Its about time. They should have decided on this many years ago but somehow it fell on deaf ears.
Najib announced during his first UMNO Supreme Council meeting as President that UMNO will be having a special General Assembly at the end of the year.
The special General Assembly will bring forward the idea of amending party constitution pertaining party’s election process. This idea bring hope for a transparent, more open and democratic UMNO election.
A special committee had been selected to look into this matter. This committee will look into suggestion and propose a solution and mechanism for a better election process.
The current system is being criticized as it open up more opportunities for money politics. The recent UMNO election have tainted with numerous allegations on money politics.
Many cried foul that current system sidelined able and honest leaders from seeking election as money has been playing prominent role in the nomination and election process. This is an open secret where none in the UMNO circle can deny its existence.
This move however will bring hope and much needed boost that honest and committed are able to seek a fair election.
For a start the committee should think of a mechanism on how to make more members involved in the election process. If possible every member should be given the rights to elect their leaders, not limiting it to a few privilege members.
At this moment the ‘perwakilan’ are those who are casting their votes. They are supposed to represent the sentiment and desire of the grassroots. Unfortunately they failed to do so. They betrayed the grassroots by selecting their preference. This absolutely didn’t reflect the sentiments during the nomination process.
It’s no easy task considering there are millions of UMNO members all over the country. The committee should consider looking at how other political parties abroad conducts their election.
They should consider studying the election process in the largest democratic country in the world, India. The Congress Party might be able to help the committee on this matter.
But whatever it is, first and foremost is to find ways to conduct fair and clean election. The future of the party and the nation can’t be left in the hands of selected few. Let the majority decides who they want to lead the party and the decision to look into party’s election process is a good start on his first day chairing the UMNO Supreme Council meeting as President.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
UMNO TO ENGAGE THE 'YOUNGLINGS'
Ahmad Maslan the Member of Parliament from Pontian was elected as UMNO Information Chief. It came as a surprise to many as he’s unknown to outsiders and even among UMNO grassroots outside Johor.
However I don’t think this is a big problem to begin with. What I would like to know is ‘What are his plans for UMNO?’
I don’t think an Information Chief only function as someone who send word to the grassroots vice versa.
Information Chief has bigger role to play in making sure the sentiments from the leadership are passed down to the grassroots and the desire from the grassroots reached the top echelon of the party leadership.
There shouldn’t be any communication breakdown. Information Chief should be the person to advice the party leadership of any problem besetting the party.
Ahmad Maslan mentioned that he would like to bridge the generation gap. This is nothing new as almost everyone in UMNO promised to listen and talk to the youth but somehow I don’t see any significant changes in support from the youth. What I can say is that he has a lot of work to do.
The younglings today are very well informed group of people. They are well versed with information technology. In this case, Ahmad Maslan should consider embracing information technology.
He should consider shedding any ‘holier than thou’ and patronizing attitude. They are quite wary whenever politicians try to get close to them. They have a notion that all politicians have hidden agenda whenever they politicians try to get ‘intimate’ with them.
I can’t blame them. Many patronizing politicians tried to impose strict regime on them. These are the age group where ‘restriction’ and ‘rules’ are equivalent to death penalty. He needs to thread this carefully, find out ways on how to give what they want and at the same time getting the message across to them younglings.
The government and UMNO should engage the youngsters in debate. Talk to them and find out more about their opinions. Currently there are none representing them. Their opinions are not heard. What the Youth Wings in BN representing are voices and needs of the not-that-young-anymore-youth.
What about the needs of the skate boarders, Mat Rempits, underground musicians, school drop outs, unemployed grads etc? Who are their representatives? We can’t ignore their presence.
Ahmad Maslan should suggest to Najib to relax some ruling in AUKU. This Act has affected the youth more than any other age group. They felt that their voices have been silenced by this Act. Give some room for them to voice out their idealism through political activities.
Relaxing AUKU may give birth to nuisance. But then again, if the government gives its best to serve the country, there’s nothing for young firebrands to complaint.
Whatever it is, Ahmad Maslan should walk the talk. If he intend to engage the younglings and talk to them, go ahead but for a start please don’t talk politics with them.
However I don’t think this is a big problem to begin with. What I would like to know is ‘What are his plans for UMNO?’
I don’t think an Information Chief only function as someone who send word to the grassroots vice versa.
Information Chief has bigger role to play in making sure the sentiments from the leadership are passed down to the grassroots and the desire from the grassroots reached the top echelon of the party leadership.
There shouldn’t be any communication breakdown. Information Chief should be the person to advice the party leadership of any problem besetting the party.
Ahmad Maslan mentioned that he would like to bridge the generation gap. This is nothing new as almost everyone in UMNO promised to listen and talk to the youth but somehow I don’t see any significant changes in support from the youth. What I can say is that he has a lot of work to do.
The younglings today are very well informed group of people. They are well versed with information technology. In this case, Ahmad Maslan should consider embracing information technology.
He should consider shedding any ‘holier than thou’ and patronizing attitude. They are quite wary whenever politicians try to get close to them. They have a notion that all politicians have hidden agenda whenever they politicians try to get ‘intimate’ with them.
I can’t blame them. Many patronizing politicians tried to impose strict regime on them. These are the age group where ‘restriction’ and ‘rules’ are equivalent to death penalty. He needs to thread this carefully, find out ways on how to give what they want and at the same time getting the message across to them younglings.
The government and UMNO should engage the youngsters in debate. Talk to them and find out more about their opinions. Currently there are none representing them. Their opinions are not heard. What the Youth Wings in BN representing are voices and needs of the not-that-young-anymore-youth.
What about the needs of the skate boarders, Mat Rempits, underground musicians, school drop outs, unemployed grads etc? Who are their representatives? We can’t ignore their presence.
Ahmad Maslan should suggest to Najib to relax some ruling in AUKU. This Act has affected the youth more than any other age group. They felt that their voices have been silenced by this Act. Give some room for them to voice out their idealism through political activities.
Relaxing AUKU may give birth to nuisance. But then again, if the government gives its best to serve the country, there’s nothing for young firebrands to complaint.
Whatever it is, Ahmad Maslan should walk the talk. If he intend to engage the younglings and talk to them, go ahead but for a start please don’t talk politics with them.
LOOK MOM. IT’S THE PRIME MINISTER!
Not bad, not bad. Twice within a month he went out and sees for himself life in Kuala Lumpur. He surprised many with his visit.
Earlier this month he visited 3 predominantly Malay, Chinese and Indian areas namely Pantai Dalam, Petaling Street and Brickfields.
And yesterday he visited 2 areas important to the middle and lower income, Jln Masjid India and Puduraya respectively. Those 2 areas are special to me when I first step into KL.
For many, Puduraya is the first place they step foot in KL. It is the first iconic building that greets them when they disembarked from their bus. It’s the same with me. And the funny thing, the place hasn’t changed much since I first set foot here in KL 10 years ago.
It’s about time someone like the Prime Minister serve a reminder to the relevant party to expedite the completion of Plaza Rakyat. Imagine the feeling being greeted by a gigantic eyesore, Plaza Rakyat. It’s like being treated like a 3rd class citizen. Can’t they at least greet us with something of beauty?
You don’t see tourist being greeted by ‘half complete’ KLIA or KL Sentral? At these places, any sign of possible eyesore will be dealt immediately.
And here we have Plaza Rakyat, an eyesore of mega proportion welcoming us. The building itself is a metaphor of how life is going to be in KL. It’s big but doesn’t mean it’s always beautiful.
So the question now, is he going to continue with this ‘spot check’? If he plan to make this his monthly rendezvous, he should consider visiting the outskirts and other states.
I’m suggesting places like Pasar Borong Selayang,Seri Kembangan & Balakong, Tmn Connaught, Rawang, Kajang, Klang etc. Like I mentioned earlier, do visit some pekan or kampong unannounced whenever he is at any states.
He should also consider making this a real deal. Forget about informing the relevant Ministers or Chief Minister. Take a car together with his bodyguard and drive around like stealth unknown to the general public. Please, surprise us citizens. It might win some votes and I don’t driving him around as long as he’s paying for the toll and petrol.
Leave his outriders and try taking the LRT from Bukit Jalil to PWTC. Or maybe travel along the Federal Highway during peak hour. To be a ‘pemimpin berjiwa rakyat’, he should feel our agonizing pain.
This unassuming act reminds me of Sultan Alauddin Ri’ayat Shah who was famous for going undercover at night checking the well being of his rakyat.
I also hope other Ministers and Chief Ministers would follow suit. They should visit places that are relevant to their ministry. In this case I think the Tourism Minister has an enviable job.
Earlier this month he visited 3 predominantly Malay, Chinese and Indian areas namely Pantai Dalam, Petaling Street and Brickfields.
And yesterday he visited 2 areas important to the middle and lower income, Jln Masjid India and Puduraya respectively. Those 2 areas are special to me when I first step into KL.
For many, Puduraya is the first place they step foot in KL. It is the first iconic building that greets them when they disembarked from their bus. It’s the same with me. And the funny thing, the place hasn’t changed much since I first set foot here in KL 10 years ago.
It’s about time someone like the Prime Minister serve a reminder to the relevant party to expedite the completion of Plaza Rakyat. Imagine the feeling being greeted by a gigantic eyesore, Plaza Rakyat. It’s like being treated like a 3rd class citizen. Can’t they at least greet us with something of beauty?
You don’t see tourist being greeted by ‘half complete’ KLIA or KL Sentral? At these places, any sign of possible eyesore will be dealt immediately.
And here we have Plaza Rakyat, an eyesore of mega proportion welcoming us. The building itself is a metaphor of how life is going to be in KL. It’s big but doesn’t mean it’s always beautiful.
So the question now, is he going to continue with this ‘spot check’? If he plan to make this his monthly rendezvous, he should consider visiting the outskirts and other states.
I’m suggesting places like Pasar Borong Selayang,Seri Kembangan & Balakong, Tmn Connaught, Rawang, Kajang, Klang etc. Like I mentioned earlier, do visit some pekan or kampong unannounced whenever he is at any states.
He should also consider making this a real deal. Forget about informing the relevant Ministers or Chief Minister. Take a car together with his bodyguard and drive around like stealth unknown to the general public. Please, surprise us citizens. It might win some votes and I don’t driving him around as long as he’s paying for the toll and petrol.
Leave his outriders and try taking the LRT from Bukit Jalil to PWTC. Or maybe travel along the Federal Highway during peak hour. To be a ‘pemimpin berjiwa rakyat’, he should feel our agonizing pain.
This unassuming act reminds me of Sultan Alauddin Ri’ayat Shah who was famous for going undercover at night checking the well being of his rakyat.
I also hope other Ministers and Chief Ministers would follow suit. They should visit places that are relevant to their ministry. In this case I think the Tourism Minister has an enviable job.
LIBERALISING THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
Earlier he announced liberalizing 27 subsector in the service industry. He made a lot of people happy with the announcement.
Tomorrow he’ll be announcing similar liberalizing plan for the finance industry. I’m not sure what the plan going to be but many hopes it’ll be on foreign equity in the finance sector.
Many known that the finance sector in Malaysia is somewhat protected and almost close. Only recently we see a sudden surge in foreign finance houses coming into Malaysia. We’ve seen Citibank, Standard & Charted and HSBC increasing their presence in this country. So what’s next in store for us?
Last night during the news bulletin, NTV7 did a poll asking whether the government should consider abolishing Approved Permit or AP. The result came out with 98% respondents’ supports the suggestion to abolish AP.
AP is a thorn in the flesh for the government. When it was first introduced the purpose is to encourage Bumiputra participation in business. Unfortunately many had misused this opportunity. These basically irked the non-Bumis and many felt the exorbitant price we have to pay for automobile was caused by this approved permits.
Many parties had called for the abolishment of approved permits but somehow the government is reluctant to let it go.
The recent hive of activities in liberalizing a few sectors brought back the idea about abolishing the approved permits. Many believe now is the time to open up our automotive sector.
Our National Automotive Policy needed to be re-look into. We’re the only country in South East Asia with its own national automotive industry. Unfortunately we’re less appealing to other automotive brands.
We have well trained automotive expert who are at least by-lingual but somehow these are not attractive enough compare to Thailand with better policies and incentives for foreign manufacturer to set up base there.
They also have cheap labor and they foreign manufacturers felt language is not a problem for as long they just follow instruction.
Our local automotive industry can afford to run on its own without any protection. The recent launch of Exora showed that Proton can stand on its own merit. In a few years time they can compete globally. Getting rid and let them compete on equal ground will push them to work harder and improve their products in order to survive,
After the finance sector, I hope the Prime Minister will consider liberalizing the automotive sector. Let’s open up our automotive industry to make our product more competitive. Proton and Perodua need to live in real world where products are judged by their quality and service.
Like what Najib and his ministers are doing, Proton and Perodua need to talk to the rakyat too.
Tomorrow he’ll be announcing similar liberalizing plan for the finance industry. I’m not sure what the plan going to be but many hopes it’ll be on foreign equity in the finance sector.
Many known that the finance sector in Malaysia is somewhat protected and almost close. Only recently we see a sudden surge in foreign finance houses coming into Malaysia. We’ve seen Citibank, Standard & Charted and HSBC increasing their presence in this country. So what’s next in store for us?
Last night during the news bulletin, NTV7 did a poll asking whether the government should consider abolishing Approved Permit or AP. The result came out with 98% respondents’ supports the suggestion to abolish AP.
AP is a thorn in the flesh for the government. When it was first introduced the purpose is to encourage Bumiputra participation in business. Unfortunately many had misused this opportunity. These basically irked the non-Bumis and many felt the exorbitant price we have to pay for automobile was caused by this approved permits.
Many parties had called for the abolishment of approved permits but somehow the government is reluctant to let it go.
The recent hive of activities in liberalizing a few sectors brought back the idea about abolishing the approved permits. Many believe now is the time to open up our automotive sector.
Our National Automotive Policy needed to be re-look into. We’re the only country in South East Asia with its own national automotive industry. Unfortunately we’re less appealing to other automotive brands.
We have well trained automotive expert who are at least by-lingual but somehow these are not attractive enough compare to Thailand with better policies and incentives for foreign manufacturer to set up base there.
They also have cheap labor and they foreign manufacturers felt language is not a problem for as long they just follow instruction.
Our local automotive industry can afford to run on its own without any protection. The recent launch of Exora showed that Proton can stand on its own merit. In a few years time they can compete globally. Getting rid and let them compete on equal ground will push them to work harder and improve their products in order to survive,
After the finance sector, I hope the Prime Minister will consider liberalizing the automotive sector. Let’s open up our automotive industry to make our product more competitive. Proton and Perodua need to live in real world where products are judged by their quality and service.
Like what Najib and his ministers are doing, Proton and Perodua need to talk to the rakyat too.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
WHERE IS THE DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER?
I don’t understand why it takes them so long to name a Deputy Chief Minister. Till today there’s no sign the post will be filled soon.
Is the position least important that they can afford to delay naming a candidate? Is the position more of symbolic nature than a practical and functioning position?
Guan Eng and Anwar have a lot of answering to do. They can point fingers but doing such thing won’t settle the problem.
What they need to do now is to put the interest of the Malays in Penang at the fore front. The
Deputy Chief Minister is to represent the Malays in making any executive decision.
Who is doing that right now? How long the Penang Malays going to be leader-less? Who is taking care of their interest?
Delaying appointing someone to fill the vacant position shows PKR is lacking of reliable candidate. From the pool of Malay ADUNs in Penang, I’m quite surprised that they can’t find someone that’s able to undertake that responsibility.
Can’t Guan Eng ask Anwar to expedite the appointment? Not doing so further proof that Guan Eng is tooth less Chief Minister. He has to ‘kow tow’ to Anwar.
Can someone please tell me; is that the spirit in Pakatan Rakyat? From what I can see, it seems there’s only one leader leading the whole bunch. Everyone including leaders from other parties within the coalition have to listen or wait for Anwar’s respond on whatever issue.
Where do we go from here? Is Anwar going to wait until PR wins Penanti by-election before he announce the candidate?
In this predicament, the losing party is not DAP or PKR. It is the rekyat who are bound to suffer.
The ‘adhesive’ that binds together all PR members is not strong as it was used to be.
This situation further proves that this coalition is a marriage of convenient. They one have common ‘enemy’ in BN. But unfortunately they can’t fight together under 1 voice. We can see that in Penang.
Now the ball is in their court. The Malays in Penang have to decide what s best for them. They have to demand a Deputy Chief Minister to be appointed as soon as possible. They can choose to ignore or decide using the ballot box.
BN shouldn’t rest on their laurel. They have to start work now and think of ways to wrest control Penang from PR. Fail to do so at the coming General Election, will mean that it’s going to be difficult task to win the hearts of Penangite.
Is the position least important that they can afford to delay naming a candidate? Is the position more of symbolic nature than a practical and functioning position?
Guan Eng and Anwar have a lot of answering to do. They can point fingers but doing such thing won’t settle the problem.
What they need to do now is to put the interest of the Malays in Penang at the fore front. The
Deputy Chief Minister is to represent the Malays in making any executive decision.
Who is doing that right now? How long the Penang Malays going to be leader-less? Who is taking care of their interest?
Delaying appointing someone to fill the vacant position shows PKR is lacking of reliable candidate. From the pool of Malay ADUNs in Penang, I’m quite surprised that they can’t find someone that’s able to undertake that responsibility.
Can’t Guan Eng ask Anwar to expedite the appointment? Not doing so further proof that Guan Eng is tooth less Chief Minister. He has to ‘kow tow’ to Anwar.
Can someone please tell me; is that the spirit in Pakatan Rakyat? From what I can see, it seems there’s only one leader leading the whole bunch. Everyone including leaders from other parties within the coalition have to listen or wait for Anwar’s respond on whatever issue.
Where do we go from here? Is Anwar going to wait until PR wins Penanti by-election before he announce the candidate?
In this predicament, the losing party is not DAP or PKR. It is the rekyat who are bound to suffer.
The ‘adhesive’ that binds together all PR members is not strong as it was used to be.
This situation further proves that this coalition is a marriage of convenient. They one have common ‘enemy’ in BN. But unfortunately they can’t fight together under 1 voice. We can see that in Penang.
Now the ball is in their court. The Malays in Penang have to decide what s best for them. They have to demand a Deputy Chief Minister to be appointed as soon as possible. They can choose to ignore or decide using the ballot box.
BN shouldn’t rest on their laurel. They have to start work now and think of ways to wrest control Penang from PR. Fail to do so at the coming General Election, will mean that it’s going to be difficult task to win the hearts of Penangite.
“WHO IS DOLLAH KOK LANAS?”
How much do you know about our nation’s history? How well versed are you when it comes to the history of your kampong? How did they come up with ‘Batang Berjuntai’? What ‘Batang’ and whose ‘Batang’ were they talking about?
You’ll be surprised how irrelevant history has become. No one really care about history and yet these are the same people who’re shouting about ‘Kedaulatan Raja’. The situation is that they’re fighting blindly for something they don’t understand really well.
Its not a problem to fight or struggle for a cause. But it is a problem when you’re fighting for something you’re not clear about. How are you going to justify your cause when you know nothing about it?
That’s the problem with our youth today. They don’t know history and yet they’re fighting for ‘hak-hak orang Melayu’. I think these bunch of idiots have never read the constitution.
It’ll be good if they know what they’re fighting for instead of answering “Ntah lah? Depa suruh aku pegang sepanduk, aku pegang lah. Janji masyuk!” when asked why are they doing what they’re doing now?
The days of gathering and paying students to line up by the roadside to greet the Prime Minister is over. It’s not about volume or numbers of people showing support, it’s about the quality of those giving support. I’d rather have 1 smart assistant than 10 nodding donkeys!
Yesterday a friend of mine called for a drink. I declined the offer as I’ll be interviewing Dollah Kok Lanas on the same day. He asked “Siapa Dollah Kok Lanas?” which I don’t find it amusing.
He got a very long tongue lashing from me. You see, I don’t mind if he’s dumb, stupid or plain ignorant about our history. But for someone who ran for ‘Exco Pemuda UMNO’, this is no excuse. And luckily he lost that race as I can’t see Pemuda UMNO being led by such person of low knowledge.
So now it goes back to what kind of leaders are we expect to lead us in the future. I think it’s high time for UMNO to take a look at their future leaders. Train them. Groom them and feed them with knowledge. You don’t want these young leaders becoming the whipping boys simply because of their lack of knowledge.
Remember, knowledge is power and without knowledge you’re simply powerless and hopeless.
And of course we don’t want someone of low knowledge to be in power. So start now before you’re left with nincompoops as your choice to lead the country.
You’ll be surprised how irrelevant history has become. No one really care about history and yet these are the same people who’re shouting about ‘Kedaulatan Raja’. The situation is that they’re fighting blindly for something they don’t understand really well.
Its not a problem to fight or struggle for a cause. But it is a problem when you’re fighting for something you’re not clear about. How are you going to justify your cause when you know nothing about it?
That’s the problem with our youth today. They don’t know history and yet they’re fighting for ‘hak-hak orang Melayu’. I think these bunch of idiots have never read the constitution.
It’ll be good if they know what they’re fighting for instead of answering “Ntah lah? Depa suruh aku pegang sepanduk, aku pegang lah. Janji masyuk!” when asked why are they doing what they’re doing now?
The days of gathering and paying students to line up by the roadside to greet the Prime Minister is over. It’s not about volume or numbers of people showing support, it’s about the quality of those giving support. I’d rather have 1 smart assistant than 10 nodding donkeys!
Yesterday a friend of mine called for a drink. I declined the offer as I’ll be interviewing Dollah Kok Lanas on the same day. He asked “Siapa Dollah Kok Lanas?” which I don’t find it amusing.
He got a very long tongue lashing from me. You see, I don’t mind if he’s dumb, stupid or plain ignorant about our history. But for someone who ran for ‘Exco Pemuda UMNO’, this is no excuse. And luckily he lost that race as I can’t see Pemuda UMNO being led by such person of low knowledge.
So now it goes back to what kind of leaders are we expect to lead us in the future. I think it’s high time for UMNO to take a look at their future leaders. Train them. Groom them and feed them with knowledge. You don’t want these young leaders becoming the whipping boys simply because of their lack of knowledge.
Remember, knowledge is power and without knowledge you’re simply powerless and hopeless.
And of course we don’t want someone of low knowledge to be in power. So start now before you’re left with nincompoops as your choice to lead the country.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
HOW MUCH IS THAT HIGHWAY?
What a relief hearing that the government is looking into toll concession seriously. I hope this will not turn into another ‘Janji Manismu’
The government sometimes sweetened our thoughts with promises to look into some matters. Hoping that in a few months, these issues will be long forgotten.
And sometimes when they really meant it, the result from “we will look into this matter” is less than satisfying.
The government must sincerely ask themselves whether they’re serious in tackling this thorny issue. Toll is no laughing matter. Malaysians livelihood are inter-related to how cheap these toll charges are. If they government promise to look into it, they better do it.
The Economic Planning Unit mentioned that they need 3 months to do their research and find the best solution to this nationwide woe.
Whatever it is, in 3 months time I expect and answer. I would like to know the solutions they’ve come up with after 3 months of hibernating with the files. What I would like to know whether the final solution is the best solution or the most logical answer to our problems.
I hope after 3 months the government will come up with conclusive answers, and not asking for extension. The rakyat are getting impatient. If possible, they would like the toll rates to be reduced by tomorrow.
If the government decided to take over PLUS Highway, I hope they’ll come clean about the evaluation.
There were a few cases where the compensation given was overvalued. I hope the EPU is not trying to make somebody rich in split seconds. They’ll jack up the price and value of the shares.
It ended when something worth a few hundred million Ringgit was evaluated more than what they’re worth, and that evaluation goes into billion Ringgit figure.
I hope the government would offer a fair amount to the share holders. Too expensive and it’ll make some dent on our national reserves. Too cheap and the shareholders aren’t going to be happy.
If the government can’t buy over all highways, I hope they would consider PLUS Highway and LDP as priorities. These 2 highways are like arteries running through our body. Anything less than a ‘buyout’ means the government is not serious enough in settling the problem at the toll booth. And please don’t try to turn anyone into instant millionaire.
The government sometimes sweetened our thoughts with promises to look into some matters. Hoping that in a few months, these issues will be long forgotten.
And sometimes when they really meant it, the result from “we will look into this matter” is less than satisfying.
The government must sincerely ask themselves whether they’re serious in tackling this thorny issue. Toll is no laughing matter. Malaysians livelihood are inter-related to how cheap these toll charges are. If they government promise to look into it, they better do it.
The Economic Planning Unit mentioned that they need 3 months to do their research and find the best solution to this nationwide woe.
Whatever it is, in 3 months time I expect and answer. I would like to know the solutions they’ve come up with after 3 months of hibernating with the files. What I would like to know whether the final solution is the best solution or the most logical answer to our problems.
I hope after 3 months the government will come up with conclusive answers, and not asking for extension. The rakyat are getting impatient. If possible, they would like the toll rates to be reduced by tomorrow.
If the government decided to take over PLUS Highway, I hope they’ll come clean about the evaluation.
There were a few cases where the compensation given was overvalued. I hope the EPU is not trying to make somebody rich in split seconds. They’ll jack up the price and value of the shares.
It ended when something worth a few hundred million Ringgit was evaluated more than what they’re worth, and that evaluation goes into billion Ringgit figure.
I hope the government would offer a fair amount to the share holders. Too expensive and it’ll make some dent on our national reserves. Too cheap and the shareholders aren’t going to be happy.
If the government can’t buy over all highways, I hope they would consider PLUS Highway and LDP as priorities. These 2 highways are like arteries running through our body. Anything less than a ‘buyout’ means the government is not serious enough in settling the problem at the toll booth. And please don’t try to turn anyone into instant millionaire.
RIGHT BRAIN INDUSTRY
This is the time to look for or identify true friends. In this trying time true friends are hard to come by. But sometimes this comes from someone unexpected.
The economic uncertainties brought along uncertainties into our life. Many continuously wondering about their future and wonders when would these uncertainties will stop?
What can we do about it? This is something beyond our control. Borrowing from Billy Joel, “we didn’t start the fire.”
What can we do to ease our sufferings? What about those retrenched? The government thru its Human resources Ministry is planning numerous schemes to retrain and repackage our work force. Is this enough?
What about those areas of expertise that are seldom talked about. Let’s take creative industry for example. Have anyone thought about the livelihood of those in the creative industry?
Creative industry usually will be the first affected by any economic uncertainties. In this internet age, creative industry contributes significantly to the economy but unfortunately it’s also the least represented industry nationwide.
There’s no national trade union representing those in the creative industry. There are numerous organizations or associations within the entertainment industry but only serve their interest and most of them are redundant. You can see more than 3 associations representing the same group of people.
In- cohesiveness caused many in the creative industry to suffer and also caused many not to take this industry seriously. Subjective is the core of creativity. There’s no mathematical formula in finding creative solutions. This also caused many not to make creative as their lifetime career.
What the industry needs to do to be taken seriously is to have a proper working frame and regulation to regulate the industry. Singapore is doing that and is now ahead of us by light years.
They saw the future in creative industry and they worked for it. Today they’ve managed to entice among the best creative minds in this region and also bringing creative industry players from the western hemisphere to Singapore.
What are we doing? We have gargantuan plans to make this country into a creative hub but a plan will always be a plan if we don’t take any action.
One of the first things we need to do if we’re really serious in developing the creative industry is to have one ministry to monitor and develop the creative and media industry. Right now there are so many ministries overlooking this industry. It’s slowing us down when our neighbors are moving at warp speed and leaving us behind.
I hope the government will look into this matter seriously and recognize the importance of this industry to the economy. The current economy downturn is affecting those in this industry.
Many are without jobs and nowhere else to go. They’re not engineers where they can be employed in other industries because they only work with their right brain.
The economic uncertainties brought along uncertainties into our life. Many continuously wondering about their future and wonders when would these uncertainties will stop?
What can we do about it? This is something beyond our control. Borrowing from Billy Joel, “we didn’t start the fire.”
What can we do to ease our sufferings? What about those retrenched? The government thru its Human resources Ministry is planning numerous schemes to retrain and repackage our work force. Is this enough?
What about those areas of expertise that are seldom talked about. Let’s take creative industry for example. Have anyone thought about the livelihood of those in the creative industry?
Creative industry usually will be the first affected by any economic uncertainties. In this internet age, creative industry contributes significantly to the economy but unfortunately it’s also the least represented industry nationwide.
There’s no national trade union representing those in the creative industry. There are numerous organizations or associations within the entertainment industry but only serve their interest and most of them are redundant. You can see more than 3 associations representing the same group of people.
In- cohesiveness caused many in the creative industry to suffer and also caused many not to take this industry seriously. Subjective is the core of creativity. There’s no mathematical formula in finding creative solutions. This also caused many not to make creative as their lifetime career.
What the industry needs to do to be taken seriously is to have a proper working frame and regulation to regulate the industry. Singapore is doing that and is now ahead of us by light years.
They saw the future in creative industry and they worked for it. Today they’ve managed to entice among the best creative minds in this region and also bringing creative industry players from the western hemisphere to Singapore.
What are we doing? We have gargantuan plans to make this country into a creative hub but a plan will always be a plan if we don’t take any action.
One of the first things we need to do if we’re really serious in developing the creative industry is to have one ministry to monitor and develop the creative and media industry. Right now there are so many ministries overlooking this industry. It’s slowing us down when our neighbors are moving at warp speed and leaving us behind.
I hope the government will look into this matter seriously and recognize the importance of this industry to the economy. The current economy downturn is affecting those in this industry.
Many are without jobs and nowhere else to go. They’re not engineers where they can be employed in other industries because they only work with their right brain.
NO VICTORY FOR ANYONE
We’re back to square one. All parties maintained their seats in respective by-elections. Nothing changed. But there are some bruised egos.
BN brought along its Ayam Tambatan, Tun Dr.Mahathir but it remained unchanged. What’s the outlook now? Are these by-elections reflects on the rakyat’s supports towards Najib? Or it’s too early to be used as a barometer?
Yes, some might point fingers at BN and say “You lost.” But the truth is, no one lost. There wasn’t much difference in the majority won. Everything remains unchanged. But the question is, will things remain the same once all the election machineries pack their bags?
PR will claim victory despite them not gaining any extra seats. But what about BN? Are they gonna claim victory too? I don’t think so, infact from this point onwards they should plan ahead for PRU13. BN has lost a lot of grounds and they need to make head start now for the next election.
There’s no need to do post mortem. No point in doing that. BN have known the problems since losing 4 states but unfortunately they’ve never done anything to rectify it.
The rakyat has lost trust in BN and UMNO. They thought the recent UMNO election will be the catharsis to refresh the spirit but unfortunately it didn’t change much. A proven corrupt is leading the wing. What kind of image is UMNO trying to show?
UMNO can’t handle corruptions within the party and they plan to lead a constituency? Yeah, keep on dreaming my friends!
OK enough of ‘hentam-ing’. Lets look at the bright side. The result from these by-elections gives a clearer picture of how things are today. It shows that nothing has changed since PRU12, which is better than losing more seats.
This gives Najib a starting point to plot his changes. From here, everyone knows where to start.
But how and what to start with is another question need to be answered.
The cabinet will be a good start. It’ll reflect on the sort of government Najib is leading. Nail this or forever he will lose the rakyat’s trust.
Leaders from all UMNO wings shouldn’t be given any post. They should concentrate and concert their effort in winning back the heart and soul of the rakyat.
Power should be given to entity such as Badan Perhubungan BN Negeri, if there is one. Over time we always hear about Badan Pehubungan UMNO Negeri taking doing most of the action and each component parties have their respective task force.
Since Najib is talking about One Malaysia, why not we establish or give more prominence to Badan Perhubungan BN Negeri. And this should be lead by capable local leaders from any ethnics. This would give clearer signal that BN is about power sharing not monopolized by one party.
BN brought along its Ayam Tambatan, Tun Dr.Mahathir but it remained unchanged. What’s the outlook now? Are these by-elections reflects on the rakyat’s supports towards Najib? Or it’s too early to be used as a barometer?
Yes, some might point fingers at BN and say “You lost.” But the truth is, no one lost. There wasn’t much difference in the majority won. Everything remains unchanged. But the question is, will things remain the same once all the election machineries pack their bags?
PR will claim victory despite them not gaining any extra seats. But what about BN? Are they gonna claim victory too? I don’t think so, infact from this point onwards they should plan ahead for PRU13. BN has lost a lot of grounds and they need to make head start now for the next election.
There’s no need to do post mortem. No point in doing that. BN have known the problems since losing 4 states but unfortunately they’ve never done anything to rectify it.
The rakyat has lost trust in BN and UMNO. They thought the recent UMNO election will be the catharsis to refresh the spirit but unfortunately it didn’t change much. A proven corrupt is leading the wing. What kind of image is UMNO trying to show?
UMNO can’t handle corruptions within the party and they plan to lead a constituency? Yeah, keep on dreaming my friends!
OK enough of ‘hentam-ing’. Lets look at the bright side. The result from these by-elections gives a clearer picture of how things are today. It shows that nothing has changed since PRU12, which is better than losing more seats.
This gives Najib a starting point to plot his changes. From here, everyone knows where to start.
But how and what to start with is another question need to be answered.
The cabinet will be a good start. It’ll reflect on the sort of government Najib is leading. Nail this or forever he will lose the rakyat’s trust.
Leaders from all UMNO wings shouldn’t be given any post. They should concentrate and concert their effort in winning back the heart and soul of the rakyat.
Power should be given to entity such as Badan Perhubungan BN Negeri, if there is one. Over time we always hear about Badan Pehubungan UMNO Negeri taking doing most of the action and each component parties have their respective task force.
Since Najib is talking about One Malaysia, why not we establish or give more prominence to Badan Perhubungan BN Negeri. And this should be lead by capable local leaders from any ethnics. This would give clearer signal that BN is about power sharing not monopolized by one party.
TAXI DRIVER: “ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?”
Lately we’ve a lot of complaints lodge against taxi drivers in Kalng Valley. These complaints vary from refuse to pick up passenger, refuse to use meter, overcharging and other offences.
These complaints also come from tourist and foreigners. Most common grouse is overcharging.
This somehow put us in the same league as other 3rd world countries.
Problems with taxi drivers are long standing issues that haven’t been resolved since ice age. The country has changed Prime Ministers and a few other ministers that were supposed to handle the problem, but unfortunately it is still there unresolved.
For the past few weeks we’ve heard about JPJ and LPKP or Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board conducting spot checks using undercovers to apprehend taxi flouting the licensing rules.
So what’s the result? Is there a sudden change in their (taxi driver) attitude? Do you see more taxi driver using meter and not overcharging? The answer is a simple ‘No’.
The relevant bodies are at lost in handling the taxi drivers. Numerous methods were used to address these problems. Countless compounds were given but it came to no end. So what else can the authority do?
The answer is simple. “Talk to them”. Fortunately the authorities have spoken to them ‘decades’ ago and the problem still exist. Not much has been done.
They taxi driver have requested the government to raise the fares. This fare has been in existence for the past 12 years. Since then, everything has gone up except taxi fares.
The rise in cost of living eats up into their daily take home income. The government authorities know how much a taxi driver can earn a day and how much is their daily cost to operate a taxi.
The government can’t simply raise the fares to offset what the taxi driver lost daily due to high operating cost. Just to please 25,000 taxi drivers, the rest of the rakyat have to put up with higher taxi fare.
So what else can the government do? For a start the government should consider giving individual permits to all taxi drivers. Abolish monopolistic system in taxi operation. Give taxi drivers choice whether they want to operate under a company or individually.
On average a taxi driver have to pay the taxi company RM1,500 a month to rent a taxi. After 4 years the taxi will be theirs. If you do the maths, a taxi driver spent RM72,000 for a Proton Iswara taxi that cost less than RM35,000.
In a nutshell, the taxi drivers are subsidizing more than 100% profits earned by the company.
What do the taxi driver got after 4 years? Nothing, except a 4 year old Proton Iswara taxi. And they don’t even have a permit under their name.
All this one sided terms made them turn into rogue taxi drivers. They have to overcharge for a living. This is nothing new and the government has done nothing to address this long existing problem. Stop this monopolistic business. Let them taxi driver earn their living. The taxi companies have been leeching taxi drivers hard work for God knows how many years.
If Najib want to talk about service to the people, this is his chance. By stopping taxi monopoly, the government can defer raising taxi fares as the take home income will be much better for the taxi drivers. They might not resort to overcharging or flouting meter ruling. As a result, he’ll make millions of passengers happy. That’s 25,000 votes from taxi drivers plus a few million votes from happy passengers.
These complaints also come from tourist and foreigners. Most common grouse is overcharging.
This somehow put us in the same league as other 3rd world countries.
Problems with taxi drivers are long standing issues that haven’t been resolved since ice age. The country has changed Prime Ministers and a few other ministers that were supposed to handle the problem, but unfortunately it is still there unresolved.
For the past few weeks we’ve heard about JPJ and LPKP or Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board conducting spot checks using undercovers to apprehend taxi flouting the licensing rules.
So what’s the result? Is there a sudden change in their (taxi driver) attitude? Do you see more taxi driver using meter and not overcharging? The answer is a simple ‘No’.
The relevant bodies are at lost in handling the taxi drivers. Numerous methods were used to address these problems. Countless compounds were given but it came to no end. So what else can the authority do?
The answer is simple. “Talk to them”. Fortunately the authorities have spoken to them ‘decades’ ago and the problem still exist. Not much has been done.
They taxi driver have requested the government to raise the fares. This fare has been in existence for the past 12 years. Since then, everything has gone up except taxi fares.
The rise in cost of living eats up into their daily take home income. The government authorities know how much a taxi driver can earn a day and how much is their daily cost to operate a taxi.
The government can’t simply raise the fares to offset what the taxi driver lost daily due to high operating cost. Just to please 25,000 taxi drivers, the rest of the rakyat have to put up with higher taxi fare.
So what else can the government do? For a start the government should consider giving individual permits to all taxi drivers. Abolish monopolistic system in taxi operation. Give taxi drivers choice whether they want to operate under a company or individually.
On average a taxi driver have to pay the taxi company RM1,500 a month to rent a taxi. After 4 years the taxi will be theirs. If you do the maths, a taxi driver spent RM72,000 for a Proton Iswara taxi that cost less than RM35,000.
In a nutshell, the taxi drivers are subsidizing more than 100% profits earned by the company.
What do the taxi driver got after 4 years? Nothing, except a 4 year old Proton Iswara taxi. And they don’t even have a permit under their name.
All this one sided terms made them turn into rogue taxi drivers. They have to overcharge for a living. This is nothing new and the government has done nothing to address this long existing problem. Stop this monopolistic business. Let them taxi driver earn their living. The taxi companies have been leeching taxi drivers hard work for God knows how many years.
If Najib want to talk about service to the people, this is his chance. By stopping taxi monopoly, the government can defer raising taxi fares as the take home income will be much better for the taxi drivers. They might not resort to overcharging or flouting meter ruling. As a result, he’ll make millions of passengers happy. That’s 25,000 votes from taxi drivers plus a few million votes from happy passengers.
MIC THREATENING THE PRIME MINISTER? BE MY GUEST!
Please go ahead and do it. We’re not affected by it. Who are these people to claim that they deserve more?
MIC threatened to leave the cabinet for not having major representation in the cabinet. The question they should ask themselves is whether they merit bigger role in the cabinet?
Sorry to say this, if I was given the choice to select my own cabinet, MIC won’t be getting a single seat. They don’t deserve to be in the cabinet.
They claim to represents the Indians but the reality is the Indians are turning to PKR for help.
MIC have been representing the Indians since its inception but till today there weren’t significant changes on the Indian community in economy and social structure.
When PKR together Hindraf offered to take that role the Indians reluctantly accepted it.
Reluctant because they don’t see helping the Indian community outside the government can do much. But they accepted because MIC representing them in the government didn’t do much either.
Today the Indians are taking chances with PKR. I don’t know how are they doing, but lets wait till next election and ask again whether they’re well taken care by the opposition. If the opposition is doing a good job, I guess it’ll be another futile attempt like Bukit Selambau.
Everybody knows how much the majority Indians hates Samy Vellu. But from what I can see today, it seems the MIC president is deaf or immune to criticism. He’s not listening to what the majority Indian wants which is for him to step down.
He staying put shows how much power crazy he is. Till today he didn’t any clear succession plan as if he wants to stay for as long as possible. The grassroots in MIC have rise up. They have to tell him to his face that they don’t want him. He’s a liability to MIC and BN as a whole. Bukit
Selambau proves how much the Indians don’t want him and BN have to be the victim.
So back to the issue about threatening Najib, please go ahead and threaten the Prime Minister. MIC quitting the cabinet will give the chance for Najib to honor those who performed better than Samy Vellu. Why I mentioned ‘Samy Vellu’ not MIC? Because he is the root of all problems in MIC. MIC and BN are just victims of his irresponsible and power hungry attitude.
MIC threatened to leave the cabinet for not having major representation in the cabinet. The question they should ask themselves is whether they merit bigger role in the cabinet?
Sorry to say this, if I was given the choice to select my own cabinet, MIC won’t be getting a single seat. They don’t deserve to be in the cabinet.
They claim to represents the Indians but the reality is the Indians are turning to PKR for help.
MIC have been representing the Indians since its inception but till today there weren’t significant changes on the Indian community in economy and social structure.
When PKR together Hindraf offered to take that role the Indians reluctantly accepted it.
Reluctant because they don’t see helping the Indian community outside the government can do much. But they accepted because MIC representing them in the government didn’t do much either.
Today the Indians are taking chances with PKR. I don’t know how are they doing, but lets wait till next election and ask again whether they’re well taken care by the opposition. If the opposition is doing a good job, I guess it’ll be another futile attempt like Bukit Selambau.
Everybody knows how much the majority Indians hates Samy Vellu. But from what I can see today, it seems the MIC president is deaf or immune to criticism. He’s not listening to what the majority Indian wants which is for him to step down.
He staying put shows how much power crazy he is. Till today he didn’t any clear succession plan as if he wants to stay for as long as possible. The grassroots in MIC have rise up. They have to tell him to his face that they don’t want him. He’s a liability to MIC and BN as a whole. Bukit
Selambau proves how much the Indians don’t want him and BN have to be the victim.
So back to the issue about threatening Najib, please go ahead and threaten the Prime Minister. MIC quitting the cabinet will give the chance for Najib to honor those who performed better than Samy Vellu. Why I mentioned ‘Samy Vellu’ not MIC? Because he is the root of all problems in MIC. MIC and BN are just victims of his irresponsible and power hungry attitude.
RED SHIRT PROTESTERS IN MALAYSIA?
The Thais have their red shirts protesters, yellow and blue too. I’m not sure about other colours but I’m not surprised if they have protesters in rainbow colors.
Yesterday show proof how the people’s power can influence government decision. It’s not far, what happened is just across the border up north.
Can we see that happening in Malaysia? Why not? I think it can happen in Malaysia. ‘Bersih’ rally showed how far we have gone and how far are we willing to submit ourselves to the cause.
The government have to take heed the current situation in Thailand. We have seen how the people’s power in Indonesia and their reform movement had influence Malaysian to go out to the street to express their anger.
We don’t want this to happen again. But we know what we’re capable to do. I hope the new government would not push us to the corner and make us release our demons.
Pak Lah made us do that. Despite being free from the colonial power, our freedom has been retarded by various methods. ISA has been used rather frequently and once has been used for someone’s safety. How ridiculous can that be?
The government doesn’t have to do much to keep the peace we’re enjoying today. What the government and the cabinet need to do is to make sure our rights are taken care, equality in every aspect of life (this is debatable), no abuse of power etc.
In a nutshell, take care the country like it should be. There shouldn’t be any flip-flopping decision, mismanagement, corruption and wastage of government’s money and resources.
If the new cabinet performs, there’s nothing to worry about. The rakyat will be extremely happy if the cabinet performs and the only party that would be unhappy is Pakatan Rakyat.
Najib have to make sure that his cabinet performs. And he mustn’t succumb to reasoning from Ministers that failed to do so.
Najib must not fail to take action against those who didn’t perform. Failure to do so will force the rakyat to take action. And once this happen, it’s not good for the nation.
I hope Najib will continue to listen to the rakyat. If he fails, he’ll be another Pak Lah. Visiting Petaling Street, Brickfields and Pantai Dalam is a good start. I remember when Pak Lah visited the Immigration Department in Damansara. Unfortunately it was his first and last spot check.
I hope Najib can do this regularly. The rakyat would be happy to see their Prime Minister face to face outside the idiot box. It’s a good PR too because nothing beats interpersonal communication.
Yesterday show proof how the people’s power can influence government decision. It’s not far, what happened is just across the border up north.
Can we see that happening in Malaysia? Why not? I think it can happen in Malaysia. ‘Bersih’ rally showed how far we have gone and how far are we willing to submit ourselves to the cause.
The government have to take heed the current situation in Thailand. We have seen how the people’s power in Indonesia and their reform movement had influence Malaysian to go out to the street to express their anger.
We don’t want this to happen again. But we know what we’re capable to do. I hope the new government would not push us to the corner and make us release our demons.
Pak Lah made us do that. Despite being free from the colonial power, our freedom has been retarded by various methods. ISA has been used rather frequently and once has been used for someone’s safety. How ridiculous can that be?
The government doesn’t have to do much to keep the peace we’re enjoying today. What the government and the cabinet need to do is to make sure our rights are taken care, equality in every aspect of life (this is debatable), no abuse of power etc.
In a nutshell, take care the country like it should be. There shouldn’t be any flip-flopping decision, mismanagement, corruption and wastage of government’s money and resources.
If the new cabinet performs, there’s nothing to worry about. The rakyat will be extremely happy if the cabinet performs and the only party that would be unhappy is Pakatan Rakyat.
Najib have to make sure that his cabinet performs. And he mustn’t succumb to reasoning from Ministers that failed to do so.
Najib must not fail to take action against those who didn’t perform. Failure to do so will force the rakyat to take action. And once this happen, it’s not good for the nation.
I hope Najib will continue to listen to the rakyat. If he fails, he’ll be another Pak Lah. Visiting Petaling Street, Brickfields and Pantai Dalam is a good start. I remember when Pak Lah visited the Immigration Department in Damansara. Unfortunately it was his first and last spot check.
I hope Najib can do this regularly. The rakyat would be happy to see their Prime Minister face to face outside the idiot box. It’s a good PR too because nothing beats interpersonal communication.
Dua Bukit Satu Batang
Like any other Prime Minister, our soon to be Prime Minister would definitely want to set his own style of managing this country. He has his own vision and wants to step away from the shadows of Pak Lah and Tun Dr. Mahathir.
There are many things he can do differently. For a start he can undo some of the mistakes from the past. First he can start with PLUS Highway. I’m not saying it’s a mistake. I think PLUS is one of the most significant legacies from Tun Dr.Mahathir but unfortunately it also come at a cost.
Tun Dr.Mahathir might argue that we must pay for development and nothing comes free of charge. Yes, I agree but the question is, at what cost?
PLUS is no more of a ‘kemudahan’ but more of a ‘kesusahan’. The cost of travelling on a PLUS highway is ridiculously high. The poor and lower middle class have to live outside KL because of expensive property and rental within the city. Most have to travel between Nilai, Seremban and Rawang. But unfortunately the cost to travel to KL is a bane for them.
As a start I would like to suggest the government to buy out PLUS Highway. By controlling the highway, the government has the rights to lower the toll charges to ease our burden. This move will also help to reduce cost of transportation which indirectly will help to lower the price of Malaysian products.
I’m no economist but I believe PLUS Highway can also be the government’ cash cow. Even after lowering the toll rates, the government will still be able to generate profits from it. And they’ll be able to recoup the money spent for the buy -out way before 2020.
If he ever decides to buy over PLUS Highway, maybe he should consider LDP too. At the rate traffic driving thru the highway today, the operator is milking this cash cow to the max. Once they bought the LDP, the government can also milk the cash cow. But they (government) can do better by giving the milk away for the rakyat to share.
I don’t see buying over these 2 highways as a burden to the government. I see it as a strategic investment. You can’t go wrong with PLUS and LDP.
Next, should be the crooked bridge. He should re-start this project (if there is such possibility).
He’s undoing Pak Lah ‘stop work order’. It may look like adding some fine points to Tun Dr.Mahathir’s legacy but I think It’s making things right, doing something for the people.
With these, Najib can start with a mind of its own. He’s making decision for the betterment of the country. Something his predecessor failed to handle.
Najib need to start with a ‘bang’, not with “kerja bersama saya, bukan untuk saya” rhetoric. By taking action it’ll show that Najib mean business. And no other action as big as buying over PLUS Highway and re-start (if possible) crooked bridge.
The rakyat is waiting anxiously. We’re wondering what will be Najib’s first action as a Prime Minister. I sincerely hope Najib won’t cancel the 2nd Penang Bridge like what his predecessor did with the crooked bridge.
Whatever it is, the ball is in Najib’s court. He can choose to sit quietly in the office or immediately start working and making decision for the people. If done correctly and swiftly, the rakyat may show gratitude by giving him ‘2 bukit & 1 batang’.
There are many things he can do differently. For a start he can undo some of the mistakes from the past. First he can start with PLUS Highway. I’m not saying it’s a mistake. I think PLUS is one of the most significant legacies from Tun Dr.Mahathir but unfortunately it also come at a cost.
Tun Dr.Mahathir might argue that we must pay for development and nothing comes free of charge. Yes, I agree but the question is, at what cost?
PLUS is no more of a ‘kemudahan’ but more of a ‘kesusahan’. The cost of travelling on a PLUS highway is ridiculously high. The poor and lower middle class have to live outside KL because of expensive property and rental within the city. Most have to travel between Nilai, Seremban and Rawang. But unfortunately the cost to travel to KL is a bane for them.
As a start I would like to suggest the government to buy out PLUS Highway. By controlling the highway, the government has the rights to lower the toll charges to ease our burden. This move will also help to reduce cost of transportation which indirectly will help to lower the price of Malaysian products.
I’m no economist but I believe PLUS Highway can also be the government’ cash cow. Even after lowering the toll rates, the government will still be able to generate profits from it. And they’ll be able to recoup the money spent for the buy -out way before 2020.
If he ever decides to buy over PLUS Highway, maybe he should consider LDP too. At the rate traffic driving thru the highway today, the operator is milking this cash cow to the max. Once they bought the LDP, the government can also milk the cash cow. But they (government) can do better by giving the milk away for the rakyat to share.
I don’t see buying over these 2 highways as a burden to the government. I see it as a strategic investment. You can’t go wrong with PLUS and LDP.
Next, should be the crooked bridge. He should re-start this project (if there is such possibility).
He’s undoing Pak Lah ‘stop work order’. It may look like adding some fine points to Tun Dr.Mahathir’s legacy but I think It’s making things right, doing something for the people.
With these, Najib can start with a mind of its own. He’s making decision for the betterment of the country. Something his predecessor failed to handle.
Najib need to start with a ‘bang’, not with “kerja bersama saya, bukan untuk saya” rhetoric. By taking action it’ll show that Najib mean business. And no other action as big as buying over PLUS Highway and re-start (if possible) crooked bridge.
The rakyat is waiting anxiously. We’re wondering what will be Najib’s first action as a Prime Minister. I sincerely hope Najib won’t cancel the 2nd Penang Bridge like what his predecessor did with the crooked bridge.
Whatever it is, the ball is in Najib’s court. He can choose to sit quietly in the office or immediately start working and making decision for the people. If done correctly and swiftly, the rakyat may show gratitude by giving him ‘2 bukit & 1 batang’.
NEW KITCHEN CABINET OR JUST NEW COAT OF PAINT?
The battle for supremacy is over. Now is the time for him to elect his new cabinet.
MCA has proposed a few names. I’m not sure about MIC but I don’t think they have any bargaining power. Beggars can’t be chooser.
I’m not surprised if there is a lot of lobbying going around in Putrajaya. It’s part of human nature. When we human decide to go for power, we’ll go all out for it. We’ll send flowers, chocolates, greet him at the airport and even wait for him outside the toilet and I’m not surprised either if they’ll go after his mom. Anything goes.
I understand his predicaments. No one like to be in a position where they have to choose.
Whether it’s good or bad, someone has to be left behind and in this case, a few are going to be left behind.
I hope he’ll make good judgement to leave behind all the bad apples. It may limit his choice but at least those chosen are clean.
There are a few difficult choice. Shahrizat may push for a position despite losing the general election. She’ll use her win at the recent UMNO election to seek for a position in the cabinet. So does KJ and Rosnah. I hope they stay put at their respective wing and concentrate at winning back the hearts of Malaysian youngsters. They have a lot of work to do there and I don’t they need another responsibility in the form of Minister-ship.
Another group of people watching at the sideline are the Sabahan. They’ll request more active role in federal government. No one can deny the fact that Sabah currently holds the key to BN’s survival in Parliament. And same goes with UMNNO.
Najib can’t take lightly their contribution at the recent General Election and they want to be rewarded for their loyalty. At least 2 position at Minister level will be courted by them. And I think they deserve it. Denying them their share of the cake is akin to denying their contribution to UMNO. You don’t want to upset the Sabahan.
What about the Menteri Besar club? How many will be retained? Will we see the departure of Ali
Rustam or give him full reign of power to make a return come next UMNO election? Right now
Najib is in an awkward positon. Kicking him out from Melaka is like burning the bridge between the UMNO eleits and the grassroots. No one can deny Ali’s influence at the grassroots. But no one can also deny the hatred towards him outside and to some extent within UMNO. He’s both loved and hated. That’s Ali for you.
But what about other Menteri Besar? I think the safest is Ghani Osman. He seems to be managing the state quite well except for some displeasure with Iskandar Region. They think they gave away Iskandar Region easily to Pak Lah and his superfriends. We’ll wait and see whether Iskandar Region will work out as planned.
Whatever it is, I hope he’ll make wise decision. This is about the country. They’re his generals not Pak Mat, Ah Chong or Muthu in local JKKK or Ruku Tetangga. His decision will determine the direction this country will take. It’s a do-or-die mission. The future of UMNO is in his hands.
We can’t afford to have kitchen cabinet corrupts and laggards to govern this country. Get the best for the country and please no 4th floor clowns gate keeping his office. The rakyat need better access to him after all the rakyat owns him!
MCA has proposed a few names. I’m not sure about MIC but I don’t think they have any bargaining power. Beggars can’t be chooser.
I’m not surprised if there is a lot of lobbying going around in Putrajaya. It’s part of human nature. When we human decide to go for power, we’ll go all out for it. We’ll send flowers, chocolates, greet him at the airport and even wait for him outside the toilet and I’m not surprised either if they’ll go after his mom. Anything goes.
I understand his predicaments. No one like to be in a position where they have to choose.
Whether it’s good or bad, someone has to be left behind and in this case, a few are going to be left behind.
I hope he’ll make good judgement to leave behind all the bad apples. It may limit his choice but at least those chosen are clean.
There are a few difficult choice. Shahrizat may push for a position despite losing the general election. She’ll use her win at the recent UMNO election to seek for a position in the cabinet. So does KJ and Rosnah. I hope they stay put at their respective wing and concentrate at winning back the hearts of Malaysian youngsters. They have a lot of work to do there and I don’t they need another responsibility in the form of Minister-ship.
Another group of people watching at the sideline are the Sabahan. They’ll request more active role in federal government. No one can deny the fact that Sabah currently holds the key to BN’s survival in Parliament. And same goes with UMNNO.
Najib can’t take lightly their contribution at the recent General Election and they want to be rewarded for their loyalty. At least 2 position at Minister level will be courted by them. And I think they deserve it. Denying them their share of the cake is akin to denying their contribution to UMNO. You don’t want to upset the Sabahan.
What about the Menteri Besar club? How many will be retained? Will we see the departure of Ali
Rustam or give him full reign of power to make a return come next UMNO election? Right now
Najib is in an awkward positon. Kicking him out from Melaka is like burning the bridge between the UMNO eleits and the grassroots. No one can deny Ali’s influence at the grassroots. But no one can also deny the hatred towards him outside and to some extent within UMNO. He’s both loved and hated. That’s Ali for you.
But what about other Menteri Besar? I think the safest is Ghani Osman. He seems to be managing the state quite well except for some displeasure with Iskandar Region. They think they gave away Iskandar Region easily to Pak Lah and his superfriends. We’ll wait and see whether Iskandar Region will work out as planned.
Whatever it is, I hope he’ll make wise decision. This is about the country. They’re his generals not Pak Mat, Ah Chong or Muthu in local JKKK or Ruku Tetangga. His decision will determine the direction this country will take. It’s a do-or-die mission. The future of UMNO is in his hands.
We can’t afford to have kitchen cabinet corrupts and laggards to govern this country. Get the best for the country and please no 4th floor clowns gate keeping his office. The rakyat need better access to him after all the rakyat owns him!
SHUT UP AND DANCE!
Shut up and dance to the tune that I suggested. That’s what going on in Pas. The former Perak Menteri Besar was told by PAS to avoid speaking to the media.
It seems he has very tight schedule and don’t have time to speak to the media. Is that true?
How pity. They must be using him to the max. I hope to see him doing that at his current state constituent.
You don’t need a genius to figure behind this ruling was to avoid anything from being misquoted.
It’s a well known fact that the opposition parties have problems with the mainstream media (MSM) and so does the government too. They have the alternative media giving them a handful.
The opposition always argues that the MSM have the tendency to misquote or give wrongly interpret their statement.
But I don’t see this as a reason for you to stop anyone from talking to the media. Tun Dr.Mahathir was often misquoted by the foreign media and he didn’t see this as a problem. He confronted them and used their own weapon against them and in then end the foreign media has to eat their words.
What you need is someone articulate and knowledgeable. With these characteristics in you, it will arm you against any negative perceptions or verbal abuse.
These characteristics served Tun Dr.Mahathir well when he faces foreign media. He’s well prepared and those who decide to go head on against him must be well prepared too or he will verbally strip them in public.
I don’t think Nizar is as articulate and knowledgeable as Tun Dr.Mahathir.He fumbled many a times when he was questioned by the media. In order not to repeat this, Pas decided to bar him from speaking to the media and use his busy schedule as an excuse.
Both sides have been using media extensively to sweeten whatever they’re doing. In this by-election season, the media is going at full steam. No one can accuse any media being bias. Come to think of it, all media are bias, which is nothing bad. It’s up to us to think and decide which is best to believe.
Whenever any media misquote or wrongly interpret anything, the onus is on us. We are well armed with a fully functional brain, so we decide whether to accept or rubbish it.
So don’t blame the media. Blame the source for not being well armed to face the media and blame the public too for believing without any question.
The media has its own set of problem too. They have ‘hearing’ problem hence often misquoting and they also have manipulators editing the stories hence the interpretation problems. But everyone knows about these and yet they still complain about media being bias. It is akin to addiction, any form of addiction. You know it’s not good yet you still want it.
It seems he has very tight schedule and don’t have time to speak to the media. Is that true?
How pity. They must be using him to the max. I hope to see him doing that at his current state constituent.
You don’t need a genius to figure behind this ruling was to avoid anything from being misquoted.
It’s a well known fact that the opposition parties have problems with the mainstream media (MSM) and so does the government too. They have the alternative media giving them a handful.
The opposition always argues that the MSM have the tendency to misquote or give wrongly interpret their statement.
But I don’t see this as a reason for you to stop anyone from talking to the media. Tun Dr.Mahathir was often misquoted by the foreign media and he didn’t see this as a problem. He confronted them and used their own weapon against them and in then end the foreign media has to eat their words.
What you need is someone articulate and knowledgeable. With these characteristics in you, it will arm you against any negative perceptions or verbal abuse.
These characteristics served Tun Dr.Mahathir well when he faces foreign media. He’s well prepared and those who decide to go head on against him must be well prepared too or he will verbally strip them in public.
I don’t think Nizar is as articulate and knowledgeable as Tun Dr.Mahathir.He fumbled many a times when he was questioned by the media. In order not to repeat this, Pas decided to bar him from speaking to the media and use his busy schedule as an excuse.
Both sides have been using media extensively to sweeten whatever they’re doing. In this by-election season, the media is going at full steam. No one can accuse any media being bias. Come to think of it, all media are bias, which is nothing bad. It’s up to us to think and decide which is best to believe.
Whenever any media misquote or wrongly interpret anything, the onus is on us. We are well armed with a fully functional brain, so we decide whether to accept or rubbish it.
So don’t blame the media. Blame the source for not being well armed to face the media and blame the public too for believing without any question.
The media has its own set of problem too. They have ‘hearing’ problem hence often misquoting and they also have manipulators editing the stories hence the interpretation problems. But everyone knows about these and yet they still complain about media being bias. It is akin to addiction, any form of addiction. You know it’s not good yet you still want it.
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