Before We Start Praising our Financial Expertise

I find this story a little amusing.
The Second Finance Minister is praising himself on the basis that the government was able to spend all the monies it received in the first half of the year "to create economic growth".

I wonder if the amounts includes the following:

1.RM20m required by the Works Ministry to inspect buildings for shoddy contract works.
2.RM200m compensation to a company for cancelling the "crooked bridge project".
3.RM15m(my guess)compensation to a company for cancelling the Broga incinerator.

Any fool can throw money away,especially if it is taxes of the hard-working raayat who should feel cheated that government projects are started without serious thinking.

In most countries a government will have public hearings and proper studies done before even approving the concept plan and principle. But in Malaysia we dash headlong into awarding a project and then see if anything is wrong. The "crooked bridge" and "Broga" projects are just too recent example.

Maybe you could add a few more like the Bakun dam project etc.

Photo: Thanks to http://www.familycourtchronicles.com/philosophy/wasted/money-to-burn.jpg

Pssst! Anyone Want to Hire a Gun?

You see those guys hanging about crowded areas and they usually approach you with a smile and ask,"Do you want a nice watch?"

So far no has has yet asked the question posed in the headline above but maybe that day is not far off.

Just imagine the implications of this story.
A corporal was able to sign out a sub-machine gun for 4 weeks for a "special mission" and the person issuing the weapon was a constable who did not maintain proper records but then again the recording system also had a loophole as there was no section in the log-book to record the number of bullets taken out.

No wonder the police has been resisting the IPCMC with such vigour!

With this slack control of weapons and bullets, the following is possible:

1.Rogue policemen may take out weapons and hire out the guns to criminals.
2.Bullets issued by the police may be used to supply such criminals.
3.Rogue cops may use the weapons to commit robberies and other crimes.

I am sure the police should be able to devise a more secure method of issuing firearms and bullets.

For example:

1.Bullets may be issued by a constable but all items must be counted and recorded down on issue and return.
2.Small weapons must be issued by a higher ranked officer like a sergeant and proper documentation must be provided. The approval must be signed by the next person in authority, higher than the person making the request.
3.More power weapons like a submachine gun must be approved by an ASP or similar rank.
4.Use such as "special mission" will not be accepted and each request must have its own request code that can be traced to the purpose for the mission. The person issuing the weapon need not know the purpose but it can be properly tracked.
5.All issues of weapons should be confirmed with the person who approved the request.

But with the current mud-slinging among the leaders in charge of security in the country do you think this issue will be given serious consideration?

Photo: Thanks to http://www.streetpro.com/usp/images/hk53.jpg

What Really is the Good Government Hiding?

How Convenient!

The government now proclaims that it will not reveal the details of the Agreements with the toll operators as there is a clause which requires the consent of the companies'before details are disclosed.

I have written an article earlier when TDM mentioned that they did not read the Agreements in detail before giving approval.

Privatised highways can be considered a form of taxation as road users have to pay to use a public facility that could have been funded from all the taxes collected. Tolls are in fact additional taxation. But the government that approved this tax now says we will not be told how the tax collector has been advantaged.

I remember that the LDP operator was reported in the press that they would agree to the terms being disclosed to the public.
So this change of heart by the government is indeed a step backwards. Could it mean that other toll companies have been granted even sweeter deals all the way to the bank?

Why don't you request your MP to find out the details for all road users? Even George Bush has been forced to reconsider his stance on Iraq. So why should a toll agreement be subject to the Official Secrets Act?

Graphics: Thanks to http://www.okipoker.com/images/money-pile.jpg

Where Love Has Gone

Man is capable of really intense emotions and at times when a marriage breaks up, what was once intense love can turn to intense loathing for anything that can remind one of the relationship.

When a marriage turns sour and about to break up, young children may be at risk as perhaps the new love interest may not want any young children as a burden.

Family members who are aware of the situation should try and counsel their relatives if they suspect such a situation even though in modern society, many families do not really keep in close contact with each other.

If you are a single parent and want to start another relationship, you should make sure your new partner is OK with the fact that you have young children or another disaster like this can happen again.

I wonder how could a mother ever agree to the callous disposal of her own child like this case?

One Minister who is Doing a Good Job.....

Most readers will have the impression that I usually criticise the government but let me give some praise where it is due.

The quick action by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister to revoke the price increase of rice is most welcomed. Everyone eats rice and the unwarranted price hikes would have angered everyone.

Action was needed and a decision was made without having to involve the whole Cabinet. It is strange that the monopolistic company decided to raise prices without a proper proposal.

Perhaps the market would be better served if one or two other companies were also allowed to import rice. That would provide a good check and balance against profiteering.

Photo: Thanks to http://asiarecipe.com/images/fc31rice5.jpg

Is Malaysia Becoming a Sick Society?

This story must wrench at the hearts of parents with smaller children.

The little girl is not only kidnapped but brutally killed and her body disposed by burning. What kind of animals are we dealing with? Even animals do not descend to such barbaric behaviour.

I believe that there is more than meets the eye. This poor girl is possibly the victim of a personal vendetta against either of her parents and the police should cast their suspicions far and wide wide.

I wonder if the sensational news about the Mongolian beauty murder case may have prompted these criminals to try and dispose of the body in such a fashion.

Risk Management for the Malaysian Government?

It is good that steps have been taken to eliminate the careless lack of control as reported by the ministry after the Deputy Commander of the UTK admitted that operators could sneak out explosives that may not have been used up during exercises.

However it appears that is a lack of a proper system of controls in many government agencies such as the Finance Ministry with respect to incompetent contractors and the PWD with taking over shoddy projects.

Whenever there is a "bocor" or other problem everyone starts running about like headless chickens at best or demure "Semua-lah OK" syndrome.

I suggest that the government can make better use of some of the 30% over surplus staff in the civil service.

Perhaps 2000 of the civil servants will be reassigned to the Office for Risk Management that will overseer all risks associated with government activities. I am not sure if they should report to the PM's Office or the Auditor-General's Department.

The duties would be to provide independent advice on all procedures devised by other departments so that grave loop-holes like the "free explosives" problems will be spotted earlier.

What do you think?

BEWARE! Explosives could be Anywhere.

I found this story truly incredulous on the lack of control of explosives used by the Special Action Unit (or UTK) as reported in malaysiakini.

The UTK is involved in covert as well as overt activities and the former includes operations that are "kept secret from the public."
One wonders if that includes blowing up problem makers like the Mongolian girl.

If you read the story in malaysiakini, the lack of control of weapons is simple astonishing. They might as well leave the place unlocked.

"Mastor also explained the procedure for taking and returning explosives from the UTK armory storage. He said that explosives, once taken out and if not used, should be returned.

He said the explosives can be taken out for the use of training exercises.

However, he added, the amount of explosives used or not used during training was not recorded.

Since no records are made, Mastor said it was possible for explosives not used during training are not returned."

Mastor is the Deputy Commander of the UTK.
I wonder why such a basic lack of control can exist.

This situation only shows how urgently we need the IPCMC.


Graphics: Thanks to malaysiakini

Some Good News for the 50th Merdeka Celebrations...

This is very good in principle as it acknowledges that all Malaysians should be given the chance to celebrate our Hari Kebangsaan without any political undertones.

I wonder how will the money be disbursed and accounted for?
I hope all MPs will make public announcements on what events they intend to hold so that more of their constituents can participate.

It would be good for the ministry to provide some guidelines on what events would be suitable and also ask the MPs to submit the expenditure records for checking by the ministry.

All citizens pay income tax and no area should be left out because they voted opposition. This RM30k indicates that the government can give the citizens a fairer deal and should be encouraged.

The concept can be extended to state governments. If the opposition wins in the state, there should be no cut-back in federal funding for various projects but the central government should also adopt an equitable approach unless it is willing to change the tax laws so that the state can get a share of income and other taxes collected.

Let each Malaysian celebrate Hari Kemerdekaan close to home and avoid the perilous highway traffic. But if you must travel, do be careful.

We Can't Have Government Officials Tossing Mud at each Other

The situation we find our country in can be considered a tragi-comedy.

Tragic as some of those involved in crime-busting may also be crooks but funny as criminals laugh all the way to the bank.

The tentacles of corruption have spread so far and wide that many Malaysians now doubt if there is any integrity at all in the system.

We need a public body like the IPCMC to bring sanity back to the system.

When the PM has no confidence in any Minister, that minister should resign.
The MPs should also voice out their concern instead of playing deaf, dumb and blind.

Fight Rising Crime Public Hearing in JB

Parliamentary caucus “Fight rising crime” public hearing in JB at Tropical Inn
The first “Fight Rising Crime” public hearing of the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance will be held in Johor Baru on Sunday, 8th July 2007 at 2.30 p.m. at Tropical Inn, Jalan Gereja.

Please help to pass the word, by all means available, including blogs, SMS and word of mouth, to have a capacity attendance.

Let this be a people-centred, people-driven and people-empowered event.

(This note was copied from Lim Kit Siang's blog)

A Mother's Love is Truly Special

If your mother is still alive, you should give her a big hug and a kiss as soon as possible - no need to wait for Mother's Day.

There is really nothing like a mother's love. Often children easily forget but a mother's love edures. All you need to do is to show her that you care about her too.

It is common in today's society for many families to be brought up by single mothers, many through divorce and a few through the death of a husband and such families really experience great hardship and sacrifice with many children becoming deliquent and wayward as the mother struggles to make ends meet.

So this story is really heartwarming as this mother struggled for more than 20 years to give her children a good education and even managed to send them overseas for further education. I wonder if the family received any assistance from the government like just one sponsorship?

I salute you Leong Eng Yee for you have proved that a mother's love is really special. Penang should give her a special award as Outstanding Mother of the Year as a token of this family's noteworthy achievement.

Photo: Thanks to http://www.goldenpetals.com/send_flowers_to_india/send_flowers_to_india/send_flowers_to_india_PinkandWhiteCarnations.jpg

Something for the Income Tax Department to Ponder.

Here is a challenge for LHDN to take on.

They have invested billions of ringgit on IT and nowadays only promise "quick" refunds to those who submit returns online.

What about those files that are many years old? Some of them have not been refunded.
Perhaps they should learn from their Singapore friends how to process refunds within 30 days or pay interest.

That is only fair as the LHDN is quick to impose a 10% penalty if you do not pay up on time.

The following schedule would be fair:

Refund within 30 days - after which the bank lending rate applies for 2 months
After the third month, the 10% rule applies but this time the LHDN pays.

Maybe the post of LHDN chief should be open to all so that the person accepting the post will know what is the requirement for refunds.

What Do You Think of our PM's Overseas Travels?

Lim Kit Siang's blog has a current entry about our PM's frequent forays overseas.
So the latest MALAYSIAWATCH POLL is to provide feed-back on what do readers think of this activity.

Please give your feedback asp. Thanks.

Poisoning our School Children.....

This seems to be a common occurrence these days with contaminated food in canteens and the milk project that appears to be unsolvable with the small operators who appear ignorant of basic food hygiene.

Having worked with a Nestle factory for a few years, I would imagine that the efforts to produce small quantities of milk in isolated areas is really not viable as it costs a fair bit to ensure good hygiene and workers need to be properly trained and motivated. If we add in the costs of regular health screenings I think most small operators will close shop.

My children studied in Singapore and the system there is a little different. Teachers and pupils share the same food and the only concession for teachers get is a separate seating area and they can jump queue though my son says a few teachers will also queue.

After 41 years (4 children's experience) we did not experience any food poisoning case in my family.

I suggest the following will see a dramatic improvement in food hygiene:

1.Have only one canteen operator to supply both pupils and teachers

2.Teachers should also be provided a proper space in the canteen as their presence will instil good behaviour and improve rapport with pupils

3.Canteen operators will ensure a cleaner space.

4.PTAs should have a Canteen committee to do regular but surprise inspections.

As for the milk scheme, I suggest that small operators be encouraged to pool resources like form a coop to operate from more modern facilities so that overheads can be reduced. If an operator cannot meet certain standards, the supply should be replaced with UHT milk that can keep for weeks without refrigeration.

It is good that bad canteen operators have been fired but more should be done to reduce the many cases of food poisoning.

Photo: Thanks to http://www.syntheticsociety.com/blog/mobile_images/unnamed-image-2-795494.jpg

The Perils of Journalistic Licence

All writers practise some form of journalistic licence in the selection of words or phrases that will interest the reader.

However I found this article a little misleading.

The headline read
"Landmark washed away in a breeze"

The first impression was that a strong gale force wind had destroyed something but the choice of words is a contradiction as a breeze does not wash anything.

But if one reads the article,it is revealed that the company is a major detergent manufacturer and that is how the word " washed" had to be included so the sub-editor can claim to be creative.

I wonder what the teacher who is probably weak in English is going to make of this artice. Don't be surprised if your primary school child writes an essay with this nonsensical phrase.

Newspapers in Education? Be warned!

57% Think that the Government is Having an Incestuous Relationship....

Maybe one could blame recent sex scandals of Malaysia but here are the findings of MALAYSIAWATCH POLL 26 that posed the question:

"What Do You Think of the Number of Malaysian Civil Servants that is More Than Double That of Other Countries in Terms of Population Ratio?"

Thanks to the 108 readers who gave their views on the subject.

57% or 62 readers chose "It looks as if the Government is having an Incestuous Relationship with the Civil Service with the principle of “Keep Us in Power and We Will Take Care of You.”"

13% or 14 chose "Having More Civil Servants Does Not Mean the Service is More Efficient"

11% or 12 chose "The Country’s Resources Will Be Heavily Burdened in the Future"

8% or 9 chose "It is Good That the Government Gives Jobs to Graduates who will Otherwise Be Unemployed"

6% or 7 chose "The Government Has Lost All its Credibility to Rule when it Cannot Control the Numbers in the Civil Service"

4% or 4 chose "Having Spent Billions of Ringgit in IT I Expected the Numbers to Decrease and Not Increase"

It seems the majority 63% of the voters think rather poorly of the government's control over the civil servants.

Nice Gesture but it Shows how NEP has Failed....

It is better late than never.

But it also shows how the NEP programs to eradicate poverty have failed the tens of thousands of Malaysians who are really struggling to eke out an existence.

It seems that the rich get richer with NEP but the poor remain marginalised unless someone bothers to take up the case.

SYABAS to the state assemblymanwho took the trouble to get them the funds.

So many benefits have been hijacked under the guise of the NEP over the past 35 years that I figure every family in similar circumstances could have received such a basic amenity like a RM20,000 low-cost house that it does not make for news anymore.

After all, 100,000 such homes will only need RM2,000,000,000 and that would have been spent over 35 years and changed the lives of 100,000 families.

Such a project should have been approved under the Welfare Department as poverty affects people of other religions too.

Photo: Thanks to http://www.pknp.gov.my/eAgency/webpknp/corporate_g8.JPG

Driving the SMART tunnel

If you need to drive through the SMART tunnel please do the following as it may help to save your life and those of your passengers.

1. Try to follow the speed of the traffic flow. If everyone is driving at 70kpm you should follow that speed as that means you reduce the number of cars overtaking you.

2. Keep a safe distance from the car in front. I suggest a minimum of 30 meters. In case of emergency and you need to stop, try to stop at least 10 meters from the car in front.

3. In case of accident and the road ahead is totally blocked, lock your vehicle at the side of the road and move quickly towards the escape points. Wait until the passage is cleared before getting back to your vehicle.

Since only cars are allowed inside the tunnel,any accident has the risk of the cars catching fire and if you stop too close to the vehicle in front the fire will spread to your own car in the enclosed space.

If a fire occurs, the most likely cause of death will be from toxic fumes as most cars have a lot of plastic materials.

A Major Security Breach

Crime is rampant nowadays in the major cities of Malaysia with the deployment of more cops in Johor Bahru as the crime rate has deterred many Singaporeans from their usual trips and weekend jaunts.

Business in the city has been hurt badly and despite the dislike of Singaporeans especially from those who live in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru needs those millions of ringgit the visitors spend each year to bring prosperity to JB.

Even if some of the state leaders do not like the situation, their very existence depends on the taxes collected on quit rent, assessment and licence fees from the business owners who provide goods and services to those visitors.

Another type of crime that is not so dramatic as robberies and snatch theft is committed in secret and often goes unnoticed.
The Altantuuya murder case has many interesting aspects and others have written with more details. But I would just like to highlight one detail that points to a major security breach.

In today’s paper, it is reported that the arrival and departure records of a Mongolian witness had been erased from the Immigration database.

Is it really that simple for anyone to erase such records? If so I suggest such a situation points to a few possible scenarios that spell a major security problem:

1. Criminals can enter and exit Malaysia without a trace after the crimes.

2. Unwanted visitors can be killed and their bodies disposed without a trace.

3. Intending illegals can enter Malaysia on a social pass and then disappear until they obtain fake or stolen Mykads.

Based on the story, there should be an public inquiry on how those entry records were deleted and why.

Photo: Thanks to http://www.pivotnetworks.com/hacker.jpg