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Breaking the Old Mindset: A Tale of Two CEOs

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  While it is true that we still encounter civil servants clinging to antiquated mindsets, I want to highlight two CEOs of a statutory body and another a Government-Linked Company (GLC) who are bucking that trend: Tuan Khalid Mohamed of SWCorp and Tuan Narendran Maniam of Indah Water Konsortium (IWK). In fact, my experience with senior government staff has always been positive except for one or two example the chief of the federal territories land and mine department which caused me to embark on a 3- to 4-year campaign to get the Hakmilik Sementara (privileged title) converted to Geran for Taman Kepong house owners. It was in the news the entire period. Soft approach did not work, and house owners were stuck with the privileged title for 40 years! Finally, after the campaign alongside with Dr Tan Seng Giaw, all the house owners were conferred the actual titles of ownership to their own homes. It was after this campaign that I discovered a precious gemstone from the pool of civil st...
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Penambahbaikan Prestasi Penjawat Awam itu Penting

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Saya dapat memahami sepenuhnya kekecewaan ramai pihak terhadap keputusan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk melaraskan gaji penjawat awam sebaik sahaja beliau mengambil alih jawatan Perdana Menteri. Langkah ini diambil dalam tempoh 100 hari pertama beliau sebagai Perdana Menteri ke‑10 negara, menunjukkan keprihatinan beliau terhadap penjawat awam.  Saya menyokong keputusan beliau kerana ketika saya bekerja di Union Polymers, sebuah anak syarikat Union Carbide, gaji saya juga telah diselaraskan oleh Pengarah Urusan baharu, Encik S.H. Lee, yang mengambil alih jawatan daripada pengurus besar terdahulu yang telah meninggalkan syarikat untuk menubuhkan Goodmaid Chemicals. Selepas gaji saya diseleraskan pada tahun itu, gaji saya naik sekurang-kurangnya RM1,800. Penyelerasan gaji yang dibuat oleh Perdana Menteri adalah untuk memastikan gaji penjawat awam itu selaras dengan gaji mengikut pasaran. Walaupun ianya tidak begitu tinggi berbanding  dengan syarikat swasta yang ku...
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Is Anwar vindictive?

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This is an interesting observation I have made about Anwar Ibrahim.  If you go back to 1998, you will remember the infamous Tan Sri Rahim Noor the Inspector-General of Police once Malaysian had, who hit him in one of his eyes, leaving a bruise that became the hallmark of the Reformasi movement that lasted for over two decades.  It is interesting that, after he became the Prime Minister, Anwar did not go after Rahim. Rahim, on the other hand, remained silent and preferred to live in his own cave, not to emerge or to fight against Anwar.  The takeaway from this observation is that Anwar is not seeking personal vendetta after he became the country’s top leader. This can only happen when someone’s mindset is oriented towards the future. So the saying goes, “Let the bygone by bygone. Move forward.” I have said that for the remaining of his years, after nearly two decades of living in great misery under the old regimes, Anwar’s is only seeking to live his legacy - to fix whatev...
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Analysing past and present trends

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Going back to the time when Anwar Ibrahim was only an Opposition leader, there were already attacks from all quarters, from accusing him being a spy of Russia, the United States of America  and even China, to a video purportedly exposing his “dark secrets” being video recorded with a Chinese prostitute, which was found to be fake. Hell broke loose the moment he was installed as the country’s 10th prime minister. He is the most persecuted politician in the country, having spent over 10 years in prison on two charges which found him guilty His ascension from prison to Putrajaya is nothing short of what Thomson Reuters put it as “hard to believe,” as if it cannot be explained except that this was all by divine appointment and intervention.  We will look at a few of the trends and all the accusations hurled against him from the moment he was installed as Malaysian prime minister: 1.  After over two decades of fierce opposition, he demonstrated a pragmatic willingness to colla...
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The Strategy Behind the Diplomacy: Why International Ties Matter

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  Anwar visits Siemens factory in Berlin When I previously wrote about Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s extensive international travel , some critics labeled me an "apologist." However, recent reports—such as those in Malaysiakini today—vindicate the perspective I held during the early months of his premiership. There was a clear, strategic purpose behind his focus on meeting global counterparts, even if his detractors refused to see it. Addressing the "Sour Grapes" Critics often accused the Prime Minister of "globe-trotting" simply to enjoy the prestige and honours accorded to his office. They pointed to his frequent travels during his first two years as evidence of a leader disconnected from domestic struggles. A common refrain was that he should "focus on local issues first"—a sentiment that ignores the logistical reality of diplomacy. Overseas visits are planned months in advance; domestic crises, by nature, are unpredictable. When the two co...
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