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Sakmongkol ak 47

ariff.sabri@gmail.com

Tuesday 26 October 2010

How many Warisan merdekas?

This piece of news has been puzzling me. It is about the construction of the 100 Storey Warisan Merdeka tower. Just recently, Dato Najib said it wasn't his idea. Yet he announced it in the 2011 Budget recently. That means, he has agreed to the idea. The ultimate decision maker is of course the PM. unless he gives the green light, Hamad Kama Piah will not move.
The PM says it was PNB's idea. It's easy to verify this. Let's publish minutes preceding the decision to go ahead with this project. Discussions and deliberations must have taken place prior the announcement was made. These must have been minuted down. Let's see them.
There must also be an exhaustive technical study and financial evaluation of the project. A project such as this can't be thought overnight. Engineers and architects must have worked on the commission. We should see all these.
There is the issue of cost. The building will cost M 5 billion. That's RM 5, 000,000,000. Kama Piah says the funding is internally generated. Internally or borrowed, the money represents Malay money. Wasn't PNB created to harness Malay financial capital?
PNB manages investments portfolio on behalf of Malays and earn dividends on their behalf. It has also branched out to handle investments portfolio for Malaysians.
Let see an orang kampong assessment of this outlay. Suppose the RM 5 billion in invested somewhere earning a return of say 6%. That would bring PNB a return of RN 300 million a year.
So instead of building I unit of 100 story building, why not build a 20 story building costing around RM 300 million a year. So that in 5 years, we shall have started building 5 blocks of 20 stoirey buildings giving us an equivalent of 100 story single building. If each cost 300 million, 5 blocks will cost us only 1.5 billion saving us RM 3.5 billion.
With 5 you can place them at will. Spread it around in Kuala Lumpur. Have 2 in Kampung Baru so that the value of the land in Kg Baru escalates. That will make owners earn high income.
I asked an engineer friend. It's not that straight forward issue doing this 100 story building. Because beyond a certain level, the cost of construction escalates. As we go higher, the degree of inefficiency of the building increases that require lots more money being pumped in. In the end, the cost of a single 100 story building may be more than RM 5 billion.
But the more interesting news coming out from the bowels of corporatedom- is that, there will be 2 more similar towers going to be built. This means, we shall be having not one 100 story behemoth, but 3 of them. This will mean Najib will have out-Mahathir Dr Mahathir.
Who are going to propose the other two towers? The voices from deep in the corporate bowels mention the name of Jho Low and Naza. If the real cost of construction is RM 1.5 billion, these people will be making Croesus-like profits.
When PNB completes the 100 story tower, how much rental will they charge per square foot? The PETRONAS Twin Towers cost is RM 1.3 billion. Go ask the rental for the space at the food court. It is RM 130 per square foot. Will the rental rate at the warisan merdeka cost RM 500 per square foot?

45 comments:

Anonymous,  26 October 2010 at 20:41  

the orang kampong, when thirsty and hungry; just stare at the tower and all their hunger and thirst will be gone.

Ramli Mohd Yunus 26 October 2010 at 20:43  

Dear Dato,

Malaysian with proper intergrated brain will never agree!

Project of SS (syok sendiri) idea and brainchild of people of BS...(guess what)

Anonymous,  26 October 2010 at 20:58  

Anon 20:41

The kampong folks will support Umno for the sake of supporting. They don't mind staring at the Tower in the hope of satisfying their hunger and thirst when they run out of money. Umno knows how gullible these folks.

Anonymous,  26 October 2010 at 21:14  

Sak,
That is the trouble, Najib never was interested in maths not forgetting the last pm.Spend and borrow but lose sight on calculus!

Donplaypuks® 26 October 2010 at 21:34  

The idea is not to make 6% per year on $5 billion (=ROE of $$300 million) but $$1.5 billion (at least 30%) up front, and then walk away. And then repeat it all over KL and Malaysia!

That's the name of the towering glocal fraudtrepreneur!

dpp
we are all of 1 Race, the Human Race

Anonymous,  26 October 2010 at 22:06  

ntahla dato...nak wat camne...terpakselah undi selain BN next pru ni

Hakiman,  26 October 2010 at 22:09  

Using POOR Malays' money (PNB) to build a megastructure to enrich the filthy rich UMNO cronuy.

The irony is that the poor Malays are so conditioned by the ketuanan melayu matra and the Article 153, they just don't know that the UMNO leaders are screwing their bank accounts dry. And they will always continue to vote UMNO even if they bled to death. Give credit to the UMNO warlords.

Anonymous,  26 October 2010 at 22:14  

internally generated fund means profit from managing malays' money. pnb has to give back the profit back to the malays in the form of higher dividends and bonuses. not like last year crap of around 8%, it must be 20% this year.

Anonymous,  26 October 2010 at 22:16  

No matter how you do the maths, the whole idea stinks. The frightening thing is that in the corporate world of CEOs, there are too many nincompoops who who can't handle their job well, depending on lawyers and consultants who are out there like vultures circling a dead carcase waiting for such opportunity to make a killing of their life. Want to bet that the final cost will balloon to well over the original estimate of 5 billions?

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 02:13  

dpp

never just walk away after yr 1st 30% suck

build 2 or 3, 1 is always yrs free

check out the plus/maxis model - go monetise the annuity & suck out more lumpsum upfront again

after u create some value to capitalise some goodwill & whatnot to increase by double or triple yr paid up first of coz

skim multi layer profit - at Land Co, Developer Co, Main Con Co, Sub Con Co, Sub trade Co, Nominated sub Co, Suppliers Co, Project Management Consultancy Co, Management Legal & Admin Co, Tenancy Mgt Co, Services & Maintenance Co, Car Park Co..heck those r just starters

thats the way u do it ah ha ah ha

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 02:18  

oops i forgot

theres also more brokerage & arranger fees to be made at the financing & syndication & whatcamacallit side as well

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 02:31  

not to mention paper/asset (yakni profit) shuffling game u get to enjoy playing again & again employing insurance co premiums, reits, inter co transac etc heheh

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 05:44  

It is stupid to waste money building only 100 storey, it should be 145 storey if Najis want to be remembered for long time.

Malaysia can have the tallest building for at less 10 years to come at 145 storey.

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 07:09  

Go google & read about the fate of Burj Khalifa.

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 07:51  

My tower is bigger than your tower.

Nuff said.

lan 27 October 2010 at 09:11  

Go and support on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/NoMegaTower

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 09:35  

I remember as a young boy watching the cobra swaying to the music of the flute played by the roadside snake charmer.
Najib is doing just that. He is playing the flute for the gullible Malays who get enchanted by high sounding speeches and grandiose towers.
And the "knows not who knows not " Malays will chant 'wah! wah, bangga lah Melayu' and vote for UMNO.
Never mind the if there is no food on the table and money to pay utility bills.

Red Alfa 27 October 2010 at 09:56  

Salam Dato'

When Najib said Warisan Merdeka is a PNB proposal, it rankles to many people who expecting a leader of integrity, Najib is but a pathological liar.

Taking stock of all the past lies upon lies one wonders with his swearing by the Quran and his being able to wriggle out from any prosecution of Law, is Najib the PM we can continue to trust with Malaysia's future?

Quiet Despair,  27 October 2010 at 10:05  

It's Najib's pride and joy.
When he first announced it on Budget Day, like other Malaysians my response was Omigod do we have the money.
There were hundreds of thousands on Facebook, mostly non-Malays, voicing their disagreements.
But now after hearing the explanations from our ministers including PNB, I am all for it.
PNB represents the Malays. The building is a monument of the progress we, especially the Malays, have achieved since Independence.
Now its passe to assert Malay supremacy (sensitive you know). So at least we have supremacy in a skyscraper.
Of course we can't name it Warisan Melayu. Warisan Merdeka is good enough.
Note that almost all high-rise buildings are owned by the Chinese.
One Chinese family-owned hill resort, on a clear night can be seen the twinkling lights from my house.
So why not we have something to be proud of for the glory of the Malays.
It's better than sending the astronaut in-waiting to space which is mainly a one man's glory.
P.S. I am inviting flaks from our friends here.Huhu.

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 11:01  

Prior to 2004, most floors of Tower 2 of Twin Towers were mostly empty. Luckily, following boom in oil prices, expansion of more PETRONAS overseas units and other oil/gas contractors to be near PETRONAS, all the floors of Tower 2 were quickly snapped up. Nowadays, many new PETRONAS business units have to take up office space at the Menara CitiBank while waiting for a new tower to be completed beside the Twin Towers ( New business units of PETRONAS do not want to move back to Dayabumi due to inconvenience to meet with HQ in KLCC, as staff have to travel by LRT). Can expect many floors in the new 100 storey building to remain unoccupied, as it is located far from main activity of the KLCC area.

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 11:15  

Dato' U buat org Melayu berpecah. Dato mungkin teringin mejadi Dato' Mandeliar yg memberi peluang kepada org lain menjatuhkan Melaka, hanya kerana dendam kesumat.

Nama Dato' akan terpahat dalam sejarah sebagai . . . . . . . . . . .

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 11:16  

I would like to propose >>

We need 4 skyscrapers..minimum of 100 stories each with the grand finale of a 150 storey Tri Tower (TT 1 Msia Tower) >each tower representing the dominant race in the country.

A series of skywalks & bridge bars will interconnect the Towers to represent the 1Msia concept .A large Super HD display will continuously have the PM's and First Lady exhortations for unity,inclusiveness and belanja berhemah.

The 1Msia TriTower will be topped by the worlds biggest LV Handbag specifically designed by the First Lady,Paris Hilton and a team from LV and Team Lotus;symbolic of the progress of Msia.A replica of the LV Bag will be given to all Permata students.

This I believe will truly set us on the right path to High Income Economy because MEGA projects are too commomplace..we need GIGA or even TETRA projects to change our mindsets.

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 11:30  

Siapa adviser pada Najib?

Sebenarnya org2 Melayu ni la, yg konon nya elit, dorang mana ada fikir pasal Melayu, sebab memikirkan pasal survival melayu ni seolah2 low class nya mind. Mungkin atas survival parti, ada yg on surface aja cakap macam, tu yg kdg2 cara macam nak sokong pembangkang, walaupun nama masih dalam UMNO.

Sesuatu yg mereka terlupa, apa yg mereka dapat hari ni pun, adalah jerit perih org2 terdahulu yg memikirkan melayu, bukan org lain, bapak2 dan sedara mara mereka juga. Macam Pahang, sikit punya banyak org2 yg semangat nasionalisme nya tinggi, tapi ada juga yg lupa dan kadang2 atas sebab2 peribadi, cakap tu dan tulis tu tak pikir panjang. Sebab dalam pada dia melampiaskan rasa tak senang hati, atau dia rasa dia dah buat terbaik utk membetul para2 pembuat "mistakes", ruang itu diambil oleh para2 pembangkang, org2 yg tak suka Melayu maju untuk ditekan nya UMNO dan perjuangannya.

Dato' org lama, dato' dan geng patut lebih tau. Tapi masalahnya org Melayu amat percaya pada buddies mereka, Tapi buddies mereka tak pernah bagi chan pun kat kawan dia. Menangguk di air keruh adalah.

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 12:04  

Dato'

Looks like another white elephant in the making.

Well, the RM5b can better utilised for the benefits of the kampung folks than inflating the super ego of the powers-that-be.

Blow d' whistle 27 October 2010 at 12:04  

dato' sak

I LIKE this article

MUBEDAL LAH

walla 27 October 2010 at 12:11  

Just some comments but they can perhaps be an example of how the rakyat can respond not just to this Menara Warisan project but all the other mega-projects at the same time. Hopefully food for thought as well for the PNB management:

1. Spreading The Risk

The ETP roadmap is here:

http://is.gd/gloZ5

In its executive summary, there is a short section on risks. Reading it, one is left with deep concern that Putrajaya has not addressed this aspect more comprehensively against the total size of the investment as well as the worsening public-debt/GDP ratio with its effect on debt-servicing costs adding on to an unmanageable opex which has been cannibalizing devex all this while.

As an example of externalities creeping up, the Saudi oil minister has apparently announced that peak oil will be delayed by another 88 billion barrels of reserve found in their Ghawar field, more than what was pumped out since it was first mined.

see: http://is.gd/glpqX

How does this affect oil prices vis-a-vis our economy? To answer this, we must get some quantitative measures of how oil prices affect Treasury's revenue versus net oil import. I understand we consume three-fourths of our own oil output and export only one-fourth.

2. Sak's Capital Idea

The blogger's idea to spread the cantillon effect of supertall buildings by building five 20-30 storeys rather than one 100-storey is a capital one, especially when we considers what remains as the original objective of bodies like the PNB.

Understandably, PNB's board wants to increase dividends and be assured of a long-term yield for its investments in such a way as to reinforce the ETP thrust as well but the rakyat should be presented with the business case for putting it in one place, like placing all eggs in one basket. Why not spread it into a few places which can deliver spinoff positives to the surroundings, especially to places densely populated by income-challenged communities?

Let's look at the site for the proposed Menara Warisan:

http://is.gd/glpWO

Perhaps planners should take a step back first and re-envision whether the location is capable of assimilating the traffic intensity once the three-tower plus shopping mall complex is up.

Maybe that's why they are now also suggesting an MRT be built. Indeed this is cause for concern. An MRT cannot downhill to Petaling Street; people won't like to go to the Menara by walking up a hill. The MRT also cannot join the line that's atop the road leading to Times Square/Sg Wang. How can it technically do that? Ask the other train to wait or draw a parallel line? And if it is underground rail, then that's another cost. Has it been costed in by Putrajaya?

3. Cost/Height Ratio

Sak the Jedi Master from Pekan is right again here. By surveyed interpolation, the construction cost to building height ratio is U-shaped but more like the nike tick.

In other words, there is an optimal least cost at a certain height. Surveys done on clusters of super-tall buildings elsewhere have shown that optimal cost per footage is least at heights between 50-60-storeys beyond which it climbs very fast. In fact when it reaches 100-120 storeys, construction costs per footage maxes. This is particularly true when the gross floor area is 6,000 m2 which means the shape adopted for the tower is also critical.

This pattern also applies to components like substructure, roof, upper floors, doors and windows. There are empirically derived differential coefficient equations to calculate them.

walla 27 October 2010 at 12:12  

2/2

Interestingly, some components are reversed. For instance, service and electrical costs by height is a frown, peaking at 80 storeys and plumping cost is an ascending straight line.

The only reported bucking trend was noted for HongKong where the higher the building, the lower the construction cost but there the land cost is astronomical.

It remains to quote Ferry and Brandon (1980):

'Tall buildings are invariably more expensive to build. The taller the building, the greater the comparative costs. First, the cost of the special arrangements to maintain the upper floors. Second, the necessity for the lower floors to carry the weight of the upper floors. Third the cost of working at a greater height from the ground when erecting the building and fourth, the increasing area occupied by the building core and its circulation.'

To this, we may add that the factors compound when building on high land in congested site requiring special foundation systems, and when monopolistic pricing intrudes into the process.

And the compound factors themselves compound further for Malaysia according to Bromilow's time-cost model applied to our local building industry. Based on a survey, average construction time T of public sector projects in Malaysia was equal to 269 multiplied by cost C raised to the power of 0.32. Or, the sector took 269 days to complete a project contracted for RM1 million.

Of course, a rm5 Billion project might enjoy certain efficiencies. Samsung which built the Burj Khalifa in Dubai as well as PTT2 might have the answer.

4. Johor Baru, Burj Khalifa and 1MDB

It is understood that Ghani of Johor has said that a supertall building like the Petronas tower is planned near the customs complex in Johor Baru. From it, people can see the dot.

The following is a brief on the property scene in Dubai where locates the Burj Khalifa:

http://is.gd/glus0

Lastly for this section, 1MDB and Mubadala seem to have jv-ed on some program costing RM26 Billion - the biggest chunk committed so far. Mubadala is from oil-only UAE re: the above externality.

5. Funding And Procurement

With so many projects being launched:

(a) have they worked out the 60:40 private:public funding?

(b) have they considered centralized procurement for the building materials and so on that could parlay into savings which could mean shorten cycles and thus faster profits for stronger projects for the lower-income groups?

Foot-References:

a) The Cantillon Effect And 18-Year Real-Estate Business Cycle

http://is.gd/glv9y

The last line and the clock are germane.

b) Skyscrapers And Business Cycles

http://is.gd/glvn7

c) Space Efficiency In High Rise Buildings

http://is.gd/glvgH

d) Economic Planning Of Super-Tall Buildings In Asia-Pacific

http://is.gd/glvv9

e) The Economics Of Super-Tall Towers

http://is.gd/glvBm

f) Tall Buildings Database

http://is.gd/glvGu

g) How To Calculate The Height Knowing Only The Number of Storeys

http://is.gd/glvJl

and, lastly, the piece de resistance,

h) Cost Breakdown For A Tall Building in London

http://is.gd/glvUe

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 15:10  

A very clear example of cost overuns exceeding initial budget is the new agung's palace. Just imagine what the incremental costs will be for this phallic tower!

Pedang Bertuah 27 October 2010 at 16:15  

Bab Menara 100 tingkat tu was actually proposal dari PNB sebenarnya. 2 to 3 years back dah pun idea tu. Ni PM just bagi 'green light' untuk proceed dan bentang sekali lah sbb ini considered as mega project lah jugak.

PNB tak akan buat benda yang rugi. Last time yes, PNB 'diarahkan' take over Stadium Merdeka tu. So, sekarang time to make profit untuk property yang diaorg 'diarahkan' beli lah.

Don't worry, duit pelabur tak akan hilang hatta PNB bankrup hari ni sekalipun sbb ASNB yang uruskan deposit duit dgn ARB sebagai trustee. PNB is managing the fund only, dan bagi return dalam bentuk dividen. Lagipun, PNB ada fund sendiri dan dgn fund itu jugak ler diaorg dah set up rep office kat US, UK and Jepun. :)

Lagipun, internally generated revenue tu memang dipulangkan balik kat pelabur pun. If you notice, kalau declare dividen mesti ada dividen + bonus. Dividen tu hasil pelaburan wang rakyat lah. Bonus tu pulak PNB income (own fund) yang di top up untuk bagi lebih pulangan. That is how jugak PNB dapat maintain pulangan 8-9% walaupun ekonomi gawat dulu.

Hazidi 27 October 2010 at 17:09  

20 buildings plan. Makes sense.
A lot more sense than the tower.

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 17:55  

Quiet Despair @10.05am,

You remind me of my malay classmate back in the early 70's. He failed all the 8 subjects he took in his MCE (now known as SPM) including Bahasa Malaysia. In the annual school book, he wrote that his ambition is to be an office peon but driving an Alfa Romeo since an office peon does not require much "otak". He signed off with his motto as "otak tidak ada, tak apa tapi style mesti ada". I heard later that he died of drugs overdose after being in and out of jail for various thieving offences. Well I guess he was right: "Otal tidak ada, tak apa tapi style mesti ada".

So Quiet Despair, you are either the twin or the reincarnation of my sadly departed malay classmate since your idea of malay supremacy is to have a stylish 100 storeys warisan building. Good luck to you and may I hope your 100 storeys warisan building does not end up as a prime example of PNB/malay stupidity.

Red Alfa 27 October 2010 at 18:16  

Salam Dato'

The 100-storey Wawasan Merdeka will be the monumental failure and the coming Jenerasi Melayu will be totally ashamed in the hows and whys it had been foisted to be the joy and pride of the Orang Melayu.

It will be the towering proof of the patently Malay blind support and exuberance for idiocy.

The mother of all buildings will become the standing testimony - Orang Melayu in power had been and if given the power will be lacking economic sense and moral responsibility.

PNB- not in Melayu name and on Melayu money shall you build Wawasan Jadi Malu.

Quiet Despair,  27 October 2010 at 22:26  

Anon 17.55

Now how do I reply to you without hurting your feelings.
But first allow me to laugh first for comparing me with your dead friend. Wakaka. No disrepect for the departed intended.
Where I come from and who I am is beyond your stretch of imagination.
Let me just say when the building is standing tall and with pride, it will also make us proud.
And of course the Chinese will benefit like all the other projects that were carried out.
Look at the mall at Petronas Twin Towers. Who are the major tenants?
Whatever I feel proud and happy to be shopping, dining or watching the Petronas Symphony orchestra there.Dont you??
Remember how people objected when Tun M first proposed it and also the Penang Bridge. Now they are building a second bridge in Penang.
Can I ask you and others who are against the building to say in all honesty and sincerity is it because it's gonna be build by Malays for the Malays.
You know why I asked this? There were many remarks in blogs which pained me as a Malay.
One said Tak apa Cina buat skyscrapers dia tak rasuah. Saya sokong kalau China buat.
Aw come on. You mean Malays cannot build sky-scrapers and that they are corrupted.
We are well-known in the world because of the Twin Towers. My American friends will always tell me they beam signals to me to the Twin Towers.
It's their way of showing respect for our iconic symbol.

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 22:55  

Dato

Your critical analysis is very much in placed . YAB PM and his advisers should take note of what you have high lighted.

In view of the negative impact particularly on the fund to be utilized by the Government , I am of opinion that a counter project should be proposed to PM Najib. This 100 stories tall building project is seemed to be controversial for it involved rakyat money and the project itself will eventually posed other problem upon completion.

Kuala Lumpur if not the surrounding states still have vast areas that can be developed. Just like Puterajaya, the City is less havoc for its being systematically planned and developed by our Great Leader Tun Dr Mahathir during his tenure ship as PM.

The question is why PM Najib or for that matter PNB wants this 100 stories building to be located at that site. Who ever does the feasibility study and recommending it to PNB and the PM is considered very unprofessional. Maybe its the money that they are going to get as con-sultants , makes them bulldozing the ideas.

Being an ordinary citizen myself I would like to propose to YAB PM and PNB to relocate this project else where and there is no necessity to proceed to build this 100 stories building as planned. This whole project can be spread over 100 hectors of land instead of only few hectors now and eventually the city folks would faced all sort of problems later.

Pahang , Perak or Negeri Sembilan are ready to welcome this project anytime.

YAB PM ,Please give a thought

Perakian.

Anonymous,  27 October 2010 at 23:44  

With 5 blocks of 20 stories there is a very important element - fiscal integrity with risks adequately met and managed and real potential income.

As it is now, the 'warisan' for Malays and other Malaysians could well be an empty bowl of misery.

Ironic as it might seem, the crack in so-called 'Malay unity' is a true blessing. Fundamentally only the Malays can save Malaysia, ie with the tacit or express support of their non-Malay brothers. It has begun to make sense with the non-Malays.

Obviously, it won't be the phony UMNO Malays who will bring this nation back to sanity.

OneMalaysian,  28 October 2010 at 04:49  

Dear Sakmongkol

I am writing this comment from an internet cafe in Amman, Jordan, and it's near midnight so I want to be short.

This 100-storey building is another example of Malays shooting themselves in the foot. How many feet do they have? If the people entrusted to increase Malay wealth act in such pharoahic ways using other people's money, the average Malay cannot get rich.

Anonymous,  28 October 2010 at 09:22  

To Quiet Despair @ 27sOct 22.26,

Your comments surely confirmed the fact that you are either demented or you are from another planet. My guess is that you are both. Yup, I am pretty sure your antennas are in the wrong place since you are receiving your "beamed" signals from your American friends via the Twin Towers. I suggest you call Scotty and ask him to beam you up to your much vaunted Warisan Merdeka (if it ever gets off the ground and does not collapsed midway during construction).

primehonda 28 October 2010 at 09:28  

salam & good morning,

i'm a newcomer to this blog & have been reading it for few months.i found wise statements and opinions threw by dato' and some of the commentators here. yet i also found comments from malays who refused to say what is truth and what is wrong. you know it deep in your heart that the warisan merdeka tower project is a true example of how the govt failed to understand the outcry of the malay folks in villages for govt aid to ease their burden, but because it is announced by pm, you just shut your mouth, ears and eyes. all that is coming out from your mouth is praising the pm for doing something that can make the malays proud,i.e the warisan merdeka building who will only benefit the rich folks and not a chance in heaven it will benefit my kampung folks in sungai manik, perak. why not have the guts like dato', SAY what is wrongly done by his own leader, OBJECT it, and give better solution, not just 'bodek and ampu' your leader. that is not the way my friend, to improve the malay minds.
because of that i am unable to agree to quite despair for his comments, the reason given is very much came from a backward nostalgic malay. you want to be proud with petronas twin towers because your american friends admired it? go ahead and dream on..just do yourself a check on who owns major businesses in those towers now. not the malays. so what is there to be proud of?
the other comment i read scolded dato' for 'pecah belahkan melayu'. this must truly be from the so-called patriotic and nationalist malay! may i remind you, malay must have the idea like dato' and not like you. because your kind is like passenger in a ship who does not care of having a stupid captain to sail the ship. so the ship sank and the passenger died with the stupid captain. but dato' is one the malays who tries to avoid the ship from sinking. he got balls to correct the mistake done by the stupid captain. i know one thing for sure, dato' you have successfully divide two types of malays: yang ada otak dan yang tak ada otak.

Anonymous,  28 October 2010 at 10:50  

Quiet Despair,

Reading from your posts, I can sum up you are just one of many who would love to have ..."Style mesti mau,lain tak apa"

So while Ibrahim Alis are screaming their heads off that they are still economically behind (owing to their own deficiencies in creating wealth or other non wealth creating activities),you are to tell us to have a symbol of Malay achievements.

KLCC occupied just because of the mega bucks contracts associated with companies dealing with mega billion revenue oil money and nothing else.

With the 100 tower building, how many Petronas linked companies will go there? How many local Chinese or Indian or Malay companies can afford there since most are SME sized.

People had compared this 100 tower to the Penang bridge.

Penang bridge do serve a need to almost everyone and they use it daily... even though at high price (maybe could have built two with open tenders)

This 100 storeys tower, how many in 10 years time really will use it other than having feeling good feeling like your American friend giving you? Where is the money?

Thanks anyway, PNB = Malay money (their entire lives' savings) helping to spur the economy while the contruction lasts. AFter that, what happens?

One only needs to see the narrow approach road to that area will be horrified at the jams for the next ten years and after.

Anyway, one day they say they need to tax people as we are going bankcrupt and the next 1.3 trillion ringgit for more constructions (the no brainer part and hardly any revenue producing projects - the real hard part)

...and here you are talking about Malay pride ... not Malaysian pride.

The other races are trying to save the Malay money otherwise Ibrahim Alis kind of people will scream even more when their savings are not as large as they want them to be.

Anonymous,  28 October 2010 at 10:55  

Walla, excellent analysis and hopefully all concern and responsible 'rakyat' will response appropriately.

TheYoungOne,  28 October 2010 at 14:25  

Mr Walla, couldn't agree more that that is an excellent analysis !


Comparing this to the 'pride' welling up in someone as the reason why this mega tower should be built, I find myself descending into some despair too albeit not as quiet.


This feeling of despair is because I can see that this prideful group will vastly outnumber the small minority sane voice that is now striving to help steer our country from the impending shipwreck.


Thank you Dato' Sak for this opportunity to allow all to discuss.

CYC 28 October 2010 at 16:10  

Quiet Despair,

Sorry to tell you that none of the skyscrapers in KL were built by Malays. Its all Indonesians effort and hard labour. Malays prefer to be office or dispatch boy though the salary is lower because pride at stake.

Anonymous,  28 October 2010 at 18:11  

@Quiet Despair

Hee Hee Hee (Masyukk)

You just renewed your MOF contractor F ke brader?

High & Low your comments are well defended by the (prodigal Bugis Son?)


Well, I dont see the rational and neccesity of commenting on --- >

"Let me just say when the building is standing tall and with pride, it will also make us proud.
And of course the Chinese will benefit like all the other projects that were carried out."

The Above are just pure rubbish and utter rhetoric.

I trust you've been hanging too much at PWTC mate.

Seriously, Standing Tall and Pride?
Really ah ? Petronas Tower dah ada cukup lah apa mau lagi.

Can't the UMNO/BN or the Government of the day focus on Garbage maintenance, Road & Potholes etc?

Eeeeeeee Tower Warisan bebal betul! (echo,echo ...)

- Ikan Tongkol -

Quiet Despair,  28 October 2010 at 22:21  

CYC

Aisayman bro, it's a matter of semantics.
Chinese owned almost all buildings in the city. It's not built by you too.
You know the song We built This City On Rock and Rock. Like that one lor.

Ikan Tongkol


You can call it the Tower of Babel, if you please.
It's a biblical story during the time of the mythical God Zeus, if I can remember English Literature I did in High school.
It's associated with noise. So like the noises people are making with this Warisan Merdeka building.

kamen rider black~,  29 October 2010 at 14:25  

'duit RM5b yang PNB guna xde efek pape kat rakyat. xde sape yang kan hilang duit kat asb diorang. Jika projek tu berjalan 10 tahun. kesannya- pemandu lori gaji 1000 sebulan, bila projek jalan dapat buat ot..dapat gaji 1500. begitu juga dengan pekerja kilang, penjaja nasi kat tepi jalan, pemborong, n papae skitar tu. semua dapat tingkatkan perbelanjaan tanpa kerajaan bagi subsidi sesen pun. kira la berapa ramai golongan yg ak sebut ni...berjuta yang keja macam ni.. gaji kecik. klu projek xde, kilang mereka x bagi buat ot, bonus dan laen2. Mereka ni semua bukan kerja kerajaan, n xpat pun ape2 kemudahan seprti orng kerja kerajaan dapat. Cume projek mcm ni leh mampu bantu diorang tingkat mutu hidup. Lokasi mungkin jd pertikaian...mungkin ad lokasi lebih baik. Ak tengok kita dah ketandusan lama sangat projek mega....kita perlukan projek mega ni...bukan nak banyak2 pun. Ikut kemampuan. Kesnnnya terus sampai kat rkayat same mcm KLCC. Dulu sebelum KLCC dibuat cuba kira berapa biji bangunan ade kat situ? x sampai 4 yang tinggi...tp tengok pe jd skang..nak kira banunan tinggi pun leh pening kepala. Dulu orang kuruk pembinaan KLCC, Sepang, Putrajaya, Jambatan...tp akhirnya orng yang kutuk tu dengan selamba bergambo n gunakan semua benda ni. so...jgn kutuk dulu...nanti sendiri yg akan malu kemudian hari.

so pikir2 la harapan diorang ni. kita mungkin senang skang ni..pikirkan la ornng yang susah..bekerja sendiri."



this is what my friend, a UMNO hardcore wrote at his FB...what a mentality...sigh...

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