Thursday, December 31, 2009

malaysiakini's NEWSMAKER of 2009....

As 2009 draws to a close, malaysiakini's readers have responded to their selection of the Newsmaker of 2009.
It is a tragic case for both the family and all Malaysians for a young man died while in the custody of the MACC who had detained him for interrogation in a minor corruption probe.
Even the inquest has been delayed for unknown reasons and one reason given is that the second autopsy report has not been completed. This happened after the famous Thai forensics expert Dr. Porntip testified that in her expert opinion the chance of homicide and not suicide was 80%.

TBH was just an ordinary citizen going about his young life, trying to eke out a living when his existence was so cruelly snuffed out.
According to the online poll on this blog,
53% of voters believe "The Truth Will Never Be Revealed".
31% think "They were holding him outside the Window and his Pants Tore"
10% believe "The MACC Allowed a Third Party to Kill Him".
3% feel "He Committed Suicide to Protect Others"
1% are ready to "Accept the Official Version".

As malaysiakini readers respond to its choice of the 2009 Newsmaker, 'Beng Hock will have his triumph in death' there is both anger and hope. Anger that the culprits have not been caught and hope that they will bring change in the near future. Let us all pledge that cases like TBH do not recur.

I wish all readers a Happy and Healthy 2010.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

malaysiakini and the MOST LUDICROUS CLAIM of 2009..

They don't give awards for this category of news items but maybe Malaysia can start one in the concept of 1Malaysia?
The Selangor police chief is drawing a lot of public flak from malaysiakini readers in this article Ean Yong, police - 'Who is intimidating who?' after the politician made some remarks about the police in a speech.
We all know that some superficial changes were made to the police after the government baulked at the implementation of the IPCMC following the protests of some senior police officers.
We also know that many signs and badges were made against corrupt practices but I just wonder what really has changed to make the police any better compared to pre-IPCMC proposals - for one, death in police custody has not been stopped and the case is still ongoing for the TBH murder.
Surely the police have not changed from being bullies of detainees to becoming sissies?
Malaysia must be the first and only country where a senior police officer can feel intimidated by a speech from a politician. We all know the saying "The pen is mightier than the sword" - maybe the Selangor police chief fears that the truth will finally prevail and the misdeeds of many senior officers will become public knowledge.
Yes, the errant police officers should fear the public's cry for justice in Malaysia. We owe ourselves and our children that much.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

malaysiakini and Do YOU Trust the GOVERNMENT ANYMORE?

The brickbats have been flying fast and furious with the belated discovery and reporting of the missing aircraft engines.
Readers of malaysiakini claim 'AG has no credibility to promise full probe'.
Based on past experience, it seems the AG's office acts as a major damage control center cum PR for the Prime Minister's office in the manner in which major scandals are processed.
The most glaring case is the Lingam tapes scandal in which a lawyer was video-taped fixing up judicial appointments with a senior judge. The inquiry decided that enough evidence was available to take criminal action but the case ended up as a NFA file.
In case you are not familiar, NFA stands for "NO FURTHER ACTION".
I was discussing with my sis-in-law about the English to BM switch in a few years and she told me her daughter would have to make the switch in Form 4 and parents are very concerned about the disruption and are making appeals for a change in government policy.
I told her that instead of making strenous efforts to make the government change, all the parents should channel their efforts to change the government.
Vote for the opposition in the next elections.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

malaysiakini and ANUS HORIBILIS in Malaysia....

I know that Queen Elizabeth described the year as "annus horibilis" a few years back but in Malaysia, we have a case of "anus horibilis" with the Anwar sodomy case being reflective of what has gone horribly wrong with Malaysia's progress as a nation.
As we look back on the year, there have been so many problems that indicate a systemic failure in government.
If you consider that familiarity breeds contempt, it appears that the BN has become too familiar with the power of government for so many years that it treats ordinary citizens with contempt.

How else could one explain the following which is a sample of the articles in malaysiakini:

1.'Umno-linked contractors to blame' for the many building failures soon after completion. In most cases, contracts were awarded without competitive tenders. Expect some fatal injuries anytime soon - it is not a question of "if" but "when".
2.AG vows full probe on missing engines but how many of us really believe that the real masterminds will be charged in court and convicted of a serious crime? Stealing military hardware should be a case of treason and not treated like stealing a car.

As we are soon headed to a new year, I hope that 2009 has not been an "annus horibilis" for you. Make sure you register as a voter and prove to the political parties that that cannot continue their "business as usual" mind-set. If you do not change your attitude towards participating in the political process, don't expect the political parties to change.

Best wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

All I Want for CHRISTMAS is ......

It's that time of the year and having such a nice present will certainly brighten up my Christmas holiday.
Just imagine what the neighbours will think. Definitely a hard act to follow. All I need are the rest of the parts of the plane as the main part, the engine is available. Maybe it was put for sale on mudah.com.my.
With a headline like Stolen jet engine 'tip of the iceberg' we should be worried about the rest of the Defense Ministry.
Maybe our tanks have been replaced with card-board models with recorded sounds of the engine so that anyone who checks it out will decide that it sounds like a tank engine.
Anyone looking for a missing submarine? Since we bought the "silent" type you won't be able to detect it using listening devices.
And the authorities are still thinking about using nuclear power? I'm OK with that if it is located within one mile of the PM's residence.

Friday, December 18, 2009

malaysiakini and BANK NEGARA'S Complicity in MONEY LAUNDERING?

The headline says it all in malaysiakini Why action against money changers only?.
BNM(Bank Negara Malaysia) has suspended money changers for sending money overseas for various VVIPs but thus far the only action has been to suspend the money-changers.
Sadly this is the usual scheme of things in Bolehland as the Attorney-General appears unwilling/unable to take action against some untouchables in Malaysia.
Also BNM does not have a squeaky clean image as the bank was heavily previously involved in foreign currency speculation against George Soros in the 80s.
George won and BNM lost hundreds of millions of ringgit.
Soros is now a billionaire and the Malaysian who was running the BNM currency scheme is now in the Finance Ministry. Is that not shocking?
Will the MACC be able to investigate BNM for not taking the necessary action against those who have broken the nation's exchange rules?

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

malaysiakini on the FOOL (or FUEL) SUBSIDY...

The previous Minister wanted to restrict the amount of fuel sold to drivers of foreign vehicles but the idea was shelved after they realised the problems in implementing such a scheme.
So this malaysiakini article comes as somewhat of a shock when it is reported Fuel cap on foreign vehicles starts tomorrow. So far there has been no advertising campaign to advise motorists of the proposal and it seems the government is really short of both ideas and money.
Never mind that the new toy submarines will cost about RM300mil a year just to chase a few smugglers on the high seas.
This new fool subsidy scheme creates many problems for both petrol stations and motorists.

1.Since most petrol stations operate with self-serve pumps, they need to either employ more workers to prevent over-pumping. This restriction is redundant as the Customs also want to enforce the 20-litre tank rule when you exit.

2.Singaporean motorists will be hard hit as they have to leave Singapore with 3/4 tank of fuel and that could be some at least 40 litres in the larger cars.
I expect if this rule is enforced, hundreds of business owners will suffer like shopping malls, restaurants, car washes and even petrol stations.
JB could turn into a ghost town and places like Kulai and even Malacca will be adversely affected.

In order for such a scheme to work, the ministry needs to devise a "zero gain" petrol plan for motorists. The stategy is that you will leave the country without any gain in the petrol quantity.
What the customs needs to do is to enforce the 3/4 tank ruling for vehicles entering the country at all borders to make enforcement simple as that already covers the thousands of Singapore registered cars.
So there is then no need to restrict the fuel sold to motorists at petrol stations.
When the motorists leave the country, the customs will then check (or spot check) the 3/4 tank to ensure that no surplus petrol is taken out.

To the enforcement authorities, I would advise the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) Asking petrol stations to be part of a hare-brained scheme is not tenable.

malaysiakini and the BLAST in Malacca...

This is what happens when we have inexperienced contractors who do not follow safety rules and proper control of the work-place.
malaysiakini's report One dead in Malacca mall blast merely states the obvious reason given by the police as "was likely caused by a gas leak".
If you observe most contract workers in Malaysia, you will notice that many are ignorant or just could not care less about safety rules and procedures.

I would suggest that the following would be the likely cause of this tragedy:

1.The supervisor was too inexperienced to be handling the testing of the system.
2.No-smoking ban was not strictly enforced and ignored in the nearby areas.
3.There was no proper testing of the pipe system for leaks with compressed air or other inert gas before the final commissioning.
4.Shoddy workmanship or inferior quality materials were used in the pipeline.

So the minister who promotes unqualified contractors should take notice of this mishap.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

malaysiakini and a MISLEADING OIL Headline

I don't agree with the malaysiakini headline Malaysia an 'oil cursed' country for the presence of oil is really a blessing, just like a stable climate and the lack of natural disasters.
But we have been cursed with national leaders who did not plan for the benefit of future generations and instead schemed on how to rape the national wealth for themselves.
If we compare ourselves with Singapore that was kicked out of the federation with no resources, that tiny dot has progressed by leaps and bounds to become a developed nation. Of course the leaders there are not perfect but mistakes were quickly rectified.
But Malaysia has been cursed with crony contracts that impinge on our daily lives like the tolled highways and the infamous IPPs. So far not many VVIPs have been convicted of corruption like the PKFZ scandal that had adverse Auditor-General reports since 2003.
Just read the online news and you will know that oil has not been the root cause of our misfortunes. So we desperately need to change our fortunes by electing a government that is honest and with some basic integrity.

Friday, December 11, 2009

malaysiakini and now ANYONE CAN TENDER

After so many failed projects with some fatal cases, the BN government seems hell bent on rewarding incompetent contractors, based on this malaysiakini article Gov't tenders open to inexperienced bumi contractors too.
So we can expect more highway failures, sick hospitals and collapsing bridges in the future if anyone with no experience can vie for government contracts.

The slogan for this ministry can be
"Now Anyone can Tender" or perhaps
"If it Collapses, Build it Stronger Next Time".

This reflects a mindset that just because one belongs to a certain category of Malaysians, one can do anything with impunity.
My take is that we have different categories of contractors from grade A downwards and one qualifies from the lower grades upwards, based on track records and qualified personnel.

This "anyone can tender" syndrome will surely lead to more failures and even disaster. Don't we have enough failed projects costing hundreds of millions now even with experienced contractors?

Maybe we should think about appointing "able but inexperienced" Malaysians to become ministers if this is the quality of thinking we have in the government.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

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

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

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.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

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.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

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.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

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.