Law & Paneir

PUTRAJAYA should enact a Ministerial Code of Conduct in order to keep Cabinet members in check and ensure they follow basic protocols while holding public office. “According to the Institute for Government, a UK-based think tank, the Ministerial Code is a set of rules and principles which outline the standards of conduct for Government ministers. “The codes include the ‘overarching duty’ of ministers to comply with law and abide by the Seven Principles of Public Life, a set of ethical standards which apply to all holders of public office. “The UK Ministerial Code was last updated in August 2019.  Do we have such a code for our ministers? If not, we can adopt the UK Ministerial Code with appropriate modifications, to meet local conditions,” HELP University Faculty of Business, Economics and Accounting and Institute Crime and Criminology senior lecturer R Paneir Selvam told FocusM. On Saturday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed apologised ...

A FEW days ago, Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s first president, died at the age of 97. He was the last of a generation of African leaders who stood up to colonialism. He enjoys the same stature as Nelson Mandela, who successfully opposed and ended apartheid in South Africa. Both leaders have dedicated their lives to freeing their homeland and people from any form of colonisation. They accomplished their purpose but the current crop of African leaders has failed to grasp these great leaders’ aspirations for Africa as a whole. These former leaders’ altruistic goals for Africa are steadily being eroded by neo-colonialism, in the form of economic influence. China’s growing influence in Africa, which is threatening America’s hegemony as the globe’s sole superpower, has the potential to spread throughout the world. Africa is now deeply divided between the influence of the West and that of China. During the “first” Cold War, the US and Soviet Union pitted their strength against one other on f...

  BILATERAL ties between countries would get jeopardised if Malaysia continues to downplay cases of migrant workers getting abused while working here. “It’s damaging our reputation. The perpetrators must be identified and punished according to our labour laws. “Migrant workers, documented or not, must be protected by proper legislation. Even if they commit immigration violations, it cannot be used as an excuse to not protect them against errant employers. “Nevertheless, Articles, 2, 5, 6 and 8 of the Federal Constitution grants various protections to the people, citizens and non-citizens alike,” HELP University Faculty of Business, Economic and Accounting/Institute of Crime and Criminology senior lecturer R Panier Selvam told  FocusM. Yesterday,  Free Malaysia Today  reported an Indian migrant worker’s tragic story of being abused by his employers while working at a banana leaf restaurant in Petaling Jaya. Known as Velayutham, the man from Tamil Nadu, alleg...

THE rise of China and India, which is threatening the US’ dominance as the world’s sole superpower, may create a significant economic and political impact on the rest of the world. The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the “defeat” of the Soviet Union, with its territories becoming independent countries have solidified the US’ position as the world’s unipolar power. During the Cold War, the two superpowers put their strength to the test by waging a proxy war against one other on foreign soil. For instance, like the Korean conflict, Indochina war, Hukbalahap Rebellion (Philippines), Malayan Emergency, Cuban Revolution, Algerian War, Suez Crisis (Egypt), Bay of Pigs Invasion (Cuba), Communist insurgency in Thailand, Cambodian Civil War, Soviet–Afghan War, invasion of Grenada and the Afghan civil war, with the nations’ infrastructure and people suffering the most. In 1993, Samuel P Huntington, a political scientist in the US, debated the “Clash of Civilizations” theory, which would late...

  Introduction China's growing influence in Africa, which is threatening America's hegemony as the globe's sole superpower, has the potential to spread throughout the world. The proxy trade war between China and the United States has been dubbed the "second Cold War." The fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union's "defeat" with the dissolution of its territories as separate countries have bolstered America's status as the world's unipolar power. During the Cold War, the two superpowers put their strength to the test by fighting a proxy war against one other on foreign soil. For example, the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, the Algerian War, the Congo Crisis, the Suez Crisis (Egypt), the South African Border War, the Mozambican War of Independence and 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border. As a consequence, to comprehend the current situation, Samuel P. Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" theory, which has formed the foundation ...

WITH another report of China encroaching Malaysian shores, an academic opined that the former is taking the latter’s sovereignty for granted. “I feel that China is testing Malaysia as it perceives us as weak. This boils down to military strategist Sun Tzu’s teachings which the country follows extensively. “Among the ideas Sun Tzu espoused was, if you want to know your enemy’s strength, test them. Singapore follows the same example where they used to create issues to test our response in the past,” HELP University Faculty of Business, Economics and Accounting and Institute Crime and Criminology senior lecturer R Paneir Selvam told FocusM. Earlier today, the Borneo Post revealed that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel has been detected encroaching Malaysian waters near Beting Patinggi Ali, about 84 nautical miles off the coast of Miri. Miri’s Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) head Captain Md Fauzi Othman said a report on the encroachment was received on June 4. “Yes, I c...

THE Government should not trivialise the incident of an Israeli aircraft Boeing 737-400 that entered the Malaysian airspace recently, by saying it was not a coincidence given the latest geopolitical scenario. “This came about after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would take out Hamas leaders scattered across the world. “The Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, also just appointed a new director named David Barnea who had vowed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear aspirations and others threatening the nation’s security,” HELP University Faculty of Business, Economics and Accounting and Institute Crime and Criminology senior lecturer R Paneir Selvam told FocusM. Just after that incident, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) intercepted 16 Chinese military aircraft for flying “suspiciously” near Beting Patinggi Ali (Luconia Shoals) on Monday. The Chinese embassy later denied the planes posed any threat, saying the incident involved aircraft in “routine trainin...