Monthly Archives: December 2011

Saraan Baru Perkhidmatan Awam 2012 (SBPA)

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Apa nasib tutor IPTA dengan perlaksanaan SBPA.

Isu skim tutor: DA41

Tutor IPTA di Malaysia adalah berjawatan sementara, dan JPA telah mengeluarkan surat pada 15.01.2010 kepada semua IPTA supaya tiada kenaikan gaji kepada tutor apabila tempoh perkidmatan telah melebihi 3 tahun. Di kebanyakan IPTA, mereka tidak layak untuk menjawat jawatan pensyarah walaupun telah mempunyai Sarjana (master), dan hanya akan dipertimbangkan jawatan pensyarah selepas mereka mempunyai Ph.D. Kerja bebanan tutor yang telah mempunyai Sarjana adalah tidak banyak berbeza dengan kalangan pensyarah (DS45) yang lain. Ada juga tutor yang memberi syarahan kuliah untuk pelajar tahun akhir disamping di bebani dengan uruan pengurusan fakulti. Dengan pelbagai komitmen tersebut dan inspirasi serta persiapan untuk melanjutkan pelajaran di peringkat PhD, laporan tahunan mereka biasanya adalah rendah dari 80%. Akibatnya, mereka mungkin dipertikaikan untuk memohon jawatan tetap nanti.

Pembelaan

Sehingga kini, tiada sesiapa yang membangkitkan isu tutor diperingkat atasan pihak universiti secara berterusan dan juga dengan mengambil kira pendapat mereka. Mungkin alasan seperti ‘mereka perlu tahu, semasa memohon jawatan tutor, tugas dan status kerja mereka’ dijadikan sandaran yang utama/solid. Tetapi perlu di ingat, pekeliling pentadbiran universiti yang kerap berubah, menafikan perancangan panjang mereka sebelum itu.

Seterusnya

Nasib skim tutor di Malaysia masih belum jelas sehingga ada wakil di bahagian pentadbiran yang menjaga hal ehwal tutor. Dengan pelaksaan skim saraan baru SBPA pada 2012 nanti, dikhuatiri nasib tutor akan terus dipinggir sekiranya tiada seorang pun yang mahu membangkitka isu sebenar ini di pihak atasan.

Sekadar pandangan dari pengalaman.

Airline Makes First US Carrier Flight Powered By Biofuel. -from AIAA news

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The Houston Chronicle (11/8, Moreno) reports today, a United Continental Holdings Boeing 737-800 “was the first by a US carrier to include passengers on a plane powered by a blend that included algae-based biofuel along with conventional petroleum-based jet fuel.” Solazyme worked with Honeywell to develop the fuel. According to the article, United Continental “estimates that the biofuel blend on the flight Monday reduced carbon dioxide emissions by an amount equal to what would come from the exhaust of a car driven 30,000 miles.” Meanwhile, “Alaska Airlines announced Monday it will power 75 commercial passenger flights with biofuels starting Wednesday.”

Biofuels Still More Expensive Than Conventional Fuels. The Wall Street Journal (11/7, Nicas, Subscription Publication), reporting on the United flight, noted that while airlines are testing the use of biofuels, the economics of scale mean biofuels are still more expensive than conventional fuels despite an 87% increase in cost since 2009. Meanwhile, in order to reduce costs, some are considering developing biofuels based on local feedstocks in order to lower transportation costs.

Report Outlines 13 Design Flaws With F-35. – from AIAA news

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David Axe at the Wired (12/14) “Danger Room” blog writes that the F-35 program is about to become “a lot pricier” because of “13 different design flaws uncovered in the last two months by a hush-hush panel of five Pentagon experts. It could cost up to a billion dollars to fix the flaws on copies of the jet already in production, to say nothing of those yet to come.” Axe adds that on top of this, testing could take longer to complete. The “Quick Look Review” was leaked this past weekend, revealing a “laundry list of flaws,” some previously known and others not. According to Axe, there is not a “worse time” for this news because of criticism from the government and Boeing offering to sell improved F-15s and F-18s. Axe predicts “another ‘rebaselining,’ or restructuring, is likely.”