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Letter to PM – urgent response to issues raised in budget debate in Parliament like RM4.6b PKFZ bailout, RM8.1b dev. est. discrepancy , e-Kesihatan rip-off

I have written to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, asking him to respond to urgent issues raised in the first three days of the 2008 Budget in Parliament which cannot wait for Ministerial replies some two months later scheduled for early November when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes on Oct. 22 after the 39-day break for the fasting month and Hari Raya holidays.

I listed four urgent issues which had been raised in Parliament in the first three days of budget debate earlier this week and which are crying out for immediate government response and action, viz:

1. The RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) bailout scandal

Accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance principles demand instant end of the government’s denial syndrome both in and outside Parliament about the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout scandal — particularly at a time when the Prime Minister is trying to assure Malaysians that the government means business and would not brook any hanky-panky following the shocking exposes of the pervasive culture of impunity, corruption, waste and mismanagement of public funds in the 2006 Auditor-General’s Reports.

When compared to the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout scandal, the corruption and mismanagement of millions or tens of millions of ringgit of funds exposed by the 2006 Auditor-General’s Reports were mere “chicken-feed”.

However, if the Cabinet can be so irresponsible as to continue to deny that there is a RM4.6 billion bailout of the Port Klang Free Zone scandal, while the culture of impunity persists in providing immunity from legal and accountability consequences for those responsible for the RM4.6 billion bailout when the government had right from the start been given a very categorical assurance that the PKFZ project was feasible, self-financing and would not require a single ringgit of public funding, a wrong message is being sent out – that all the public hullabaloo over the Auditor-General’s Reports 2006 are mere “sandiwara” and not meant to be taken seriously, as absolutely nothing would ensue.

The Prime Minister said yesterday that the government would not hinder the Anti-Corruption Agency from carrying out investigations into the Auditor-General’s 2006 Reports.

However, conspicuously absent is any public assurance from Abdullah that the ACA is fully authorized to conduct full and unfettered investigations into the PKFZ scandal, including the former Transport Minister Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik and the present Finance Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy who had abused their Ministerial powers in having unlawfully given government guarantees for the private issue of RM4 billion bonds for the PKFZ project without Cabinet approval — forcing the Cabinet to give retrospective approval for the illegal guarantees in a RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout.

2. The RM8.1 billion difference for 2008 Development Estimates between the Finance Minister’s budget speech and the Finance Ministry’s Economic Report 2007/2008

How can there be such a huge difference of RM8.1 billion for the 2008 Development Estimates between Abdullah’s budget presentation on the one hand and the Finance Ministry’s Economic Report 2007/2008, all presented to Parliament on the same day last Friday?

There can be no justification for such a huge difference in the two sets of figures as the Finance Ministry’s Economic Report 2007/2008 was signed off by Abdullah as Finance Minister in a preface dated 7th September 2007 (the very same day as the budget presentation).

A difference of RM8.1 billion would have sent the whole budgetary estimates awry, with the estimated budget deficit for 2008 estimated at 3.1 per cent of the GDP shooting up to 4.6 per cent — a most unfortunate reflection on the professionalism and competence of government budgetary expertise which could only undermine public and investor confidence.

3. The e-Kesihatan monopoly concession awarded to Supremme Systems Sdn. Bhd without tender

Public interest demand an immediate suspension of the 15-year e-Kesihatan monopoly concession to Supremme Systems Sdn. Bhd, which is to take effect next month, to conduct annual medical tests for commercial drivers.

The medical profession is up in arms against the e-Kesihatan scheme which seems to be the latest example of parasitic rent-seeking rip-off monopoly in the region of hundreds of millions of ringgit at public expense to the benefit of a handful of cronies.

As there is already a system in place to provide medical tests for commercial drivers involving medical practitioners with the JPJ directly, this system can be further improved to deal with abuses or weaknesses instead of creating a new system which is clearly purely rent-seeking in nature.

4. Cabinet decision of 5th September that Malacca pig farmers can apply for aid from Bank Negara’s Fund For Food to install proper waste system rendered meaningless by arbitrary and high-handed Malacca state government decision to reduce 97,000 pigs in 17-day period

In a week, the Malacca state government’s arbitrary and high-handed deadline for the reduction of 97,000 pigs in Malacca state in 17 days will expire on September 21 and is likely to spark off any another confrontation like the nine-hour standoff as happened on September 4 – between an armed-to-the-teeth 2,000-strong multi-agency contingent, together with police FRU in full riot-gear, water cannons, personnel in space-suits and a helicopter in constant reconnaissance on one side, and defenceless men, women and children forming human barrcades on the other to protect their ricebowls.

The 4th September nine-hour standoff was a great shame and disgrace not only to Malacca but to Malaysia on the occasion of the 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations.

There must not be another repetition of the Sept. 4 standoff especially as the Cabinet at its 5th September 2007 meeting had decided that Malacca pig farmers can apply for aid from Bank Negara’s Fund For Food to install proper waste system.

The Cabinet decision, as announced by the Human Resources Minister and MP for Alor Gajah, Datuk Dr. Fong Chan Onn, must not be rendered meaningless by the arbitrary and high-handed Malacca state government decision to reduce 97,000 pigs in 17-day period.

The Malacca State Government has escalated its policy of confrontation with the pig rearers in Malacca, making more and more unreasonable demands which can only further mar the 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations. The Cabinet must ensure that its Sept. 5 decision is not rendered meaningless and that all pig farmers could apply to Bank Negara’s Fund for Food to install proper waste system and that the directive to reduce 97,000 pigs by Sept. 21 is rescinded.

35 Replies to “Letter to PM – urgent response to issues raised in budget debate in Parliament like RM4.6b PKFZ bailout, RM8.1b dev. est. discrepancy , e-Kesihatan rip-off”

  2. He is answerable to no one, not even GOD. The letter will never reach him so how to answer?

    For YB Kit, as a responsible elected MP, he has to work and answerable to the rakyat no matter what happen, even if the pm is sleeping throughout his term of office but only open eyes for the salary we rakyat are paying him.

    The so call pm for all Malaysian. What a joke.

    50 years is ENOUGH
    Vote For A Change
    Vote For Any Opposition
    Give Them A Chance To Change For A Better Malaysia
    Remember bn Is A Useless Grouping Of Self Serving, Corrupt, Dictator, Power Crazy, Racist, Kris waving, etc, etc type of parties.

  3. BN new motto,” LETS CHEAT THE STUPID MALAYSIAN ” Do we really think that the BN goverment care about the raayat,

    BN ,M.P,S and State Asemblymen are only thinking of how much money they can make in 5 years,Because the next term they might be out.

    As far as im concern Pak Lah is a them good con man.He can lie with a straight face…

  4. What is most scary is the art of lying to the public as if we are all fools or at least not enough of us that can do anything about it.

    1) PKFZ CEO giving a whole bunch of numbers that is so small as if it would ever pay for the RM4.6billion debt much less make any money.

    2) RTD head talking as about any other issue except the monopoly rent-seeking behaviour which clearly he finds acceptable. He should be investigated just for his press conference alone.

    As Lee Kuan Yew said, if the core is corrupt, there is no hope of cleaning up the system. The greatest sin of Badawi is that he think there is hope and his tolerance of it just a warning of the dangers of mediocrity…

  5. YB, this must be your nth letter to PM. Have they ever replied? They simply have no respect for the institution of the ‘Opposition Leader’.

    So much for democracy in Malaysia. In fact, I would go so far to say that democracy is such a sham here. BN is an outright brute.

    Pak LAh is such an insipid PM, I can think of no other PM worse than him except for Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. That’s how low he would rank amongst world leaders. Sigh.

  6. Lying to the rakyat has been made into a fine art by UMNO. Abdullah is now fine tuning it. And hie speaks from the pulpit to give his words greater credence.
    As for your letter, it will reach Khairy first and he might just throw it away.
    They are answerable to nobody.

  8. His answer, if any, would be either one of the following or maybe all :

    (a) I have already explained. You hard on hearing?

    (b) Although specific, of public interest, it is not urgent. Wait for 1 1/2 months, la, Ah Pek!

    (c) Its Ramadhan. Everything has been forgiven.

    (d) I am busy la. I am a grandpa again.

    (e) My “boys” are thinking up some good explanations, excuses and justifications.

    (f) The Opposition was responsible for it.

    (g) We are neither theocratic nor secular. We follow “good” Hadhari accounting and legal practices and procedures and everything is above board. Why you so busybody?

    (h) It was a Cabinet decision.

    (i) Come to my Open House and I will tell you.

  11. Sheriff Singh, you left out one more:

    “Saya tak tahu. I will ask my ministers for a report”

    There will be no reply because:

    1) So near to GE and if more shit comes out, cannot cover because the main culprits are UMNO and MCA working hand in hand.

    2) Cannot reply because to do so would reveal our Sleeping Beauty was sleeping on the job. He has never read the Treasury Report nor did he read the Budget report prior to presentation. He depended on the report preparation on the mamak who lost billions through forex trading and the 4th Floor boys who cannot tell the difference between the two reports.

    3) e-Kesihatan. How to reply? SIL already promised the Parkway guys to compensate them with something.

    4) Pig Farmers issue. To reply will incur the wrath of Jasin who has to close his nose besides his eyes because of the pig farms.

  17. Liar or Joker? Both, I beleve….plus also a born sucker
    http://www.wahlau.org/oh_really_i_beg_to_differ
    …our dear minister had tried to “pull” through the whole interview – he avoided questions directly, and insisted on points who are irrelevant to the questions, and gave (at least to me) an impression that he is being ordered not to say the wrong thing, regardless on what excuses he chose to use.

    “The economic growth of the non-malays is faster after the New Economy Policy than before. The share of the economy cake is bigger deeper wider than before. …. Even the Indians have got better household income than the Malays.”

    “…Lina Joy wanted to change her name. She was never not allowed to convert to Christianity, or what ever religion she has chosen. But, the person is born with the identity card. That is a system that we have in Malaysia, the ID. And that ID she wants to change, that creates the problem. It has nothing to do with the fact, that no body has arrested her, and forced her to become a Muslim. To come back to convert back to as Muslim. But the court decided on the basis that you cannot change your name in the ID. … “

  18. Islam is a beautiful religion like all the religion of the world, But its UMNO who is screwing the religion, For their own gain,They are trying to show the PAS members that UMNO is a better muslim party then PAS.

  19. Sheriff, if you believe that Forrest Gump with his simple IQ and beliefs, can succeed in the face of combination of fortuitous circumstances, then, by the same standard, you cannot give up hope on Pak Lah – who with his “tak tahu” and simple homilies – may well stumble, like FG, to become the best FG PM the country ever had, bringing great prosperity, harmony and democracy to this country!

  21. What I’d like to know is what is not in the Budget. Like how much was spent every time a state dinner is held, or/and every time our Trade Minister takes her many trips overseas to promote investment accompanied by hangers-on and sycophants and other free loaders. As tax payers we have the right to know if our money is well spent.

  24. People, please be considerate and patient. This is the special month for Muslims.

    Our PM and wife and family members are busy doing their rounds every night during this special month to interact/network with people, very important the coming GE.

    This special month is getting very costly for Muslims to have to buka puasa in expensive hotels and restaurants with family members and friends. Many civil servants and politicians are sure to appreciate some financial support from non-Muslim friends and subcontractors who offer to sponsor their buka puasa dinners. A great gesture that promotes inter-racial harmony.

    Our PM has no time to reply to incessant questions from LKS. Besides dinner functions, our PM is busy entertaining his new grandson. He may also aspire to set a new record – to be the first PM to be both a grandpa and a father while in office. So, extended honeymoon with dear J is very necessary.

    Anyway, our BN MPs are not concerned about all the well documented losses/leakages in excess of >RM10 billion. They don’t wish to debate/discuss these issues in the parliament and they also don’t intend to allow LKS to table a proposal to debate/discuss these issues. They are confident that everything is under investigation and everybody should not discuss or interfere with the ongoing investigation.

    However, BN MPs are very concerned over someone singing truthfully about certain issues and practices in Malaysia (and having the song on YouTube) and also concerned over someone burning the national flag. Very urgent and need to be condemned.

    No wonder foreigners who read news about what was going on in our parliament think that we are ruled by a bunch of idiots. Does this mean that Malaysians are bigger idiots?

  25. YB Lim said in the above: “I listed four urgent issues which had been raised in Parliament in the first three days of budget debate earlier this week and which are crying out for immediate government response and action, viz:”

    All the 4 issues mentioned above had been highlighted in the major press for weeks on end, and if the PM and the BN government is people sensitive and caring, it should have dealt with them a long time ago and gave responses in the press, announce action to be taken, heads should roll already.

    But sadly nothing of that sorts happened in this country, under the BN government.

    Look at Japan and Korea, they are Asian countries, they take pride in taking responsibility for their actions and inactions.

    Even at the slightest insinuation or inuendos of corruptions, misappropriation, or abuse of power, they take responsibilty and resign to protect the integrity of the government and the country as a whole.

    Here, integrity means the government members work hand in glove to protect and cover each and every one’s back-side whenever there were any exposures of misdeeds, corruptions, misappropriations or abuses of power.

    So with that, we do not under any circumstances expect any responses from the PM or the BN on the issues raised in the Parliament by YB.

    It is a downhill route to the drain for the country. In another 50 years’ time, it will be a pariah in the backwater.

    Look at how the BN government and the civil servants formulate twisted and incomprehensible policies for the benefit of a uniques race, that kills off all entrepreunership, drain off all the brightest of brains.

    By 50 years’ time, we may expect only the scums are left behind, and by then it will be too late to regret or to restitute.

  27. …//.. I’d rather pin my hopes on Mr Bean as leader of Bolehland…//…” – Godfather.

    Bean can only make you laugh by his stupidity borne out of sheer childlike self centredness : he cannot make a country successful .

    But Forest Gump (FG) is different, why our Sheriff even said (in the earlier thread on Nathanial Tan’s reply to PM) that trainers use FG for motivational courses! And why not Forrest Gump?

    Now, don’t take too seriously what I say but just think about this with light hearted humour…. :)

    You’d recall the movie FG begins and ends with a little feather, unaffected by gravity, it floats over houses, churches and trees – seemingly downwards – then suddenly, caught by an upward draft of breeze, it rises again, triumphant! Which goes to a man’s fortunes may also rise for no apparent reason : it is what Life dishes out randomly. The central message of FG appears to be : in Life’s success, IQ is optional (FG’s IQ only 75) . All the guy has to do is, like FG, just appear naïve, decent and innocent (one’s get anointed to no.2 position because no threat to incumbent, and when No. 1 resigns, suddenly catapulted to top post by default like the way FG monopolizes the shrimp business because his was the only boat that survives the hurricane) and later after taking over the helm, just (like FG again), stay positive by simple homilies, I ’m in control, I’m on top of things”!

    Now you guys say that the FG types have short attention span, sleepy, tak tahu, state simple homilies and slogans, no action. Each time something is said (like we’re neither secular nor Islamic), another time it will be contradicted (We’re an Islamic nation) but that’s not because of a contradictory quality of mind but because of memory lapse, he could not remember what he said previously – or even that he needed to reply YB Kit on the 4 urgent issues of national importance! That however is also OK because once the memory comes back, everything can proceed where it left off – like the case of reviving the IPCMC!

    These apparently contradictory FG type may unwittingly cause good. UMNO, as we all know, is steeped in politics of patronage, and corruption within BN govt. is systemic but ironically, its leader makes it a main electoral pledge that corruption is to be wiped out!

    Never mind ‘cakap tak serupa bikin’ like asking bunch of thieves to be honourable policemen but public benchmarks are however set, basing on which the rakyat can criticize, and via today’s Internet power, disseminate their criticisms. And the protest against abuse and corruption can be infectious. Who was at forefront to first expose publicly Nude Gate, Botak Gate, Klang – Gate (Zakaria Deros’s, Jasin MP’s Close One Eye episode with Immigration, Auditor General’s complaints about wastage & corruption (all of which don’t make the government look good)? It is NST nothwithstanding its alleged ties with ruling party! Another mainstream paper – The Sun – has, in spite of being regulated by Printing Press Publication Act, become more open in criticisms and even earns a rebuke from Info minister Zam for behaving like opposition paper! Public criticisms some carried in mainstream have caused some reversals of policies – for eg not enforcing OSA on Litrak Concessionaire Contracts, Maybank withdrawing 50% bumi panel policy and latest Selayang Municipal withdrew the stray dog killing contest, to name a few. Aren’t these not the unintended fruits of contradictions, thanks to FG types?

    Now, given that BN, by all realistic calculation, is not so easily evicted at the polls, and can only lose if it entangles and defeat its own self by implosion (when things fall apart), who would you prefer to lead this motley pack in it?? A FG PM or another shrewd, calculating, Machiavellian Mahathir type? . The last word is given to Sheriff who counseled, “light hearted the picture may be, but try to see some other (positive) perspectives”. We should cultivate some (positive) perspectives in relation to the gloomy situation.

  28. Jeffrey said:

    “Bean can only make you laugh by his stupidity borne out of sheer childlike self centredness : he cannot make a country successful .”

    Substitute “Bean” with “Badawi”. Who takes on 3 ministries, flies all around the region with a new wife in a new aircraft, disappears to Perth now and then, sleeps standing up, and allows his relatives and cronies to take whatever they want ? Self-centredness is the correct word to describe Badawi – he cares for himself, his relatives and his cronies. FG has no self-centredness.

    A bumbling, self-centred leader with zero leadership skills and self-proclaimed Islamic scholar with no honest values – tough to compare these with FG.

  30. In todays paper,Chan said, With the new E.KESIHATAN in place all loop holes will be covered ,

    “”QUOTE, Now we even have drug addicts driving buses,With E.KESIHATAN ,With this plan we can get rid of all drug addicts, UNQUOTE””

    What bullshit, if im going for my test i just stop taking drugs for a week, and im cleared .Please Please Mr Chan..We Malaysians are stupid for voting for you guys.

    With this scam do you really think you can get rid of forged Medical results..Who think that you can can get away with anything.

    But then again, We are the ones who have been voting for this bunch,come every election.

  31. Chan, please lah ,stop lying, Do you really think that this E.KESIHATAN SCAM, Will get rid of drug addicts from driving on our road,”” if im an addict i just stop taking drugs for a week,I will be clean, After all this check up is only once a year.

    Why the rush to get it implimented without a proper study ,How come SUPRREME SYSTEMS was pick,What kind of experience do they have in under taking this project.

    All this smell like a rotten fish (deleted)

  33. Aiiiiiiii….. the more I read the comments,the more I feel helpless. My highiest respect to DAP, the only -> PART of government in heattng up the corruption case.

    Otherwise…., cannot think anyone else will TAKE-UP cases when -> BN member like ” all rotten apples in the same basket”.

    My hope is all Malaysian -> or majority of dear BUMIPUTRA friend can see the ” CANCEROUS PART” of it.

    BN must realise all benefit so far is -> SEED OF FUTURE MALAYSIAN PROBLEM simply because future is DISASTEROUS with ” short of actual money” when the money -> go to “corrupted people” and possibly all kept in oversea.

  34. Dear Mr Lim,

    This is my first posting, and as a Malaysian citizen and taxpayor, I would like to thank-you from the bottom of my heart for attempting to expose to the public, the $4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone bailout scandal by the present goverment!

    This is outright disgrace and shameful to all Malaysians! My hope is that we might be able to prevent such things from happening, although I really and sincerely don’t know how.

    $4.6 billion is not chicken feed. When divided by 10 million Malaysia taxpayers, this equals $460 for every single tax-payer in Malaysia. $460 potentially swindled from EACH and EVERY tax-payer.

    And for what purpose? So that PKA can stay afloat, after the huge mismanagement of public funds? I am amazed PKA can raise AAA rated bonds in order to pay $4.6billion to the UMNO and MCA owners who owned Kuala Dimensi. They already got the bulk of that money, they probably have already sent the monies overseas to Swiss bank accounts that cannot be traced, and are now planning to embark on the next big swindle relating to IDR, Northern Corridor and Eastern Corridor projects.

    No PKA nor Ministry nor MRA heads rolled for the fraud? Why should tax-payers now bail out PKA who is short of $4.6 billion?

    PKFZ self-sustaining? Come on! It doesn’t even look 1% as vibrant as HK, Singapore or even KL business centres. It’s a ghost town!

    This issue is in grave danger of being swept under the carpet. Even the Star newspaper doesn’t report what is potentially the biggest scandal since our PM came into power. This is potentially the worst ever corruption / scandal happening since his time. It should be front-page news for 2 months in a row, but doesn’t even make it front page.

    Mr Lim, I urge you not to let the present goverment sweep this issue under the carpet. I urge you to seek ways to help the newspapers give more visibility to this scandal! Come on! We’re talking $4.6 Billion, or $4,600 Million, or $4,600,000,000!!! We are not talking $46 swindle or bribe paid to the police, but 100,000,000 times worse than that!

    I am truly disgusted and revolted by such an act. It is the worst possible form of corruption. No foreign investor, those who knows the truth, will want to invest in Malaysia, without assurances that those responsible have their heads chopped off and that the future starts clean.

    I urge you to continue your fight against the corrupt. You have my unconditional vote!

    Sincerely,

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