I read somewhere; people are saying that FDI is avoiding Malaysia because of overt Malay supremacist tendencies. Politicians are quick to apportion blame to insignificant NGOs like Perkasa. Well, if the blame game is to be played fairly, then it should also be apportioned to Chinese based NGOs. Many of the same politicians who are quick draw McGraw when it comes to Malay NGOs are slothful when it comes to Chinese based NGOs.
The same duplicitous tendency is reflected in discussing wealth ownership in this country. We are over eager to discuss the ownership of 65% of this country's population of the elusive 30% wealth of this country; but we are dreadfully silent and seemed hesitant to debate the ownership of 70% of the wealth of this country by 35% of the people underscored with our readiness to ignore their ethnic origins. I am advocating we damn the 35% without caring whether there are Malays, Chinese or Indians. They are our common enemy NOT the 65% eking out a meaningful life.
But it's not this shameless duplicity that I want to debate at the moment. I only wish to point out that the more sinister cause for the plight of FDI is corruption. Corruption is like a plague; everyone dreads it, knows the danger but AVOID going into serious discussion as to the causes behind corruption.
In the Asia Sentinel, there was an interesting article about the rising scourge of corruption. Among the cases that were the object of public scorn are:-
The Commonwealth Games sporting extravaganza brought to light the murky dealings of politicians and sports officials who had forged papers, bought equipment and materials at inflated prices and generally cooked the books. The budget eventually ballooned to around US$6 billion, even as it was hit by delayed venues and organizational problems.
Another scam has been the most mind-boggling of the lot. In this, the Telecommunications Minister Andimuthu Raja, who was recently forced to resign, undersold 2G spectrum mobile licenses to 85-odd global firms at a throw-away price, losing the exchequer Rs1.76 trillion. Wags point out that the number of suitcases Raja would have needed to fill that loot, if laid end-to-end, would reach from Delhi to the southern city to Chennai (a distance of 2,177 km).
Using the two cases above, we note the following:-
Corruption occurs when people in authority are vested with powers to make purchases or who are able to commit funds.
Two, corruption is most often associated with people holding public office and who inhabit officious positions.
It is also interesting to see a detailed breakdown of the major players of corruption. For instance in India, the main players in corruption are found to be categorised as follows:-
The bulk of the corruption cases involved government officials and leaders. The greatest sources of bribe demands were from national level Government officials (33%), the police (30%), state/provincial officials and employees (16%), and city officials (10%) respectively.
This leads us to ask the question, why is it, the public sector is the sector most prone to corruption?
These observations also lead us to evolve a practical definition of corruption. Essentially it is the misuse of public office positions for private gain.
Hence, from the standpoint of public perception, corruption almost always involved those holding public positions- government positions, politicians and all those holding any levers of power, rules and regulations.
As a general rule, corruption usually involves some sort of link between bureaucracy, politics and criminals. If we are not careful Malaysia will not only be considered a soft state, but is slowly becoming a consideration state where everything can be had for a consideration. Soft state in the sense, even the PM appears powerless to stop the rot and is therefore sucked into the whirlpool of complicity. I have written elsewhere that in order to acquire credibility, the PM must have his Voltaire moment. 'Execute' some admirals so that other admirals fall into line. Translation: prosecute 2-3 ministers for corruption.
Today, the number of ministers with an honest image can be counted on fingers. At one time, bribe was paid for getting wrong things done but now bribe is paid for getting right things done at right time.
27 comments:
I strongly do believe that all those in cabinet are honest.They work very hard for that rakyat including you and me.Mana ader yang corrupt.TU semua fitnah.
Corruption is not a social ill.No need to combat it.Lets focus on building more high rise bulidings.Lets talk about positive things.Lets talk about what we love.Lets live happily ever after.
'Execute' some admirals so that other admirals fall into line. Translation: prosecute 2-3 ministers for corruption.
Well said, sir... failing which, the Executor will be executed.
You are right Panji Hitam 81, the rakyat has shown that in GE 12. If the executor do not execute he will be executed.We saw the former PM been executed from his seat Or mind you he dont mind been executed as billion has been stashed away for his future use. That why the rakyat has to pay for increase in sugar lpg and ron 95 prices
The Voltair moment is meant for Jibby himself then all the future leaders will fall in line as required by the rakyat.
Simple Voltair Dato', try it and it will work!!!
Dear Sakmongkol
“If we are not careful Malaysia will not only be considered a soft state, but is slowly becoming a consideration state where everything can be had for a consideration. Soft state in the sense, even the PM appears powerless to stop the rot and is therefore sucked into the whirlpool of complicity”.
You have touched on the hottest of hot topics. But are you not a bit behind the curve on this subject? You seem to imply that corruption is here but not yet so bad. We merely need to shoot an admiral or two.
The real state of affairs is actually quite frightening. Look at the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index and see how far we are down the league table. Compare our standing with those nations that we aspire to be. See how that little red dot has managed to park itself near the top of the totem pole year after year, and the same with Hong Kong, that granite hill where corruption was once so bad that residents had to pay the fire brigade before they would turn on the fire hose. Whilst all the good and great nations have climbed and stayed near the top, we have the ignominious reputation of sliding towards Zimbabwe, or closer to home, Indonesia and the Philippines.
But the PM and everyone in government continues to urge everyone to exterminate this scourge. In reality they do nothing beyond setting up a toothless MACC, as if this act alone would frighten the wrong doers, like a scarecrow would frighten away birds.
The elimination of corruption requires effort on every front. It requires political will. The government or more precisely the ruling elite must want to get rid of it. This is where we precisely fail. They do not want to get rid of corruption because they are its main beneficiaries. They benefit personally, and because they come from the same party or coalition, some of that corruption money is used to keep their party in power at both state (Sarawak is a good example) and federal levels. Corruption, to them, can easily be justified on the grounds that the ends justify the means. At all costs UNMO and its partners must be kept in power. And if corruption money helps this “noble” cause, so be it. Hence corrupt practices in Malaysia are not random acts done by dishonest individuals, but are part of an unstated strategy or means of perpetuating political power. Look around. The evidence is everywhere.
Dato Sak, you said, "Politicians are quick to apportion blame to insignificant NGOs like Perkasa. Well, if the blame game is to be played fairly, then it should also be apportioned to Chinese based NGOs. "
Yeah... we are back to the racial tit-for-tat.
When can we grow up and addressed the issues head on, instead of justifying one action by accusing another. Or evading the issue by bringing other issues on board.
We are following the mentality of our so-called intellectual elited by maturing BACKWARDS.
I think Malaysians are watching too much the Brad Pitt movie, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".
Sak,
You are seriously wrong about being able to count honest malaysian ministers on the fingers because there isn't a single honest minister in the UMNO led BN government. Every single minister has his or her whole hand (not finger) in the corruption pie which is bleeding the country dry.
I am surprised that you used the Asia Sentinel's report on the corruption of India's commonwealth games to illustrate your point on corruption but you have selectively left out previous Asia Sentinel reports on the ills and wrong doings of the malaysian government such as the submarines scandal, etc, etc.
At least you are correct on the point that the plight of FDI is due to this country's uncontrollable high level of corruption which will continue to escalate further through the ETP, GTP and NEM. Unfortunately there is no political will to fight corruption because every single minister in the UMNO led goverment is scratching each other's back since they are all obediently practising Najib's "Lu tolong gua, gua tolong lu" philosophy.
Dear Dato',
On 6 April, 2007 I wrote to the KSN suggesting that he should sack one or two KSUs to show his seriousness in improving the government service. I totally agree with you that some ministers, especially the senior ones, should be replaced/sacked for stupidity/incompetence or charge in court for corruption. They contribute nothing to the country and a waste of public funds keeping them. Sadly, our PM is so 'soft' that he will not even dare think of doing that.
Now the 70% or 30% wealth distribution is debatable. Some studies has it the 30%threshold has been achieved. It can the the other way round for all I care.But I also belief, your good self could see most GLCS, Government instiutions, education, civil and public sector are manned by the majority. So I guess the only avenue opened to the nons is in the private sector or being self employed in small businesses.So can the minority be blamed if they accumulate wealth through their blood and tears? I also belief, Indonesians are taking over many hawkers centers and peddling their wares plying their trade in KL and elsewhere. It will be a case of "sikit sikit lama lama jadi bukit for them. Dato its hardwork!!!!!!! It not "BUKIT lama lama jadi SIKIT, lama sikit semua nada " We cannot be "mat Jenins" can we?
I would tend to believe layman or the general public could'nt care one hoot or the other, The
general public worries more on putting food on the table, be Chinese, Malay, Indians etc. What the general public fears the most is the sometimes warlike cries of certain leaders of NGO .
You talk about corruptions, well and fine, its the scourge of many developing nations, Bolehland included.
Now any NGOs, even Perkasa, if their aim is to fight corruption at all levels, be colour blind, you can bet your last dollar, Malaysians would flock to their nests. They can also fight for the betterment of all not so privileged Malays, and no one would hold any grudge against them.Are tthey willing and capable? Thats the question.
Firstly I dispute the notion that 35% of the populace own 70% of the economy. It has repeatedly been shown that our Govt's statistics cannot be much relied upon and that Govt and Najib's equity valuations are not based on market or international norms. Ownership of much land by Bumiputras does not seem to have been taken into account in the equation!
Secondly, ethnicity has nothing to do with it. This is especially so since UMNO has been in control of Govt since 1957 and of the NEP since 1970.
If the NEP has failed in its stated aims of securing a more equitable distribution of the economic cake after some 40 years and that Bumiputras constitute the majority of those classified as "poor" (by what definition and who is a Bumiptra is not clear)and corruption is at the core of it, then clearly we must equate corruption with UMNO/BN for its pathetic failure.
If UMNO were an EPL football team, it's managers would have been thrown out of the club's windows decades ago!
So, what are you guys waiting for and proposing to do about it?
I know where my vote will go, come the nextGE.
dpp
we are all of 1 Race, the Human Race
What is surprising is that true blue UMNO loyalist like yourself have not got it through your head that corruption and racism is one and the same problem in Malaysia thanks to the NEP.
Most of the corruption is based on the NEP. Because UMNO can hang on to power with the racist card and it does not have to perform without it, it will be corrupted. They will not make any significant dent on corruption so long as they can play the card.
Assalamualaikum Dato' Sak,
A company that wanted to appoint us as the agent refuse to use the Malaysian court in case of dispute and arbitration. Main reason? You know the answer.
Last week, the CEO was in Malaysia trying to look for regional base with new investment. After looking around, Malaysia is at the bottom of his choice.
I read somewhere that that one politician said that the problem of corruption is perception issue. MACC chief went on to ask a group of journalist as to whether they have been asked to pay bribe - and not many raised their hands.
So, why are the investors refusing to choose Malaysia and recognize her soveregnity and sanctity of her law? You have put your thoughts, and so have many of your debaters.
These are my two personal anecdotes. If you run through many other contracts, I am very sure you will find the same story. It is staple in O&G - only at the insistence of Petronas that they recognize the local laws and arbitration center.
But speaks volumes about the confidence of external investors, no?
Perception is reality, Dato'.
In the long run, repeat a few hundred or thousand times. The economy will be hurt.
I read somewhere in the past your debaters (fledglings?) reasoned that in the end, the kampung folks are not going to read the Edge (yup, they'd rather have ignorant people in their hope to cling to power). The reasoning is that they must not find out that the country's economy is in dire straits. If he finds out - then, he will vote for change. One where billions of dollars of leaks doesnt occur.
Given the above refusal to invest, he need not to - sooner or later the train will come to a halt, and he will make that choice...for change. By then, it may be too late...
And I repeat what I have said in my previous posting - Dah jadi Katak Rebus, Dato'
Melayu Baru
"Corruption is most often associated with people holding public office and who inhabit officious positions".
Well said.
How many in the 35% category of Malaysians you mentioned, come under the above definition?
Pray tell us, someone!
PARAMESWARA
A: 'I so the admire this blogger, Sir.'
B: 'More than you admire me ke, Sofea? Am i not slightly more handsome, eh?'
A: 'I mean he's putting his all on the line. He certainly isn't toeing his party line. What do you think?'
B: 'You got a point there. Not many people have seen how persistent he has been. Wouldn't be surprised if that machine gun of his has melted by now.'
A: 'I think there are a couple of things which Najib can do to arrest this scourge of corruption.'
B: 'I'm all ears tonight but that's only because my eyes are tired from looking at how beautiful you are, m'lady.'
A: '(ahem), flattery again, Sir? Let me narrate something from personal experience.
I know of one foreign firm which had gone to try and market to one of our GLCs. Their people came out of the meeting shaking their heads and with one comment: 'They're even more corrupt than indonesia'.
That was years ago; i don't think the situation has improved.'
B: 'But that's obvious. People don't know the economic impact of graft is even greater than we can account.
Firstly, it inflates immediate costs. Secondly, it smears reputation and shoos away genuine investors.
And that's the thing we won't know. People are not going to directly say they're not investing here on the reason they don't like to face corruption.
Because they're not going to take unnecessary risk of being penalized should one day they have to come back.'
A: 'In addition to those, Sir, in the case of that firm it took its expertise elsewhere which meant the cost of operations in the GLC increased from not having the offering, and that continued high cost would have translated into higher prices passed onto the consumers, our rakyat.'
B: 'People including those who suffer don't care to see that so what can anyone do?'
A: 'Well, i think if Najib is really sincere and serious about wanting to weed out corruption, he must do a couple of things to show he walks not just the talk but also the parade. Action plus perception should equal change.'
B: 'Go on, i'm listening. And, Sofea, have i not told you before how lovely your eyes are tonight?'
A: 'I shall have to ignore your feeble attempt at distracting me, Sir. This is serious matter.
I think the first thing Najib must do is make all his cabinet members declare their assets and those of their family members immediately and in public, and not take their excuse that since the opposition isn't doing it, they don't have to.'
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B: 'Erhh, i already have a problem with that one, Sofea.
You know this is not going to happen for didn't Najib himself only recently coax one chief minister to stay on who if he were to declare his assets he could well be lynched in his own state, protective inspiration from above or otherwise?
Sofea, the sheer hypocrisy of that cracker beggars imagination. What era does he belong to? Raja Brooke ke?
Sorry, dear. This country is all about political expediency.'
A: 'Well, then Sir, why not next make the MACC independent of the Executive Office which includes Najib himself?; it must report direct to Parliament and be armed to prosecute independent of our rendezvousing Attorney-General.’
B: 'Sofea, again i think that's not going to happen because their standard rationale is that there are too many opposition members in Parliament and if the MACC reports direct to that august house, wouldn't it mean the MACC will be allowed to fall within partial ambit of the opposition?
So far you see BN especially Umno even stopping for a second from trying to pulverize the opposition? Next, please.'
A: 'Alright. Then let's see how corruption starts.
It starts with the first bite of the poisoned apple by a politician, then it spreads down the ranks in the party which next gives the cue to the civil servants to copy the same which then eggs the private sector to play the same game of follow-the-leader otherwise they will lose out.
So what i want to suggest is that all MPs, including the opposition members, be given MP allocations in proportion to the size of their constituencies by number and acreage and that is all they will get. Therefore if the MACC catches them living beyond their means or spending more than they were allocated, there is therefore grounds to grill them where they have gotten their extra cash, shares, assets and et cetera. And by grilling I don’t mean ikan bakar only.’
B: 'Erh, why including the opposition? Do you for one minute think Umno can let go its zero-sum game? Heck, looking at the way they implemented the NEP, it virtually created that game. So if Umno is master of take from y to give to x, why do you now think it will start to see the light and practice true government by funding the opposition members as well?'
A: 'Because, Sir, federal funds come from opposition states as well. Because, Sir, opposition constituencies are also populated by rakyat. Because, Sir, rakyat are rakyat whoever they might have voted for.'
B: 'But, Sofea, Najib is an atallcost and ihelpyouyouhelpme man. When do you think he will see the light and rue his own intransigence? When he switches on his marbled bathroom light in the middle of the night and see his own conscience stare back at him from the italian mirror ke?
Let me ask you, let's say he does all that you have suggested, don't you think his members will object to him violently, rebel against his leadership even? And does he look like someone who has the cojones to stand up to that?
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A: 'Then he must do it peremptorily and in public. After which they can reject and rebel for all that they want. Public opinion will rule. Isn't real democratic government all about public opinion, Sir? Najib should use it as a weapon against the multiple scourges assailing his party, including his own members.
Sir, it's not just corruption. It's also tidakpathy, ignorance, stupidity, cronyism, craven greed, power-mongering, bullshitting and racism. Can you give me one good reason any of these things should see another second of light in our long-suffering country?'
B: 'Wahh, it seems you have hoisted me with my own petard tonight, my dear.'
A: 'Hmmmm. Is that why you were praising me a while back? Because you knew i would win this round?'
B: 'Not so fast, Sofea. Do instruct me as to how i could have missed this golden awakening of Umno - that it finally realizes any good government worth its salt will want a strong opposition, especially in our case where mamakfication has virtually destroyed all institutions of checks-and-balances against the abuse of power in this land?
And that's how corruption starts. Abuse of power in the absence of checks-and-balance.
Doesn't matter if it's by a minister or an MP or a political branch chieftain or a civil service officer or your bank manager or the property sales staff or the logger. Or even the high and mighty.
So long as someone has power to decide who gets what, corruption has a nursery bed to grow.
So long as monitoring and enforcement are themselves not monitored or enforced, corruption will grow from seedling to balak.
And once people see that others can get away with it, corruption will spread.
The only antidote against corruption, Sofea, is to excise the cancer completely. And let me add, even if it kills half the party.
Will you for instance ask a minister to wear one of those PDRM tags which says I don’t take bribes? Will people who can influence awards stay away from the decision-making processes? Will the processes be made available for public scrutiny?
Better something clean today than a diseased society tomorrow. After all, what is a holder of office, a staff in charge of anything? Is anyone indispensable in this world? Answer me, Sofea. Anyone?
Sofea, is Umno indispensable? Are we saying that without Umno or Barisan, the rakyat will all die tomorrow or our various communities will start to marginalize one another until everyone is just sitting at the beach or border, waiting for the tide to drown or the wild boars to gore one and all?
Look at us. Look at what has happened to our nation. Our economy is dying from internal hemorrhage. We have lost so much. Brains, resources, energy, vision, inspiration, opportunities to make real progress.
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What have we got in return? Uneven roads with humps. Education and health services which are third world in achievement. Families burdened with financial loads they can no longer heave. Youths unable to make a future for themselves in a world which has gone passed them. And all led by a bunch of crackpots who have the nerve to say they have been blessed with ministerial appointment, providential inspiration, even legislatively protected plenty. Oh please, spare me the polemics.'
A: 'Maybe, Sir, it's because the whole perspective about government in this country is wrong.
A government of the people is not a government belonging to a particular party of the people.
You don't make a convenient insertion like that and expect the rakyat to stand idly by. That's the arrogance which Umno has still chosen not to see in itself.
Umno has gotten blind by its own propaganda.'
B: 'And that's why we need more people to read Voltaire.'
A: 'Have you, i mean, read him?'
B: 'It was long ago, Sofea. When i was very young. The sand in my hourglass is running out.
Look, Sofea. The mark of a great leader is when he can realize that with great power comes great responsibility.
Najib must realize that when he gives a speech, it sounds completely hollow. Even if peppered with things i can relate to, i find them hollow. There is no connection. Do you know why? It's because he doesn't walk his talk. It's just words by a basically shy man trying to hedge his bets in order to keep his post.
True leadership is not about holding on to one's post. This country has long gone past that. He should ask himself why he can't be the one to go down in our history as the first statesman to do the damn right thing.
Let's get this straight. What the rakyat want is real action to cure this nation of all the ills that beset it. And what the nation needs is to liberate the minds of our rakyat once and for all to thrive in this world.
Just look at our exchange rate compared to that poppycock dot. Just look at the third world specter before us if we slide one more rung. Just look within us for all the things we have let go because we have grown calluses in our minds and hearts. People just stopped caring anymore. You know, cynicism is the beginning of the end, and never the end of the beginning.'
A: 'I think he foremost has economic challenges, Sir. And that's not going to be easy to solve given the tangential forces in play and how far behind we have dropped in everything.'
B: 'Then he should be reminded of what Confucius had once said:
"In a country well governed poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed wealth is something to be ashamed of."
Where is the moral order of our government, Sofea? Where is the moral order of our politics, Sofea? Where is the moral order of our selves, Sofea?'
A: 'Sir, if i receive what you are saying, then i must acquiesce that you are right about what you had once said .'
B: 'And what is that, Sofea?'
A: 'That our nation will find the level that it deserves. If it deserves to be third-world despite the facade of structures only, then that's what it will be.'
B: 'The finest masters of swordplay will end up throwing away their prized swords in the end. I have long ago scabbarded mine. My fight is ending. We have done what we can. This is a third-world country. And it doesn't even grow good bananas.'
A: 'Sigh. I think we need a revolution, Sir.'
B: 'And i think i need to go to bed now. Goodnight.'
Can the crab conduct lesson to walk strait.
In the crab community, it is important to walk strait.
The crab that try to walk strait will be outcast and be eliminated in no time.
Corruption is rampant in Malaysian and at all levels, or more serious at higher level, anti corruption is just a procedural compliant to look good and deceit the ignorant citizen and the foreigners.
The looting culture had been actively revived in the new regime, the blind also can see lah..., god last the bodoh land.
The Commonwealth Games sporting extravaganza brought to light the murky dealings of politicians and sports officials who had forged papers, bought equipment and materials at inflated prices and generally cooked the books. The budget eventually ballooned to around US$6 billion, even as it was hit by delayed venues and organizational problems.
Olympic Sports and Fitness was the main supplier of sports equipment. The main person is Ong Poh Eng. Before the tendering process took place, we was the main person, in drawing up the specification for the equipments and with that, he went around the world getting Olympic Sports and Fitness appointed as an agent for the required equipment. Working in cahoots were Datuk Mazlan Ahmad and Datuk Zolpleks Embong!
Salam SAK,
Kamu ni didalam alam khayal agaknya atau pun nak soften the image of corrupt UMNO in cyberspace. Semua diatas mao bikin wang. Dont be naive. I am sure you are not.
Corruptions are at every corner ..
All are corrupted indeed , be it politician, government servants, private sector, common citizen ,,
If only you all big mouth people had the chance to be corrupted ...
Bull shit to you all ...
PROOOOOOOF IT .. MORON .. OR ELSE DONT TALK SHIT .....
Have MONEY Will Do
dear dato',
corruption is a every nation problem,
it's a form of underground cult which is in every guy heart and soul for the past, future and forever.
it's nothing to do with of belacan supremacist or chink supremacist or curry supremacist.
those chink's ngos are throughly butt bead that need some smelly craps on their face.
as long as one has power and the opportunities to commit it and it's even more wonderful if the same person in power is controlling the corruption buster's body, butt face cronies, gov servants, businessmen aka sponsors, and whatever smelly craps alike.
only enforcements by a powerful & independence corruption's buster can arrest this issue. This butt head answerable to the people only and not to butt face+head+crap politicians. otherwise dont dreams babes.
Your wish has been granted.
Khir Toyo will be charged for corrupt practices.
See, I said 'charged'.
Katisah Gadam was also 'charged'.
And thats the end of the story.
Even Ling Liong Sik says he wants a fast trial to vindicate himself.
So, how to fight corruption and penalise when fellows like Tun Ling say such things even before the start of the trial.
Something fishy Dato'?
PARAMESWRA
corruption is not solitaire..
and great walla hv conveniently provided this picture of a corrupted GLC and a frustrated foreigner to substantiate his drooling.And to add to the drama the foreigner walks and the GLC loses the opportunity to make big bucks.So..who is this fantastic foreigner?Google?Zuckenberg?hahaha..mr walla not all foreigners are smart FYI.Lots of those trying to sell to GLCs are in their desperation mode n hoping slick salesmanship can fool their targets..thank god mr walla is not running aq GLC.
by the way..don't makeup stories to embellish your point..unless you quote specific examples..ok Sir?Emulate Dato lo..he states the case strongly giving names and stating real events.Walla is all about fairy tales to justify his racist attitude.
Of cos in walla's mind the YTLs,the VTs of HIS world is whistle clean.
Put your shoes on and have it for supper?
anon 13.04
u'r flamebaiting again.
how old are u?
Walla dear
I m mid age Oxon grad n not a malay...n pray tell us that the mythical creature rebuffed by the GLC went on to create google
oh is that so? and i thot you needed the reward money for a tip to the macc.
switch on the light; the answer's that.
oxon indeed. which college?
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