malaysiakini and SEARCHING for RATS?......

malaysiakini has this interesting article PAC unable to smell a rat in double-tracking project Now if you know anything about rats, they are a hardy and very smart species.
The other night I saw a rat that was about half the size of a small cat scurrying in a drain in JB town.
Now that the PAC has given the RM1.14billion cost over-run the all clear report, it would be good to provide the exact details of the different items that actually caused the RM1.14billion cost escalation.
Both the companies Gamuda and MMC are main board companies of KLSE and one wonders how such established companies executed such a project without proper planning and control.
According to the report, the variation orders accounted for RM588million and this had not been paid by the government.
Who approved those VOs and why did the government not pay if it approved the VOs? What was the mechanism and procedure by which such VOs are approved if it is a BOT project?
If I remember correctly, this privatisation project was one of those BOT types where the contractor is required to do a turn-key operation and the government has no control over how they execute the project.
If that is the case, the share-holders of such companies enjoy all the benefits from such a project and they also suffer any losses.
Maybe the PAC was looking for the wrong species of animal for the blame?

photo: thanks to http://www.afpmb.org/pubs/Field_Guide/Images/originals/Fig.%20255.jpg

malaysiakini and the GAP Between Race-Based and RACIST Parties

Race-based parties have been with Malaya and Malaysia since independence and as a minority, I have never supported the concept of a race-based party.
In the beginning, the Alliance parties worked quite well as there were 3 main parties - the MCA, UMNO and MIC. Now there are more than a dozen parties all clamouring for posts and contracts.

May13 marked the turning point when Malaysians made the conscious decision to implement the NEP that was supposed to have a finite time-line but somewhere in the process, the smart politicians realised that the NEP could be a guaranteed conduit for lucrative contracts and "piratisation" deals.
So the latest article in malaysiakini You belong to a racist party: Dr M to Nazri simply reflects how low the national leaders have stooped to continue with staying in control and gorging at the gravy train.
Being race-based is not necessarily bad but the leaders have to be mindful of the needs of the other communities and cooperation is desirable and necessary in order to win elections. But when a party is deemed to be "racist", all Malaysians must ensure that that party does not play any role in governing the nation.
Given the parlous condition of many major components of the BN, it is time for the moderate leaders to get out of their racist parties and form a new party that can provide an alternative to PR.

malaysiakini and the TRUTH about the BTN?

The BTN noise has not abated. Indeed it has reached a higher volume and pitch as seen in this malaysiakini article Mahathir a 'racist', says Nazri.
That's a pretty strong charge coming from someone who was considered a minor minister during TDM's reign.
The truth is truly powerful and maybe that is what is required to enable Malaysians to decide who is correct about the contents of the BTN program.
I suggest that instead of conducting a damaging battle in the press the 1Malaysia team should get all documents related to BTN declassified and tackle this problem once and for all.
I would go further and even seek to amend the OSA so that all it takes is a simple majority in state or federal legislatures to declassify documents related to the matter at hand.
For example, the Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy should not require a minister or the Cabinet approval. In the incident happened in Selangor, the Selangor government holds the authority.
I think this will enable the Cabinet to have more productive weekly meetings than all the usual regurgitation of dated material.
And of course the truth must always prevail.

malaysiakini on the Continuing Story of CONTAMINATION ... TDM Claims ALL GOOD with BTN

TDM has a very lucid memory nowadays when he claims the BTN is good for Malaysia.
Remember he could remember precious little when he was asked to testify during the Lingam Tapes inquiry?
He was so BLUR. (Pardon the Singlish or Manglish)
According to this malaysiakini article Dr M sees nothing wrong with BTN courses but thanks to the awakening of many Malaysians, the response has been swift and numerous.
I guess if you ask him more, he will also say there is nothing wrong with the Judiciary, the PDRM and the various mega-scandals linked to the BN government.
I hope he lives long enough to be brought to account to the Malaysian citizens who suffered as a result of his actions while he was the PM.
See how the Italians, the Koreans and the Isrealis are able to bring top leaders to justice? When that happens in Malaysia, I will shop writing this blog within 1 month of sentence being passed.
After all, no one is above the law.

malaysiakini and TREATMENT for CANCER - the CURE for BTN ?

The public reaction to the type of training done in the BTN course has been swift and sure and it seems our youth want to avoid it like the plague as seen in this malaysiakini article Student council reps say 'No' to BTN .
It seems that our youth have more wisdom than some senior BN leaders who came out angrily in support of the Brain-Tuning Narcotics (BTN)that indoctrinated trainees that only the BN was entitled to run the government.
In a democracy like Malaysia, that is of course a dangerous program for instead of empowering the citizens to choose wisely, it confuses civil servants into supporting the government even if the government has broken the law.
As responsible citizens we must be always wary of government programs or lose the capacity to determine their own destiny once the authorities become authoritarian and dictate all aspects of their lives.
In Malaysia we can already witness many areas where it seems the government is using oppressive laws to prevent the public from getting to know more about the scandals like the PKFZ and the BA hillside tragedy.

So why is the reference to cancer with respect to the BTN?
If you observe the reactions to the BTN Scandal, it is just like the human response that one has been diagnosed with cancer:

1.There was anger and denial.
2.The BN patient has agreed to treatment via a "revamp" of the program
3.The treatment is being studied by a specialist appointed by the BN

Now if you are a cancer victim, will be be comfortable with the same doctor to advice treatment? After all, during his years of treatment the cancer has spread more widely and essential organs have been affected. Having a "revamp" is akin to removing just the mole that was the start of the cancer that has now spread to your bone, lungs and liver.

If you really believe the BN will not be able to reverse this national cancer, I suggest it is your solemn duty to register and vote out this government in the next elections.

malaysiakini READERS Respond on the GREED of MAN

The words of Mahatma Gandhi can be changed to
"Malaysia has enough for every man's need but not enough for one man's greed"
to reflect on the alleged RM100 billion ringgit that has been "looted" according to a new book that has been published by a researcher in Singapore.
Of course the words "one man" could be replaced by "one group" or "one party" according to your own perspective of things in Malaysia.
malaysiakini readers have developed a voice and are quite vocal in the article Country going south due to all the 'looting' .
During the past 25 years much damage has been done to vital institutions and I think the headline has the incorrect tense - it should be "The country has gone south....".
Have no doubt about it.
The Government's role has become too large in the economy and the present day scenario is that if the government stops its spending, our economy will tank within a few months.
While another nation's economy will recover when markets correct, with a large government budget, Malaysia will still flounder. Like the Americans with their excessive credit burden, Malaysians too will feel the pinch when the government finally bites the bullet and curbs spending.
Or will it? That's quite difficult if government supporters depend on crony deals to continue their lavish lifestyles.
Meanwhile the Penans and other true Malaysian natives still suffer the lack of basic living facilites and their very livelihood is being threatened with the rape of the forests to generate electricity that they cannot afford to buy.

malaysiakini HOPES the BTN "Revamp" will Work Wonders...

It is good to hope that the BN can change to provide an inclusive government that is fair to all its citizens; regardless of where they came from.
But I just wonder why a few ministers are now trying to change the tune that some leaders like the DPM were whistling just a few days ago.
When the row about the BTN broke, some UMNO leaders claimed that the BTN was all good and those who are against the program do not know anything about it as no one was allowed to record and report on what went on behind closed doors.
Now malaysiakini reports a Revamp for controversial BTN courses just after a deluge of criticisms from those who attended such courses.
Courses like the BTN can be very useful to create understanding among the various races but like any tool, if it is abused or delivered by the wrong people, it will do more harm than good.
Just having a "revamp" is not good enough. What is needed is to have the veil lifted from the BTN program and allow anyone to review the contents and the service providers.
In other words, the OSA will not apply to BTN matters.
Already many thousands over the years have been indoctrinated with the incorrect teaching and need to be "reformed". Otherwise the people in more senior posts are still acting with the wrong training.
To me a "revamp" is not good enough. This is one area where the government must engage the opposition to create a BTN program that benefits Malaysia and not just the BN.