Pointless Politics

Nothing to say except that after all that has happened in Malaysia, God help us. It is sad that the focus is only on MCA and the opposition - diversionary if you were to ask me. It is a sad state indeed

What a load of bull!

I am truly ashamed of Malaysia.

We have had such bad press lately.

We made headlines, by the way - in the foreign news papers and news over the last two months

1) Caning of part time model Kartika for drinking beer in public - that was on the front page of the Straits Times and all over BBC and CNN

2) Indonesians threw eggs at our embassy over a traditional dance (???) and ....get this....the National anthem- that made headlines too obviously

3) PKFZ - now , how could that be left out of the news, right? It's really dog eat dog isn't it? Word on the street is that the in-fighting will see the demise of MCA.

4) The death of political secretary Teoh Beng Hock

5) And last but not least, we have the infamous and sordid Cow Head incident (this was really beyond words for me - just could not find any words to express my sentiments over this) !

This is really really humiliating for all Malaysians.

What sort of picture are we painting to the rest of the world?

Is is worth it? To the parties behind all of this - is it worth it? Is it worth losing our credibility and even worse, our common sense and spirit of decency?

Sigh.....

Sigh......

Sigh.....

Or do Malaysians even know what decency means?

I am begining to doubt it.

We have become the laughing stock in South East Asia

Land - An interesting point to note.....

Something interesting caught my attention this weekend. I happened to chance upon an advertorial for a development project in Ipoh. Therein, I noticed the conditions for the use of the land. *Land* - after all is under the purvue of individual state governments in Malaysia.

Restriction in interest for the land title : "Consent by the Menteri Besar is required" (for transfers etc.)

Huh?? What the"hey"????

What sort of condition is that? I have seen land titles requiring the consent of a state authority (ie. a committee etc) but to leave such decisions to one person? How can there be any transparency or exercise of good governance with this sort of condition?

I wonder whether this is common for other states ?

How can this be allowed ? This is an open invitation for corrupt practices.

Now I understand why it was so important for BN to "wrestle" control of the state.

Now I understand why the post of Menteri Besar is so coveted.

This is probably only the tip of the ice-berg......

Farewell to the Storyteller

I had heard with much dismay about her collapse on Friday. I was away on Saturday with no access to the internet and only learned about her passing this evening. This is indeed a sad loss for Malaysia. She was known for her works of art having produced the award winning movies Sepet, Gubra and most recently Talentime. She was also the Creative Executive Director of advertising firm Leo Burnett and was renowned for her groundbreaking Petronas advertisements which taught us Malaysians, the value of our unique Malaysian culture. Most of all , she was known for her controversial if not radical views that challenged the conventions of everyday Malaysians. Her basic philosophy was to believe in the strength of the human spirit and believing in love above all else. Her stories cut across the racial divide and exuded with true Malaysian culture and spirit. She was brave in her subject matter, choosing to deal artfully yet realistically with tough and current issues.

I met her once while having lunch (she was at a nearby table) and could not resist getting up to congratulate her on her art (Sepet and Gubra at that time) and trying to find out the basis for the ending of Gubra (after the credits....) I got my answer from her with a frankness and true optimism that is her hallmark. I will leave her contact in my rolodex despite knowing that she is no longer with us.

Yasmin, your loss will be truly felt and I hope that there will be other Malaysians out there who will continue your legacy of true artistry and your honest insights into the lives of us ordinary Malaysians. You will continue to live through your works of art!

A Sad day in Malaysia

Deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr Teoh Beng Hock.

We have reached a very dark point in Malaysia's political path.
There is no longer any credibility in the current administration and its law enforcement agencies. How could this be allowed to happen?
Malaysians have been too tolerant
We have let too many things slip in the past.
Will we continue to let it happen?

Will justice be served?

Grow up Politicians!

It's amazing how the Malaysian political sandiwara has progressed.... we don't need soap operas on TV nowadays - there is enough nauseating entertainment in our local papers. (urghhhh....)

Truly amazing to see how low politicians from both sides of the fence can stoop to manipulate everything from the media (old and new ) , our children's education (BN, PKR, PAS), the rakyat's livelihoods and home (Buah Pala BN-DAP/ PKR), jostling over positions in the State Municipal Councils and Legislative bodies (Selangor, previously Penang PKR-DAP) , in-fighting within component parties (DAP-PKR) and within the parties (MCA, PAS).....

Face it...most politicians are the same! Only a few are worthy to note.

The battleground for control and pursuit of self interests - that is essentially what politics in Malaysia is all about. It is no longer about pushing for reforms and effective policy making. It is no longer about having an independent judiciary or a the fight against corruption.

Can the rakyat trust the courts or the MACC to act with independence and integrity?


While all this is "happily" progressing, the rakyat are left wondering if our leaders can't even get their act together, how can they run the country?

Pull it together people! Get your act together! Stop all this nonsense and get down to work! That's what we voted you in for!

Let's hope that 1Malaysia will deliver...or will it be more of the same?

As commented in response to Tony Pua's blog article (highlighted in my previous post)
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I think that the public will give recognition if it is due. Somehow though, I cannot help but agree with you ... the whole concept that is currently being pushed forward sounds really nice like a rather expensive advertorial but fear that the actual product does not match the description. The whole concept is good but the manner in which Perak was handled and peaceful dissent clamped sends out opposing messages. PKFZ -what's the latest dig on this? - UMNO seems to bulldoze through many other policy matters without considering the views of the component parties but does not offer any assistance to OTK? Our "favourite" Umno politician, KT of Selangor getting away with all his excesses also leaves the public feeling short changed and angry at his blatant disregard for public opinion and accountability. The MACC and police force is more a convenient and selective tool used by the government to serve its needs rather than an institution that the public can believe acts with integrity and independence. The whole point is that when the actions do not match the rhetoric, Malaysians will end up with a product which doesn't deliver but costed alot to advertise. I would rather they focused more on action and less on the packaging. Just got my first dose of propaganda on TV ..... looks nice but......Still, I would rather not continue to rant but will give the benefit of the doubt (yet again), watch and wait. Can someone explain more about Equinas to me?

Finally - a politician worth noting...

Odette's commentary:

The article below is taken from Tony Pua's blog.....

I think that his sentiments really reflect what every thinking Malaysian feels and witnesses on a daily basis. Rhetoric is nothing if not substantiated by action. That is why most of us will only watch and wait. Actions ultimately speak louder than words...

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In brief, here are Najib's promises when he launched is 100-days in power celebrations:
The prevention of crime;
The fight against corruption;
Access to quality education;
The improvement of the living standards for the lower income group;
Improvement of rural infrastructure;;
Improvement of public transportation.So what's new? We have heard all of the above before from Mahathir's era to Pak Lah to now Najib. Will things actually change?We had such high hopes when Pak Lah made the above promises, but we all fell flat on our faces. Anyone remember the "18 big fish"? Or the "All out war against crime"? Or the twice announced public transportation fund in 2006 and 2008 (with absolutely nothing to show)?He has rightly placed the prevention of crime on top of the list. But he has shown that he is absolutely unwilling to reform the police force, for he is obligated to them to clamp down on all civil and political dissent. Najib was so engrossed in grabbing power in Perak, maximised the use of the police to suppress dissent, which resulted in crime rising massively in the state over the past 6 months.We are faced with the greatest financial scandal in living memory with the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal. But til today, all we see is Najib washing his hands completely over the issue. Such a big scandal afflicting Malaysia, and yet, not a word from the Prime Minister. All he has mentioned about the subject so far is that the MCA president will deal with it. In other words, "Let Ong Tee Keat sink all by himself, I'm not going to get my hands dirty on this." How does that sit with his promise to "fight corruption"?And public transportation? He must be joking. The most important move today is to consolidate all departments involved with transportation under 1 ministry/minister. And yet, when the Entrepreneurs & Cooperatives Ministry was dissolved under his cabinet reshuffle, the Commercial Vehicles and Licensing Board is transferred to the Prime Minister's office instead of the Transport Ministry. So we have the Prime Minister directly taking care of taxis and public buses, the Finance Ministry taking care of RapidKL buses, the transport ministry taking care of KTM and LRT, and the Works Ministry taking care of the road transport network. A complete recipe for disaster.And as for quality of education? We've not seen any moves yet from the Najib's administration on this except to reverse the teaching of Maths and Science back from English to Malay. My views are expressed here.I think Malaysians in general will do well not to have their expectations set too high, if they were to have any expectations at all. I'm certainly once bitten twice shy, and I never trust somebody who will use ruthless measures to suppress peaceful protests, clampdown media freedom and stifle dissent. At least for Pak Lah, he appeared to be more "liberal" with his management of opposing voices, whether intentional or otherwise.

Article from the New York Times - 9 July

Odette's commentary :

Once more, Malaysia has some adverse publicity in the foreign press. However, to be fair the journalist has misrepresented the facts in stating that it is an English ban, which is not the case.

English is an important medium of instruction for maths and science. Full stop. Anyone who disputes this is living in a state of denial choosing not to face the reality that English is essential for progress and advancement, especially in these fields. Proficiency in English is particularly important (try reading medical journals and you will understand what I mean)

It is sad that the BN government in Malaysia has allowed themselves to succumb to political pressures for an issue as important as this. Even more so, it demonstrates a lack of foresight , political will and weakness in policy making.

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In Malaysia, English Ban Raises Fears for Future

Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters

By LIZ GOOCH
Published: July 9, 2009
KUALA LUMPUR — P.S. Han, a teacher in Kuala Lumpur, has been using English to teach math and physics to 17-year-olds for the past six years.
From 2012, he will be forced to return to using the national language, Bahasa Malaysia, after the government decided to abandon English for the two subjects in a decision some consider to be motivated by politics rather than education.
“English has been used as the language of science for 300 years,” said Mr. Han, a teacher at St. John’s Institution. “You cannot really convey the scientific concepts to the students in Bahasa Malaysia at a very high level.”
“We have to face the fact that science knowledge is in English.”
The announcement on Wednesday, which came after months of lobbying by Malay nationalists, has raised concerns about whether English standards in the former British colony will slide and whether Malaysia’s competitiveness as a destination for multinational companies may suffer.
English has been the language of instruction for math and science in Malaysia since 2003, when former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad introduced the policy amid concerns that poor English skills were hindering students’ job opportunities.
Mr. Mahathir expressed sadness over the decision to revert to Bahasa Malaysia, saying that the decision would adversely affect children and make it difficult for them to keep abreast of scientific developments, the national news agency Bernama quoted him as saying.
The government cited a decline in students’ math and science grades, particularly in rural areas, as one of the reasons behind the switch.
However, Khoo Kay Kim, emeritus professor of Malaysian history at the University of Malaysia, said that teachers had not been adequately trained before the policy was introduced.
He described Malaysia’s English standards as “pathetic.”
“Fewer and fewer of our professors can now write in English,” he said. “We used to lead Asia in terms of English, and now we have allowed ourselves to slip below other Asian countries.”
Mr. Khoo said it was a “national shame” that the country’s oldest university, the University of Malaysia, had fallen behind other Asian universities in international rankings, a trend he attributed to declining English standards.
He also raised concerns that poor English standards may affect Malaysia’s international competitiveness, saying that multinational companies may struggle to find graduates with good English.
“If less and less Malaysians know English, how are multinational companies going to come into this country?” he said. “If we don’t have the workforce who can fit into multinational companies, how are they going to come here?”
Malaysia’s business community has long been concerned about the reported decline in English standards in schools. “The business community feels that English is imperative for Malaysia’s international competitiveness,” said Michael Yeoh, chief executive the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, an independent research organization.
Mr. Yeoh said that more needed to be done to improve English standards, but questions remained over whether teaching science and math in English was the best method.
“We don’t really know exactly how this could impede on the study of English,” he said.
The Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed the government’s decision to increase the number of English teachers and teaching hours.
Its executive director, Stewart Forbes, said that the need to emphasize English must continue to be part of the government’s policy.
“Private sector companies in Malaysia continue to complain about graduates’ communication skills in general, and English skills in particular, and the government’s efforts to raise the level of English expertise are very worthwhile,” he said.
Some educators from Malaysia’s two largest minority groups, the Chinese and Indian communities, welcomed the decision to revert to using Chinese and Tamil for science and math in vernacular schools, local media reported.
However, many parents and the National Union of the Teaching Profession have expressed concern over the decision to scrap English.
Shazlin Aidani, a mother of three, said she wanted her children to learn math and science in English.
“When they graduate and go to work everything will be in English, not Bahasa,” she said.

Najib Must Deal with Corruption

Odette's commentary :

Visionary and well summarized. My worry is that corruption is already too entrenched in the current system that good intentions alone will not be enough to make any difference. Too many warlords defending their turf and holding each other at ransom. Arrogance and pursuit of self interests will eventually lead to the the decline of this country unless the problem is arrested. I'm not sure if anyone has the political clout to achieve this realistically........



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Article By Tunku Abdul Aziz MySinchew
PRIME MINISTER Najib Abdul Razak has done it again. His high income vision for Malaysia, following so closely on the heels of his yet to be fully charted 1Malaysia has caught the nation off guard.
Najib, while remaining largely uninspiring as a leader, is at least aspirational. Nothing wrong with indulging in a little fantasy from time to time, but Najib has to learn to control his propensity for grandstanding. I don’t suppose it is too rude to ask Najib to spell out in the clearest possible terms what precisely he has in mind when he talks about 1Malaysia. Is it fair to ask us to support a concept that he has difficulty in articulating to our satisfaction?
Najib cannot be so naïve that he cannot see what the inherent problems are in the way of turning Malaysia into a high income nation. For starters, a country such as ours which has been so mismanaged these last thirty years in all the important areas of governance is a most unlikely candidate for the High Income Country Stake.
That does not mean that we have not the potential; indeed we have but, I am afraid we have squandered it beyond belief by putting in place investment, trade and industrialisation policies that have tended towards excessive, crippling control rather than encouragement to compete globally.As long as the spirit of the New Economic Policy is kept alive, competitiveness, the key to growing the economic cake, will remain on the back burner.
Najib and his UMNO colleagues may be dismissive of the debilitating effects of corruption on economic growth that will turn a middle income country such as Malaysia into a high income one. Let us look at countries at the top of the economic league table – countries that enjoy high income status. Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, and closer to home Singapore, Hong Kong. Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Australia are among the least corrupt countries in the world.
The message is clear. Corrupt countries like Malaysia may continue to dream: the reality is that if they are happy to bed down with corruption, there is no hope in hell or heaven, take your pick, that they will ever achieve high income status. Corruption is the antithesis of best practices, and as we have seen time and time again, all over the world, they are mutually exclusive.
Najib needs to fully understand the prerequisites for economic sustainability. The government under his stewardship must adopt rules, and values, based policies underpinned by systems of checks and balances as a minimum citizens’ charter. Key institutions such as the judiciary, the office of the attorney-general, the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission have to be revamped to ensure that they perform their duties and functions in accordance with the law.
An incorruptible independent judiciary goes a long way in generating confidence within the business community. It says a lot about the reputation of the judges in our country when disputing parties prefer to seek arbitration elsewhere if they can help it. We need to clean up our act quickly as this is the only way we can show the world that we mean business, and that we have the best justice system that money cannot buy.
While it is necessary to rebuild our institutions at the earliest possible opportunity, more to the point is the need to put men and women of integrity in charge. Integrity is not restricted to any one race in our multi-racial Malaysia. A point often ignored is that if we put crooks and scoundrels in charge, we are putting the future of our country at very considerable risk, and yet the record of government management remains one of unbridled corrupt excesses because the government apparently is more at home with the crooks. The records speak for themselves.
A few years ago, at an anti-corruption conference in Cambodia, I had the honour of sharing the rostrum with Jim Wolfensohn, the President of the World Bank. It was his last overseas appearance before stepping down after a long and distinguished career at the WB. He was asked by a reporter what three bits of advice he had for Cambodia in its search for sustainable economic development. He said advice number one, fight corruption; advice number two, fight corruption, and advice number three, fight corruption!
So, Najib, the solution is staring you in the face, and all that is required of you is unadulterated political will. When as a result of systemic corruption government projects are conservatively estimated to cost 30% more than in a non-corrupt country, then is it any wonder foreign contractors concerned about ethical business bypass our country? We need a complete review of our systems of governance because there is much that has gone wrong with the way we manage our affairs. Of course, the tragedy is that there is none so blind as will not see.
In summary, therefore, a high income status is about competitiveness, open and accountable policies. It is also about sustainable economic and social development, equality of opportunity, respect for cultural diversity, human rights and public duty in the public interest. Is Najib up to it?

The Straits Times on PKFZ - Part 3

Odette commentary :If the opposition had not pressured for disclosure, I wonder.....
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Port project in deeper woes 10 min-->
KUALA LUMPUR - A SCANDAL-PLAGUED port project that has embarrassed the Malaysian government amid accusations of mismanagement is in worse financial trouble than thought, according to an auditor's report released on Thursday.
The Port Klang Free Zone - a 1,000-acre industrial and trading hub that opened in November 2006 - has been a publicity nightmare for the government over the past two years after Malaysia's main port authority incurred massive cost overruns to develop the project.
The government approved a loan in 2007 to rescue the Port Klang Authority from debts exceeding US$1 billion (S$1.5 billion), raising opposition allegations of corruption and a lack of transparency in government-linked projects.
The port authority might have problems paying the loan installments, which would result in additional interest and send the project's bill soaring to 12.5 billion ringgit, according to a report by accountancy firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers, which was appointed in October to audit the project.
The project had originally been targeted to cost 1.8 billion ringgit, but the figure ballooned to 4.6 billion ringgit by the time it was ready to open, officials previously said.
The auditor's report listed a wide range of missteps, saying there was 'a general lack of board oversight and governance.'
It also noted there could be 'potential conflicts of interest' in company officials involved in land acquisitions for the project.
Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat had promised on Wednesday that the government would act on the report and take action against anyone involved in wrongdoing.
Dozens of companies involved in manufacturing, trading and logistics have set up shop at the Klang zone. It is targeted mainly at investors from the Middle East, China, Japan and India.
Government bailouts of prominent companies occurred regularly in the 1990s, damaging public confidence in big state projects. The opposition blamed the bailouts on corruption and undisciplined spending. -- AP

PFFZ - The Straits Times coverage - Part 1

Odette's commentary :
Such cases are shameful for Malaysia and a deterrent for foreign direct investments
I welcome transparency but hope that real action will be taken - based on past history, this will be the acid test.
The deal breaker/ maker will be how the present government deals with those who were responsible.
What I wonder is how many other similiar situations exist?


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Port Klang scandal a key test 10 min-->
KL may be saddled with $5b losses; project audit report alleges irregularities
By Leslie Lopez, Senior Regional Correspondent

Analysts said the move by the government to make the report public is likely to be welcomed. But they said Prime Minister Najib Razak's real test will be whether his government will pursue legal action against those responsible for the huge losses. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
KUALA LUMPUR - A FINANCIAL crisis at Malaysia's main port agency, which could saddle the government with losses exceeding RM12 billion (S$5 billion), is shaping up as a major policy test for the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Senior government officials told The Straits Times that the soon-to-be-released audit report on a foray by the Port Klang Authority will show that losses stemming from bonds issued to finance the project could plunge it into insolvency by 2012.
The report, which is expected to be released later this week, also details an array of alleged management irregularities at the free-trade zone development, the officials who are familiar with the report said.
The Port Klang Free Zone project includes industrial buildings, offices and an exhibition centre.
The alleged problems began during the final years of the Mahathir Mohamad government, and continued during the Abdullah Badawi administration, the report by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers will show.
Datuk Seri Najib, who took over early last month, must now deal with the fallout from the deepening scandal. It is set to expose the government to the repayment of the bonds that could exceed RM12 billion because of mounting interest charges.
Analysts said the move by the government to make the report public is likely to be welcomed. But they said that Mr Najib's real test will be whether his government will pursue legal action against those responsible for the huge losses.
That is because the PricewaterhouseCoopers report alleges serious conflict-of-interest breaches between officials of the port authority and executives of private companies with close ties to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
'It is a tough situation for the PM,' said a chief executive of a state-controlled commercial bank who is familiar with the audit report. 'But the best thing to do is to come clean because it didn't happen during his watch.'
Among other things, the report will show that the Port Klang Authority failed to carry out detailed studies before pushing ahead with the project and that major decisions were made without consultation with relevant government agencies.
Read the full story in Thursdays edition of The Straits Times.

A good summary of the PKFZ debacle - from Yahoo Asia News

Q+A-Why is Malaysia Port Klang scandal important?
Reuters - Thursday, May 28

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 - Malaysia's government is to unveil later on Thursday an independent auditors report into the construction of a free trade zone in Port Klang, a project aimed at boosting capacity in the port.
What started off as a 1.8 billion Malaysian ringgit ($516.2 million) project has ballooned into one which could cost more than 10 billion ringgit following an acrimonious pullout by the project's Dubai-based international partner.
The issue raises the question of risk foreign investors face when doing business in Malaysia. It has been used to attack the integrity of the government by the opposition at a time when Malaysia's new prime minister is still reeling from losses in the 2008 general election.
The port authority is due to release the auditor's report at 3.30pm . Some members of the ruling coalition have been pressing for disclosure to prevent the project from tarnishing the government's image.
Transparency in the way Malaysia does business will be a major factor in whether it can attract much-needed foreign direct investment.
WHAT IS PKFZ? The Port Klang Free Trade Zone started as a joint venture between the Port Klang Authority and the promoters of the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone in 1999 to attract foreign investment and promote Malaysia's main ports situated near Kuala Lumpur.
HOW DID THE SCANDAL UNFOLD?
Land for the project was acquired by a company, Kuala Dimensi, whose shareholders include senior politicians from the ruling United Malays National Organisation , the lead party in the National Front coalition that has ruled Malaysia for 51 years, as well as politicians from other Front component parties.
The port authority reportedly ignored advice from the government chief legal adviser and bought the land from the company in 2002 for 1 billion ringgit, or about 25 ringgit per square foot, compared with the 3 ringgit per square foot which the company acquired the land for.
The company was later awarded sole rights to develop the zone without competitive bidding. Kuala Dimensi later raised funds through the issuance of bonds backed by the Transport Ministry.
PricewaterhouseCoopers was later called in by the Port Klang Autrhority to prepare a report amid mounting public anger.
PKFZ came under public scrutiny due to its escalating cost. Previously, the government had said the project would not cost more than 4.6 billion ringgit.
On 5 May, MPs briefed by the authority told reporters that the cost of the project could exceed 10 billion ringgit.
WHY DID THE FOREIGN PARTNER PULL OUT?
Jebel Ali Free Zone Internation , the Dubai-based company appointed to managed PKFZ terminated its 15 year-contract, withdrew from the project in July 2007, citing "strategic purposes".
A newspaper report on Jafza's pullout, which cited documents relating to the project, said the separation was acrimonious and due among others to interference by politicians and others with vested interests.
BOND LIABILITIES
The Port Klang Authority paid RM1.09 billion for the land to be settled over 15 years in a deal that was backed by a government guarantee and Kuala Dimensi sold bonds worth 1.3 billion ringgit. Kuala Dimensi sold 1.4 billion ringgit of bonds, again backed by a government guarantee to develop the site.
Two more tranches of bonds with a total face value of more than one billion ringgit were then sold.
POLITICAL DIMENSION
The heads of the PKA have all been senior leaders from the Malaysian Chinese Association, the second largest party in the National Front coalition.
Among its board members, Kuala Dimensi has Azim Zabidi, who was a one-time treasurer of UMNO. Tiong King Sing is director of Kuala Dimensi and treasurer of the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party, another member of the coalition.
Also involved in the project are a former UMNO youth leader from Selangor state, Faizal Abdullah, whose father-in-law, Onn Ismail, is another influential figure in Selangor UMNO, was a former chairman of the cooperative that sold the land to Kuala Dimensi.

More on taxi's...

This time, it concerns the Airport Limo driver. Pakcik is my regular driver and picks me up whenever I need to go to the airport or return from the airport. He diligently takes receipts from the limo company instead of trying to solicit his own business which many of the limo drivers are inclined to do. In short, he is an honest, hardworking man.

I spoke with him regarding the terms and conditions for driving the airport limo. He drives a Proton Waja which costs approximately RM40-50 k per car. Pakcik pays RM142 per day (RM100 for daily rental, Rm42 for misc. maintenance charges). He has to pay the rental 364 days a year with only 2 days free (New Years Eve and Day) - at this rate, per Proton Waja, an whopping amount of RM251,000 is paid to the company over a period of 5 years.....

Gas, petrol , tolls are all borne by the driver.
They get 8 sets of tyres per year but when they request for the tyres - sometimes the company replies that stocks are limited....

There are also stiff fines to be paid for late delivery, pick up etc.

I asked if the Waja will eventually be transferred to the driver after a reasonable duration. Apparently I was told that none of the drivers has ever taken ownership of an airport limo vehicle

Naturally I asked if he had a copy of the Agreement that was signed between the company and himself..

He wasn't given a copy....AND he had to bear the stamping fee for the agreement of RM100... I thought to myself..RM100 for ad valorem stamping? Hmmmm..... shouldn't it be Rm25 only?

Of course, though he feels cheated, he is afraid to complain - his bolder colleagues have tried to voice their grievances but these "brave" people were terminated hence losing their livelihoods, a fate that he cannot afford to have seeing as he has to support a family of 8.

He silently brooded that the owner of the company is a crony of UMNO ..........

Hmmmm....Rm251,000 over a 5 year period for one Waja......

The license holder for the Airport Limo company is getting a rather good deal, if I may say so but who has the short end of the stick again?

Let us not forget

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a-la-Carte

A good read....

Tunku Aziz, one of the prime movers in setting up Transparency International Malaysia, in happier times was regarded by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi as "one man (who) was able to harness his personal passion and deep commitment to the values of ethics and integrity, give it a larger purpose and meaning, and turn it into a force to transform society for the better." Why then was he left out of the MACC Advisory Group? He is regarded as being too outspoken for comfort and, therefore, difficult to handle.

MAY 7 – I never for a moment thought I should live to see the day when a traditional hereditary ruler of a Malay State has taken such a rapid slide in his people’s estimation, approbation and adulation as has the Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak. It took one unfortunate, ill-conceived and ill-considered decision over a petition by the Pakatan Rakyat Mentri Besar Datuk Nizar Jamaluddin, to dissolve the Perak State Assembly that has turned Perak into a politically difficult and dangerous situation.
His Highness Sultan Azlan Shah is no ordinary ruler. As a former Lord President and head of the Malaysian judiciary, he ascended the throne of Perak as someone well-qualified by education and training for what, for all practical purposes, is a largely ceremonial sinecure. Be that as it may, the position carries a heavy constitutional responsibility.
It has become quite apparent that while his legal knowledge may be assumed to be extensive, his training more than adequate, his wisdom in dealing with a delicate and important political matter of public concern, on reflection, has in my humble opinion, turned out to be questionable. A great deficiency in a ruler who showed so much early promise of being a wise, liberal minded and benevolent leader.
When the final chapter of the Perak constitutional fiasco comes to be written, the country, and the world, will be able revisit and understand better the magnitude of the debilitating effects of the royal decision on the Malaysian body politic. Malaysians, in particular, will view with horror the ugly scars left on their nation’s nascent democracy, and they will be constantly reminded how one hasty error of judgement was enough to trigger a political tragedy of the worst imaginable kind. A Greek tragedy pales by comparison.
The saddest part of all is that the resultant unseemly legal wrangling could have been avoided. The fact that the flawed decision was not reversed, within a day or two when it became abundantly clear that the decision not to dissolve the Assembly and call for fresh elections was manifestly unfair and unethical, was nothing if not sheer carelessness, in all the circumstances. I maintain that even now it is not too late to reverse that politically fatal decision and bring to an end this disgraceful episode in the history of participatory representative government in our country.
There is no disgrace or humiliation in coming to terms with one’s honest mistake. No one, even the wisest among us, is infallible. If the Sultan believes, as we know he does passionately, that his royal duty is to serve the public interest, then NOW is the time to give that commitment practical effect.
The Perak fiasco is not about to run out of steam. We must accept that the situation will get worse before it gets better. I saw the images from the State Assembly “sitting” on national television at lunch time today (7 May 2009) with a sense of unbounded revulsion. The scene of warring politicians shouting invective was not a joy to behold.
To use a medical analogy, the Perak affair will be a running sore. Only the Sultan of Perak can provide an effective cure. To ignore what is obviously an untenable constitutional position is an act of grave irresponsibility, and while the Prime Minister thinks it is a great idea for him to give the impression that he is above it all, I should like to remind him that he is not blameless, far from it. It was his active act of muddying the Perak political waters that brought about this current crisis in the first place.
He now has a chance to show that he is not a partisan prime minister, but a national statesman who is prepared to intervene decisively to put matters right in fairness and equity.
Looking back, it was not such a clever personal coup after all. His machination was so abysmally repugnant even judged by the consistently low ethical and moral political standards of UMNO/BN that I find myself wondering whether I could trust him enough to buy my next second-hand car from him; this is the same man trying to persuade us to buy his 1 Malaysia. What a man! (With apologies to G.B.Shaw)

Commentary from The Straits Times on the Perak situation

What does the Malaysian standoff in Perak mean?
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIAN police arrested at least a dozen anti-government protesters in Ipoh, the capital of the northwestern state of Perak on Thursday at a rally to coincide with the first sitting of the state assembly since the state government was ousted in February.
Perak was one of five of Malaysia's 13 states ruled by the opposition until a putsch organised by Najib Razak, who became prime minister a month ago.
Here are some of the questions and answers about what the protest could signal:
WHY PERAK? The ousting of the state government appeared to be an attempt by Mr Najib, who was then deputy prime minister, to show he would be a strong leader and came just a few months before he took power, replacing Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
It came after a series of by-election losses for the coalition that has ruled Malaysia for 51 years.
The Perak takeover has a powerful mix of race, religion and Malaysia's royals. The Islamist opposition has even accused the new chief minister of using black magic, which he denies, and the takeover is subject to court action.
A PERFECT STORM BREWING? Malaysia's politics are becoming increasingly bitter and the opposition questions Mr Najib's character and his ability to deliver reforms on racial equality and the economy.
Tensions look set to remain high with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim due to appear in court in July on what he says are trumped up sodomy charges.
Mr Anwar was deputy prime minister until he was imprisoned in the late 1990s for sodomy and corruption. His jailing caused tens of thousands of people to protest and united the reformist opposition that is challenging the National Front's hegemony.
IS MALAYSIA THE NEXT THAILAND No. Street protests are not widespread and the National Front has a firm grip on all state institutions as well as a wide range of laws to punish dissenters, including detention without trial.
For all that, simmering discontent between the majority Malays and smaller ethnic Chinese and Indian communities has broken out into street protests in the past and the recent series of arrests for sedition has ended any hopes that Mr Najib could undertake serious political reforms to unite the country.
WHY SHOULD IT MATTER TO INVESTORS? Reforming Malaysia's race-based political system is one of the keys to unlocking economic reforms. A system of economic and social privileges for Malays has been blamed by many for hurting the country's competitiveness and fostering corruption.
With rising political tensions, Mr Najib may not be able to reform without risking a backlash from Malays, the core voter base of his party, the United Malays National Organisation.
Malaysian bonds yield more than those in Thailand, largely reflecting the country's rising budget deficit and bond issuance.
Malaysian five year paper yields 3.813 percent against 2.55 percent for 5-year Thai debt despite the country's A-credit rating compared with Thailand's BBB-rating.
Malaysia wants to attract more foreign investment, especially in the services sector so as to reduce its reliance on exports. The country is the third most export-dependent economy in Asia and has been hit hard by the global economic downturn.
There has been some relaxation in rules that stipulate ethnic Malays must own 30 per cent of certain businesses. Moves so far have been to avoid antagonising Malays at a time when the country is entering its worst downturn since the 1998 Asian crisis. -- REUTERS

Systematic Problem for taxi licenses in the country

It was interesting to read in The Star today about the plight of taxi drivers in the city.....

It brings to mind an interesting discourse I had last year with a like minded cabbie in Penang.....

Travelling for business throughout Malaysia, I like spending some time chatting with cabbies on the way to and from various destinations – it surprised me particularly in Penang that taxi fares were ridiculously high. One had to pay RM10 – RM15 for a short journey of less than 1.5 km in many instances.

I hence enquired with the cabbie driver remarking that fares in Penang seemed higher than fares in other parts of the country. I was then treated to a long discourse by the cabbie on why this was the case. I was informed that taxi licenses are not granted to individual taxi drivers in Penang (and also throughout the country) . Rather, these licenses to operate commercial taxi vehicles are often granted to political cronies and connected parties allowing them to operate a fleet of taxies and dictating the terms and conditions for hire of such vehicles including, rental charges, maintenance charges and ownership of the vehicle in due course. The ultimate license holder enjoyed the benefits of control over the prices , up front monies and generally got a pretty good deal through the whole “arrangement”.

It seemed to me that the ones getting the short end of the stick were the cabbies themselves. Having to pay exorbitant rentals and with escalating fuels costs at that time, it was certainly difficult making ends meet. Any attempts by the cabbies to protest the unfair arrangements, were met with such replies as “if you don’t like it, don’t drive a cab” or were issued veiled threats not to renew the license for a particular taxi. I asked the cabbie if he had attempted to form a union to defend the rights of the cabbies or even to bring this to the attention of the Minister in charge – apparently, this cabbie had made such attempts even sending letters in writing to the policiticans handling that particular portfolio but it looked as though these attempts to raise this issue were merely sidelined or tossed onto the back burner. He looked thoroughly exhausted and defeated when telling me this as though all hope was lost.

Of particular irony when I read the papers today the comment from the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board and STAR reporters regarding the “Decade old fare structure” being the real problem. “After extensive studies, we have submitted a paper to the cabinet.....” JPJ... "If you still can’t earn a living, why not do other jobs? Did someone force them? It is really true that you cannot earn a living?”

To me, this warrants a review of the entire system for the issuance of taxi permits. That is the probably root cause of the whole problem. I am surprised that the reporters in The Star failed to mention this matter. It is unfair to push the blame to the cabbies all the time – they are the ones who have the least vested interests in the situation.

Che-Det's article on the current UMNO GA

The same thoughts will definitely stick in the minds of all the watchers of the current UMNO General Assembly..........

I wonder why Dr Mahathir dislikes AAB so much , though....

He should have had a proper succession plan and perhaps UMNO would not be the mess it is in now... but these are just my thoughts.


PEMILIHAN MAJLIS TERTINGGI UMNO
By
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on March 21, 2009 3:00 PM Permalink Comments (5) TrackBacks (0)
1. Perhatian rakyat Malaysia terutama orang Melayu ialah kepada peristiwa-peristiwa yang sedang berlaku dalam UMNO. Samada mereka ahli atau bukan ahli mereka tahu UMNO memainkan peranan yang besar dalam kehidupan mereka, dalam maju mundurnya Negara mereka.2. Apa yang mereka lihat sehingga kini tidak menyenangkan hati mereka akan keupayaan UMNO dikekalkan.3. UMNO yang telah perintah Negara ini dengan baik selama 50 tahun sekarang dilihat sebagai parti yang tidak bermaya.
4. Dalam hanya lima tahun dibawah pimpinan Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, parti UMNO sudah rosak dan menjadi amat lemah. Seiring dengan kelemahan parti, Kerajaan juga menjadi lemah dan kehidupan rakyat sudah tidak lagi sempurna.5. Sekarang Abdullah berjanji akan letak jawatan pada hujung bulan ini dan Dato Seri Najib Razak akan mengambil alih jawatan Perdana Menteri. Apakah Najib akan dapat memulihkan UMNO sehingga jadi kuat semula? Ini menjadi satu tanda tanya.6. Apa yang berlaku dalam proses pemilihan kepimpinan tidak menjadi petanda yang baik. Parti UMNO sudah jadi parti perasuah. Samada ahli atau pemimpin, semuanya utamakan kepentingan diri.7. Sepatutnya pemilihan pemimpin yang baru akan meyakinkan rakyat yang UMNO bersedia untuk membasmi gejala rasuah. Tetapi yang berlaku menunjuk yang UMNO tidak mempedulikan pemulihan parti dan pencapaian kemenangan dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13. Yang diutamakan ialah untuk menjadi pemimpin UMNO dengan apa cara sekalipun. Harapan mereka jika jadi pemimpin UMNO akan dapat jadi Menteri dan dapat kontrak dan lain-lain nikmat untuk diri sendiri.8. Ternampak jelas yang pencalonan ahli-ahli Majlis Tertinggi yang dibuat oleh bahagian adalah hasil sogokan. Ramai yang dicalon diketahui umum telah beli undi. Dengan itu peluang pertama untuk memulih imej parti dikalangan rakyat sudah gagal kerana bahagian-bahagian utamakan sogokan. Peluang kedua untuk memulih imej parti juga tidak direbut. Sebenarnya Lembaga Disiplin dan Tribunal yang ditugas untuk membicara dan menghukum calon-calon yang dituduh terlibat dengan rasuah telah tidak menggunakan tugas mereka untuk memperbaiki imej parti. Sebaliknya Tribunal membuat keputusan yang menunjuk ia tidak bersungguh untuk menghukum mereka yang diketahui terlibat dengan rasuah. Dengan itu imej parti tidak terpulih dan menjadi lebih buruk.9. Sekarang datang pula peranan para wakil untuk memulih imej parti dengan menolak calon yang dikenali mengguna wang untuk undi calon. Jika mereka tolak calon-calon ini, mereka akan sedikit sebanyak memulih imej parti dan kemungkinan parti akan menang dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.10. Tetapi oleh kerana keputusan Tribunal membolehkan calon-calon yang diketahui korup bertanding, perwakilan mungkin akan pilih mereka ini untuk menganggotai Majlis Tertinggi. Apabila ini berlaku imej parti akan jadi lebih buruk dan besar kemungkinan parti akan dikalahkan dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.11. Tetapi terdapat satu lagi peluang untuk imej parti dipulih. Apabila Kerajaan baru dibentuk oleh Dato Seri Najib, beliau boleh menolak pemimpin-pemimpin yang menang kerana rasuah daripada menganggotai Kabinet dan lain-lain jawatan Kerajaan pimpinannya. Jika sebaliknya Najib melantik orang yang diketahui menang kerana rasuah ke dalam Kerajaannya maka akan termusnahlah kepercayaan rakyat kepada Najib dan Kerajaannya. Tidak syak lagi yang UMNO dan Barisan Nasional akan kalah teruk dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.12. Saya percaya Dato Seri Abdullah akan paksa Najib pilih orang tertentu untuk jadi Menteri Kabinet Najib. Kita tahu sangat keinginan orang ini menjadi Perdana Menteri termuda. Sebenarnya kalau pun dia menang, penyertaannya dalam Kerajaan akan menyebabkan pengundi tolak Barisan Nasional dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13. Apatah lagi jika dia kalah dan masih lagi dapat tempat dalam Kerajaan.13. Jika Dato Seri Najib memilih perasuah dan orang tertentu dalam Kerajaan pimpinannya, UMNO akan kalah dan terus hancur. Najib akan tinggal legasi sebagai pembunuh UMNO yang dihidupkan oleh ayahnya.14. Ahli-ahli UMNO harus ingat tidak ada gunanya menjadi pemimpin UMNO, menjadi Presiden UMNO pun jika BN kalah dan tidak dapat tubuh Kerajaan.15. Orang Melayu akan kutuk mereka yang telah hancurkan UMNO kerana mereka tamak dan mengkhianati bangsa dan negara.

Taken from Bloomberg- Father’s Racial Policy May Be Najib’s Undoing at Malaysian Helm

This article was taken from Bloomberg News :
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By Shamim Adam
March 20 (Bloomberg) -- Najib Razak was a teenager when his father, Malaysia’s second prime minister, started a program that gives preferential treatment to the ethnic Malay majority. Days away from becoming leader himself, Najib may find that policy shackles his efforts to revive a faltering economy.
Najib, 55, is running unopposed in elections next week to head the biggest party in the ruling coalition, a sure-fire ticket to the highest office. Business leaders -- including his brother, who runs Malaysia’s second-largest bank -- say the racial program impedes growth just when Najib needs it most.
“He’s got an uphill task ahead of him,” said Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajudin, an economist at Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. “How he handles the economic crisis and political developments will show us if he has the mettle and staying power to be leader.”
Najib, currently deputy premier, will replace Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who failed to serve out his term after presiding over the coalition’s smallest election victory since Malaysia’s independence in 1957. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim won support from Indian and Chinese minorities in the March 2008 elections after pledging to scrap the race policy, open up the awards of government contracts and cut corruption.
Malaysia may be set for its first recession in a decade. Najib, who is also finance minister, predicts the economy will shrink 1 percent this year at worst. As exports and commodity prices tumble, economists at CLSA Asia Pacific Markets in Kuala Lumpur expect a 5 percent contraction. January’s overseas sales fell 28 percent, while oil is down 52 percent in the past year.
Murder Case
Najib is also burdened by allegations from a private investigator, a blogger and an opposition lawmaker that he is linked to the murder of a woman near Kuala Lumpur in 2006.
Last June, blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin said in a declaration at the Kuala Lumpur High Court that Najib’s wife witnessed the placing of explosives on the victim’s body. Najib called the allegation “garbage” and said he and his wife gave a statement to the police. Najib has denied any connection to the death and declined to comment for this article.
Raja Petra was arrested on Sept. 12 under the country’s Internal Security Act. His wife, Marina Lee Abdullah, said the arrests were for articles that criticized the country’s leadership. He was released from jail on Nov. 7 after a Kuala Lumpur court ruled that his detention was unlawful.
In July, investigator P. Balasubramaniam said at a press conference that Najib had had an affair with the 28-year-old victim. He retracted the allegation a day later and subsequently disappeared, said his lawyer, Americk Sidhu.
Banned From Parliament
This week, lawmaker Gobind Singh Deo was banned from parliament for a year for saying in the chamber that Najib was “involved in a murder case.” Najib’s adviser, Abdul Razak Baginda, was cleared in 2008 of abetting the killing of the woman, with whom the adviser said he had had an affair.
Abdul Razak, Najib’s father, initiated the New Economic Policy in 1971. He was seeking more national wealth for indigenous Bumiputera, the mostly Malay “sons of the soil.” That group, about two-thirds of the population of 28 million, gets cheaper housing as well as priority for college places, government contracts and shares of publicly traded companies.
The 38-year-old policy is a “serious” impediment to competitiveness, and undermines unity and investment, Nazir Razak, Najib’s brother and chief executive officer of Bumiputra- Commerce Holdings Bhd., told reporters last month. The Razaks are ethnic Malays.
Corruption Concerns
Opposition members argue that the affirmative-action program has done more to enrich politicians and their cronies than foster national unity. Sixty-one percent of voters say corruption is the biggest problem for Najib’s United Malays National Organization party, or UMNO, according to a poll last month by the independent Merdeka Center, near Kuala Lumpur.
Najib said in an interview last October that he will gradually remove the program, which aimed to raise Malays’ share of total wealth to 30 percent, and replace it with a needs-based system at an unspecified time. Bumiputeras held 19 percent of corporate equity in 2006, up from 2 percent in the 1970s, according to a government report.
“He might try to buy time claiming that he will scrap the policy once the Bumiputera equity share has been achieved,” said Khoo Kay Peng, an independent political consultant based near Kuala Lumpur. “The main point is the equity share will never be achieved. It is now a political tool and used extensively to grease the gravy train.”
Unemployment Rise
Racial tensions that dogged Abdullah, 69, may escalate on Najib’s watch as unemployment rises in the slowdown, said Azrul at Bank Islam. The government expects the jobless rate in 2009 to increase to 4.5 percent from 3.7 percent last year. The ethnic program forces Chinese and Indians to compete for some jobs after Malay slots are filled.
“People are clamoring for a more level playing field,” Azrul said. “As things get tougher and people lose jobs, that’s a trigger for more social unrest.”
Even as the government spends 67 billion ringgit ($18 billion) on economic stimulus, Lin Yun Ling, managing director of Malaysian builder Gamuda Bhd., told a seminar last month that ethnic quotas may lead Malaysia down a “long and slippery road.” Foreign direct investment may fall 50 percent in 2009, the government forecasts.
About 1 million people emigrated from Malaysia between 1972 and 2007, according to the Democratic Action Party, a member of the opposition coalition.
Come Back Later
“The outflow of the more educated non-Malays has adversely affected Malaysia’s transition to become a more knowledge-based economy,” said Lee Hock Guan, senior fellow at the Singapore- based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Lee, a Malaysian who has studied and lived overseas for more than 30 years, plans to return only when he retires.
Anwar, 61, a former UMNO deputy leader, is bidding for power with his multiethnic coalition and courting disaffected Malays. Najib’s National Front coalition lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority and control of five of 12 contested states in 2008 elections.
“Dismantling the New Economic Policy could mean losing the last bastion of support,” said Ibrahim Suffian, director of the Merdeka Center.
To contact the reporter on this story: Shamim Adam in Singapore at sadam2@bloomberg.net