By Martin Jalleh
Pakatan Rakyat: Building an Economy for All
by Liew Chin Tong
Sept. 30, 2012
Barisan Nasional paraded its “55 years” of track record” in “fulfillment of promises” – Janji Ditepati – during the Prime Minister Najib Razak’s recent roadshows and on National Day 2012.
One would expect a government with such a long experience in office would have long term strategies for the nation. Unfortunately, apart from arguing that i) change of government is not good for the economy and ii) that it is better to elect the known devils than the unknown angels, BN offers very little beyond the status quo.
BN’s economic platforms today can be summed up as follow:
1) Criticising Pakatan Rakyat’s economic policies as populist (while not offering concrete economic policies and strategies);
2) Offering more handouts to win the general election (which will cost billions of ringgit);
3) Preparing to introduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) after the general election (GST means every single person in Malaysia will be taxed).
Continue reading “Pakatan Rakyat: Building an Economy for All”
Budget 2013 showdown: BN vs Pakatan
Review by Lee Wei Lian
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 29, 2012
SEPT 29 — Now that both Budget 2013 from the ruling coalition and the shadow budget from the opposition have been presented, let’s take a look at how the two budgets stack up against one another.
This is the last budget before the general election and the stakes are high. Barisan Nasional (BN) has had a lot of experience in crafting budgets and surprised no one when it dished out cash and other goodies, particularly to the younger generation who are a significant chunk of the newly registered electorate and are an unknown quantity in terms of their voting inclinations.
It scored some points however for not going overboard with spending as expected by some economists and still managed to pare down its expected budget deficit to four per cent from an estimated 4.5 per cent this year.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is a relative novice when it comes to federal budgets and presented one that appears to be much more geared toward reforming the economy than the one from the Najib administration which appeared to have more-of-the-same type policy tinkering rather than sweeping fundamental changes.
Continue reading “Budget 2013 showdown: BN vs Pakatan”
Save ‘No’ to privatisation of Penang Port
— Francis Loh
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 03, 2012
AUG 3 — We are deeply distressed to learn that Penang Port has been privatised to Seaport Terminal (Johor) Sdn Bhd.
Penang Port, Malaysia’s first port, is a valuable cultural and economic heritage of Penangites, indeed of all Malaysians. It has been a part of our history since colonial times, providing ferry services that linked the island to the peninsula, and serving as an important free port and port-of-call for ships from the East and West.
In no small way, the port has contributed towards the economic dynamism and the cosmopolitanism of Penang and in turn towards our Unesco Heritage listing.
Not surprising, Penangites from all walks of life — the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government, business groups, port workers, port contractors and especially the rakyat have rejected the privatisation proposal. Even the Penang Barisan Nasional has urged the federal government to review its decision, not least because of popular sentiments against Seaport’s takeover on the eve of the 13th general election. Continue reading “Save ‘No’ to privatisation of Penang Port”
Penghapusan duti eksais kereta: Sekali lagi BN kata tak wajar
— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 25, 2012
25 JULAI — Niat Pakatan Rakyat untuk menghapuskan duti eksais dan berbagai cukai terhadap kereta-kereta adalah usaha yang patut mendapat sokongan. Ini adalah kerana kereta adalah perkara keperluan oleh rakyat negara ini yang masih terlalu jauh ketinggalan dalam menyediakan kemudahan pengangkutan awam. Sesungguhnya rakyat telah terlalu terbeban dengan kos pembelian kereta kerana sebahagian besar dari harga jualan kereta di negara ini adalah disebabkan oleh elemen cukai-cukai seperti duti eksais yang tinggi yang dikenakan oleh pihak kerajaan kita.
Jika duti eksais diturunkan ketahap minima maka kereta import yang berharga sebanyak RM150,000 itu akan boleh didapati dengan harga RM120,000 misalnya. Malahan kalau kita kaji harga kereta di banyak negara maju ia adalah jauh lebih rendah dari harga kereta yang rakyat kita terpaksa bayar. Harga kereta di negara ini terlalu tinggi dan kita adalah bersamaan dengan negara-negara seperti Singapura dan segelintiran negara di-rantau ini.
Itulah sebabnya ramai di antara rakyat negara ini, apabila kembali ke Malaysia kereta adalah salah satu ‘item’ penting yang dibawa mereka kembali kerana mereka telah membeli kereta-kereta tersebut dengan harga yang amat murah di luar negara. tetapi cadangan ini jangan kita harapkan mendapat sokongan dari pihak parti yang memerintah sekarang kerana mereka tidak akan bersetuju untuk memberikan sokongan dan alasan ‘standard’ yang diberikan mereka ialah tindakan itu akan mengbangkrapkan negara.
Pihak BN telah memberikan reaksi yang negatif terhadap isu ini dan Ketua Pemudanya Encik Khairy Jamaluddin telah menyatakan jika ini terlaksana maka ia akan mengurangkan pendapatan negara dalam jumlah yang berbillion ringgit setahun. Kita tidak boleh melayani pandangan ini kerana beliau (Khairy) adalah di pihak pimpinan dan kerajaan yang tidak mempunyai cukup imiginasi untuk mencari pendapatan alternatif terhadap kekurangan pendapatan dari tindakan mengurangkan duti eksais dan cukai-cukai yang berkaitan dengan harga kereta ini. Continue reading “Penghapusan duti eksais kereta: Sekali lagi BN kata tak wajar”
Murky practices in rail tenders deter foreign firms, weekly reports
By Lisa J. Ariffin
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 17, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — International companies are shying away from Malaysia’s rail sector due to less-than-transparent decisions in the tender process, The Edge weekly has reported.
According to an article in the business and investment weekly’s latest edition, “intense lobbying, glitches in the tender process and political favouritism” are among some of the reasons why foreign firms are snubbing rail tenders, a move which could deprive the country of a high-quality rail system.
The Edge writer Lim Ben Shane reported that the response to open tenders has been poor purportedly due to the unfair selection of large contracts, adding that government officials have acknowledged the problem but have defended it as a relatively new phenomenon. Continue reading “Murky practices in rail tenders deter foreign firms, weekly reports”
MAS losses soar to RM2.5b
By Lee Wei Lian
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 29, 2012
PETALING JAYA, Feb 29 — Malaysia Airlines recorded a stunning net loss of RM2.52 billion for 2011 and the company is now in “crisis”, the national flag carrier said today.
The carrier also confirmed that the losses for the 2011 financial year were the largest in its history.
The airline reported a massive net loss of RM1.28 billion in the fourth quarter, which was about as much as the first three quarters combined.
“The company is in crisis,” said Malaysia Airlines (MAS) CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya in a statement.
Ahmad said that the losses were due to higher expenses including a 25 per cent increase in fuel expenses and a 50 per cent increase in non-fuel expenses.
The company’s cash reserves more than halved to RM1 billion at the end of last year from RM2.1 billion at the end of 2010 and net assets plunged from RM3.5 billion to RM1.1 billion. Continue reading “MAS losses soar to RM2.5b”
Decision to strike out Tajudin-MAS suits on March 5
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 27, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — The High Court here will decide on March 5 whether to strike out both Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) claim against Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli as well as his counter-claim against the government and the national carrier.
Tajudin, who was the executive chairman of the airline from 1994 to 2001, is applying to cancel MAS’s suit over losses due to the relocation of its cargo operations in Amsterdam and Frankfurt to a single hub in Hahn, Germany.
Putrajaya is also seeking to strike out Tajudin’s RM500 million counterclaim, in which he alleges the government and MAS defamed him with a civil suit for abuse of power while heading the flag carrier.
Lawyers for all parties declined to comment after meeting trial judge Rosilah Yop in chambers for just under two hours.
“The decisions will be on March 5. I’m sorry I can’t comment because it will be subjudice,” Tajudin’s counsel Lim Kian Leong told reporters. Continue reading “Decision to strike out Tajudin-MAS suits on March 5”
MAS scandal: The gov’t must let the truth be told
Mat Zain Ibrahim | Feb 22, 2012
Malaysiakini
I am referring to the report made by MAS against Tajudin Ramli to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) almost three years ago. This report has been in the public domain since Aug 23, 2010, when it was first published by Malaysia Today. It’s still there until today.
On May 20, 2009, Shahari Sulaiman, then the managing director of MASKargo, on the instructions of MAS management, lodged a report with the MACC. He alleged that when Tajudin Ramli took over MAS in 1994, the national airline company had RM600 million cash in reserves but when he left, the company had accumulated losses to the tune of RM8 billion. Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad quoted the losses at RM9.4 billion as at 2000.
MAS also gave details of Tajudin’s various fraudulent dealings and also raised allegations of collusion between the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers and in fact naming the parties alleged to be involved in the same report.
However, the report falls short of alleging the inaction of the former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is now MAS adviser, although it gave details of those senior MAS management who were present during the briefing by the former police director of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), on March 26, 2007 at the Prime Minister’s Office. One of them is Idris Jala who is now a cabinet member. Continue reading “MAS scandal: The gov’t must let the truth be told”
World Bank: KL a ‘mini Los Angeles’ of inefficient urban sprawl
By Lee Wei Lian
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 21, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 – The World Bank said in a report today that Malaysian cities needed to adopt more compact urban forms to improve livability and attract talent.
The report noted that Kuala Lumpur had sprawled to accomodate unrestrained motorisation and had been referred to as a “mini Los Angeles,” referring to the fact that the US city has been widely derided for its unlovely and inefficient sprawl.
The World Bank’s Senior Country Economist for Malaysia, Frederico Gil Sander told The Malaysian Insider in an interview prior to the launch of the report that the country needed to review its land use policies and make it cheaper to develop along public transit arteries and make it more expensive to develop further away from public transport.
“Create incentives for people to develop along public transport arteries,” he said.
Sander also called for universities to be integrated more tightly into the urban fabric and attract more city dwellers to take classes or attend cultural events. Continue reading “World Bank: KL a ‘mini Los Angeles’ of inefficient urban sprawl”
DAP says toll extension punishes Penang folk
By Shannon Teoh | November 17, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — The DAP said today PLUS Expressways is “cheating” the public especially Penang folk by extending toll collection on three highways as part of a deal that sees the highway concessionaire waive RM6.5 billion in compensation from the government.
Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the 17-year toll extension on the Penang Bridge to 2038 was “in fact a toll increase.”
“What waiver? They are cheating. I thought only my children will pay the toll but now even my grandchildren will pay. This deal punishes Penangites,” the island’s chief minister told a press conference.
Publicity chief Tony Pua also said that with two of the three extensions affecting Penang specifically, “most of the burden of covering the waiver falls on Penangites.”
Continue reading “DAP says toll extension punishes Penang folk”
Liar, liar, pants on fire
— James Chin
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 28, 2011
OCT 28 — When it was announced that AirAsia had bought a stake in Malaysia Airlines, many people in east Malaysia were worried that the competition between Firefly and AirAsia would cease and fares would go up. But this was what was reported on October 18 “End of the road for Firefly’s jet service” (TMI, October 18): “… Fernandes however said that AirAsia will not increase fares following the strategic collaboration…”
I come from Sarawak and rely on the competition to give me the best fare and service. My last two trips with my children to Sarawak to see their grandparents were on Firefly because it had the best deal with a return trip for two adults and two children at under RM600. As a bonus, you get to use the aerobridge on Firefly flights.
Now when you cannot even book on Firefly anymore because it no longer does the KLIA-Kuching route, you have to book AirAsia.
The cheapest fare I could find on AirAsia for my family over the new year period was RM1,100. Continue reading “Liar, liar, pants on fire”
Promise no surface land grabbed for MRT, Pua tells MRT Co
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 14, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — DAP MP Tony Pua today demanded that MRT Co issue a blanket decision for all land acquisition matters involving the Klang Valley MRT project, apart from its pledge to leave Jalan Sultan properties untouched.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP said no surface land should be grabbed to make way for tunnelling work for the multibillion ringgit rail project while underground land should only be acquired strictly to construct MRT stations or its ancillary facilities like air vents and access points.
“No parcel of land should be compulsorily acquired for the purposes of profit generation by the government,” Pua said in a statement here. Continue reading “Promise no surface land grabbed for MRT, Pua tells MRT Co”
MRT Co backs down from land row
By Melissa Chi | October 13, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — MRT Corporation CEO Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid pledged today Jalan Sultan properties will not be acquired for the Klang Valley Mass Rapit Transit project, as long as businesses and landowners vacate their premises temporarily during tunnel construction.
“We are not touching your property, we are not going to take over your property, I don’t understand why realignment becomes an issue.
“I would acknowledge to you today that the biggest challenge would be in Bukit Bintang area because the area is so tight that we cannot get to the underground tunnel done without demolishing buildings at the top,” he said today.
The newly appointed chief of the MRT project owner said Jalan Sultan traders would be compensated for six months loss of income, of which the value would be determined by an independent third party firm, and to put them up at another location if necessary.
Continue reading “MRT Co backs down from land row”
Nazri says Tajuddin did not disclose interests in MAS deals
By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 06, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — The government said today that Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli had breached the Companies Act by not disclosing his interests when he was chairman of Malaysia Airlines (MAS).
But Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said that the fine incurred by Tajuddin has been postponed as the case involves a civil suit that has not been resolved.
The de facto law minister said that reports made by the national carrier against its former boss had been referred to the Attorney-General in 2006.
“Based on the investigation, evidence shows that he had breached section 131 of the Companies Act which involves ‘disclosure of interests’.
“As the case involves a civil claim that has not been resolved, he asked the Attorney-General’s Chambers to delay the compound. The A-G’s Chambers has granted the request,” Nasri said in a written reply to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) in Parliament today. Continue reading “Nazri says Tajuddin did not disclose interests in MAS deals”
Hasty deadlines, languid decisions marring MRT project
By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 14, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — Rushed tender deadlines, slow decision-making and an abrupt change of project owners is blighting the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project that is already reeling from controversial land acquisitions along the Sungai Buloh-Kajang line, critics say.
The Malaysian Insider understands that the key independent check engineer (ICE) job has finally been issued — eight months after it was first put up for tender in the last week of December 2010 — just before the change of project owners.
It was one of many tenders that had short deadlines, much to the dismay of many engineering companies interested in taking part in the bidding.
“The ICE tender was on the last week of December 2010 when most people are on holiday. If that is not bad enough, it took them eight months to finally send out the official award letter,” an industry source told The Malaysian Insider.
“And what is strange is the award was given out so late by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana) but just days before the project was transferred to MRT Co as the new owners,” he added, referring to the switch in project owners by Putrajaya. Continue reading “Hasty deadlines, languid decisions marring MRT project”
Putrajaya says ‘good faith’ shown despite lack of MRT land guarantee
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 08, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — The government today insisted that it had shown “good faith”, contrary to opposition accusation, by agreeing to meet and negotiate with Jalan Sultan traders.
The traders’ lots are under risk of being forced-acquisitioned for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project. The government has refused to guarantee the return the land to traders once the project is completed, which the opposition says is insincere.
Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar brushed off the accusations today, and maintained that the government had shown “good faith’ by agreeing to discuss and meet with affected Jalan Sultan traders.
“(Although) we cannot give our guarantee, we have shown our good faith in negotiating with them and looking into that possibility,” he said.
“I think we have been fair, looked into all sides, after we have acquired there is a next process . A process of application, legal process…stratum titles. It’s good we never give empty promises. But we have made possibility for engagement, we are very sincere about this,” Syed Hamid (picture) told reporters here. Continue reading “Putrajaya says ‘good faith’ shown despite lack of MRT land guarantee”
No MRT land return guarantee shows bad faith, says DAP
By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 07, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — DAP has accused Putrajaya of bad faith for not guaranteeing the return of land acquired for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project even while admitting that the wholesale acquisition was done for the sake of convenience.
DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said expediency was no reason to abuse the law and jeopardise landowners’ rights, particularly since the National Land Code 1965 had been amended in 1990 to allow underground land to be acquired without affecting surface property.
The “convoluted” explanation from the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) yesterday justifying the government’s decision to acquire land in toto in spite of these existing legal provisions showed that acquisition was little more than a land grab, he alleged.
“All the various untenable excuses being raised leads only to a single possible conclusion — the land acquisition exercises proposed in Chinatown, Bukit Bintang and other prime locations are nothing but poorly masked attempts at profiteering and land grab,” Pua said in a statement today.
“They are in breach of the spirit of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 where the government is only to acquire private land, and only that which is necessary for public use and benefit, and not for profit.” Continue reading “No MRT land return guarantee shows bad faith, says DAP”
Setting the record straight on land acquisition for the MY Rapid Transit project
— Mohd Nur Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 06, 2011
SEPT 6 — The Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) would like to refer to the various reports, opinions and views which have been published and aired recently concerning land acquisition for the MY Rapid Transit project. We are concerned that some of these views are being put forth based on inaccurate, incomplete and a lack of understanding of the issues and facts.
Before acting on such views, we would like to encourage the public to examine first the intentions of the parties in making misleading views as they may be designed to confuse and aggravate the situation or incite fear among those whose land are affected by the project.
We hope to set the record straight on matters concerning land acquisition. At the same time, we wish to clarify the many inaccurate interpretations that have emerged concerning the solution for the property owners along Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur. Continue reading “Setting the record straight on land acquisition for the MY Rapid Transit project”
Is Proton a ‘Malaysian’ car?
By KJ John | Aug 30, 11
Malaysiakini
Ahmad Talib is a mainstream media personality having served as the former managing editor of the NST. I first met him when I gave a lecture at the Ministry of Information about the National IT Agenda.
Ahmad Talib wrote a recent column where he talked about a conversation he had with Proton CEO Syed Zainal about the story of a Proton taxi-cab which Syed Zainal took from KLIA to go home.
During the trip, twice the taxi driver did not open the power windows to pay his toll but instead opened the entire door. When asked why, the driver complained that he was told that if he used the power window too often, it could easily get spoilt. Therefore, he chose to do it the more difficult way.
Continue reading “Is Proton a ‘Malaysian’ car?”