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No. 4635 PP 2644/12/2008 (020369)

Monday
November 10, 2008
TELLING IT AS IT IS www.sun2surf.com

Entertainment » Jennifer Hudson: On a high & low pg22 » Who’ll be the MCA sec-gen? pg6

No change to
decision on
EPF deduction
by Himanshu Bhatt
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

SEBERANG PERAI: The govern-

ment will stick to its decision
requiring Employees Provident
Three-way contest
MAT TAIB QUALIFIES FOR UMNO DEPUTY PRESIDENT RACE
Fund (EPF) savers who do not want ETALING JAYA: For the first time in two

the 3% reduction in their monthly
deductions to inform the fund.
Second Finance Minister Tan
Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said
yesterday the government
considered “various factors” when
deciding on the policy.
The MTUC had said that those
who wanted the compulsory
deductions which were effective
from Jan 1 next year should apply.
However, the EPF said in a state-
ment last Thursday that those who
wanted the status quo of 11%
deduction should fill in a form.
“The MTUC says the system
is not good. That is its view,” Nor
Mohamed said.
Deputy Prime Minister and
Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib
Abdul Razak had announced on
Nov 4 the government’s decision
P
decades, Umno members will see contest
for the deputy president’s post in the form
of a three-cornered fight.
The majority of the 191 divisions, save for
the few which had to be postponed, concluded
meetings yesterday by nominating incumbent
vice-presidents Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and
Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam for the No. 2 post.
Joining them yesterday was former Selangor
mentri besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib
who passed the 39-nomination quota.
Leading contender Muhyiddin secured his
ticket on Oct 19 and leads with 91 nominations.
Ali, the Malacca chief minister, who
qualified on Saturday, has 47 nominations, and
Muhammad, 44.
What was initially speculated to be a shoo-in
for Muhyiddin, who is international trade and
industry minister, to be the next Umno deputy
president and deputy prime minister is turning
into a keen and exciting contest. Both Ali and
Muhammad stepped up their campaigning in
technology and innovation minister Datuk
Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis and Foreign Minister
Datuk Seri Rais Yatim secured the prerequisite
20 nominations yesterday. Rais now has 26
nominations and Jamaluddin, 25.
Leading the vice-presidential race
is outgoing Youth chief Datuk Seri
Hishammuddin Hussein with 152 nominations,
followed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (105).
Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister
Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, with 79 nominations,
is seeking to become the first Sabahan to be
Umno vice-president.
Others in the VP race are Higher Education
Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin (72), Home
Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (32) and
former vice-president Tan Sri Isa Samad (26)
who was suspended for three years for money
politics in the last party elections.
Another aspirant, former Malacca chief
minister and supreme council member Tan Sri
Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik is four nominations

to allow workers to reduce their
monthly EPF contributions by 3%
in the next two years to ease their
burden.
He had said the move would
allow workers to have more
money to spend during the current
economic crisis.
At present, employees contrib-
ute 11% of their salary to the EPF
while employers contribute 12%.
Nor Mohamed said the system
had been implemented effectively
in the past. He also stressed that
the Pakatan Rakyat’s proposed
budget also included similar
reduction in the rate of EPF deduc-
tions, to promote greater spending
in the local economy during the
current period.
the last three weeks and momentum in the
deputy presidential race picked up.
Muhyiddin remains the favourite to win the
deputy presidency but the momentum gained
by Ali and Muhammad has become a concern
in the Muhyiddin camp.
Incumbent deputy president Datuk Seri
Najib Abdul Razak will officially become Umno
president and, by convention, prime minister in
March after picking up almost all but one of the
nominations from the divisions. No one else can
qualify by getting the 59 nominations needed
to contest the No. 1 post. However, Najib has to
date yet to indicate his choice for his deputy.
Incumbent president and prime minister
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will step
down in March to allow for a smooth takeover
by Najib.
The party will see eight contenders for the
three vice-president slots. Former science,
short of qualifying for the VP race.
In Seberang Perai, Abdullah said the contest
for deputy presidency is “baguslah” (good).
“It reflects the members’ desire for contest for
the post, but I hope there would not be splits
and quarrels among supporters of the three
candidates.”
He also said that the 900 complaints of
alleged corruption received by the party
leadership in the run-up to the general
assembly showed that the situation had
worsened. He cautioned that if members
continued to resort to bribery, there would be
no end to money politics in Umno. It would
become more widespread, he said.
He said that the large number of complaints
also proved the effectiveness of the party’s
disciplinary committee. “It shows that Umno
members are ready to make reports when
things like this happen,” he said.
BERNAMAPIX
A shame ... Umno president Datuk
Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi getting a first-hand
account of the fracas in the Seremban division
meeting yesterday. He described the incident
as shameful and one which should not have
happened. “This is a shameful incident
… I am disappointed that such a thing
has occurred,” he said in Kepala Batas. He
said Negri Sembilan Umno liaison chief and
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan would
submit a report to party headquarters. Umno
secretariat representative and supreme council
member Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik will
also make a report.
Full report on fracas page 2