Non-grad HMs to be promoted

The Star

PUTRAJAYA: More than 1,500 non-graduate headmasters in primary schools will be promoted to DG38 from the existing DG34.

Education Ministry director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said that out of the 1,698 positions available, 340 had been filled.

“We hope to fill the remaining 1,358 positions by the end of the year,” he told reporters at the ministry on Wednesday.

National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng welcomed the move as it was an incentive for those without degrees.

“While we understand that the ministry’s wants to upgrade the qualification of teachers, the service and contribution of senior educators regardless of their qualifications need to be recognised.”

NUTP sokong

Utusan Online

KUALA LUMPUR 8 Nov. – Kesatuan Perkhidmatan Perguruan Kebangsaan (NUTP) menyokong keputusan Kementerian Pelajaran untuk menganjakkan peperiksaan akhir tahun di semua sekolah ke seminggu atau dua minggu sebelum cuti penggal akhir bagi mengatasi masalah pelajar ponteng.

Presidennya, Anuar Ibrahim berkata, langkah yang akan dimulakan tahun depan itu merupakan langkah yang baik bukan sahaja untuk mengatasi masalah ponteng tetapi juga dari aspek meningkatkan integriti para guru.

Beliau berkata, sekarang ini, selepas habis peperiksaan, guru-guru tidak lagi mengajar sama ada dengan alasan silibus sudah habis atau tidak ramai murid yang hadir.

‘‘Jika waktu peperiksaan dianjakkan, guru-guru tidak lagi dikatakan tidak memenuhkan tugas mereka dan bagi pelajar, mereka ada masa yang panjang membuat persediaan menghadapi peperiksaan,’’ katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia hari ini.

Anuar berkata, ia bukan satu beban kepada pihak guru walaupun mereka perlu memeriksa kertas peperiksaan pada waktu cuti sekolah.

Menurutnya, para guru perlu faham tugas mereka bukan sahaja untuk mengajar tetapi untuk menilai prestasi pelajar dan memang menjadi tanggungjawab guru untuk memeriksa kertas peperiksaan itu pada bila-bila masa yang ditetapkan.

Anuar juga mengakui masalah akan timbul pada peringkat awal pelaksanaan sistem ini seperti bantahan daripada pihak guru namun mereka akan faham jika diberi penjelasan secara tepat.

‘‘Kami di NUTP sedia membantu untuk menyampaikan maklumat tentang keperluan langkah ini kerana kami berpendapat satu perubahan perlu dilakukan supaya hari ini lebih baik daripada semalam,’’ katanya.

Menurutnya, sebelum ini sudah ada sesetengah sekolah seperti sekolah inovasi yang melaksanakan langkah itu dan mereka tidak menghadapi masalah.

‘‘Cuti sekolah selalunya enam minggu dan pihak guru hanya perlu mengambil masa sekurang-kurangnya tiga minggu untuk memeriksa kertas peperiksaan.

‘‘Selepas itu, mereka perlu memberi hasil keputusan kepada pihak sekolah dan selepas tiga hari semua markah akan siap dianalisis,’’ ujar Anuar.

Ditanya sama ada langkah itu akan menyebabkan guru hilang fokus ketika memeriksa kertas peperiksaan kerana sudah musim cuti, Anuar berkata, persoalan sekarang ialah untuk mengatasi masalah ponteng sekolah.

Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran, Datuk Alimuddin Mohd. Dom berkata, perubahan itu juga membabitkan tarikh peperiksaan awam iaitu Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) dan Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) yang pada masa ini diadakan pada bulan September dan Oktober.

Universiti kita terkeluar senarai 200 terbaik dunia

Utusan Online

KUALA LUMPUR 8 Nov. – Tiada sebuah pun universiti di Malaysia tersenarai di kalangan 200 universiti terbaik dunia, berdasarkan penarafan Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) tahun ini.

Sehubungan itu, Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed mengarahkan semua naib canselor universiti tempatan menjadikan reputasi akademik sebagai strategi utama dalam inisiatif penambahbaikan institusi masing-masing.

Langkah berkenaan perlu dilakukan berikutan 60 peratus markah penilaian penarafan THES adalah berdasarkan penilaian sepakaran (peer review) dan sitasi (citations), katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini. Penarafan tersebut dikendalikan syarikat swasta British iaitu Quaquarelli-Symmonds (QS) bagi pihak THES sejak 2004.

Ia berdasarkan unsur-unsur penilaian sepakaran (40 peratus), sitasi (20 peratus), nisbah pensyarah-pelajar (20 peratus), penilaian majikan (recruiter review) (10 peratus), pensyarah antarabangsa (5 peratus) dan pelajar antarabangsa (5 peratus).

Tahun lepas, dua universiti tempatan iaitu Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) dan Universiti Malaya (UM) berada dalam senarai 200 universiti terbaik dunia.

Menurut Mustapa, kaedah yang digunakan untuk membuat penarafan tahun ini telah diubah bertujuan menjadikan kajian itu lebih tepat.

Akibatnya, jelas beliau, penarafan bagi hampir semua institusi yang berada dalam kedudukan tersenarai, termasuk institusi yang berada dalam kedudukan 20 terbaik dunia, juga berubah.

‘‘Saya mengambil berat keputusan ini dan bertekad untuk mempertingkatkan kecemerlangan IPT tempatan selari dengan matlamat Pelan Strategik Pengajian Tinggi Negara (PSPTN) yang dilancarkan oleh Perdana Menteri pada 27 Ogos 2007,’’ katanya.

Katanya, universiti tempatan perlu melipat gandakan usaha untuk menambah baik prestasi institusi masing-masing supaya tergolong di kalangan universiti terbaik dunia.

Menurut beliau, kementerian telah mengambil beberapa langkah konkrit seperti yang termaktub dalam PSPTN 2007 hingga 2010.

Langkah-langkah tersebut, katanya, dilaksanakan melalui penekanan terhadap lima tonggak institusi iaitu tadbir urus, kepimpinan, akademia, pengajaran dan pembelajaran serta penyelidikan dan pembangunan (R&D).

‘‘Dalam aspek R&D, misalnya, empat buah universiti iaitu Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) dan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia telah diiktiraf sebagai universiti penyelidikan untuk memberi tumpuan yang lebih terhadap penyelidikan,’’ ujar beliau.

Guru kumpulan A wajar dibenar berpolitik

Berita Harian

WAKIL Pulau Pinang, Mohd Zaidi Said mencadangkan guru kumpulan A dibenarkan memegang jawatan dalam parti politik supaya sumbangan golongan berkenaan tidak terus luput, terutama dalam Umno.

Katanya, Pemuda Umno memberi kuasa penuh kepada Menteri Pelajaran untuk membenarkan kakitangan kumpulan A memegang jawatan dalam parti.

"Kalau guru bertanding, adakah beliau akan mengerah murid untuk membantu kempennya... saya ingat ini tidak berlaku," katanya ketika membahas usul terima kasih ucapan dasar Ketua Pemuda.

Mohd Zaidi yang juga Ketua Pemuda Permatang Pauh, berkata langkah membenarkan guru kumpulan A terbabit dalam kepemimpinan parti kerana khidmat mereka sangat diperlukan dalam usaha memperkasakan sekolah kebangsaan.

Sehubungan itu, beliau mencadangkan penubuhan Majlis Tindakan Pendidikan di peringkat daerah bagi memastikan kualiti pendidikan menjadi landasan dan teras memajukan bangsa Melayu pada masa akan datang.

Katanya, penubuhan majlis tindakan pendidikan daerah itu kena pada masanya kerana majlis daerah ketika ini jarang memberi tumpuan terhadap aspek berkenaan.

Katanya, ahli majlis tindakan pendidikan itu boleh disertai pegawai daerah, pegawai pelajaran, pengetua dan guru besar, ketua polis daerah serta pegawai belia dan sukan.

Beliau berkata, usaha memperkasakan sekolah kebangsaan mesti menjadi fokus perbincangan majlis itu dan membuat keputusan segera supaya pendidikan dalam daerah berada di landasan betul.

"Kita selalu leka dengan rentak dan irama media mengolah cerita seloka atau kita tersungkur rebah setiap kali keputusan peperiksaan diumumkan," katanya.

Katanya, masalah disiplin di kalangan pelajar yang sering diperkatakan, mesti ditangani segera dan peranan itu boleh dilaksanakan oleh majlis berkenaan.

Home Ministry now in charge of detention centres

The Star

By ROYCE CHEAH

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Affairs Ministry has been given control of all detention centres in the country to ensure smooth handling of illegal immigrants detained by Rela.

Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said a recent Cabinet decision allowed his ministry to manage all the detention centres, which would mean that certain difficult situations could be avoided.

“Previously, the Prisons Department under the Internal Security Ministry was in charge and this made it a little difficult for us,” he said.

Radzi gave the example of Rela raids conducted late at night and ending in the wee hours of the morning.

“What happens when we bring all the illegal immigrants to the detention centre at 6am? They will tell us to go back or to wait because they open at 9am.

“Now that we are in charge, this can be avoided and all other aspects of deporting illegals will also be made easier,” he said.

Radzi said the delay in sending back illegals was because officials of embassies only visited detention centres once a week to verify if the immigrants were genuine citizens of their country.

“This creates crowding in detention centres. But with courts being set up at the centres now we can then send them back at a much quicker pace as the courts can summon the embassy officials” he said.

Radzi said Rela operations would continue and the Deputy Prime Minister had recently promised 3,800 more enforcement officers.

“We currently have 1,200 officers throughout the country which is insufficient. Hopefully with the increase, we can operate more effectively.”

He added that contrary to public perception, some 270,000 foreign workers return voluntarily to their respective countries every year.

“Some may stay, either because they have started a family or overstayed but it is important to note that many do go back,” he said.

Zawawi to head apex varsity panel

The Star

By KAREN CHAPMAN

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Universiti Malaysia Sarawak vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Zawawi Ismail has been named chairman of the committee looking into the criteria for the selection of apex universities.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said the committee should be able to begin work later this month.

“We are in the process of selecting more committee members as we now have 12 but want 20 in total,” he told reporters yesterday after opening the two-day Global Higher Education Forum 2007.

Mustapa said he hoped the committee would be able to complete its work within a year.

“Hopefully, we can then announce the names of one or two apex universities,” he said.

When launching the National Higher Education Strategic Plan and National Higher Education Action Plan 2006-2010 in August, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the country would select one or two apex universities, which would be granted more autonomy and resources to create an environment that would attract the best students and faculty.

In his speech, Mustapa said it was hoped that by bringing a university into the ranks of world-class institutions, all Malaysians would have a renewed passion to venture into new frontiers of performance and leadership.

More than 350 participants from around the world, including 14 university presidents, are attending the forum, organised by the ministry, Universiti Sains Malaysia, the National Higher Education Research Institute and the International Association of Universities.

11 kakitangan awam Kedah kena tindakan

Berita Harian

ALOR STAR: Seorang penolong pegawai tanah di Pejabat Tanah Daerah Kota Star antara 11 penjawat awam yang dikenakan tindakan mahkamah hasil siasatan Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR) Kedah sepanjang tahun ini membabitkan kes salah guna kuasa meluluskan tanah untuk isteri bernilai kira-kira RM250,000.

Pengarah BPR Kedah, Idrus Jaafar, berkata kakitangan berusia 39 tahun itu disabitkan kesalahan di Mahkamah Sesyen Alor Star pada 30 Oktober lalu mengikut Seksyen 15(1) Akta Pencegah Rasuah 1997.

"Tertuduh dijatuhi hukuman penjara 14 hari dan denda sebanyak RM10,965 dan kini mengemukakan rayuan di Mahkamah Tinggi.

"Dia masih bekerja sementara menunggu keputusan rayuan terhadap kesnya, manakala hukuman ke atasnya ditangguhkan," katanya selepas majlis Ramah Mesra BPR Kedah sempena Hari Raya Aidilfitri, di sini, semalam.

Beliau berkata berikutan itu, tanah seluas 432 meter persegi di daerah Kota Star itu juga dilucut hak mengikut Seksyen 16 akta sama, tindakan pertama seumpamanya dilakukan BPR Kedah tahun ini.

Katanya tuduhan terhadap kakitangan itu membabitkan penggunaan jawatannya bagi mendapatkan sebidang tanah dengan menyediakan laporan tanah yang dipohon isterinya yang kemudian diluluskan.

Beliau berkata, 10 lagi penjawat awam turut dikenakan tindakan mahkamah termasuk pegawai polis berpangkat Asisten Superintendan dan masih dalam perbicaraan.

Katanya, empat lagi yang dikenakan tindakan mahkamah sepanjang tahun ini orang awam.

Daripada 15 kes berkenaan, 14 kes mengikut Akta Pencegah Rasuah 1997, manakala satu kes mengikut Seksyen 415 Kanun Kesiksaan membabitkan perbuatan menipu.

Idrus berkata, 15 terbabit adalah daripada 22 suspek yang ditahan, termasuk lapan penjawat awam, lima daripadanya daripada kumpulan pengurusan dan profesional sepanjang 10 bulan tahun ini.

Beliau berkata, tujuh daripada 15 kes berkenaan membabitkan anggota polis.

Dalam tempoh sama, katanya, BPR menghantar 47 laporan tata tertib kepada ketua jabatan agensi pusat dan negeri termasuk membabitkan dua kakitangan pengurusan dan profesional.

Beliau berkata, laporan tata tertib itu termasuk 14 yang membabitkan pegawai dan kakitangan pentadbiran Kedah (KCS) yang dinyatakan oleh Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri, Datuk Syed Unan Mashri Syed Abdullah, sebelum ini.

Katanya, sepanjang 10 bulan tahun ini, BPR menerima 596 maklumat berkaitan rasuah daripada pelbagai sumber berbanding 590 dalam tempoh sama tahun lalu.

"Bagaimanapun, bagi tahun ini, sebanyak 426 maklumat disiasat berbanding 430 dalam tempoh sama tahun lalu," katanya.

PDRM perlu 4,500 penyiasat

Berita Harian

KUCHING: Polis akan memulakan pengambilan anggota lulusan diploma bagi mengisi kekosongan jawatan Penolong Pegawai Penyiasat berpangkat Sarjan yang mempunyai kekosongan sehingga 2,500 setiap tahun, mulai tahun hadapan.

Timbalan Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Mohd Najib Mohd Aziz, berkata pengambilan ini akan dilakukan secara berperingkat kerana pada masa sama pengambilan lulusan ijazah sarjana muda untuk jawatan Pegawai Penyiasat akan diteruskan.

"Kita memerlukan antara 4,000 hingga 4,500 anggota baru untuk diserapkan sebagai Penolong Pegawai Penyiasat bagi mengimbangi jumlah anggota berpangkat Sarjan yang akan bersara pada setiap tahun.

"Mereka akan dilatih untuk membantu Pegawai Penyiasat dalam setiap kes sebelum dipertimbangkan untuk dinaikkan pangkat ke Sarjan dan menjadi pegawai penuh," katanya kepada pemberita ketika sidang media selepas melawat Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen (IPK) Sarawak, di sini, semalam.

Turut hadir Pesuruhjaya Polis Sarawak, Datuk Abdul Rahman Hussain; Ketua Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah, Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah dan Ketua Jabatan Pengurusan, Senior Asisten Komisioner II A Thaiveegan.

Najib berkata, lulusan Ijazah Sarjana Muda pula akan diserapkan terus ke jawatan Pegawai Penyiasat dengan pangkat Inspektor Percubaan dengan pengambilan anggota bagi jawatan Kadet Asisten Superintendan (ASP) dihapuskan.

"Ini penting untuk memastikan semua anggota kita memperolehi pengalaman dalam mengendalikan kes siasatan jenayah sebelum mereka menjawat jawatan lebih tinggi," katanya.

Mengenai perubahan mata pelajaran dalam latihan asas kepada anggota barunya, Najib berkata polis akan mempraktikkan sistem latihan 3+3+1 yang akan memberatkan aspek latihan amali di balai polis.

"Sebelum ini anggota dan pegawai lebih banyak berada di kawasan pusat lokasi dengan latihan berlansung antara enam dan sembilan bulan meliputi aspek kawad, senjata api dan undang-undang.

"Namun dengan silabus baru ini anggota dan pegawai akan berada di pusat latihan selama tiga bulan, dihantar ke bandar utama bagi latihan amali selama tiga bulan dan pulang kembali ke pusat latihan untuk peperiksaan dan majlis tamat latihan," katanya.

Najib berkata, serentak dengan itu juga polis juga perlu melakukan kerja naik taraf semua pusat latihan bagi menampung lebih ramai anggota dan pegawai yang bakal menjalani latihan asas.

"Ini adalah sebahagian dari proses bagi pengambilan sehingga 14,000 anggota dan pegawai baru bagi membolehkan pasukan bergerak sepenuhnya selaras dengan sasaran kerajaan.

"Menjadi masalah semua pusat latihan polis hanya mampu menampung sekitar 5,000 pelatih sahaja pada setiap masa dengan proses pembinaan blok berek baru sedang dilakukan," katanya.
Najib dalam rangka lawatan ke Sabah dan Sarawak sebelum bersara wajib pada Selasa depan selepas berkhidmat selama 38 tahun dalam pasukan.

Don't be touchy, take heed, civil servants urged

The Star

By SIM LEOI LEOI

PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants should take heed of any criticism that may come up in debate during the Umno general assembly which begins Monday evening.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said such criticisms were not meant to condemn or put them down.

"Delegates will take the opportunity during debate to voice their opinions on various development projects and the civil service. They are merely expressing their feelings or sentiments on various issues.

"Civil servants should listen to what they have to say because these opinions are not meant to condemn or put them down. Instead, they should take heed of what may be raised during the debate, particularly when these opinions come from the governing party," he said in his speech at the Prime Minister's Department monthly gathering here earlier on Monday.

Abdullah, who is party president, is expected to deliver his keynote address at the assembly during its opening on Wednesday.

He also said he was confident that the public delivery system had become more efficient following several measures implemented recently, especially the One Stop Centre set up by the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

"However, services provided by the centre can still be further improved on as it may take some time for the public and civil servants to get used to the new way of doing things.

"As the central agency overseeing government projects, our department is sure to be informed of any positive or negative feedback. When this happens, we have to help those concerned.

"As a central agency, whether this be the department or the Treasury, we have to be the best among the best in terms of efficiency and integrity," he said, adding that the department should not put off deciding on any matter that had come into its attention.

Maintaining an efficient and well-oiled government machinery was also essential in order to persuade talented officers from leaving the civil service for greener fields, said Abdullah.

Need for proper records, says Chief Sec

The Star

By SIM LEOI LEOI

PUTRAJAYA: The wide usage of personal computers in government offices has led to negligence on the part of civil servants in keeping proper records of their work and department transactions.

In revealing this Monday, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan said such neglect on the part of civil servants meant that it had become harder to trace official documents, particularly when the officer in charge had been transferred, was on leave or retired.

Mohd Sidek pointed out that traditionally, government record-keeping was based on conventional methods, such as in paper form, and documents were filed and given reference numbers based on the date and subject matter.

"These documents are part of a department's institutional memory and are a source for all reference, information and knowledge.

"Apart from this, a copy of any letter is also kept in a floating file and distributed to all department heads for their attention and comments. But nowadays, many government staff have either forgotten this method or do not know how to do it. This means that there are many matters of which we do not have a complete record.

"Government officers today are given their own computers and all documents or letters prepared by them are stored individually in there and not filed accordingly," he said in his speech at the launch of the National Record Management Convention here Monday.

Mohd Sidek said such neglect was worrying because if this continued to happen, a department's institutional memory would be lost and there would no longer be any source for reference on historical facts, which were important as a base for procedural matters, particularly during negotiations for contracts or agreements.

"This is the one challenge facing us. It should not be happening if we put into practice a proper system of storing and managing our records. I want to recommend that manual record-keeping be continued, enhanced and streamlined," he said, adding that a weak filing system contributed to a poor public delivery system.

Public records, added Mohd Sidek, were also essential as evidence of past events that had happened as well as the basis for implementation of future projects.

As a measure to prevent the loss of such institutional memory and enhance record-keeping, Mohd Sidek said all public offices were now required to implement the Government-wide Information Management Agenda, designed to simplify its working environment.

"The National Archives Department will be the lead agency. The department has also been tasked to come up with better management of electronic records in public offices.

"The Electronic Records Management System (ERMS) will ensure that all our records are complete, valid, reliable and trustworthy," he said, adding that this would ensure more accountability and integrity on the part of departments and agencies.