It's time to spent! spent! spent!

Why the fuss over the 2010 AG Report.

By Sakmongkol AK47

Let us show you a few examples. Perhaps then readers will understand what all the fuss is over the AG Report.

Bizarre overpricing- the National Youth Skills Institute (under the Youth and Sports Ministry) approved the purchase of a car jack that cost RM50 for RM5,700, a digital camera that cost RM2,990 was bought for RM8,254 and RM1,146 was paid for a set of technical pens with a market price of RM160;

Negligence- the Police Air Wing purchased two helicopters worth RM117.75 million, which could not be used, as they did not meet specifications. Another RM15.4mil was spent to train pilots to fly these helicopters.

Incompetence- Customs Department under-utilized its RM290mil information technology system but was planning to spend another RM451.30mil to develop a new one.

These are the findings of the Auditor General’s report a few years ago. If the transgressions were not rectified, we know it means, things have not improved. If matters are left as they are, we can then more or less expect what’s coming. We can expect the same stories about negligence and incompetence because those responsible are laid back about the issues. We have all the reasons to believe that the report for 2011, next year, will reveal the same story about misappropriation of funds, bizarre overpricing, projects not completed. These are indicators of negligence, incompetence and regretfully said- of officious arrogance.

The 2010 Auditor General's Report is precisely that- voluminous and horrifying mentions about more or less the same findings contained in reports of preceding years. What does that say? It says loud and clear, the same transgressions committed were not rectified or even allowed to continue. It means the same wrongdoings are allowed to be perpetrated because the enabling circumstances and possibly the same perpetrators were allowed to persist. It further shows those responsible to ensure the transgressions are not repeated have been incompetent and negligent in carrying remedial actions.

The same people who did all the transgressions are still in commanding positions; they will have the opportunity to improve upon their incompetence by doing more damage. The Chief Secretary’s village fool response by way of saying he is not worried and that the problem has been dealt with because he has sent circulars asking officials to exercise more discipline is a negligent expression and ensuing act of gross callousness. I am afraid, the public isn’t that forgiving.

We don’t want circulars- we want those transgressors punished or even sacked. As them to publicly explain what happened to those overspendings? Let’s ask the chairman of Giatmara for example, where is the shop that sells the heavy duty blender for 4 times the market price. Let’s make it the 1 Malaysia shop for heavy duty blenders. Maybe even give them soft loan from EPF. Let us Mydin the shop.

Yet we want to extend the services of such a fellow. Let’s elect Allred E Newman for Chief Secretary then. Then, we are assured the same transgressions repeated, will be met with the same incredulous response of what me worry!

The answer is also, we don’t have to suffer the incompetence of those entrusted to manage public money. If they don’t manage properly and because it’s our money they are managing, they deserve to be publicly assailed. This isn’t about being perplexed as to why the opposition should bicker about the report. If you do, then we shall have to explain to you in as simple terms as possible.

This is beyond opposition. This is about, the mismanagement of our money which deserves being treated as a cause of concern for possible fraud and deception.

The short answer to the question then as to why the opposition gets irked by the audit report as do all right thinking Malaysians is the money being treated isn’t the property of the transgressors. That being so, the administration of the money and the application of the funds thereof, must be done with utmost care. It’s not your father’s money. That is the short answer.

The long answer is, Malaysians are fed up of the deception and misappropriation of funds.

For the year 2010, the government approved a budget of RM 149 billion for operating expenditure. This wasn’t enough and the government had to increase the opex to 151 billion. The report said 9 ministries over spent. Here is where all of us should be concerned. This is taxpayers money being spent on opex. The 2 billion could have been spent of capex capital expenditure which builds capacity to create more wealth.

Now, Malaysians are equally outraged by the revelations of the 2010 Auditor-General Reports on the continuing financial scandals, hanky-panky and gross financial negligence in government. We are horrified to learn for example, the National Sports Institute acquired 23 horses totalling RM5.66 million without a Financial Ministry go-ahead with none of the horses competed in two recommended international championships; we have the case of the RM142 million RazakSAT malfunctioning barely a year after being commissioned; wait, we have more- The Malaysian Marine Parks Department spent a whopping RM56,350 for a pair of night vision Marine binoculars, 29 times more than its market value of RM1,940; and paid the same amount for another pair of night vision Bushnell binoculars, or 1,893 per cent more than its actual price of RM2,827.

We are once again appalled at the incompetence of front line workers incapable of appreciating the importance of proper placement of decimal points and making accounting mistakes that resulted in wasteful overspending. These should not have happened if there are efficient and proper internal audit systems. As the result of a laid back attitude, we are told of stories where a pensioner received RM21, 433 a month instead of RM214.33 for 16 months!. The mistake was detected after more than a year. The officer who finally detected the mistake should be a given a merit order.

We are also dismayed of hearing Giatmara Centre mistakenly paying RM170 per kg instead of RM1.70 per kg for sugar for a poverty eradication programme or RM25, 500 for 150 kg of sugar! This must be a special kind of sugar.

What about the village-fool response that I mentioned above? In his response to the 2010 Auditor-General’s Reports, the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan has repeated his annual reaction and call to all departments and agencies to take heed of the Auditor-General’s comments and views. Which goes to show, that what I said about the same mistakes being repeated did take place, otherwise, he wouldn’t have to repeat his annual reaction would he?

No wonder then, there was this need to delay the submission of the 2010 Auditor-General’s Report to ensure that it would not completely overshadow Najib’s 2012 Budget. Otherwise, the Finance Minister’s charitable overtures would be overshadowed and overwhelmed by the over 1,300 pages of exposes of financial irregularities, hanky-panky as well as misappropriation of public funds in the first full year of PM Najib’s premiership.

All right thinking Malaysians are waiting for the Finance Minister or the Chief Secretary to explain the delay in submitting the 2010 Auditor-General Reports until after the end of the parliamentary debate on the 2012 Budget. If the Report was enclosed alongside the budget documents, the AG Report would have been the foremost parliamentary issue.

Another lost gold

Subject: $31 billion Malaysian Man

Compared to some people who enrich themselves through corruption at the highest level, this guy is perhaps Malaysia's richest man , all earned through his invention and pioneering spirit -- no political or corrupt practices, no shady deals, no rent-seeking . Pure hard work and innovation

--the world famous PEN DRIVE !!

Why is he not given publicity in the mainstream media ?? Because he was not offerred a scholarship by the govt and he had to find a cheaper place to study --Taiwan. And invented the PEN DRIVE –everyone who owns a laptop, computer will also own a pen drive !!!

Sharing this success story with you.........

Had Phua Kein Seng started his pen-drive business in Malaysia he would have given away 30% of his business to bumiputras at the price of a song. He would have to appoint a few bumiputras as directors too, even if they contribute nothing to his company. And the $31 billion that his company would have contributed to the Malaysian tax coffer would have been somehow siphoned off into some umnoputra's pocket/account.

Thank God, he started his business in Taiwan!

The $31 billion Man HAPPENS TO BE A "CHINESE" MALAYSIAN THAT'S WHY THERE HAS BEEN NO PUBLICITY. YOU CALL THIS 1MALAYSIA?

$31bil Man .Interesting to know that the Pen Drive was invented by a Malaysian Chinese who could not get into one of our local universities primarily because he is not a bumiputra. He had to study in Taiwan.. What a shame to our Government....We have lost thousands of good brains abroad all because of the stupid NEP.!!Pua's mighty 'Pen'S. INDRAMALAR speaks to the creator of the now indispensable Pen Drive Fact file Name: Pua Khein Seng Age: 31 Hometown: Sekinchan, Selangor; Education: SJKC Yeok Kuan, Sekinchan; Pin Hwa Independent school, Klang; Chiao Tung University, Taiwan; Occupation: Engineer/ president of Phison Electonics Corp Current base: Taipei, Taiwan Years abroad: 12. WHEN he set off for Taiwan in 1993, Pua Khein Seng's only aim was to complete his degree in Electrical Control Engineering at the renowned Chiao Tung University and return home to work in Malaysia Never did he envision himself heading a multi-million dollar Taiwanese company that developed the world's first USB flash removable disk, which they called Pen Drive .

Pua Khein Seng went to Taiwan to get his engineering degree but ended up staying on, starting his own company and inventing the pen drive."I went to Taiwan to pursue my undergraduate degree. I chose Taiwan only because it was too expensive to study either in the United States or Singapore "However, I did well in my undergraduate programme and was offered a place to do my masters," explained Pua, who was back in Kuala Lumpur recently for a holiday. After completing his Masters in July 1999, Pua worked for about six months in a local company before deciding to set up his own venture company with four fellow engineers who had studied with him at Chiao Tung."We were confident that we had the know-how and ability to start our own business, which is focused on USB technology.

The company is called Phison because there are five of us - two Malaysians and three Taiwanese engineers," said Pua, 31, who hails from Sekinchan, Selangor. Phison Electronics Corporation was set up in November 2000 and within six months the young entrepreneurs came up with their first invention - a USB storage device called Pen Drive". We were the first company in the world to develop the USB Drive SoC (System On Chip) and we were very confident that the market for USB will be huge. At the time, no one believed in us so we had to do everything ourselves - from developing the technology, the chips to the product itself." We were only 27 years old at the time and inexperienced. But we were confident that we could design good systems and chips but we didn't know anything about selling.

So, we sought partners or traders who could help sell our products for us," Pua added. Through smart partnerships and shrewd strategies, Phison soon made its way into European, American and Japanese markets. One quick move was securing Japanese tech giant Toshiba as Phison's largest shareholder and customer." We launched Pen Drive in June 2001 and by August the same year, we broke even! From September 2001, we were reaping monthly profits from our invention and there has been no turning back since." Having established himself in Taiwan , Pua is in the midst of setting up Phison's branch in Malaysia , due to begin operations this February. "I am starting a branch in Malaysia because this is my country. I would like to contribute to its development."We have about 100 engineers at Phison in Taiwan , 20 of whom are Malaysians.

Though they studied in Taiwan, I had to re-train all the engineers I hire because, like most fresh graduates (in this field), they are not industry-ready upon graduation."Unfortunately, some of the Malaysian engineers want to return home after a couple of years because they are homesick, about to start a family and so on. Some prefer to work in Singapore , as it is closer to home. Instead of losing them to competitors, I decided to set up an office in Malaysia where they can still work for me," said Pua. Another problem faced by returning computer engineers from Taiwan, Pua added, was the lack of job opportunities for hardware engineers in Malaysia. "There is no environment or support for design engineers here in Malaysia. One of my Malaysian engineers from Phison returned home and ended up as a teacher in a Chinese school! I was shocked and thought, 'After all that training and re-training, he is going to just teach?' I told him to hold on till I open up the Phison branch in Malaysia ."Though he has been in Taiwan for the past 12 years and married to a Taiwanese, Pua is not sure how much longer he will remain there. "I have really no idea where I will be in 20 years. Maybe Taiwan , maybe Malaysia, maybe somewhere else ... it all depends on my business.

The industry is moving so fast that I cannot predict what or where I will be," he said.For the moment though, Taiwan is home for Pua, his wife and two children even though he misses the Malaysian way of life. "I come home once a year for Chinese New Year and will usually stay for about two weeks. There are several things I really miss about Malaysia. One is the food! For the past 12 years I have been craving for Malaysian food ... I miss laksa, curry noodles, chee cheong fun and all the other delicious dishes we have here. "I also miss the lifestyle and quality of life here. When I come back, I am always amazed to see people hanging out and relaxing at mamak shops at night. In Taiwan , most people would still be at work at that time of the night! "Before I got married, I used to work for 15 to 17 hours a day, everyday. Now that I have children, my wife has forbidden me to stay so late. Now, I go to work at 9am and come home by 11pm. These hours are quite normal for the Taiwanese."The man who invented USB pen-drive is a young modest Malaysian who can't even get into a local University but invented the most versatile, indispensable computer peripheral today. And helped his adopted country, Taiwan made $31bil in the process. The rest is history....

The way of the numbers game

GE-13: BN wins landslide victory

Mariam Mokhtar

Aug 22, 11

MalaysiakiniOnly an optimist would believe that their vote would sweep Umno from power in GE-13. Why bother with a sham election and waste resources going through the motions of an election, where the outcome has already been decided in advance? The headlines will proudly boast: “BN wins. Najib scores a landslide victory, in a massive 103 percent turnout”.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak wants GE-13 before electoral reforms. In a functioning democracy, the rakyat has a choice. The fundamental difference is that we are denied that choice. We distrust our electoral processes despite Najib’s assurance about the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reforms. Will Umno/BN leave office gracefully?

At the 61st Umno general assembly Najib declared: “Even if our bodies are crushed and our lives lost, brothers and sisters, whatever happens, we must defend Putrajaya”. At the World Youth day meet in Putrajaya, Najib screamed, “Will you defend Putrajaya with me?” before breaking into a disturbing tirade: “Defend Putrajaya! Defend Putrajaya! Defend Putrajaya!”

By 2011, the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) would consist of 2.6 million members. Will they be issued postal votes too? Some people believe that certain western democracies are far superior, with honest and principled people in government. Not true! Politicians in foreign establishments can be just as devious and as corrupt as the Malaysian ones. Their government appears to be working only because their rakyat makes sure the politicians serve them and not the other way around. They are not afraid of criticising their MPs. Politicians who do not adhere to the minimum parliamentary standards, are booted out.

In these countries, elected representatives are monitored, pursued and made accountable for their actions. Politicians are important in that they enact laws in parliament, on our behalf. But politicians need to be regulated. They are the tools with which the state can meddle in our lives.

MPs are to be controlled

MPs are to be controlled, not controlling. It is by us being watchful, and not sycophantic, that keeps MPs in check. Malaysians have seen a constant barrage of electoral fraud. Last week, former soldiers alleged that they were ordered by their superiors to manipulate votes. But the denunciation by the Chief of the Armed Forces, General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, who labelled these ex-soldiers as traitors, is itself an act of treachery.

Illegal workers being granted citizenship and voting rights have been unearthed. MyKads of dubious authenticity are distributed to foreigners. Political expediency seems more important than sovereignty. It appears that the NRD is a major threat to national security. Scores of centenarians, or people who have long since died, have been resurrected, to cast their votes. These accompany the usual complaints of vote-buying, intimidation and promises of aid in exchange for votes.

Gerrymandering, or the division of geographical areas into constituencies which will unfairly benefit only one party, is overlooked by the EC. Pro-opposition areas may have one MP representing over 100,000 voters in the one constituency whereas in BN strongholds, constituencies consist of around 5,000 people.

Just before Bersih’s 9 July march, Wan Ahmad Wan Omar (left), the EC’s deputy chairman, complained that NGOs were obsessed with the comparison of election practices between Malaysia and other countries. He said, “Elections observers must be domestic observers. Foreign observers, they don’t know our election laws, they don’t understand. It’s a different value system.”

Yet he failed to act after Ambiga Sreenevasan and other local election activists were banned from monitoring the Sarawak state elections. Wan Ahmad claimed that our election laws were “fair and impartial” and was stung by the “negative” comments of foreign observers. He said, “They are foreigners, who are they? Why do we need foreigners, Germans commenting on our election system?”

He is right. The culture of “You help me, I help you” is “Umno-esque” and peculiar to Malaysia. Malaysia is ‘superior’ and has nothing to learn from others. Wan Ahmad’s arrogance smacks of “Ketuanan Melayu” and extols the virtues of the warped BTN indoctrination. So what exactly is the EC’s role when it continually coughs up excuse after lame excuse of why it cannot ensure clean elections?

EC but a toothless dragon

The EC is but a toothless dragon whose only job seems to be the defence of BN. It turns a blind eye when Umno/BN uses government resources, the national media and other instruments of the state, for its own propaganda. The poor appear to be supportive of Umno and in past elections, people living in decrepit hovels have posters of Umno, Najib or Taib Mahmud (for Sarawak) adorning their homes.

In Sarawak, the villagers idolise Taib, like teenagers would their pop-idol, when Taib makes his grand entrance, by helicopter, at longhouses. Usually, his Mercedes is on standby in case Taib fancies the trek home by car. The contrast between the villagers’ pitiful surroundings with basic infrastructure, and Taib’s opulence, makes it hard to imagine how they have benefitted from Taib’s long rule. What do they hope to gain by supporting him for another term?

It is the same story in peninsular Malaysia. The rural people and the poor appear to support Umno/BN. Perhaps they are comfortable with the devil you know than the one you don’t. Perhaps the opposition has yet to gain the confidence of the rural folk. Have the destitute given up hope of change; they are prepared to accept the few tokens of appreciation like sacks of rice, Milo and sugar, in exchange for votes? Does “stability” triumph over “change”?

Bersih cannot do it alone because Umno/BN dominates Malaysian politics. Any attempt by the opposition to “oppose” in Parliament means they are not allowed to table their motions or at worst, they risk being suspended. With enormous cash reserves, and the ability to utilise government resources, unlike the opposition, Umno/BN can command political patronage amongst businesses. In an election, favours are called in and Umno/BN do act like they are above the law.

Too arrogant to acknowledge the voters

‘Najib & co’ are too arrogant to acknowledge the voters: What is the rakyat saying? What do they want? Can they cast their vote and be sure that the policies and the person they voted for, will be reflected in the final outcome?

Fraud, manipulation, phantom votes and money politics are useful instruments which have helped to prop up Umno, for 54 years. Umno has been rattled by Bersih and the popular uprising in Egypt has given Malaysians hope. The rakyat is finally getting to have a real taste of democracy but the challenges are enormous as we try and adapt to being “free” and “fair”.

The trick to improving Malaysian politics is not to allow the political parties and their leaders any let-up but to be constantly critical of their performance. Let’s have less praise and more scrutiny. GE-13 should not be held until electoral reforms are under way. Don’t be fooled by Najib’s latest spin on democracy and his smokescreen about the PSC and electoral reform.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘real-speak’, this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.

Land of opportunity

709

Remember yellow

The caveman politician

BN YB Bites the Hands that Feed Him!

Sarawak Report

9 May 2011

BN is spending huge sums of money attempting to promote a democratic image worldwide. But, for free, the Pantai Damai assemblyman, Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, has undermined such careful PR with a series of outrageous statements.

His remarks, which were faithfully reproduced in the BN mouthpiece, The Borneo Post, on April 28th under the title “It is not fair to bite the hand that feeds you”, were directed against members of his own constituency, who had had the ‘audacity’ to vote against BN in the recent elections.

BN YBs badly need lessons in democracy

Unlike a genuine democratic politician, who would acknowledge that he had not succeeded in convincing everybody that he was the man to vote for and would commit himself to try harder next time round, this fellow chose instead to chastise and threaten his constituents! Worse, he made it clear that he was prepared to corruptly abuse his position by withdrawing legitimate state aid from individuals who had voted for the opposition!

“Our approach in Pantai Damai will be … If they insist on supporting the opposition, then maybe they should ask the opposition for aid.”, announced the cheeky Assemblyman.

Junadi is their representative not their boss!

Abdul Rahman Junadi should remember that it is the people who feed HIM, through his salary as an Assemblyman. The fishermen he was addressing also put food on his table. It is therefore HE that should remember not to bite the hand that feeds him and not the other way round. How dare he threaten his constituents in such a way?

The occasion on which Junadi made these remarks was a disgrace in itself. The man had strutted into the community to make a public handout of benefits from the federal government to the fishermen, who were entitled to it. These individuals should, of course, have been allowed the dignity of a completely private distribution of state support and not have been forced to grovel for it in public in front of this rude and threatening man.

Frankly offensive. The Borneo Post article which carried Junadi's arrogant remarks.

Indeed, who is Mr Junadi to make a big public occasion out of personally handing the fishermen their benefits? Was this money that Mr Junadi had himself earned that he was so kindly passing to them? No, of course it was not! This was Malaysian taxpayers’ money and money raised from the people of Sarawak and he has no right whatsoever to pose as the generous person handing it out.

Neither should Junadi attempt to pretend that it is his party BN that is donating the money. The only role the BN has in a genuine democracy is the responsibility over a limited period for making sure that the people who elected them (the real bosses) get the best value for their money. It is a position of trust, not of authority.

BN occupy a position of trust, not of authority

Taib favourite, YB Awang Tenga's house, paid for by the money he has earned while a BN Assembyman.

Like Junadi, BN has not provided any of the money that is being distributed. Rather they live off this taxpayers’ money themselves.

It is because they divert far too much of the wealth of Sarawak into their own pockets and far too little into the pockets of citizens such as the fishermen of Pantai Damai, that so many in Sarawak are still so poor.

These fishermen do a hard and dangerous job providing Junadi’s table with fish. He should rather have concentrated on thanking them for their role and apologising on behalf of BN that they receive so little for their pains that they have to rely on such income supplements.

This was the reason his constituents quite understandably voted in large numbers for the opposition, which has promised a far fairer distribution of Sarawak’s wealth. Junadi and BN should take note of the 45% of (officially proclaimed) votes that went to the opposition and humbly change their ways. He should work to make sure more is offered to the fishermen, not threaten them with the removal of the money that is rightfully theirs!

Just one example out of many

Junadi’s outburst is of course just a single example of numerous such threatening and patronising remarks that have been made by BN politicians in the post election period. The recent cancelling of the Borneo Cultural Festival in Sibu, just because BN lost the seat, is another.

Clearly BN’s YBs have no clue about democracy. They don’t even realise that a basic rule of democracy is that the chosen representatives and the winning party have a bounden duty to represent ALL of their people equally. Yes, that means even the ones who did not vote for them in the election!

Indeed, no genuine democratic party would act in such a way for fear of losing even more support next time. Already the petulant gesture has backfired because DAP have now stepped in to say they will ensure the event will be financed, despite BN’s bad behaviour.

The Borneo Cultural Festival, an important tourist attraction, will go ahead despite BN's attempt to 'punish' voters for not choosing them!

The truth is that BN have corruptly kept themselves in power for so many decades they do not bother to think very much about what democracy is really all about.

People like Junadi know that their election success does not rely on convincing and attracting the support of his constituents.

BN electoral success rather relies on blackmail, such as his own threat to remove benefits from communities who do not vote for him, combined with bribery, gerrymandering and outright cheating.

Only around half of the people who should be entitled to vote have been enfranchised in Sarawak and only those in the cities get a chance to do so without major bullying and intimidation. This is how BN has kept in power for a solid 50years. They are not democrats, they are dictators as Mr Junadi’s remarks have so amply proved.

Sex party

Najib’s 'Talented, Wise And Thoughtful' cabinet

Written by Mariam Mokhtar, Malaysia Chronicle

Just like Sodomy II, this latest sex video is about distraction. The grainy sex video showed a man performing sexual acts with a woman. The idea was to identify the man as Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and hence discredit him. The main aim behind this video was to distract Malaysians from issues that affect the nation. Another was to divert the attention of Sarawakians from concentrating on the problems that will influence the state elections.

Malaysia is in deep trouble and after 53 years, BN has milked the country dry and divided a once harmonious nation.

The three Umno dim-wits who fabricated lies was never a good idea. But then, who would expect Umno to win the hearts and minds of the people using intellect?

People who are blinded by power can never see where they have gone wrong. Najib who is so fussy over image, seems to be blinded by his own greed and self-importance. Of only he could see who forms his Cabinet, heads the GLCs or Umno institutions, past and present.

The ringleader of this latest sex video is Rahim Tamby Chik. He is the disgraced, former Chief minister of Malacca who allegedly raped a minor and then had to resign. The underage girl’s grandmother sought a DAP MP’s help to bring Rahim Thamby to trial. That just shows how much trust ordinary Malays have in the elected Umno Malays. The DAP MP was himself thrown into prison. Did any of the other Umno Malays come to the defense of the girl?

Perhaps, the following questions should be incorporated in the history curriculum at school.

Who was the onetime UMNO deputy home affairs minister, who was allegedly implicated in the murder of a young woman? He is just like a current serving minister who is allegedly accused of rape. The widespread gossip connecting this onetime Umno deputy home affairs minister with the murder didn't do his political career any harm. He was ultimately named Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister in the late 90s although he lost his parliamentary seat two years later and retired from politics.

Who was the Chief Minister who had an affair with a girl who eventually gave birth to an illegitimate child? He also kept an under-aged mistress at a condominium in Kuala Lumpur. In 2003, he was also rumored to be involved with the death of another attractive young woman was found murdered in an apartment in a Kuala Lumpur suburb. Although another individual was arrested and charged with the murder, he was later declared not guilty and no one else was ever charged. The inspector general of police, Mohd Bakri Omar, classified the case under Malaysia's Official Secrets Act and no details were ever released.

Who was the non-politician but Umno mouthpiece who had an affair with a young girl while his wife lay paralysed in bed?

Who was the Chief Minister who eloped to Thailand to secretly marry his second wife?

Who is the Federal Minister who was caught with a female artiste in a Port Dickson hotel?

Who is the Federal Minister whose brother was arrested for drug trafficking?

Which Federal Minister had an affair with someone else’s wife and this eventually resulted in a broken marriage?

Which religious leader had an illicit affair and who now holds a prominent position in a very important government religious body?

Which Chief Minister had an affair with his sister-in-law who then gave birth to an illegitimate child?

Who is the son of the prominent politician who was implicated in the 2007 death of a beautiful Indian actress? The woman's body was cremated almost immediately after her death.

Who is the minister who was implicated in Malaysia’ own deep throat sexploits and would put Emmanuel to shame?

Who is the current serving cabinet minister who is accused of raping his maid?

Who is the current MP who betrayed his first wife by marrying a young starlet? His second marriage was not blessed by a recognized person of the court official and he himself is reknowned for using gutter langauge in the Dewan Rakyat ?

Which Malaysian Ambassador has been guilty of sexually exploiting women?

With ministers like these in Najib’s Sex Cabinet line-up, how could the rakyat trust the government, its courts, the police and its ministers?

Very few of the privileged elite who make up the politically powerful and rich in Malaysia ever get punished.

Now we know why BN maintains its iron grip on Malaysians so that they can continue plundering the country and robbing its rakyat. That is what BN fears most – Anwar and Pakatan.

The malaysian sex campaign month

“The intent is to "confuse, confound and harass the enemy" to the point that as many troops and resources as possible will be wasted on finding POWs instead of being used on the front line.”

The above is a caption from the 1963 movie “The Great Escape” with the late Steve Mcqueen in the lead role.

With the latest caper in the news today, the exposed video of alleged DSAI having sex with a Chinese prostitute seem to have a plot taken out from the movie.

Picture this scenario:-

The video was revealed on 21 March 2011 at the same time the Sarawak parliament is dissolved to make way for the polling date fixed on the 16 April.

The video was never shown to anyone else except for the few journalists specially invited at a very private screening in Seri Carcosa under very stringent security.

The sex video will be used in the campaigning by the ruling government without failed to gain maximum support.

The trio will not surrender the video to even the police or any other authorities. Instead they demanded a RCI to be set up to verity the authenticity of the video if indeed DSAI is the man in it.

Setting up a RCI will most likely take a week to complete and another 1-2 weeks, minimum, before any findings are concluded. By then, the Sarawak election would be over.

It is not surprise that such a detail and meticulous planning are carried with no intended finale are laid out to divert the attention and gain the utmost damage to the opposition and can be used at a time where it will only serve it’s secondary purpose but not the main agenda.

Considering the snail pace of our government processes and the manner it will be handle, this issue will most likely drag itself beyond the Sarawak election date for whatever outcome it may derived.

Staying in, staying out

Why, Malaysia?

By Lisa Ng

Loyar Burok

As we bring #WhyMalaysia week to a close, Lisa Ng writes a heartfelt customer complaint letter to our tanah tumpah darah, our beloved Bolehland, Malaysia.

My dear Malaysia, it doesn’t get more melodramatic than this, does it? “This” being about whether to stick with you till “death do us part” or to walk away, even if for a little while, especially if there is evidence of ill-treatment.

You see, for Christians, marriage is an unbreakable covenant between God and the couple. Some people would call it a “contractual promise” of sorts. Others would say that, however we term it, the general principle of faithfulness applies to Man and Motherland. The only difference is, even Christians are not so cruel that they insist we stick with our hurtful spouse (or even parent in some cases) if our wellbeing is at stake.

That is why my Conscience was clear when my family decided to depart from your bosom to—not necessarily greener—but relatively safer pastures. At least for now.

You may label me a traitor. Or you may accuse me of cowardice. Perhaps you may also venture so far as to call me an unfilial daughter. But loyalty is not a blind man. And I believe that loyalty to you isn’t meant to be at the expense of some measure of fairness owed to me and, more importantly, my dignity as a person. People may not be perfect and neither are governments. But there is a limit to what each person can tolerate. For the physically and/or mentally abused spouse, it could be the 100th punch to the face. For the oppressed Iban or Dayak, perhaps the face of a certain man they’ve seen on posters for a long time. But then, I’m no Iban or Dayak or any of the many indigenous tribes who can rightfully be called Bumiputera. I am, however, a true Malaysian. And while I am not entirely fed-up of the way you’re manipulating me, I am in need of some perspective.

I was born here. In Taman Cheras, Wilayah Persekutuan, to be precise. I have a valid birth cert, MyKad, Malaysian passport and even if my Bahasa Malaysia is rusty, I was brought up learning and speaking the language and when I meet a Malay, I salam them. I love your nasi lemak, roti canai, durian, cendol, satay and sayur lodeh. I am also a Malaysian because I’ve rolled with the NEP ever since I was old enough to understand its impact on me and not held any grudge against you or my Malay friends. I know how the political parties in Malaysia were formed because I rote learnt it in high school. Outside the Dewan of my school, I memorised the names of Sultans from the time of Parameswara, through the reins of the Mahmud and Iskandar Shahs, to the era of Disco, all the while sucking on those umbrella-shaped kacang merah ice creams sold unhygienically by the roadside.

During those formative years, there was already a lot of talk about different races in school having different passing marks for their SPM exams. The news was that Kelantan and Terengganu students could pass their Advanced Maths with 30% while the mark to meet for the “others” was 40%. I remember being bothered by this rumour but I don’t recall breaking up friendships with my Malay friends over this.

When I studied in Australia, my lecturers thought I was Malay because my skin is quite tanned and I don’t look typically Chinese. The only reason why I clarified that I was Malaysian Chinese was because it helped me explain the multicultural aspect of Malaysia (and prevent them from asking why I have special concessions on homes whereas my fellow Malaysians don’t). I pay taxes to you. I eat the vegetables your farmers plant. I am comfortable excusing myself when my Malay friends are fasting and I know the difference between Ponggal and Thaipusam.

I’ve even learnt a little bit of Jawi, for goodness sake.

So why do I have to prove to you that I am Malaysian, the way I just did? Because as time goes by, it seems that non-Malays need to, more and more, defend their citizenship to you. You, who BORE us. Citizenship is NOT a favour. Your granting me a Malaysian birth certificate and MyKad may require that I abide by the Federal Constitution and the laws of this country; it’s something I believe in and do. But it does not come with a gag that I have to put on robotically when your policies affect me negatively. After all, your “managers” are working for my vote. And if they’re working for my vote, then they are essentially in the service industry—and I’m not only a daughter of your soil but also your client.

So as the saying goes, this client is NOT happy with the current service. I have honoured our contract. You have not. Instead, you have tried to hoodwink me into settling for less benefits with the promise of living a quality life in peace and harmony. But as it stands, you’re not only NOT delivering on quality life; even the peace and harmony aspects are left fraying on the side.

My ringgit is beginning to take the shape of a pisang rastali. My grocery bill looks like I shopped for Louis Vuitton vegetables and Prada pork.

Meanwhile, my mother had her handbag snatched three times in broad daylight in a span of eight months. And you conteng on my Bible while allowing a self-professed scholar to irresponsibly bullhorn his total ignorance of my religion to a wide audience, by associating Santa Claus with it.

In reality, clients get to complain. Then what ensues is a review of the business contract. Here, my vote has a tendency to get rigged. And if I try to protest, I’ll probably be arrested. If I ask why I am being arrested, you’ll probably tell me I have no permit. If I ask for a permit, you’ll likely say I can’t have one because protests are wrong. Meanwhile, as we speak, a large crowd of Malaysians will be dragging a headless cow in protest against an Indian temple being built in their vicinity.

WHY, INDEED, MALAYSIA?

Does it make me less Malaysian to want more respect? More fairness? More security? Or maybe just the opportunity to live comfortably without needing to convert to Islam? Has it occurred to you that “more”, of late, simply means returning a little closer to “equality”?

Does it make me less Malaysian that I’ve chosen to continue building my life in a different country? I don’t think so. We settle wherever we feel gives us the most value for money; nostalgia and sentiments alone are not enough if one has family. This may sound a little too businesslike, but you know, even businesspeople return home once their work is done.

I will always be a Malaysian. Even if I lose all my rights overnight. You can take away my identity cards too but I will still remain nothing but a Malaysian, because identity lives in the Consciousness of our being. It cannot be taken away once it is encrypted into one’s self-awareness.

I did not want to say Goodbye to you, Malaysia. I still don’t. The day we left in the taxi was an emotional one. Because I didn’t just leave behind corruption, crime and crooked policies. I left behind 37 years of friendship, late nights at the office to support the economy, pot-holes and school songs. I left behind countless national day parades, open houses, pasar malams, mamak stalls and yau char kwei dipped in kopi-o. And yes, I left behind all my hopes and dreams for my child to experience all these things. And more.

However, staying on would be akin to accepting that all is fine and nothing needs to change. Or standing up to challenge all that is wrong. Either situation means death to me. Death to the conscience in the first scenario, and death of freedom in the second. And neither is a position I want to take because, above all things, above being Malaysian or Chinese, I am a mother first. And mothers are supposed to put their families before everything else.

Lisa Ng is a human being. She used to be a copywriter in the advertising industry. But now she just writes. For whatever helps us regain the lost art of “giving a toss” towards things that matter to the human race.

Bangsar

Bangsar, an exclusive residential area sandwiched between KL and PJ. Nestled closed to most amenities around the city and businesses just off the federal highway and nearby commercial offices at Damansara heights. This area have grown by leaps and bounds in the last 10 years ever since high end high rise condominiums started forming part of the skyline that is Kuala Lumpur today.

Shopping complexes, the likes of BSC, BV and BV2, and its international brands of outlets, clearly seals this place and created an image of elites for the many first class residential buildings that it is now.

A stroll in Jalan Telawi where the many shophouses now occupied by hip restaurants and lifestyle eating outlets including mamak stores, all beckon a sense of exclusiveness. Not forgetting one will get to see as many rare life-savings-income-valued cars, SUV’s, MPV’s and sports car all lined up along the streets with datuk’s and datin’s behind the wheel or on occasions the Ahmad’s and jockeys waiting patiently and loyally for their masters. You just can’t miss this feeling when you are there.

Perhaps this is where big businesses are sealed. Boy meet girl and fall in love and live happily ever after, ala Paris, the city of love. Designer’s clothes, designer’s food, designer’s footwear and anything that cost a month’s paycheck can be termed designer.

Bangsar, dear Bangsar, and it’s residents, with their pedigrees and puppies, felines and canines in toll, that make up the image that it is today:- a success story.

In Bangsar, the bigger the car you drive, the more respect you deserved. So says it on their face when they drive by you. Even the police will hesitate issuing them summons for offences but rather check your status before doing so.

Bangsar, a place where every streets is doubled parked, and I do mean every streets! It is the privilege of one not to walk the distance or patience to find an empty spot.

Bangsar, where the rules don’t applied to the elites when they drive an exotic car. Pedestrian must give way even if they are already on the zebra crossing and better not cross their path. Because they will not surrender to you kuci rats on foot.

Bangsar, shops owners who filled the walkway with their goods and wares so you don’t miss them, or the opportune of getting the maximum visual display to make their business and premises a success. Don’t matter if you are on wheelchairs or crutches, just make sure your driver park right at the shop doorsteps so you don’t need to walk the distance.

Bangsar, a success story with a price, nevertheless. And of course, all the international schooled children, overseas graduates, expatriates and wives and husbands with foreign tongues who made it in life with their refined cultured views of the world, to finally settled in this haven called Bangsar.

Yes minister, show us how?

Cost of living up, quality of life down

Written by Stanley Koh   

This article that we’re reproducing from Free Malaysia Today first appeared in June. However, CPI feels that the article (slightly revised here) is relevant to today’s setting following recent developments and should be read by those who missed it the first time around.

It turns out that the government you voted in will not hold your hand to see you through hard times. Instead, it will make sure to add to your suffering because that is the easiest way it can avoid going bankrupt. Barisan Nasional has apparently decided that the time has come to remove or cut subsidies — the kind of subsidies that poor people depend on, not the kind enjoyed by big corporations and monopolistic suppliers of utilities and infrastructural support.

So what is the use of a government that will eagerly shake your hand during election time but will not hesitate to pull the rug from under your feet when it needs to save itself? Few believe that the removal of subsidies on essential food items and fuels can save the Malaysian government from possible bankruptcy. If it does go bankrupt, it will be because it has failed to cleanse a corrupt system.

It is better for Malaysians to be rich and to control a bankrupt government than to be poor and controlled by a corrupt government. Many countries have rich citizens with bankrupt governments. You do not need an economist to tell you that RM100 in Malaysia today does not buy as much as it did last year.

In what we may call the Malaysian Misery Index, we can see that food prices have been spiralling upwards for years. For example, fresh tenggiri, which was RM13.23 a kilo in 1997, now costs RM40 a kilo. A roasted duck cost RM13.47 in 1997, but is now at least RM38. And Malaysians have become used to the doubling in price of some food items during festive seasons. Most Malaysians do not expect the situation to improve. Food prices will continue to go up and there is little hope that they will come down again.

Two years ago, the BN government announced that it had set up a US$1.25 billion fund to increase food production and that it was targeting 100% self-sufficiency in rice consumption. What has happened to the fund and the target?

Double whammy

When the GST (goods and services tax) is fully implemented in 2011, it will be a double whammy for poor and middle-income households, pensioners, the unemployed and single parents. Some have argued that imposing GST on Malaysians does not make much economic sense when only 6.8% of the population are taxpayers and a large majority earn low incomes. Furthermore, it is acknowledged that most of us are paying hidden taxes in highway tolls and electricity tariffs.

Indeed, the future looks bleak.

Yet, quite a number of us are gullible enough to think that the government will protect consumers. Are we not being stupid? Isn’t it better to be wiser and brace for tougher times ahead? Instead of believing the promises of a government that has a dismal performance record, we should believe the law of inflation, which says, “Whatever goes up will go up some more.” Ronald Reagan once described inflation as a violent mugger, a threatening armed robber and a deadly hit man. In the Malaysian context, that is an apt description not of inflation, but of the BN government’s behaviour and policies.

So how do we fight the inflation of food prices?

Economists generally agree that the average Malaysian household spends about 75% of its income on food. Food price hikes will therefore have an adverse impact upon disposable income and force us to make a lifestyle change.

More than half are low-income

Perhaps economist Milton Friedman was right when he said, “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara desert, in five years there will be a shortage of sand.” Malaysians do not take the official Consumer Price Index (CPI) seriously. They know it does not accurately reflect price rises in essential foodstuffs. Many suspect that the government uses it as an instrument to deceive the public into thinking that things are hunky-dory when they are not.

The government develops statistics so that the inflation-weary public would direct its hostility towards businesses, and not blame official mismanagement. The average household consumption expenditure over the last 20 years has increased by 181.8%. In 1973, it was RM412. By 1993-94, it had gone up to RM1,161. In 1999, it touched RM1,631.

According to Prof Lim Teck Ghee, real household income has been growing, but at the snail-pace rate of 0.9% per year. More than half of the population are in the low-income category. Today, a family of five spends 50% to 60% of household income on food compared with 20% in 1998 and 15% in 1988. Not long ago, there was official acknowledgement that 95% of families are finding it hard to cope with the rise in food prices.

In fact, the biggest failure of the Ninth Malaysia Plan is that it did not help Malaysians improve their quality of living. Inflation, whether it is imported or locally generated, raises the cost of living and lowers the quality of living.

What ‘lifestyle’ do we have?

In 2006, when Najib Razak was Deputy Prime Minister, he asked Malaysians to change their lifestyle in the face of the rising cost of living. A blogger by the name of Chong wrote in response: “Perhaps, the prime minister should have done some simple calculations himself. People like us basically have no lifestyle, just merely surviving with our earnings. So how are we going to change (our lifestyle)? “Inflation has gone up 4.5% (and above) and the government is pushing the cost of living higher by increasing electricity tariffs, but our income remains the same.”

Others felt it would be easier to change the government than to change a non-existent lifestyle.

“Instead of listening to Najib asking us to change,” one critic remarked, “why not we change the government at the next general election?” To me, that makes a lot of sense. Any government that is willing to build air-conditioned toilets around a city at more than RM100,000 each unit has no business planning a national economy. When such a government decides to cut subsidies, many of us will wonder whether the so-called “savings” will instead go towards more majestic arches, fanciful lampposts, refurbishments of VIP residences, luxurious government bungalows and fruitless overseas trips by ministers.

Any government that stands accused of having wasted RM320 billion in 20 years — through corruption, wastage and mismanagement — definitely does not deserve to be re-elected.