Finally, the proposed High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Brickendonbury outside London, originally slated to cost RM490 million but later scaled down and projected to cost RM70 million, has been laid to rest.
The reasons given by the new Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob scrapping the HPTC project is exactly what critics and opponents of the project had said both in and out of Parliament – that it is an extravagant and unnecessary expenditure which had nothing to do with raising the standards of Malaysian sports!
A special tribute must be given to crusading journalists like R. Nadeswaran of The Sun who had persevered in their high-quality investigative journalism under the most difficult of circumstances to expose the series of lies, half-truths and misinformation which proponents of the project had been spinning in the country in support of the folly.
Although Ismail said he was checking on the amount incurred on consultants, travel and other expenses in pursuing the project, giving an undertaking that they will be made public, it is most extraordinary that the new Sports Minister has difficulty in getting the latest update of the total expenditures incurred in the project.
There is no reason why Ismail could not have got these figures as he had been appointed Sports Minister for more than four weeks, with three intervening Cabinet meetings. Furthermore, there is only a change of a Minister and no change of government with consequential disappearance of files, as happened in some of the states where the Barisan Nasional had lost state power in the March 8 politicial tsunami.
The end of the HTPC folly is one direct consequence of the March 8 political tsunami, removing not only the Barisan Nasional’s two-thirds parliamentary majority and control in five state governments but also its “high-and-mighty” attitude that it could do no wrong and could do what it liked with its electoral mandate from the people.
There should be a public inquiry into the folly of the RM70 million HPTC in Brickendonbury outside London as an object lesson to all Ministers, MPs and civil servants on the do’s and don’ts if the government is serious about accountability, transparency and good governance – to establish how many millions of ringgit have actually been wasted and misspent as well as to pin down the lies, half-truths and misinformation which had been spouted in the past two years by government officials and committees – representing one of the worst examples of bad governance of the Abdullah premiership.
“We are not China, where we can pass graft law”
Read what CHINA govt. did to graft offender.
SHANGHAI (AFP) – – Former Shanghai Communist Party boss Chen Liangyu was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday, state press said, the most senior Chinese official to be convicted of graft in over a decade.
I Am: A Man A Woman Looking for: A Woman A Man Chen, 61, was sentenced by a court in the northern city of Tianjin after being convicted of taking bribes and abusing his power, Xinhua news agency said.
He was tried last month in a scandal that shook national politics when it emerged in mid-2006 that hundreds of millions of dollars from Shanghai’s pension fund had been illegally siphoned off.
Last month, the State Audit Office revealed figures that put the amount of stolen cash at 33.9 billion yuan (4.8 billion dollars), 10 times more than the original estimate of 480 million dollars.
The state has already handed down tough convictions to up to 20 officials and businessmen involved in the theft of the pension funds, including one suspended death sentence and several life imprisonments.
Chen had been charged with abuse of power in connection with the pension fund scandal, as well as accepting 2.39 million yuan (342,000 dollars), some of which was given to his wife and son, earlier press reports said.
State press said that charges of dereliction of duty were dropped against him in Friday’s decision.
During his one-day trial, Chen admitted he was “partially responsible” for the pilfering but did not plead guilty, according to previous state media reports.
Chen’s case is the biggest corruption scandal to hit the Chinese government since former Beijing mayor Chen Xitong was removed from his post in 1995 and sentenced to 16 years in jail.
Chen was charged with corruption in 2006 when he was a member of the ruling Communist Party politburo, a grouping of about 20 or so of China’s most powerful politicians.
The Tainjin court refused to comment on Chen’s case when contacted by AFP on Friday.
Are PR ready or bold enough to file a case against them “Azalina & Pak Lah gangs”? There’s a saying Tun Dr. Mahathir is Rafidah godfather, whereas Pak Lah is Azalina godfather.
Using part of that money to pay for the salary of our national football team is more meaningful. The international ranking of our national football team is plunging to 170 and is still going South. The reason? No money incentive to play and they are making it hard to even earn a decent living!
Thank God that our national football team is still in the ranking even though it is at 170!!! and not out of the ranking all together!!!time will tell how far will we go down south!!!
RM 17 million down the tubes. To the UMNOputras, this amount probably means nothing, but to the poor, it could support hundreds of families for a long long time.
No shame, no accountability, no values – that’s BN.
“We are not in the business of cheating the people.” AAB, 2005
Anyone know what happen to the investigation of missing document and files when opposition took office in Selangor, Kedah and Pulau Pinang? Still no news? Hope it’s not cover-up as well.
Hahaha…. maybe they burned all the books too?
The RM17m is meant for some sporting event to be held in Malaysia this year and not directly related to the BrickEnd project.
But it should be interesting to see the breakdown of the loss for this hare-brained scheme in terms of which minister/s went where and where they stayed for the “study tours”.
I would guess at least RM5m lost.
http://malaysiawatch3.blogspot.com/2008/04/dropping-brick-on-brickendonbury-sports.html
Who started it in the first place…that should be the question. As usual, nobody is ever responsible for losses/scandal/corruption/abuses of power/racism in BN. The same minister (& we all know who) should not be in the cabinet…but there you go, Malaysia Boleh…
oh ya, remember previous sports minister also came out with a brilliant idea to build a race track for all mat rempits…
To side track, a few years back I was told the Government spent hundreds of millions of dollars to buy the no-man-land in order to build KLIA. The money that spent were many times the actual market value at that time.
I am sure there are hundreds of PKFZs in Malaysia. PR really needs to work extreme hard to dig out all the scandals!
YB LIM.
Azalina and her Godfather Abdullah Badawi should be made to pay back to all Malaysian all cost incur.
The government of Malaysia seems to have NO SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AT.
This again is clearly a breach of trust . Just because it is the publics’ monies, it doesnot give them the right to spent and spent.
Btw, has the mystery of the imported indelible ink that was imported parellel from India been solved ?
Has anyone been charged for treason against the Country ?
AZALINA will probably proposed that it be reconstructed with all the icons of malaysia within the walls of brick endon bury.
batik factory, congkak display, mahjong contest , empat ekor, toto, and abc. air batu campur.
From a prudent spending view, the HPTC is super-extravagant, and a complete wate of money when there are hundreds of cheaper alternatives that will do the same or better job!
YB Kit, Keep demanding for the detail breakdown of all the expenses spent so far. I agree there is NO EXCUSE for not knowing the numbers. When the numbers cannot be provided, the Malaysian Rakyat MUST ASSUME THE WORST, i.e the bulk has been siphoned off to enrich the cronies via closed tender, exhorbitant prices, etc.
At the same time, the PKFZ to the tune of $4.6 Billion is a far bigger number. This one has more impact on taxpayors, and mustn’t be let up. Good job, and keep at it! You have the entire nation’s taxpayers support!
The other mega-project – the 23,000 civil staff quarters to the tune of $5.8 Billion is another major concern to Tax Payers! Initial estimates put the excess costs at 2/3rds of the $5.8 Billion, i.e Rakyat is unnecessarily paying nearly $4 Billion extra! Also, chances are good the Budget will overblow to $7.4 Billion or more, as less than half the units have already consumed more than half the Budget. Again, the suspicion of cronies benefiting from closed tender is very, very high … Please continue to fight on Rakyat’s behalf for greater transparency and prudent government spending.
My deep and sincere thanks YB!
Old Observer.
Pak Lah is a big spender at all time.
No wonder his gang really likes him.
Be it project or corruption, all figures runs into millions.
If a local councillor like Zakaria can live like a sultan.
Bet the rest of ministers can live like a king.
Wonder what would happen to the Malaysia, here in 10 to 20 years time?
I was always against Azalina’s London pet project from day one. And it took a transfer of her to another ministry before it could be shelved.
Its obvious now therefore that ONLY A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT will take care of the other problems.
And speaking of local councillors, when are local council elections going to make a comeback? Come on DAP how is the progress so far? We want the details.
Dengan angkuhnya, Mneteri UMNO itu tidak memperludikan apayang telah dilaporkan oleh Sun, beliau teruskan dengan projek-projek yang tidak mungkin berjaya. Umno!-Umno! jaga lagi membazirkan duit-duit cukai rakyat. Itu berdosa betul-betul tu! Tidak bersemangat nak membayar cukai lagi. Sakit hati Rakyat Malaysia. Ini lah satu sebab BN kalah dan tidak lama lagi ia akan terus dihalau keluar dari Gomen.
Sedar lah. Rasanya GADIS INI KINI pula nak batalkan MOU di lima Negeri PR. Tak sedarlagi Menteri gadis ini.
When power gets to their heads, they lost all sight of reality. Why did the AP Kings have to buy helicopters ? Why did the directors of AirAsia splash their money on brandnew Porsches once they got their IPO proceeds ? Why did Reezal Merican have to buy a two-door Bentley ? The simple answer: It wasn’t their money.
If there’s one lesson that is to be learn from the HPTC fiasco is this : –
1) Azalina is a “shopping spree” minister, she will spend the taxpayers’ money in the name of development. Watch out guys, she will do her “shopping spree” again in her portfolio as the Minister of Tourism.
2) Najib just goes “with the flow of the wind”. Najib himself approved and supported the Brickendonbury project in the initial project implementation in 2006. But after the GE political tsunami in March 2008, he make a 360 degree turn by scraping the project. He depends on where is the direction of the wind blow. If the wind blows from the East, he will follow. If the wind blows from the West, he will followed as well. That goes to show he has no stand on the matter, just like Pak Lah.
Sorry, make it 2 lessons learned. ;)
There may not be a necessity for a public inquiry. Looks like UMNO is imploding judging by today’s meeting in JB. The whole cabinet might have to resign en masse.
Soon there could be a Pakatan sports minister who will be screaming “What happened to all the documents relating to the HPTC Project?”
THIS was not a “folly”. It was pure and simple GREED. Some people had cooked up a scheme to spend large amounts of Rakyat’s money, try to justify it and make a huge profit from this venture.
Now you will see some outrageous projects proposed by the tourism ministry: billion ringgit advertising campaign to sell Malaysia?
Ordinary Malaysians has been raped by UMNO and BN in every possible way.
Yes! The whole cabinet must fall. Cabinet can resign meh?? This is “ad naueseam” already.
We must bring them down! Prosecute them to the full extent of the law. What “full extent of the law”? There is no rule of law. There is no independent judiciary. The AG is a stooge. Judges are all corrupt and lawyers cannot be trusted.
Still, we must complete the transformation! Get all of them – everyone of them, and those within PKR and DAP especially and prosecute them to the full extent of the law
R. NADESWARA, has done a lot, but with the supreme power that BN have, nothing that can scare them. It is very for all those in absolute power to hisap our tax payer money. Get into all huge and mega project. Out source to all the cronies and get the cronies to pay then kick back and kick back. This the way for them in power to get rich and richer and richest.
When telling them all are corrupt, they will say show the prove show the proof. What proof you need? If the fact that this project is destiny to fail and it has been very clearly and with full support with interview, meeting and site visit with those people in UK are not enough what else BN what or more correctly UMNO want to proof to stop it immediately.
Please you think it was easy to earn money and to pay our taxes. Most of the common people have working sit hard and pay their in taxes. You people sitting high up there in Power just lost your head and mind, and keep sapu all the Rakyat hard earn money. If the coffer was short you all go all out to hantam people to pay-pay by knocking and kicking at the door to do tax audit etc-etc.
If you people high up in Power is more care and love us on the ground. All are most happy to pay. Can’t you know what have been done is DOSA/Sinful? When you people will come to your senses?
The only mulia and berhormat that I can think of in this and not the only sad ending story of our minister folly was our R. Nadeswara. My salute to you and you keep it up to whack and whack until they come to their senses.
…………There should be a public inquiry into the folly of the RM70 million HPTC in Brickendonbury outside London as an object lesson to all Ministers, MPs and civil servants on the do’s and don’ts if the government is serious about accountability, transparency and good governance – to establish how many millions of ringgit have actually been wasted and misspent as well as to pin down the lies, half-truths and misinformation which had been spouted in the past two years by government officials and committees – representing one of the worst examples of bad governance of the Abdullah premiership……………………………….
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE PARLIAMENTARY SESSIONS LIVE ON TELEVISION
In the past Public Inquiry is a luxury in our political scene. But hopefully with the strong present of the PR MP we hope for the best. Let pray those BN girls and boys weak up on time.
My Apology to Mr. R. Nades for wrongly spell his good name. It should R. Nadeswaran and not R. Nadeswara
YB Lim,
VERY VERY IMPORTANT FOR PAKATAN RAKYAT TO FORM NEW GOVT. With new govt formed then most of these issues can be prevented & solved. No point having 500 or 1000 responses on each topic & getting no where……..BN don’t care at all…..!!!!
Uncle Lim,
PR should, or rather must, do everything in its power to dump the BN government without delay.
We cannot wait until the next GE!
By then, this country will be bankrupt!
But in Malaysia a RM 70 million folly is rewarded with a promotion to the Tourism Ministry where she ( or is it a he?) has already started off with another kind of folly.
“VERY VERY IMPORTANT FOR PAKATAN RAKYAT TO FORM NEW GOVT. With new govt formed then most of these issues can be prevented & solved.” merdeka
You think so? I don’t think so. We definitely will have new problems if UMNO is overthrown by the way of crossovers, we must create a platform for soft landing, once UMNO is defeated, indisputable. One way is to strengthen the five states controlled by PR, good governance will speaks by itself. The result of GE 13 is already quite clear, isn’t it?
Dr. M’s sleepless night
http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/just-wonder-how-you-sleep-at-night-dr-m/
The only party that is going to stop Pakatan Rakyat from being elected as the next government is none other than PAS, if they keep shouting about Islam.
The succession of leadership in UMNO and BN will not have any impact on voters’ determination to elect a new government, be it Ku Li or Najib, neither of them is going to sack all the corrupt members. Even if BN merged as a single multi-racial party, it won’t change the fact that the party is plump with dens of thief. But chances of that happening is one in a million, like a full blown diseases, BN is going bung.
At least Mahathir built Putrajaya, KLIA etc, all visible and tangible, n BN built nothing, intangible stuff. Things like Monsoon Cup, Space tourist, all pointless kindergarden projects.
Now we know where our money had gone to, and getting poorer each day.
Probably the High Performance Training Centre is also meant to house visiting Malaysians to London besides being a training ground for Malaysian sportsmen and sportswomen.
To expect others to be transparent, accountable and carrying out good governance, the top most people have to be the role models first and these are the politicians in power. If one’s job performance depends on arahan and diamanahkan, then you will not find many decent civil servants. They will forever give the excuse that it is the boss who tells them to do so and if they do not do it, they will be seen as not keen to work or stubborn and in the long run, they will lose out. Or they will tell you that Datuk so and so is corrupted, why can’t they ? Another problem is the ACA dares not to go after the big fish. Instead it goes for the small flies. Corruption of RM 300 ringgit. What is that compared to the millions and billions of ringgit corrupted by the top politicians ?
Malaysians all know very well that many of our politicians are corrupted. Technically, you need solid evidence before you can drag them to court. Common sense tells us that it is corruption when we see the big palaces they live in, the luxurious cars they drive in, all the faraway places they go to all the time. If they live on their salary alone, they would not be able to enjoy this sort of comforts.
we are not in the business of cheating the people*
Guys,
Go all out…..support Pakatan Rakyat to form new govt. That is the only way out !!!!!! Whether we push for better or worst nobody knows & only time will tell….so don’t be afraid
TO CHANGE !!!!!!!!
YB Lim,
There is no such thing as “half-truth”. A truth is a truth. Other than that it is a lie. Either one tells the truth or he lies.
Back to HPTC, yeah it will be interesting to know how much of the rakyat’s money has been used so far.
We are having fun arent we? One after another….out in the open…LOrd knows how much more are there to be let out by the out-going-gov (BN). Cis ! ……Azalina dont you anything to say about the HUGE plan you made ? I truly cant take anymore of this sort of unaccountability. Please take over by this JUNE…..I would like to be a Conspirator to Pakatan Rakyat to sink the ruling team and fly our flag in the country ! I can already see the day we the rakyat leaping in JOY ! …………… I am thinking of all those who are tortured under ISA now. May God Help them soon !!! How can the bedebahs who put them there sleep at night ? Are they humans or androids!
lakilompat Says:
Yesterday at 17: 21.43
“We are not China, where we can pass graft law”
Read what CHINA govt. did to graft offender.
SHANGHAI (AFP) – – Former Shanghai Communist Party boss Chen Liangyu was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday, state press said, the most senior Chinese official to be convicted of graft in over a decade.
Dear lakilompat….
Perhaps we should leave PRC out of it as they are hardly a role model in governmental accountability or anti corruption drive.
Perhaps you are unaware of the Chinese political situation. This Shanghai Party Chief is a victim of political war that is going on between Beijing and Shanghai. This is just a trumped up charge to remove him from challenging the party leadership.
Coming back to this half-baked HPTC, I agree this is hardly an inspired idea and a waste of public funds. However as someone who had been following this story in the Sun, I find the whole episode troubling.
I have my high respect for Citizen Nades but somehow I feel he has a blinkered view of the whole thing. The story that had been reported doesn’t seem to add up.
As an ex-national level athlete, I understand the benefits of such centers but I am unconvinced that this HPTC is really needed.
However, unlike what been insinuated by Kit and the rest of the people here, I don’t think there are criminal or corruption elements are involved. At the worse, perhaps the proposers weren’t being smart but I would not accuse them of being crooks.
While Citizen Nades deserves top marks for his doggedness but he also can be highly myopic and often guilty of under-reporting. I have not seen the Sun presenting or analysing the other side of the story (though I must admit I am out of the country often and could have missed it). But Nades’ reportage on this issue had been highly emotional and one sided. It would have been interesting to have a more balanced coverage of the issue.
Anyway it is not too late, Kit can always raise it in the parliment and seek for answers….
PAKATAN RAKYAT , and all PKR, DAP and PAS……..jangan tunggu lagi! Rakyat Malaysia sekarang menghadapi kecemasan. Lama lagi all files missing in thin air, duit rakyat dan negara makin bankrup habis di makan macam shusi/shasimi oleh orang besar-besar di BN. Semua orang pasti sokong pada Pakatan Rakyat untuk menuntut balik keadilan kepada semua kepunyaan rakyat, raja dan negara. Semenjak projek menghantar angkasawan kita ke luar orbit, sudah macam Malaysia dihantar oleh roket ke ruang “Black – Hole”. ASAP!
Got this from HarakahDaily Net so they cannot claimed to be misquoted. http://www.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13825&Itemid=28
Perlu kuasai Pusat untuk laksana hukum hudud, kata Dr Haron Din
Thu | Apr 10, 08 | 10:35:04 am MYT
“Ini bererti bahawa undang-undang hudud perlu patuh kepada Parlembagaan Malaysia, maka dengan sendirinya, jika PAS tidak menguasai Kerajaan Pusat atau Perlembagaan yang ada belum diubah, ia tidak dapat dilaksanakan.
Jika sekiranya negeri mahu melaksanakan undang-undang hudud, ia mesti mendapat persetujuan Kerajaan Persekutuan.
Dengan pemahaman yang mudah, kerajaan-kerajaan negeri PAS, belum diizinkan untuk melaksanakan undang-undang hudud.
Kita perlu bersabar sehingga Kerajaan Pusat dikuasai oleh PAS sehingga Perlembagaan Persekutuan dapat diubah, maka barulah ia menjadi keutamaan. ”
Uncle Kit, as a partner in PR can you enlighten us on this? I hope it will not be swept under the carpet because its going to affect the non-muslims big time if we again vote PR in the next election!
Quote: “dawsheng Says:
The only party that is going to stop Pakatan Rakyat from being elected as the next government is none other than PAS, if they keep shouting about Islam.”
Is PAS now shouting about Islam now in Perak and Selangor I wonder?
Quite wrong. The only party that is going to stop Pakatan Rakyat from forming the next government is DAP if it keeps shouting about being secular. The majority of Malaysians have no problems with an Islamic state and welcome it. This goes to octo61 as well.
Look at DAP (almost 0% Malay support) and look at PAS (growing DIRECT support via its PAS supporters clubs) and tell me who is more likely to be dominant if the government changes?
alistaire Says:
Today at 02: 11.35 (30 minutes ago)
Is PAS now shouting about Islam now in Perak and Selangor I wonder?
Quite wrong. The only party that is going to stop Pakatan Rakyat from forming the next government is DAP if it keeps shouting about being secular. The majority of Malaysians have no problems with an Islamic state and welcome it. This goes to octo61 as well.
Look at DAP (almost 0% Malay support) and look at PAS (growing DIRECT support via its PAS supporters clubs) and tell me who is more likely to be dominant if the government changes?
Uncle Kit :
This is exactly what we were worried off before the GE about voting for DAP and PKR.
What do you got to say about this ? For all your talk about delivering us from the excesses of Islam Hadhari, now we are falled into the loving arm of the Mullahs from PAS. What’s next, change the name of Malaysia to Malay-nistan ?
Ah AliStare..
Lets say (just supposed) someone close to you got raped… Under Hudud she needs to produce 5 FIVE credible witness to prosecute the guy, if she can’t.. too bad… if she got pregnant thru that sad episod.. too bad again.. she’ll be prosecuted for having zinah.. remember the case in the Middle East? I wonder then.. what Ali Stare will say?
BN/UMNO leaders are liars. The proposed High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Brickendonbury, originally slated to cost RM490 million but later scaled down and projected to cost RM70 million, has been laid to rest. And this had come about because of the political tsunami of March 8th.
What has it taken so long to realise that the project was doomed to failure from the word go??? What had it taken years to put an end to the project??? Was a proper feasible study ever been carried out whether the project can take off??? Who were those that made such study, and what do they have to say now that the project will be put to an end.
Yes, much had been said in and out of Parliament, and much had also been said in theSun against the project. BN/UMNO never care. What has Azalina have to say about this. Don’t you ever feel guilty about this massive losses.
Najib is supposed to be the Chairman of the Sport Committee. Has he anything to say on the abandon on this project. Do you believe for a moment that the project will take off smoothly.
It is an extravagant and unnecessary expenditure which had nothing to do with raising the standards of Malaysian sports! Why realise now when the losses and damages had been incurred.
And believe me this is not going to be the last. Many more will surface.
killer, it could be worse if they decide to make it mal-indo-nisthan !
X100 times worse…
Sdr Lim senior,
Seriously speaking, Sdr Lim, if you read all these mail, and we certainly hope and expect you to, and to carry some of the `good’ advice to your PAS>PKR counterparts…..this is one rakyat’s message.
The overwhelming minority opposition in Parliament, which may one day be the ruling government, must not hammer on these corruption issues, like never before, until true transparency comes to the country.
When we think about it seriously, one of the greatest benefits of a two-party system is the path towards integrity and responsibility of the ruling government. While the two parties debate it out week after week, the rakyat is the jury, that puts its vote every 4 years.
Put into a capsule,
“A two-party system in a democratic system promotes integrity, transparency and responsibility in the ruling government. As issues after issues are discussed and debated over Parliament and the [free] Press, the jury will draw its conclusion and make a vote every 4-5 years. The jury is the people and the voting is the general elections. That is why, a ruling democracy is defined as a government elected by the people, and for the people.”
Amazingly, in 2008, on planet earth, we see the winds of democracy sweeping through the third world nations……in tandem…….MALAYSIA, …..ZIMBABWE…..NEPAL………PAKISTAN……MYANMAR ?…..Indonesia…..Singapore..[freedom of speech needed too, in this Kiasu Country]…..it augurs well for these nations, and the United Nations [are yo awake and watching, UN….Mr Ban>>>] should not remain silent !!!!!!
Even in the so-called developed world, amazing results have emerged….in Australia….and soon…America. Is this the third wave, ……a political tsunami…..the first when the Iron Curtains of Germany and Russia and Eastern Europe fell…….the second when a series of cruel and corrupt dictators fell……from Romania, Philippines, Iran, Iraq, simutaneously with the fall of apartheid…….and now……when third world democracies are being refreshed.
The currents will sweep through the remaining nations that need reform…..from little Cuba to giant China [Tibet will not rest].
I think…..we are moving towards a One-Government world system.
Malaysia is a small part of this worldwide political tsunami.
correction…..serious error…
This overwhelming opposition……MUST HAMMER [PUSH ON, PERSIST, PERSEVERE] on this corruption issues….[not must not hammer…]
…..correction and addition….
This overwhelming….MUST PUSH ON, HAMMER ON, PERSIST, PERSEVERE….INCLUDES YOU AND I, THE RAKYAT…
IT IS NOW…..”CUCI, CUCI MALAYSIA……SUPAYA TANAH AIR YANG DI TUMPAH DARAH DAN RASUAH MENJADI SUCI.”
Godfather Says:
March 27th, 2008 at 07: 14.43
“Undergrad2:
Why would you bother to engage a person who is simply bereft of ideas, and can only condemn others ?”
Godfather, this message is not to him.
“No views are stupid except the view that views other than his own are stupid.
It is sad that this once respectable blog has been allowed to sink to new depths. There must be many readers out there who would have liked to share their views on current events but for the fact that this blog has now become the platform for a particular ‘contributor’ to launch his tirade against other commentators. It is unreasonable to expect others when provoked would remain silent.
There was a time when Kit’s personal intercession was enough to send a strong message to him and he did take his issues elsewhere, and for a while the blog was allowed to breathe. This person has issues mostly with himself.
By continually abusing this once respectable blog for whatever reasons, he has shown utter disrespect for the administrator. Does he not understand that disrespect for the administrator is no different from disrespect for the blog owner himself. Or could he be going after the administrator’s job! You would agree with me, Godfather that this is hardly the place for retirees to be looking for jobs.
Kit once called for peer-based ‘censorship’ as the most effective method at countering this abuse. Unfortunately it has not worked for various reasons, chief among which is the desire of regular contributors to this blog (who are decent and honest people) not to be embroiled in what appears to be childish outbursts. But when such seemingly ‘nothing more than organized childish outbursts of a person with issues mostly with himself’, are allowed to continually permeate the blog, it is no longer a threat to the integrity of the blog. It is damage deliberated and damage actualized. It is no longer the answer to just delete posts.”
[Offensive posts have been deleted and their posters placed on the moderation list for a fortnight. All posters are urged to respect this blog and its visitors by not indulging in personal feuds. – Admin]
Thank you.
“Offensive posts have been deleted and their posters placed on the moderation list for a fortnight” – Admin.
As a matter of clarification, how does the rule actually work here?
1. if a commentator does not consistently make one offensive or ‘deleteable’ postings, perhaps the ratio is he makes 1 offensive or ‘deleteable’ posting as against another 3 or 4 normal ones, does he get placed on moderation list or must he be guilty of making three or whatever other threshold consecutive offensive and‘deleteable’ postings?
2. What does being placed in moderation list imply – that after being so placed, all comments, even normal un-offensive ones will have to wait a fortnight’s clearance? If that were so the relevant commentator placed on such a list has the right not to make postings as by the time these postings appear, it may be 14 days later after the blog’s discussion on any subject would have gone far ahead by seven blog threads !
3. Can a commentator placed on moderation fior 14 days circumvent by returning under a different nick and handle?
4. In the circumstances stated in 2., it would only be fair that the names of posters so placed on the moderation list be published so that they know who they are, and will not spend their time making posting here, and visit and comment on other blogs.
[No. Unoffensive comments will be approved during the 14-day moderation period. Let this be a cooling-off period to end personal feuding on this blog. – Admin]
According to the Star newspaper the RM 67 million (Another scaled down of RM 3 millions) project shelved not cancelled.
They are sending athletes overseas instead of hiring professional from overseas to train the athletes.
Azalina is a “GO WEST” lady no wonder Wanita UMNO refused or rejected this outlier.
Jeffrey’s concern is understandable because hypothetically he wants to know where he stands. Perhaps a 3-strike rule against the offending party would suffice after which his IP address is blocked. No further announcement necessary for now. No names need be published. No reasons need be given. This is not a court of law. It is the sole prerogative and the unfettered discretion of the owner of the blog so to exercise. Enough damage has been done.
It is reasonable to assume that the offending party must know where he crosses the line.
undergrad2, nice to see you are back! I agree with your reasoning above. I second. We need to be a little serious here.
The best form of censorship is self-restraint. If we ignore a person’s rants and name-calling, eventually that person will go somewhere else to vent their frustrations. Just stick to the topic at hand.
Azalina never repented on her commitment to this extravaganza. Its not her money. so who cares.
A few years ago, when someone suggested the buying of a golf club to my boss, one pertinent questioned he asked was, “would you buy it if it was your money?” The matter wasnever raised again.
The ministers awarding projects should take the same view. Would they award it if it was their own hard earned money?
Cheez. Sick and tired of the Azalinas.
“…their own hard earned money” is a misnomer. The only thing “hard” about the money in the pockets of UMNOputras is the justification of how it got into their pockets in the first place.
Hey Azalina! Here are some suggestions for Ministry of Tourism:
1. Build “tourist centres” to showcase Malaysia in London, Paris, Tokyo, Dubai, Riyadh and New York. Spend 100 million on each centre.
2. Print 10 million books on “Lovely Planet Malaysia” at RM 30 each and give away free.
3.Take out advertising in major magazines and TV networks world wide; budget 1 billion.
Wah lau! much better than Sports ministry and easy to justify as this should bring millions of tourist to Malaysia. Even Nades and Lim Kit Siang will find it hard to hantam you with such noble objectives.
Brickendonbury’s HPTC Brickendonbury project may be confirmed laid to rest but is the dubious idea of sending athletes to be trained in high cost places confirmed laid to rest??? According to The Star Report 7th March, the principal of the Marlborough College ( Nicholas Sampson ) was in Kuala Lumpur to offer Marlborough as a training camp/base for Malaysia to prepare our athletes for the 2012 Games. Apparently nobody gave Gerakan Youth vice-chairperson S Paranjothy’s “cheaper” proposal of the sports academy be set up in Cameron Highlands a second thought!
madmix, who is going to pay this RM1.9 billion that u propose?
and also maintenance cost of 6 “tourist centre”
“Look at DAP (almost 0% Malay support) and look at PAS (growing DIRECT support via its PAS supporters clubs) and tell me who is more likely to be dominant if the government changes?” alistaire
What is PAS supporters Club? Are these mere supporters or they are just second class PAS members made up of non-muslims, or you mean these supporters are all go for an Islamic state?
“The majority of Malaysians have no problems with an Islamic state and welcome it.” alistaire
Give me some clues to support your statement.
You people complain only ..I will give you guys reason why we BN MPS are corrupted,
1..We need the money to pay the UMNO delegates to vote for us in the UMNO election. ( no money no talk)
2..We the money to keep our cronies happy.
3..We need the money to keep our toy boys or toy girls happy.
4..We need the money to give to the stupid people who vote us in every time. (Come hari raya one sonkok and one sarong will do)
5..We need to made more MONEY this time cause next election we in BN will be jobless.
Is RM 17 million down the tubes? Is that a fact incurred in trying to promote HPTC Brickendonbury project or some other tournaments or something else ? Can they not account how that was spent? How could RM 17 million be spent on a non starter project that was frustrated by East Herts Council Development Control Committee’s rejection? This is what we call in French Force Majeure (literally means “greater force” of God ending all contractual arrangements). Even deposit bid amount should rightly be refunded. Did costs of flying officials and putting them up there for negotiation come up to RM17 million? Did they fly first class, stay in Royal Suite of the Lanesborough Hotel or penthouse suite of Claridge’s with a personal butler at 4,500 pounds, or $6,407, a night, dine with best wine, in most expensive restaurants in London with caviar, exotic golden tiger fish imported to London from Zhanjiang province, China or what ?
.
If ACA and police cannot find prove that AZALINA is corrupted with the rest of BN MPS.What can DAP or the rest of the gang do.As long as we in BN control the federal goverment the rest of you can go fly a kite.
Is there something wrong with the system???
How can ministers be given blank cheques to sign????
I agree that to put an end to all blatant abuses of power, BN must be strip of governing power. We have waited 50 years to deny BN 2/3 majority in parliament, surely we can wait few more years to realize the dream of new government.
“Finally, the proposed High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Brickendonbury outside London, originally slated to cost RM490 million but later scaled down and projected to cost RM70 million, has been laid to rest.”
Tip of the iceberg and first of more series to come, it’ll be an exiting year ahead with 82 opposition MPs on board.
I think our laws for punishment in “corruption” cases be made more severe. There’s no other way, the thieves are getting more daring!
New anthem for the disgraced Mr Big Ears
Buddy you’re a boy make a big noise
Playin’ in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on yo’ face
You big disgrace
Kickin’ your can all over the place
Singing
[Chorus]
We will we will bury you
We will we will bury you
Buddy you’re a young man hard man
Shoutin’ in the street gonna take on the world some day
You got blood on yo’ face
You big disgrace
Wavin’ your banner all over the place
Singing
[Chorus]
We will we will bury you
We will we will bury you
Buddy you’re an old man poor man
Pleadin’ with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
You got tahi on your face
You big disgrace
Somebody better put you back in your place
Singing
Accountability, Accountability, Accountability.
The quality a leader should have first, second and last, if he decides on running for public office, or any other offices, for that matter.
With accountability comes honesty, integrity, transparency and all else that are good. Ability can be obtained through experience and practice. What good a leader if he is able but dishonest? What good is a leader who is only interested in the position and all the perks that come with it?
Leaders should take upon their calling as a job, professionally speaking, and not as an opportunity to enrich his own coffers. Nepotism is out. Cronyism is out. Corruption is out. Simply there is no room for self-enrichment in the evil sense.
Public office looks for up-rightness and a willingness to serve and perform one’s duties. Those who cannot live up to these basic requirements should not consider themselves for such august position at all. Let alone getting into it.
For too long we Malaysians had been served with mediocrity, half-baked policies, discrimination ( either selectively or prejudicially). Too many hands interferred with the administration. Too much politicking. Too much abuse. Too much UMNOism. Too little ethnic fairness. Too much high-handedness. Too much “ketuanan” melayu. Too little honest work. Too much power wielding by too many ‘little napoleons’ at all levels of the government machinery- from top-down. Just look at the municipalities ( the majlis perbandaran ). They are run like a mafia, with no transparency and accountability at all , or too little of it, if there is at all. No wonder the rakyat who had been victimised revolt in the GE2008.
Dear Pak Lah is NOT the real culprit. UMNO is. The City Council is. The State Government is. UMNO wants to get rid of Pak Lah so that they could have another leader who would play their game. Pak Lah is honest. He is honorable. He is fair. That’s why most UMNO members who had been displaced found it difficult to “do their stuff”. GEtting rid of Pak Lah is one way to restore themselves to their old ways, they hope.
Pak Lah is showing accountability by accepting responsibility for the defeat in the elections. Tell me Which menteri besar / chief ministers had stood up into the open to admit responsibility? Not in the way by paying lip-service. Those just wanted to be absolved conveniently. Just leave and not taking up any responsibility.
Pak Lah’s gentlemanliness and openess are his worst enemies. He opted for negotiation rather than confrontation. Let’s be fair to this man. Look at the way his own men are treating him now. Because they could not get much from UMNO with Pak Lah at the helm, they are trying to get rid of him now.
Azalina, Azalina…….
Your ministry is supposed to pay one miilion ringgit to every state to promote tourism. Now that the 5 states are under the BR you say u will not pay them. So, what are you going to do with the RM5 million?????
You also accused Kedah of sabotaging the Langkawi project.
What proof have u got??????
Another thing….when I observe your behavior and the way u speak on the TV news, I am very doubtfull of your gender… are u a “she” or a “he”? Maybe u need the RM5 million for a sex change.
From the tone of some of the remarks in this blog, I think that Malaysians are still complacent about the Islamic State & Hudud laws issues.
PAS has apparently toned down its demand for the above in view of the 12th GE. It has no choice if it wants to win in the GE!
Even then, some of its top officials still resurrect the ideas from time to time; that’s why the top echelons of the DAP must respond to them.
How many of you truly realise that the influence of PAS spread far and wide and is still doing so?
Before, it was confined to the Muslim states, now it can be found in Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur etc.
It even has a spanking multi million HQ in Jln Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur!
Do we all sit still and wait until the Islamic State and Hudud laws are upon us before voicing or doing anything?
By then it will be too late.
By then many of those who are treating PAS , the Islamic State & hudud laws as benign will berate Uncle Lim and DAP for allowing such an event to come to pass.
Shouldn’t problems like these be nipped in the bud?
Or are you prepared for what PAS has to offer when it’s further empowered?
A glimpse of how these projects came about may be seen in the “corridors”. Say some “bright” guys came out with a scheme and it pass through the 4th floor filters, it would then be channelled to a “consultant” who sourced out the papers. An example was the five corridors. After Iskandar, suddenly with we have four corridors simultaneously launched. The Sabah Corridor was RM10m paper (RM or US, I forgot). Five corridors equal RM50m. I am one who does not believe that the “filter and consultant” do not get their share for this business!
If the corridors failed, at least some money had been made from failed projects. We have so many examples of that. The HPTC is just another similar idea, except now the consultant can add claims for all the transport and hotel bills in and out of England. Not alone, but with family members.
YB Lim, each time a massive project is announced by the government, please request for the details of how these projects were mooted in the first place. Check the “consultant” doing the project paper. (I happen to have a close friend involved in the eastern corridor, and assumptions in the paper were mostly way out. He asked me to participate; which I declined.)
On second thought, we might NOT see another massive project for the next 3-4 years. Other than the Iskandar, I doubt if any of the Corridors will ever lift off. The reason is simple; with 82 opposition MPs, to come out with another bright idea and another massive projects might not be lucrative anymore.
Which means, YAB Guan Eng has to source out the financing for the Penang 2nd Bridge, not because the Federal funding is impossible; what is impossible is to take any big chunk out of the funding. (Honestly, if I can see him, maybe I can work on a RM3 b 10-year bond issue).
This is how and why all the big government projects are being launched and aborted.
Hello Jong, glad to see your posting, but how do you want to punish them?
The change in gov’t in 4 states is the closest we get into punishing them without going back to beheading!! Suddenly we read all gov’t files missing. What are they worried off if they had been as honest as they claimed?
Having said that, I believe many were driven into corruption because of their peers (or supperiors). With a change in government, or with a strong opposition, we the voters had done what needed to be done.
One of the many examples of ” harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi “.
qoute :
“k1980 Says:
New anthem for the disgraced Mr Big Ears”
—i would love to hear from u your next anthem about the semi-baldheaded,pot-bellied guy if AAB steps down !
quote :
“dawsheng Says:
I agree that to put an end to all blatant abuses of power, BN must be strip of governing power. We have waited 50 years to deny BN 2/3 majority in parliament, surely we can wait few more years to realize the dream of new government. ”
—u’ve got your history wrong,….should have been “almost 40 years” to be precise…
YB Lim, we want to listen to your view on Haron Din’s statement saying that PAS would amend the constitution to impose islamic law in Malaysia once secured federal government control?
Critism,condemning,cursing, so and so!
That’s what we get to read from this blog everyday.
What’s the point of all our “work” here when even the Pakatan Rakyat are not co-operating.
After the exco problem, I thought everything is well but there comes in Mr.Karpal singh who started another fuss again.
Why do he has to blast Dr.Mahathir at this time for a helping hand in winning the GE?
And why did he started the confrontation with Pas about Islamic states at this time?
Can’t he wait until the Pakatan Rakyat form the next goverment first?
Please Mr. Karpal, think before you act ‘cos this is not the time to be a hero or sow your hatred against someone that causes you misery many years ago.
What we need to do now is to see a swift takeover of the goverment by the Pakatan Rakyat and not a “battle” of the best within the party.
Be wise and cool down your emotion please!!!
We don’t want to post our comment here for nothing.
Uncle Kit and the other DAP senior leaders are covered in delusion if they think they can persuade PAS to sing the human rights and democracy tune. PAS will do anything including illegal acts in order to ascent to the power.
The only reason why they coorporated with DAP and PKR is to gain power,control of the media and other communication channels to can be used as a platform to influence the rakyat.
I had said this before and I will repeat that PAS’ biggest enemy is not UMNO but DAP. This is because PAS’ cause and struggle are diametrically most different from DAP as compared to UMNO or PKR.
PAS’ strategy is simple. PAS knew from the 11GE results that it cannot beat UMNO on its own as it is a part of BN which represents all races. As such in order to beat UMNO it has to be a part of a political coalition. Once this is accomplished, then PAS will use this platform to influence the Muslims to its cause. PAS know that with less than 40% of the population (getting less by day) the non Muslims will not able to deny PAS from setting up an Islamic state. But to influence the 60% of Muslims, it has to access to channels of communication and media.
There are 2 factions within PAS, one the impatient hardliners who wants to get to the business of implementing Islamic Republic ala Taliban / Iran now. Then there is an educated group who feels that PAS should not reveal its hand now as it must consolidate its position.
I believe that one of the first thing PAS will do (Kit you can check it out yourself) is to revamp the Islamic education syallabus and religious school system. This is not going to be easy as education is a Federal matter, but remember Islamic affairs of the state comes under the purview of the Sultan and PAS is a past master in exploiting this loophole.
Second PAS focus will be the mosques where the moderate imams will be replaced by firebrands and fundamentalist mullahs from PAS. These imams will be the key weapon in influencing the Muslims to accept the PAS’ brand of Islam and reject the Westernised Islam Hadhari.
Third will be the waves of ceramahs launched in these 4 states by PAS using the army of radical speakers both locally and also from our neighbouring countries. This ceramah will be an on going affair with the same objectives in mind.
Fourth, the universities and instituitions of higher education. PAS will intensify efforts to infiltrate and influence the student bodies and wrest control of the public universities’ student councils from BN-sympathisers.
Fifth, the government servants. There will be major changes in the public sector where the Muslims will be required (directly or indirectly) to be more religious (the wearing of tudung, recitation of prayers,etc). Campaigns will be launched to inculcate Islamic values in the public sector. Religious ceramahs and briefing will be held and the attendance will be made compulsory for these events. But the non Muslims will be spared and there will be no pressure on these non Muslim public servants.
And the most worrying part of this is that since Islam is a state matter there is nothing that the Federal govt or DAP/PKR can do to stop this.
Talking about PKR, all Anwar care is power and if siding with PAS will give him the premiership, he wouldn’t bat an eyelid and jump.
Uncle Kit, I am sorry, but I think you had just sold the non Muslims’ rights to PAS.
quote :
“# malaysiantruly Says:
YB Lim, we want to listen to your view on Haron Din’s statement saying that PAS would amend the constitution to impose islamic law in Malaysia
*once secured federal government control*
—i wouldnt worry that much if i were u. the phrase “once secured the federal .gov” is a testament that pas still recognised,respect and adhere to the constitution* !
*=for the time being
and judging by the current status of pas, it seems to me like only a minority of muslims are that supportive of pas, and i can hardly immagine pas would be able to take up more than 40% of the parliment….
lets not forget that the Blue camp has a huge reserves of buffer votes from sarawak and sabah, mainly consists of natives that are porc and beer loving peoples,….that would have a strong feeling if those liberties are taken away from them ! ;p
and if worst come to worst, we could just conceed that northen part of penisular to pas to form thier own semi-autonomous region….
what really concerns me right now is how the dap controled .gov would do to protect me….the low income,un-important ppl…proles to be exact…
Recently MCA trying to gain sympathize by solving all kind of weird case.
Today theStar it is Micheal Chong again, showing Ah Long is cheated as well. Jesus christ all these MCA are very rich, the RM 9.5 million pocketed by Ong Ka Ting is used to publicize their party in theStar everyday? are guys sick of MCA?
“—u’ve got your history wrong,….should have been “almost 40 years” to be precise…” allasstra
1969 when Gerakan sold out its supporters and crossed over to BN. Can we count on that as deny BN 2/3 majority?
quote :
“# dawsheng Says:
Today at 16: 16.44 (5 minutes ago)
1969 when Gerakan sold out its supporters and crossed over to BN. Can we count on that as deny BN 2/3 majority?”
—when we talk about democracy, it’s the people’s voice that matters, so in a true sense of democracy, it’s in-alienable truth that the people HAD[with intent] denied the .gov of 66% majority. what ever happen next, hmmm….errr…no comment…
“what ever happen next, hmmm….errr…no comment…”
I’ll tell you what happened. Democracy was dead and multi-racial political party became a joke. That’s 40 years long to be precise…
(Bernama) PETALING JAYA, April 12 — Feeling comfortable and arrogance by some Umno leaders after Barisan Nasional’s (BN) resounding victory in the 2004 general election sent the wrong message to the other races
These were among reasons for the BN to lose votes to the Opposition in last month’s general election, according to Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.
“Knowingly or unknowingly, some of the decisions made by Umno leaders had hurt the feelings of other races, especially the Chinese and Indians, in Peninsular Malaysia.
“Some of our Umno leaders, whenever they speak, focus only on issues pertaining to the Malays, tenders for the Malays and brandishing the kris (Malay dagger). When the other races see this, they get scared.
“To them, we appear as arrogant,” he said when speaking at an information and dialogue session with Petaling Jaya Selatan Umno division members here last night.
Muhammad said when a sensitive issue was politicised, it created uneasiness in inter-racial relations, making other races to easily sway to the Opposition, which is seen to be more liberal in their inter-racial relations despite having a vague agenda.
“The situation is compounded when the Malays themselves did not lend their full support to the BN, particularly in Malay-majority seats,” said the Rural and Regional Development Minister.
He said Umno leaders must re-examine their political approach and be more sensitive to issues which could create racial tension.
“Although Malaysia can be regarded as a Malay-majority nation, Umno leaders had no right to talk and act according to their whims and fancy, without taking the feelings and interests of the other races into consideration,” added Muhammad, who is also Selangor Umno and BN chief.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/5945/84/
Will UMNO ever wake up?
“be careful, the keyboard has ears”— fox mulder.
Malaysia is so rich, till it have the money to buy airport ratings? the KLIA CCTV is not working during the KLIA shootings, yet our prized KLIA is named one of the best Airport recently. This is a complete shame, a BN govt. trying to buy ratings.
Worst of all, the BN minister OTK announced, shooting outside KLIA is considered public area, hence KLIA is not negligible (He become the law lord in Malaysia)? Also he puts blamed on CCTV company where they siphoned millionth of dollar but get lousy CCTV which always breakdown, no proper maintenance, no monitoring, all this is a result of corruptions! internal corruption of KLIA to leak out when the notes from the money exchange is transfer out to public area so that the robbers can take it out from public area.
It has become very clear the BN govt. is supporting criminals.
lakilompat
I assume you have source for your claim that the govt bought rge rating for KLIA…can you please share ?
Malaysia’s prime minister has accepted responsibility for his ruling coalition’s poor election results and will plan how to hand over power to his deputy after December
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/12/malaysia.government.ap/index.html
U.M.P.P (United Malaysian People’s Pact)
***********************************
The new millennium politics have changed. All political movements and policies must gain support & recognition from the society. Unlike the BN’s distance from the society is too wide and lost most grassroots’ support. The scenario has changed now and is in favour of U.M.P.P.
Because UMNO will decide for them what is best for themselves only, but UMPP now champion the hearts of the people, they HELP the people to decide what they want and support them. And by this way, UMPP will win the hearts of many.
Most UMPP’s representative are educated and intellectuals, and this is crucial professionals with certain degree of education will carried themselves well and lesser prone to make decision based on sentiments. To the public, is a pride that a M.P or a State Assemblyman serving them is a qualified professional! This is the new political landscape demand change that party leaders must be mindful when selecting candidates.
We need to let the best brain run and serve the country, than only be able to enlarge the economic pie to benefit all Malaysians!!
Take for example; I still remember they were harping on issues that Malay must be the head of EPF. This is one of the downside of racial based politics that UMNO strongly supports. I say, whatever race do not matter, as long is that a Malaysian can yield results for the Rakyat he continues or no results then he leaves. I am sure a lot of Rakyat do not care who heads the EPF, they just want to see their funds grow in the account.
Therefore the key strategy to UMPP is formulating policies and implementing projects that could bring benefit to any commoner or any one who walk on the streets could benefit ! BN is just concern about Mega Projects. How far Mega Projects can benefit Malaysian as a whole? Or who they intend to benefit?
With this in their mind, I personally seriously view that by 2020 our country will not be a developed country. Has the standard of living increase? Rather than sending millions to the space tour or mega projects, they should spend on transportation, health and education. So many of our hospitals are under equipped, since the ban on mini-busses our mode of transportation has declined so much and our education ranking is going to be a bigger joke each year. I also don’t understand, how people could say MALAYSIA BOLEH?
The very basic premise of a Developed Nation is you must have a solid transportation system, good health facilities that the public can enjoy and scores of educated intellectuals in the countries. All these form the basic driver to move the nation in a generic way, not just mega projects that will only excite the rich so they become richer!
Ah Fatt, convincing as you may sound, I think we can confirm that she is of the fairer sex.
“Finally, the proposed High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Brickendonbury outside London, originally slated to cost RM490 million but later scaled down and projected to cost RM70 million, has been laid to rest.” Kit
I’m not so sure about being laid to rest and the resting in peace that follows – more like lay in pieces. It is hoped that its ghost will be around for a while to haunt those involved.
She is confident nothing more will be said about it as I’m sure she was taking her instructions from heavyweights in UMNO. Projects of this size generates voluminous paper trails and I believe there is enough to implicate those involved. Is there a reason why UMNO should want to investigate itself?
If Malaysia has its own Freedom of Information Act it would be easier as it gives a good measure of transparency. The former Minister could be made to appear before the appropriate parliamentary committee and made to answer questions under oath. Anybody knows if this is the way it works in our case. In the U.S. everything is so transparent and proceedings are televised.
Pak Lah resigns in 6 months, TDM has his way, fledging reforms initiated by Pak Lah or at least the idea of them would be rolled back by all reactionary forces against them. For if Pak Lah takes the blame for BN/UMNO’s disastrous electoral performance on 8th March, it implies BN/UMNO will not come to terms that they were rejected by voters due their own failings. Denial of this is reinforced by blaming the leader. In 6 months, they feel their problems are over, could go back to old ways after some cosmetic changes. There is however another bigger denial – ie denial that they are still in control, could play the power game, moving around, changing the leader, that all these would protect the system in place. They could be very wrong. For the one who controls the game is from the outside. He is the one who actually holds the cards, has the options and determines when to move. It should be obvious who that one is.
“I think our laws for punishment in “corruption” cases be made more severe.” Jong
Hi Jong!
I believe you’re referring to the sentencing phase.
CBT is very serious as it involves a breach of one’s trust especially the people’s trust, in cases involving public officials. It is more serious than simple theft. Don’t know what our Penal Code says on the appropriate sentence for the different offences but the general rule is that the sentence must always fit the crime. Jeffrey QC can always help us out here both on the Penal Code and on the case law. I suppose the nature of that trust and the size of the sum involved are important considerations when sentencing. Taken together with the ‘deterrent’ factor, those found guilty of CBT should be looking at some seven years with one-third remission for good behavior.
Our problem is not inadequate sentencing or the lack of appropriate laws but the ‘lack’ of the will to prosecute when it involves high profile and politically connected individuals. When was the last time we saw an MB for example jailed for corruption? Wasn’t it during the tenure of Hussein Onn as PM? Mahathir used corruption more as a shield than a sword. He ‘shielded’ those who are corrupted so he could manipulate them and make them do his bidding – even when he has left office.
Thanks undergrad2. Yeah, no political will to prosecute and you forgot, ….missing files eh?!
We have waited 25 years and I think another 6 to 8 months won’t make much difference, right? Then it will be time to do ‘spring cleaning’, so much filth to clear!
Re: missing files and documents
It is time that senior civil servants be made to undergo refresher courses. The concept of civil service neutrality has all but been ‘buried’ under heaps of rubbish all these years if not shredded and condemned into oblivion.
Under Tunku, Razak and Hussein Onn there was still respect for the concept of civil service neutrality who incidentally were all lawyers by training. Under Mahathir, the lines between UMNO and the civil service becomes blurred if they existed at all. The civil service is regarded as the serfdom of the politicians, the government as an appendage to the party apparatus. Is it surprising therefore that documents go missing when another political party takes charge?
Should the loyalty of our civil servants be questioned?
Are they afraid that their ‘misdeeds’ are about to be exposed as some claim? I do not think so. I think they feel their loyalty is being tested when they are supposed to be neutral. The concept of civil service neutrality is not only alien to them, but unfathomable and inconceivable.
Tons of documents could not have gone missing without instructions from bosses who in turn receive their instructions from their political masters. These documents are not personal properties of the staff. They know that. Heads of departments should be held personally responsible and in serious cases made to face disciplinary actions if not forced to resign.
The end of the matter is: Azalina hasn’t the brains or common sense to know what is good for the country and what is not!
After Brickendonbury, now watch her screw up the Ministry of Tourism with her less-than-salubrious ideas!
They say, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’. As with Brickendonbury, it’s only a matter of time before Malasyians will have to pick up the broken pieces and sweep up the smashed and messy pudding. Listen, Azalina, just step down and resign. You just ain’t got the brains for the job.
Sorry, Azalina, for being so abrupt.
The reason is simple: malaysia cannot suffer fools any longer after all the years of rape and plunder.
We have too many ministers who are half-past-six! They get to their ministerial post by being ‘racist’ and ‘apple polishing’ when they rise to national level. They have no management experience, only ‘let things’ take its natural course. Once in a while, may be as suggested by ‘cronies’ surrounding them, they will come up with nonsense project such as the HPTC. There are just too many of such ‘white elephant’ projects which wasted so much of the national wealth which could have been utilised for more specialist hospital, industrial training institutions or more places for ‘sought after’ courses in the universities. Covering of the drain along Jalan Ah Fook in JB is another case; understand now they are going to dig it up again! What a waste? Silly!
Some of these senior civil servants , mid-level managers who are decision makers have their heads twisted round more than a few times over the years by their political masters and today no longer know how to distinguish their fronts from their backs!
Is it reasonable to assume that civil servants will naturally protect their political masters when misdeeds happened or change in government took place?
Civil service, despite the perceived erosion of its influence, is not as powerless as most people think. Senior echelon of the civil service often works “hand in glove” with political masters of the day. If there is anything to protect, it is not just because of their sense of loyalty. It is also because they have their own inherent interest to protect themselves.
We have highlighted PKFZ and HPTC. One rich source to call the government to account is to look into the annual budget speech. So many announcements with large allocations and “tabung” were made/set up to fund or finance certain specific programme, project and activity. Just ask them to account what has happened to the programme, project and activity.
(Malaysiakini) Kelantan Crown Prince Tengku Faris Petra said today that Malays had been coerced into giving non-Malays citizenship and the latter should therefore not seek equality or special treatment.
He said this during his keynote speech at a forum titled “Malay unity is the core of national unity” organised by the newly formed Barisan Bertindak Perpaduan Melayu in Kuala Lumpur today.
Speaking to a crowd of about 1,000 people, Tengku Faris said the Malay rulers would be an umbrella to foster unity among all Malaysians, based on the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara.
“Therefore, the rakyat must unite and never raise issues regarding Malay rights and special privileges because it is a quid pro quo in gratitude for the giving in of citizenship (beri-paksa kerakyatan) to 2.7 million non-Malays into the Tanah Melayu federation.
“Thus, it is not appropriate for these other ethnic groups to have citizenship, only (later) to seek equality and privileges,” said Tengku Faris, who read from a 11-page prepared text.
However, the crown prince stressed that in an effort to unite the Malays, non-Malays also have rights that must be protected, such as in areas of religion.
As an example, Tengku Faris said non-Malays are allowed to practice their respective religions in peace. They must however do so in accordance with the law and “not be provocative towards Islam”.
“The Malay rulers are the head of the Islamic religion and Malaysia is a Islamic country (negara Islam), not secular. We have our own formula (as a country) which is different from others,” he added, drawing thunderous applause from the crowd.
‘Dominance’
He added that the effort to instil Malay unity and defend Malay special rights does not mean that other races would be ignored.
“In fact, if Malay rights and special privileges are taken care of and is not disturbed, it would ensure national harmony. It does not just benefit the Malays but all ethnic groups,” he said.
In his speech, Tengku Raris said the 12th General Election results have shown that the Malays are being “challenged” and thus Malays unity is of the outmost priority.
“The election results have shown that the Malays are disunited and facing other ethnic groups who are more dominant politically and economically,” he said.
As the constitution provides that the Malays are the natives (penduduk asal) of Malaysia, Tengku Faris said every Malay must defend the constitution and Islam and this can only be achieved through Malay unity.
“We have to make an effort to unite. Don’t spilt up. Avoid polemics that can distance us. Ideology (and) having different interpretations does not contribute to Malay unity.
“Discussing about polemics such as Islamic state, secular state, welfare state… confuses the people… Resulting from this confusion, Malays are becoming more disillusioned,” he added.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/5956/84/
well considering undergrad2 mentioning the missing documents, i saw the tv3 news reports on the bust of a trailer laden with tons of scrap paper to be smuggled into singapore,reported to be worth about 9k plus…one can certainly imagine what paper are those…..hehe.
qoute :
“# Jong Says:
Today at 21: 11.08 (1 hour ago)
We have waited 25 years and I think another 6 to 8 months won’t make much difference, right? Then it will be time to do ’spring cleaning’, so much filth to clear!”
—or,…on the contary u would suddently discover
that lots of .url u frequent starts giving error 404,
or just a blank page asking u to check your connectivity,and certain people u used to know no-longer answer thier cellphones…
and every night there’s a black car parked outside ur house. and ur phone line starts to got saturated with statics,….and somehow u just kinda of feel that your webcam is looking at u,..u kno..
and then u started to notice that your H.D.D. light starts to blink profusedly every time u type on your keyboard or clicking your mouse,….and u notice that your task manager(asuming u r using winXP) shows extremely hi-upload altough you are not runing any torrents……
i could go on but i guess that’s enough for today.
p/s: if u have a web cam, “they” can see you…..
what is this about? should those empires be removed?
Tengku Faris: Non-Malays should not seek equality
Andrew Ong | Apr 12, 08 2:02pm
The crown prince of Kelantan says the special position of Malays is a quid pro quo for citizenship rights of non-Malays in the country
“The end of the matter is: Azalina hasn’t the brains or common sense to know what is good for the country and what is not!”
Hornbill
Azalina has something between her ears – maybe not a lot! You gotta give that to her. The problem is when somebody like her is around too long and accustomed to power and what it brings, she or he begins to think what is good for the party she or he serves must also be good for the country.
Starving states controlled by the opposition of much needed funds, for example, is to her in some twisted way a display of her undivided loyalty. UMNO leaders have always thought and still do that what is good for UMNO must be good for the country. Today with some states ruled by the opposition that is being put to a test.
Partisan politics could prove very divisive and destructive. Will BN politicians be able to rise above partisan politics and cooperate with opposition parties to develop the country is a question too early to ask as they are preoccupied and distracted by issues relating to housekeeping.
This is one of the major factors that caused UMNO/BN to falter in the 12th general election. The price UMNO/BN had to pay for their folly in this and many other follies.
Our sports are not high performance, our soccer has become the worst. We don’t have many local or foreigner company to endorse & promote soccer. I think most of these endorsement funds are go to the pocket of a few individuals.