by Kim Quek
By Barisan Nasional standard, the National Feedlot Center Project scandal is no big deal, as it involves no more than RM300 million of public fund, but the intensive debate over it has allowed us to gauge the country’s current state of governance, and more importantly, whether there has been a paradigm shift among BN leadership under the various transformation programs brought in by Prime Minister Najib Razak.
The current scandal is typical of the BN misadventure with public funds. A large sum of public fund is given to an incompetent crony who squanders the money without bringing the project to fruition.
And the response by BN leaders, from the prime minister down, has been nothing but a series of cover-ups and excuses. There has been no attempt to face the problem squarely and come up with effective remedial measures. The culture of transparency and accountability seems to be alien to these people, despite hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money being dumped to trumpet Najib’s many ‘transformaions’ for the country.
National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFC) was given the task to “transform the Malaysian cattle and beef industry into a world-class halal beef producer”, according to Bernama, reporting on the signing ceremony of the RM250 million soft loan on 6 Dec 2007. Target production was 60,000 heads of cattle for Phase 1 from the feedlot in Gemas. Operation was scheduled to start in February 2008.
NFC in a mess
Four years on, the Auditor General in his 2010 report stated that the NFC project was in a mess. The total number of cows slaughtered was only 5,742 up to November last year. Even by the scaled-down target of 8,000 cows per year, the project is a flop.
Compounding this unpalatable report is the discovery of money being misused, such as RM10 million to buy a luxurious condominium and over RM800,000 for oversea travelling and entertainment in 2009, despite the company running at a loss of RM7 million in 2008 and RM11 million in 2009. It looks like NFC will meet the same fate as so many other BN forerunners such as the PKFZ, Perwaja, etc. – besides losing hefty public funds, dream of transforming this or that is gone.
And who owns NFC? The family of Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Minister of Women, Welfare and Community Development, and head of Wanita Umno. Her husband, Mohamad Salleh Ismail, is the chairman, and her three children are CEO and executive directors of the company. Expertise and experience in the business of cattle production and beef supply of the Shahrizat family is nil.
There are more than 300 feedlot farms in this country, and many established businesses in the beef supply industry. With our people’s accumulation of expertise in this area, shouldn’t we have entrusted the important mission of boosting domestic beef production to entrepreneurs who are better qualified than the Shahrizat family?
Added to the comedy is the scrambling to defend NFC and Shahrizat by personages no less than PM, DPM, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister, Umno Youth leader, and now the latest, former PM Abdullah.
Top guns to the defence
PM said in Parliament on Nov 11 that there was no wrong-doing, and that production will soon increase to “12,000 cattle from 6,000 previously”.
DPM, who started the project when he was then the minister involved, said in a press conference on Oct 29 that he saw nothing “unsual or anything wrong” with the project and passd the buck to current Minister Noh Omar to answer further questions.
Agriculture Minister Noh denied any impropriety in the award of this project and called the project a “success”, giving various reasons for the meager production.
Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin, who holds no government post, has strangely emerged as the most vocal defender. However, his lengthy discourse seems to excel more in offensive language than in helpful facts.
And even former premier Abdullah Badawi came to Shahrizat’s rescue. He said on Nov 15 that there is no need for her to resign as she is not the CEO and hence not involved. This was in answer to repeated calls for Shahrizat to resign.
Strangely, no one seems to have called for the two minister concerned to be brought to book – the previous agriculture minister (now DPM) Muhyiddin Yassin for having dubiously awarded the project to an incompetent recipient and the current minister Noh Omar for failing to properly oversee the execution of the project.
As for our corruption watchdog MACC, it had remained eerily silent since the scandal broke out almost 3 weeks ago until the scandal got overheated and it passed the buck to the police 2 days ago, saying that this is a police case, not a MACC case.
Will police do anything? Your guess is as good as mine.
There you are, Najib’s transformations for you.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Malaysians being ripped off (2) – with photos
By Mimi Chih
Thank you for putting my article online.
The reason I enclosed those photos was to drive home the point how much more expensive those same items are in Malaysia. If you go back to Sarawak, they are even more expensive. e.g. even after conversion to RM, it is still more expensive in Malaysia e.g. Yoplait yogurt is SGD7.05 while in KL it is at least RM22, Farmhouse milk is 2 litres for SGD4.85…in KL it is RM10 per litre. Did you see how much the US imported cereals are selling for in Malaysia?
As for simple foods, look at how cheap it is, especially when you are earning SGD. You can still get kopi si peng is still SGD90 cents.
That is the reason why my niece sent out her resumes so many times since last year. She finally got a job in Oct, 2011 as an auditor (2 years experience). Her salary is gross SGD2600. When she earned RM2850 at Ernst & Young, she would never eat at Starbuck, didn’t even dare to look at Farmhouse milk or SPAM luncheon meat, and definitely, would never indulge in Yoplait yogurt. She is now able to enjoy all of those and more and she can send home SGD300. Her parents had to subsidize her when she was in KL even though she lived frugally.
Wait till I send it the article about the super efficient MRT, feeder bus and bus system in Singapore. Would you believe that it can cost SGD2 cents (yes, SGD2 cents) for certain routes? Would you believe for SGD80 a month, they can get practically all the channels that we have on ASTRO? Plus, the transmission doesn’t get interrupted when the sky becomes cloudy.
This is what Malaysia’s politicians need to be talking about…bringing benefits to the people. What have they been doing with the rakyat’s money? If economies of scale can be achieve with a 5.18 million population why is it not happening in Malaysia? Things should be even cheaper.
Malaysians are being deprived cheaper options to quality foods. In Singapore, people can get cheap and not substandard quality foods.
Is it possible to attach a few of the photos? Without seeing the glaring price disparity, the article wouldn’t drive home the point.
Thank you for putting my article online.
The reason I enclosed those photos was to drive home the point how much more expensive those same items are in Malaysia. If you go back to Sarawak, they are even more expensive. e.g. even after conversion to RM, it is still more expensive in Malaysia e.g. Yoplait yogurt is SGD7.05 while in KL it is at least RM22, Farmhouse milk is 2 litres for SGD4.85…in KL it is RM10 per litre. Did you see how much the US imported cereals are selling for in Malaysia?
As for simple foods, look at how cheap it is, especially when you are earning SGD. You can still get kopi si peng is still SGD90 cents.
That is the reason why my niece sent out her resumes so many times since last year. She finally got a job in Oct, 2011 as an auditor (2 years experience). Her salary is gross SGD2600. When she earned RM2850 at Ernst & Young, she would never eat at Starbuck, didn’t even dare to look at Farmhouse milk or SPAM luncheon meat, and definitely, would never indulge in Yoplait yogurt. She is now able to enjoy all of those and more and she can send home SGD300. Her parents had to subsidize her when she was in KL even though she lived frugally.
Wait till I send it the article about the super efficient MRT, feeder bus and bus system in Singapore. Would you believe that it can cost SGD2 cents (yes, SGD2 cents) for certain routes? Would you believe for SGD80 a month, they can get practically all the channels that we have on ASTRO? Plus, the transmission doesn’t get interrupted when the sky becomes cloudy.
This is what Malaysia’s politicians need to be talking about…bringing benefits to the people. What have they been doing with the rakyat’s money? If economies of scale can be achieve with a 5.18 million population why is it not happening in Malaysia? Things should be even cheaper.
Malaysians are being deprived cheaper options to quality foods. In Singapore, people can get cheap and not substandard quality foods.
Is it possible to attach a few of the photos? Without seeing the glaring price disparity, the article wouldn’t drive home the point.
Malaysians getting ripped off
by Mimi Chih
When Tunku Abdul Rahman decided to expel Singapore from the Federation of Malaya leading to the Independence of Singapore on August 9, 1965, the world did not expect this tiny island Republic with a population of 1.8 million then to stand tall as one of the original Four Asian Tigers, along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan 46 years later. Well, this Lion City has certainly ventured forth roaring all the way with a lion heart.
How does one measure the success of a country? To the people, it is reflected in their overall standard of living. Not every country is lucky enough to have a team of intelligent people whose passionate objectives drive them to make their country a better place to live – for everyone. Singapore is one such country. Today this island republic has one of the highest standard of living in South East Asia.
Which Malaysian could imagine that some 46 years after the split, Singapore’s exchange rate to the ringgit would hit a dizzying rate of RM2.41 (Nov 11, 2011)? August 1972 was the last time that the SGD (Singapore Dollar) was almost on par with the (RM) ringgit at SGD100:RM100.10. For an average wage earner in the Lion City making SGD2500 a month, going for a 10 days holiday to the US or Australia or Europe once a year is a relatively small matter.
What happened to Malaysia? In 1965 when Singapore was expelled, Malaysia had everything that the island republic glaringly lacked – ample land, a plethora of natural resources, an operating government, and 9.3 million people.
Unfortunately, in the 46 years that has come to past, Malaysia has been bogged down by a number of issues which are clearly distracting the government from doing what it is supposed to be doing.
The ruling government (UMNO) in Malaysia is debating whether education in English would be significantly beneficial to the rakyat, the opposition PAS’ vehement stance in wanting to forcibly implement the hudud laws and banning Elton John from performing in Malaysia because of his sexual orientation, and the Obedient Wives Club’s proposition that Muslim women should be obedient and strive to approach sex with their hubbies not just on a physical level but on the higher spiritual realm.
There are also questions posed to DAP’s national chairman Karpal Singh by MCA’s leader Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek whether a non-Muslim should first convert to Islam if they wanted to be deputy prime minister should Pakatan become the ruling government. These are just a handful of endless annoying issues which UMNO has had to deal with on a daily basis.
In 2011 Singapore’s population stands at 5.18 million (63% are Singaporean citizens while 37% are permanent residents). Malaysia’s population as at July 2011 is 28.73 million. Without getting into advanced mathematical calculations, one would deduce that economies of scale would be more achievable in the country that has 28.73 million people versus 5.18 million. This is not the case.
The cost of living is relative to the ability to earn. Lets establish the value of currency in terms of the wage rate (Malaysia does not have a Minimum Wage rate yet). In Singapore the average general worker such as a merchandiser in a supermarket /department store or the cashier serving you at Mc Donald’s earns SGD5.50 – 6.00 per hour. In Malaysia similar positions start at RM4 – 6 per hour.
But take a look at how much things cost in Malaysia. A kopi si peng costs SGD0.90 to SGD1.20 in clean kopi shops/food courts in Singapore while it costs RM1.80 to RM2.00 in Malaysia. A Chinese roasted duck costs SGD18-25 each . In Malaysia, at the market rate of RM48 per bird, eating roasted duck is a luxury.
As my niece, a 2 year Sunway College graduate with an Accounting degree and ACCA cert is fond of saying, “A person earning peanuts (SGD peanuts, OK) in Singapore can still afford to buy Peter Pan Honey Roasted Peanut Butter imported from the US. A Malaysian earning peanuts in Malaysia can’t even afford to smell any peanut butter.” She adds, “SGD10 in Singapore goes a lot further than RM10 in Malaysia!”
Needless to say, Malaysia has already lost her to the Lion City – talk about brain drain. More than 13 young Accounting graduates from her circle of friends have eagerly taken the same path.
How is it that the cost of so many basic foods and day to day consumable items end up being so much more expensive in Malaysia? Malaysian politicians need to start talking in a meaningful language to the people. For a start, they can talk in terms of bringing down the cost of foods and consumables in Malaysia while striving for a decent standard. The rakyat will surely want to listen to the party that can talk sense about making their RM10 go further than at its current limpy and lethargic rate. It would be nice for average income earning Malaysians to be able to afford US made Peter Pan Honey Roasted Peanut Butter.
Forget the hudud laws for now. Being obedient wives is interesting…. but it’s not an urgent matter. Lets not fret on this issue. Why must a capable non-muslim candidate convert to Muslim to be the Deputy Prime Minister? Would converting to Muslim make the candidate a better Deputy Prime Minister? Finally, do let Elton John dazzle the Malaysians for just one nite – he is not a terrorist. He is truly an accomplished, world class musician and entertainer.
When Tunku Abdul Rahman decided to expel Singapore from the Federation of Malaya leading to the Independence of Singapore on August 9, 1965, the world did not expect this tiny island Republic with a population of 1.8 million then to stand tall as one of the original Four Asian Tigers, along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan 46 years later. Well, this Lion City has certainly ventured forth roaring all the way with a lion heart.
How does one measure the success of a country? To the people, it is reflected in their overall standard of living. Not every country is lucky enough to have a team of intelligent people whose passionate objectives drive them to make their country a better place to live – for everyone. Singapore is one such country. Today this island republic has one of the highest standard of living in South East Asia.
Which Malaysian could imagine that some 46 years after the split, Singapore’s exchange rate to the ringgit would hit a dizzying rate of RM2.41 (Nov 11, 2011)? August 1972 was the last time that the SGD (Singapore Dollar) was almost on par with the (RM) ringgit at SGD100:RM100.10. For an average wage earner in the Lion City making SGD2500 a month, going for a 10 days holiday to the US or Australia or Europe once a year is a relatively small matter.
What happened to Malaysia? In 1965 when Singapore was expelled, Malaysia had everything that the island republic glaringly lacked – ample land, a plethora of natural resources, an operating government, and 9.3 million people.
Unfortunately, in the 46 years that has come to past, Malaysia has been bogged down by a number of issues which are clearly distracting the government from doing what it is supposed to be doing.
The ruling government (UMNO) in Malaysia is debating whether education in English would be significantly beneficial to the rakyat, the opposition PAS’ vehement stance in wanting to forcibly implement the hudud laws and banning Elton John from performing in Malaysia because of his sexual orientation, and the Obedient Wives Club’s proposition that Muslim women should be obedient and strive to approach sex with their hubbies not just on a physical level but on the higher spiritual realm.
There are also questions posed to DAP’s national chairman Karpal Singh by MCA’s leader Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek whether a non-Muslim should first convert to Islam if they wanted to be deputy prime minister should Pakatan become the ruling government. These are just a handful of endless annoying issues which UMNO has had to deal with on a daily basis.
In 2011 Singapore’s population stands at 5.18 million (63% are Singaporean citizens while 37% are permanent residents). Malaysia’s population as at July 2011 is 28.73 million. Without getting into advanced mathematical calculations, one would deduce that economies of scale would be more achievable in the country that has 28.73 million people versus 5.18 million. This is not the case.
The cost of living is relative to the ability to earn. Lets establish the value of currency in terms of the wage rate (Malaysia does not have a Minimum Wage rate yet). In Singapore the average general worker such as a merchandiser in a supermarket /department store or the cashier serving you at Mc Donald’s earns SGD5.50 – 6.00 per hour. In Malaysia similar positions start at RM4 – 6 per hour.
But take a look at how much things cost in Malaysia. A kopi si peng costs SGD0.90 to SGD1.20 in clean kopi shops/food courts in Singapore while it costs RM1.80 to RM2.00 in Malaysia. A Chinese roasted duck costs SGD18-25 each . In Malaysia, at the market rate of RM48 per bird, eating roasted duck is a luxury.
As my niece, a 2 year Sunway College graduate with an Accounting degree and ACCA cert is fond of saying, “A person earning peanuts (SGD peanuts, OK) in Singapore can still afford to buy Peter Pan Honey Roasted Peanut Butter imported from the US. A Malaysian earning peanuts in Malaysia can’t even afford to smell any peanut butter.” She adds, “SGD10 in Singapore goes a lot further than RM10 in Malaysia!”
Needless to say, Malaysia has already lost her to the Lion City – talk about brain drain. More than 13 young Accounting graduates from her circle of friends have eagerly taken the same path.
How is it that the cost of so many basic foods and day to day consumable items end up being so much more expensive in Malaysia? Malaysian politicians need to start talking in a meaningful language to the people. For a start, they can talk in terms of bringing down the cost of foods and consumables in Malaysia while striving for a decent standard. The rakyat will surely want to listen to the party that can talk sense about making their RM10 go further than at its current limpy and lethargic rate. It would be nice for average income earning Malaysians to be able to afford US made Peter Pan Honey Roasted Peanut Butter.
Forget the hudud laws for now. Being obedient wives is interesting…. but it’s not an urgent matter. Lets not fret on this issue. Why must a capable non-muslim candidate convert to Muslim to be the Deputy Prime Minister? Would converting to Muslim make the candidate a better Deputy Prime Minister? Finally, do let Elton John dazzle the Malaysians for just one nite – he is not a terrorist. He is truly an accomplished, world class musician and entertainer.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Najib’s magic trick for 13th GE
By Mariam Mokhtar | FMT
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s flurry of reforms in the last couple of months, raises disturbing questions about his desire to make Malaysia the “best democracy in the world”.
Who stands to benefit most from his idea of the “best democracy” in the world? The rakyat or the Barisan Nasional (BN) political elite?
The naïve rakyat, who are lulled into a sense of security by Najib’s rash of reforms, may think it will be the main beneficiaries. On the other hand, BN’s political elite and their cronies hope to woo the electorate by appearing to accede to calls for political reforms and then undo the reforms, after they have secured a win.
Judging by the number of times BN has reneged on election promises in the last 54 years, it will be the latter group who will benefit.
Any reforms, which BN announces now, are purely cosmetic. They give the appearance that Najib is listening. It is like a roué wooing a schoolgirl with sweet talk, before he has his way with her. He walks away smiling, because she was fool enough to believe him. He outsmarted her.
That is the danger the rakyat faces now – to be lulled into thinking Najib will enact the reforms that he has promised. After the 13th general election (GE), he will sing a different tune, if BN wins.
BN’s promise of reforms is pointless when all other aspects of BN rule ignore human rights, the rule of law, endemic corruption and economic enhancement. The “best democracy in the world” is not one which elevates one race but ignores the others.
A government which allows family members and close associates to benefit in multimillion ringgit projects is not fit for purpose.
Launching personal attacks on members of the opposition and smearing their children’s reputations are morally wrong, distasteful and will backfire.
The prime minister’s reputation was trashed after his disastrous handling of the July 9 Bersih 2.0 “pro-democracy march”. This was a terrible blow for someone who values spin and image above all else.
So, Najib felt compelled to pull out all the stops to try to rebuild his image both within his own party and with the rakyat.
He started with the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA). Just like the magician doing his illusory show, who made the rabbit disappear, he then produced two more from a hat. Yes, Najib promised that there would be two new laws to replace the ISA.
Why did a sea change envelope Najib and make him repeal the ISA? For several decades, various groups which wanted the ISA abolished were ignored, but with the 13th general election around the corner, Najib acquiesced.
Paramount importance
Najib’s deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, was adamant that science and mathematics should be taught in Malay.
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad joined in the chorus to maintain the teaching of these subjects in English. Parents vowed to vote for the opposition. The day after announcing his final decision, Muhyiddin was forced into an embarrassing U-turn.
In Najib’s “best democracy in the world”, a Muslim girl can get married and start a family as soon as she reaches puberty, without her parents’ consent. Some girls reach puberty at nine years old.
At 18 years old, teenagers can drive a car and buy cigarettes, but they can’t vote until they are 21.
Furthermore, the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) prohibits students from engaging in any political activity.
It isn’t just the students who are restricted. Any academic who does not toe the political line may find himself suspended and his academic career in jeopardy. Compare the two university lecturers, Professor Abdul Aziz Bari and Ridhuan Tee. Mind control is what Umno-BN is after and not freeing the mind for intellectual expression and advancement.
As we have only one chance to reform our government and vote for a party that will govern properly, the run-up to the 13th general election is of paramount importance. It matters to all of us.
Najib and BN are doing a magic trick. What has BN done to improve the lot of the rural population in the more economically deprived areas? Some kampungs and longhouses still lack water, electricity and proper roads. Schools and clinics are poorly funded.
And yet, the prime minister, his self-styled “First Lady”, their family and his political party have spent billions of ringgit on personal travel, luxury goods and bribes, all funded by the taxpayers.
One way is to deprive these people of their luxuries, so they can focus their efforts on solving the nation’s problems. For example, we should make them commute to work using public transport.
That means taking away their chauffeur-driven cars, their outriders and the police who restrict traffic on the roads when these VIPs travel. Once they suffer the traumas we go through, our public transport system might not be in such a deplorable condition.
When Najib made his maiden speech at the UN general assembly, he talked about rejecting extremism and being a moderate. So why does he don the cloak of racism at home? Does he have a split personality or is he just a scheming con-man who knows which side his electoral bread is buttered?
Electoral fraud
Former Umno minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir admitted that BN had bought votes in many elections, but the typical Umno reaction is shown by Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin who demanded proof of these accusations.
In the past months, electoral fraud on a grand scale has been uncovered and Umno-BN and the Election Commission have not provided plausible answers.
Instead of acting on these serious allegations, and in an attempt to divert the rakyat’s attention, Umno attacked the opposition with charges of supporting the communists and released more sex videos of the Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The rakyat should support calls for the coming general election to be postponed until after ALL the recommendations (on electoral reforms) have been implemented. Promises of reforms are not good enough.
However, the other course of action is to register to vote.
Do not boycott 13th general election. All votes are critical because the amount of cheating is going to be massive. This will be the dirtiest election in the history of Malaysia.
Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s flurry of reforms in the last couple of months, raises disturbing questions about his desire to make Malaysia the “best democracy in the world”.
Who stands to benefit most from his idea of the “best democracy” in the world? The rakyat or the Barisan Nasional (BN) political elite?
The naïve rakyat, who are lulled into a sense of security by Najib’s rash of reforms, may think it will be the main beneficiaries. On the other hand, BN’s political elite and their cronies hope to woo the electorate by appearing to accede to calls for political reforms and then undo the reforms, after they have secured a win.
Judging by the number of times BN has reneged on election promises in the last 54 years, it will be the latter group who will benefit.
Any reforms, which BN announces now, are purely cosmetic. They give the appearance that Najib is listening. It is like a roué wooing a schoolgirl with sweet talk, before he has his way with her. He walks away smiling, because she was fool enough to believe him. He outsmarted her.
That is the danger the rakyat faces now – to be lulled into thinking Najib will enact the reforms that he has promised. After the 13th general election (GE), he will sing a different tune, if BN wins.
BN’s promise of reforms is pointless when all other aspects of BN rule ignore human rights, the rule of law, endemic corruption and economic enhancement. The “best democracy in the world” is not one which elevates one race but ignores the others.
A government which allows family members and close associates to benefit in multimillion ringgit projects is not fit for purpose.
Launching personal attacks on members of the opposition and smearing their children’s reputations are morally wrong, distasteful and will backfire.
The prime minister’s reputation was trashed after his disastrous handling of the July 9 Bersih 2.0 “pro-democracy march”. This was a terrible blow for someone who values spin and image above all else.So, Najib felt compelled to pull out all the stops to try to rebuild his image both within his own party and with the rakyat.
He started with the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA). Just like the magician doing his illusory show, who made the rabbit disappear, he then produced two more from a hat. Yes, Najib promised that there would be two new laws to replace the ISA.
Why did a sea change envelope Najib and make him repeal the ISA? For several decades, various groups which wanted the ISA abolished were ignored, but with the 13th general election around the corner, Najib acquiesced.
Paramount importance
Najib’s deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, was adamant that science and mathematics should be taught in Malay.
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad joined in the chorus to maintain the teaching of these subjects in English. Parents vowed to vote for the opposition. The day after announcing his final decision, Muhyiddin was forced into an embarrassing U-turn.
In Najib’s “best democracy in the world”, a Muslim girl can get married and start a family as soon as she reaches puberty, without her parents’ consent. Some girls reach puberty at nine years old.
At 18 years old, teenagers can drive a car and buy cigarettes, but they can’t vote until they are 21.
Furthermore, the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) prohibits students from engaging in any political activity.It isn’t just the students who are restricted. Any academic who does not toe the political line may find himself suspended and his academic career in jeopardy. Compare the two university lecturers, Professor Abdul Aziz Bari and Ridhuan Tee. Mind control is what Umno-BN is after and not freeing the mind for intellectual expression and advancement.
As we have only one chance to reform our government and vote for a party that will govern properly, the run-up to the 13th general election is of paramount importance. It matters to all of us.
Najib and BN are doing a magic trick. What has BN done to improve the lot of the rural population in the more economically deprived areas? Some kampungs and longhouses still lack water, electricity and proper roads. Schools and clinics are poorly funded.
And yet, the prime minister, his self-styled “First Lady”, their family and his political party have spent billions of ringgit on personal travel, luxury goods and bribes, all funded by the taxpayers.
One way is to deprive these people of their luxuries, so they can focus their efforts on solving the nation’s problems. For example, we should make them commute to work using public transport.
That means taking away their chauffeur-driven cars, their outriders and the police who restrict traffic on the roads when these VIPs travel. Once they suffer the traumas we go through, our public transport system might not be in such a deplorable condition.
When Najib made his maiden speech at the UN general assembly, he talked about rejecting extremism and being a moderate. So why does he don the cloak of racism at home? Does he have a split personality or is he just a scheming con-man who knows which side his electoral bread is buttered?
Electoral fraud
Former Umno minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir admitted that BN had bought votes in many elections, but the typical Umno reaction is shown by Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin who demanded proof of these accusations.
In the past months, electoral fraud on a grand scale has been uncovered and Umno-BN and the Election Commission have not provided plausible answers.
Instead of acting on these serious allegations, and in an attempt to divert the rakyat’s attention, Umno attacked the opposition with charges of supporting the communists and released more sex videos of the Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The rakyat should support calls for the coming general election to be postponed until after ALL the recommendations (on electoral reforms) have been implemented. Promises of reforms are not good enough.
However, the other course of action is to register to vote.
Do not boycott 13th general election. All votes are critical because the amount of cheating is going to be massive. This will be the dirtiest election in the history of Malaysia.
Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
An Open Letter to Idris Jala
This is the edited version of my article posted in LoyarBurok website.
Richard Loh’s open letter to Idris Jala, expressing his hope that the implementation of the ETP will have the rakyat’s best interests at heart.
Hi Dato Seri Idris Jala,
I am Richard Loh from Penang and wish to speak my mind as a layman who really cares about our nation. I am eager to meet you upon learning that you will be at #UndiMsia!Chats but may not be able to attend, hence my open letter to you.
I would like apologise in advance should anything I say be wrong or offends you or anyone; it is unintentional, I am just speaking my mind.
Targeting to be a developed nation by 2020 is good provided we are laying the right path towards it. We would have achieved developed status in 2000 if we sincerely and truthfully laid, and followed, the right path. Until now, we are still in search for that right path; or perhaps we know it but dare not use it because of fear?
The question is, “What are the planned ETP based on?” Progress of the nation with the rakyat in mind? Or is it politically & monetary based? By monetary, I mean whereby only certain groups would benefit from it.
I would safely say that your answer will be for the “Progress of the nation with the rakyat in mind” — which I doubt, as I have lived long enough to see the various PMs fail miserably.
We can forget about our once world’s tallest structure, you can decide whether it served any purpose from the rakyat’s point of view.
I am for the highways and the North South Expressway because it truly serves the rakyat, but in a way it is killing the rakyat as well with its toll collection. I agree that toll has to be collected but to what extent? By now I would guess the toll collected for the NSE is many times over the total cost of construction, but we still need to pay toll with rates increasing for the next 30 to 40 years. Logically, toll rates should be reduced over time as the volume of vehicles increases, and toll collection should be at a minimum for the purpose of maintenance and upgrading only. The toll charges one way from Duta to Juru in Penang is RM54, and there are thousands of cars plying this route everyday. Just do the math.
The above is just one example of progress of necessity without considering the rakyat’s extra burden in the long term.
Now coming back to the latest ETP, brainchild of yours via PM Najib. I am truly glad that PM Najib roped you in for the ETP planning.
Let us take a look at the latest MRT project, assuming it to be non-political, with the sole purpose of benefiting and serving the rakyat. Yet I find many questions on how it is being planned or going to be implemented.
Q1. When was this latest MRT project planned, years ago before Najib was the PM or just recently when he took over the premiership?
It may have been planned years ago but put into cold storage and given a new life after Najib became the PM. But most likely it was hatched when Najib became PM. Why I say so is because there is no actual concrete finalised master plan. Everything is still in the planning or negotiation stages. Glaring proof is the cost, from an initial RM30+ billion, then RM40+ billion, to RM50+ billion and latest news it that the actual cost may go higher. Next, the decision was made to acquire historic or heritage locations, have the pros & cons been studied, and has it been concluded that the pros outweighed the cons? Is it really a must with no other feasible routes? Without a complete concrete master plan put into place it would be a disaster in terms of cost, time, and construction problems when work begins.
Q2. Is the MRT a transportation solution for the rakyat or a bid to be another “Malaysia Boleh” in the eyes of the world?
If it is a transportation solution, “connections” is the key word. Of course we do not expect all stations to be right in front of everyone’s doorsteps, but we expect bus stands to be in front of or near to all MRT stations, with buses ploughing through housing estates and high population areas. This brings us to my next question.
Q3. Has the planning of the MRT system incorporated bus transportation routes as well?
There is not much point providing parking spaces (as space is very limited and expensive) for motorists to drive to the stations in order to take the MRT, or the need to go to and from stations by taxis.
I am sure all the planners must have visited countries with mass MRT systems and did their research before coming up with our own system. Just take a look at the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)) and you will understand what I mean. Connectivity. I have used our present monorail, LRT, etc whenever I am in KL and found it to be very disconnected. Hopefully the latest MRT will not repeat the same mistakes.
This kind of massive project cannot be rushed in its planning stage. It requires fully detailed planning from A to Z. Once completed, rectifying errors is possible but would cost much more.
If the ETP projects are not politically motivated, everything from planning, tendering and expenditure should be open and transparent. Any tendency for leakages should be prevented at all costs.
We now hear pleasing results from the ETP. But the actual end results will be jeopardised if we cannot admit that there are faults in our system that need to be rectified.
My hope is that the present ETP will not follow previous methods of implementation through political expediency for it will fail again.
Thank you for hearing me out.
Richard Loh
Richard Loh’s open letter to Idris Jala, expressing his hope that the implementation of the ETP will have the rakyat’s best interests at heart.
Hi Dato Seri Idris Jala,
I am Richard Loh from Penang and wish to speak my mind as a layman who really cares about our nation. I am eager to meet you upon learning that you will be at #UndiMsia!Chats but may not be able to attend, hence my open letter to you.
I would like apologise in advance should anything I say be wrong or offends you or anyone; it is unintentional, I am just speaking my mind.
Targeting to be a developed nation by 2020 is good provided we are laying the right path towards it. We would have achieved developed status in 2000 if we sincerely and truthfully laid, and followed, the right path. Until now, we are still in search for that right path; or perhaps we know it but dare not use it because of fear?
The question is, “What are the planned ETP based on?” Progress of the nation with the rakyat in mind? Or is it politically & monetary based? By monetary, I mean whereby only certain groups would benefit from it.
I would safely say that your answer will be for the “Progress of the nation with the rakyat in mind” — which I doubt, as I have lived long enough to see the various PMs fail miserably.
We can forget about our once world’s tallest structure, you can decide whether it served any purpose from the rakyat’s point of view.
I am for the highways and the North South Expressway because it truly serves the rakyat, but in a way it is killing the rakyat as well with its toll collection. I agree that toll has to be collected but to what extent? By now I would guess the toll collected for the NSE is many times over the total cost of construction, but we still need to pay toll with rates increasing for the next 30 to 40 years. Logically, toll rates should be reduced over time as the volume of vehicles increases, and toll collection should be at a minimum for the purpose of maintenance and upgrading only. The toll charges one way from Duta to Juru in Penang is RM54, and there are thousands of cars plying this route everyday. Just do the math.
The above is just one example of progress of necessity without considering the rakyat’s extra burden in the long term.
Now coming back to the latest ETP, brainchild of yours via PM Najib. I am truly glad that PM Najib roped you in for the ETP planning.
Let us take a look at the latest MRT project, assuming it to be non-political, with the sole purpose of benefiting and serving the rakyat. Yet I find many questions on how it is being planned or going to be implemented.
Q1. When was this latest MRT project planned, years ago before Najib was the PM or just recently when he took over the premiership?
It may have been planned years ago but put into cold storage and given a new life after Najib became the PM. But most likely it was hatched when Najib became PM. Why I say so is because there is no actual concrete finalised master plan. Everything is still in the planning or negotiation stages. Glaring proof is the cost, from an initial RM30+ billion, then RM40+ billion, to RM50+ billion and latest news it that the actual cost may go higher. Next, the decision was made to acquire historic or heritage locations, have the pros & cons been studied, and has it been concluded that the pros outweighed the cons? Is it really a must with no other feasible routes? Without a complete concrete master plan put into place it would be a disaster in terms of cost, time, and construction problems when work begins.
Q2. Is the MRT a transportation solution for the rakyat or a bid to be another “Malaysia Boleh” in the eyes of the world?
If it is a transportation solution, “connections” is the key word. Of course we do not expect all stations to be right in front of everyone’s doorsteps, but we expect bus stands to be in front of or near to all MRT stations, with buses ploughing through housing estates and high population areas. This brings us to my next question.
Q3. Has the planning of the MRT system incorporated bus transportation routes as well?
There is not much point providing parking spaces (as space is very limited and expensive) for motorists to drive to the stations in order to take the MRT, or the need to go to and from stations by taxis.
I am sure all the planners must have visited countries with mass MRT systems and did their research before coming up with our own system. Just take a look at the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)) and you will understand what I mean. Connectivity. I have used our present monorail, LRT, etc whenever I am in KL and found it to be very disconnected. Hopefully the latest MRT will not repeat the same mistakes.
This kind of massive project cannot be rushed in its planning stage. It requires fully detailed planning from A to Z. Once completed, rectifying errors is possible but would cost much more.
If the ETP projects are not politically motivated, everything from planning, tendering and expenditure should be open and transparent. Any tendency for leakages should be prevented at all costs.
We now hear pleasing results from the ETP. But the actual end results will be jeopardised if we cannot admit that there are faults in our system that need to be rectified.
My hope is that the present ETP will not follow previous methods of implementation through political expediency for it will fail again.
Thank you for hearing me out.
Richard Loh
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Poetic justice for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng
by Jeswan Kaur | Free Malaysia Today
The glowing words of praise heaped by the auditor-general in his latest report stand as proof that DAP is no fluke and has what it takes to turn Penang around.
COMMENT
The recently released Auditor-General’s Report comes as poetic justice for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in particular and Barisan Nasional’s nemesis, Pakatan Rakyat in general. The report is full of praises as to how the state has successfully improved its financial position.
According to the report, Penang last year improved its financial position over 2009.
“The audit analysis found that consolidated funds of 2010 had improved compared to previous years and is at the highest level compared to the previous five years,” the report stated.
Lim took over the state’s top post in 2008 after DAP, a member of the Pakatan coalition, nudged Gerakan out in the 12th general election and took charge of Penang.
In the three years, despite all brickbats from his BN counterparts, Lim remains steadfastly focused on improving the state’s performance. The result? Words of praise by the auditor-general.
Still, like all hardworking people, Lim faced and continues to experience stinging criticism from Umno and BN which have left no stone unturned in belittling and condemning his efforts in transforming Penang for the better.
With the latest Auditor-General’s Report validating Penang’s achievements, the state under Lim’s leadership promises hope, of ensuring that Penangites continue to enjoy progress.
As far as the report goes, Penang has “passed” with flying colours. The state has been lauded where implementation of projects is concerned. The report has hailed the state’s performance as “very good”, with 99% of the 9,003 projects successfully carried out.
The Auditor-General’s Report adds: “The state is recommended to make sure revenue collected is put into the correct account and continue its efforts to increase revenue and maintain its prudent spending to ensure a better financial position.”
It urges the state to continue with its efforts to collect arrears in student loan repayment, rental of properties, land tax and other taxes. These arrears totalled RM78.78 million at the end of 2010.
On development under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the AG rates the state’s performance as satisfactory, with Penang spending 77.8% of the allocated RM1.01 billion.
BN green with envy
There is no denying that the thumbs-up given by the Auditor-General’s Report to Penang has caused the federal government under the aegis of the BN coalition to turn green with envy.
While the Lim administration has received straight “As” for its good management of the state, it is otherwise for three companies owned by Johor which performed badly.
The Auditor-General’s Report said the three companies – YWJ Citra Holdings Sdn Bhd, Johor Skills Development Centre Sdn Bhd and Kumpulan Pendidikan YPJ Sdn Bhd – were found to be unsatisfactorily managed with two companies facing losses.
It will do BN good to buck up and emulate Penang in delivering nothing but the best to the rakyat, instead of resorting to gutter politics, using the dirtiest means possible to force their opponents out.
For Lim, in the 36 months that DAP has been helming Penang, much trial and tribulations have come his way, both professionally and personally.
Personal attacks on Lim came about when pro-Umno blogs had a fortnight ago accused his 16-year-old son of outraging the modesty of a female classmate which resulted in him being transferred to another school.
The bloggers also claimed that Lim had paid the girl’s family RM200,000 to keep the issue under wraps. The accusations, however, turned out to be baseless after the girl was found to be a 21-year- old chess champion from Hong Kong named Anya Corke who has since issued a statement denying the incident.
The headmaster of the boy’s former school as well as Penang education director, Ahmad Tarmizi Kamaruddin, both confirmed that the allegations were untrue.
Despite Anya’s denial, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in his childish desperation, challenged Lim to lodge a report, saying the denial was not good enough evidence to prove the boy’s innocence.
Clearly, Muhyiddin has displayed the worst in him by employing the age-old trick in politics, that is, character assassination of Lim, hoping this will do the trick and finish Lim off, politically that is.
Too bad for the DPM for it will take much more than this irresponsible tactic to put an end to Lim’s political career.
“I wanted to put the matter to rest so as not to affect my young son,” Lim had said in a blog posted on Oct 27. “He had skipped school for two days when the lies first surfaced.”
“I had no wish for him to go through with this again or deal with police investigations which involves ninja character assassins operating behind shadowy pro-BN blogs.”
BN too cocky to wisen up
Doing what a good father would, Lim is going all out to protect his son from the machination minds of Umno and MCA, both of whom seem to be relishing from the attacks on the DAP secretary-general using his 16-year-old son as the target.
Pro-MCA blogs wasted no time in jumping onto the bandwagon and politicising the issue, feigning all loyalty to Muhyiddin and accusing Lim of failing to act as a good father when he refused to lodge a police report.
And when the callow Umno Youth Khairy Jamaluddin, through his disgustingly lewd and sexist remarks tweeted: “Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada.” (Perhaps he demolished Kampung Buah Pala because he wanted to replace it with Kampung Breasts), it was a dead give-away of his own ability to play responsible and caring “daddy” to his two young boys.
Khairy, very much a “man in a hurry”, has revealed that he will stoop to any level to please his political masters.
If that is the mark of a leader, it explains why Umno Youth is nothing but an entity of manipulative and power-hungry male chauvinists who will sway any which way they deem necessary to further their personal agenda.
Making matters worse was Umno Online which quoted a fictitious report from Guang Ming saying Lim’s son was transferred out to another school because of drug problems in his former school.
Such desperation by Umno to kill off the trust and support vested by Penangites in Lim, DAP and Pakatan Rakyat!
Too bad that BN has made yet another blunder, of wanting to get hold of Penang come the next general election and bury DAP and Pakatan for good. Thankfully, the rakyat has seen right through BN and are in no mood to entertain its shenanigans.
As for Lim, the glowing words of praise heaped by the auditor-general in his latest report stand as proof that DAP is no fluke and has what it takes to turn Penang around, thanks to his ability to lead the state.
Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.
The glowing words of praise heaped by the auditor-general in his latest report stand as proof that DAP is no fluke and has what it takes to turn Penang around.
COMMENT
The recently released Auditor-General’s Report comes as poetic justice for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in particular and Barisan Nasional’s nemesis, Pakatan Rakyat in general. The report is full of praises as to how the state has successfully improved its financial position.
According to the report, Penang last year improved its financial position over 2009.
“The audit analysis found that consolidated funds of 2010 had improved compared to previous years and is at the highest level compared to the previous five years,” the report stated.
Lim took over the state’s top post in 2008 after DAP, a member of the Pakatan coalition, nudged Gerakan out in the 12th general election and took charge of Penang.
In the three years, despite all brickbats from his BN counterparts, Lim remains steadfastly focused on improving the state’s performance. The result? Words of praise by the auditor-general.
Still, like all hardworking people, Lim faced and continues to experience stinging criticism from Umno and BN which have left no stone unturned in belittling and condemning his efforts in transforming Penang for the better.
With the latest Auditor-General’s Report validating Penang’s achievements, the state under Lim’s leadership promises hope, of ensuring that Penangites continue to enjoy progress.
As far as the report goes, Penang has “passed” with flying colours. The state has been lauded where implementation of projects is concerned. The report has hailed the state’s performance as “very good”, with 99% of the 9,003 projects successfully carried out.
The Auditor-General’s Report adds: “The state is recommended to make sure revenue collected is put into the correct account and continue its efforts to increase revenue and maintain its prudent spending to ensure a better financial position.”
It urges the state to continue with its efforts to collect arrears in student loan repayment, rental of properties, land tax and other taxes. These arrears totalled RM78.78 million at the end of 2010.
On development under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the AG rates the state’s performance as satisfactory, with Penang spending 77.8% of the allocated RM1.01 billion.
BN green with envy
There is no denying that the thumbs-up given by the Auditor-General’s Report to Penang has caused the federal government under the aegis of the BN coalition to turn green with envy.
While the Lim administration has received straight “As” for its good management of the state, it is otherwise for three companies owned by Johor which performed badly.
The Auditor-General’s Report said the three companies – YWJ Citra Holdings Sdn Bhd, Johor Skills Development Centre Sdn Bhd and Kumpulan Pendidikan YPJ Sdn Bhd – were found to be unsatisfactorily managed with two companies facing losses.
It will do BN good to buck up and emulate Penang in delivering nothing but the best to the rakyat, instead of resorting to gutter politics, using the dirtiest means possible to force their opponents out.
For Lim, in the 36 months that DAP has been helming Penang, much trial and tribulations have come his way, both professionally and personally.
Personal attacks on Lim came about when pro-Umno blogs had a fortnight ago accused his 16-year-old son of outraging the modesty of a female classmate which resulted in him being transferred to another school.
The bloggers also claimed that Lim had paid the girl’s family RM200,000 to keep the issue under wraps. The accusations, however, turned out to be baseless after the girl was found to be a 21-year- old chess champion from Hong Kong named Anya Corke who has since issued a statement denying the incident.
The headmaster of the boy’s former school as well as Penang education director, Ahmad Tarmizi Kamaruddin, both confirmed that the allegations were untrue.
Despite Anya’s denial, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in his childish desperation, challenged Lim to lodge a report, saying the denial was not good enough evidence to prove the boy’s innocence.
Clearly, Muhyiddin has displayed the worst in him by employing the age-old trick in politics, that is, character assassination of Lim, hoping this will do the trick and finish Lim off, politically that is.
Too bad for the DPM for it will take much more than this irresponsible tactic to put an end to Lim’s political career.
“I wanted to put the matter to rest so as not to affect my young son,” Lim had said in a blog posted on Oct 27. “He had skipped school for two days when the lies first surfaced.”
“I had no wish for him to go through with this again or deal with police investigations which involves ninja character assassins operating behind shadowy pro-BN blogs.”
BN too cocky to wisen up
Doing what a good father would, Lim is going all out to protect his son from the machination minds of Umno and MCA, both of whom seem to be relishing from the attacks on the DAP secretary-general using his 16-year-old son as the target.
Pro-MCA blogs wasted no time in jumping onto the bandwagon and politicising the issue, feigning all loyalty to Muhyiddin and accusing Lim of failing to act as a good father when he refused to lodge a police report.
And when the callow Umno Youth Khairy Jamaluddin, through his disgustingly lewd and sexist remarks tweeted: “Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada.” (Perhaps he demolished Kampung Buah Pala because he wanted to replace it with Kampung Breasts), it was a dead give-away of his own ability to play responsible and caring “daddy” to his two young boys.
Khairy, very much a “man in a hurry”, has revealed that he will stoop to any level to please his political masters.
If that is the mark of a leader, it explains why Umno Youth is nothing but an entity of manipulative and power-hungry male chauvinists who will sway any which way they deem necessary to further their personal agenda.
Making matters worse was Umno Online which quoted a fictitious report from Guang Ming saying Lim’s son was transferred out to another school because of drug problems in his former school.
Such desperation by Umno to kill off the trust and support vested by Penangites in Lim, DAP and Pakatan Rakyat!
Too bad that BN has made yet another blunder, of wanting to get hold of Penang come the next general election and bury DAP and Pakatan for good. Thankfully, the rakyat has seen right through BN and are in no mood to entertain its shenanigans.
As for Lim, the glowing words of praise heaped by the auditor-general in his latest report stand as proof that DAP is no fluke and has what it takes to turn Penang around, thanks to his ability to lead the state.
Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.
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