Most Outstanding Islamic Fund Manager Award for 3rd consecutive year

Public Mutual Chief Executive Officer Ms. Yeoh Kim Hong (right) proudly receiving the Most Outstanding Islamic Fund Manager Award from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Y.B. Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

Public Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Public Mutual won the Most Outstanding Islamic Fund Manager award for the third consecutive year at the 6th KLIFF (Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum) Islamic Finance Awards 2009 ceremony. The award was presented by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Y.B Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop to Public Mutual Chief Executive Officer Ms. Yeoh Kim Hong during the award presentation ceremony which was held on 3 November 2009 at the Nikko Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Yeoh expressed pride that Public Mutual is once again receiving this prestigious recognition, which also marks the company’s 138th industry award since 1999. “This esteemed award demonstrates Public Mutual's commitment in continuously delivering top value as well as meeting the diverse needs of our unitholders,” she said. She also thanked unitholders for their continued support and confidence in Public Mutual.

Public Mutual is a leading player in the private Islamic unit trust fund sector in Malaysia. As at 30 September 2009, it manages 24 Islamic funds with total Islamic assets under management of RM13.2 billion. This represents a 58.3% market share of the private Islamic unit trust industry.

Public Mutual is also Malaysia’s largest private unit trust company with 71 funds under management. It has over 2,000,000 accountholders serviced by 40,000 unit trust consultants. As at 30 September 2009, the total net asset value of the funds managed by the company was RM33.8 billion.

Public Mutual Wins Kliff's Most Outstanding Islamic Fund Manager Award

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- Public Mutual, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Public Bank, won the Most Outstanding Islamic Fund Manager award for the third consecutive year at the sixth Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum (KLIFF) here Tuesday.

Public Mutual's chief executive officer, Yeoh Kim Hong expressed pride in receiving the award, which also marked the company's 138th industry award since 1999.

"This esteemed award demonstrates Public Mutual's commitment in continuously delivering top value as well as meeting the diverse needs of our unitholders," she said in a statement Wednesday.

Public Mutual manages 24 Islamic funds with total Islamic assets under management coming to RM13.2 billion as at September 30 this year.

This represents a 58.3 per cent share of the private Islamic unit trust industry.

--BERNAMA

430 sekolah tak lepasi prestasi minimum UPSR

430 sekolah tak lepasi prestasi minimum UPSR

SEBANYAK 430 sekolah rendah gagal mencapai tahap penguasaan minimum dalam Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) bagi tempoh 2005 hingga 2008.

Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Wee Ka Siong, berkata pencapaian itu diukur berdasarkan Gred Purata Sekolah (GPS) mengikut skala satu hingga lima.

“Sekolah dianggap cemerlang jika memperoleh skala GPS yang paling rendah dan sebaliknya.

“Sekolah yang gagal mencapai tahap penguasaan minimum kebanyakannya mempunyai purata kelulusan antara D dan E,” katanya menjawab soalan Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) yang ingin tahu jumlah sekolah rendah di seluruh negara yang merekodkan kelulusan sifar UPSR mengikut negeri sejak lima tahun lalu.

Dr Marcus turut bertanyakan program yang dijalankan untuk membantu sekolah di luar bandar seperti di Sabah dan Sarawak serta kawasan penempatan Orang Asli di Semenanjung.

Wee berkata, daripada 430 sekolah itu, 116 sekolah tidak mencapai tahap penguasaan minimum pada 2005, 110 sekolah (2006), 106 (2007) dan 98 sekolah pada 2008.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, berdasarkan keputusan UPSR dalam tempoh itu, tahap pencapaian UPSR menunjukkan peningkatan pada setiap tahun.

Mengenai bantuan di sekolah luar bandar, beliau berkata, kementerian sudah menjalankan beberapa program, termasuk menubuhkan Sekolah Model Khas Komprehensif K9, pemberian insentif, pengajian jarak jauh dan pelaksanaan Kelas Dewasa Pribumi (Kedap).

“Hasil pemantauan yang dibuat mendapati golongan yang berusia 81 tahun turut berminat mengikuti program Kedap.

“Penubuhan Kedap bukan saja membolehkan ibu bapa membaca, menulis serta mengira malah menjamin masa depan Orang Asli yang tinggal di kawasan terpencil dan pedalaman,” katanya.

'Saya Muslim progresif bukan Wahabi'

'Saya Muslim progresif bukan Wahabi'

KUALA LUMPUR: "Saya bukan Wahabi tetapi Muslim progresif. Saya tidak tahu apa itu Wahabi.

"Saya hendak tanya, sekiranya seseorang itu Wahabi, adakah itu membolehkan Jais dan polis membuat serbuan begitu rupa. Kenapa tidak tangkap orang yang tak sembahyang, itupun agama tak suruh berbuat demikian.

"Tulisan saya dibaca oleh orang ramai semua peringkat umur, termasuk ahli politik. Orang Umno baca tulisan saya, begitu juga orang Pas dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Malah, bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad pun baca tulisan saya," kata bekas Mufti Perlis, Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, semalam.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas kenyataan bekas Yang Dipertua Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim), Datuk Nakhaie Ahmad yang mendakwa pandangan yang dikemukakan Mohd Asri selama ini mempunyai elemen fahaman Wahabi.

Mohd Asri juga mencabar Nakhaie membuktikan beliau mengamalkan fahaman Wahabi.

Kelmarin, Mohd Asri di tahan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) kerana mengajar agama tanpa tauliah. Bagaimanapun beliau dibebaskan dengan bon jaminan kerana pihak pendakwaan Jais gagal mengemukakan pertuduhan terhadapnya.

Kontroversi tercetus apabila beliau menolak tawaran untuk menerajui Yadim berikutan memorandum Persatuan Peguam Syarie Malaysia (PGSM) kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agung bagi membantah perlantikannya.

PGSM mendakwa Mohd Asri tidak mengiktiraf iktikad Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah, mencerca solat hajat dan menolak hadis yang diriwayatkan Imam Bukhari selain mencerca ulama besar seperti Imam Nawawi dan Imam Ghazali.

Sementara itu, Mohd Asri mempersoalkan Nakhaie yang ingin membeli aset bernilai jutaan ringgit ketika menerajui Yadim yang dianggapnya tidak perlu dan menghalang akaun Yadim daripada diaudit.

"Kenapa Yadim mesti ada aset yang tidak perlu, terutama di Indonesia. Malah, saya dengar beliau mahu membeli aset bernilai jutaan ringgit sebelum meninggalkan Yadim.

"Saya tak pernah tuduh siapa dan saya juga tidak kata mengenai perkara ini. Saya cuma dengar cerita saja. Jadi adalah elok juruaudit memeriksanya dan ini tidak bermakna beliau buat salah," katanya

Mengulas tawaran jawatan Yang Dipertua Yadim, Mohd Asri berkata individu yang ingin menduduki kerusi berkenaan tidak perlu gusar kerana beliau tidak mahu bersaing dengan sesiapa dan sudah menolak jawatan itu. - BH Online

Kewangan Islam mampu pulih ekonomi global

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, sektor kewangan Islam tidak hanya penting kepada Malaysia, malah menjadi elemen strategik pemulihan ekonomi global daripada krisis kewangan yang menggugat institusi perbankan antarabangsa.

Perdana Menteri berkata dengan kerugian besar yang ditanggung institusi perbankan konvensional, perkembangan pesat sektor perbankan Islam kini menarik perhatian global.

Najib yang juga Menteri Kewangan berkata, walaupun kewangan Islam berjaya mengelak kerosakan teruk akibat inovasi kewangan yang keterlaluan dan amalan pemberian pinjaman tidak berhemah, peserta pasaran digesa jangan terlalu berpuas hati.

“Adalah penting mempelajari dan mendapat iktibar daripadanya bagi memastikan ketidakstabilan pasaran kewangan seumpama itu dapat dielakkan pada masa depan,” katanya pada pembukaan Forum Kewangan Islam Kuala Lumpur (KLIFF) Keenam, di sini semalam.

Perdana Menteri berkata, pembangunan industri kewangan Islam mesti berlandaskan empat pemacu utama, iaitu memastikan inovasi produk kekal dalam lingkungan Maqasid al-Shariah yang merealisasi paradigma perniagaan kewangan Islam untuk manfaat rakyat.

Selain itu, ia perlu memastikan inovasi produk disokong amalan ketelusan bagi menjadikan institusi kewangan Islam bertanggungjawab dalam menyediakan perkhidmatan dan urus niaga.

Pemacu ketiga ialah memastikan sistem pengurusan risiko memiliki benteng kawalan mencukupi dan bersesuaian dengan inovasi sofistikated kewangan Islam dan yang terakhir menyediakan infrastruktur sokongan lengkap bersesuaian dengan elemen unik.

Mengenai kedudukan semasa pasaran kewangan Islam Malaysia, Najib berkata, saiz pasaran modal berjumlah RM803 bilion sehingga akhir Ogos lalu, mewakili 54 peratus daripada keseluruhan permodalan pasaran Bursa Malaysia.



“Ia adalah pasaran paling lengkap di dunia. Bermula dengan penerbitan sulung sukuk pada 2002, wujud aliran inovasi kukuh dalam bidang berkenaan dari Malaysia, sekali gus menghasilkan apa yang dikenali pasaran sukuk mata wang domestik terbesar,” katanya.

Berhubung pertumbuhan ekonomi negara, Najib berkata, pelaksanaan perbelanjaan tambahan menerusi dua pakej rangsangan mencerahkan prospek kadar pertumbuhan Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK) yang positif pada suku ketiga tahun ini.

Beliau berkata, pakej rangsangan fiskal berjumlah RM67 bilion yang mewakili hampir 10 peratus membantu ekonomi negara dalam mengharungi kemelesetan global. - BH online

One girl dead, 2 missing, 19 safe after falling into Sg Kampar

KAMPAR: One girl is dead, two pupils are still missing and nineteen have been found safe.

They are the 22 pupils on a camping trip who fell into Sungai Kampar when the suspension bridge they were crossing broke near Kuala Dipang, Kampar, at about 10pm on Monday.
Police divers searching for 2 missing pupils who had fallen off the suspension bridge at Sungai Kampar in Kuala Dipang.

The dead girl was identified as Dina Deve Nathan, 11, from SK Tamil Mambang Diawan. Rescuers found her at Kampung Pasir, about 2km downstream from the broken bridge, at about 8.40am Tuesday. Her body was sent to the Kampar Hospital.

Police said twenty other pupils, who were not on the bridge, escaped unscathed.

According to one of the survivors, Mohd Azid Teng, 12, from SKJC Bemban near Kampar, the pupils had had supper at SK Kuala Dipang and were crossing the bridge to get to the camping site when a few of the pupils started jumping and shaking the bridge.
A man walking near the ill-fated suspension bridge at the Sungai Kuala Dipang which collapsed when a group of primary school students who were camping near the river crossing it last night. SAIFUL BAHRI/The Star

The bridge then gave way and he found himself falling into the river along with the other screaming pupils.

Fortunately, he fell into shallow waters and waded out.
Fire and rescue department manage to bring up the first victims body of a girl at about 8.40am on October 27.

They were among 298 students from 60 primary schools from Kampar, Tronoh and Batu Gajah who were attending a co-curriculum activity organised by the Kinta Selatan district education office.

Search and rescue is ongoing.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir visited the scene.

Meanwhile, at 11.15am Tuesday, Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran filed an emergency motion with the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to discuss the collapse of the bridge.-STAR

Abused Indonesian maid dies in Malaysia: police

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - – An Indonesian maid who was allegedly severely beaten by her Malaysian employers, and then bound and locked up in a toilet for two days, has died in hospital, police said Monday.

A Malaysian market vendor and his wife have been arrested over the abuse of 36-year-old Mautik Hani from Surabaya, in the latest in a series of cases that have prompted Indonesia to temporarily ban sending domestic workers here.

The neighbours are negotiating a deal on salaries and conditions aimed at preventing mistreatment of maids, who currently have no legal safeguards on their working conditions.

"I can confirm that Mautik Hani has died in hospital," district police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop told AFP.

"We have to wait for the hospital's report on her cause of death before deciding on the next course of action regarding her employers. They are still being detained," he added.

Hani was rescued from her employers' home a week ago. She was found by another Indonesian cleaner hired to replace her who noticed a foul smell coming from a locked bathroom.

Police said that when she was found she was tied up around her arms and legs, and was bruised all over her body. Among her injuries were a serious wound to the right leg that exposed the bone.

Local papers reported Hani had been abused by her employers almost daily during the two months she worked at their home.

One of Asia's largest importers of labour, Malaysia depends heavily on domestic workers, mainly from Indonesia, but has been criticised for not passing legislation to govern their rights and conditions.

In May, the government announced plans for new laws to protect domestic workers from sexual harassment, non-payment of wages and poor working conditions.

Indonesian maids typically work seven days a week for as little as 400 ringgit (113 dollars) a month.

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MACC questions former MB

Tuesday September 15, 2009
MACC questions former MB
By DHARMENDER SINGH-STAR

PUTRAJAYA: Former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo was subjected to a six-hour interview by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the purchase of a bungalow and the alleged misuse of funds from an association his wife formerly headed.

It is learnt that a senior officer interviewed Dr Mohd Khir about the two cases shortly after he arrived at the commission’s office here at about 8.30am.

Dr Mohd Khir was believed to have used the basement entrance to enter the office and left at 2.30pm unnoticed by pressmen waiting outside.

Deputy director of investigations Sazali Salbi said the commission was investigating Dr Mohd Khir over the purchase of his palatial mansion in Shah Alam’s Section 7 as well as alleged misuse of funds from Balkis (Wives of Selangor elected representatives association).

“We will study the content of his statement and pass it to our officers in the legal and prosecution department for further action.

“If there is a need for us to call him again, we will do so,’’ he said, adding that Dr Mohd Khir had co-operated with his officers.

The commission started investigating the former mentri besar following allegations made in a blog, as well as that by DAP Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Swee Lim who had claimed that Dr Mohd Khir’s house was worth about RM24mil.

Dr Mohd Khir has dismissed the valuation.

He said he bought the property for RM3mil and has denied any wrongdoing in both cases.

Kayveas and wife lose appeal

Saturday September 12, 2009
Kayveas and wife lose appeal

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk M. Kayveas and his wife lost their appeal in the High Court after failing to overturn a decision by the Advocates and Solicitors’ Disciplinary Board, which found them guilty of misconduct.

In dismissing the appeal, High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Lau Bee Lan held that the Disciplinary Board was in the best position to judge the conduct of its members.

Therefore, Justice Lau said the court would not interfere in the board’s ruling.

The former deputy minister and Datin Blanche O’Leary had named the Bar Council as the sole respondent in their appeal filed on April 14, 2005.

The two, both lawyers, were ordered to pay a penalty of RM5,000 each on March 17, 2005, for breaching the terms of entrustment for money received as stakeholders pertaining to a RM2mil property sale and purchase transaction between two companies.

They have to pay within a month or are to be suspended from practice.

From The Star