Najib's racist side

Najib's speech on the Federal Constitution in the 2011 UMNO General Assembly refers.

This year about 20 Malays in my company lost their jobs. 25% of them had been with the company for more than 10 years. Their jobs went to people of another nationality of lower wages. In another case last year an entire division within my company situated in another Asian country closed down and their jobs went to Malaysians. These guys who lost their jobs were Chinese. As a result of globalization, jobs go from one country to another by passing race and color. The name of the game is cost and efficiency. Najib is misaligning the Malays in Malaysia on a tangent off nation-building- having 'special rights' does not contribute to economic growth.

I was buying into the 1Malaysia concept slowly already but Najib just blew his own baby away (plus many million bucks in terms of PR fees related to 1Malaysia) with that UMNO speech. So long Najib does not begin to align UMNO from being racially-focussed, UMNO is just a big Klu Klu Khan outfit.

Apa yang tidak dibetulkan oleh Rancangan Transfomasi Ekonomi Malaysia : saluran pengagihan beras kita.

Tulisan asal di sini.

Belanjawan 2011 yang berbau gubahan untuk tujuan pilihanraya umum telah disambut dengan teguran-teguran nan benas dan berpatutan kerana ia kembali kepada amalan memboroskan wang ke atas projek-projek besar dan mahal serta tertumpu di tempat yang sudah tepu dengan pembinaan bahkan memberi tekanan terhadap keseimbangan alam sekitar dan tidak mendatangkan manfaat yang meluas kepada rakyat jelata Malaysia..

Puan Latheefa daripada PKR telah menyeru pihak pentadbiran bahawa ia perlu menjaga keutuhan bekalan makanan negara pada Hari Makanan Sedunia.

Saya selalu bertanya-tanya mengapakah kuasa beli serta taraf kehidupan Malaysia selalunya lebih rendah berbanding dengan negara-negara maju. Memang amalan rasuah adalah salah satu sebabnya tetapi bagaimana pula dengan reka bentuk saluran agihan barangan kita? Patutkah pihak pentadbiran BN meneliti perkara ini dalam usahanya membuat transformasi ke atas ekonomi Malaysia?

Jika saluran agihan ini terlalu panjang, ia bermaksud terdapat lebih ramai orang tengah dan ini mengakibatkan para pengguna membayar harga yang lebih tinggi untuk mendapatkan barangann.

Kawan saya daripada Jepun memberitahu saya bahawa sushi di Jepun jauh lebih sedap daripada apa yang terdapat di Malaysia kerana kualiti beras yang rendah di Malaysia, dan daripada pengalaman saya sendiri, saya dapati mutu nasi di Hong Kong juga lebih tinggi.

Oleh kerana hampir semua rakyat Malaysia menjadikan nasi sebagai makanan utama mereka, saya mengambil keputusan membuat sedikit tinjauan dalam saluran agihan beras kita, dan usaha ini membawa saya ke Padiberas Nasional Berhad (“Bernas”)

Sumber: Laporan Tahunan dan Akaun Padiberas Nasional Berhad unutk tahun 2009


Syarikat ini berperanan besar dalam menjaminkan keutuhan sumber makanan rakyat Malaysia kerana ia bertanggungjawab dalam segala perkara yang berkenaan dengan beras kita termasuk subsidi, simpanan, pemasaran, perolehan, pengilangan dan sebagainya kecuali memasak nasi sahaja.

Menurut ucapan Pengerusinya dalam laporan tahunan 2009, Dato’ Wira Syed Abdul Jabbar Bin Syed Hassan menyatakan bahawa,

“Setelah melalui kemelut tersebut, saya dengan bangganya boleh menyatakan di sinib ahawa kami telah berjaya menjalankan tanggungjawab kami dengan baik sehinggakan
pada kemuncak krisis tersebut, BERNAS terpaksa melupakan objektif keuntungannya demi kepentingan negara; malahan BERNAS telah mencatatkan rekod kerugian pada tahun 2008. Selepas kemelut ini berjaya diatasi, apa yang pasti adalah – tanggungjawab kami telah dijalankan dengan baik.”


Hmmm…Dato Wira sendiri mengakui bahawa Bernas, sebuah syarikat di mana Menteri Kewangan memegang 1 Undi Khas yang berkuasa veto dan menguasai mutlak makanan utama rakyat Malaysia, mempunyai matlamat MENGAUT KEUNTUNGAN.

Oh ya, pengorbanan tahun 2008 telah dilaungkan tetapi selepas beberapa perenggan maka terdapat ulasan berikut,

"Saya juga amat berbangga untuk melaporkan bahawa keuntungan, perolehan dan jumlah jualan beras yang direkodkan dalam tahun 2009 adalah yang tertinggi semenjak penswastaan BERNAS."

Wah, nampaknya apa yang telah dikorbankan, balasan kencang dikenakan pada tahun seterusnya. Harus kita menanya, adakah penswastaan ini perlu dan patut diadakan? Mengapakah rakyat Malaysia perlu membiayai keuntungan orang tengah yang berlebihan? Bukankah para pentadbir BN yang berkuasa di peringkat persekutuan yang berpengalaman lebih daripda 50 tahun boleh menjalankan operasi pengagihan beras tanpa orang tengah ini yang kena dibiayai oleh semua rakyat Malaysia?

Bernas melaporan bahawa hasil jualan (juga boleh dikenali sebagai bayaran lebihan kepada orang tengah yang berlebihan) bertambah daripada RM2.2 billion dalam tahun 2005 kepada RM2.5 billion dan RM3.3 billion dalam tahun-tahun 2008 dan 2009 di mana keuntungan untuk tahun-tahun 2005 hingga 2009 adalah seperti berikut:

2005 + RM131juta

2006 + RM135 juta

2007 + RM107 juta

2008 - RM57 juta

2009 + RM180 juta


Bernas telah “mengaut balik” kerugiannya dalam tahun 2008 dengan serta merta. Keuntungan tersebut sebenarnya merupakan beban tambahan rakyat Malaysia, bahkan sejenis betuk cukai terbenam.

Jumlah RM3.3 billion tersebut jika dibahagikan kepada 27 juta rakyat Malaysia adalah RM120.74 seorang. Si ayah yang membiayai seisi keluarga 5 orang akan menanggung RM603 setahun, ataupun lebih kurang RM50 sebulan. Terima kasih atas sumbangan abang.

Angka tersebut nampaknya tidak keterlaluan (untuk setengah-setengah orang) tetapi tatkala anda membaca nota 31 dalam laporan tahunan 2009 Bernas bertajuk “Akaun Subsidi Harga Beras” yang menyatakan bahawa menurut Perjanjian Penswstaan 1996, kerajaan persekutuan akan membayar subsidi ke dalam akaun-akaun bank dan Bernas berperanan membahagikan dan membayar subsidi kepada pihak-pihak yang berkenaan.


Akaun yang diaudit itu menjelaskan bahawa akaun tersebut bukanlah harta ataupun tanggungan Bernas, maka ia dana yang tidak dinyatakan dalam kunci kira-kira Bernas.

Dalam tahun 2009, subsidi berjumlah RM600 juta telah dibayar daripada baki bawa ke hadapan RM75 juta serta peruntukan subsidi berjumlah RM599 juta.

Mengapakah rakyat Malaysia perlu membayar nasi mereka dua kali? Perlukah kita berbuat demikian? Apakah peranan Bernas yang di luar kemampuan Kementerian Kewangan?

Sebagai “syarikat yang diperbadankan” dan meskipun mempunyai kawalan mutlak ke atas suatu barang keperluan harian tanpa ancaman barang pengganti atau pun pesaing, Bernas terpaksa mendapatkan pinjaman bank dan rakyat Malaysia terpaksa membayar faedah yang berjumlah RM24 juta untuk tahun-tahun 2009 dan 2008.

Sebagai “syarikat yang diperbadankan”, Bernas juga terpaksa membayar dividen. Dividen sesaham untuk tahun 2005 adalah 8 sen sesaham; dan bertambah setiap tahun sehingga mencapai 20 sen sesaham untuk tahun 2009. Akaun 2009 menyatakan bahawa pembayaran dividen sebanyak RM84,672,000 telah dibuat untuk tahun kewangan 2009.


Bukankah lebih banyak manfaat dapat dihasilkan seandainya wang ini dibelanja ke atas usaha penyelidikan untuk mempertingkatkan mutu atau menambah kadar hasil beras, ataupun seperti NTUC yang mengembalikan wang kepada rakyat menerusi pelbagai bentuk layan istimewa?

Siapakah pemegang-pemegang saham utama yang memperolehi kebaikan daripada bayaran dividen ini? Menurut laporan tahunan 2008, Budaya Generasi (M) Sdn Bhd memegang 145 juta saham ataupun 30.79% pegangan sementara Serba Etikan Sdn Bhd memegang 29.8 juta saham ataupun 6.39%. Saya tidak tahu siapakah orang-orang yang saya kena belanja makan setiap kali saya makan nasi putih, nasi goring, nasi lemak, nasi dagang, nasi kandang, pulut dsb.


Lebih teruk lagi, menurut nota 23 dalam laporan tahunan 2009 Bernas, Tradewinds (M) Berhad telah membeli Bernas dalam suku tahun pertama tahun 2010 dan memegang 72.57% atau 341 juta saham di mana Tradewinds telah membuat pinjaman bank RM1 billion dengan kadar faedah 5.2% hingga 6.5% mengakibatkan satu lagi hutang yang kena ditanggung oleh semua rakyat Malaysia..


Maka durian runtuh untuk pemegang saham dulu, yang dibayar oleh semua rakyat Malaysia yang makan nasi


Aduhai, lebih peritlah untuk saya mengunyah nasi sekarang.

Supply chain of our rice; what the ETP missed out

The 2011 election budget has attracted the proper criticism as reverting to the past spending spree on expensive construction projects in already overcrowded and over taxed part of Malaysia without wide spread, tangible and real benefit to Malaysians.

PKR's Latheefa on World Food Day served a rightful notice telling the government the need to priortize food security.

I have always wondered aloud why purchase power parity and quality of living in Malaysia is inferior to developed nations. Sure, corruption plays a part but what about the structure of our supply chain? Should BN administration not look at this when they do that Economic TRANSFORMATION thingy?

If the supply chain is too long, there are more middle men and the end consumers have to pay more.

My Japanese friend told me that the sushi here is nowhere as good as the Japanese ones because of the inferior rice here; and from personal experience, I do find the rice in Hong Kong is of superior quality.

Since almost all Malaysians have rice as their staple diet, I decided to look into its supply chain, which takes me to Padiberas Nasional Berhad ("Bernas")

Source: Padiberas Nasional Berhad, Annual Accounts and Reports 2009.

It certainly has a big role to play in the food security of Malaysians whereby it is in charge of subsidies, stockpile, retailing, procurement, manufacturing and everything else relating to rice, bar cooking it.

According to its Chairman's speech in the 2009 annual accounts and reports, Dato’ Wira Syed Abdul Jabbar Bin Syed Hassan stated,

"At the outset, I must say that we have discharged our responsibilities well to the extent that at the height of the crisis, BERNAS practically had to forego its profit objective for national interest; in fact we posted a record loss in 2008. After the dust has settled, what is clear is this - we had done our job well."

hmmm....Dato Wira admitted that BERNAS, a company where Minister of Finance holds 1 Special Share with veto power and a monopoly of staple diet of Malaysians, are in for PROFIT.

Oh yes the sacrifice of 2008 was celebrated, but take a look at his next statement a few paragraphs later.

I am also pleased to report that profit, revenue and volume of rice sold recorded in 2009 were the highest since BERNAS’ privatisation.

Talk about coming back with a vengeance. Is this privatisation necessary? Why Malaysians have to pay additional middleman profits? Can't the well remunerated Barisan Nasional Federal Government with more than 50 years track record operate rice system without this middleman at Malaysians' expense?

Bernas' reported that revenue (read: amount paid to additional middleman) increased from RM2.2 bil in 2005 to RM2.5 bil and RM3.3 bil in 2008 and 2009 respectively; while the profits for 2005 till 2009 are as follows:

2005 + RM131mil

2006 + RM135 mil

2007 + RM107 mil

2008 - RM57 mil

2009 + RM180 mil

So Bernas "claw back" its "losses" of 2008 immediately. The profits above is actually additional cost to Malaysians, probably a hidden form of taxation.

The RM3.3 bil works out to be RM120.74 per person over total population of 27 million so if papa works to support a family of 5, that's RM603 per year for him. Additional RM50 on your food bill a month, please, thank you very much.

The amount looks bearable (for some) until you read note 31 to the accounts "Paddy Price Subsidy Account" which states that pursuant to the Corporatization Agreement of 1996, the government shall pay rice subsidies into banking institutions and Bernas is suppose to disburse the subsidies.

The audited accounts specifically mentioned that the above account is not part of Bernas assets and liabilities, hence an off balance sheet finance.

In 2009, RM600 million subsidies were disbursed from opening balance of RM75mil plus 2009 subsidy funding of RM599 million.

So why Malaysians are paying for their rice twice? Do we have to do that? What Bernas can do that the MOF can't do?

Being a "corporate body", despite having the status of a virtue monopoly of an essential good with no threat of substitute good or competitor, Bernas have to get a bank loan and Malaysians serviced bank interest amounting to RM24 million annually for 2009 and 2008.

And being a "corporate body" it has to pay dividends. Dividend per shares was 8 sen per share for 2005; increasing steadily to 20 sens per share for 2009. The 2009 accounts show dividend payout of RM84,672,000 was made for 2009 financials.

Would this money be better spent in channelling it to R & D to achieve better quality and rice yield, or like Singapore's NTUC, be given back as a rebate to Malaysians?

Who are the major shareholders who benefited from the payout? A review of its 2008 annual report shows that, Budaya Generasi (M) Sdn Bhd held 145 mil shares or 30.79%, Serba Etika Sdn Bhd held 29.8 million shares or 6.39%. I do not know these people who I have to belanja every time I eat white rice, fried rice, nasi lemak, nasi dagang, nasi kandang, pulut etc

To add salt on injury, according to note 23 of its 2009 annual accounts, Tradewinds (M) Berhad has acquired Bernas in 1st quarter of 2010, holding 72.57% or 341 million shares whereby Tradewinds raised a term loan of RM1 billion bearing interest at 5.2% to 6.5% hence another layer of debts for Malaysians to grapple with.

So immediate windfall to the previous shareholders, financed by all Malaysian rice eaters.

Sigh, the bowl of rice I have is getting harder to chew on from now on.

2011 Election Budget

The 2011 budget is definitely an election budget (tell me something we all don’t know)

If you look at the 2010 budget, after years of consecutive budget deficit, the Prime Minister in his maiden budget announced a reduction in total spending.

"Najib mentioned about expenditure would be decreased by 11.2% "

A year later, he maintained the flip flop nature of his administration and proposed an increase of 2.8% instead, with a dismal 23% for investment/future while RM162.8 million or 77% for operating expenditure (i.e. just for day to day operations).


Is there a wavering of resolve to reduce national debt? Is this an allocation for maintaining the status quo or bringing about profound and fundamental changes that can benefit all?


From the enormous, ad-hoc and probably budget overrun causing spending spree in a series of by-elections, the cheque book administration reveals itself again. Get ready for a snap election!

Other commentators would have pointed the obvious like the sudden hike in payouts to civil servants etc. I am trying and hoping to write about the less obvious here.


The Sun provides a detail list of budget announcement here.

http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=52947


There is no fundamental structural change, obviously. Plenty of mega projects and for countless time, “private investment” or “private funding” is mentioned.

If you look at the existing modus operandi of “private investment” that we have Ahmad Zaki Berhad as the classic example.


It probably consist of 1) direct negotiation and award without calling for open tender and 2) the few good men (or the chosen ones).


The GLCs would probably get some bank loans and ultimately the frugal, the savings-conscious, retired and suffering Malaysians will bear the default risks arising from cost overruns, white elephants, delay in completion, continuous repair cost in the form of lower interest rates.
These bank loans to GLCs in substance another form of national debt; financed by our hard earned savings as well as the gap between the housing loan interest rates paid and the savings and fixed deposit rates received in return.

What caught my eyes too is this ambiguous statement:

* The implementation of the 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) to generate investment exceeding RM1.3 trillion and create 3.3 million jobs

Sounds impressive until you look at it again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jobs_created_during_U.S._presidential_terms

In 1997-2001 Bill Clinton's administration created 11.2 million jobs in the United States, worked out to be approximately 2.8 million jobs per annum for a population of close to 300 million
http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=uspopulation&met=population&tdim=true&dl=en&hl=en&q=population+of+united+states

How Malaysia with a population of 27 million can take in another 3 million new jobs perplex me.


If 50% of Malaysians are working then that is about 13 million working Malaysians so where are we going to find additional 25% of that number…more foreign workers?

No, there is a statement here”* Govt will continue to reduce the number of foreign workers by increasing in stages the levy according to sector. “

Typical example of long-on-rhetoric-lacking-in-details governance by sloganeering, from "Wawasan 2020" to "Work With Me" to "1Malaysia, Siti Inshah Diutamakan, BTN Didahukukan"






Of course central to the effort to please the business community and rakyat is....



1. Reinvigorating private investment;

Privafe-public partnerships
* In 2011, private investment is estimated to expand 12.5% to RM86 billion




Without addressing the continuing deliberate provocative actions base on racial lines, from Shah Alam Cow Head incident, to church bombing, Perkasa, BTN, racists headmasters etc, by ignoring the concerns expressed candidly by foreign investment community (ask the DPM about his comment on PERC report), I wonder where would RM86 billion private investment will come from.

If you look at the graph below, FDI is about RM25 billion (base on 2008, not 2009 numbers), so is the rest from EPF, our savings rechannelled as bank loans? The Prime Minister better explain whether he is budgeting for attracting foreign investment or mobilizing Malaysians' tax money or savings.











Or he is adding up "hot money" that comes in and out of the stock market short term basis?




To successive BN administrations, development means more and more construction projects - Putrajaya, KLCC, Matrade, KLIA, PKFTZ and Cyberjaya. Big on hardware but the multiplier effect that trickle to the rakyat is oblivious while only benefiting the developers, contractors, hardware suppliers and foreign construction workers probably. Where is the sillicon valley of Malaysia we were promised with Cyberjaya?


This budget is more of the same, only bigger, with

Another landmark development is by Permodalan Nasional Berhad — Warisan Merdeka, expected to be completed by 2020. Comprising a 100-storey tower, the tallest in Malaysia, it will retain Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara as national heritage. The total project cost is RM5 billion, with the tower expected to be completed by 2015.

PNB, by its name, is The Nation’s Capital Ltd. Compared to this little allocation below, where is the “People First” rallying call?
* Govt to allocate RM350 million to combat crime, including burglary, motorcycle and car thefts as well as promoting safe townships and Voluntary Patrol Scheme in high-risk areas. An additional 25 special courts to be established to expedite prosecution.


After viewing some of these excruciating websites, tax payers should ask where our money should go to. For me certainly not to another major non-open tender project to be located in the traffic jam part of Kuala Lumpur.

http://crimewatchklangvalley.wordpress.com/

http://malaysiacrimewatch.lokety.com/pregnant-woman-dies-after-snatch-theft-attack/

A 31-year-old pregnant lady .....attacked by two men on a motorcycle on Sunday. Jamilah Selamat suffered head injuries after falling from her motorcycle and died at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital at 7.30am.

Conspicuous by its absence is a discussion on Petronas fund disposition, apart from a small disclosure that “Petronas to implement regasification project with RM3 billion investment in Malacca, which will be operational in 2012.”

This is pertinent because the Prime Minister mentioned that the increase of allocation by 2.8% can be financed by forecasted revenue increase by 2.3% and since Petronas form a significant source of revenue, there should be more disclosure. The again, is it not to convenient to talk about Petronas after Pakatan Rakyat query the soundness of 2010 budget?

http://www.sun2surf.com/articlePrint.cfm?id=41322

Anwar's motion to discuss drop in Petronas' revenue rejected


At least BN is admitting the once proud standard of English needs drastic repair measures

* RM213 million allocated to enhance proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia, strengthen the English Language and streamline the Standard Curriculum for Primary Schools (KSSR). Govt to recruit 375 native-speaking teachers including from the UK and Australia to further enhance teaching of English

But seriously, why not spend the money selecting and training competent local teachers to teach English and are you sure the Brits and Australians relish working in rural areas all over Malaysia? This does not sound like a practical and comprehensive approach to me.
* Service tax be increased to 6% from 5%. Service tax be imposed on paid television broadcasting

RTM is probably losing its appeal given its content compared to Astro. Given the lop-sided coverage in its news, perhaps many have turned off RTM. I suppose this is to compensate the loss of revenue in RTM?
By the way, there is no disclosure of the development plans following land exchange for Malaysia's rights to the land leading to Tanjong Pagar train station. Any more hidden national debts? Probably we have yet to finalise development with Singapore authorities, perhaps so probably a supplementary budget will come in and jack up the expenditure again.

What I do like to see but missing is substantive restructuring of the existing economic structure which would address the raising cost of living issues.


Get rid with layers of rent seekers in IPP, AP holders, profit guarantees for toll operators; and also to regulate property speculation, combating corruption.

The MACC Act empowers our legal system to recover ill-gotten gains but we never manage to see any result from this. Why not incorporate this aspect to our budget - recovery of ill-gotten gain (now THAT would be a proper election gimmick ^^)


This budget is a continuation of top down, centralized allocation which marginalize the power, potential and autonomy of state governments and reflective of the Malayan Union structure which UMNO itself opposed years ago.

State governments and voters of state assembly seats continued to be marginalized and excluded when it comes to decisions pertaining to how tax and custom revenues are allocated and managed.

After all that is said and done, we tax payers never, ever get a report on how the actual revenue and expenditure fared against the previous year's budget. Every proper company exercises budgetary control. While successive UMNO Prime Ministers showcase the budgets presented, we never know how the well the promises were kept, how much or how little of the original targets have been achieved and explanations for such shortfall.

It should be fair for rakyat to demand a session for the PM to tell us actual vs budget before presenting the budget for the forthcoming year, otherwise the annual budget speeches are turning into an annual fairy tale telling without accounting for what actually transpire.

Footnote:

Tony Pua posted this where the actual vs budget for the past 10 years was disclosed:-

http://tonypua.blogspot.com/2010/10/budget-2010-government-failed-to-keep.html


My thoughs posted at comments is as follows:
Dear Tony,

some thoughts to share with you here:

the worst overspend years are 2004 11.3 bil/14.1%; 2008 22.2 bil/17.2%; 13.9 bil 10/1% with total budget increasing from 80 in 2004 to 129 in 2008 and then 138 in 2010

for 2004 and 2008 are election years while 2009 is buy election year...so normally in vote buying season, budget will overrun

the smallest overrun of 3.9% was achieve in 2009; only because it had the biggest budget for them all 154.2; triple the size of 2000...how the hell did we need 3 times the budget to run a gomen compared to less than 10 years ago...my wages did not increase 3 times from 2000 to 2009
remember, Najib promised to cut deficit in 2010 budgetspeech and yet, he spent 152 bil i.e. about the same as the biggest budget for the past 10 years, i,e, 154.2 of 2009 budget

the question is why in 2009 there was a huge budget? is it for sloganeering for new PM, and also to pay off the out going PM who incurred the biggest election loses in BN history (and probably did not lost too much sleep over it)

Hill side development again, not again?

One of my friends who is staying in Taman Melati was very pissed off.

If I am in his position, I would too.

My friend bought a condo unit in Platinium Hill so that his family can enjoy fresh air, nice breeze from the wonderfully forested hill accross the highway.

And see the latest development here.

What was once a lush, eco-balancing god's gift to Malaysians have been torn apart for "development's sake"

Let's take a look at the DBKL hill side development guidelines here

http://klcityplan2020.dbkl.gov.my/eis/?page_id=173

4.7.6 General Guidelines


• Development in Hillside must observe the following general guide:

a) To preserve the existing character of areas with mature trees

b) To keep the cutting of existing mature trees to a minimum, and ensure adequate replacement of trees that are removed.

c) To keep the cutting of the existing natural topography to a minimum

d) To maintain the low density detached residential character of the area

e) To maintain existing road widths and road network

f ) To control building heights such that they do not exceed the existing tree heights.

ok, so must keep the buildings lower than the trees and not to cut too many trees eh?

Take a look at the blog site set up for this project by the developer, there is a video and it shows the lush forest before the cutting and landscaping operation:

Source:

http://3residen.blogspot.com/

Helluva lot of trees were cut down (and need to be replanted???), the landscape has been changed so much that the resident monkeys would have problem recognising it and I do not think any trees can grow to be as tall as those lovely classy condos.

This site is not that far from Bukit Antarangasa, remember them?

http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20090215-122041.html

Following the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide which killed five people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had called on local authorities to ban all hillside development.

So after the Highland Towers tragedy and another landslide which killed some more, the then DPM said something very logical...only for this rebuke

Despite the controversies involving hillside development, there will be no blanket ban on such projects.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed, who disclosed this, said this was because the country's population was increasing and land was needed for development.

Something never change, even though you got a promotion, eh?

EC and their committed registration drive

I heard some stories about the problems they face from my friends working as voters registrators. I do feel guilty parking my lazy ass at home while they struggle with getting on with the thankless and tedious task.

EC takes time to process registrations and their recent restriction of quantity of forms available at any one time tend to frustrate and giving the impression, rightly or wrongly, that they are not the most eager beaver amongst the civil service.

Then suddenly EC all turn gung-ho with this one:

http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/newscommentaries/35028-ec-targets-civil-servants-in-voter-drive

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 6 — The Election Commission (EC) targets to sign-up more than 400,000 civil servants to become new voters before the next general election.


The Malaysian Insider understands that a whopping 30 per cent (420,000) of the 1.2 million strong in the government service are unregistered.


When registered this segment would have a significant impact on whether Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat (PR) form the next administration.


The EC says it wants a 100 per cent civil service sign-up, which would increase the number of presently registered voters by 10 per cent.

They’ve already asked all government agencies to forward the names of non-voters.

“With this, we are confident that we can register every civil servant as a voter,” said the EC’s voter registration panel chairman, Datuk Zainal Abidin Mat Said.



EC is working on the assumption that all civil servants must and will vote for Barisan Nasional candidates. Given the voting trend in Putrajaya, and also amongst postal and phantom voters, EC has a point.


I wished I came up with this argument but the credit really belong to this citizen solder whom I have had the utmost pleasure to interview some time ago


http://wangsamajuformalaysia.blogspot.com/2009/05/citizen-solder-3-mr-lim-you-dont-have.html

“There were some pensioners who were afraid of losing their pensions if they voted for the opposition. I explained to them the process of safe custody and destruction of the ballot papers. Only then they felt relieved. I also told those in civil service that they earn their salary through honest work that they put in and they do not owe their soul and democratic rights to those people who occupies seats for a few years.”




The EC is practising double standard in 1Malaysia or really is it Which 1Malaysia? While Muthu, Chong, Ali, Deepak, Lorenzo and who else have to struggle to locate a place to register for what was stated in the Constitution as available to them anyway...EC decide to run to all civil servants as if they are not pampered enough with iron rice bowl, pension, stress-free environment, quality canteen, freedom to say certain things without fear of punishment etc...

By the way, if the EC is running all over the civil service offices, would this affect the registration process of the non-civil servants?
If EC is living in 1Malaysia with that Rakyat Diutamakan and Performance Now slogans, they should be running to the rakyat as well.

With the fixed deposits in Sarawak and Sabah, why does Barisan Nasional have to worry?
Talent Corp, ETP, NEM, banning cartoons, interviewing Pakatan candidates in the police station, Samy to make way...is it time for punters to buy shares in BN linked listed companies?
I have vivid memory of price of Bursa Saham shares (counter 1818) jumped from around RM-RM8 to RM13-RM16 just before the previous GE....jumping into the roller coater ride now could ned up as political financing.
Anyway I made this up and I did not register any copy right..EC is more than welcome to copy verbatim and play with these 2.....