Developers who want to blunder & get away

Posted by: free&fair on December 19, 2006 10:25:43 AM (1507 reads )

The statistics are out on developers who have been found guilty by the Housing Tribunal-but the reason why this tribunals can't expand beyond Kl remain a mystery. The lack of confidence of the citizens against the justice system in the country is well supported by various inexplicable but simple implementation (or lack of it) of some measures which proved to be effective to weed out the rule-breaking industry players. Enforcement officers are often short handed-compared to service charges collection counters. Errant developers get used to act above the laws -and the returning of the same parties to power ensure that the same rotten system continue. Solution : choose another party/ies to run the government/country !

GLC's of course help Bumis-including Pm's Bumi son & son-in-law

Posted by: free&fair on December 09, 2006 12:06:51 PM (803 reads )

Whenever I hear the Govt said GLC's help Bumi's I can't help recall a joke told by a friend: are the son & son-in-law of the PM Bumi's ? So GLC's certainly have helped Bumi's ! Who could be so stupid to think otherwise. The idea is: the GLC's are supposed to help all Malaysians -but if we limit it to their own admitted range ie Bumi's -then they should help all or the majority of Bumi's -not just an ethnic community -or actually even less-the UMNO related Bumis only ! That's the point. They sell their policies on serving all -then actually enriching a few. That is the tricks of politicians all over the world. Then are the people not entitled to take them to task over this hypocricy ?

Why security guards with guns overcome by robbers with only parang s?(Update)

Posted by: free&fair on November 21, 2006 9:34:54 PM (394 reads )

By now Penang and Malaysia had added `the biggest computer chips heist(RM50mil)' to their cap of dishonour -leaving a shade of suspicion on how security guards with rifle/guns got overcome by robbers with only parangs ? Was it a case of `willing robbers and the willingly robbed' ? There are at least 3 rings of security at the Mas-cargo air-port security area : the entrance custom-with armed officers; the individual warehouse security -most probably with rifle (?), In between there should be at least another layer of security for the entire warehouse area-most likely also with armed security. At all 3 levels there are also security cameras -so to say that all cameras and tapes were taken away by the very `well planned' robbery is baffling-given that many recording storage (tapes, hard discs) nowadays are located at some distance from the actual cameras-with some even linked to distant computers! On top of all the above there are also various alarm systems at various points at the warehouse complex. All these shows that for the robbery to succeed a big section of the warehouse to custom areas must have been compromised ! That this could be done prove that Penang International Airport is most inviting to robbers -as proven by the previous robberies which grew bigger and bigger....

UPDATE : From info from a security camera firm the security cameras in the Batu Maung warehouse area are all old styled cameras which used tapes to store the video captured on the cameras-so easy for the robbers to just take the tapes away ! Newer cameras store their videos in hard disc stored away from the scene ! And the security there also don't seems to carry arms -according to a reported speech from the Minister of Transport Chan Kong Choy -thus they are easily overcome by the parang wielding robbers ! In addition there were also no alarm system for a facility which store multi-millions goods ! Now you see !

PM announced RM600mil allocations to entice UMNO delegates ?

Posted by: free&fair on November 14, 2006 8:00:08 PM (351 reads )

There is something definitely smelling like pork around the UMNO General Assembly : PM Badawi saw it fit to announce RM600mil extra allocations (on top of 9th MP) at a pre-Council meeting to party leaders. This is called `pork barreling' according to some political science terminology! But there is a difference : Pork barreling usually involve announcement of goodies to lure voters at am election -but UMNO extend it to enticing UMNO members. A suggestion is to stop its assembly members from attending a prayer for Tun M's health which take place not too far from PWTC where UMNO meet. Whatever it may be -why a government's pronouncement can legitimately be timed to coincide with a party function ?

Missing data from calculations of `corporate wealth' in Malaysia

Posted by: free&fair on November 08, 2006 8:09:47 PM (463 reads )

The Badawi government finally did what Tun M failed to do in his 22 years in power ie to release the calculations methods of the `corporate wealth' distribution -which had been used as a benchmark for the NEP policy.Or at least part of it. There are other data not disclosed eg what are the relevant figures from the findings of the EPU all these years ? Then there are obvious missing factors from the 6 mentioned eg the land wealth has not been factored into the calculations. To judge the performance of various communities it would be useful to also include intra-ethnic distributions of the wealth-or else most of the wealth may be concentrated in a few hands -thus making `good' distribution across the ethnic groups -but bad/worse distributions within the ethnic groups. There may then be a net worsening of overall inequality in the country ! Eg there has been some figures saying that the top 20% Malaysians own 51% of all the wealth while the bottom 20% only share 14 % of the national wealth. That is pretty dismal picture. Then what are the appropriate recommendations from there ?

The Bangsa Malaysia Vs Bangsa Ethnic

Posted by: free&fair on November 07, 2006 3:14:59 PM (419 reads )

UMNO Johor is doing 2 self-contradicting `mega-projects': 1 -to start a South Johor Economic Region (SJER) ala Hong Kong -essentially to lure foreign capitals to launch the economic backwater into another Hong Kong; and 2. -to isolate itself from the nation-building project of `Bangsa Malaysia' -which, if successful, would negate the impact of opening the region to the region and the world economically and culturally. This schizopherenic mindsets is not uncommon among the `nationalists' of the world where communities want the cash from the globalised economy but also to keep away from its `corrupting' influences. Certainly there are 2 sides to the `globalisation' -one to homogenise the cultures -which many people rightly oppose; and 2-the improving of international standards in labour, human rights, women rights etc through aspiring towards best practices in each areas of human endeavour. The latter is often opposed by some inward looking nationalists who tie their political survival with repressive regimentation...

Malaysia invest more outside the country ?

Posted by: free&fair on October 27, 2006 9:34:58 PM (739 reads )

An important report shows that Malaysian companies are investing overseas more-presumably because it make more money sense than investing locally. While there are many reasons for this some factors are not given in the report (appended) eg it is well known that many big time politicians own overseas properties in big chunks eg in India, Australia, Hong Kong, UK, US etc-for reasons best known to themselves. This has been a capital flight before some `economically rational reasons' are catching up in this report. May be these politicians have something to hide. This should be an important reason for such OFDI to come from poor and middle income countries. The wealth of Pinichet, Marcos, Suharto come to mind. But this may not be respectable for th collosal figures to be shown in `respectable' report like the ones below:

NEP is not Affirmative policy !

Posted by: free&fair on October 02, 2006 6:05:27 PM (383 reads )

A report from ASLI has questioned if the NEP can qualify as an Affirmative Policy since it helps the Bumiputras citizens without targetting the poor in the community. As a result Bumiputera's better off get even more better off while the worse off missed out. This is contrary to means-tested affirmative policies administered elsewhere in the world. So can NEP which approve helping the rich Bumiputeras eg give 5% discount for (rich) bumis to purchase millions RM condominiums, qualify as an affirmative policy afterall ? Helping the rich thus become the cronyisms which it is so notorious for ! Helping the rich just because of his/her ethnicity thus also become racism -something even some Opposition leaders are afraid to condemn in the wake of Lee Kuan Yew's accusation that regionals neighbours practice systematic marginalisation of its Chinese citizens. Dr Syed Husin Ali (appended)should be commended for acknoeledging the racism issue while it is dissappointing that the big hope for Malaysians' non-racial politics Sdr Anwar(appended), by comparison, jumped onto the Singaporean bashing bandwagon without showing a trace of self-reflection on the racism exercised by NEP on the non-Malays citizens. Compare these assessments of NEP:

Sugar ran out, then chillies, then ....????

Posted by: free&fair on October 01, 2006 4:22:41 PM (296 reads )

It doesn't take an economist to notice something is amiss in Malaysia's supply/economic system when essential commodities run out one after another ! Sometime back Malaysians queued up for petrol even though Malaysia is a net oil producer. Then the citizens were looking high and low for water, then sugar -even to the extent of demanding the resignation of the Consumers Affairs Minister! Before the affairs is over the next item expected missing is chillies (see appended report). When oil was short the official calls were reduce oil consumption-even invoking the virtue of energy conservation! When water was short we were asked to reduce water wastage so as to reduce pressure on water supply. When sugar ran out we were hit by the information which was so timely to remind Malaysians that we have the fattest tummy in the region! What a coincidence! Then when chillies run out wonder what `spin' the officials will use -could it be eating less chillies will help the citizens to cool down on their language used against their government officials( with the pitch of such language rising by the day inside Parliament and outside) ?

Well I think there is a limit to look the other way -though there may be some incidental or even very important benefits to reduce consumption of essential items. Such shortage are patently NOT part of a conscious campaign for economisation of the items mentioned -or for the citizens' slimming or other diet control. The issue we need to focus on is : what happened to our supply lines ? Or more importantly :Our economy management ? Are we paying a price for our laxed regulatory agencies that allows essential items to be siphoned off to other users when we ourselves are short of it ? The coming festive seasons will be that much jaded if we are caught short of sugar and chillies ! In fact the scene of navy ships bringing in tons of sugar resemble that of a looming economic depression than anything positive for our economy! The government will certainly be blamed for such mismanagement of our essential supplies !

How much is Bumi equity -why the calculation can't be transparent?

Posted by: free&fair on September 29, 2006 2:32:59 PM (467 reads )

The Bumi equities calculations should be made transparent now because in the face of ASLI's figures which dispute the official figure, the government would be seen to hide the truth in secrecy! If it were to be found to have even some basis it would put the government in an uneviable position of trying to pepertuate the NEP based on misleading/spurious under-targetting of NEP. It is easy or tempting to under-report the actual equity achievement -it would make the extension of NEP sound `reasonable' ! Of course it is reasonable only to the discourse of UMNO -because whether it is successful or not NEP should be reviewed/changed after its expiry date! If it were successful the handout to Bumis should stop -or else the dependencies will cripple the Bumis. If it did not achieve the target -then the mechanism which had been propped up by hundreds of billions throughout the 30year NEP/NAP period, must have fatal defects that continuing them amount to driving with the eyes blindfolded! But the beneficiaries are the ones who are interested to push for continuing the hijacking of public fund for their private gains -all done in the name of `helping the Bumis' !!! So the Pak Lah government must clarify the currently opaque calculation behind Bumi equities !

Where would you want to be `marginalised' ?

Posted by: free&fair on September 23, 2006 3:14:29 PM (366 reads )

The issue of `marginalisation' has gone to the centre of media and politics: the latest surround Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew's remark that Malaysia and Indonesia marginalised the Chinese within their country -and even extend this treatment to international relation involving Singapore where Singapore sees itself as the regional `Chinese minority'. While the 2nd part of the remark remain controversial the first part definitely touched a raw nerve in Malaysia coming closely after similar accusation of `marginalisation' had been made against a Chinese Chief Minister In Malaysia, by an UMNO Youth group. The similarities are that they were met by denials by concerned parties. The Penang case saw UMNO's heavies weighing in to pressure the `Chinese' CM. In the Singapore's case the same UMNO heavies are fast firing back in denials too ! Where are the self-reflections ? Where are the facts and figures ?

Look like the denials are all to maintain a certain status quo which derived from a certain ideologically frame work. If the ideology distribute power among the elites -too bad that the small fellows feel and experience marginalisations under them. The elite got their posts through `negotiation' at the top. Not from the agreement of the people below. So the Penang's CM has a `good case' to fire `racism' back to the critics-whatever may actually happen to the poor Malays and other ethnic groups. Similarly the UMNO who had been accused of marginalisation rose in denials -they think that they are entitled to do what they want -no matter if the people below feel marginalised or not. The people must realise that they are all marginalised in relation to the rich and powerful. They must learn to discard the racism which work to split the people and make them unable to rise in unity to press for a better treatment for all. Even without racism -assuming this is the case in Singapore, ordinary people do not enjoy much freedom -is this the price to pay for meritocracy ? Look like both Malaysia and Singapore need to learn to undo `marginalisation' of their people -whether in economic or political freedom terms ! Tun M's blindness to the political marginalisation of all ethnic groups in Singapore -and his denials of the same in Malaysia, provide a sure prove of his dictatorial racism !

Razaleigh sees Malays' interests in agriculture

Posted by: free&fair on September 23, 2006 2:42:12 PM (5294 reads )

In contrast to the urbanisation at all cost strategy of the past a major Malays' voice had finally been raised -by Razaleigh, to highlight the need for greater balance between rural and urban development. The urbanisation in Malaysia is among the top of the world -about 70% by 2006, which had brought about increased/transfered poverty-hitting mainly the Malays. The rural potentials are not given due attention -and Razaleigh was right to point this out: Western countries don't give up agriculture when theyadvance their industries. Food production is as strategic as weapon production. As a result the West can even throw their weight around in international politics using food as a weapon. So when Malaysia is paying hard earned foreign exchange on food -about RM2bil now, the money left for other more important and productive imports is proportionally reduced. So why not do a better job to improve lifelihood in rural areas so the urban drift would not be so much like a mindless tsunamy ?

Razaleigh's alternative vision was presented in a speech in KL (appended)

Auditor Gegeral: Wasting $ order of the day in state governments

Posted by: free&fair on September 06, 2006 1:17:40 PM (367 reads )

The Auditor General ie the Government's internal auditor, had over the years churned out reports of financial mismanagement in states government s and government departments -byut their calls for shaping up had so far fallen on deaf ears as same problems recur over the years ! So how far can the country afford such slip shod performance from the civil servants and politicians who supervise them ? The report this year is no different -but will the response be different ? The looming general election may turn the report into hot stuff/bullets in the hand of the Opposition -watch out !!!!

Recommended letter: Tun M -stop racist rant in campaign !

Posted by: free&fair on August 07, 2006 4:23:17 PM (315 reads )

Just as right thinking Malaysians welcome Tun M to speak out against the Government many would not agree to him taking the opportunities to rehash his truly racist politics to get support from the majority ethnic community ! He did this when he said that NST must be run by Malays -as though non-malay citizens are not eligible ! And the funny thing is : few seems to raise any objection to it -not even NST editors themselves !!!! As much as we may not agree to the many antics of the NST editors -who hardly practice free press policy-when they are attacked on their ethnic identities all true Malaysians -instead of those who think of their citizenship as coming after their other identities, must rise up to oppose such blatant racist statement ! Today it is them -another day the racist old dog may be after another Malaysian-who could be you! And his ranting against Malays also means that no one -Malays or non-Malays, are not spared from his racially slanted portrayals ! So now anyone for his up-to-now unsalable Chinese run & Malay cooked Satay franchise idea? Hope he realise -through more open objections, that his racial politics and business ideas simply are unsaleable !

Competition driving down monorail price !

Posted by: free&fair on August 04, 2006 12:36:43 PM (424 reads )

The competition is indeed on for the contract of building the monorail ! 3-4 rival groups are offering their designs and quotation for the big-time project : and the crony group/s are the ones who are now challeneged to produce some big cost savers or wonderful/user friendly designs eg more stops to pick up from more points-without sacrificing too much on speed. Whatever it is : this is the wonder of competition -and Pak Lah the Mr Clean should make good his promise to allow open tender and to be totally transparent about it when it come to choosing the winner from the competitors-among which is a company of his son ! Since UEM has been `given' the 2nd bridge project (Why not allowing open competition to cut costs and create more choices ?) it is even more important that the monorail projects be given more merit based considerations. So anyone with better offers in costs and design -go for it NOW ! Put the PM to test:

2nd Bridge or Bridge with a monorail ?

Posted by: free&fair on July 31, 2006 1:01:48 PM (567 reads )

Now the news is out : it will eithr be a 2nd bridge or a bridge with a monorail. But any details ? The people are not privy to the details -nor will we be consulted on the choice. Actually there are more to mere concepts to make transport choices successful. Chief of considerations is : how about the public transport system to handle the increased traffic sucked in by the 2nd Bridge to the land scarce island ? So far the promise of monorail -or a Light Monorail Transit, has been fickle -now certain, and less so the next mention. How can such a fickle plan integrate with the rest of the city's transports? The non-integrated city transports in KL are strong reminders on what NOT to do with transport designs which involved difficult to change high cost infrastructures ! But people are left only with hope in this non-transparent administration!

BTS -a possible legacy from Pak Lah's rule as good as dumped !

Posted by: free&fair on July 27, 2006 5:48:07 PM (386 reads )

Housing developers are happy with the Sell then built(STB) system for delivering houses : they use buyers' money, and promise no certainty for delivering your house. What other system can beat this ? Compare this to investment : investors pay money and get to share the profits and the loses. But house buyers are not as lucky -they only get the house if they are lucky -thus bearing loses and not sharing profit. If the developer choose not to deliver there is little they can hold these developers accountable-who operate under limited companies. They never stand to get any share of the profits in the purchase is seen as an investment. Compare this with purchasing a cake : you pay after you choose the cakes from among many -or you order a type of cake. You pay only you see the cake ! So what other incentives in this world can make the developers -who seems like legalised con person under the prepaid STB system, to change to BTS system ? If Pak Lah cannot see this much then truly there is no hope of salvaging a positive legacy from his rule ! The suggestion by NST(Appended) that buyers stick to BTS houses -despite of higher prices, is off the mark as few developers will bother to provide the `option' -despite offer to buy at higher prices by buyers!

Crooked crony maths : even PM didn't get it !

Posted by: free&fair on June 17, 2006 7:21:00 PM (280 reads )

Building a crooked bridge : RM 1.11b
Don't build a crooked bridge : RM1.12b

Does that make sense to you ? Even Pak Lah the PM can't make head or tail of it. So you are not alone in the head scratching faction. But such mathematics are to be expected when you consider how cronies contractors get away with almost anything eg MATRADE building -delayed over a decade -yet no one was hauled up to compensate the government according to the agreement yet. But when the toll high ways do not yiled enough collections they can legally ask the government to cough up the difference ! Is the Govt there to feed a gang of unsatiable cronies ? Govt of the cronies, for the cronies and by the cronies ?????

Why negotiation on FTA with US should STOP now !

Posted by: free&fair on June 11, 2006 7:16:44 PM (292 reads )

Many Penangites can be excused for not being aware of a FTA (Free Trade Agreement) negotiation with US to start Monday in Park Royal Hotel in Penang -there is simply little publicity about it ! But such FTA had sparked nation-wide unrests in many parts of the world because the FTAs are so ambitious that they reign over a country's COnstitution! Yet Malaysians are blissfully unaware of the nation-shaking agreement entrusted to a few `negotiators' and lawyers from the MITI and the industires. For these reasons there is a call to the government to come clean on the agreement before they proceed. Already the FTA with Japan has been criticised for not bringing much good for the country : exchanging more Japanese car imports with extra exports of mangosteen and durians to Japan -if you can believe some press reports! But it is not coincidental that the FTA start in Penang (and last till Friday, to be followed by a few rounds elsewhere): Penang is the place which open up to Foreign investment in the 70's when the regional suspicion of FDI was very strong. So the idea is: does the benefits from the FTZ style opening mean that the same will follow from the current FTA ? If you start to get concerned go to the following web sites to fill yourself with more updates that the press are not telling you:

2 big problems with ACA : send complaints at your own risk!

Posted by: free&fair on June 02, 2006 1:00:20 PM (327 reads )

The Anti-Corruption Agency of Malaysia has 2 funny rules : 1st : after you lodge a complaint -your mouth is shut ! The corrupt will be very happy. 2nd after you lodge a complaint -you will not be told of any progress in the investigation. The corrupt anywhere will be very happy again. Sounds like the ACA is not very friendly to the complainants -but very friendly to the corrupt parties who got complaints lodged against them ! So think again before you lodge complaints to them. In case you don't know : if you speak on the case you lodge complaint about you are liable to be heavy fines for allegedly `interfering into the investigations' by ACA!

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