| Final Warning: Malaysia may be bankrupt sooner than 2019 Posted: 02 Nov 2011 06:32 AM PDT HORNBILL UNLEASHED Maclean Patrick Alarm bells should be sounding by now, yet the nation's leaders seem to be adamant on keeping things sounding rosy and well. The Auditor-General's Report for 2010 has shown how far down the barrel, Malaysia has gone. It must be noted that when Malaysia was formed in 1963, the British left her with a solid administrative template. Yet, after more than 50 years of rule by Barisan Nasional, the template has not been improved on. In fact, it has gone to the dogs; replaced instead by a form of government that encourages leakages and corruption of all forms. Malaysia has a population of 28 million and a civil service of around 1.3 million. Out of the 28 million, only one percent are paying income tax. This clearly shows that 99% are either below that income tax bracket or merely earning too little to need to pay taxes. With inflation and the prices of goods continuing to rise, expect even fewer people to pay income tax in the near future. Incredulous optimism Yet, the Najib administration's goal for 2012 is to grant perks to the civil service and give hand-outs to non-serving members of the society in the incredulous optimism that this will improve productivity and raise efficiency and so forth. There is a lot of hope, but as always, no real mechanism to bring about results. The AG's report clearly shows that though there were improvements from last year, the large number of detected faults still means the government has a long way to go in order to be a world-class administration. 
For comparison, Taiwan has a population of 24 million and a civil service of just 400,000. Yet, Taiwan has continued to emerge as a major player on the global economic scene. Not bad for a small island that has so few natural resources and at one time was chided for producing rip-offs of Japanese electronic goods. Obviously, a clean and efficient government allows for a growing nation and a growing nation shows up, regardless of its size.
But not only is it confirmed that the Malaysian economy and system is riddled with rampant corruption, widespread inefficiency and general incompetence, the country has reached near to the end of the line. Bankruptcy is visible and to the extent that a time frame can be drawn. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala, who shocked the nation last year by warning of bankruptcy by 2019 if the government continues with its current spending pattern, reiterated his view on Tuesday. In announcing the latest investment updates for the government's economic transformation programme (ETP), Idris had this to say, "If our economy grows less than four per cent… and we don't cut our operating expenditure, if we borrow at 12.5 per cent, if our annual debt rises to 12.5 per cent and our revenue does not grow, then it will happen." Bankruptcy happens when one overspends or makes a poor investment 
Let us examine Idris' statement. Exactly, what will happen and how will it happen? The answers are, Malaysia will go bankrupt and it may come sooner than 2019 unless the leaders get their act together. The awful signs of such a situation are when the country starts to be late in its repayment of debt or servicing of interest. This happens because there is insufficient cash-flow. Revenue from income and corporate tax plus returns from investment in all productive sectors are insufficient to cover the outflows. How come? Because the past BN government frittered away the borrowings on overpriced, unproductive or loss-making projects and ventures! According to the AG's Report, Malaysia's national debt rose by 12.3 per cent to over RM407 billion last year, and although the economy grew by 7.2 per cent in 2010, last year's fiscal deficit maintained public debt at over 50 per cent of GDP for the second year running. The government owed 53.1 per cent of GDP, slightly down from 53.7 per cent last year. This does not augur well for Malaysians who may now have to contend with additional taxes like the GST, just to raise government revenue in order to cover its operating expenditures such as subsidies. Yet even as the government grapples with the idea of reducing subsidies and implementing the GST, it must also clean up its own act. READ MORE HERE |
| WIKILEAKS: PM ADVISOR LIM ON REFORMS AND ABDULLAH'S EVENTUAL DEPARTURE Posted: 02 Nov 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
Lim described the current political scene as highly fluid but downplayed rumors that ruling coalition members from Sabah would switch sides to join the opposition in coming days. He said that it's in opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's interest to keep "stirring the pot" by keeping maximum pressure on UMNO and its coalition partners but hinted that he believes it's a bluff. Echoing what we've heard from other UMNO quarters, Lim claimed the opposition will be unready to assume power until it settles the question of whether Malaysia should be an Islamic state. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES R. KEITH, REASON 1.4 (B AND D) 1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador hosted Prime Ministerial Political Secretary Vincent Lim to dinner on the evening of May 14. (Note: This dinner occurred prior to former PM Mahathir's May 19 anouncement that he would quit the ruling party. See reftel for Embassy reporting on Mahathir,' surprise announcement.) The world-weary Lim appeared resigned to the Abdullah administration's eventual departure, although Lim seemed to think that it would be later rather than sooner. He acknowledged that the PM had not been a strong leader. The PM's announcement of judicial and other reforms, while important and far reaching, had come too late, and he conveyed the clear impression that the PM's program faced resistance within UMNO. Lim volunteered that the Prime Minister was spending more time than ever in Parliament answering members' questions and that this was part of his post-March 8 strategy of transparency but his tone suggested that it may be as much to deter ruling coalition members from joining the opposition. Lim downplayed the chances of an opposition majority in parliament while at the same time lamenting that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim could acquire excessive power depending on how he engineered a takeover. Lim was confident that DPM Najib remained loyal to the PM, that the two had an understanding about how to effect the succession, and that all Najib had to do was wait patiently. Lim sounded tired and dispirited, perhaps worn down by his PM's political vicissitudes, his inability to implement a thoroughgoing reform program, the political uncertainties after March 8, and the prospect of the PM's eventual departure from office. The DCM also attended the dinner. END SUMMARY. The Prospects for Reform 2. (C) Lim said PM Abdullah did the right thing by supporting judicial reform and the establishment of an anti-corruption commission, but he had promised these when he came into office four years ago, and the move came too late. On the future prospects for these reforms, Lim commented resignedly that the PM was having to walk a fine line between liberal cabinet members like Zaid Ibrahim, who strongly advocated the reforms, and UMNO conservatives who opposed reform like new Home Minister Syed Hamid. He wondered aloud about the prospects for any successful economic reform in Malaysia, noting that the Chinese economy was growing rapidly while Malaysia seemed to be bogged down. The Prime Minister's Parliamentary Strategy 3. (C) Lim volunteered that the Prime Minister had remained in Parliament to respond to members' questions until 11 PM the night before and that this had become a pattern for the PM since the present session's opening. He indicated that this was part of the PM's post-general election strategy of openness, in which he was requiring that his cabinet ministers, and not their deputies or their parliamentary secretaries be present during question time. (Note: Lim refused to be drawn out on another reason we had heard for the PM's attentiveness to parliament: the need to ensure that Sabah BN members don't jump the aisle to join the opposition.) Lim acknowledged that televising parliamentary sessions had been a public relations disaster at first, as members had lost discipline and played to the camera, but that floor debate had regained some of its civility since the opening days, and he thought the cameras would remain. A Fluid Political Scene 4. (C) Lim described the current political scene as highly fluid but downplayed rumors that ruling coalition members from Sabah would switch sides to join the opposition in coming days. He said that it's in opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's interest to keep "stirring the pot" by keeping maximum pressure on UMNO and its coalition partners but hinted that he believes it's a bluff. Echoing what we've heard from other UMNO quarters, Lim claimed the opposition will be unready to assume power until it settles the question of whether Malaysia should be an Islamic state. This is a fundamental issue for PAS, Anwar's Islamist opposition partner, and it's not one that can be easily resolved. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) will never agree to any formulation suggesting Malaysia is an Islamic state, Lim said. (Comment: DPM Najib's public remark in 2007 that Malaysia is already an Islamic state helped to further alienate non-Malay components of BN. End Comment.) He added that he thought the opposition was temperamentally unready for rule because they had never thought they would garner as many votes as they had during the election. The fact that Anwar's Keadilan party had won so many seats came as a shock to PAS and DAP, which had agreed among themselves on which seats they would contest and gave the leftovers to Keadilan. The opposition would not do nearly as well in the next election, Lim commented. He nevertheless thought that there were two scenarios in which Anwar could gain power. One would be for him to convince enough BN members of parliament to cross the aisle and join the opposition to form a new majority. A much better scenario from Anwar's point of view would be for a large number of UMNO members to come over to his side. Without explaining what he meant, Lim intoned curiously that if Anwar gained power by the latter method he would have more power than Mahathir, he'd be unstoppable, and we'd all regret it. The UMNO Succession 5. (C) Turning to the question of political succession within UMNO, Lim indicated that Prime Minister Abdullah and Deputy Prime Minister had cut a deal. Echoing what we've seen in the press on this subject, Lim said "it's a question of when and not whom." "DPM Najib will be the PM's successor, and all he has to do is wait," he emphasized. Lim continued that Najib has been very careful and very loyal to the Prime Minister since the March 8 election, "and I've never seen them closer." He turned philosophical, almost fatalistic about the PM's tenure in office. "The PM is a decent, pious man with strong views about what's right," Lim explained, "but he doesn,t have the drive that Mahathir had." COMMENT 6. (C) Lim struck us by turns as tired, dispirited, disappointed, and uncertain. He appeared confident that the opposition will fail to take over parliament any time soon but at the same time he seemed disappointed with Abdullah's performance and ultimate departure from office. Lim is one of the "fourth floor boys" -- the group of young political advisors that also includes Public Affairs Chief Kamal Khalid -- who manage day-to-day political operations for the Prime Minister. He is close to Prime Ministerial son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, and appears to have shared in his political colleagues' initial image as enthusiastic reformers. Reading between the lines, it seemed that Lim was trying to tell us that Abdullah's administration, along with his "fourth floor boys" represented Malaysia's best chance for reform and that neither an Anwar government nor Najib's succession would offer such an opportunity. KEITH (May 2008) |
| ‘Political fugitives’ holding back BN-Umno Posted: 01 Nov 2011 09:26 PM PDT A December election is unlikely because Najib Tun Razak 'realises he needs a mandate of his own making'. Look at the current scenario, all the leaders of BN component parties in Peninsular Malaysia are having trouble at finding a seat to contest. They are all political fugitives with no place to call home. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today The next general election is probably going to be the toughest Umno and Barisan Nasional will face. One thing I am certain of is that it will be held sometime in March 2012. Speculations of GE this year is just that – rumours! Umno has a problem with finding candidates with leadership qualities because it has never focused on constructing a system for selection and leadership succession. The way it stands, I believe Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak realises that he needs a mandate of his own making – minus the BN components. Why? Well, lets consider these facts. If 18 out of the 20 seats now held by MCA, MIC and Gerakan falls to non-BN parties, then BN-Umno will be dependent on Sarawak and Sabah. And if Sabah and Sarawak do not extend the lifeline to Umno and BN in Semenanjung, then the ruling coalition will find themselves on the opposition bench. Look at the current scenario, all the leaders of BN component parties in Peninsular Malaysia are having trouble at finding a seat to contest. They are all political fugitives with no place to call home. The leader of MCA, Dr Chua Soi Lek, is now negotiating with local MCA leaders on where he should stand. So far three Menteris Besar – Johor, Perak and Negeri Sembilan – have offered Chua a seat. No clout
He can choose to stand in any one place but he has to prove his winnability claim. His deputy Liow Tiong Lai is not going to have an easy time in Bentong. He hasn't sorted out his promise to have a central spine road built in the town of Bentong. See? A leader is judged on the standards of the Jurutera Jalan JKR. Moving on, the MIC leader, G Palanivel, can't re-contest in Hulu Selangor for he will surely be taken to task over the many things he promised the voters when he was their MP. No one buys his cock and bull story about being sure of being chosen if not for last minute unseen hands. In the Hulu Selangor by-election last year Palanivel was 'poised' to contest until Umno knowing he would lose, shoved him off and flagged P Kamalanathan. If Palanivel had stood in Hulu Selangor, he would have lost. READ MORE HERE |
| Sabah fellowship in JB today Posted: 01 Nov 2011 07:11 PM PDT THE PEOPLE'S PARLIAMENT Today, at 7pm, the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) hosts its final Rakyat Reform Agenda (RARA) forum at the premises of the Johor Spastic Children's Association, in Johor Bahru. For those of you unfamiliar with the venue, the address is No. 138, Jalan Dato Menteri, 80100 Johor Bahru. And for those of you who are still unfamilar with the RARA, the 2-page powerpoint linked below will give you a brief idea. RARA Slide Want to know more about the RARA? Come to the forum and hear what Dato Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Jayanath Appudurai and I have to share on this most important matter of reforms post the 13th general election. READ MORE HERE |
| Malaysian Muslim responses to conversion Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:52 PM PDT Norani Abu Bakar, New Mandala In Malaysia, culture is often conflated with religion. The 82 percent of the Merdeka Centre's Public Poll on Ethnic Relations: Experience, Perception & Expectations (2011) respondents who said that "they are happy to live in Malaysia because they get to enjoy different cultures," indicates the healthy cultural environment in this country. This indirectly speaks on the religious life too. The survey among Asian populations that was conducted by Gallup Coexist Index 2009: A Global Study of Interfaith Relations echoes similar voice – that Malaysians are "among the most likely to agree that most religions make positive contribution to society." However, in the same Merdeka Centre poll, participants also indicated that ethnocentrism is still prevalent, and 55 percent of the respondents generally feel that Malaysian society is not ready to debate ethnic and religious issues openly. Thanks to the recent HIMPUN initiative and the DUMC incident, deep issues such as apostasy, proselytising, and "Christianophobia," are now being explicitly and openly debated. In order to develop reasoned and constructive discussions, the first question to ask is: "What are responses of Malaysian Muslims to Malays who convert out of Islam and the reasons behind these responses?" The polemic on "apostasy" is endless and Muslims' responses vary. Mohammad Azam Mohammad Adil from Mara University of Technology paper on 'Law of Apostasy and Freedom of Religion in Malaysia' (2007) uses various definitions of apostasy to categorise apostates: (1) apostasy of faith, (2) apostasy in actions, (3) apostasy in statement, and (4) apostasy in abandoning obligation. The issue at stake is as in (1) – a Malay apostatising to Christianity. Often, the response at a personal level is dialectic between conforming to the mainstream Muslim community presumption on apostasy and own conviction and emotion to the apostate. Some responded kindly and sympathetically to the loved one who is perceived as having strayed from the right path. Another response is a sincere and groaning disappointment leading to hurt. Others are hostile. Usually, the response is a mix of these emotions. A few converts are ousted from their families. However, the extreme case where violence is involved is not common in Malaysia. Malaysian Muslims are mostly exclusivists who believe that other religions are not leading them to the right path and simply false. Having a strong communal culture, the thought of being separated from family or community members between heaven and hell in the afterlife is unthinkable. Furthermore, the increasing number of converts the recent openness of evangelism activities and the increasing support to Christian Malays in this nation traumatise some Malaysian Muslims. This emerging consciousness increases the concern or even fear on "Christianisation" hyperbolically. And such human behaviour is natural. The traditional meta-narrative is Malays are Muslims, just like Tibetans are Buddhists, and Tamils are Hindus. This mind-set is reinforced by the pre-Merdeka legislation through Article 160 of the Malaysian Constitution which states that a Malay person is someone who professes to be Muslim, speaks the Malay language, adheres to Malay custom, and domiciles in Malaysia. Among the Malays, leaving Islam is often perceived as abandoning the Malay culture and the Muslim community. READ MORE HERE |
| Nazri: Govt paid FBC Media to repair image abroad Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:46 PM PDT (The Star) - The Government engaged FBC Media (UK) to improve Malaysia's image abroad which was damaged due to remarks made by the Opposition, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz. He criticised Opposition leaders for making disparaging comments about the country internationally, which had damaged the country's reputation. "If they do not bad mouth the government by feeding lies to the international media, we do not have to pay any money to repair our image," he told Datuk Mohamed Aziz (BN-Sri Gading) in Parliament. Nazri said the use of FBC Media did not breach any local laws. "We were informed that the company was now under investigation for conflict of interest by broadcasters for making editorial programmes without declaring that it had commercial interest with some programmes it had featured. "This may be an offence of UK broadcasting and ethic guidelines but they did not commit any criminal offence during our engagement," he told Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli PAS-Kuala Krai) during Question Time. Nazri said that the government paid FBC Media 19.6mil Euros (RM83.304mil) for three years of services since 2007. Nazri also revealed that the Government spent RM323,268.19 on a two-day trip to Turkmenistan by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Five memorandum of understanding (MoU) were signed to strengthen existing bilateral relations. |
| Pakatan: GST won’t save Malaysia from bankruptcy Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:41 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - The federal opposition said today that implementing a goods and services tax (GST), as suggested by Datuk Seri Idris Jala, will not stop Malaysia from going bankrupt as "it is like throwing money into a pocket with holes." Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers told a press conference that it was government wastage, corruption and mismanagement that caused national debt to jump to 53 per cent of GDP. "The operating expenditure has more than doubled from RM89 billion in 2005 to RM182 billion next year. Until you stitch the hole in the pocket, throwing more money will only make the hole bigger," said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua. Idris, who is the minister in charge of Putrajaya's Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), repeated yesterday his warning that Malaysia could be bankrupt within a decade if it spends borrowed money on operational expenditure such as subsidies. "If our economy grows less than four per cent ... and we don't cut our operating expenditure, if we borrow at 12.5 per cent, if our annual debt rises to 12.5 per cent and our revenue does not grow, then it will happen," the senator said. He also accused the Opposition of forcing the government to delay GST as "every time the government wants to do it the Opposition makes life difficult for them, saying that they will lose votes." But Pua pointed out today that the government did not need more money as revenue has nearly doubled from RM99 billion in 2005 to RM187 billion projected in Budget 2012. "The issue of GST does not arise. Bankruptcy will be due to wastage," said PAS research chief Dzulkefly Ahmad. READ MORE HERE |
| Husni dismisses debt fears, says government has enough funds Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:39 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah said today that the government could still fund its spending as it has large reserves including some RM30 billion in trust funds which are under review. This comes as concerns rise over whether the government was at risk of going bust due to spending outstripping revenue. The second finance minister also said that the RM407 billion national debt that grew 12.3 per cent last year was still manageable as it had yet to breach critical thresholds such as revenue to debt service ratio. Husni said that the government has asked the Accountant-General to review trust funds worth more than RM30 billion. "These funds were for various programmes but some are dormant," he told reporters at the sidelines of the MIA-AFA Conference here today. "We have huge reserves." The minister also said that the government had more than RM4 billion in contingency funding, RM5 billion in Kumpulan Wang Amanah Nasional, approximately RM1.2 billion in land assets that could be monetised and that it had plugged loopholes in tax collection and has been conservative in estimating its revenue. Husni said that the national debt was still below the critical level of 55 per cent of GDP and that its loan payment to national revenue was at 10 per cent which was below the "prudent" level of 15 per cent. He also pointed out that external loans were well below the RM35 billion limit and the debt serving ratio for external loans was at about two per cent. "It is well within our capability," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| Bahasa Malaysia has no global economic value Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:30 PM PDT Whats the point of flagging Bahasa Malaysia when our economy is weak? (Free Malaysia Today) - Sarawak opposition has called on the federal government to be both sensible and practical in dealing with the issue of Bahasa Malaysia as a useable national language. Drawing attention to Sarawak's multi-dialectical communities, state DAP secretary general Chong Chien Jen said it was disappointing to see the government's 'overzealousness' about pushing the Bahasa Malaysia agenda. Said Chong: "From a Sarawakian perspective it is a stupid move…in Sarawak, Bahasa Malaysia, English and native languages are used alongside each other. "This is written in our Malaysia Agreement…there is no issue. "We understand Bahasa Malaysia is our national language. It is important, but we have to also understand that the country is not an island. We are playing in global fields," he said. No economic value He said from an economic point of view the move would be detrimental to the country in the long run. "When the economy is weak, you cannot be overzealous about Bahasa Malaysia. "If our economy is strong, not only our people will start to learn Bahasa Malaysia, foreigners will also start learning the language. "Just like China now where a lot of foreigners are learning Mandarin because her economy is strong," he said alluding to Malaysia's public debt and the frail global economy. READ MORE HERE |
| Greek govt heading for meltdown Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:28 PM PDT (Agencies) - ATHENS: Greece's government appeared headed for meltdown ahead of a confidence vote after Prime Minister George Papandreou called a referendum on the country's EU debt deal. The shock announcement sparked a call for early elections and a defection that left Mr Papandreou's parliamentary majority on a knife edge, while shares plunged 6.92 per cent. Adding to the chaos, Greece's foreign minister cancelled meetings with three foreign ambassadors, while Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos was hospitalised with an inflamed appendix. Amid the political upheaval,Venizelos – a former party rival of Mr Papandreou – appeared to distance himself from the referendum bombshell on Tuesday when sources close to him said he was unaware of it. The assertion was at odds with an impassioned speech Venizelos gave in parliament on Monday in support of the move.
An emergency cabinet meeting was under way amid reports that even a ministerial walkout was possible as protests mounted against the government's austerity policies. The semi-state Athens News Agency said Venizelos made a flurry of phone calls to European and International Monetary Fund officials to brief them on developments. Papandreou, fighting to keep the country's troubled economic rescue on track, will travel to Cannes, France, on Wednesday where G20 leaders are holding a summit on Thursday and Friday. He will attend a working dinner with host Nicolas Sarkozy of France, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European council chief Herman Van Rompuy, EU commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, eurozone head policymaker Jean-Claude Juncker, new ECB chief Mario Draghi and IMF managing director Christine Lagarde. In a phone call with Ms Merkel on Tuesday, Papandreou insisted that the referendum would "strengthen" Greece in the eurozone and globally, his office said. His call for a referendum was meant as a bid to secure approval of his disputed economic policies without early elections. But the gambit backfired when a former deputy minister defected, reducing the ruling party's majority in the 300-seat parliament to 152 deputies. Papandreou had faced increasing dissent within his own party over the tougher austerity policy monitored by the EU and the IMF that has sparked general strikes and widespread protests, many of them violent. Although the EU deal agreed last Thursday after marathon talks in Brussels included an agreement to write off 100 billion euros of debt owed by Greece, the Athens government still has to implement a painful package of austerity measures to get its hands on bailout funds. |
| Kita is dreaming, says Kedah DAP Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:26 PM PDT Kedah Kita retorts: So were DAP and PKR in 2008. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kedah DAP today dismissed Kita as an irrelevant party in the state and predicted that its candidates for the general election will lose their deposits. State DAP chief Lee Guan Aik said his Kita counterpart, Zamil Ibrahim, was daydreaming when he spoke yesterday of scoring upset wins in the coming election. He said Zamil was "ignorant of political realities" and "Kita candidates are going to lose their deposits." Zamil, whom FMT contacted for a response, said Kita was only doing what Pakatan Rakyat parties did before the 2008 election. "Pakatan did not expect to win then, but it won," he said. "What's wrong in daydreaming then? Their daydream of forming the state government became a reality. Why not ours?" Lee, who is the state assemblyman for Kota Darulaman and DAP's only representative in the Kedah legislature, said Kedah voters did not even know what Kita stood for. "Kita has a long way to go yet to win over the people," he said. "But they have their right to say what they want to say. Nothing wrong in daydreaming." Yesterday, at a function to introduce Kedah Kita's election manifesto, Zamil said his party was looking forward to replacing PKR and DAP in the state government. He claimed that the two parties never had a firm political presence in Kedah and won in 2008 only because of a "political tsunami". Kita is eyeing six parliamentary and 12 state seats in Kedah. Claiming that both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan were besieged by internal political problems in the state, he said "Kita can fish in trouble waters." Lee said Kita could not get anywhere near DAP's political background and service record in the country. "Our political longevity is second only to PAS," he said, referring to DAP's 44 years of existence as a political party. READ MORE HERE |
| The Malaysian Cooperative Commission Annual Report for the year ending 2010 in Parliament Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:16 PM PDT By Thuraisingham Shun
The Audit Negara Report has not addressed the missing billions in the Cooperative system.
The accounts of Audit Negara for the year ending 2010 of the Malaysian Cooperative Commission is to be passaged in the current Parliament session. Ardent attempts to obtain a copy of the same from the offices of Audit Negara and the Cooperative Commission bas been in vain. Thanks to the bureaucracy and red tape of the little Napoleons. I feel that for the third year in succession the misstated accounts are being bulldozed through Parliament and quietly without being debated. For the year accounts for the years ending 2008 and 2009, it was identified that RM billions were missing from the system. Funds have been mismanaged and a host of shortcomings has been forwarded for the attention of Tan Sri Ambin, the Auditor-General himself, vis-a vis as follows.
The Malaysian Cooperative Societies Commission Annual Report 2008 is inundated with alarming shortcomings:
* the annual accounts have been prepared without vesting orders
* the paid up capital of RM300 million has been omitted
* liabilities to the government in billions omitted
Bank Rakyaat – RM150 billion
MOCCIS - RM78 million
7 cooperatives - RM130 million
Other amounts reflected in Audit Negara report not reflected
* Millions expended to set up a number of apex organisations have been omitted
* expenditure to purchase computers too high
* Income from investment of fund accounts has been credited to the income and
expenditure accounts
* the accounting system is being balanced by the fund accounts
* Details of pending legal action against the Commission has been omitted
* comparative figures for the previous accounting period is not indicated
* details of fund accounts expended not detailed
* the fixed assets listing has no clarity
* Accounts has been qualified by a director who was not a director during the
accounting period
* according to reports in the media, the Commission had an asset backing of
RM49 billion which is not reflected in the Accounts
* disposal of assets illegal
* trust funds being utilised as income is being depleted
* trust funds belong to the contributors, as such they must be listed
* millions expended to ANGKASA from the trust funds not audited
* mismanagement of funds in ANGKASA reflected in a report not acted upon
* cooperatives are reflected in racial quantification contravening the National Cooperative Policy
* report of management consultants on the National Cooperative Policy not indicated
* ambiguous government gazette on the apex status of ANGKASA is prevailing
* Central Liquidity Fund details gazetted when matter is still pending in court
* legality of school cooperatives not addressed
* School cooperatives allowed to enter into contracts, contravening the age of
majority and the Contracts Act
* profits of school cooperatives being used by headmasters
* position of Cooperative Central Bank fiasco and the deposit taking cooperatives not
explained
* funds from deregistered societies being used by the Commission
* Commission's circular to cooperatives to write-off Cooperative Central Bank's shares to RM1 is illegal
* Lembaga Pertubuhan Peladang's assets not indicated in reports
* Same for Fisheries Cooperatives
* Rubber Smallholders Cooperatives not under the purview of the Commission - the
The Cooperative Commission was set up to consolidate all cooperatives. It is fervently hoped that the Wakil Rakyat will be alert this time to question the missing links and other details stated.
Looks like that the Cooperative Commission was introduced to write-off the missing billions and other alarming shortcomings.
The various shortcomings and our Private Sector Initiatives (PSI) had been forwarded in eight memoranda to the Prime Minister. Another four memorandum have been delivered to the respective Minister(s); memorandums have been forwarded to the Chief Secretary to the Government, the respective Miniisty Secretary Generals, the Deputy Minister and a memorandum had been forwarded to the PEMANDU Directorate.
The Government has to initiate serious action to resuscitate the Cooperative Movement and to identify and account for the missing billions and other shortcomings without delay.
The plight of the 8500 cooperatives with its membership of 9 million, snowballing to 17 million with family members is in stake.
The Prime Minister is requested to initiate an emergency session of Parliament to restore the confidence of this people's movement of the middle and lower income group, immediately. All draconian laws to scrounge the savings of cooperatives should be repealed.
The cooperative fraternity is set to deliver its voters for the next general election.
Written by:
Thuraisingham Shun
Cooperative & Management Consultant
Dato' Mustapa Kamal Maulut
Chairman Portfolio Koperasi
The National Malay Chambers of Commerce
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| Lim fending off a third force Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:16 PM PDT Ironically fighting on the same issues which Pakatan had campaigned on previously, it is proving to be a challenge for the chief minister in the run up to GE13. For now, as PCM vice-president Huan Cheng Guan says, the third voice is basking in their role in pointing out shortcomings as they are not beholden to either BN or Pakatan. Hawkeye, Free Malaysia Today Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been facing a unique challenge to his political might in Penang since the start of this year – and it is not from the Barisan Nasional. Instead, it is being mounted through the third force representation of Parti Cinta Malaysia, Kita and several Malay-based NGOs who claim to enjoy links with Lim's ally – PAS. Initially in 2008, it was BN, who played the opposition role although it was mostly muted as it was still struggling to come to terms with the fact it was no longer the state government. This was then followed by several state PKR leaders who went rogue, such as former deputy chief minister Mohamed Fairus Khairuddin and ex-Penang PKR chairman Zahrain Mohd Hashim as well as Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng. Besides dealing with their own internal party squabble, they encountered problems with Lim, portrayed by many within his inner circle as an uncomprising and strong-willed leader. When the dust had settled, all three had quit PKR to either join BN, Kita or become Independent elected representative. Lim's administration was once again besieged, this time, it came from Malay-based NGOs such as Pajim and Perkasa with one, claiming to represent Penang PAS members. They were the most vocal, ironically fighting for the same issues, which Pakatan had previously campaigned on, such as affordable housing, equality and human rights. Lately, it is the third voice who raised contentious issues to the point of distracting Lim and his administration, which is gearing up for the next general election. PCM exposed a land sale involving a DAP state assemblyman, especially when Lim had declared that no Pakatan rep should purchase any land during their tenure of the state. Lim was forced to come the assemblyman's defence, saying that he was merely re-acquiring his ancestral land and that the transaction was above board. Still, eyebrows were raised as the issue had undermined Lim's oft quoted CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) governance. Tan had also revealed a car park at the foot of Penang Hill, which was constructed under the Penang Development Corporation's clout and approved by the Pakatan government in 2008. The car park was found to be defective and too narrow so much so only Kancil vehicle models could be accommodated. Tan lodge a report with the MACC about possible fraud. He also raised the issue of whether the last remaining natural green lung, Penang Hill, would be subjected to redevelopment. Such issues did resonate with the fence-sitters and the social activists, dominant in this highly critical pace of Penang. Mustapa Amin, a member of an NGO, who specialises in education, said while Pakatan is performing well in Penang, it is prone to committing mistakes due to inexperience. Mustapa said people would want to give the benefit of doubt to the government, as they need time and opportunity to show their capabilities and their key performance indicators. "Any new employee undergoes a probationary period. It is the same with Pakatan and their own representatives," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| Malaysian companies among the worst ‘bribers’ Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:07 PM PDT A Transparency International (TI) survey finds that Malaysian companies are most likely to bribe to get businesses. (Free Malaysia Today) - Malaysia is ranked 15th when it comes to companies most likely to pay bribes when doing business abroad, a survey suggests. Malaysia, Hong Kong, Italy and South Africa were in 15th place out of 28 countries in a poll of 3,000 business executives conducted by anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI). Companies from Russia and China are the most likely to pay bribes and were the top two 'bribers'. The Netherlands and Switzerland came top, while the UK ranked eighth, just ahead of the US and France. Bribery was reportedly most common to win public sector works and construction contracts. "It is of particular concern that China and Russia are at the bottom of the index," said TI in its report. "Given the increasing global presence of businesses from the countries, bribery and corruption are likely to have a substantial impact on societies in which they operate and on the ability of companies to compete fairly in these markets." Other major developing economies came much higher up the rankings. India was 19th, while Brazil, in 14th place, was one spot ahead of Italy. The report called for more international action to outlaw companies from paying bribes in foreign countries. "G20 governments must tackle foreign bribery as a matter of urgency," said Huguette Labelle, chair of TI, who said that more resources must be dedicated to investigations and prosecutions. Linked to corrupt governments
Russia, which came bottom of the league, was seen by TI as a particularly challenging case. "Unfortunately… there are no islands of integrity in Russian public and business life," said TI Russian director, Elena Panfilova. Survey respondents were asked to say how likely companies from each of the foreign countries were to offer back-handers. Bribe-paying was seen as much more common by businessmen from countries whose governments were also considered to have the least integrity, according to a separate "corruption perceptions" survey carried out by TI last year. The sector most affected by bribery was public procurement – where companies compete to win contracts from governments for everything from waste collection to road building. READ MORE HERE |
| MALAYSIA INSIGHT: Sinking deeper and deeper Posted: 01 Nov 2011 04:44 PM PDT KL must take urgent action to cut alarming - and growing - national debt The Auditor-General's recent report pointed out that Malaysia's national debt rose 12.3 per cent to over RM407 billion (S$165 billion) in 2010. The amount is equivalent to 53.1 per cent of gross domestic product. It's the second straight year that the national debt has exceeded 50 per cent. By S JAYASANKARAN, Singapore Business Times MALAYSIA should take heed of the problems - the public anger, the social unrest - posed by the solutions offered to tackle rising sovereign debt in Europe. God forbid that we head that way! The Auditor-General's recent report pointed out that Malaysia's national debt rose 12.3 per cent to over RM407 billion (S$165 billion) in 2010. The amount is equivalent to 53.1 per cent of gross domestic product. It's the second straight year that the national debt has exceeded 50 per cent. The figure is a reflection of the spending spree the country went on to mitigate the effects of the 2009 global financial crisis. At its peak that year, the budget deficit rose to 7.6 per cent of GDP, the highest in two decades. It has since come down to 5.4 per cent of GDP and the government projects that it will decline further to 4.7 per cent of GDP next year. But that may be overly optimistic. Everyone knows why the debt has piled up: persistently high budget deficits over 14 years. But it is the pace of the rise that's alarming. Standout statistic: in the space of six years, total federal government debt has actually doubled from 2004. That way lies folly. Malaysia's debt position is close to breaching legislative levels set a long time ago by Parliament. According to the Auditor-General's report, public debt from domestic sources rose RM41.76 billion to RM390.36 billion last year, while loans from foreign sources rose to RM16.75 billion, or up RM2.96 billion. But the Loan (Local) and Government Investment Act caps the domestic debt ceiling at 55 per cent (of GDP) for the government, while the External Loans Act 1963 limits foreign loan exposure to RM35 billion. According to the report, the domestic debt level at end-2010 stood at 51 per cent of GDP. The great irony of the situation is that it need not have come to that. The Auditor-General's report revealed a litany of financial abuse in several government agencies. Leakages and wastage of appalling proportions were laid bare. Marine binoculars being purchased at 25 times cost? Over RM5 million to buy horses? If all the wastage was cut and proper procedures observed all the way down, one suspects that Malaysia would be a budget-surplus country. Nor is national debt going to fall any time soon. Next year, it's estimated that the debt will breach RM455 billion - almost 54 per cent of GDP. The danger for Kuala Lumpur is another recession stemming from the West's economic woes. This time it cannot afford to spend its way out of it, like it did in 2009. On top of that, subsidies on fuel and other essentials like cooking oil, milk, rice and sugar remain intractably high at RM32 billion this year. And the hits just keep on coming. According to the country's central bank, the national debt as at June 30, 2011 has risen to RM437 billion, with domestic debt amounting to RM421 billion and foreign debt at RM16 billion. |
| DAP MP: Is BN in bed with Israel? Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:14 PM PDT (Harakah Daily) - Fresh from the revelation that it broke the country's immigration laws to allow an Israeli passport holder enter the country for a sports event, the government is now taken to task over its silence to answer allegations that it has been having secret trade ties with the Zionist regime.
DAP's Bakri member of parliament Er Teck Hwa said the silence from Trade and Industry minister Mustapa Mohamad over his question in parliament pointed to "something fishy".
"The government is trying to hide something behind Mustapa's silence. In fact, during the debate I only asked the minister to clarify whether it is true or not," said Er in a statement.
Parliament speaker had earlier denied Er a chance to question Mustapa over alleged trade ties between Malaysia and Israel following a revelation on the internet.
Er said the government must explain a statement by a former Israeli trade minister in an Israeli trade magazine a few years ago, welcoming Malaysia's intention to have economic ties.
"If not, the Prime Minister must deny the statement made by Mischa Harish who stated clearly in a Israeli's trade promotion magazine that, 'The public declaration of the Malaysian Prime Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industrial that their country intends to pursue economic relations with Israel is another milestone in the development of trade this continent'," he added.
Er said having economic relations with the Zionist regime not only hurt the feelings of Malaysian Muslims, but also anyone opposed to the injustice and atrocities committed by the Israeli army against the Palestinian people.
Er said running away from the issue would only prove the BN's hypocrisy.
"They (UMNO) often accuse Pakatan Rakyat of being Zionist agents, but instead, they are the one sleeping with them," he chided, referring to a constant accusation levelled by UMNO politicians.
Er added that the issue was not a small matter, saying it would create suspicions about the country's initiative to assist Palestinians such as the humanitarian efforts in Gaza. |
| When road thugs rule … Posted: 01 Nov 2011 02:02 PM PDT hGoFyD5jDBc
Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGoFyD5jDBc How else to explain the lack of action by the police against the road thugs? When they serve BN-Umno's interest, it is okay. Public safety can take a back seat. By Jackson Ng, Retired journalist WHAT was it that the police and Barisan Nasional (BN) government labelled the "Mat Rempit"? If the police and BN are suffering from amnesia, let me refresh their memory – road thugs. The police and BN had said the people should not glorify the term Mat Rempit because these road bullies are no different from gangsters and mobsters. They are a nuisance and a threat to peace-loving Malaysians. Then, what happened in George Town? There was no clampdown on the road thugs who were allowed to roam the streets and make their way to the Penang State Assembly to demonstrate, illegally I supposed. Or was there a police permit? Unlike the peaceful Bersih 2.0 demonstrators, who were brutally attacked by the police, this did not happen to the road thugs. And what were the demands of the Bersih demonstrators? They just want the universal rights of the people to have free and fair elections. In the case of the road thugs, the police just stood and watched, allowing them to create havoc and scream racially-tainted abuses. And do you remember there were injuries and deaths caused by such road thugs, as related by the police in the past? So, what do you have now in Malaysia? Like I had written and feared, Malaysia is today a lawless state. The law is used to serve only BN-Umno's interest, not the people. Umno is the law, not the Federal Constitution, the police or the judiciary. How else to explain the lack of action by the police against the road thugs? When they serve BN-Umno's interest, it is okay. Public safety can take a back seat. In defence of the road thugs, I won't be surprised if BN-Umno will respond next to say that Mat Rempit is our "kebudayaan" (culture). Buy that if you are a hardcore BN-Umno supporter. And what a ridiculous demand the road thugs are making? They want the state government to use taxpayers' money to build a race track for them. I guess the Pakatan Rakyat (PR)-led state government should for the first time support the BN-Umno's cause for the road thugs. Build the race track, let the road thugs zoom as they please and kill one another in crashes. The Police di-Raja Malaysia is in a shameful state. It has abandoned its most important role – to protect the people against criminals, mobsters. Imagine what would have happened if, in the midst of the rowdy demonstration by the road thugs, an accident had occurred? Who is to blame? The road thugs or the police? The Sun reported today (Nov 2, 2011) that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told the State Assembly that he was "a little bit shaken" by the demonstration by some 300 motorcyclists. I can see why Lim is shaken. The police let loose and allowed the thugs to roam the streets. We peace-loving Malaysians now cannot even rely on the police to provide basic public safety. The BN-Umno government and the system are in near collapse as can be seen by the police's support for the road thugs. The fear of losing political power has made them paranoid, resorting to devious and unethical means to drum up racial and religious discord to remain in power. The strategy of BN-Umno is clear – divide and rule. They have also forgotten the need to promote a conducive environment to maintain the confidence of investors – both local and foreign. As long as BN-Umno can stir racial and religious hatred in Malaysians, BN will have the advantage to remain in power, they think. Sadly, that is yesterday's thinking. Today, Malaysians are more informed and educated in the digital era. They can judge an issue better.
BN-Umno, like what many have said and described, is a dinosaur wanting to become extinct as they continue to alienate themselves from the majority of peace-loving Malaysians. Let us hope sanity prevails in the next general election before all is lost.
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| Anwar Rallies The Students In London Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:56 PM PDT By Mariam Mokhtar via Malaysian Mirror Opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim's talk at University College London (UCL), was on 'The Struggle for Justice and Democracy in Malaysia'. When Malaysia's political outlook is grim, with members of academia being suspended, students being hauled to court, and with the upcoming general election set to be anything but clean, his talk couldn't have come at a more poignant moment. Anwar reached out to the students and his message to them bodes well for the country.The historic decision by the appeal court to free university students from the ban on political involvement will reignite a new political awakening among our youth. Anwar asked if the critics and skeptics were right to say that justice and democracy are nice catch phrases and that democracy is over-rated. He criticised the BN government for not learning from the Arab Spring which was all about freedom and democracy. His contention was that dictators, including authoritarian leaders like those in the BN government would say: "There are riots in Jakarta, occupation of Wall Street…therefore support the Umno/ BN government. It is more peaceful." Anwar countered this and said, "But that is not the point. The issue of freedom and justice is sacrosanct. You are born to be free. It is not for governments to decide whether you should be free or not." And he demolished the argument that we should compare ourselves with failed states, Zimbabwe or Burma. The former Finance and Deputy Prime minister said, "In the late 70s and early 80s, Malaysia was at par economically with Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. "In the 90s we were still number one in terms of growth, market capitalisation and foreign direct investments (FDI). We were number two compared with Singapore in terms of market competitiveness. "Now we are only better than Burma. We have lost our growth." When Anwar proposed, in 2007,that the NEP be dismantled, BN initiated a campaign with incessant propaganda among the rural Malays that Anwar was prepared to condemn his own race to appease the Chinese. "Dismantling the NEP is not about condemning my own people. No. "Do you mean to suggest that bright young Malays should not be given the necessary support? Yes. But not the rich Malays. Not the billions of shares allocated to cronies and family members of the ruling elite. Not the billions of contract awarded to them. "They say Malaysia is stolen by the non-Malays, but I am saying it is stolen by the Malay leaders – RM52 billion last year taken by ministers and their family members." He decried the hypocrisy of the BN elite and how they make a mockery of Islam and syariah. He spoke of the injustice meted out to Kartika, the girl who was punished for one glass of beer, whereas Mahathir's family, who are Indian Muslims, could own RM2.9 billion shares of San Miguel, a beer company. He challenged the students to ask: "How is it that a family of an ex-Prime minister can purchase shares of RM2.9 billions of one company, RM 1.9 billion of Esso (M) Berhad and RM10 billion of Kencana Berhad. A family owns at least RM15 billion worth of shares or contracts." He spoke about attempts by the authorities to undermine him with the incessant trials and sex videos and the ridiculous depths to which Malaysian politics had descended. He exposed the dealings of the BN leaders who squandered the agricultural fund, meant to help the padi farmers, the poorest in the country. Instead, BN leaders gave it to their crony friends who then sold it on for millions of ringgits in profit. The fund would have given relief for 150,000 families, 95% of whom were Malay, but it was stolen by the Malay leaders. He said, "You want to help the poor, you help the farmers. The Malay farmers may make up the majority, but also help the Chinese, Indian, Iban and Kadazans….across the board. That should be the way". Addressing the students in the audience, he warned them of the culture of fear which was waged by the Malaysian authorities. He related the incident where he was being trailed even when overseas. And he talked about Malaysian students, principally the Malay scholarship students being warned not to attend any 'opposition' lectures. He cautioned them that Najib's administration feared the truth. Anwar urged the audience to read Buku Jingga to be aware of Pakatan's policies. He was passionate about his party's vision of a Malaysia that will be shaped by itsyouth. His vision was of a multiracial Malaysia which is governed with transparency, accountability, and where the corrupt would be punished. He told the students of the important role they played as they will one day have the country's future in their hands, "Everyone is born to be free. Freedom cannot be negotiated," and he stressed: "You must ask questions. You must make a stand and exercise your rights…." His audience, which consisted of students and expatriate Malaysians working in England, were not disappointed. The event was oversubscribed and the lecture theatre was packed. Although most of the students were from universities and colleges in and around London, some had come from hundreds of miles to hear him speak. Many in the crowd had never seen or heard Anwar speak in person, but said he engaged them and was articulate and animated, coaxing and convincing. Their comments are published here: A Malaysian doctor practicing in London said, "The attendees had a good and engaging session all round." One person said, "I felt that what Anwar said was genuine. He does not look like a man seeking revenge despite being messed about by the "authorities" all these years. After all, it was Mahathir who has been concealing the truth, portraying him as the villian of the country all the while. Admittedly I believed what the media was saying back then, though on reflection I was still a kid and was naive about politics." "I sincerely hope Anwar will lead the Opposition to victory this coming general election, and start recovering from the damage that has been done to our dear country." "Anwaris a charismatic leader who can attract a whole spectrum of people from different races, religious background or social class & ages. "He seems able to engage with the Malaysian youth from any political ideology or persuasion, to convince them that Malaysiais ready for a change. "Malaysians who have taken up British citizenship came here to show that they care for Malaysia, despite suffering unfair & discriminatory treatments from the racist Malaysian government while living in Malaysia." "It was an extraordinary evening". One young man, Al-Jalori, a Malay reading Electrical Engineering at a London university, was full of admiration, "That was my first time at a talk by Anwar Ibrahim and I am amazed. I support his efforts to reform the country and be rid of corruption, to have an effective allocation of money for the poor, prevent wastage in the country's finances and have a surplus in economic development. "I believe that these will bring Malaysia one step closer to being a better country. Anwar mentioned young talented groups and this made me realise that future generations, should not be afraid to speak out. Who knows, some of us might become leaders of Malaysia in future?" |
| How many ministers’ children are studying abroad? Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:53 PM PDT By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: The opposition in Sarawak are backing a call for a referendum to find out how many federal cabinet ministers, their deputies and those involved in education policy-making are sending their children overseas to study where the medium of instruction is in English. The Sarawak opposition parties have also urged the government "to be practical" about the issue. According to Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian, many Sarawakian parents along with party members wanted to know where the ministers sent their children to study and how many were sent abroad. "There is a suggestion by certain quarters that there should be a referendum among the federal ministers where and which schools they are sending their children to. "I support this suggestion so that we know where they send their children to. Are they sending their children overseas to learn English? "With this referendum, then we can see whether these ministers are sincere or they just want to make it (using Bahasa Malaysia to teach mathematics and science) just a political issue," he said. Bian was responding to Education Minister Muyiddin Yassin's announcement that starting next year all schools will start using Bahasa Malaysia as a medium of instruction to teach mathematics and science. De-politicize education Bian, who is the Ba'Kelalan assemblyman, said that both as a parent and a party member he wants the education policy de-politicised. "As a father and a PKR leader, we would like to make a stand regarding the change of education policy as announced by the Education Minister that the teaching of Mathematics and Science should be changed back to the use of Bahasa Malaysia. "An earlier indication from the school was that that they were given option. But now the use of Bahasa Malaysia to teach mathematics and science is absolute and without any option. "Looking at the history of our Education Ministers, each one of them would come with a different kind of policy when he took over the ministry, resulting in very inconsistent educational policies. "Our stand is that you should stick to one policy only as changing it mid-term is really making it worse for our people," said Bian. He added that the government, it appeared, had not learnt from the past. As the country is approaching the 13th general election, he said: "It is irresistible conclusion, as a lawyer would say, that the minister is using it as a political issue to gain political mileage. "As a minister for all races, he should not use it as a political issue. It is not fair to other people," he said. READ MORE HERE. |
| ETP on track but vision some distance away Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:50 PM PDT By Teoh El Sen, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: The government's Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) is on the right track but the light at the end of the tunnel is still some distance away. The ETP was incepted one year ago and the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) chief Idris Jala is pleased with the results, so far.
"Things are looking okay… we're on the right trajectory, we've not achieved our 2020 vision just yet… on track but we can't declare victory. We must remember this is not a sprint, but a marathon," the minister in the Prime Minister's Department said at a briefing of ETP's one-year anniversary at Bukit Kiara yesterday.
Idris said some RM10 billion have been invested into projects under the ETP over the past one year, which was 64% of the RM15 billion in investments committed for 2011. Another RM5 billion is expected by the end of 2011.
He also said that Entry Point Projects (EPPs) were progressing well and a total of 70 out of the 131 EPPs, or 53%, have taken off.
"As some EPPs have multiple projects, we now have 97 projects which are in various stages of implementation," he said.
The ETP aims to transform Malaysia into a high income nation by 2020.
According to the 2010 Auditor-General's Report, the national debt rose by 12.3% at RM407billion. The economy grew by 7.2% last year, while the fiscal deficit maintained public debt at over 50 per cent of GDP for the second year running.
Positive progress
Despite saying that "progress was encouraging", Idris also said that GDP growth stood at 4.4% and was "not as rosy as we would like" as under the ETP, the growth should be at 6% per year.
"However, because the 2nd half of 2011 is expected to grow to 5% and that the previous year's growth was at 7.4%. We are still at about 6% in two years," he said.
Of the ETP's 2011 Gross National Income (GNI) target of RM494 billion, RM288 billion was reached so far; of the RM83 billion private investment target, RM51.2 billion was achieved while the targeted 684,000 jobs created, about 50% have been achieved.
"We are hitting all of them just about right… this is a positive progress after just 12 months. By being focused on the 12 key growth areas, the country's private sector's confidence in the local economy has also increased," he said, adding that the final target for 2020 was to achieve RM1.71 trillion in GNI, RM1.4 trillion in commited investments and 3.3 million jobs.
Not happy being Mr Average
Idris also said that the only thing he regretted about the ETP was that it was not implemented 10 years earlier.
"If we started 10 years ago, we would have made it… 10 years ago we were not focused and we tried to do everything under the sun. It's like Usain Bolt trying to be a champion in sprint but also wants to be the best at long jump, marathon. If you try to be best at everything and lose focus, you'll just be MrAverage," he said.
Idris said a lesson learnt from neighbouring countries trying to go into high-income nation was that an economic plan needed focus.
During question and answer session, Idris said that the plan to cut subsidies was still in place. READ MORE HERE. |
| Reforming the A-G’s Office Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:37 PM PDT By Zaid Ibrahim, FMT Abdul Gani Patail has been the Attorney General (A-G) for many years now. He assumed office at an early age, and it is his good fortune that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (who was prime minister at the time) liked him. During my short stint working with him, I found him cooperative and a hardworking civil servant. Abdul Gani will probably remain A-G for a while more, even though he has received a lot of flak and criticism. Some are justified, and some are not. The list of cases and complaints is too long for me to recite here but everyone knows that no one has been brought to book for the MAS scandal that caused losses of billions of ringgit. Everyone knows that those responsible for the death of Teoh Beng Hock, and Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed have not been held accountable. Everyone remembers the "no further action" against those implicated in the judge-fixing (i.e., the Lingam Videotape) scandal. There are many other cases involving high-profile personalities who were acquitted or had their charges dropped without the public being given satisfactory explanation of why those cases were not successful. This happened in the 2007 prosecution of Tan Sri Eric Chia for criminal breach of trust. It happened again in the 2009 prosecution of former Land and Cooperative Development Minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam for corruption and cheating. It happened again this year in the high-profile case against Constable V Navindran, who was charged with causing grievous hurt to A Kugan who died in the Taipan police lock-up two years ago. The person who holds the office of AG must be one who make himself transparent and accountable. He must not be the the type who is reluctant to engage with the public. He must not remain below the radar, a personality trait common among those who like fishing. Its true that he is the chief legal adviser to the government and the Prime Minister, and in a sense its true that for as long as his employer is happy with him, why should he care about what the public thinks. But he is wrong to take this attitude. He is no ordinary civil servant. He is ex-officio the Public Prosecutor with powers conferred to him by the Federal Constitution. Malaysian Attorneys-General assume a dual role: they are simultaneously the legal adviser to the government and the Public Prosecutor. Taking responsibility As Public Prosecutor the A-G is entrusted with making sure that the criminal justice system works well and functions with integrity and fairness. As a legal adviser, the A-G makes sure that the activities of the government are legally defensible. The A-G works for the government of the day to make sure that all government actions are in accordance with the law – a good legal adviser will also put his or her foot down when the government transgresses the law. This is easier said than done when there are politicians in the Cabinet who place politics first and law second. Usually the AG will relent in such situation. However as a Public Prosecutor, the A-G works not for the government but for the public at large. He serves the public in providing a justice system that serve them well. As Public Prosecutor, the A-G is a public institution empowered by the constitution with all the discretionary powers in the world to charge or not to charge anyone for any offence or crime. He is the barometer by which we measure our success as a country governed by the Rule of Law. Unfortunately whist he is responsible for the well being of the justice system in the country, he has no control over other stakeholders. He has no say in how the police force should be managed. He has no say in how the investigation team could be improved. He has little say in the efficiency of the court system. He has to accept the quality of politicians managing the country. So its not fair to blame him soley for the weakness and defects in the overall administration of justice in the country. Still he has to assume some responsibility. When a public official has such wide discretionary powers, he or she must exercise them with care, based on established principles and with integrity and fairness. This is where the A-G must be transparent, must engage with the public, and must provide reasons for all his or her actions and decisions. The A-G cannot say "it's my power and that's the end of the matter". The A-G is a public institution and, as such, must be held accountable and answerable to the public. I tried to convince former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that the A-G's post should be made a political position and that the incumbent must be made a Cabinet member. The Attorney General, in my view, must be prepared to stand in Parliament and be held fully accountable. I was of, course, unsuccessful in pursuing this. Are the politicians ready? Making the A-G a political position does not mean that the A-G's Office automatically becomes somehow "better" than if it were non-political. The character and personality of the person appointed as A-G would still be the most important factor, but as a political office the incumbent would not be able to escape enquiry and questioning in Parliament. READ MORE HERE. |
| Parliament debates docking a month from PM’s pay Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:33 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia allowed MPs to debate today a motion to dock Datuk Seri Najib Razak's salary by RM22,826.65, or the equivalent of a month's wages. He said that although it was purely politically-motivated, he would allow the motion to be debated based on precedent. "Government backbenchers were allowed to debate a motion to dock the Opposition leader's salary in the past. If I don't allow this, then I will be accused of double-standards," he said. PKR vice president Chua Tian Chang had filed the motion last week to approve the government's 2012 Budget with an additional provision to dock the prime minister's salary. The Batu MP had said that "this is akin to a motion of no-confidence in the prime minister's leadership and administration." When tabling the motion today, he cited reasons such as the increase in national debt to over 51 per cent of GDP; the deaths of former DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock and Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed while in Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission custody; and the clampdown on the July 9 Bersih rally for electoral reform. MORE TO COME HERE. |
| Putrajaya says FBC media helped attract FDI, tourism Posted: 01 Nov 2011 01:31 PM PDT By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — The government said today image consultants FBC Media helped raise the standing of Malaysia as a tourism and investment destination during the RM94 million three-year deal that began in 2007. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told Parliament that the London-based media company, which is facing bankruptcy, "supported the efforts of government leaders and ministers" to burnish the country's image overseas.
"The communications strategy was important in raising the standing of Malaysia as a tourism and investment destination," the Padang Rengas MP said in reply to a parliamentary question by Kuala Krai MP Hatta Ramli.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told Parliament today, "The communications strategy was important in raising the standing of Malaysia as a tourism and investment destination." — file pic
In 2006 Malaysia drew 17.5 million tourists who spent an estimated RM38 billion, figures that rose to 24.6 million tourists spending RM56.5 billion last year.
Malaysia has also attracted RM21.3 billion worth of foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the first half of this year alone, compared to RM29.3 billion last year and just RM5.7 billion in 2009 as the global financial crisis hit the country hard.
FDI in 2008 was RM24.1 billion.
FBC, whose contract ended last year, is being investigated by the UK's communications industry regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), and US broadcaster CNBC for producing news content on Malaysia without revealing that Putrajaya was also its public relations client.
PAS election director Hatta had also questioned why Malaysia had contracted a company that has gone into administration — a legal term that allows a company facing bankruptcy to carry on business — "now that Malaysia is no longer paying it millions of ringgit."
"Don't we already have embassies and Matrade (the national trade promotion industry) offices in these markets?" he asked.
Nazri replied that most staff in these offices were only posted in a country for a few years at a time, resulting in networking and contacts being made on a short-term basis.
"So in the UK, it is better to use a firm from the UK," he said.
The Malaysian Insider had reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has contracted a series of public relations strategists, including APCO Worldwide, to burnish both his personal image and that of his government's locally and worldwide.
APCO's time in Malaysia was marked by controversy after the opposition alleged the public relations firm was linked to Israel.
The most recent hire are members of the team behind former British PM Tony Blair's "New Labour" campaign who were reported to have started work to reinvent Najib as a moderate reformist. READ MORE HERE. |
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
