta ringgit kenapa boleh?
Who Told You To Trust Mainstream Newspaper?
The reality is well summed in this fact from Dato A Kadir Jasin below:
Peruntukan pembangunan Kementerian Pelajaran dikurangkan daripada RM24.2 bilion di bawah RMK8 kepada RM17 bilion di bawah RMK9 atau daripada 14.2 peratus kepada 8.5 peratus.
What About Developing Human Capital?
I remembered the first thrust of RMK 9 to move up the economic value chain is to push for a human capital driven economy. Isn't that about education, skill development, and knowledge development?
PM approved the reform that resulted in and did nothing to resist the huge lay-off experianced during his terms. Aren't those valuable expertise and experianced Human Capital?
Jeez... politikus, I spoke too soon of my lucky year of "halal" chiok. To keep my good horoscope for next year, I need ...
A shelter for pigs on the wing.
A Voice
Kuala Lumpur
February 19th, 2007 7:00 p.m.
you cant expect this cabinet to come out with a coherent strategy to take the country to the nmext level, do you?
ReplyDeleteafterall, Dr M has said that the cabinet during his time is not that smart. Well, same cabinet except that the size is only extra large.
about human capital, every company says that the most important element of an organisation is the staff. how many organisations does walk the talk? its the same with this half past 6 government.
education for the poor is not priority -- that's the message.
ReplyDeleteChiok or no chiok year, PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is messing with the most important asset and resources of Malaysia, the innocent yet priceless children!
ReplyDeleteHe wallow and remain obtuse with the his soon to be new yacht and private jet (apparently, he claims he did not own both and only lease them!) and new family holiday home on the banks of Swan River in West Australia where else the future Malaysians is gambled with that decision.
The country's trade breached RM 1 trillion and yet his Government is cancelling free books in majority of the schools?
Is this his sordid psychedelically amusing way ensuring 10-12-15 years from now, there isn't any unemployed graduates anymore, simply because very little qualified to be admitted?
This is definitely NOT ISLAM HADHARI!
I am very angry & disgusted with this shameless hadhari government, under the “ngorok” Prime Minister, trying to hoodwink the rakyat with its feel good propaganda that no one is buying.
ReplyDeleteYou have expressed our sentiments very well, gerubuk. And no one can say it better.
“Even Hell would loath to welcome them as the Devil himself would not want to have a greater evil in his domain!!”
I quite know the printing game. The solution to the pricec increase is simple. Get rid of Percetakkan Nasional!!!
ReplyDeletePercetakkan Nasional is the Government printer said to have been corporatised and earmarked for someone ... hint hint.
WHat is happening is that the textbook and workbook for MoE is given to them, but instead they out-sourced it to other printers. Well its quite a noble objective to give this printers some jobs.
The problem lies with them. They are actually commission agent that marks up by another 100% to the cost given by the "small printers".
The issue is that despite being highly equiped, they are not capable of matching the price of the smaller printers. They decide to be commission agents!!!
Slice them out of the picture and you will achieve within your budget.