2 theSun | TUESDAY NOVEMBER 18 2008

news without borders

Cuepacs roadshow on PTK boycott plan

KUALA LUMPUR: Cuepacs will
launch a nationwide roadshow
next month to explain to civil
servants the rationale behind the
plan to boycott the Competency
Level Assessment (PTK)
examination.
Its president, Omar Osman,
announced the boycott on Sunday
as the congress was unhappy with
the cool response from the Public
Service Department (PSD) on the
issue.
He told Bernama the unpopular
PTK had been a bone of contention
among civil servants since
its introduction because the
examination had not achieved its
intended objectives.
PTK is compulsory for civil
servants aiming for promotions.
In practice, however, there is no
guarantee that those who had
passed the examination will be
promoted as it would depend on
the availability of posts, Omar said.
A random survey conducted by
Bernama confirms Omar’s claim
that there is no certainty that civil
servants who passed PTK will be
promoted.
The irony is that even in the
PSD, which overlooks and conducts
the examination, there are officers
who have passed PTK still waiting
to be placed on a higher grade.
One officer, who declined to be
named, said he had passed PTK
two years ago and is still waiting
for his promotion.
“In fact, the most frustrating
thing is that my juniors have been
promoted and are now drawing
higher salaries while my workload
and responsibility is heavier,” he
said.
This sentiment seems to be
universal among affected civil
servants across all departments
and ministries.
Cuepacs’ largest affiliate – the
National Union of the Teaching
Profession (NUTP) – while
agreeing that PTK had not
achieved its desired objectives and
was in fact a cause of concern for
the service, wanted the boycott to
be carried out only as a last resort.
“Efforts should be made to
suggest alternative methods of
assessment before we advocate
boycotting PTK,” NUTP secretary-
general Lok Yim Pheng said.
She said her union would meet
soon to brainstorm and come up
with an alternative.
Cuepacs expressed regret over
the PSD’s accusation with regard to
its stand on PTK.
PSD director-general Tan Sri
Ismail Adam was reported to have
said the government will not bow
to Cuepacs’ demand for PTK to be
abolished and wanted the union
leaders to stop making threats.
Omar said Cuepacs did not
intend to make a threat when
stating that it would boycott PTK
examinations should it continue
next year.
“What was raised in Kota
Kinabalu was the congress’
decision voiced by Grade 17 to 44
officers,” he said.
Universiti Utara Malaysia
Employees Union honorary
secretary Samsudin Oli Mohamed
said his union supported the move
to be taken by Cuepacs.
“The statement by Cuepacs
president was not a threat but
came from the heart of about 1.2
million public servants in the
country.
“The decision was reached after
a heated debate. Besides, Cuepacs
has for five years been calling for
PTK to be replaced with another
staff assessment mechanism,” he
said. – Bernama

RM52m fund to help Felda children

by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Land Develop-
ment Authority (Felda) will allocate RM35
million to develop the skills of youths
in Felda settlements next year and will
spend another RM17 million to sponsor
the tertiary education of high achievers.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Na-
jib Abdul Razak said yesterday the RM35
million will be used to develop the skills
of some 5,000 youths at various national
skills development institutions.
He said the RM17 million is to spon-
sor 39 students who are pursuing tertiary
education overseas and 69 students in
local universities.
“We will ensure the education and
skills development of Felda settlers’ chil-
dren are taken care of as we want them
to be more successful,” said Najib, when
officiating at the 2008 Felda Forum and
Icon Award presentation.
responsible for maintaining a wide range
of aircraft, including the Airbus A380 (the
world’s largest).
“Imagine how things have changed
for the settlers,” he said, referring to how
the first generation of settlers struggled
whilst the second and third generations
are now having a better life.
Najib later presented 10 local personali-
ties with the 2008 Felda Icon awards. They
are sailor Datuk Azhar Mansor, squash
queen Datuk Nicol Ann David, astronaut
Major Dr Faiz Khaleed, North and South
Pole explorer Datin Sharifah Mazlina Syed
Abdul Kadir, cartoonist Lat (Datuk Mohd
Nor Khalid), Mercy Malaysia’s Datuk Dr
Jemilah Mahmood, motivator Datuk Dr
Mohd Fadzilah Kamsah, bowler Shalin
Zulkifli, nasyid group Raihan and Marina
Ahmad, the first Malaysian woman to
reach the peak of Mount Everest.
These people were chosen as “shining
examples” for Felda children to emulate.
Najib also presented the Special

BERNAMAPIX
“Now, we have 300 children of Felda Personality Award to wheelchair-bound
settlers who will soon graduate as aircraft Muhamad Mat Nayan, 28, (pix) from Trolak
maintenance engineers, and they will be Timur, Perak, for academic achievement.

Tales Restaurant here yesterday.

briefs
Zin to issue statement on
declassification of toll pacts
PUTRAJAYA: Works Minister Datuk Mohd
Zin Mohamad will issue a statement on the
government’s reported declassification of toll
concession agreements, Deputy Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said yesterday.
“I think I will ask the minister to make
a statement to ensure (that it is) technically
correct. I will leave it to the works minister to
make a statement,” Najib, who is also finance
minister, said when asked to comment on a
news report that the government has declas-
sified toll concession agreements.
It also reported that this meant the contents
of the contracts, which have for long been
speculated as one-sided agreements benefit-
ing toll concessionaires, would no longer be
classified as official secrets.
Quoting sources, the newspaper said with
the decision, made at a recent cabinet meeting,
having or having knowledge of the contents
of these agreements no longer constituted an
offence under the Official Secrets Act.
‘Tomboyism’ fatwa should
not be questioned: Nik Aziz
KOTA BARU: PAS spiritual leader Datuk
Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said yesterday no
one should question the National Fatwa
Council’s decree outlawing pengkid (tom-
boyism).
The Kelantan mentri besar said non-
governmental organisations (NGOs) had no
right to question Islamic matters.
“Who are we to go against Allah’s
commands? Are we that great?” he told
reporters after opening the London Fish
He was commenting on the action of two
NGOs – Katagender and Food-not-Bombs
– which held street demonstration in Kuala
Lumpur recently to protest the move by the
council to outlaw tomboyism.
On the threat by Reformis, an NGO, to
hold a demostration in the nude to protest
the imposition of higher rentals for People’s
Housing Projects in Selangor, Nik Aziz said
only “uncivilised” people would resort to
such action.
Goods from Thailand,
Indonesia to be MS graded
KOTA BARU: Come April 1, all imported com-
modities from Thailand and Indonesia, including
fruits and vegetables, will be graded according
to standards set by the Federal Agricultural Mar-
keting Authority (Fama) based on the Malaysian
Standard (MS).
Fama deputy director-general, Sahbani
Saimin, said the regulation imposed on import-
ers, wholesalers and retailers was aimed at
increasing the quality of products to ensure
they are up to international standards.
“So, starting April 1, next year, all commodi-
ties from Thailand and Indonesia need to be
graded before they are sold to the public,” he
told reporters after a briefing ceremony on
Regulation 3P of the Federal Agricultural Mar-
keting Authority Act 1965 (Act 141).
According to Act 141, which was revised
in 2004, all commodities were required to be
graded by MS, including packaging and label-
ling, before it was sold inside and outside the
country.
Sahbani said a commodity was considered
perishable if it was brought in large quantities
without a special packaging system and graded,
according to international standards.
He said the packaging system needed to
be suitable with the measurement, quality and
quantity of the product.– Bernama