TwoSen

Source: The Sun – February 5, 2010

Source: The Sun – February 5, 2010

Source: Protect Klang Gates Quartz Ridge

The Sun – February 3, 2010

 
I HAVE a savings account with a bank in Ipoh. I recently received a notice from the bank informing me that my account is considered inactive.

According to the notice, effective February, a service fee of RM10 would be debited annually from all inactive savings accounts that is accounts which do not have any customer initiated transaction for 12 months.

What does it mean by customer initiated transactions? Most of us do transactions online, including paying bills and transferring funds, while cash and cheques are deposited through bank machines.

According to the bank manager, all these are not considered “customer initiated” transactions.

Only withdrawals over the counters or through ATMs are considered “customer initiated” transactions.

Such an interpretation of the term “customer initiated” transactions is arbitrary and works in the bank’s favour.

I hope Bank Negara Malaysia will give a precise definition of inactive savings accounts and explains to the general public what constitutes a customer initiated transaction.

I do not see any rational for banks to charge a service fee on inactive savings accounts. Since all banks need funds from the public’s savings, as can be seen from their advertisements, the inactive savings accounts could be considered as fixed deposits earning a low interest.

Besides this, savings accounts are already charged an annual service fee of RM8 for non-basic accounts. I hope Bank Negara Malaysia will step in to help alleviate the burden of more fees imposed by banks.

Source: The Sun – February 3, 2010

 
I ENJOYED the article, “It’s political” (Free Space, Feb 2), on the deterioration of the English language.

Words do not carry the same meaning these days, and it leads to a deterioration in thought, as the language carries the thoughts of each generation. The vocal minority seems to win in this battle, as the silent majority get swamped by it. One can see this in the pronunciation of “women’s” as “wooman’s”  instead of “weemen’s” and the branding of all Chinese as superstitious.

I would love to see more meaning in words such as “nebulous”, and more meaning in root words. Perhaps the voice of old timers may be sought to stem this further deterioration.

Source: The Sun – February 3, 2010

 
I REFER to “Pensioner wants answers” (Letters, Jan 5). In 1995 Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad agreed that it was fair to settle the claim as requested by the pensioners. The payment was subsequently approved by the Finance Ministry and the cabinet for implementation in January 1996. A circular dated Jan 30, 1996, provided RM943 million for pension adjustment.

Later in 1996, the revised formula for payment of the pensions according to years of service was withdrawn because of the economic slowdown and the prime minister announced that the pensioners would get their dues back when the economy picked up. Although the economy improved later it was not implemented.

The Malaysian Government Pensioners Association and Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services have been harping on the issue. After 14 years, the matter is still on the negotiation table.

The pensioners’ sincere and dedicated services for the government during difficult times cannot be denied.  The infrastructure and facilities were not the same then, as compared to the present, although the country is reaping and enjoying the fruits of their sincere services.

Pensioners are thankful to former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for increasing the number of years from 25 to 30 (360 months) for calculation of pension, increase in the payment of monthly minimum pension and family pension in full instead of 70% previously, to the surviving spouse.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak gave pensioners and widowers special payment of RM500 in December last year and it came handy for all of them. This shows his kind, sympathetic and benevolent approach to pensioners and widowers.

There are not many pensioners left who had put in between 30 and 40 years of service. This means the government need not worry about forking out huge sums of money to make the payments and the amount is within its means.

Source: The Sun – February 3, 2010

Source: The Sun – February 2, 2010

THE deputy prime minister has said there’s no need to establish an interfaith commission (The Star, Jan 31). The reason given is that there are no major religious issues that warrant a formalised commission of inquiry. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, however, reiterates the call for ongoing engagement and informal closed-door dialogues between the religious leaders and religious groups

The “Allah issue” is being handled by the government away from public scrutiny because of its sensitive nature, and negotiations are being held behind closed doors. An amenable solution is in store that will presumably appease the feuding parties. In the legal arena, the High Court judgment allowing the use of Allah by the Catholic weekly Herald on a broad interpretation of the constitutional rights of freedom of religion and of speech is pending an appeal.

Meanwhile, there have emerged various arguments and counter-arguments by individuals and groups sitting on either side of the divide or precariously in-between. If there is any good that has emerged from the “bad blood” flowing through some religious veins it must surely lie in the education and exposure that Malaysians of all denominations have gone through in the weeks following the volatile eruption of emotions which saw attempts to vandalise churches and mosques. Most people are thinking and cognising at a higher intellectual level about God and other spiritual matters. They are taking the trouble to be better informed about their own religious beliefs. And this indeed is the hikmat (good) as it provides a firm foundation for the nation’s inter-religious relations and the mutual respect it should generate.

However, I do not agree with the DPM that there have to be major religious issues before the interfaith commission is established. An enlightened government should not wait for disaster to strike before establishing an institution whose main role would be to coordinate inter-religious matters and pre-empt untoward happenings. A progressive government must heed the early signs of inter-religious tension and establish the organisation and structure, mechanisms and procedures, processes and guidelines by which the commission can operate effectively and efficiently. By mobilising and coordinating the teams of religious experts, NGOs and members of the public, it can identify key result areas (KRAs) in the inter-religious/ interfaith area and build up the resources to allay any future threats, direct or indirect, to the nation’s moral fabric.

Although they profess to be adherents of a certain faith or religion, many people don’t really know much about it apart from the rites and rituals of attending church on Sunday, the mosque on Friday, burning joss sticks or carrying a kavadi or two. What they don’t realise is the deeper moral obligations entrusted upon them by their beliefs. What they fail to ponder are the numerous questions about what is right and wrong about how they lead their everyday lives and the values they uphold in doing so.

What we must realise as a nation is that religion is the basis of morality and it is the breakdown in morality that is causing the problems in two of the six identified KRAs viz crime and corruption.

To consolidate its transformation programmes, the government has to be proactive and take the morality bull by the horns. It must work with the religious leaders as well as with their congregations to trace the roadmap for inter-religious and interfaith harmony.

The government can call it engagement or dialogue which can be behind closed doors and within controlled spaces, but there is no better time than now to establish an interfaith commission. And for something as important as religion, a royal commission is indeed in order. There must be a formal mechanism by which issues pertaining to the religious identities and needs of Malaysians can be looked upon with greater compassion, understanding and forbearance underscored by knowledge and wisdom.

Source: The Sun – February 2, 2010

Source: Mistake to impute improper motive

The Sun – January 28, 2010

Source: Negotiate a deal both sides can live with

The Sun – January 28, 2010