Yesterday, The Malaysian Insider reported that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had decided over the weekend to “cut out the EC725 military helicopter contract” when the government “reviewed its expenses in light of falling revenues from crude oil and palm oil and slowing economic growth for the next few years”.
Today’s Bernama carried a more qualified report, “Govt yet to discuss helicopter purchase”, quoting a government source as saying that “In the wake of the global economic crisis, the government will have to discuss further whether to go ahead with the purchase of new helicopters to replace the ageing Nuris in the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)”.
The government source said the discussion will need the involvement of the Defence Ministry and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is the Defence Minister.
The source said the procurement of the new helicopters was only at the letter of intent stage (LOI) and no letter of award (LOA) had been made to any party.
Regardless of whether the RM2.3 billion 12 Cougar EC725 Eurocopter deal is on or off, the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiry into the deal, fixed for two days on Wednesday and Thursday, must be held as scheduled as larger issues are involved concerning national integrity and proper billion-ringgit defence procurement process.
Even if the helicopter deal is cancelled, PAC is duty-bound to investigate into the highly dubious and controversial procurement process as it runs counter to all principles of accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance.
The objective of the PAC investigation should be to identify, if there exist, irregularities or oversights, to ensure the integrity of the Defence Ministry and RMAF are intact, and should such faults are discovered, to recommend the adherence of standard procedures or benchmarking for future tender exercise since such purchases involved a huge sum of the country’s funds.
Parliament and the nation are entitled to a searching and no-holds-barred PAC inquiry to produce a report to be tabled by the end of November which can answer many controversial questions, including:
1. The bid price from Eurocopter, including delivery charges amounts to Euro 233,345,390, which is around RM1.1 billion. Why has total price ballooned becoming RM2.3 billion? Has the other half RM1.2 billion allocated to middleman for maintenance service over the next 40 years?
2. Why is Malaysia paying over twice the price for the EC 725 helicopters as compared to Brazil, which is getting 50 EC725 helicopters at RM84 million per aircraft as compared to the RM193 million price tag for the RM2.3 billion Eurocopter deal? Shouldn’t Malaysia be getting over 100 EC725 helicopters at the Brazilian price instead of just 12?
Following the nation-wide furore over the helicopter deal, the PAC has itself come under the spotlight as to its performance, efficacy and usefulness.
As one comment queried on my blog:
What happened to RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal issue even bigger than the RM2.3 billion 12 Cougar EC725 helicopter deal?
The last time PAC reported they were dissatisfied with the outcome of investigations. I thought there independent auditors (was it Price WaterHouse??) appointed at beginning this year to audit. What is the outcome?
What about PAC’s earlier investigation into Middle Ring Road II?
I understand PAC will besides EC725 helicopter deal also investigate the other mega deals highlighted by Opposition in the 2009 budget debate – Maybank purchase of Bank International Indonesia (BII) and RM11.3 billion high-speed broadband contract to TM Bhd?
Has PAC the resources and expertise to do all these? Wouldn’t investigation of BII’s acquisition be closing the barn door after horses have bolted?
On record has PAC done anything to prevent consummation of scandal tainted mega deals or has its investigations so far brought any one especially the big wigs to account?
The PAC Chairman Datuk Azmi Khalid should give a response to this query.
also should have a public debate on the RM5bn EPF money to prop up share market….
With all these investigation going on and half-cooked findings, don’t you think a Chart board should be needed to keep track?
Hope someone can keep track coz I’m loosing track of the numerous cases that are pending.
Can’t help but kept thinking there’s this ‘Bermuda triangle’ do exist coz nothing ever gets follow-up and reported. It simply goes missing. Has the 5bil aready taken out from EPF? Yes, No, yes, No?
So, no need for any feedback from rakyat, is it? Just for information, is it? This is absolute preposterous.
Aha ! The den of thieves being caught with their hands in the till, and now they say nothing happened ? The problem with these clowns is that they have a standard modus operandi – deny vehemently, and when caught with their pants down, abandon the proposed scheme.
Yes, d PAC inquiry on the Choper purchase must go on!
Kit, pls continue to dig out all the worms and show them to the whole world!
All the UMNO cronies and hyenas must be shot and terminated!
Nobody buys it that the calling off (or simply deferment)the helicopter deal was prompted by finally coming back to senses of the No1 and No2, that the 2 now are concerned with the economic outlook of the country.
Nobody was happy with the findings of PAC over PKFTZ, BII, MRR-II scandals. What PAC did was like scratching on the tummy in a bid to cure an gastric ulcer.
So, what actually did the trick? Was that the reports made to ACA? What was on the reports anyway?
Be the deal on or not, we demand to know the truth. We demand to know what went wrong? Who WERE planning on defalcation, who WERE trying to steal our money, who WERE abusing power? We demand to know all that, regardless if the deal is on, off, or postponed.
Perhaps there kept should be an open log book, accounting all scandals incurred by the BN, and we shall all look at it when the judgement day approaches again 5 years later. Actually, those who voted for BN on 8 March should look at it, still vote for BN?
When the current new MCA president took office as transport minister after the 308 GE he promised to investigate the PKFTZ scandal. Since then nothing has came out and he has seen acted elegantly silence like the sleepy head. Well done MCA!!!!
People these days bemoan the lack of accountablity of the ruling elites for the past 27 years.Obviously they are responsible for the string of scandals that have ransacked the economic and social well being of the country for the past three decades.
It is high time all these scum be rounded up and executed like what PRC handles the corrupt officials.
I totally agree that the probe should go on. Obviously the mind change is not a case for concern on whether the country can afford spending this kind of money. When did they ever worry about expenditure anyway? Their attitude has always been spend spend and spend because there’s plenty where it came from, the rakyat’s pocket. As long as huge commissions and profit are to be made, it’s a case of the bigger the budget the bigger the commission.
This has everything to do with being caught with their dirty hands in the cookie jar. They have been caught so the only way out is to defer the purchase. Until things quiet down that is. The opposition should not let them off scot free. Investigate and you’ll find a can full of worms. And we know whose fingerprints are all over the can don’t we?
Shooting the ‘VIP’ corrupts in the govt will be wasting money on the bullets. Do it the Saudi Arabian style, chop their heads off in public!!
///Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had decided over the weekend to “cut out the EC725 military helicopter contract” when the government “reviewed its expenses in light of falling revenues from crude oil and palm oil and slowing economic growth for the next few years”.///
So falling revenue from crude oil resulting from the fall in the price of crude oil has caused the government to cut out the EC725 contract. It proves that the rising price in crude oil has benefited the government for the purchase as intended of the helicopter, but the public have been made to pay a higher pump price for petrol. If the government is able to do away with the purchase of the helicopters when the crude price falls, it could similarly do away with the helicopter using the revenue to keep the pump price of petrol lower when the price of crude oil rises. Thus the reason for the increase of the pump price for petrol is just an excuse. The reason to replace the helicopter with EC725 is also an excuse.
The PAC is like AAB. It needed to do nothing but everything is done.
Well done Kit! PAC inquiry into RM2.3b 12 EC725 helicopter deal must go on and the matter must be pursued to the end. The culprit, sensing danger near, attempts to abandon the project – don’t let him get away with it!
If PAC refuses to continue with the inquiry, there is really something very wrong with PAC.
I agree with Wanderer, “chop their heads off in public!!”
May be we should do it in a more “humane” manner, use C4 to blow their bodies into ashes!
Basically YB is saying that even if regardless Eurocopter deal is off, the PAC hearing ought to continue to enquire & identify irregularities or oversights, to ensure the integrity of the Defence Ministry and RMAF are intact.
No this is not going to happen!
Reason : This is because they will say that objective of PAC is to enquire and investigate when the deal is on and not off.
By its terms of reference, it differs from other parliamentary select committees in the sense that its role is to investigate public spending and whether that particular intended public spending of RM2.3 billion for 12 Cougar EC725 Eurocopter complies with the legislature’s intentions and expected standards, and also whether value for money will be obtained.
Its role is not to question the Executive’s wisdom of the underlying policy and rationale behind that public spending and why letter of intent was given to a particular favoured party over the rest of competitors….
This means that if the public spending were called off and deferred, there’s no need for the PAC hearing just now because there is no public spending on the table.
Now such a committee is not called “Public Accounts” committee for nothing! No public spending, no public accounts involved, therefore no PAC hearing. It is as simple as that.
If one wants to question “larger issues involving national integrity and proper billion-ringgit defence procurement process”, then the proper parliamentary select committee for integrity issues is the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity.
Remember this select committee on integrity called on ACA director-general Zulkipli Mat Noor and whistleblower Mohamad Ramli Manan to appear before it in an enquiry on the explosive allegations by the whistleblower on the ex ACA chief?
Well the outcome – both didn’t attend, and even Dompok resigned as chairperson owing to conflicting pressures… :)
The problem is these parliamentary select committees, whether on Public Accounts or Integrity or National Unity were established in the hey days when Pak Lah had in the 2004 11th GE won 92% parliamentary majority and wanted to “show case” some kind of 1st World Parliamentary practice.
But how could 1st World Parliamentary practice reconcile and co-exist alongside with 3rd world feudal practice of piratising public assets for private gains, without hypocrisy?
Surely cannot lah, so best practices were not to be.
I would imagine if best practices were to be followed then the following should be true for all parliament select committees, whether in respect of Public Accounts or Integrity or National Unity or any other subjects eg ISA, Media freedom etc to be formed as exigencies arise:-
· the Select Committees should be chaired by an Opposition senior leader, and composition of govt to opposition should be 60% to 40% or at least their ratio in Parliament’s Lower house;
· its not good enough that reports be made to Parliament but committees’ deliberations as well should be opened to public just as Parliament’s sessions are so opened;
· the committees must have usual powers of Royal Commission of Enquiry to subpoena, take evidence on oath and grant immunity for testimony;
· the committees can draw on outside professional or private sector for input on relevant issues in hearings pertinent to their experience and knowledge;
· if 1/3 MPs in Parliament Lower House call for a seating of such a committee to sit, then it shall so sit. If 1/3 MPs request for formation of select committees for issues like ISA or Media Freedom, then the government/ruling party should allow such formation;
· the broad frame of reference will be broadly laid diown by Parliament but specific terms of reference regarding duration of hearing, number of sitings, who to call etc will be determined by committee members themselves.
· the operation of one committee will not be entirely separated from others but cordinated Hence on 12 Cougar EC725 Eurocopter deal, select committee on Inegrity could look at integrity aspects whilst Public Accounts Committee, the public expenditure and other financial or account aspects, they then cordinate their findings for report to Parliament.
These are just some thoughts as they occur to me, They are no means exhaustive.
Oops sorry, reposting…..
Seriously, are we really aware of how bad the financial crisis situation is right now??? Here is part of a report in the Sydney Morning Herald today:
“In September we were agog at giant financial houses falling like dominos. That is old news. Now it’s economies, not companies, that are freezing up. The entire euro zone, the currency union of 15 advanced economies, is about to go into recession. So is the US, and Japan, our biggest export market, and Korea.
At the International Monetary Fund, countries are lining up for rescue packages, including Austria, Hungary, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Serbia and Pakistan. In Argentina, the Government is raiding the pension funds to find cash.”
And here in this country, they are talking up the situation as if it is only a slight hiccup, nothing to worry about. Seriously, I ask you again, do we really know how dire the whole situation is and yet the government is doing bugger all!!!
The PAC committee investigation should go on.
However, the govt after realising that with the investigation a lot of scum will surface and then they suddenly made about turn to push off the deal. They must have realised that a lot of procedures were not followed then in the original deal.
I agree – the PAC investigation should go ahead regardless. As the report stated, this deal at the Intent stage and it is for the PAC to investigate how it arrived here, bearing in mind the allegations made by one of the tenderers.
I agree the PAC should convene to examine 2 aspects:
1.The decision-making process in MINDEF and why the RM1.2bil has been added to the contract.
2.These EUROs were planned to replace the Nuris that used to fall out of the skies at regular intervals – what is the status of those Nuris?
http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2008/10/eurocopter-down-malaysiakini-yet-to.html
Hangseng tumbling down almost 15% and up abit on closing at 11016 mark.
New Zealand singapure and Malaysia on holiday.
crude oil trading at electonic counter lower at current price 62.14 usd and will move further down due to global recession.equity worldwide all tumbling downward.
For All Malaysian saving for bad time ahead anticipated.
They want to call off the deal just to avoid further embarrassment. The gomen if they are sincere and honest and has nothing to hide should allow the PAC to continue, even BPR should immediately act on the report made by the Angkatan Muda Pakatan and investigate without fear or favor.
If the investigation do not proceed, something not proper or some hidden agenda seemed to be in place. Minister has nothing to worry, maybe he was wrongly brief by the RMAF or his civilian staff, though he is accountable but we need to identify the culprits as to why they short cut certain processes and procedures. As claimed by the ministry KSU that RMAF has the expertise, is it true? He has to substantiate on what was mentioned in his press release. Reason as too many NURI crashes as to justify of the new procurement on the double quick time is unacceptable. Are you telling people that new aircraft will not crash? Hei, boss new or ageing if the helicopter is going to crash it will crash. Get the RMAF to come out with a proper analysis of the Helicopter accident/incident, don’t give a hush, hush report, open them to the Parliament select committee, if you blame dead pilot, let me remind you that dead man tell no tales.Detail report must be obtained on the expenditure of the NURIs Maintainence every year and who gets to do it. If we want to play a major part as MRO in this region, we must be prepared to show our capability and credibility and rightly said by YB Kit, the integrity of the Defence Ministry and RMAF must be intact.
We may also want to look how far we have progress in the business of aviation industry ever since we privatize and contractorize the maintainence of RMAF assets. Has our readiness state improves? Defence ministry and RMAF must answer if not why?. We want a straight and transparent answers and commitment not excuses . But at the end of the day the Malaysians at large are still bewildered the need of this couger, so sophisticated? And only 12, just to be ready for flypast!!! that is what RMAF is good for. Any takers out there?
YB Kit, press on, the Couger oh Eurocopter! What actually RMAF is trying to prove? or where is the hidden hand?
Yes YB Lim press for inquiry either on or off.
We can have PAC, ACA and Police reports on malpractices but in the end it is always the same. No ation. Just findings with no result. So far we have not even seen a junior minister of BN being prosecuted, do we expect to see the No 1 and 2 of UMNO being prosecuted? High hopes!!!
As long as you are a member of BN, you are the untouchables. No wonder you will see that MCA, Gerakan and MIC will not break away from BN for this is the type of protection they will need. The moment they break away, all protection will be gone. They will find ACA and police knocking on their doors.
We can dream on for PAC to give us the true findings. If PR is the ruling govt, then it will be a different scene. No wonder BN/UMNO is going all out to continue to stay as the ruling party in Bolehland. They have too many skeletons to hide.
Uncle Lim, it is quite obvious that the government is going to ignore your calls for investigations into the helicopter deal like it has done to other questionable deals. PAC or no PAC.
By all means keep up the pressure but collate all the misdeeds in a web page with a prominently displayed link to this site. This will keep your readers up to date about the many misdeeds that have taken place over the years.
Also, keep them updated from time to time, of any action that has been taken.
On top of that inform the prople of the benefits, in terms of the improvements that could have taken place if the money has been properly used in the interests of the people.
Spread the news as widely as possible, especially in the rural Malay areas. This will counter the government propaganda in these areas.
In a time of financial crisis, it is best to save and spend only on necessary stuff. If you guillotine the criminals, then who will pay back the money stolen ?
ala….kepala pac tu orang orang aku jugak. bila aku ada untung aku bagi la dia sikit..aku minta dia tutup sebelah mata lah dengan duit aku yang banyak itu…
POLITIK WANG DALAM UMNO
Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at October 24, 2008 5:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (412) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog
1. Saya mendapat banyak laporan berkenaan dengan politik wang dalam UMNO. Demikianlah keadaan sehingga Dato Seri Dr Rais Yatim mencadang secara sinis supaya jawatan-jawatan Majlis Tertinggi ditender. Dato Seri Shahidan Kassim amat marah dan akan tender sebanyak RM1 untuk Rais. Bila makan cili rasa pedas.
2. Saya diberi tahu wang banyak digunakan. Dahulu cuma ketua pemuda bahagian sahaja dapat. Ini menyebabkan pemegang jawatan lain dalam pergerakan enggan bekerjasama. Sekarang semua mendapat sogokan dan hasilnya amat memuaskan bagi penyogok.
3. Ketua-ketua Bahagian dan ahli jawatankuasa juga dijemput ke Kuala Lumpur untuk berjumpa orang tertentu. Mereka di arah supaya mencalonkan orang-orang tertentu untuk Timbalan Presiden, Naib Presiden dan ahli Majlis Tertinggi. Juga pencalonan Ketua Pemuda. Berkesan atau tidak akan kita lihat daripada pencalonan yang dibuat.
4. Tetapi cawangan dan ahli biasa pun sudah pandai. Mereka menawarkan sokongan mereka jika sekian-sekian banyak dihulur.
5. Mereka yang menang boleh jadi Yang Berhormat, ahli Exco, Menteri, Timbalan Menteri, Setiausaha Parlimen, pengerusi syarikat-syarikat Kerajaan dan juga dapat kontrak berjuta Ringgit.
6. Ahli biasa yang memberi sokongan dengan undi mereka dapat apa? Dengan kesedaran akan soal ini maka penyokong dan pengundi pula berpendapat mereka juga harus dapat nikmat daripada pemberian undi mereka. Maka mereka akan menunggu sogokan sebelum memberi undi mereka.
7. Amalan rasuah dalam UMNO di semua peringkat sudah menjadi buah mulut orang ramai. Mereka jelek dan muak dengan UMNO, orang UMNO dan pemimpin UMNO. Perasaan benci kepada UMNO sebagai parti yang tidak bermoral merebak ke merata-rata tempat.
8. Orang ramai melihat UMNO sebagai parti pimpinan orang-orang yang berkepentingan diri semata-mata. Dari cawangan sehinggalah kepada pucuk pimpinan yang diutamakan ialah jawatan dan peluang memain kuasa dan buat duit apabila memegang jawatan.
9. Dalam pilihanraya umum 2004, rakyat memberi sokongan padu kepada BN. Ini adalah kerana rakyat percaya benar yang kepimpinan baru UMNO dan Barisan Nasional akan menjadi lebih baik daripada yang terdahulu.
10. Antara 2004 dengan 2008 mereka dapat lihat pemerintahan Abdullah dengan rasuah yang berleluasa dan keruntuhan ekonomi. Mereka juga lihat peranan yang dimainkan oleh keluarganya dan kroni mereka dan juga sikap ahli-ahli kabinet. Apa yang mereka lihat meyakinkan mereka bahawa pemerintahan ini tidak baik. Hasilnya ialah keputusan pilihanraya ke-12.
11. Mereka kecewa bahawa Abdullah bukan sahaja tidak membetulkan keadaan tetapi sebaliknya menafikan kekalahan dan penolakan oleh pengundi, termasuk yang terdiri daripada ahli-ahli dan penyokong UMNO dan lain-lain parti komponen.
12. Saya percaya orang ramai amat kecewa melihat mainan wang dalam UMNO sekarang. Wang akan mengalir dengan banyak dan laju semasa dan selepas pencalonan. Rumah terbuka oleh kementerian sedang diadakan dengan menggunakan duit Kementerian. Semasa rumah terbuka kempen untuk pencalonan diadakan.
13. Menjelang pemilihan bulan Mac 2009 lebih banyak lagi acara dan sogokan boleh diadakan. Kemuncak akan tiba apabila wakil ke Mesyuarat Agong tiba di Kuala Lumpur untuk bersidang.
14. Kata orang melihat kepada jawatan-jawatan yang dipertandingkan tiap seorang wakil boleh dapat hingga RM20,000.
15. Ada yang berpendapat tidak apa menerima sogokan tetapi tidak semestinya mengundi penyogok. Jangan percaya iman penerima begitu kuat sehingga tidak merasa terhutang budi. Lagipun duit yang diterima adalah duit haram. Yang menerima akan menanggung dosa.
16. Terimalah. Pedulikan jika semua orang tahu. Apa salahnya. Dosa, dosalah. Tetapi seperti disebut di atas apabila pengundi pilihanraya umum sudah benci dan bosan dengan UMNO mereka akan undi parti lawan untuk kalahkan UMNO. Selepas kalah tidak ada lagi jawatan Perdana Menteri, Menteri dan lain-lain. Tidak akan ada lagi kontrak, AP dan lesen.Tidak akan ada lagi nikmat! Semua pihak akan merana, akan dihina oleh orang. Dan UMNO akan habis riwayatnya. Mereka yang betul-betul sayang kepada UMNO akan kutuk pemimpin dan ahli UMNO.
17. Inilah akhirnya musibah yang akan diterima kerana tamak, kerana rasuah di kalangan pemimpin dan ahli UMNO.
Again, to side track, the current economy tsunami will cause many tens of thousands of Malaysians to become jobless by early next year!
One of the greatest hit sectors will be our manufacturing (mainly electronic) industry. All our main export markets like the USA, EU countries, Japan, Singapore are in deep recession. They will not buy the luxury electronic goods Malaysia is exporting now. Most of the MNC companies in Malaysia make high-end products like LCD TVs, high-end audio/visual products, etc. Lower-end electronic products have already moved to China and Vietnam a few years ago. When our end clients are not buying homes, they will definitely not buying the electronic goods too.
When Malaysians become jobless and when their stomachs are hungry too, they will become very angry people.
We will start to feel great pinch and pain starting early next year since MNCs in Malaysia is still now busy producing orders that we received months ago.
The 1997 Currency Crisis that Malaysia went through would be peanuts when compare to current one. During the currency crisis in ’97, all our exporting markets were doing fine. This round all our main trading partners are in deep shits, so Malaysia will be in deep shits too if the Government is not doing the right things from now!
PAC is made up off members of both side of the house.
From DAP, Tan Seng Giaw and Tony Pua.
If as reported in Malaysia Insider that the government has cancelled the deal in purchasing RM2.3 billion 12 Cougar EC725 helicopters, don’t you think the PAC will be directed to call off the inquiry since it is no more an issue though the purported purchase smacks of dubious and questionable undertakings. Remember the chairman of the PAC is an UMNO man irrespective of whether the committee comprises members from PR MPs. He is duty-bound to take orders from his bosses despite the committee being so-called independent. So there is a distinct possibility that the inquiry will not see the light of day much to the dismay and indignation of many concerned quarters. Your guess will be as good as mine!
How many were bidding for such project? Was the bidding transparent?
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aGwXKvp1yE8o&refer=japan
Will the PAC probe continue? Nah, they will drop it. If allowed to continue, those VVIPs have too much to lose in the UMNO election just round the corner.
The decision to cut out the EC725 military helicopter contract in the light of the slowing economy is just an excuse, as if we believe they care?!
Who investigates PAC??
Parliament execises oversight over PAC that in turn exercises oversight on govt’s expenditures to mitigate corruption.
Though in this sense PAC is an important institution, acting as ombudsman, the extent to which overall problem of political corruption may be mitigated depends on wider issues and impact f actors, eg whether there’s strong element of ethics or lack thereof in political and wider societal culture, whether there are strong disincentives to corruption by virtue of govt ministers being paid well as in Singapore, other strong ‘watch dog’ institutions are firmly in place such as an aggressive and independent ACA/AG’s departrtment, independent press, strong, vigilant and vociferous Opposition in Parliament and civil society & NGO groups to scrutinise, and ultimately an independent judiciary to adjudicate.
Without these other watchdog props exerting pressure in combination to check corruption, PAC’s role alone would be ineffective.
For one thing our PAC should not be chaired by BN MP but should be by a senior Opposition MP.
For PAC to be effective, its oversight has to be involved in the government’s planning stage determining how much to spend and who the contract should be given to before any major public expediture is committed.
It is not case here. The planning stage is shrouded in secrecy; it is protected by the Official Secrets Act : especially on matters pertaining to military procurement and national defence.
Only after letter of intent has been issued or even acquisition agreement signed (as in Maybank’s acqusition of BII), then only PAC comes in (if there were a public furore) – closing the barn door after horses have bolted, so to speak.
Even then – as in Cougar EC725 Eurocopter case – the Executive could just shelve defer or abrogate the deal whether or not really for reasons of “falling revenues from crude oil and palm oil and slowing economic growth for the next few years”, and that will be end of the scrutiny.
As I said, the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has no more oversight role when public acounts and expeditures – per the PAC’s main terms of reference – are no more involved or o9n the table, as when the government withdraws or rescinds the deal.
The PAC’s BN chairman has this excuse to call off the enquiry.
“EUROCOPTER DEAL STILL ON”
PETALING JAYA: Negotiations to purchase 12 Eurocopter helicopters for the RMAF are still on, sources said. When contacted yesterday, a source said high-level officials of the Defence Ministry had not received any instruction from the Government to cancel the programme.
——————————————————————-
The above is quoted and taken from Page 3 of THE STAR newspaper today (Tuesday, 28 October 2008). We wonder what is going on now. Is the deal ON or OFF? We need clarification from the authorities. Is this a case of indecisiveness again? Does the PAC know anything of it?
In the past it was easy to use the printed media to cow the people, now with email, it won’t be that easy; hence the blog should be used to question all unacceptable projects which are obviously inflated to enslave the Malaysian people as a whole! From now on, i believe many grandeur projects like lop-sided IPPS, LRTs and so forth would be questioned thoroughly by everyone. Of course, such questioning is not meant to prevent development but to ensure proper processes have been followed.
Who is going to drop a deal worth billions in commission? You think bijan is so stupid?
Jeffrey:
What you are saying is that the PAC is a reactive, and not a proactive or preventive, body. Whilst I agree with you that this will be used as an excuse in not proceeding with a hearing, the rakyat will see that as what it is – a pure excuse, and certainly not within the spirit of transparency, accountability and integrity that the Barang Naik coalition has promised.
The PAC should be proactive so that public expenditure is not incurred unncessarily or imprudently. If the excuse is that the trigger for investigation is only AFTER expenditure has been incurred, then it is too late. Mind you, there may not be any wrongdoing – although this case smells to high heaven – and the PAC should act to stop the stupidity or the carelessness of the people involved in spending public funds.
In any case, this discussion may be moot in that the Defence Ministry now says that the deal will proceed.
The PAC should be proactive so that public expenditure is not incurred unncessarily or imprudently.- Godfather
You’re absolutely right!
But does the PAC have any power to force anyone, especially the senior officials like the PM etc to be placed under cross examination? I don’t think so.
Also, as have been posted, PAC only comes into the picture after the act has been done – by then it will be far too late and the effectiveness of PAC is completely nullified!
All these oversight committees are just white-wash, that’s just what they are.
Just look at the toll and IPP agreements which were signed under great secrecy and when the public plied pressure on the government, it talked about renegotiating the deals. Which is completely stupid.
That caused those successful in the bidding to accuse the government of reneging on the deals and they are right!
The government looks stupid in the eyes of the privatised companies as well as the public! But then being stupid is the order of the day! Perhaps stupidity pays!!
In the end, nothing is done and we all suffer!
Accountability accounts for what has already taken place. So PAC cannot prevent expenditure. It has done its best if the government has decided not to incure in the excessive expenditure. Yes it was interesting to examine what they have in mind. But we have known about it all along.
Godfather, someone here obviously just want to show is legal and intellectual prowess. I think you have to tell him that politics is not court of law or pure black and white. We are fighting a losing battle at almost every front, and yet we have this nincompoop who would continue with his half baked cock almost everyday.
the high speed broadband contract rm 11.3 billion to TM bhd sound ok since TM is GLC but how TM subcontract the job need investigation and scrutiny . TM ‘s have the habit of calling international company to do their job eventhough the local company
is available . the board only watching since the chairman of TM t s radzi is the brother in law of AAB.
limkaput,
I thought you are a self-confessed nincompoop?? Don’t blame posters if they agree with you! So far I have not visited your blog because it is after all that of a self-confessed nincompoop. Don’t have time to trade views with a self-confessed nincompoop. Sorry.
Undergrad2:
I think Limkamput was referring to another loyar, not you.