By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
May 31, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 — Putrajaya’s efficiency unit is “shifting the goalposts” to hide its failure to transform the economy since launching its ambitious Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) in October 2010, says the Research for Social Advancement (REFSA) think-tank.
The opposition-linked think-tank, which has published a series of critiques on the ETP that aims to double per capita income by 2020, said in a focus paper released today that the Performance Management and Delivery Unit’s (PEMANDU) gross national income (GNI) targets were lower than those set by the government.
REFSA noted that after the Finance Ministry (MoF) released the national income figure of RM830 billion for 2011, PEMANDU claimed the RM797 billion target had been exceeded. The unit under the Prime Minister’s Office is tasked with executing various transformation plans,
“Where did this RM797 billion target come from? It was not stated in the ETP Roadmap launched in Oct 2010. The MoF had already projected RM811 billion GNI for 2011, before the ETP Roadmap was launched.
“PEMANDU’s so-called ‘target’ is underwhelming. Taken at face value, PEMANDU is dragging down the Malaysian economy instead of transforming it. How else would you explain PEMANDU’s target for GNI being smaller than the forecast made by the MoF?,” REFSA said.
It added that while nominal GNI growth hit 12.3 per cent in 2011, this was due to the 7.6 per cent hike in prices under its “GNI deflator” which incorporates all goods instead of a basket of goods which includes price-controlled items.
“The ETP has failed when measured by real GNI growth. Real GNI grew by just 4.7 per cent in 2011 compared to the six per cent per year target cited in the ETP Roadmap Report,” it said.
The paper, authored by political analyst Ong Kian Ming and Teh Chi Chang, who was previously economic adviser to the DAP, added that PEMANDU’s target was equivalent to just 7.8 per cent nominal growth, lower than its own 8.8 per cent average annual growth target to achieve high-income status.
“PEMANDU might have exceeded its ‘target’ but what value did it deliver? The MoF was already projecting GNI higher than PEMANDU’s… even without the benefit of the ETP,” they wrote.
They also accused PEMANDU chief executive Datuk Seri Idris Jala of “intellectual dishonesty” by taking credit for the 7.2 per cent gross domestic product growth in 2010.
“PEMANDU steals credit when none is due. Idris cited 2010 economic numbers as part of his achievements but the ETP was launched only in late October 2010,” said the paper, referring to the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
PEMANDU has previously insisted that the ETP was developed accurately despite assertions by the think-tank that the government agency’s figures do not add up.
“We stand by the fact that the ETP Roadmap was developed with thought and input from a wide base of expertise and as the intention is to make Malaysia globally competitive, international benchmarks were used,” it said in a blog posting in February.
The unit was set up after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak took office in April 2009. On Monday, he announced 21 new projects worth over RM20 billion under the ETP, that was expected to boost the GNI by RM4.59 billion in 2020 and create 39,918 jobs.
It is normal for the BN to hide bad, unfavourable things. It’s SOP again.
When has Najib ever admitted his failures? He is a ‘Transformer’ and can do no wrong.
He announces many new mas.ive new projects to cover-up the short-comings of the earlier projects. He uses many alphabets and high-sounding words and phrases, all empty and meaningless, to fool the public. It is a pyramid scheme waiting to collapse.
Mahathir had his scams, so has Najib. Unfortunately, we have to live with his shenanigans until the people get rid of his administration.
With all these debacles around e.g. Proton, MAS, KTM, ETP, etc., it is time to change government.
“Italian university switches to English”
By Sean Coughlan
BBC News education correspondent
Hello Professor Moo-yidin & Assoc. Prof Jib, please read-lah what Italian universities are now trying to do to become world-class: Switch to English; not Latin or Bahasa Melayu-lah.
Readhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17958520
Before transformation, jib was a failure. And after transformation, jib became a transformed failure. In case you dont get my meaning, let me explain. As “Jibby” the car, jib could not drive properly, breaks down frequently, has faulty power window and lousy aircon. As “Jibby” the robot, jib could not walk properly, has scratchy voice, faulty weapon system and could not spot the difference between an autobot and a decepticon.
Really, I should not be bothered by all those jibby transformation stunts at all. That is if only the transformation could come about free of charge. WTF! Unfortunately, jib’s transformation costs us train loads of good money. And I am boiling mad.
Story of one of many UmnoB/BN die hard supporters who tot they are free n safe:
First they tear-g@ssed n water-cannoned defenceless BERSIH3 participants,
n I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a BERSIH3 participant.
Then they, singly or in groups, kicked, punched, whacked defenceless BERSIH3 participants, old n young,
n I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a BERSIH3 participant.
Then they threw stones, eggs, water bottles at people who attended PR ceramah,
n I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t there.
Then they scratched cars of people who attended PR ceramah n damaged their car windscreens,
n I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t there.
Then they sold haram bug gers n did their butt dance in front of Ambiga’s house,
n I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t Ambiga.
Then they tear-g@ssed me, whacked me, threw stone at me, n showed me their ars’holes in front of my house,
n there was no one left 2 speak out 4 me.
With apologies 2 Martin Niemöller
Tun Razak used New Economic as an excuse to cover up his coup d’etat. Najib uses Economic transformation as an excuse to hide his actions, to extend his stay in power. It seems that to Malaysia, there is nothing else beyond economic; the society can rot and that is what we see, the place is rotting. Single girls are no longer safe to pick up her car alone in the car park, for example at the Curve. It shows that perpetrators have no respect for law enforcement people. Obviously, they were right that police are not doing their job properly; instead of ensure peace and security for the people, police were more interested in drawing a line on the ground to dare Bersih 3.0 protesters to breach it so that they could be charged for breaking the law. Do the police know their job? Are BN politicians conscious of their duties to serve, rather than seizing the opportunity to plunder the country?