Many sneered at our Home Ministry’s lack of basic math skills when it blundered recently on the actual number of deaths in custody (also covered in REFSA Rojak 30 Mar – 5 Apr). While the error becomes the target of rancor and ridicule, let it not distract us from figures that are no laughing matter. [...]

It’s the time of the year for either fists punching jubilantly in the air, or heads hanging low. Yes, the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam results for 2011 were announced recently, much to the anticipation of students nationwide. While the country celebrates its best SPM results in five years, REFSA has a more sobering question in mind [...]

Same set of keys, different price – Saudi Arabians pay half of what a Malaysian would, when buying the same model of the “Malaysian car”. The highest price of brand new Proton Waja, Gen 2 and Persona cars were RM 43,570 between 2008 and 2009 in Saudi Arabia. The lowest price could even go until [...]

At the current growth rate, federal debt will hit RM1 trillion by 2020 2020 is supposed to be the year Malaysia becomes a developed nation. Hold the party streamers though. The needles of our rapidly rising national debt could pop all hopes of “making Malaysia a united and progressive nation” In the span of less [...]

Only 47 of nearly 29,000 F-class contractors managed to upgrade to E and B class, said Minister of Works  Dato’ Shaziman Bin Abu Mansor in a written reply to YB Dr. Siti Mariah Binti Mahmud (PAS-Kota Raja) on 7 Apr 2011. Dr. Siti Mariah was asking how many contractors broken-down in ethnic group registered with [...]