Many often question the purchases of military hardware by the Malaysian Armed Forces without once realising the need for those platforms. The purchase of the A400M airlifter by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) did not escape such criticisms.
This morning while many were asleep, a RMAF A400M aircraft was loaded with 19 tonnes of aid for the people trapped in Marawi City. This is the first Human And Disaster Relief (HADR) mission that involves the A400M.
RMAF A400M (M54-04) while being loaded with HADR aid
The A400M is a new-generation airlifter that is capable of lifting 17 tonnes of payload more than the other large transport aircraft in the RMAF’s inventory – the C-130H, and is able to fly 200km/h faster too. It is said to be able to carry what the C-130H cannot carry, and land and take-off from where the C-17 cannot.
The Battle of Marawi that began on 23 May 2017 has killed not only the combatants but also innocent civilians. Apart from being caught in crossfires, 40 civilians are known to have died as a result of dehydration and a further 19 due to diseases contracted in congested evacuation camps.
The Malaysian SMART team accompanying the aid awaits as more aid makes its way to the aircraft hold
Due to the good relationship between the Najib Razak and Duterte administrations HADR aid is being sent from Malaysia to assist the people of Marawi. 11 personnel from the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) are also sent to assist in the distribution of the aid.
The A400M is captained by Lieutenant-Colonel Baharin bin Mohamad RMAF and is assisted by Major Wan Azrul bin Wan Azmi RMAF. The aircraft will take approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes to Cagayan de Oro and will be on ground for nine to ten hours. No refuelling is required for the aircraft to make its return leg unlike the C-130H.
It is without doubt that the RMAF had chosen the perfect aircraft, without which such mission would have required the utilisation of more aircraft and manpower, and a higher operating costs.
Kian viral di WhatsApp ialah satu pesanan dari Yang Berbahagia Brigadier Jeneral Dato’ Mohammad Arshad bin Mohammad Raji (Bersara) yang pernah berbakti dalam Tentera Darat Malaysia. Pesanan beliau berbunyi begini:
“Surat terbuka kepada Menteri Pertahanan Malaysia
Kami dimaklumkan bahawa sebuah kem tentera peninggalan tentera British yang menyimpan banyak sejarah dan kenangan pahit manis pada ribuan veteran ATM yang pernah berkhidmat dan menduduki kem tersebut, akan dijual (atau pun sudah dijual) dengan sewenang- wenangnya kepada pihak awam.
Ini bukan kali pertama sebuah kem tentera peninggalan British dijual, tanpa menghormati sejarah silam, iaitu sesuatau yang amat berharga kepada veteran ATM, terutama bagi mereka-mereka yang pernah bertugas dan menduduki kem tersebut. Kem-kem peninggalan tentera British yang telah dijual oleh kerajaan adalah seperti berikut:
1. Kem Majidee, Johor Baharu, Johor
2. Kem Transit, Ampang, Selangor
3. Kem Tebrau, Johor Baharu, Johor
4. Kem Lapangan Terbang Sg. Besi, Kuala Lumpur
Kami baru difahamkan bahawa Kem Batu Kantomen, iaitu sebuah kem induk lojistik bagi Tentera Darat Malaysia bertempat di Jalan. Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur akan/telah menjadi mangsa untuk dijual/telah dijual. Disini kami ingin tahu samada maklumat berikut benar atau tidak:
1. Keluasan kem tersebut adalah dalam jangkauan 200 ekar.
2. Benarkah kem tersebut dijual secara rundingan terus kepada Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT)?
3. Benarkah harga yang ditawarkan kepada LTAT ialah RM2.3 bilion, dan bukan mengikut nilai pasaran semasa?
4. Benarkah arahan sudah pun dikeluarkan bagi semua anggota dan unit yang sekarang masih bertempat di Kem tersebut berpindah keluar dengan secepat mungkin?
5. Benarkah peruntukan sebanyak RM700 juta disediaka untuk pemindahan ke kem-kem lain buat sementara waktu sehingga kem baru disediakan?
6. Benarkah RM1,6 bilion dari harga jualan tersebut akan digunakan bagi membayar veteran-veteran yang tidak berpencen, yang akan diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri pada Perhimpunan Raksaksa Veteran pada 31 Jułai ini di MIECC, Balakong, Selangor.
Persoalan nya sekarang……apa perlunya Kem yang besejarah ini dijual dengan begitu tergesa gesa dan melalui rundingan terus?
Sekiranya tiada sebarang kenyataan dibuat oleh Menteri Pertahanan dalam tempoh 14 hari dimana mana media massa menafikan maklumat ini, maka kami anggap maklumat ini benar. Jika ianya benar, maka adakah ini satu petanda bahawa kerajaan sedang menghadapi kesulitan kewangan akibat skandal 1MDB, dan tujuan Kem Batu Kantomen dijual secara tergesa gesa adalah bagi menyelamat kan kerajaan dari masalah kesulitan kewangan serius yang dihadapi sekarang?
Brig Jen Dato Arshad Raji ( B)”
Sebagai seorang bekas pegawai tentera, saya berasa amat terharu masih ada di kalangan bekas pegawai kanan tinggi Angkatan Tentera Malaysia yang masih mengambil berat akan kebajikan para veteran serta tradisi ketenteraan. Semoga Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala merahmati niat murni beliau.
Namun sebagai seorang yang gemar mengkaji, saya suka membaca apa jua pesanan mahupun artikel-artikel dan kemudian membuat sedikit penyelidikan untuk memastikan fakta-fakta yang diberikan bukan sahaja oleh YBhg Dato’ Arshad, tetapi oleh sesiapa sahaja. Dan sepertimana di dalam grup-grup WhatsApp Veteran yang mana saya ikuti, sekiranya betul dan memberi manfaat akan saya kongsi, yang tidak betul saya terangkan.
Sebagaimana kisah mengenai “kedudukan strategik” Pangkalan Udara Kuala Lumpur yang telah saya terangkan, kisah kini berkisar beberapa buah kem Tentera Darat (TD) yang merupakan kem-kem warisan peninggalan British. Sudah tentu tempat-tempat tersebut mempunyai banyak peninggalan sejarah. Kem-kem tersebut di atas adalah, elok saya ulangi di sini, Kem Majidee dan Kem Tebrau di Johor Bahru, Kem Transit Ampang di Selangor, dan Kem Batu Kantonmen di Kuala Lumpur. Di antara kem-kem yang saya sebutkan di atas, Kem Batu Kantonmen mempunyai nilai sentimental buat saya kerana pada tahun 1988 di situlah saya dan rakan-rakan bermain ragbi melawan pasukan MINDEF Officers Rugby semasa membuat persediaan untuk perlawanan tiga perkhidmatan menentang TD dan Tentera Laut DiRaja Malaysia (TLDM).
Kedudukan Kem Batu Kantonmen kini
Namun, kepesatan pembangunan kawasan bandar menyebabkan kesemua kem yang dinyatakan di atas dihimpit pembangunan yang tidak lagi menjadikan kawasan-kawasan tersebut strategik. Kalau dulu kem-kem tersebut berada di pinggir atau luar bandar, kini kesemuanya terhimpit dalam sebuah bandaraya yang membangun pesat.
Pelan penjualan Kem Batu Kantonmen ini sebenarnya dibuat pada tahun 2002 lagi, tujuh tahun sebelum 1MDB ditubuhkan. Ketika itu, negara ditadbir oleh seorang Perdana Menteri yang lain. Kerajaan Negeri Perak ketika itu juga telah menyediakan satu tapak seluas 680 hektar (hampir 7 kali keluasan Kem Batu Kantonmen) untuk tujuan penempatan unit-unit TD yang terkesan akibat pembelian kem tersebut.
Pada tahun 2011, Boustead Holdings yang ketika itu mempunyai Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) sebagai pemegang saham terbesar, iaitu 59 peratus saham syarikat, telah menyatakan
Berpandukan nilai hartanah pada tahun 2011, tanah yang belum ditukar kegunaan milik Kem Batu Kantonmen seluas 98 hektar (atau bersamaan 240 ekar) itu adalah sekitar RM40 hingga RM80 sekaki persegi. Ini bermakna jumlah yang boleh diperoleh dari penjualan tanah tersebut ialah sebanyak RM845 juta. Nilai tersebut KINI adalah sekitar RM1.7 billion.
Sepatutnya kita tidak mempersoalkan sebarang pembelian yang dibuat oleh sama ada Boustead mahupun LTAT kerana apa jua pembelian yang mendatangkan hasil untuk kepada kedua-dua organisasi tersebut akan memberi manfaat kepada para anggota dan pegawai sama ada yang masih berkhidmat mahupun yang telah bersara. Ini adalah kerana Nilai Pembangunan Kasar tanah tersebut sebanyak RM8 billion setelah ditawarkan kepada LTAT dengan harga RM2.3 billion bermakna keuntungan kasar yang bakal diperolehi adalah berjumlah RM3.2 billion, yang mana akan menjadi dividen masa hadapan LTAT itu sendiri.
Sekiranya benar RM700 juta telah diperuntukkan untuk perpindahan yang dinyatakan juga adalah satu jumlah yang besar dan berpatutan. Malah, kita sepatutnya berasa gembira adik-adik kita yang kini berkhidmat, berpeluang dipindahkan ke kem-kem serta pangkalan-pangkalan yang moden, lebih selesa, dan lebih sesuai sebagai instalasi tentera berbanding bangunan-bangunan uzur.
Kenapa juga kita mempersoalkan kenapa kem-kem bersejarah ini dijual secara terus tanpa memanggil tender? Pada saya, ini soalan peringkat amatur dan bukannya peringkat pakar strategi. Sekiranya dipanggil tender maka ianya terbuka kepada syarikat-syarikat pemaju gergasi yang pasti akan menafikan Boustead atau LTAT peluang untuk membuat keuntungan yang boleh dinikmati oleh semua yang menabung di LTAT dan para veteran.
Yang saya tidak faham adalah kenapa seorang bekas pegawai kanan tinggi TD mempersoalkan imbuhan sebanyak RM1.6 billion yang akan diberikan kepada para veteran yang bersara tanpa pencen? Adakah para veteran tidak berpencen tidak layak menerima imbuhan seperti bayaran pencen bulanan yang diterima oleh mereka yang berpencen? Adakah veteran tidak berpencen berada dalam kasta yang lebih rendah dalam hirarki Veteran?
Sayugia diingatkan juga buat semua veteran dan mereka yang masih dalam perkhidmatan, begitu getir cabaran mereka yang berkhidmat sebelum kita sehingga merdekanya Tanah Melayu dan terbentuknya Malaysia kemudian dari diberi arahan oleh pihak British yang mentadbir kita sebelum ini.
Kini kita pula ingin memalukan mereka yang berkhidmat sebelum kita dengan menjulang peninggalan kolonialis. Kalau benar dkerajaan pusat bersalah menjual kem-kem usang yang disanjungi, kenapa kita berdiam diri apabila bangunan bersejarah yang pernah menempatkan Markas Dua Divisyen di Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang dijual dan dirobohkan untuk pembangunan baharu? Banyak juga kenangan saya di bangunan tersebut dalam tahun 1980an.
Dan telah dibuktikan bahawa 1MDB tidak mengalami sebarang kerugian mahupun kesulitan kewangan. Saya kecewa sekiranya YBhg Dato Arshad mempergunakan emosi para veteran untuk mencapai tujuan politik kerana kenyataan yang melibatkan 1MDB sememangnya berbaur politik.
Biarlah sekiranya kita hendak memperjuangkan hak, perjuangkanlah dengan betul, dan bukannya berlandaskan yang batil. Kita ini semuanya veteran. Setiap hari kubur menghampiri kita. Eloklah kita benar dalam percakapan dan perbuatan tanpa sebarang niat yang memesongkan.
Not too long ago Al Jazeera interviewed U-Turn Mahathir. In the interview Mahathir told all sorts of lies about the politico-economic situation of Malaysia. Among the things he said was:
“Malaysia will go to the dogs.”
Many disagreed and wondered why, that despite the good showing of economic growth, concurred by the world’s economic institutes, Mahathir said that Malaysia is now as doomed as when he was at the helm.
Mahathir’s 22 years of plundering the nation including allowing the Bank Negara to come to the brink of collapse during his tenure is now being investigated by a Royal Commission of Inquiry and the man is desperate to put the stops to it as it could lead him to become the oldest conman to be jailed.
Even PONY TUA, DAP MP for Petaling Jaya U-Tua wrote about Mahathir’s practice of cronyism once upon a time. Of course like the good Christian PONY TUA is, this is swept under the Pakatan carpet.
Mahathir has hinted that he might have to become Prime Minister again – a very scary thought. Almost all of us remember what it was like during his time to blog and be sent to Kamunting under detention without trial..
He covered that up later by naming a few people as potential Pakatan Prime Ministers including the useless Mat Sabu whose job in Pakatan is nothing more than to promote the “Planet of the Apes” franchise as well as hugging Chinese girls. Something he could not do when he was in PAS.
Mat Sabu for PM
We all know that Mahathir knows only he is fit to become a Pakatan Prime Minister. He never stopped becoming the Prime Minister or power-broker until Najib Razak put a stop to it. And he is incensed by that.
Although he did not name himself a Prime Minister again, he has again hinted as being the person most qualified for the job. He is now Pakatan’s TOP DOG!
Whatever it is, Mahathir claims to be the Top Dog. And he did say to Al Jazeera that the country will go to the dogs. We know now which dog and pack he was referring to.
And with Mahathir as the Top Dog, Malaysia will be in for another round of screwing.
Monkeys jump easily. Especially pet monkeys. This includes the ones kept by the Tokong to pick coconuts and lice for him.
Today one such pet jumped when the MACC asked for the Pakatan and Opposition states to take an anti-corruption pledge.
In a opposition-leaning Malaysiakini report, Saifuddin who is Tokong’s adviser on God-knows-what chastised the direction in which Dzulkifli Ahmad is leading the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), questioning if he was out to become a politician or celebrity.
“What the country needs is a MACC chief who is effective and substantive, not a celebrity,” said Tokong’s pet. “People did not want public relation exercises in the form of pledges.”
Tokong’s pet was responding to MACC Chief Dzulkifli Ahmad’s push for Penang, Selangor and Kelantan to sign MACC’s anti-corruption pledge.
It also questioned that despite MACC’s apparent blitz against those involved in corruption, how many had actually been convicted.
We know he is as eager as we are to know the verdict of Tokong’s corruption case.
The Menteri Besar of Selangor Azmin Ali also brushed aside Dzulkifli’s push for the pledge to be signed.
Azmin said Selangor had its own way in dealing with integrity and corruption issues which is why Teoh Beng Hock had to be silenced and various reports on corruption against Azmin’s administration have been made by PKR.’s own members.
While Tokong’s pet was busy criticising the MACC’s effort to combat corruption, the MACC raided the FELDA Investment Corporation office and seized some documents to investigate alleged corruption activities involving the senior management of the GLC.
Going by the DAP’s Goat-of-God‘s post this morning, does Tokong think that the Pulau Pinang taxpayers’ money is his?
This is why the Pulau Pinang and Selangor state governments refuse to sign the MACC anti-corruption pledge. This is so that they could use taxpayers money like their own money.
And it was not so long ago that they were in all praises for the MACC when 1MDB was being investigated.
Walking 21 kilometers on the viaduct from Taman Pertama in Cheras to the Kajang station to ensure workers worked safely was part of my life in the MRT projectAccording to the logic of empty-headed Syed Saddiq, “Criticisms levied against you show that the other party is afraid of what you are doing right.”
The Mass Rapid Transit, a project that is to be a total game-changer, came under a lot of criticism from the Opposition. Despite the negative campaign to discourage the masses from enjoying the benefits of the Najib Razak administration’s project, Phase One opened in December 2016 with trains plying from Sungai Buloh to Semantan. Within 27 days of opening, student Miss Ng Zhi Wei became its one-millionth rider.
Ng Zhi Wei became the one-millionth passenger on the MRT on 11 January 2017, 27 days after opening (cource: MRT Malaysia)Come Monday, 17 July 2017, Prime Minister Najib Razak will officiate the opening of Phase Two of the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line (SBK Line) that will allow riders to continue the journey all the way to Kajang instead of just ending the journey at Semantan. At 4pm, the gates will be opened for that.
The opening signals the end of the construction, testing and commissioning phase of the project that had lasted six years. The project was announced in June 2010 and approved by the government in December of the same year, while construction began in July 2011. Up until June 2017, the total accumulated manpower for the project was 435,774 persons while the number of manhours poured into the project up until June 2017 stood at more than 103.5 million. I was one of them.
To learn the examples of how the MRT project can benefit the people including the removal of 160,000 vehicles off the roads in the Klang Valley, you can read that up in a previous article of mine. Web portal The Mole carries a further clarification by MRT Malaysia on the issue. In today’s artice, I just want to take you on a virtual ride on board the MRT from Semantan to Kajang to experience what’s in store for you after 4pm on Monday.
The first underground station on the Kajang-bound train is the Muzium Negara station that connects you to the Muzium Negara (of course), hotels St Regis, Hilton Sentral and Le Meridien, as well as the nearby office buildings.
The Muzium Negara will see an increase in the number of visitorsMuslim riders to and from the Muzium Negara station also have access to the prayer room at the Hilton Sentral. There is an exit connected to the link to the KL Sentral.
The exit leading to the prayer room at the Hilton SentralThe Muzium Negara station also connects riders from the LRT Kelana Jaya line, the ERL (KLIA/KLIA2), the KL Monorail, as well as the KTM Komuter to the destinations offered by the MRT SBK line.
Back inside the station, the columns are adorned with pictures of things in the past. Each MRT station showcases what its name stands for.
A photo of a locomotive which you can see in real life at the Muzium NegaraNext stop is the Pasar Seni station where riders are connected to the Klang Bus Station, Petaling Street (Chinatown), Pasar Seni (Central Market), Pudu Sentral, Dayabumi, Masjid Negara, the old KL Railway Station and the Majestic Hotel which are all within walking distance.
The MRT Pasar Seni station is connected to the LRT Pasar Seni stationWhen you walk towards Chinatown, or if you are on your way down to the MRT trains, you will not miss this view of the park outside the station.
View of the park outside the MRT stationOn the concourse level of the Pasar Seni station, take a moment to view the maps of the developments through time in the vicinity of the Gombak river which cuts through the city near Pasar Seni. Being a fan of the history of Kuala Lumpur, I spent some time looking at the maps.
Mid 19th century developmentEarly 20th centuryMid 20th century (mind the step-ladder and pail of tools. Final touches were being put here)Early 21st centuryNext station is where I think many will flock to just to see this wall:
The Rukunegara (National Principles) wall on the concourse level of the Merdeka stationAptly named as it is located in the vicinity of Stadium Merdeka where the Independence celebration took place on 31 August 1957, this station also connects riders to the Stadium Negara, Victoria Institution, Malaysian Basketball Association (MABA) stadium, and the southern end of Chinatown.
Najib Razak was here on the 12 July 2017 where he spend a few moments at the Jalur Gemilang (National Flag) wall that depicts the Tunku during the moment he shouted “Merdeka!” on that historical morning.
The two visionariesThe Rukunegara was formulated and instituted by royal proclamation on 31 August 1970 in reaction to the racial clashes that killed many the year before. It is being recited in schools during assembly, but I am not too sure if it is still being done, or if anything is done to explain to the pupils what each principle stands for. As evident nowadays, we have begun to see that our society has lost its cohesiveness, blatant disregard for the rule of law, growing disbelief in God, and no loyalty to King and Country except if money can be made from the country.
We Her Peoples uphold the pledge of the five principles of the RukunegaraNext stop will be the favourite of the ladies because of this:
See where you exitThe Bukit Bintang MRT station’s entrance/exit is right in front of Lot 10 and connects riders to the KL Monorail and the Bukit Bintang shopping heaven. Urban photography enthusiasts too would love this station because of the view it offers.
Bukit Bintang/Sultan Ismail junction and the KL MonorailThe station itself is bathed in vibrant colours, giving you a taste of what can be found on the street level.
MRT Bukit Bintang stationNext station is the Tun Razak Exchange where the Islamic Financial hub will be once completed. This station also connects riders to the Indonesian embassy, Wisma Technip, JCorp, RHB headquarters, Pasar Rakyat and Zouk.
TRX station and its Islamic motifThere are two other underground stations namely the Cochrane station which is nestled within the Jalans Cochrane, Shelly and Peel rectangle, and is just across from the Cheras IKEA, and also the Maluri station which is next to AEON Maluri and the LRT Ampang line.
One other favourite station would be the Stadium Kajang station, which is the penultimate stop for the Kajang-bound train. This station is within walking distance to three of my favourite satay joints namely Gerai Sidek Hj Rono (Stall No.2 at the Medan Sate in front of the Kajang Metro Plaza, Satay Emas at the Medan Sate next to the station, and of course the most commercialised of them all Satay haji Samuri next to the Kajang stadium.
Satay Emas offers 19 types of satay! Truly a satay heaven!My only complaint is that both Medan Sate are in bad condition. The Majlis Perbandaran Kajang should do something about it now that riders from the northern Klang Valley and potentially all the way from Tanjung Malim and Gemas have raill access to these places.
And imagine now the number of businesses, old and new, that would benefit from the MRT SBK line. Not forgetting how much riders can save commuting to work starting on the 18 July 2017 than to drive, as posted by this person below:
It has been proven that the Najib Razak administration is doing all it can to not let the global economic slowdown or the rising costs of living affect the rakyat and improve businesses as well as job opportunities that have been out of reach of many. Already office buildings have sprout like mushrooms along the MRT SBK line.
And when you leave Kajang taking the Sungai Buloh bound train, don’t forget to enjoy the view. JOM NAIK MRT!
The view from the Taman Midah station on the Sungai Buloh-bound train
“Was this an inadvertent snub to Mahathir? After all, the British are known to have a wicked sense of humour.
Thatcher and Mahathir had little in common. Their acquaintance started by air-craft landing rights disputes, the dawn raid on Guthrie companies in the London stock exchange, the tin corner scandal and university fee increases for Malaysian students to the UK. Despite Mahathir’s “Buy British Last” call, he conducted secret deals with Thatcher which culminated in the Pergau Dam scandal.
Thatcher, despite her unpopularity, was quick to defend those territories under British control. Her decision to send troops to defend the Falkland Islands in 1982 against an Argentinian invasion, and the subsequent British victory, made her a hero and instilled patriotism.
The same cannot be said of a prime minister who gave out several hundred thousand identity cards to foreigners, in Sabah, in exchange for votes.
British prime ministers like Thatcher, rarely interfere in politics once they have retired from public office. Mahathir has remained active in politics to the detriment of the caretaker prime minister.
Both Thatcher and Mahathir had humble origins with fathers who told them to work hard to succeed. On her resignation, Thatcher made millions, legitimately, from giving public lectures on both the local and international circuits.
Mahathir is allegedly a multi-billionaire and his children have benefited from allegedly dodgy deals emanating from his time as prime minister.
During Thatcher’s funeral, the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, gave a sermon in which he related the story of a nine-year-old boy, David Liddelow, who had written to Thatcher about Jesus. David asked Thatcher, “Last night when we were saying prayers, my daddy said everyone has done wrong things except Jesus. I said I don’t think you have done bad things because you are the prime minister. Am I right or is my daddy?”
Thatcher was known for her ability to reach out to the young and she replied to say that David had posed a “difficult question” but that she would “try to answer it”.
In a handwritten letter she said, “However good we try to be, we can never be as kind, gentle and wise as Jesus. There will be times when we do or say something we wish we hadn’t done and we shall be sorry and try not to do it again…
“As prime Minister, I try very hard to do things right and because Jesus gave us a perfect example I try even harder. But your father is right in saying that we can never be as perfect as He was.”
Contrast this with a letter written by another 10-year-old English boy, Darrel Abercrombie, to Mahathir in 1987. The letter has been mentioned in articles in “The Star” and “Sin Chew Jit Poh”. Darrel had requested Mahathir to stop logging activities in Malaysia because he wanted to study animals in the tropical rainforests when he grew up.
In a lengthy three-page typed document, Mahathir said: “It is disgraceful that you should be used by adults for the purpose of trying to shame us because of our extraction of timber from our forests.
“The timber industry helps hundreds of thousands of poor people in Malaysia. Are they supposed to remain poor because you want to study tropical animals? Is your study more important than filling the stomachs of poor people? Are Malaysians expected to lose millions of pounds so that you can study animals?
“If you don’t want us to cut down our forests tell your father to tell the rich countries like Britain to pay more for the timber they buy from us… I hope you will tell the adults who made use of you to learn all the facts. They should not be too arrogant and know how best to run a country…”
The special Jalur Gemilang MRT train – photo courtesy of Dato Najmuddin Abdullah
In three days time the Sungai Buloh to Kajang (SBK) line of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) will come into operation. Works Package Contractors that have won the contract to construct the respective packages on the Sungai Buloh – Serdang – Putrajaya (SSP) of the MRT will commence their works there in full swing. The Project Delivery Partner as well as the Supervising Consultants (PDP/SC) will complete the handover of construction-related documents to MRT Corp. All that will be left of the PDP/SC are those overseeing the warranty period.
A project envisioned to help millions of the Klang Valley’s urban and suburban commuters get from one point to another easier will now bear fruit. Every day, tens of thousands of workers from as far as Senawang, Tanjung Malim and Pelabuhan Klang, can take the KTM Komuter and work or find work in places like Kota Damansara, Mutiara Damansara, TTDI, Pusat Bandar Damansara, and Cheras without having to switch to buses or taxi, or drive all the way to their destination.
The MRT anticipates a drop of 160,000 cars enterng Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas daily. The only thing that would prove to fail the statement would be our own attitude towards public transport.
This article may come at a point when things related to a recent hoo-haa have begun to die down. Nevertheless, I had to do some checking before writing this post.
The first hoo-haa is related to the claim of having 160,000 lesser cars entering Kuala Lumpur etc. Many ridicule the statement and ask if MRT Corp has 160,000 parking bays or more. I sometimes wonder if there is anything at all inside the cavity in between their ears.
While the MRT has several Multi-Storey Park and Ride (MSPR) complexes, the idea of having the MRT is for commuters to leave their vehicles at home, not to worry about the “escalating cost of fuel and living,” get on board the feeder buses to the nearest MRT station to get to work.
Previously, someone living in Tanjung Malim working in Kota Damansara’s Sunway Giza for example, would have to take the KTM Komuter and alight at Sungai Buloh, then take either a bus or a taxi to get to office while spending time in traffic. Now, all he or she has to do is to alight the KTM Komuter at Sungai Buloh and get on one of the MRT trains and alight at the Surian station and take a MRT feeder bus if the last mile is a bit far for walking. Commuters now have access to jobs at places they previously would not consider because it may involve relocating the family.
The next hoo-haa involves the recent visit by Najib Razak and family, and a few selected social media influencers. There was a claim that passengers were pushed back by Prasarana officials from the front of the coach to the rear. I find this amusing to say the least. To understand why I laughed at this claim, you must understand the current phase of the MRT service.
Justified? I don’t think so. This is the baseless hatred towards anything Najib Razak talking
Phase one of the MRT SBK line commences at the Sungai Buloh station, passes Kampung Selamat in Sungai Buloh, Kwasa Damansara, Kwasa Sentral, Kota Damansara, Surian (Sunway Giza), Mutiara Damansara (IKEA), Bandar Utama (One Utama), TTDI (near GLO and KPJ Damansara), Phileo (Section 16/Eastin Hotel), Pusar Bandar Damansara, and terminates at Semantan (until Sunday 16 July 2017).
The Prime Minister and his entourage boarded the train at the Pusat Bandar Damansara station AFTER office hours. At one station before that (Phileo), Prasarana had cleared the front portion of the train.
You must understand several more things – each train has the capacity to transport 1,200 commuters, three times the number each LRT train can carry. Each train has four coaches. Every day after office, more commuters take the Sungai Buloh-bound train than the one going to Semantan. I asked staff from Prasarana and MRT Corp, as well as the Special Branch officers who were there that day, all of them put the number of commuters headed towards Semantan station that day at “ten or less.” I would concur as I have taken this route at this very time.
An MRT train. Note how it has four coaches and each coach has four doors
The “push back” which obviously was for security reasons, involved getting those on board to clear the area in the vicinity of the first door only. One official who entered through the third door said, “There were about ten people or less who were seated near the second door. They got off at the last station.”
So, it was not like hundreds of people were pushed back to the fourth coach, but just ten people or less in a train with the capacity to carry 1,200. How far back do you think did they have to go?
Inside an MRT train – how far do you think ten people need to go when pushed back?
“Passengers were asked to move to the back of the train.” Pathetic bitch.
And this was all caused by Malaysiakini’s (as usual) absence of journalistic ethics, reporting only half-truths, inciting people to hate anything not controlled by the DAP. Of course, they have the KPI set by the NED to meet to guarantee operating funds.
Hot on the DAP heels again after catching them with their pants down lying about the tunnel consultancy fees. Now, we go back to the question of the validity of the CEC.
The DAP’s illegal CEC knew since April 2013 that they were appointed illegally according to their own party constitution and could therefore not be recognised by the Registrar of Societies. Here is a copy of the letter from the RoS to the Tokong.
The RoS expresses its dissatisfaction with the manner the CEC was appointed
In Paragraph 2, the RoS had already stated its reason for believing that the CEC cannot be recognised by the DAP as the manner in which the members were elected to the CEC contravened Clause X Item 1 of the DAP constitution. This is because the CEC included Vincent Wu who, according to the announcement made by the DAP on the 4 January 2013, was not eligible to become a member.
Meeting notice was not sent within the 10 weeks period before the meeting was scheduled to be held
In Paragraph 2.2 it is also mentioned that members complained about not receiving the notice of meeting TEN weeks before the party’s national congress was held as required by Clause VIII Item 9 of the DAP constitution. This resulted in 753 delegates having their right to attend the congress denied by the party’s manahement, and denied their right to vote for the 20 CEC members.
Notices should be given to delegates according to the DAP constitution
The RoS stated in Paragraph 3.2 that the notice to the branch secretaries should have adhered to Clause VIII Item 6, while notice to the delegates should have adhered to Clause VIII Item 9 of the DAP constitution before the 15 December 2012 national congress. Therefore, in order for the RoS to recognise the legitimacy both Clauses mentioned would have to be fully complied with before a fresh congress and election could be held.
A stern reminder from the RoS
In the last paragraph, the DAP was given a stern reminder by the RoS to comply with all the requirements of the RoS which were based on the DAP’s own party constitution, failing which the RoS could take action to de-register the party as provided for via Section 13 of the Societies Act, 1966. In waiting for compliance, the RoS refused to recognise the legitimacy of the CEC formed after the 15 December 2012 national congress.
And what has the DAP done to comply with its own party constitution as required by the RoS since then?
Absolutey nothing.
DAP members should put the blame on only the Tokong and his brutes in the CEC that is not only illegal, but also a farce and a sham.
Works Minister Fadillah Yusof today issued a statement revealing that DAP Pulau Pinang’s Exco member Chow Kow Yeow had lied again about the cost of the consultation fees paid for three roads leading to the proposed Pulau Pinang Tunnel.
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Fadillah said the DAP justification that the RM177.5 million payment was not an overprice as 10 additional components was just a double-counting as the 10 additional components mentioned by Chow Kow Yeow were found to be sub-componens of either the detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIA) or in the feasibility studies, or the detailed design.
His Ministry noted that that the total pre-construction consultancy fees for the 20km of roads is RM208.7 million where RM31.2 milion is for the feasibility studies and RM177.5 million is for the detailed design.
Late in June 2017, Chow Kow Yeow had disputed Abdul Rahman Dahlan’s claim that the DAP-led Pulau Pinang government had overpaid for something that should have cost a lot less, saying that there were 10 other job scopes that caused the cost to be as such.
“Besides consultation fee, the RM177.5mil mentioned by Abdul Rahman was also used for 10 other job scopes,” said Chow at a press conference after visiting the Yayasan Belia Buddhist Malaysia head office in Jalan Seang Tek.
I suppose he muts have used the DAP’s version of Microsoft Excel to calculate the fees.
Even before the incident involving the crash of a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Beechcraft Super King Air B200T Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) talks were rife in the industry about the limited capabilities the T200 could offer as an effective MPA and possible replacements.
The four, four-man crew aircraft in the RMAF’s inventory complementing the C-130MP in performing the MPA role but subsequently replaced the latter due to operational costs versus mission requirements.
RMAF Beechcraft Super King Air B200T MPA
The B200T, however, has a limited endurance of four hours, maximum cruise speed of approximately 300 knots (540 km/h) which makes its on-station loiter time somewhat limited unless the aircraft is deployed on a detachment which means logistics support have to be deployed as well. In the long run it would be uneconomical for the RMAF to run such missions.
Malaysian has recently expressed interest in second-hand Lockheed/Kawasaki P-3C Orion of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) which are being replaced by the Kawasaki P-1 MPA. Although the RMAF is understandably weary of “hand-me-down” aircraft, the ready-to-fly P-3Cs offer an attractive opportunity to close the maritime patrol gap with hardly much that is needed to be done. The P-3Cs have internal bays for torpedoes and depth-charges plus ten hardpoints on the wings for anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and mines.
The downside is that the last P-3C Orion to be delivered to the JMSDF by Kawasaki was on 1 February 2000, making the aircraft offered to the RMAF 17 years old or more! The last aircraft delivered by Lockheed was in December 1994. The four Allison T-56-A-14 turboprop engines, although giving more speed, could only give a maximum range of 3,835 kilometers, which is only 700 kilometers more than the B200T, making the P-3Cs true gas-guzzlers. In December 2008, the US Navy had to ground 39 P-3Cs or 1/4 of its fleet due to age-related wing cracks. The average age of the Orions then were 28 years old. 17-year old P-3Cs have less than 15 years to offer to the RMAF unless an expensive service-life extension program is initiated for the fleet.
If acquired, the P-3Cs would be flying mainly RMAF’s anti-shipping missions. These missions would require the aircraft to fly near wave-cap levels where the engines not only burn more fuel, but also be demanding on both the crew and the aging airframe.
JMSDF P-3C Orion (courtesy of Today’s Atsugi)
The RMAF’s need for a reliable platform that would be able to perform largely anti-shipping missions and has a reasonable but economical loiter endurance with some strike capability if required drove Airbus Defence and Space to fly the Asian route while delivering an Airbus C-295 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft to Brazil.
The aircraft, which is in a Search-and-Rescue configuration, made its stop in Malaysia late on Friday evening after Thailand and Vietnam.
The Airbus C-295 of the Força Aérea Brasileira arrived at the Subang airbase on Friday 7 July 2017
Airbus Defence and Space’s marketing director Fernando Ciara explained that Airbus had decided to fly the Asian route through Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, North America, Mexico before delivering the aircraft to the Força Aérea Brasileira to showcase a platform that not only would be suitable for the SAR/MPA/ASW roles but would be friendlier for aircrews to transition to given that most of the countries mentioned, especially to Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are already operating either the C-295 or CN-235 aircraft, while Canada has been authorised to purchase the C-295.
Fernando Ciara, Airbus Defence and Space marketing director explaining the capabilities of the C-295
The commonality between the C-295 and the CN-235 also potentially leads to even lower operating costs. Ciara added that given the versatile cabin configuration that allows fast switching of mission types, high manouvrability, better low-level flying capabilities given the high-wing configuration and a wide rear ramp, the C-295 makes the best option for maritime patrol and surveillance as well as anti-submarine warfare missions in Malaysia.
The C-295 is powered by twin PW127G turboprop engines driving Hamilton Sundstrand Type 568F-5 six bladed propellers which provide outstanding hot and high performance, low fuel consumption, and an endurance exceeding 11 hours. Flying at a maximum speed of 480 km/h which is slower than the P-3C’s speed of 760 km/h and the B200T’s 540 km/h, but has a range of 5,600 kilometers compared to the P-3C’s 3,800 kilometer range and the B200T’s 3,100 kilometer range.
This first of two SAR aircraft will be delivered to the 2º/10º GAv (2nd Squadron of the 10th Aviation Group) of the Força Aérea Brasileira at Campo Grande, Brazil
The anti-submarine warfare version, which is already in service with one operator, is equipped with underwing stations to carry weapons and other stores.
The Brazilian SAR C-295 carries the Elta EL/M-2022A(V)3 surface-search radar
The C-295 makes strategic and economical sense for Malaysia as it allows operators to narrow down its aircraft types and suppliers, making logistical and technical support easier.
Malaysia is Airbus’ third largest market in Asia, after China and India. Today there are 125 Airbus commercial aircraft flying with Malaysia’s airlines, with another 470 on order for future delivery.
200 Airbus helicopters are also being operated in Malaysia including the H225M and AS555SN flown by the Malaysian Armed Forces, and the AS365 in service with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
In addition to the CN235s, the RMAF is Airbus’s first export customer for the new generation A400M airlifter and has four aircraft in service.
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