Month: January 2016

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Mr Lauber Lauber

  
When the statement above came out, I was like “Whoa! What’s this all about?” I wasn’t caught surprised by the statement, I was more surprised that a press statement was made by the Attorney-General of Switzerland, Michael Lauber, when all he could have done was to call up his Malaysian counterpart and seek help.

So, what’s with the drama, Michael Lauber?

Geneva MP, Carlo Sommaruga has been trying for years to get the Michael Lauber to declare Sarawak governor Taib Mahmud’s family a criminal organisation for the alleged timber-riches gained by the Taib family. The main complain comes from the Bruno Manser Foundation. Manser, a Swiss-national cum activist went missing on 15 February 2000. A lot of theories have been offered on his disappearance, much like the disappearance of Jim Thompson on 26 March 1967. Theories were in abundance but as the saying goes, it’s a jungle out there, literally. And to disappoint the conspiracy theorists, murder isn’t the only reason a person could disappear in the jungle.

What is the connection here? The report that prompted the statement above was made by the Bruno Manser Foundation. The Foundation also finances Sarawak Report. Both Bruno Manser and Claire Rewcastle Brown are the apparent gwei los who have been chosen to save Malaysia. Lauber, although is an Attorney-General, was not appointed as one, but was elected by the United Federal Assembly of Switzerland. I will leave this portion at that for the moment.

Now, if you notice, there is always a pattern of attacks. Everytime the Ringgit strengthens, outlooks start to look positive and our stock market jumps, these gwei lo organisations will issue statements or get someone to issue a statement like the above. We see this occurring many times especially when the attacks on the 1MDB peaked last year.

Back to Michael Lauber. Being the elected Attorney-General, his office comes under the Federal Department of Justice and Police which is headed by Simonetta Sommaruga, who was also the President of Switzerland until 31 December 2015. If you notice the surname, yes, she is a relative of Carlo Sommaruga mentioned in the early part of this post. Perhaps an election for the Attorney-General’s post is near!

Hence you get the very unprofessional conduct of issuing a press statement instead of making a call to his counterpart, a very unethical and unbecoming conduct of an Attorney-General and sure does not reflect mature professionalism of the civil servants of this well-respected country.

And for this unprofessional conduct by the Swiss AG, our AG has issued the following statement:

‎STATEMENT BY THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL 

30 January 2016

‎

1. I note the statement issued by the Office of the Attorney-General of Switzerland, and further remarks attributed to the Swiss Attorney-General by an American newspaper, concerning an investigation into two former officials of 1MDB.


2. I and the relevant Malaysian authorities are keen to establish all the facts about 1MDB that have led to recent allegations against the company. That is why a number of investigations – including by the Public Affairs Committee, the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Auditor General’s Department – are currently on-going. 


3. The Malaysian authorities, including the Attorney-General’s Chambers, are committed to working with all relevant foreign law enforcement entities through the applicable international conventions and agreements. Similarly, 1MDB has from the outset cooperated with the enquiries. 


4. Regarding the recent public statement by the Office of the Attorney-General of Switzerland, my office intends to take all possible steps to follow up and collaborate with our Swiss counterparts, and we look forward to receiving the findings of their investigations and materials through the normal channels. These materials will then be reviewed, alongside the findings of other relevant authorities and our own investigations, to determine the appropriate course of action.‎


5. Contrary to recent media reports, the investigations into donations that were made to the Prime Minister are entirely separate to those into 1MDB. The Attorney-General’s Chambers exhaustively reviewed the report provided by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and, as has been announced, found no evidence of wrong-doing and hence have instructed for the cases to be closed.‎

‎

6. Any attempt by media organisations to conflate the two sets of investigations is irresponsible and prejudicial‎. 

‎

‎TAN SRI MOHAMED APANDI ALI

ATTORNEY-GENERAL‎

MALAYSIA‎

The Bruno Manser Foundation must be desperate to damage the reputation of the government of Malaysia in the run up to the Sarawak State Election.

But I’ll write on that one day…

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Pillow Talk

  
The Attorney-General has decided not to proceed with the case of the RM2.6 billion donated into a special account bearing the Prime Minister’s name as the account holder with two persons nominated to administer the account on Najib’s behalf.

That has prompted  the Director for Special Operations of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission, Datuk Bahari Md Zin stating to the press that he will appeal on the AG’s decision. MACC also issued a press statement saying that it will forward the AG’s decision for a review by the commission’s Operations Assessment Panel (PPO).

  
As a layman, I now feel that the MACC is being run and managed by amateurs. They should first and foremost know that the Attorney-General has the final say whether or not a case should be instituted, conducted or discontinued, other than cases that come under the Syariah Law, the native court, or a court-martial. This is specified in Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

MACC’s PPO does not have the jurisdiction nor authority to review the decision of the Attorney-General. It only acts as a “check and balance” mechanism for cases that are being investigated as well as cases that have been acknowledged by the commission for prosecution or cases that the commission has recommended to be closed. You can read further the terms of reference of the MACC’s PPO here.
How is it that such a body that is supposed to be run by professionals who uphold the law and theintegrity of the commisssion not know of its own limits and boundaries that it starts to act ultra vires?

There is a saying in the military that if one is a Corporal, the wife is a Sergeant. In the case of Datuk Bahri, his wife must be the Head of MACC.

 The question is, how much does Datuk Bahri’s wife know of the investigation into the RM2.6 billion donation, or of any other investigation? What kind of pillow talk have this couple been having?

Perhaps the police should investigate Datuk Bahri under Section 8(1)(d)(iv) and (e)(iv) of the Official Secrets Act, 1972, and investigate the wife under Section 8(2) of the same Act. If this is how a senior ranking officer of the MACC behaves, I wouldn’t be surprised if in wartime, he would spill everything to the enemy.

Talking about the police, the MACC has a lot to learn from this organisation from where the MACC once came from. The police has had thousands of cases deemed as “No Further Action” and you don’t see them whining on the Internet like spoilt brats or like undergraduates with alleged perforated stomach. The integrity of the MACC is virtually ZERO!

They should have their feet firmly planted on terra firma. This is not Bollywood! So start behaving professionally!

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Chaotic Kedah

Two years ago when I attended a meeting with an armed forces veterans association in Kedah I was briefed on some of the problems the association was facing and they asked me if there was anyone above the level of the State Secretary that I would know. I said I don’t have a direct access to the Menteri Besar but I know a few people who actually do; to which they replied:

“Tak payahlah jumpa Mukhriz, tuan. Dia bukan buat kerja pun! Asyik dok hantaq pegawai dia ja!” (There’s no point in meeting with Mukhriz, sir. He doesn’t work! He only sends his officers (to do his errands)!

I was taken by surprise. I follow Mukhriz’s Instagram account and in the early days as the Menteri Besar he would wear a jubah and attend prayer sessions in the kampungs. Even when the Prime Minister decided that Mukhriz was to become the Menteri Besar in the days leading up to the last general elections I thought it was the most correct decision although many quarters in Kedah was upset.

That all stopped just before the end of Ramadhan last year. After Aidil Fitri his account was filled with selfies with Siti Nurhaliza, Ramli Sarip, Jamal Abdillah and even Upin et Ipin! Nothing wrong with those but I happen to revisit his Instagram timeline to see if there’s any difference then and now.

Is the current chaos about Najib versus Mahathir? I doubt that very much. But the complaint about Mukhriz not meeting the rakyat, associations or even Ketua Bahagians did not stop with the complaint I received two years ago. Another group of veterans from Kedah whom I met at a reunion of Air Force veterans in Kuantan early last year also revealed the same complaints. Therefore it isn’t just the UMNO politicians who are complaining about him but also the normal Joe on the street!

Now whether or not certain UMNO quarters harbour the ambition of becoming the next Menteri Besar or not is a small matter compared to the grouses the rakyat have against Mukhriz’s administration. The complaints range from the only development Mukhriz has brought about in Kedah is to build a mall ona piece of land donated by the First Mufti of Kedah for a mosque to Mukhriz doesn’t run this state, his two officers do. UMNO Kedah insiders apparently know who these two officers are!

While the supporters of Mukhriz quicky claimed that the anti-Mukhriz movement could not gather the numbers when meeting the UMNO President yesterday, the report I received show otherwise:

  
To remove Mukhriz it would have to be done in accordance with the Kedah State Constitution and that is through the Sultan or Council of Regents, or through a vote in the state legislative council. While majority of the UMNO ADUNs are against Mukhriz, five were absent from the meeting. Assuming the five are for him, the group opposed to him would need the support of both MCA and PAS. Both PKR and the sole rep from Amanah would definitely have to take the cue from their masters in the DAP.

It is very important for those in UMNO opposed to Mukhriz to get a majority support because this can be quite different to the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis.

  
On a side note, Mahathir once changed the Kedah Menteri Besar despite getting much opposition from the Kedah UMNO but of course “My Way” was Mahathir’s way, and he believes it still is. A lesson for Mukhriz and others to learn, and Mukhriz has recently agreed with is that you can only remove a leader through legal means, and this will be a lesson he will long remember.

  
The irony of it all is Muhyiddin’s latest press statement in support of Mukhriz . This coming from a coward who backstabs his boss in order to be on top is surely the joke of the year this far.

This Brutus-wannabe ought to keep his dirty mouth shut and continue reading his two favourite tabloids for facts and continue living in a dream world.

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Dear Mukhriz 

The author of the message to Mukhriz below was written by someone whom I have known since 1970.

———————-

Dear Dato Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, JP
I’ve written some humble words of comfort and advice to you and sent them to your private number only to find that all my messages to you over the years have not even been read. U didn’t even bother to read them, what more offer some kind of response. I realised that I was not very important to u, when I watched u in pain trying to remember my name at an accidental meeting. It’s a very simple name sir with only four letters. So every other next sightings of u, I try to spare u frm the same pain. I will just wave u from afar, and u’d return it with your generous and brilliant smile. 
My message is simple and if u’d care to read it, it’ll make me very happy indeed. If u’d act on it, it’ll make me proud. I will refrain making any analysis of issues surrounding the situation firstly bcos uve ignored those same ones in the past so I won’t bark at the same tree twice. Secondly I don’t really want to waste my time if uve always considered me wasting yours. I’ve made appointments without success since u took office, even at the time I was a division head. Politics unmanaged is influence lost. Perhaps u were advised that I was a trouble maker, and perhaps they’re right. I blame u mostly for the results of Kuala Kedah elections but that’s for another day. 
Today, I want u to be successful. I want u to show the world what ure made off… Of sterner stuff, I pray. And, stepping out of the shell and shadow of dear old dad at last. 
Anyone can be a billionaire or a glamorous politician just being son of the greatest Malaysian leader DrM. But can he be a leader on his own? This is a test for u sir. 
An anwar styled ‘rakyat’s’ uprising. I don’t think that’ll be very successful since your oratory skills are short of inspirational. Nevertheless money can buy show of force and rental of many buses, but can it be sustained?
Your cyberteam can prolong a perception war, but if ure no longer MB, the team would slowly dispurse as power attracts and no power dispells. 
Best for u now, is to call for calm. To say in your press release that, saya menyerahkan keputusan seluruhnya kepada pucuk pimpinan yg telah memberi keyakinan kepada saya selama ini.’ 
Secondly, please call the Prime Minister whom you have never voluntarily called to explain and report to him on the situation. 
The issue now, is not between u and him, mukhriz and najib, but between u and the 15 bahagians which have lost confidence in u ( including yours). 
The third action is to call them for a meeting since ure still party head of Kedah, so they can tell that they have lost confidence in u to your face and be answerable to your cross examination. 

On this point I am truly perplexed that u haven’t the faintest idea this was coming and not addressed them early. Ignoring phone messages is not same as ignoring a coup my friend. U can turn this around and still comeout smelling like roses if u chose to. A leader is measured by how he handles a challenge and comes out of a trial. 
Be that man or do the honorable.
Latt Shariman Abdullah

Bangsal Kambing

Pendang

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Bagilah Muhyiddin Buat Kerja

  
Kemelut yang berlaku di Kedah bukanlah suatu perkara baru. Desas-desus ketidakpercayaan terhadap Mukhriz Mahathir oleh UMNO Kedah telah lama berkumandang melalui radio-radio karat. Malah salah seorang pegawai khas beliau juga telah meletak jawatan dan pulang ke Selangor.

Hari ini, sekumpulan orang yang mewakili kepimpinan tertinggi 15 buah bahagian UMNO di negeri Kedah telah menyuarakan rasa tidak puas hati terhadap Mukhriz. 15 bahagian UMNO mewakili tidak kurang daripada 600 buah cawangan UMNO. Pergerakan ini adalah 75 kali lebih besar dari lapan buah cawangan yang meminta supaya Najib Razak meletak jawatan. Anihnya tidak pula kedengaran Mahathir menyuruh anaknya agar mendengar suara akar umbi.

Walau bagaimanapun, saya kurang bersetuju permintaan kumpulan ini agar Najib bertindak untuk mengundurkan Mukhriz. Selain menjadi Presiden UMNO, Najib juga mempunyai tanggungjawab untuk mengemudi halatuju negara. Maka perkara yang kurang besar ini boleh diserahkan kepada pemegang jawatan yang lain.

Ada eloknya tanggungjawab menyelesaikan kemelut ini diserah kepada Muhyiddin Yassin selaku Timbalan Presiden. Apatah lagi selain membuat “road show” peribadi dan membaca akhbar hiburan seperti The Edge dan Sarawak Report, beliau tidak menpunyai lain-lain tanggungjawab. Selain Shafie Apdal, lakn-lain Naib Presiden juga sibuk menjaga hal ehwal keselamatan negara.

Eloklah Muhyiddin selaku Timbalan Presiden bertindak selesaikan kemelut ini. Mukhriz bukannya lain orang; dia anak kepada penyokong Muhyiddin paling kuat!

Bagilah Muhyiddin buat kerja pula…

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Bloomberg Forecasts Malaysia To Have Among The Highest GDP Growth In 2016

To the naysayers, Bloomberg has been paid to say the following by the near-bankrupted Malaysia:

Table shows Bloomberg’s forecast GDP for the world economies.
Malaysia is forecast to have the world’s 13th highest GDP growth in 2016 with a 10% chance of recession.
Bloomberg predicts the top 6 worst performing economies to be Venezuela, Brazil. Greece, Russia, Ecuador and Argentina.
They also expect DAP favorites Taiwan and Ukraine to have a 50% chance of recession.
They also predict that countries like the USA, Canada, South Korea, UK, Australia, New Zealand, the entire Eurozone to have a higher chance of being in recession than Malaysia.
Despite oil prices dropping 75% from USD110 to around USD30 per barrel, Malaysia is still not going bankrupt or any nearer to becoming a failed state at all.
In fact, we will continue to grow in 2016 – and at 13th highest too.
Or maybe Bloomberg (which was correct in its prediction for Malaysia’s 2015 GDP growth) is a crony too.
—

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-11/meet-2016-s-worst-economic-performers-flirting-with-disaster

  

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Wahid Omar On TPPA

  

KENYATAAN DATO SRI ABDUL WAHID OMAR BERHUBUNG INSIDEN DI FORUM BANTAH TPPA
Assalam rakan2.

Pada hari Sabtu 9 Januari 2016, saya telah hadir di Sidang Kemuncak TPPA anjuran Bantah TPPA & Kongres Rakyat di IDCC, Shah Alam. Saya mendaftar secara online hari sebelumnya setelah mendapat persetujuan Tok Pa yang turut menghantar beberapa pegawai MITI. Tok Pa berada di Pulau Pinang untuk program penerangan TPPA.

Tujuan kehadiran saya adalah untuk mendengar sendiri isu2 yang dibangkitkan oleh ahli2 panel yang terdiri daripada Saudara Nizam Mahshar, Cikgu Azmi, Prof Gurdial Singh & Pn Chee Yoke Ling sementara moderator adalah Saudara Rizal Jaafar. YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir turut hadir tetapi tidak memberikan ucaptama kerana kurang sihat. Kita doakan agar Tun segera sembuh.

Sidang dibuka oleh Saudara Azlan Awang MTEM. Saya sampai jam 8.50am kerana poster sidang menyatakan acara diadakan 9.00am-1.00pm. Setelah sampai barulah saya diberitahu bahawa Majlis dijadualkan hanya bermula 10.00am. Silap saya kerana tidak mendapat pengesahan waktu. Walaubagaimanapun Majlis hanya bermula 10.30am setelah ketibaan Tun.

Pelbagai isu telah dibangkitkan termasuklah kajian kos dan manfaat, soalan mengapa perlu tergesa-gesa, rundingan sulit, perlindungan harta intelek, kemungkinan kenaikan kos ubat, kedaulatan negara, perolehan Kerajaan, syarikat milik Kerajaan & kepentingan Bumiputera.

Saya berpendapat banyak kebimbangan atau kegusaran mereka tidak benar. Sebagai contoh, ada yang menyatakan kedaulatan negara tergadai sehingga Kerajaan negeri akan kehilangan kuasa untuk menetapkan syarat2 penukaran kegunaan tanah, sehingga menghalang negara untuk menetapkan piawaian halal dan sehingga TPPA mengatasi Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Ini tidak benar. Antara lain, Artikel 4(1) Perlembagaan Persekutuan memperuntukkan “Perlembagaan ini ialah undang-undang utama Persekutuan dan apa-apa undang-undang yang diluluskan selepas Hari Merdeka yang tidak selaras dengan Perlembagaan ini adalah tidak sah setakat ketidakselarasan itu.“.

Ada juga yang membangkitkan kebimbangan tentang peruntukan mekanisma penyelesaian pertikaian Pelabur-Negara (ISDS mechanism). Sebenarnya mekanisma ISDS melalui tribunal arbitrasi antarabangsa telah lama digunakan. Saya sendiri pernah terlibat ketika menerajui Telekom Malaysia (TM) tahun 2004-2008 dimana TM telah memfailkan kes ‘expropriation’ terhadap Kerajaan Ghana yang telah melanggar perjanjian dan mengambil alih penguasaan Lembaga Pengarah & pengurusan syarikat Ghana Telecommunications daripada TM setelah pertukaran Kerajaan dimana Presiden Kufour telah menggantikan Presiden Rawlings. Proses arbitrasi tersebut telah mendorong Kerajaan Ghana menyelesaikan pertikaian dan memberi pampasan setimpal kepada TM. Walaupun peruntukan ISDS dalam TPPA ini akan mengikat Kerajaan, tuntutan akan hanya berkuatkuasa setelah proses perundingan selama 6 bulan dijalankan sebelum dirujuk ke tribunal arbitrasi antarabangsa. Ia juga akan memberi perlindungan kepada syarikat2 Malaysia yang kini telah melabur lebih RM600 billion ke luar negara termasuklah dalam negara2 TPP.

Balik ke prosiding Sidang Kemuncak TPPA, setelah panel selesai membuat pembentangan, saya telah memohon untuk bercakap dan memberi sedikit pencerahan. Malangnya permintaan saya ditolak atas sebab kesuntukan masa. Setelah beberapa kali mengulang permintaan, akhirnya saya akur dengan keputusan penganjur. Kita perlu hormat majlis orang.

Izinkan saya menyentuh 3 perkara iaitu isu Penjajahan, Kos dan Manfaat dan isu Rundingan Perjanjian.

1. Penjajahan : Perjanjian TPPA melibatkan 12 buah negara iaitu 5 dari benua Amerika (Amerika Syarikat, Kanada, Mexico, Peru & Chile), 4 dari ASEAN (Malaysia, Singapura, Brunei & Vietnam) dan 3 dari Pasifik (Jepun, Australia & New Zealand). Tiada negara yang dipaksa untuk menyertai TPP. Semuanya termasuk Malaysia menyertai TPP kerana percaya akan manfaat bersama (mutual benefits) yang bakal dinikmati. Malaysia sedar kita merupakan negara kecil dengan penduduk seramai hanya 31 juta dan saiz KDNK (GDP) sekitar USD300 billion. Sebab itulah kita menjuarai penubuhan Komuniti Ekonomi ASEAN bermula 31 Disember 2015 yang membolehkan saiz pasaran kita berkembang menjadi 620 juta penduduk & saiz KDNK USD2.5 trillion. Dengan menyertai TPP, saiz pasaran akan lebih meluas lagi dengan jumlah penduduk 800 juta & saiz KDNK USD27.5 trillion iaitu 40% daripada saiz ekonomi dunia.

2. Kos dan Manfaat : Dalam menyertai mana2 blok atau perjanjian perdagangan, memang ada kos dan ada manfaatnya. Selain analisa dalaman, Kerajaan telah meminta Institut Kajian Strategi & Antarabangsa (ISIS) untuk melaksanakan Analisa Kepentingan Nasional dan PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC) untuk melaksanakan Kajian Kos & Manfaat. ISIS telah membuat kesimpulan bahawa penyertaan Malaysia dalam TPP adalah demi kepentingan negara. Manakala PWC membuat kesimpulan TPPA bakal memberikan manfaat bersih kepada ekonomi Malaysia dengan potensi peningkatan ekonomi atau KDNK antara USD107-211 billion dalam jangkamassa 2018-2027 atau peningkatan 0.60%-1.15% pada tahun 2027.

Bank Dunia juga dalam lapuran ‘Global Economic Prospects January 2016’ mereka telah menyentuh tentang potensi implikasi ekonomi makro TPP dalam mukasurat 219-233. Antara lain, Bank Dunia telah menyatakan bahawa Vietnam & Malaysia adalah antara negara TPP yang bakal menikmati manfaat terbanyak dengan peningkatan KDNK masing2 sebanyak 10% dan 8% menjelang tahun 2030. Peningkatan ekonomi yang berterusan akan membolehkan rakyat mendapat peluang perniagaan dan pekerjaan yang lebih baik yang seterusnya akan meningkatkan pendapatan isirumah rakyat Malaysia. Jadi berdasarkan kajian yang telah dijalankan, adalah jelas bahawa penyertaan Malaysia dalam TPP lebih mendatangkan manfaat.

3. Rundingan Perjanjian : Sejak awal lagi Perdana Menteri telah memberi jaminan bahawa Malaysia hanya akan menyertai TPP atas terma-terma yang boleh kita terima. Saya, DS Ahmad Husni & DS Idris Jala adalah antara menteri-menteri ekonomi yang telah membantu Tok Pa dalam rundingan TPPA. Penglibatan saya bermula 2 tahun lalu setelah menyertai Kabinet.

Memang sukar untuk memuktamadkan perjanjian sebesar ini yang melibatkan negara2 kuasa besar. Pelbagai usaha telah dibuat untuk memastikan pihak AS memahami kedudukan & keperluan Malaysia. Ini termasuk mengadakan sesi penerangan kepada Wakil Perdagangan AS tentang polisi Bumiputera & peranan syarikat2 berkaitan Kerajaan. Saya percaya Tok Pa & pasukan MITI dengan sokongan lain2 Kementerian & agensi telah membuat yang terbaik mendapatkan terma-terma yang perlu untuk memelihara kepentingan negara. Ini termasuk pengiktirafan polisi Bumiputera dalam perjanjian TPP.

Perkara ini tercapai kerana Malaysia telah menyertai rundingan awal. Sekiranya Malaysia tidak termasuk dalam senarai 12 negara awal TPP, Malaysia akan terpaksa menerima terma-terma perjanjian sedia ada kemudian. Kemungkinan ini adalah benar (real) kerana 3 buah negara ASEAN lain iaitu Indonesia, Thailand & Filipina telah menyatakan hasrat mereka untuk menyertai TPP selepas ini. Akhir sekali, Kerajaan akan membentangkan perjanjian TPP untuk kelulusan Dewan Rakyat pada 26&27 Januari dan Dewan Negara pada 28 Januari. Apa juga kegelisahan atau kebimbangan boleh diutarakan oleh Ahli2 Parlimen dan akan dijawab oleh Tok Pa pada sesi Parlimen tersebut.

Marilah kita bersikap membina & bersiap sedia untuk memastikan syarikat2 & rakyat kita dapat memanfaatkan TPPA yang bakal kita tandatangani setelah kelulusan Parlimen nanti. Terima kasih.
Abdul Wahid Omar

10.01.16.

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A Negative Proton

Protons are supposed to be positive charged. Somehow, that is not part of the traits of our beloved Proton. Don’t get me wrong. Proton has mostly churned out good cars. My first car, the Proton Saga Megavalve, was with me for 16 years before I used a Perdana V6. It was only in 2011 that I switched to a Japanese model and is still using it. Entitled to a Kia Sorento from the company I prefer using a Proton Pesona because it’s zippy, reliable, and fits me going to either Hilton Sentral for meetings or to drive  into a construction site. I love Proton, but I don’t love the case the Protun group has put through:

  

 The above post invited a rebuttal by their opponents:

 I don’t know who are the Protun people trying to kid.

Proton started off with RM6 billion for two plants. It became very profitable in the mid 1980s and 1990s that its distributor EON, bought a bank and named it EON Bank! Over 30 years the Research and Development costs have totalled RM18 billion. However, Proton also has to pay royalty to Mitsubishi and as at 2003, that has amounted to RM17 billion. I’ll leave the total up to 2015 to your imagination.

Then for some reason Proton lost its edge and perhaps the drive and direction that Petronas had had to bail Proton out with a at least RM1 billion injection . Coincidentally both Petronas and Proton share the same adviser.

Don’t forget Proton also lost about RM1 billion (estimated) after discarding MV Agusta and Lotus! Bad management decision after a bad advice I assume.

In the end, Khazanah has had to step in through the acquisition of shares that must have cost around RM1 billion!

After 30 years in operation and RM44 billion spent, Proton still cannot make its own cars and have to rely on designs and engines from outside and is probably no different to Naza that sells rebranded cars. Yet it needs a capital injection of RM3 billion to produce new models! Three months later, Proton requested for a RM1.7 billion grant from theEconomic Council chaired by Najib Razak. 

So more needs to be injected using the taxpayers’ money after 30 years while the rakyat will have to be contented with buying overpriced cars. While 1MDB has all but settled its problems, Proton is still looking for a business model that works and that after 30 years!

Instead of blindly attacking 1MDB and other efforts by the Najib administration, Mahathir should just focus on steering Proton the right way towards profatibility and giving the rakyat the access to affordable quality cars.

And instead of spending millions on birthday bashes for him, maybe Mahathir ought to ask his cronies to take up equity in Proton and actually work for money.

He would whine less and be less grumpy when at least one of his efforts actually works.