PKR, DAP In Tussle For Johor Seats?
JOHOR BAHARU, Dec 29 — Indications are that there is a tussle between PKR and DAP in Johor over the seats the parties should contest in the state in the next general election.
However, this was denied by PKR Johor chairman Datuk Chua Jui Meng when contacted by Bernama on the matter.
“It is normal. DAP Johor wants PKR Johor seats and vice versa. Discussions are ongoing. Nevertheless, we have to abide by the decision of the central leadership. That’s party discipline,” Chua said.
The former health minister said that generally the number of seats to be contested by PKR Johor in the next general election would be the same as in the last general election, in 2008.
One of the seats said to be eyed by both PKR and DAP is the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat held by MCA’s Tan Ah Heng of the Barisan Nasional (BN).
The PKR fielded a candidate in Gelang Patah in the general elections of 2008 and 2004 but indications are that DAP is eyeing the seat this time round.
DAP seems confident that its candidate has a better chance of wresting the seat from the BN because the party holds Skudai, one of the two state seats within the Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency.
DAP Johor chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau is the Skudai assemblyman and, according to DAP Johor, he is popular among the local people and has an excellent service record.
The other seat within Gelang Patah is Nusajaya, which houses the state government administrative centre.
Chua is highly confident that the DAP can wrest Gelang Patah from the BN.
“No one can read the sentiments of the people in an election,” he said, adding that the central leadership of the opposition pact has yet to determine the candidate for Gelang Patah.
Asked about speculation by political observers that he himself may be fielded in Gelang Patah, Chua said there is also speculation of him contesting in any one of several other constituencies as well.
Besides Gelang Patah, it is also claimed that the DAP and PKR are in a tussle for the Johor Jaya state seat held by Tan Cher Puk of the MCA.
In the general election in 2008, Johor Jaya was contested by Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM), which has since merged with PKR.
On the chances of the opposition pact in Johor in the next general election, Chua said the opposition has a good chance to create political history in the state and win at least 29 seats to form the state government.
Johor, which is a BN stronghold, has 26 parliamentary and 56 state seats.
– BERNAMA
Police Deniy Using Force To Disperse Illegal Gathering At UPSI
TANJUNG MALIM, Jan 1 — Police today denied using force to disperse an illegal gathering by the Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) early this morning.
Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said the allegations on several blogs that two students were injured after being assaulted by Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel was untrue and defamatory.
“During the gathering, there was no FRU personnel on duty but only policemen from the Tanjung Malim Police Contingent Headquarters,” he told a press conference here, Sunday.
He said the injuries to the two students were caused by their own stampede and not due to assaults as claimed.
He said the police at the outset tried to counsel the group and gave them 30 minutes to disperse but the students ignored the overture and became more aggressive instead.
“They then advanced and proceeded to lie down on the road which disturbed traffic. Police had to act to ensure public safety but it was conducted according to the book.
“They then ran to a nearby clinic and caused damage to the premises. Police detained 17 students,” he said.
Mohd Shukri added that the gathering was an illegal one as they did not have a permit to do so and, if fact, SMM, itself was an illegal association.
All the students, aged between 19 and 24, were investigated under Sections 186, 145 and 147 of the Penal Code and Section 27(5) of the Police Act. They were released on police bail this evening.
They gathered to demand that the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 be abolished and UPSI student Adam Adli should not be punished by the management of the university for pulling down a flag with a picture of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Umno Headquarters on Dec 17.
– BERNAMA
Muhyiddin Joins Revellers At I-City To Usher In New Year
SHAH ALAM, Jan 1 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin joined some 100,000 revellers in ushering in 2012 by counting down the chimes of a LED faced clock attached to a giant ferries wheel at i-City here.
The celebration also marked the close of the “Love Selangor Carnival” organised by the Selangor Barisan Nasional at i-City, a city of digital lights.
At the struck of midnight, the rendition of the “1Malaysia” song filled the air before fireworks burst over the skyline.
In his speech, Muhyiddin, who closed the carnival on behalf of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, said Malaysia’s economy was growing rapidly despite the ongoing European debt crisis and a sluggish United States economy.
He said Barisan Nasional (BN) was gaining ground in Selangor as the people had lost confidence in the opposition as the administration’s antics were finally exposed.
“The opposition often quarrelled among themselves, so how could the people trust and support them,” he said, adding that as such, the people should rally behind the BN in the next general election.
He commended Selangor BN for being able to draw some 500,000 visitors to the carnival.
Malaysians Urged To Realise A Better Future For The Country
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today urged Malaysians to work together with the government to realize a better future for the country.
Najib said the future success of the country was not a dream but was within reach if all parties were willing to plan carefully and work hard to achieve it.
“Nothing is impossible if we could dream, indeed our best days are still in the future and have not been left behind in the past as historical events,” he said in his 2012 New Year Message which was published in the www.1Malaysia.com.my blog today.
Najib described 2011 as a very monumental year for the country as it witnessed the complete ‘roll out’ of government initiatives under the National Transformation Policy (NTP) (2011-2020) and the fourth National Outline Perspective Plan (NOPP) since it was introduced in 1971.
The NTP is the last component in the realisation of the National Vision to become a developed and high income nation by 2020 starting with the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) followed by the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and the launching of the New Economic Model (NEM), Political Transformation Programme (PTP) and the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP).
“All these policy initiatives are not just empty announcement or unrealistic plans because if they were properly implemented according to schedule, we would witness the emergence of a New Malaysia.
The New Malaysia, according to Najib, is a country which is not only developed from the economic aspect with prosperity shared with each strata and segment of people but also sees the birth of a traditional democracy with constructive dissent.
The Prime Minister also said the government is committed to the transformation and rejuvenation programmes in all fields and aspects of national life as these are the desires and aspirations of the people who want a better life for them and their children.
“This is the effort so that the future generations of Malaysia deserve to grow in an environment of hope and not gloom. We would not give in to pressure by any groups who wish to undermine our noble objectives,” he said.
However, he said the government believes in building a new Malaysia, a country free from its historical burden.
Towards this, Najib said the PTP which aims to balance National Security and Individual Freedom as guaranteed under the country’s Constitution, for example, the government has taken the initiative to abolish three emergency proclaimations which have been in effect more than four decades ago.
With the same spirit, the government had also announced the abolition of several acts relating to security and public order such as the Internal Security Act, Restricted Residence Act, Banishment Act and Section 27 of the Police Act which had been replaced with the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011 that assured the individual freedom to assemble peacefully as provided for by the country’s highest law, the Federal Constitution, he said.
“This effort would continue in the Parliamentary session in 2012 to abolish ISA and the tabling of a new bill to replace and amend the UUCA and the Printing Presses and Publications Act, he said.
He said through the 2012 people’s budget, which had been passed by the Parliament, the government today would continue with its welfare nation tradition which has become the practice of the ruling government since independence.
“We have never forgotten the interest of the rural residents or urban folks, the lower income group or the middle class as well as those who have high income, as we have always been protecting the interests of all Malaysians and would continue to feel their pulse and aspirations, he said.
– BERNAMA
Najib Describes 2011 As The Year To Explore New Social Media
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak describes the year 2011 as the year for him to explore the use of the social media to increase interaction with the Rakyat.
The exploration began early in the year when, for the first time, Najib invited people to ask him questions on the social website Twitter and Facebook.
“I didn’t expect such a great response but I managed to respond to some of the questions, even the peculiar ones,” said Najib when recalling the events throughout 2011 in his latest blog entry “2011 In Review” in his 1Malaysia blog Wednesday.
Looking at its success, the Prime Minister said that in the following month, he had invited 600 “online” friends for an afternoon tea session at Seri Perdana in the programme “Mari Berjumpa, Mari Berhubung”.
His willingness to explore new methods resulted in numerous invitations to communicate with the youths via online.
“Immediately after, I was invited to do a “Gotcha” prank on radio by the morning crews of Hitz.fm. I also made appearances on the morning shows of Radio Era, Mix.fm and Hot.fm,” he said.
Based on the cyber experience he had gained, Najib said he had introduced the 1Malaysia Roundtable, an interactive platform for Malaysians to provide fair and constructive comments, suggestions or ideas to better the lives and the people of Malaysia in June.
“I also took part in one session where I discussed a budget for sustainable growth,” he said.
Another important milestone in his social media journey was when he introduced his very own Mobile Application for smartphones which could be downloaded from his Facebook page and 1Malaysia website.
During the year, Najib also introduced some official 1Malaysia merchandise and gave plenty away through the 1Malaysia Merchandise campaign.
The campaign also invited Malaysians to submit photographs of the Jalur Gemilang which were then added to the Jalur Gemilang 1Malaysia Album of the Prime Minister’s Flickr page.
“2011 has been a very colourful year for me and I must take this opportunity to thank all Malaysians for your show of support,” he said.
Najib said all the ideas, complaints and comments sent by Malaysians via his his websites had been read and he would do his best to respond to them.
He also hoped that all Malaysians would continue to join him in making more positive progress next year in the spirit and practice of 1Malaysia.
“At the end of year, it always feels as though the year had gone by too quickly,” he said.
Among the important events recorded throughout the year were his efforts to launch various programmes for the people such as the 1Malaysia Housing Programme or PR1MA to assist middle-income earners own affordable homes.
The issue of rising costs was also addressed with the launch of the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia or KR1M – beginning in Kelana Jaya and then spreading nationwide – followed by the Menu Rakyat 1Malaysia, where restaurants take part to offer breakfast and lunch at a fixed price of RM2 and RM4 respectively.
Realising the need to address the development of the younger generation of Malaysians, the 1Malaysia Youth Fund was launched to finance ideas and projects by the youth.
More programmes were announced in the 2012 Budget, which focused mainly on the lower-income earners, rural areas, youth and public services such as the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia programme or BR1M, a financial assistance programme for Malaysians living in a household that earns less than RM3,000 per month.
In World Bank’s 2011 ease of doing business report, Malaysia entered the top 20 position and it holds equal first rank in the world when it comes to the ease of business getting credit.
“The Economic Transformation Programme or ETP has therefore bore some fruits. In the ETP progress update in September, for the first half of the year, Malaysia had already received FDI investments of up to RM21.3 billion,” he said.
By its first anniversary in October, the ETP had assisted Malaysia to achieve a GNI of RM228.55 billion and committed investment worth RM171.21 billion, with an estimated total of 372,361 potential jobs, Najib said.
This year had also seen the Prime Minister engaging the international market and strengthening Malaysia’s networking to help boost its major transformation programmes.
“I made my first official visit to the UK this year at the invitation of British Prime Minister David Cameron where I had a chance to invite the country’s captains of industry to explore investment opportunities in Malaysia,” he said.
He was also given the honour to deliver a lecture on “Coalition of Moderates and Inter-Civilisational Understanding” at the historic Sheldonian Theatre, in Oxford, England.
“In May, I attended the Invest Malaysia New York 2011 in New York, USA. The event secured Malaysia between RM5 billion and RM6 billion new investments for the next two to three years,” he said.
He also spoke about a Digital Malaysia Masterplan in development at the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC) meeting at the New York Academy of Sciences which he chaired.
“I was also in Japan for the 17th International Nikkei Conference in Tokyo where I received confirmation that some RM3.8 billion worth of investments will be coming in from Japanese firms,” he said.
This year also saw the Prime Minister attending several international conferences such as CHOGM in Perth, Australia, APEC Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii and the 19th Asean Summit in Bali, Indonesia.
In Hawaii, I was given the honour to give my insight on the Global Movement of the Moderates (GMM) at the prestigious East-West Center.
“At the end of year, it always feels as though the year had gone by too quickly. I’d like to think that it is because it was filled with many positive developments and achievements,” he said in his blog.
– BERNAMA
Strengthen national unity: Muhyiddin
KAJANG, 28 Dec. : Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today reminded any group out to destroy the prevailing racial unity in the country to stop their actions as this could hamper national aspirations.
He said racial unity which was the foundation for harmony in this country since 54 years ago must be strengthened as a platform to turn Malaysia into a successful and developed nation by 2020.
“No group should try to destroy the foundations built on the cooperation and agreement reached between our past leaders from different races and religions.
“This racial understanding must be protected and strengthened so that the aspiration of making Malaysia a role model for other countries can become a reality soon,” he said in his speech at the Malaysia Christmas Open House 2011, here, today.
Also present were Muhyiddin’s wife Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and his wife Datin Seri Masnah Rais.
Muhyiddin said although Malaysian society was multiracial and multireligious, cooperation could be strengthened if there was greater mutual respect and love, and spirit of unity among the people in their daily lives.
He said celebrating the various festivals by all races in this country should continue as this was an important unifying element.
He added that the open house event such as today’s for the Christmas celebration and visiting each other’s home could help foster understanding and mutual respect regardless of race, religion and economic background.
“Malaysia is the only country in the world where all the races join in each other’s festival celebration.
“This is the special thing about Malaysia and we should protect and maintain this practice,” he said.
Muhyiddin also stressed that in upholding the principle of social justice for all races, the government had not deprived any community from enjoying the fruit of development.
“We have made achievements which we can be proud of at all levels, and no community is sidelined in developing this country all this while.
“We are grateful for this, and we believe and are confident that the racial cooperation can continue with the involvement of leaders at all levels, including religious leaders.
“And if we can accept whatever opinion or idea from anyone as long as it is good for the country, then Malaysia will be able to achieve more success in the future,” he added.
Rais in his speech said the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin always gave recognition to all traditions and festivals of the people in this country.
”Each year, the government holds the national-level Aidilfitri, Deepavali, Christmas and Chinese New Year festivals, and the Tadau Kaamatan in Sabah and Gawai in Sarawak.
“This proves that the government always provides the avenue for our traditions to be recognised and preserved by us all.
”Let us show to the world that we respect all the traditions and religions practised in this country,” he said.
– BERNAMA
Malaysia’s Attractiveness As Destination For Foreign Investment Grows
NEW YORK, Dec 27 — Malaysia’s attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) has considerably improved in 2011, according to the latest evaluation released by management consultant, A.T. Kearney.
Although the study, known as “The 2011 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index List”, is dominated by three economies – China, India and Brazil, Malaysia made a significant upward climb from its 21st ranking to 10th by the year-end.
Other Southeast Asian countries which improved their ratings were Singapore at 7 up from 24 and Indonesia at 9 from 20.
But, clearly, the winners were China, India and Brazil which even surpassed the United States in terms of attractiveness as a FDI destination, according to A.T. Kearney.
Nearly half of those surveyed saw a more positive outlook for Brazil (46 per cent) than in 2010. More than one third saw improvements for both India (37 per cent) and China (34 per cent).
China maintained its number one position in the Index.
Investors are looking to capitalise on the country’s growing consumer market and service industry, as well as, its move up the value chain in the technology sector.
India also advanced in the standings, assuming the United States’ former position, second place.
“Given its strong growth and huge market potential, India should see a sustainable rebound if it can continue to reassure investors that it is committed to its current reform path,” a senior executive at A.T. Kearney observed.
Brazil is also a magnet of opportunity, moving to third place from last year’s fourth and attracted more than half of all the FDIs in Latin America, and this year China became Brazil’s largest foreign direct investor, with the focus of the inflows in commodities and energy.
The United States has slipped to fourth ranking, pulled down by its debt gridlock that shocked many investors.
Germany asserted its position as a main driver of the European economy, ranking fifth in the index.
Martin Sonnenschein, partner and managing director for Central Europe at A.T. said a “paradigm change” was taking place with the economic forces shifting from West to East.
“The foreign direct investment currents are increasingly turning away from established industry nations to emerging economies, Kearney added.
A variety of factors-including the sovereign debt crisis, the slow recovery in the United States and unrest in the Arab world made corporate investors cautious about the short-term future.
More than 60 per cent felt the recession had significantly changed the global business environment.
Given this realisation, Malaysia could make a strong pitch as an investment site that offers access to a 500 million strong hinterland combined market of the ASEAN group of which it is a founding member.
– BERNAMA
Spend Christmas To Understand Fellow Malaysians Better, Says Najib
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called on Malaysians to spend this Christmas to understand fellow Malaysians better, and appreciate them for the diversity and strength they have contributed to the country.
“What I like about this time of the year is that Christmas helps to remind people to spread goodwill and cheer, just in time to usher in the New Year and make a fresh start. We could all use a little reminder every now and then,” he said.
In his Christmas message posted on his www.1Malaysia.com.my blog, Najib said he always believed that as a nation of moderates, “we must seize every opportunity to forge better understanding between Malaysians of different cultures and faith”.
The prime minister said he underscored this belief when he led government delegates to pay a courtesy call on Pope Benedict XVI at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo in July, where he shared his vision of the Global Movement of the Moderates.
“From that working visit, Malaysia and the Holy See (Vatican City) have agreed to establish diplomatic relations, which I hope will lead to closer links and inter-faith dialogue between us,” he said.
Likewise, at home, Najib said he was equally committed to further strengthening the interaction that had long existed with the Christian community.
“I’ve always made a special effort to meet with people of all faiths. I look forward to continuing this practice to seek your ideas and hear your thoughts for the betterment of our society,” he said.
The prime minister noted that in Malaysia, celebrations that were specific to cultural and religious communities had become increasingly accepted and celebrated by the larger Malaysian population, such as the gift-giving custom commonly practiced during Christmas.
“It’s fascinating to observe how the nation’s multi-cultural as well as multi-religious practices blend into the society,” he said as he wished all Malaysians of the Christian faith a Merry Christmas.
Christmas is celebrated worldwide Sunday.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin urged the people to continue adopting a moderate attitude in pursuing their religious beliefs and practices.
He said building a nation of many races and beliefs was not easy but Malaysia had succeeded in doing so because the keys lie in mutual respect and accepting one another.
“I believe that moderation in religious beliefs and practices is the bulwark in maintaining good relations between races while curbing religious extremisms,” he said.
“Harmony between races and religions in this country is a very precious gift from God so much so that it is envied by many quarters because out there, they had failed to emulate us.
“Hence, it is the responsibility of the people to continue to maintain harmony among races and religions as it has been the backbone of the country,” he said, adding that efforts to foster harmony should not be left to the government alone.
Muhyiddin said the people regardless of races and religions in the country shared a common future and destiny. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin urged the people to continue adopting a moderate attitude in pursuing their religious beliefs and practices.
He said building a nation of many races and beliefs was not easy but Malaysia had succeeded in doing so because the keys lie in mutual respect and accepting one another.
“I believe that moderation in religious beliefs and practices is the bulwark in maintaining good relations between races while curbing religious extremisms,” he said.
“Harmony between races and religions in this country is a very precious gift from God so much so that it is envied by many quarters because out there, they had failed to emulate us.
“Hence, it is the responsibility of the people to continue to maintain harmony among races and religions as it has been the backbone of the country,” he said, adding that efforts to foster harmony should not be left to the government alone.
Muhyiddin said the people regardless of races and religions in the country shared a common future and destiny.
Meanwhile, Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, in his message, said he believed that festive seasons such as Christmas would continue to serve as an opportunity to encourage all moderate Malaysians from all religious beliefs and all walks of life, to stand together to jointly combat extremism and other social ills.
Dr Koh, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the past few years had been very challenging with differences and disputes plaguing many societies, and Malaysia had its own share of challenges, given its diversity and complexity.
“All of us, leaders in the clergy and civil society, public and private sectors, must continue our constructive engagement to achieve deeper understanding and to operationalise our commitment to inclusiveness, moderation and compassion in discharging our various responsibilities in our everyday life,” he said.
Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the Christmas celebration clearly showed multi-racial and multi-religious harmony was a reality in the country.
“In our efforts to make Malaysia a developed country, racial and religious diversity must be seen as a strength and not a liability,” he said. – BERNAMA
Three political secretaries take oath of secrecy
PUTRAJAYA, 20 Dec. : Three new political secretaries took their oath of secrecy before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Prime Minister’s Office, here, today.
They were Wong Nai Chee, political secretary to the prime minister, Mohd Nardin Awang (to Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) and Seah Toong Choon (to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha).
Wong, 42, an MCA Youth central committee member, began assuming his new post on Dec 1. He has a law degree (LLB) from Hull University, United Kingdom.
Mohd Nardin, 48, a graduate of Universiti Teknologi Mara, has been political secretary since Oct 3. Before this, he was special officer to Muhyiddin, as the deputy prime minister.
Seah, 55, who began his new post on July 1, was also previously serving as political secretary to Kong when the latter was housing and local government minister. — BERNAMA
Najib Launches 1Malaysia TV, Says Information Should Be Disseminated Quickly
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Sunday launched the 1Malaysia TV, an Internet protocol television, stressing that there is a need to disseminate information in a speedy manner using the latest tools.
He said the government had to act fast in channelling information to the people, “if possible, in real time.”
Current reality and in order to win the hearts and minds of the younger generation demand that the government engage with them “in a language which they can understand.”
“The only language they understand is the language of technology,” he said at the launch.
He called on politicians and government officers to keep themselves abreast with technological development and trends, by leveraging the social media tools to engage with the people, given the high demand for information in the country.
Citing a study, he said, Malaysians spent an average of nine hours a day to interact online via Twitter, Friendster, Facebook or Myspace.
“The demand for information is so high that we need additional ways to communicate with the people, not necessarily through the official media,” he said, describing the social media as “tools of engagement” which would be useful especially to politicians and those in the administration.
Although the social media had its own weaknesses, he said, they also had many benefits including allowing interaction among the people, something which had not been available during the era of his father, second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, where information was hard to come by.
“They received information only from official sources, but today, people are able to access information from multiple sources; in fact, if we don’t provide information to them, they will get them from other sources,” he said.
When there was a vacuum in the dissemination of information, he said, people would get their information from elsewhere and “sometimes these are mixed with fairy tales and fiction, false news and slander.”
Najib also spoke of his experience in engaging with the people through Twitter, saying he had been obtaining valuable feedback from his followers.
He also said that said technology was advancing fast and that the dawn of the new media had greatly impacted the society.
He spoke of a TIME magazine report which named Malaysia as the country with the highest ratio of cellular telephone users at 124.7 per 100 people.
He told his audience about how he once used a large Motorola mobile phone, and said that today’s mobile phones technology had advanced greatly compared to the old days.
“During the haj pilgrimage, I recorded my Aidiladha greetings from my iPhone and sent it to direct to TV stations that night,” he said.
The 1Malaysia TV is recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records as the first new media television based on the 1Malaysia concept.
It airs broadcasts from RTM1, RTM2, TV3, TV Al Hijrah, My Youth TV, CCTV 1, E-Korea TV, Erama Music, Erama Documentary TV and KLPOP Online Radio Streaming.
The online television can be viewed via mobile devices such as smartphones, tablet computers or laptop computers. The address is at www.1Malaysiaiptv.com or www.erama.tv/mobiletv.
Smartphone users can download the application from their respective app stores.
Present at the event was Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz.
– BERNAMA
