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Dissecting the ETP Annual Report (Part 2): The mystery of the disappearing entry point projects

— Ong Kian Ming and Teh Chi-Chang
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 07, 2012

JUNE 7 — The investments enigma. PEMANDU in its Annual Report claims that investments by the private sector were well above target last year. The headline claim may not withstand scrutiny though. Very large entry point projects (EPPs) appear to have faltered. We highlight just three examples here. If they had indeed faltered, which projects stepped up and more than filled their large shoes?

The shifting sands of LFoundry. PEMANDU gave itself full marks for the completion of construction of this 200mm wafer fab. However, very strangely, elsewhere in the Annual Report, a much less significant RM100 million equipment refurbishment project was showcased instead of this RM1.9 billion fab. The uncharacteristic modesty by PEMANDU led us to do some digging, which suggests that this lab might never have been constructed at all, contrary to PEMANDU’s claim.

What happened to Damansara City 2 and Marina Island Pangkor? These two EPPs announced last year were perhaps the most important in the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley and Tourism NKEAs. But the ETP Annual Report omits any mention of them, focusing instead on modest “heritage trails” in Kuala Lumpur, and Penang, Klang and Kota Kinabalu as the three ports with the most tourism potential.

PEMANDU’s chimera of perfection. Glossing over issues merely results in a growing gap between reality and delusions of grandeur, and the facade will ultimately come crashing down. Rather than prolonging the charade of infallibility, PEMANDU should be frank and confess to problems, and state the remedial steps it took. This may well help others avoid making similar mistakes and adds much more value to Malaysians. Continue reading “Dissecting the ETP Annual Report (Part 2): The mystery of the disappearing entry point projects”

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Umno and the reasonable Malay

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 07, 2012

JUNE 7 — The reasonable Malay doesn’t ride the Clapham Omnibus. He gets around on the LRT or the successor to Sri Jaya buses. He travels in his beat-up Proton. But he reads in between the lines. He knows the BS from the mainstream media. The reasonable Malay now reads Harakah, Roket and PKR news.

Why does the PM and Umno president procrastinate in naming an election date? He’s enjoying a good personal rating. Umno is flushed with cash. He says he feels like meeting HRH the Yang di-Pertuan Agong immediately on seeing the “huge crowd” assembled at Stadium Bukit Jalil. I hope he didn’t ask the minister of misinformation to do a headcount for that occasion. Are all lawyers bad at counting or is it Rais alone?

So why does he not name a date? He is the longest-serving PM without his own mandate. And if we were to go by the logic of the ex-MIC leader who says he will contest against Palanivel, then, Najib can also be described as an illegal government leader. Yes, he actually said that because Palanivel had the MIC presidentship handed to him and not ELECTED, so Palanivel is an illegal party president. He says he has support from thousands and thousands of MIC members just like the Umno president. Continue reading “Umno and the reasonable Malay”

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Penang CM accuses The Star of ‘media lynching’

By Lisa J. Ariffin
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 07, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today accused The Star of “media lynching” after the English daily ran two front-page stories highlighting Penang’s soaring property prices and uncontrolled hillside development.

“Whilst no one disputes the rising property prices in Penang, why is it that a similar rise in property prices in [Barisan Nasional]-controlled states such as Johor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur has gone unnoticed and not given front-page treatment by the Star?” Lim asked today in a press statement.

Lim was responding to The Star’s front-page story today, which reported Penang residential property prices as soaring by more than 25 per cent over the last five years.

He also “unreservedly condemn the Star for false reporting against Penang yesterday with its sensational headline of ‘The Dying Hills’”, which was the title of a report criticising the state government for environmental damages and uneven spread of construction.

“The hills in Penang are not dying because the present Penang PR state government has not approved a single project above 250 feet,” Lim explained, adding the state “has the most stringent guidelines for hill slope safety development in the country”.

“Why, then, did the Star not highlight that other BN states allows development on hills above the height of 250 feet?” he asked. Continue reading “Penang CM accuses The Star of ‘media lynching’”

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Kalau banyak melakukan kesalahan, memang liat hendak melepaskan kuasa

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 07, 2012

7 JUN — Hari demi hari undang-undang ketat yang menghantui rakyat semakin jelas dengan hampirnya pilihanraya umum ke-13 ini. Nampaknya kartun tidak boleh digunakan dalam pilihanraya ini, itu kata Timbalan Pengerusi SPRM. Dr Mahathir pula meminta kebebasan Internet disekat dan seperti biasa Rais Yatim dengan pantas “merawikan” kata-kata Dr Mahathir itu.

Tetapi cerita tentang pengundi haram yang didaftarkan di dalam senarai pengundi tidak juga diselesaikan oleh SPRM. Pihak berkuasa dan pemimpinnya asyik mentelaah bagaimana hendak sekat pihak pembangkang, tetapi kerja dan tanggungjawabnya untuk membersihkan senarai pengundi yang merupakan asas demokrasi itu sampai ke hari ini tidak diendahkan.

Saya dan ramai lagi telah bercakap dan bertanya kenapa kali ini sudah mula timbulnya unsur-unsur menekan seolah-olah ianya membayangkan bahawa BN tidak mahu menerima keputusan PRU jika rakyat menolaknya. Dengan penekanan ini maka jelas yang sebenarnya yang akan mewujudkan huru-hara selepas pilihanraya nanti ialah pihak BN.

Zunar, kartunis begitu berang dengan kecenderungan kartun digunakan oleh sesetengah pihak sebagai alat kempen dalam pilihanraya nanti. Zunar akan tetap melukis kartunnya dan tidak ada apa-apa pun boleh menghalang beliau melukis kartun yang menjadi bidang kegemaran dan profesionalisma nya.

Jika seruan Mahathir untuk melakukan sekatan terhadap Internet sebagai alat penyampai maklumat bagi pihak pembangkang elok kita bertanya, bagaimana pembangkang hendak menyampaikan mesejnya kepada rakyat? Kerajaan buat apa lagi kepada pembangkang? Segala-galanya hendak disekat.

Kalau takut sangat dengan kebangkitan maklumat untuk rakyat, kenapa masih hendak menjadi kerajaan? Continue reading “Kalau banyak melakukan kesalahan, memang liat hendak melepaskan kuasa”

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Rais’ taunting of Bersih 3.0 participants at launching of 1Malaysia moral guide most unwarranted and in very poor taste especially when BN leaders are themselves most lacking in moral values

The Minister of Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim’s taunting of Bersih 3.0 participants at the launching of his Ministry’s 1Malaysia moral guide today is most unwarranted and in very poor taste especially when Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders are themselves most lacking in moral values.

In making derogatory references to the Bersih 3.0 participants on April 28 when launching his Ministry’s book, ‘Penyerlahan Amalan Nilai-Nilai Murni 1Malaysia’ (Highlighting 1Malaysia’s Values), Rais has greatly offended the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, class, region, age or gender who gathered peacefully in Kuala Lumpur on April 28 as one Malaysian people and united in one common national cause for a clean election.

Up to now, neither Rais nor any UMNO/Barisan Nasional leader including the Prime Minister has recognized or acknowledged that Bersih 3.0 was a historic and memorable national event with hundreds of thousands of Malaysians showing great patriotism and national unity, acting selflessly for the sake of the nation and future generations of Malaysians!

True, the Bersih 3.0 of April 28 was marred by incidents of violence and brutality, and all Malaysians want to know what went wrong after 3 pm that day to spoil the great unifying and peaceful carnival spirit which gave true expression to the spirit of 1Malaysia – and this is why Malaysians want a credible, independent and impartial inquiry on Bersih 3.0 like the Suhakam inquiry and not a biased and a compromised inquiry like the Hanif Omar panel. Continue reading “Rais’ taunting of Bersih 3.0 participants at launching of 1Malaysia moral guide most unwarranted and in very poor taste especially when BN leaders are themselves most lacking in moral values”

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PEMANDU lacks transparency over ‘disappearing’ projects, says think-tank

By Lee Wei Lian
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 07, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — PEMANDU’s insistence on presenting an image of “perfection” and not disclosing issues and problems related to its Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) projects could backfire later, said the Research for Social Advancement (REFSA) think-tank today.

In its latest critique of Putrajaya’s efficiency agency, the opposition-linked think-tank questioned PEMANDU’s alleged failure to be upfront with problems and progress related to three projects — the LFoundry wafer fabrication (wafer fab) plant in Kedah, Damansara City 2 in KL and the Marina Island Pangkor’s Extension.

REFSA pointed out in a report today that LFoundry had declared itself insolvent in Germany and that it was not listed as a tenant in Kulim Hi-Tech Park where the wafer fab was supposed to be built and yet PEMANDU had in its annual report for last year declared the project 100 per cent completed.

The report, which was titled “Dissecting the ETP Annual Report: Part 2 — The mystery of the disappearing entry point projects (EPPs)”, also noted that there was no mention of any progress on Damansara City 2 despite the project being one of the largest related to KL and also no information on progress on the Marina Island Pangkor Extension. Continue reading “PEMANDU lacks transparency over ‘disappearing’ projects, says think-tank”

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Home ministry withholds its Bersih 3.0 clip

Malaysiakini
Jun 6, 2012

The home ministry has confirmed that it is withholding its video clip on the Bersih 3.0 rally violence, a move which have initially drew scorn from civil society.

In a press release today, the ministry said the video will not be released until after the ministry appointed panel investigate all the footages which they have been furnished with.

“The independent panel should be given adequate space and time to assess each video,” read the statement.

In addition, the ministry said it would acknowledge all views and advice from the panel, which will meet on Monday. Continue reading “Home ministry withholds its Bersih 3.0 clip”