Mahathir Mohamad – Page 5

October 28, 2017October 28, 2017

Pantywaist

Barely a few hours after Najib Razak’s announcing of the budget for 2018, the DAP came up with the above graphic to inform the people that (as usual) Najib Razak’s budget is a copycat budget.

But is it?

It must be remembered that the budget announced by Najib Razak will be implemented nationwide whereas the “Pakatan budget” mentioned in the graphic above is a pick-and-choose budget that only one has been implemented in just one state administered by Pakatan, and not a nationwide solution.

Abolish All Tolls

The Barisan Nasional (BN) -led government announced that from 1 January 2018, tolls at four locations, actually, will be abolished. They are the Batu Tiga toll on the Federal Highway, the Sungai Rasau toll near Klang that is also on the Federal Highway, the EDL highway toll in Johor Bahru as well as the Bukit Kayu Hitam toll in Kedah.

Pakatan Harapan proposed to abolish all toll collections. But it has not explained how they plan to compensate in the region of billions to the toll concessionaires for all the money that they have put into the highways they operate and loss of future earnings.

Furthermore, Pakatan promised since before GE12 to abolish toll collection at the Sungai Nyior toll plaza in Pulau Pinang but has not done so to-date.

Pakatan’s de facto a third of a leader, Anwar Ibrahim, had in fact made a promise not too long ago to not allow toll charges to be increased on highways they have shares in, namely, the LDP, KESAS and SPRINT. So far they have done nothing. If they cannot even control the highways that they have substantial shares in how can we hope for them to abolish all tolls?

Pakatan’s alternative budget is also unreliable when it comes to the abolishment of toll on highways. Azmin Ali as the Menteri Besar of Selangor admitted that it was not going to be easy for them to reduce tolls let alone abolish them on highways where the state government has shares in.

Azmin Ali’s admission that it is difficult to reduce toll rates on highways Selangor has shares in

But instead of reducing or abolishing tolls, Azmin Ali introduced three new tolled highways namely the Sungai Besi-Ulu Klang Elevated Expressway (SUKE), the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE), and the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH). This is a total of 89 kilometres of new tolled highways offered by the Pakatan government versus the 2,083 kilometres toll-free Pan Borneo Highway offered by the Barisan Nasional government.

Instead of reducing or scrapping tolls, Azmin introduced three more tolled highways in Selangor

So, who is Pakatan trying to kid when it says it wants to abolish tolls on highways? What funds do they plan to use to acquire the concessions from concessionaires? The government is able to abolish tolls at four locations because three of them are under PLUS which is 100 percent government-owned through UEM and EPF, and one under MRCB which has Bank Rakyat and Tabung Haji, both are government entities, as shareholders.

Another puzzling behaviour of the Pakatan is that while it claims that it will abolish tolls in total, or in Selangor or Sungai Nyior only, or just reduce the rates, it has been proven that they are just a bag filled with hot air. It has been almost a decade since their coming into power in Pulau Pinang and Selangor yet they have nothing to show. So when the BN government abolishes tolls at four locations, the reaction from them should be one of sheer happiness. Yet they seem to be otherwise. Why?

One example is Azmin’s communications director Yin Shao Loong who is unaware that the concession period for the Batu Tiga toll was extended to 2038 and not 2018.

Had the Batu Tiga toll concession period been extended, the rate users would be paying according to the original agreement signed during Mahathir’s period is RM2.40 instead of the RM1.10 users are enjoying now.

In a way, the recent offer by Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd to buy the PLUS Expressway from UEM and EPF and not increase toll rates on the highway for 20 years may have triggered the government’s decision to abolish toll collection at those four highways. I still hope that the PM could bring all the relevant parties together to discuss the proposal as it surely benefits the rakyat if feasible.

Abolishing the GST

Prior to the introduction of the 6-percent Goods & Services Tax (GST), business owners were charged the 16-percent Sales & Services Tax (SST). The Sales Tax was a federal consumption tax imposed on a wide variety of goods, and governed by the Sales Tax Act 1972. The Service Tax, also a federal consumption tax, was levied on customers who consumed certain taxable services, and was governed by the Service Tax Act 1975.

GST versus SST (courtesy of Bloomberg BNA)

The SST was a single stage of consumption tax where businesses cannot recover the tax paid on their purchases. This tax will be treated as a cost to business. However, it was not a transparent form of taxation as many business owners fail to declare their taxes through transfer pricing. The GST introduces transparency, curbs the inefficiencies, tax-payment and misappropriation issues of the SST.

This incurred the wrath of big business owners as they can no longer hide actual sales figures to avoid being taxed.

As opposed to the SST where every single item is taxed 16 percent, household items such as but not limited to sugar, flour, cooking oil, vegetables, fish, meat, poultry and services such as healthcare, education, public transport, housing and agriculture land are exempted from the GST. If there is a spike in the prices of these items, it is the business owners that are to be blamed for marking up prices, and consumers can report them to the KPDNKK.

It is the efficient way to collect tax from businesses that has helped the government to find an alternative form of income when price of oil have gone down tremendously.

Pakatan wants to either revert back to the SST system but has not mentioned how it plans to make up for the loss of income since oil prices cannot be depended upon, or zero-rate everything as per its alternative budget if it decides to keep the GST system, with the option to increase the rates later.

Again, Pakatan is not being transparent to the masses.

120-Day Maternity Leave versus 90-Day Maternity Leave

There are two aspects to look at when talking about maternity leaves. First, on the employers’ side – a worker that is unable to perform her duty taxes the company as she receives full pay during her absence, and other workers have to double up to do her work. Second, going by the concept of ‘iddah of a divorced woman – the waiting period is three menstrual cycles or three months. I did not use the example of a widow’s waiting period because that includes a period to sufficiently overcome a huge part of grief.

Let us compare with other Muslims countries:

Bangladesh – 112 days: 8 weeks (56 days) before delivery and 8 weeks (56 days) after delivery.

Indonesia – 3 months (90 days)

Pakistan – 90 days (45 before delivery and 45 after)

Oman – 100 days (50 days before and 50 days after)

Qatar – 50 days

Saudi Arabia – 70 days

Syria – 50 days

UAE – 45 days

Yemen – 60 days

Pakatan wants to implement 120 days maternity leave, but evidence shows that after introducing a 90-day maternity leave for Selangor’s civil servants, only 30 employees have actually utilised the 90-day leave in full.

Not many took up the 90-day maternity leave provided by the Selangor state government

I guess 90 days about stretches the limit, especially for employers providing 100 percent pay during maternity leave.

TAWAS versus ADAM50

Tabung Warisan Selangor (TAWAS) is a RM100 one-off gift for every child born in Selangor with the hope of accumulating RM1,500 when they are eligible to withdraw the money when they turn 18. Amanah Dana Anak Malaysia 2050 (ADAM50) is a 200-unit gift in the form of a trust fund for 2.8 million Malaysian babies born from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022. The 200 units will be credited automatically in the unit trust funds managed by Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd after the registration process is completed by their parents or guardian.

TAWAS was launched in 2008 as part of fulfilling Pakatan Rakyat Selangor’s manifesto promise. Between 2008 and 2011, RM588,391 was spent on advertising and promotion for TAWAS but less than 20 percent of newborns (60,972 out of 313,706) in Selangor were registered by the end of 2011.

The Selangor state government had no choice but to extend the registration deadline to allow for more participants but as at 22 July 2014, only 159,953 registration was collected. The total number of live childbirths in Selangor was 421,652 by the end of 2012. By end of August 2017, TAWAS only managed to get 280,568 registrations.

TAWAS started off with funds amounting to RM13.5 million but the state government has had to spend RM22.87 million annually on TAWAS despite getting only 19.4 percent registration. Why is there a need to spend so much on so few participants?

The Auditor-General reported that TAWAS, which was formed under the Menteri Besar Selangor (Pemerbadanan) through Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (YAWAS) failed to submit documents of issuance of Fixed Deposit Certificates (SST) between YAWAS and AmBank to the auditors.

There is no standard operating procedures (SOP) to fix a deadline for the issuance of SST to the participants from the date the registration was made or was approved. Audit checks found that there is no record of actual of issuance and receipt of actual SST to and from participants.

“The TAWAS system only provides information on SST that had been prepared by AmBank, furthermore even YAWAS does not have detailed records on the interests received for each of the SST issued,” the report added.

ADAM50 is managed by Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNB) which has been managing funds such as Amanah Saham Nasional, Amanah Saham Bumiputra and Amanah Saham Malaysia. The 200 incentive units and all dividends received on this initial amount of ADAM50 can only be redeemed when the child reaches 18 years of age.

Pakatan cannot even handle a far smaller fund efficiently and it wants to compare itself to a single corporation that handles funds in excess of RM265 billion. Where has all the millions of Ringgits pumped into TAWAS gone to despite not getting the number of participants it had envisaged in 2008?

The Return of Petrol Subsidies

I won’t even go there. Everyone knows the removal of subsidies is so that it could be chanelled to the target groups instead of providing everyone, even foreigners, with subsidised petrol.

The Pakatan budget plans to subsidise only cars and motorcycles below 1,000cc. Only the Perodua Kancil and Perodua Viva would fit into the given category. How would the petrol pump know what cars are below 1,000cc and which ones are 1,000cc and above?

Other Pakatan Budget Jokes

While the BN government strives to lower taxes Pakatan’s alternative budget plans to introduce, on top of the 16 percent SST, an Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax and increase Personal Income Tax to make up for the loss of income through the abolishment of the GST. Yet the pantywaist Pakatan have the cheek to cry foul and claim that the BN’s budget is oppressive.

So I will leave it up to you to decide whom to choose come GE14.

October 23, 2017October 23, 2017

A Possible PLUS Point

A view of the Greater London area with the 188km M25 motorway circling, clearly visible from the International Space Station

It may seem like a coincidence that during the recent Festival of Light I was driving on the Maju Expressway at night to attend an open house. What struck me is that the expressway is lit up all along the stretch and wondered if Tan Sri Abu Sahid would light up all the PLUS highways if he gets to purchase PLUS.

Over the past couple of months I have been reading about the proposed purchase of PLUS by Maju Holdings from Khazanah and EPF. Several people have written on it while I waited a bit to read up on the interviews given by Tan Sri Abu Sahid himself.

While other toll concessionaires strive to increase toll rates to keep up with ever-increasing OPEX, one of Tan Sri Abu Sahid’s selling points is to NOT increase toll rates until the concession agreement that was signed during Mahathir’s administration expires in 2038, and while many think Tan Sri Abu Sahid is mad, I see method in his madness.

Backing

The first question raised by many including myself was where is Maju Holdings going to raise the kind of money needed to buy PLUS from Khazanah and EPF? Tan Sri Abu Sahid revealed that he is getting financial backing from Evercore, an independent investment banking advisory firm and a boutique investment bank.

Evercore is involved in many toll road projects around the world, and has crunched the numbers to support Abu Sahid’s claim that he could run the PLUS highways at a profit without having to increase the toll rates until the expiry of the concession.

So far, all the “experts” that have spoken against Abu Sahid’s claim have not shown any credible evidence to support their opposition to Abu Sahid’s proposal. They counter Abu Sahid’s proposal by saying that it is not viable and may increase risks to users, without any figures to back them up.

But Abu Sahid has already shown that currently PLUS is paying about RM58 per square metre for resurfacing works, compared to just RM18 per square metre done by MEX. And those figures are based on both operators using the same contractors for the works. How is it that PLUS is paying RM40 more per square metre compared to MEX using the same contractors? Neither EPF nor UEM have offered any explanation to say otherwise, let alone sue Abu Sahid if the latter had gotten his facts wrong.

“The best thing for them (UEM and EPF) to do is to sell PLUS. I pay them RM4 billion in hard cash, and you have taken back whatever you invested, so it’s already free, their IRR (internal rate of return) is 20 percent. If they say it’s not enough, how much do they want? Show me how much they make on their investments,” said Abu Sahid to reporters in a recent press conference.

Abu Sahid also seeks to forfeit the government’s compensation of about RM900 million owed to the toll road operator, which arose as a result of toll hikes not being implemented. Imagine what the government could do by chanelling this money to sectors that badly need such funds.

Dangerous For Users?

In an interview, Dr Mohamad Shazli Fathi who is the Deputy Director at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health Unit said that by not increasing the toll for the next 20 years will only endanger highway users.

Citing the ever-increasing cost of maintenance, especially for bitumen and cement, Dr Mohamad Shazli is skeptical of Abu Sahid’s offer. Again, Dr Mohamad Shazli was just shooting from his hip without any figures or projections to back his claim, as with the other experts sought to “help explain” matters.

What these experts forget is that Abu Sahid could obtain these materials in bulk, thus reducing costs, through Ipmuda Berhad where he holds 31.23 percent equity interest.

And if he can do resurfacing for the 26-kilometer MEX at RM18 per square metre, it should be far cheaper, if not the same, for 974 kilometers of highways owned by PLUS through its various operating companies, because of economies of scale.

In fact, as the owner of MEX, Maju Holdings had had the expressway lit up as an extra safety measure for drivers and users, all 26 kilometers, and plans to do the same for all 974 kilometers of expressway under PLUS. No longer are drivers required to strain their eyes in the dark, or feel scared if they suffer a breakdown at night. If this is not safer than what the PLUS highways are now, I don’t know what is. Try driving from Kulai to the Second Link at night and you will know what I am talking about.

If you look at the photo above of London and the M25 motorway as taken from the International Space Station, imagine how 974 kilometers of expressways lit up at night would look like from space. That would certainly look awesome!

We Have Just Sold Our Country To The Chinese, Now We Want To Surrender Our Highways To The Americans?

Of course there is no such thing as selling our country to China (read ‘Apa Yang Strategiknya?‘, ‘Teka Bila Kem Tentera Mula Hendak Dijual?‘ and ‘The Living Forest‘). That is just people who are no longer politically-relevant talking to justify their miserable existence.

The other question that is in the people’s mind is: if Abu Sahid defaults on his payment to Evercore, does this mean that Evercore owns the highway? Highway concessionaires only hold concessions. The highways belong to the government. What Abu Sahid is seeking is to buy PLUS the highway concessionaire from Khazanah-owned UEM and EPF.

When Abu Sahid proposed to sell of MEX (a deal which eventually fell through), Mahathir was angry and said, “You sell what is yours. You don’t sell what belongs to others. It could be as bad as selling APs.” Only what is owned by MEX were allowed to be sold. The cars, the computers, the chairs, tables, tea cups. Not the highway.

The term “highway” by law includes all traffic lanes, acceleration lanes, deceleration lanes, shoulders, median strips, bridges, overpasses, underpasses, interchanges, approaches, entrance and exit ramps, toll plazas, service areas, maintenance areas, highway furniture, signs and other structures and fixtures and any other areas adjacent thereto. These are under the control and management of the Highway Authority of Malaysia (Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia or LLM).

It is because of that if Abu Sahid actually defaults on payments to Evercore, the PLUS highways will not be closed to traffic.

So what does Abu Sahid want from PLUS if it does not make him much money? Access to his parcels of land so he could develop them, and provide access to land to the left and right of these highways for them to be developed.

Like it or not, mad or otherwise, Abu Sahid is a patriot at heart. Just like the cheap and controlled price of food sold at his Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), Abu Sahid does not want the people to be further burdened once UEM has to service its RM30 billion principal payment that is due soon.

But Abu Sahid Has A Bad Track Record – PERWAJA

Perwaja, the brainchild of Mahathir, was set up in 1982. Even in the initial years of operating, it continuously lost money, mainly due to the global recession, lower steel prices and softer demand for steel.

Government-owned Hicom Holdings was the original major owner of Perwaja Steel with a 51% stake, which it divested in 1988.

A year later, Nippon Steel of Japan gave up its 30% stake to the Malaysian government, paving the way for a major restructuring of the company.

The government pumped some RM2 billion into the company, and new facilities were built in Kemaman, Terengganu, and Gurun, Kedah.

Despite this and several more capital infusions by the Government, Perwaja still suffered losses.

Later in 1995, the Government put Perwaja up for sale and after a delay due to the Asian Financial Crisis, Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed’s Maju Holdings emerged as Perwaja’s ultimate holding company in 2003, in a deal valued at RM1.305 billion.

Abu Sahid, like Tajuddin Ramli and Halim Saad, are victims of Mahathir’s manipulation. He had agreed to help rescue Perwaja because the then Prime Minister asked him to do a “national service.”

And despite the massive losses Abu Sahid never sold his shares in Perwaja.

“I promised the government I would not sell and I didn’t. I burnt RM700 million to keep my word,” he said to The Edgemarkets recently.

Who Is Happy And Who Is Not?

The happiest people if Abu Sahid gets to buy PLUS are the people – the users of the PLUS highways. For the next 20 years, Malaysians plying the PLUS highways would not have to worry about the increase in toll rates. This definitly augurs well for the government, especially in the savings it could make. The deal also saves EPF contributors from suffering once the massive principal payment needs to be made.

The ones who do not seem to be happy are UEM (Khazanah) and the EPF, for reasons only known to them. The best part is, without passing Abu Sahid’s proposal to the investments committee where it could be studied and recommendations made, both UEM and EPF have made it clear that they are not interested to sell PLUS to Abu Sahid.

How can they make such a call when the investment committee from both government institutions have not studied the proposal?

Is there more to the RM58 per square metre that meets the eye? Again, only UEM (Khazanah) and the EPF can answer this, and if only they feel like answering.

For the people, this is a possible plus point for the government. In the meantime, the voters wait.

October 16, 2017

Amanah But Lying

AMANAH blames the school holidays for the poor turnout

Last Saturday’s poor turnout at the Anti-Kleptocracy/Save Malaysia event organised by Pakatan Harapan is proof that the masses are already jaded with the style of politics that the Pakatan has to offer.

Despite lining up old dinosaurs like Emperor Lim Kit Siang and U-Turn Mahathir, Pakatan only got 8,000 attendees at the peak of the event according to a post by Malaysiakini made just after the event ended at 11pm that night.

As usual, Pakatan sought the help of DAP’s Excel experts to count the number of attendees but Malaysiakini was wiser

That makes the attendance at 8 percent of the intended target, and 0.027 percent of the total population – and yet they claim that they represent the rakyat.

Even former partner PAS took a swipe at the event noting just 1,500 attended.

This underscores the dwindling support as presented by me in my previous post NO HARAPAN.

Pakatan’s spin machinery, this time led by former PAS member Salahuddin Ayub, claims that the school holidays and Deepavali break had contributed to the extremely poor turnout at the event.

“The rally did not achieve the goal of gathering 100,000 people. Perhaps (this could be due to) the rally happening during the school holiday and Deepavali season. So many people would be on holiday,” he said.

This is despite having the champions of rallies, Ambiga and Maria “Isteri Nabi” Chin sitting on the stage alongside the Pakatan giants.

Back in those days not so long ago, Pakatan’s NGO BERSIH was able to muster 80,000 demonstrators for the BERSIH 3.0 rally which was held on 28 April 2017, a Saturday, and many even took the Monday off because Tuesday was Labour Day holiday – a definite long weekend for many.

BERSIH 4.0 which was held on the 29 and 30 August 2015, another long weekend Hari Kebangsaan holiday, saw 100,000 demonstrators attending. That number dropped to 40,000 during BERSIH 5.0.

However, there were three real winners during last Saturday’s event. The first winner being the LRT. Majority of the attendees arrived there by LRT, a small number were ferried into Petaling Jaya from other states by Pakatan in buses paid by them.

The second winners were the two A&W outlets there, one is the old Drive-In outlet, while the other is a smaller one located at Shah Motel or whatever that it is being called now.

The third winners are the kleptocrats themselves, led by KleptoKutty himself. While talking about the BN stealing money from the rakyat, the seasoned kleptocrats managed to con the rakyat by stealing a total of RM68,329 to finance their pockets.

Well done, kleptocrats! At least you can con people off their money without even getting into Putrajaya. God knows what you would do if you ever get there.

But, we haven’t forgotten what KleptoKutty did when he was there for 22 years.

October 14, 2017October 14, 2017

No Harapan

Last night, BigDog revealed that Mukhriz Mahathir did not receive a single nomination for any of ANSARA posts. This is a drastic change when he used to be the leading figurehead of ANSARA.

Compared to MCOBA, ANSARA is not politically-inclined at all save for some chapters. But even those Pakatan-leaning chapters did not nominate Mukhriz for any position.

When I advised the committee members of an Air Force veterans association to seek help from Mukhriz the Menteri Besar over an issue they were facing in Kedah, they shook their head saying they would rather seek help from the EXCOs or individual ADUNs as Mukhriz was not a performer.

Of course, Mukhriz has been making his rounds in his parliamentary constituency but even people there tell me that he hardly visited them when he was the MB. They dismissed it as a superficial attempt to show that he is still relevant.

He even visited Langkawi, where his own father is the self-appointed Ketua Pribumi, to tell people of his vision to develop Langkawi even further, including turning the padi patch behind the Ayer Hangat Cultural Village into a commercial area.

The problem is, the islanders are aware that for 22 years, Mukhriz’s father only brought development to the southern part of the island, enriching cronies and outsiders, giving them land, leaving people in the northern half to fend for themselves.

Just like Pulau Pinang, there is hardly a beach that locals could go to to enjoy.

Other than bitching about what BN does, they are also good at doing bad things like creating fear among the kampung folks by dishing out lies.

An example is the putting up of a land office map of several kampungs in Seri Medan with a crudely-drawn rectangle showing “the new alignment of the High Speed Rail” that will affect the respective kampungs. Not even people in the Johor Land and Housing committee have heard of such re-alignment of the HSR.

The District Land Office plan with a crudely-drawn rectangle to show realignment of the HSR being put up at a Chinese shop in Kampung Parit Warijo Lintang in Seri Medan

Although Pribumi has a foot in Kampung Parit Seri Menanti where a former UMNO man angered by not being given contracts had set up a Pribumi branch, the party has made a base out of Kampung Sri Bengkal’s favourite Soto Kambing joint in nearby Parit Yob which is operated by a housewife and her amputee husband.

But seeing the number of likes and comments on the Instagram page belonging to a high-ranking Pribumi official shows that the 1.5 million signatures of a petition presented by Pribumi AMANDA’s Syed Sajat is nothing but a fabrication.

Of late, even Pakatan-organised talks cannot muster the same crowds as they used to. A sign that people are weary of the amount of bitching the Pakatan has been doing instead of spending time and taxpayers’ money in the form of their allowances to do good for the rakyat.

There may have been some crowd when Mahathir was in Kuching recently but you can hardly take that as a show for support. Even my BN-supporting relatives were there “to see what the fuss is all about” and to see what stallowners have to offer.

See how the latest Pakatan talk fared.

Even the President of Pribumi who claimed he was expelled from UMNO for fighting against the alleged excessiveness of Najib Razak, could muster a handful at his talks.

This is the sorry state of support that the Pakatan could muster. It tells a lot. Maybe they should save the trouble first before saving Malaysia.

October 2, 2017October 2, 2017

Kata Mereka, Kata Kita

Masih sibuk lagi para pencacai Mahathir membawa isu-isu basi seperti biasa, bermula dengan penjualan Proton kepada entiti China oleh pemiliknya yang sudah tentu bukan kerajaan Malaysia, MAS yang dipimpin oleh warga negara asing, dan juga penasihat komunikasi korporat Perdana Menteri yang juga bukan warganegara.

Gambar yang dikongsikan oleh bangsat-bangsat Mahathir

Hakikatnya, semasa zaman Mahathir, MAS yang menjadi kebanggaan negara telah menjadi sebuah syarikat bangsat setelah diuruskan oleh seorang kroni Mahathir. Berbagai bantuan kewangan terpaksa kerajaan berikan untuk menentukan syarikat penerbangan tersebut tidak berkubur.

Namun, kerajaan terpaksa akur bahawa entiti Sistem Penerbangan Malaysia terpaksa ditamatkan kerana tidak termampu melangsaikan segala beban dan diwujudkan pula Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad untuk menggantikan syarikat sebelumnya.

Kini, ianya dikemudi oleh Peter Bellew, seorang warganegara Ireland yang sebelum ini berjaya menaikkan jumlah penumpang di Kerry Airport dari 6,000 orang ke 400,000. Bellew juga merupakan salah seorang dari pihak pengurusan syarikat Ryanair yang telah menjayakan syarikat tersebut.

Setakat suku kedua tahun 2017 MAS telah mencatatkan lebihan sebanyak RM16 juta dengan kenaikan Available-Seat-per-Kilometre sebanyak 8 peratus berbanding jangkamasa yang sama tahun lepas.

Sebelum Proton dijual oleh pemiliknya (dan bukannya oleh kerajaan seperti yang dicanangkan oleh pembangkang), kerajaan telah menghabiskan sebanyak RM44 billion untuk pelbagai kos bagi menentukan Proton mempunyai daya saing di peringkat global.

Malangnya, syarikat yang ketika itu milik kerajaan dan diuruskan oleh kroni Mahathir langsung tidak boleh bersaing di dalam negara, apatah lagi di luar.

Setelah 30 tahun dan bukan lagi milik negara, setelah menghabiskan RM44 billion wang rakyat, Proton telah memerlukan suntikan modal sebanyak RM3 billion untuk mengeluarkan model-model baru, dan akhir sekali memohon geran sebanyak RM1.7 billion untuk terus bernafas.

Proton yang menjadi kebanggaan negara juga menjadi sebuah syarikat bangsat di bawah kroni-kroni Mahathir.

Akhirnya, pemilik Proton menjual sebahagian saham kepada syarikat pembuat kereta terkemuka, Geely.

Jika dalam pejabat Najib Razak ada penasihat komunikasi korporat dari kalangan orang asing, orang yang paling dipercayai Mahathir semasa beliau menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri merupakan seorang bangsat dan juga agen KGB, agensi perisikan Soviet Union.

Tiga hari sebelum Mahathir menjadi Perdana Menteri, Siddiq Ghouse yang merupakan Setiausaha Politiknya selama tujuh tahun sejak 1974 telah ditahan bersama peralatan perisikan yang telah dibekalkan oleh pihak Soviet Union.

Akibat itu, kerajaan telah menahan beliau di bawah ISA dan mengusir keluar serta-merta tiga orang pegawai Kedutaan Soviet di Kuala Lumpur kerana kesalahan pengintipan. Perisik KGB yang diusir ialah G.I. Stepanor, Setiausaha Pertama Kedutaan Rusia; Encik V.P.Romanov, Setiausaha Kedua Kedutaan Soviet dan seorang kakitangan bukan diplomatik di bahagian ekonomi kedutaan Soviet iaitu Z.L. Khamidauline.

Tujuh tahun pun tak kenal orang yang paling rapat dengan beliau. Tapi tak menghairankan sebab dulu beliau gelar Lim Kit Siang sebagai musuh yang nyata. Sekarang Lim Kit Sianglah sahabat paling karib beliau. Anwar Ibrahim yang beliau penjarakan akibat liwat pun dah tiada bau taik.

Aduhai! Rindu zaman Mahathir. Zaman pelingkup segalanya. Zaman bangsat.

September 29, 2017

One Jilake

Perjuangan pembangkang terutamanya DAP yang mengagungkan tokoh-tokoh Parti Komunis Malaya telah berjalan lebih 12 tahun dengan Ronnie Liu mula-mula sekali mendesak agar Chin Peng dibenarkan masuk ke Malaysia.

Pada 2011, bekas ahli PAS yang dulum kini dan selamanya pesuruh DAP, Mat Sabu, telah berusaha memesongkan rakyat dengan menyintik dakyah DAP dan komunisme bahawa Mat Indera, pengkhianat komunis yang telah mengepalai 180 pengganas komunis menyerang 18 orang anggota polis di Balai Polis Bukit Kepong, adalah seorang pejuang kemerdekaan.

Selama dua penggal berturut-turut kita telah saksikan bagaimana wakil-wakil rakyat DAP telah mengingkari perintah tatacara berpakaian persidangan Parlimen mahupun DUN dan bersikap biadap terhadap Raja-Raja Melayu. Bagi mereka ini, Raja-Raja Melayu bukan raja mereka kerana raja nenek moyang mereka yang terakhir ialah Maharaja Pu Yi.

Kalau ditanya kini, mungkin jawapannya ialah “Tak tau! Saya mudah lupa!”

DAP terutamanya, giat mempersoalkan kedudukan Raja-Raja Melayu serta adat istiadat orang Melayu dan agama Islam dalam Perlembagaan di samping menghasut anak muda yang buta sejarah agar mereka juga mempersoalkan ketidak seimbangan keistimewaan kaum dalam Perlembagaan. Rakan baik mereka Muhyiddin Yassin juga pernah menegur sikap DAP yang anti-Raja.

Maka tidak hairanlah jika pihak pembangkang, terutamanya DAP, cuba mendorong pemikiran anak-anak muda untuk menjadikan negara ini sebuah republik, bebas dari sebarang pengaruh feudalisme.

Hari ini, Tokong Lim Guan Eng telah mengambil penceramah katak yang terkenal dengan sifat anti-Raja, Wan Ji Wan Hussin, yang pernah ditahan dan di dakwa di bawah Akta Hasutan, 1948 kerana menghina institusi Raja-Raja Melayu.

Dengan Wan Ji menjadi balaci Tokong untuk menggunakan agama sebagai alat untuk menghasut orang Melayu agar menyokong dan mendokong hasrat DAP, maka pergerakan DAP ke arah menjadikan Malaysia ini ‘bebas-Raja’ menjadi semakin hampir. Sekiranya anda telah lupa apa yang Wan Ji perjuangkan, sila tonton video ini:

September 24, 2017

Kasihanilah Mahathir

Insan yang pernah menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia selama 22 tahun kini hidup dalam keadaan yang amat tertekan.

Disebabkan keadaan ekonomi yang meruncing di bawah pentadbiran Najib Razak yang tidak cekap, Mahathir Mohamad tidak lagi mampu untuk terbang menggunakan pesawat-pesawat syarikat-syarikat penerbangan.

Petang tadi, Mahathir bersama isterinya Siti Hasmah terpaksa menggunakan khidmat jet peribadi untuk pergi ke Kuching dari Kuala Lumpur kerana tiket penerbangan berada di luar kemampuan beliau.

Jet peribadi yang membawa Mahathir dan Siti Hasmah ke Kuching

Mahathir diiringi polis ke bangunan terminal Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuching agar beliau tidak berpeluang meminta sedekah dari orang ramai akibat kewangan yang meruncing

Keluarga Mahathir sebelum ini terpaksa makan rumput yang dicelur dan dicicah dengan sos cili kerana pentadbiran Najib Razak tamatkan perkhidmatan tukang masak dan pembantu rumah mereka setelah 35 tahun berkhidmat.

Siti Hasmah memeluk tukang masak dan pembantu yang ditamatkan perkhidmatan oleh kerajaan. Mereka tidak mampu untuk mengupah sendiri para pekerja tersebut

Akibat tidak mampu membayar sendiri upah tukang masak dan pembantu rumah tersebut, mereka terpaksa redha dan mengupah seorang tukang buat chee cheong fun yang diambil dari seorang agen buruh di Permatang Pauh.

Siti Hasmah mengalukan ketibaan tukang buat Chee Cheong Fun baru dengan upah jauh lebih murah di kediaman buruk mereka

Mahathir pernah memberi amatan bahawa negara akan bankrap seperti Greece akibat sikap Najib Razak yang gemar berhutang dengan negara luar.

Kita perlu fahami Mahathir tidak pernah mengambil hutang dari negara luar semasa beliau menjadi Perdana Menteri. Inilah sebabnya beliau tidak gemar sekiranya negara berhutang dengan negara luar.

Najib Razak umum ketahui tidak bijak menguruskan ekonomi Malaysia. Oleh itu, kadar pertumbuhan KDNK Malaysia untuk Suku Ke-2 tahun ini jauh melebihi jangkaan.

Ekspot bagi Malaysia tumbuh dengan pesat dalam bulan Ogos 2017

Kasihanilah Mahathir. Sama-samalah kita berdoa agar di usia yang senja ini beliau tidak lagi melakukan dosa berbohong dan fitnah, atau menyokong LGBT agar perginya beliau nanti dikenang sebagai wira dan bukannya badut.

September 14, 2017September 14, 2017

The Riddle Of The Missing Fighter Bombers

A RMAF A-4PTM (Peculiar-to-Malaysia) Skyhawk

In 1982, 25 A-4C and 63 A-4L Skyhawks which were US Vietnam-era surplus were contracted for purchase costing less than USD 1 million each by the Malaysian government for the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s use. Of the 88 airframes, 54 were to be converted to single-seater fighter-bombers while 14 were to be converted to two-seater versions for training and conversions. The rest would be cannibalised for spare parts.

However, the cost for re-engine, new avionics and stretching of some of the airframes made the cost of each airframe balloon FOUR TIMES the purchase price. The final cost of the programme for these second-hand aircraft was USD320 million (purchase cost was less than USD88 million).

The RMAF Skyhawks were designated the A-4PTM/TA-4PTM (PTM: Peculiar-To-Malaysia). Delivery of 40 airframes began on 23 February 1985, the then-Prime Minister took delivery of ten A-4PTMs and launched No.6 Squadron for the new used aircraft. The delivery was completed a year later.

23 Feb 1985: The PM received 10 A-4PTM Skyhawks and launched the No.6 Squadron at the Kuantan Airbase

Not many below 50 would remember that 1985 was a year of bad recession in Malaysia. This was admitted by the then Auditor-General Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin Zakaria who said that apart from the BMF financial scandal (that caused the live of Jalil Ibrahim), the recession also caused budgetary problems and affected the country’s balance pf payments.

1985 was a problematic year, the first recession in the Mahathir years

But that did not stop the government from buying two more aircraft in 1985 namely the Grumman HU-16B Albatross which are seaplanes for use by the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Coincidentally, Grumman was the contractor that refurbished the A-4PTMs for Malaysia.

Interestingly, the Albatrosses were placed under No.2 Squadron which is a VIP communications squadron. The USAF’s last flight of the Albatross was in 1973, the last flight of the USN was in 1976 while the USCG last flew the Albatross in 1976. We bought the pair in 1985 but by 1987 I never saw them fly ever again. 466 were built since 1949 and the last airframe was buit in 1961. There is no way we had bought two new aircraft.

Malaysia bought two used seaplanes for the RMAF

Only 40 Skyhawks were delivered to Malaysia between – 34 single seater A-4PTMs and six two-seater TA-4PTMs. The rest remained in the desert and some at the Marana Regional Airport in Arizona.

A-4PTM (M32-40) in the paint shop. Picture by Sean Campbell who is seen standing in the left of this photo

The A-4PTMs and TA-4PTMs started dropping out of the sky as soon as they entered service. One developed engine trouble in September 1985 while landing and exploded at the Kuantan airbase. The pilot managed to eject.

Three years later, four Skyhawks went down including one piloted by the current Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, General Tan Sri Haji Affendi bin Buang RMAF, while one pilot, Lieutenant Wahi Anuar RMAF remains missing until today after crashing into the South China Sea. I still remember how the annual exercise was put on hold in 1988 because of this incident.

Five more Skyhawks crashed in the following years. Four years after entering service, the RMAF announced that the Skyhawks will be replaced by the BAe Hawks 108/208 in 1994 making the Skyhawks the shortest-lived combat aircraft in the RMAF’s inventory. Six Skyhawks were retained as aerial tankers using Douglas D-704 external buddy tanks. They were taken completely out of service in 1999.

I wonder whose decision it was for second-hand Skyhawks and Albatrosses to be purchased by Malaysia. The Minister of Defence from 1981 to 1986 was Mahathir himself, who was replaced by Tun Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi in 1986. Was the RMAF being used as a dumping ground for used goods while people made money out of the RMAF and the lives of its pilots?

In 1984, a year before the delivery of the Skyhawks and purchase of the ancient Albatrosses, Mahathir went to the US and met with President Ronald Reagan at the White House. In his remark Mahathir said, “I’m particularly happy to note the encouraging signs of economic recovery in the United States, which we consider significant, if not crucial, in assuring a healthy global economy.”

Mahathir added, “In fact, if you were to ask me what is it I would want the United States to do with regard to economic policy, my honest and simple response is for the U.S. economy to get ahead and regain its strength, for the healthier and more vibrant the U.S. economy becomes, the better it will be, not only for the United States and Malaysia but all the developing countries in the world.”

So, it is wrong for Najib Razak to want to help improve the economy of the United States but not wrong for Mahathir to have done the same in 1984. I wonder whose individual economy also improved with the purchase of those second-hand aircraft?

If you think Hollywood has a scary movie called “IT”, Malaysia’s Opposition has even scarier clowns called “ITS”

If you think it was bad enough that we had paid USD232 million more for 88 Skyhawks that cost less than USD88 million but brought back only 40 which served the RMAF effectively for only nine years, you have not heared the full story.

In 2003, the RMAF decided to sell off the Skyhawks including the 48 airframes that were never brought back to Malaysia. To their horror, they were asked for a proof of purchase of the 48 that were left there! While the RMAF had the 40 they received in their inventory, the rest that were paid for never had any receipt produced – that is USD174.72 million worth of airframes that had no proof of purchase.

Even if the 48 were not upgraded, this still means USD48 million worth of defence assets procured using the RAKYAT’s money (to borrow a favourite Pakatan catchphrase) did not come with a receipt saying they are ours.

This also means that the cost of ugrading, which amounted to USD232 million, was only for 40 aircraft. That makes USD6.8 million the cost for each of the 40 Skyhawks that were sold to us for less than USD1 million each. Amazingly disgusting amount of money paid. Each upgraded Skyhawk could have given us three F-5Es and the total we paid for upgrading the Skyhawks alone could have gotten us 110 combat-ready Northrop F-5E Tiger IIs (combat-ready F-5Es were selling for USD2.1 million each) which still have operational status worldwide even now. We were already operating 14 F5-Es and two F-5Fs.

The RF-5E (Reconnaissance) M29-20 that operated with RMAF’s No.12 Squadron in Butterworth

We purchased aircraft that were dangerous for our men and women to fly, for a price tag that defeats logic. What promise did Mahathir make to Ronald Reagan then?

And why are we not owning the remaining 48 Skyhawks that we have bought in 1982?

September 13, 2017

The Tiga Suku Stengah Fan

I don’t know what time it was when Frog Supreme Zaid Ibrahim went to a HINDRAF do today and spoke like he had had at least a barrel of drink.

He said that many of the country’s problems were due to unnecessary spending on private jets, submarines and mega infrastructure projects.

“We are not a superpower, we don’t need submarines. If we sell the submarines, we’ll get RM400 million to RM500 million,” he said.
I wonder if Froggy knows that the Indonesian navy has four submarines (one under construction) and Singapore has six with four more under construction?

Neither country is a superpower but Singapore, being a country with the smallest coastline, has more submarines than both Malaysia and Indonesia put together.

All three countries depend on sea lanes to survive, which is why a three-dimensional defence and deterrence is needed at sea. Then again, other than jumping parties what does he know?

Froggy also told the Indian community that the Barisan Nasional is unable to solve racial problems because it has deep racial bias. This comes from a man whose party marginalised Indians…Kampung Buah Pala et al.

Since 2009, the government has allocated RM711 million to help Indian businesses and RM660 million for the infrastructure development of Tamil National-type schools.

The Barisan Nasional government has also allocated RM1 billion for the uplift of the Indian community in Malaysia over a ten-year period.

This government has done more for the Indian community than when a certain Indian-descent Prime Minister was at the helm for 22 years.

It was during those 22 years that the Indians were severely marginalised by an Indian-descent. The irony of it all. Now, that Indian-descent person is seeking help from the Indian community knowing that the Malays would not help a traitor.

It’s time for Froggy to quit his Stengah as it is making him sound like a Tiga Suku.

August 30, 2017

Coordinatedly Stupid

Before I continue, please let me congratulate a few people here. This Merdeka spirit is certainly in the air now.

I would like to congratulate the Malaysian SEA Games 2017 team for the highest Gold medal tally thus far. 145 Gold medals bagged out of 404 out for grabs. That accounts for 35.9 percent of Gold medals for this Games. The last time we had SEA Games here in Kuala Lumpur we could only manage 111 out of 391, and that made only 28.4 percent. If anyone were to put a “Rindu Zaman Mahathir” hashtag to KL2017, this would be the best time to do so.

Quick to claim credit for Malaysia’s victory is Azmin Ali who said that it was Selangor’s policies that had helped Malaysia achieve this victory. Someone should remind that this is not SUKMA or MSSM. This was a national effort and many Gold medals also came from people who are not part of Selangor.

Due to Selangor’s policies, Azmin runs faster than Anak Jantan when being chased by the MACC

Secondly, I would like to congratulate Mr Sotong himself. Yes, today the Appellate Court awarded him with RM10,000 which Pemuda UMNO’s Azwan Bro has to pay on top of the RM1.5 million he managed to squeeze out of 7,000 odd “donors” who believe in his dysfunctional NGO, that had gotten fellow party member Latheefa Koya’s boxers in knots, accusing Rafizi of getting help from the Deputy Prime Minister. Maybe Latheefa has realised that not once has Rafizi ever attacked the DPM openly, not after 21 August 2013. But with Najib Razak, no matter how many times he’s found guilty for telling lies, he keeps up his attacks. Maybe Rafizi is an UMNO agent as claimed. It does make you wonder doesn’t it? Only Rafizi can answer this.

Azwan Bro has to pay Mr Sotong RM10,000 after losing an appeal

My final congratulation goes out to the Judiciary system for proving time and time again that it is free from political influence. The same Court that gave Mr Sotong RM10,000 also found U-Turn Mahathir’s claim and insistence that Najib Razak is a ‘public officer‘ is a total FARCE. The verdict could have gone the other way round had this taken place before 2003, and those who love the “Rindu Zaman Mahathir” hashtag should again apply the hashtag to this event.

Najib Razak is neither a person that is material to the now-paused DoJ suit, nor is he a public officer as claimed

Now, back to the main story. Today, two people attacked the MACC using the same points. They are R Nadeswaran, a former journalist last seen wth the Sun Daily, and Eric Paulsen the lawyer who is never seen upholding the law and is always challenging the spirit of the Federal Constitution.

If you don’t call this “co-ordinated” then I don’t know what co-ordination is

Nades in his piece said that a lot have been said in criticising the MACC previously but the MACC has never reacted in the same manner as it has reacted towards the Phee Boon Poh case. Back in those days he wrote, people used to ask why hadn’t the MACC gone for the “sharks” and the “whales” but instead get all the “small fries.”

But back in those days the MACC was the darling of the Opposition too. I am sure you would all remember how glory-hunter Lim Kit Siang told the world that the MACC’s crusade must be supported.

“Gua salam, gua angkat gambar. Apa mahu helan? Mahathir gua benci pun gua bole cium sikalang.”

Let us not talk about the “back in those days”
stuff now shall we? Else we could also use the “Rindu Zaman Mahathir” hashtag here too and do comparisons on how many whales and sharks have been arrested by the MACC’s predecessors.

Lim Kit Siang et al stopped supporting the MACC’s crusade when several of theirs have been found to be whales and sharks too! Where is the consistency in fighting corruption here?

Eric Paulsen even added why must MACC take such an intolerant and extreme view when the issue being commented upon is of public interest?

For Eric Paulsen MACC is being intolerant as, as put by Nades, in the past there had been lots of opportunities for the MACC to sue people but never did.

Again, that’s in the past. I wonder if either Nades or Eric Paulsen realised that none of those making noise in the World Wide Web over MACC’s catching of small fries were under investigation, as Phee Boon Poh still is. He was released from remand and is still under investigation. He has not been exonerated from any offence nor has he had any charge dropped.

And as Phee Boon Poh was remanded by the order of a Magistrate, who, in the opinion of the High Court, had erred, how does receiving a Magistrate’s remand order and executing the order be an illegal detention as the Opposition is trying to paint?

A Magistrate acts within the ambits of the law. He interpreted the law in his learned capacity. It was the High Court that had a different interpretation. And now the MACC is asking the Appellate Court (yes the one that made Sotong a victor and Mr U-Turn a loser) for its interpretation of the same.

And again, a reminder, Phee Boon Poh is still being investigated. He has not been charged and then found not guilty.

The remand would only have been illegal only if the MACC refuses to release Phee after the remand order was set aside.

As for Nades, a big fish such as a whale or a shark would be nothing less than having Najib Razak in the accused dock. Such view is already biased and myopic. Which is the reason I do not refer to him according to his nom de plume CITIZEN Nades, as I too, am a CITIZEN and he does not speak on behalf of me.

Nades asked why has the MACC not said anything about the SRC International which, accroding to Nades, was investigated by the MACC but they had nothing to show, implying that the investigation has already been concluded.

This is the peeve that I and a few defence bloggers have about the quality f our journalists – they don’t read. They often wait to be spoonfed with press releases and type away so that the agency they represent would be the first to publish it.

Back in early last year, the MACC had investigated the so-called involvement of Najib Razak in SRC International and had found nothing that could incriminate the Prime Minister. So on the road leading to Najib Razak it was ‘No Further Action.’

However, investigation papers have been opened for the people who actually ran SRC International and that is still in the investigation process. Must MACC tell everything about the case to the whole world?

Even DAP’s darling Pony Tua, Mr Tell-All-BS, who is a member of the PAC found that Najib Razak is not accountable for 1MDB’s dealings. Yes, he agreed to that and signed the PAC report on 1MDB. He, and several other PAC members from the Opposition.

So, there have you. Phee Boon Poh is being investigated so he should not make any statement trying to influence a court of public opinion. And neither Lim Guan Eng, nor Nades, nor Eric Paulsen should also try to unfluence a court of public opinion by saying that Phee Boon Poh was illegally detained.

Lastly, The Star has again published something by socialist law teacher Azmi Sharom who goes on and on about how we have voted for the same people every time there is a general election despite popular votes going otherwise.

This is not the first time The Star has given face to leftists. They published something from Azmi Sharom back in 2013 too.

He calls himself a law teacher but is clueless about the nation’s histry. How can he know any law?

Have we actually chosen the same people again and again and again for the past 60 years? Really?

As a law teacher he ought to know that we have not voted the same people. Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Dr Ismail, Tun HS Lee, Tun Tan Siew Sin, Tun Sambanthan, Tun Manickavasagam, Tun Omar Ong, Tun Ghafar to name a few stalwarts from the Alliance and BN have stood down from elections.

I know for sure that for the past 48 years Lim Kit Siang has been an election candidate, from Kota Melaka to Gelang Patah, and now is planning to move to Pulau Pinang and/or Kedah. We also have a 92-year old dictator who has also offered to contest for Pakatan Harapan.

And as for popular vote, is that the legal voting system that we are practising here in this country? If so, why should we vote by constituency? I personally opine that Azmi Sharom is either one stupid person, or is maliciously misleading the people of Malaysia with his lies, and The Star, for publishing such claim, is equally guilty for abetting to the offence no matter the disclaimer.

Do you know really want to know what freedom is? Freedom is being free from ignorance, free from being stupid. And especially free from coordinated stupidity.

Keep Malaysia stupid-free for the next 60 years and more please!