A tale of two subsidies

 

In scent of a woman, Lt. Col. Frank Slade's played by Al Pacino favourite phrase is: Whoo-ah.

Right now, I feel like saying the same: whoo-ah! That is in response to Idris Jala being needled by his own administration about the amount of subsidies the government has been paying. It's the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. By the way, that is a common phrase used in Shell.

So like colonel Slade said- when in doubt, fuck! Idris Jala fucked big time. He didn't know to differentiate transfer payments from subsidies. That's an insult to all people trained by Shell. Did Shell get the right candidate in the first place or was Jala a beneficiary of Sarawak Bumiputera's Bumiputera policy? Just get a passable guy to fill in.

My blogger friend Wenger J Khairy makes a better minister than Jala. This was what he said in a comment posted in my first article about subsidy.

So in truth - the direct subsidy is perhaps at the most RM 10 BILLION but that too is shared with the IPPs whom is the brain child of that the worst PM in history of mankind.

And to defray the cost, the Government collects Petroleum Income tax. I am not sure whether this is a pure Petronas account or a combination.

So bottom line - subsidy at the most inflated level is RM 10 billion, not RM 70 billion.

 

 

My friend's estimate of the actual subsidy was closer to the figure than Idris Jala. So when he says, the government needs about RM383 billion to take over all the 23 toll concessionaires, you must be wondering where he got the figure from.

Whooo-ah.

 

In a briefing for the BN Backbenchers Club (BNBBC), Treasury officers said the country's total subsidy bill was only RM18.6 billion, and not RM74 billion as stated by Idris, for 2009.

What did Idris say? He said the country's total subsidy was RM74 billion, which is equivalent to RM12,900 per household. Many of m commentators ridiculed Jala for this figure. He is better off jamming his guitar in his sound-proof room in Kota Damansara.

What did the government use the subsidy cited by Jala for? Jala said the government subsidises RM23.5 billion for fuel, RM4.6 billion for infrastructure, RM3.1 billion for food and RM41.8 billion for social welfare (health, education and higher education).

But the Finance Ministry said today the country's total subsidy was RM18.6 billion or equivalent to RM3,246 per household. It said that RM7.1 billion was spent for fuel, RM0.8 billion for infrastructure, RM2.9 billion for food and RM7.8 billion for social welfare.

So folks, there we have it- it's the tale of two subsidies.

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The Cuckoo’s Nest

 
The other proposal for a high-speed rail link connecting KL and Singapore is from a Barisan Nasional (BN) component party to form a special purpose vehicle with capital from some of its other partners in the ruling coalition.


 

Did I read this right was my first reaction? Political parties now forming SPVs to go into business to earn money? In the open? Have we gone mad? Throw out any sense of propriety; political parties are now openly revealing their true purpose of coming to power- conferring upon themselves a right to pillage the country.

Doesn't matter you called it a Swiss bid or not. When it comes to Malaysia, anything foreign brought in will be UMNOnised or Malaysianised or MCAcised (as in PKFZ) ir MICed in the case of whatever. The people? All will be circumcised.

Everyone knows that Gamuda or MMIC already contained large chunks of shares owned by political parties. Maybe Gamuda has the involvement of the Perak Royalty with some Chinamen as the prominent front man- but it has UMNO's interest there.

Why do you confine the whole thing to a Swiss bid? Because it's in the nature of the business? The one coming in, though unsolicited will be given the handicap? The 3^rd one coming in is allowed in just for show purpose to give some sort of transparency and probity?

What happens when there is actually a 3^rd bidder who comes in with a very low price? Will the government then exercise its authority and tells the original proposer to match the low price? What's stopping the government from inviting in just another friendly party with a 'losing' price bid just to show that the unsolicited proposal by the first bidder was done in a saintly manner?

It's time for the government to actually do what it claims it wants to do and give no more excuses to justify some special circumstances in order to carry out some magic show. What's all the mumbo jumbo about KRA, KPI, fight corruption, carry out good governance, transparency all that? Are we supposed to be comforted when the label Swiss is used? This isn't eating Swiss chocolate you know.

What's so special say about the development of the Sungai Besi airport that it was done almost in a hushed hushed manner? Or that the development of the RRI land in Sungai BUloh has already been predetermined.

So now, if high speed rail link project has already been 'pre-given' no sanitization hiding behind some fanciful terms such as Swiss Bid or what bid can hide the fact that it's all going the same style of daylight hand in the till.

Its better if we paraphrased Proudhon- Property is theft to Government tenders are theft! Or, i like this one:

“Laws Tenders: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak, fishing nets in the hands of the government.

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Cabinet team building- implications on leadership

The next installment of my meeting with Ibrahim Ali will have to wait. I am posting on certain other issues.

It's been a quite a while I posted writings on my meeting with the Oracle of Syed Putra. I meet him on a quite  regular basis. From him, I get certain insights into Malaysian politics. Because history does repeat itself, the current state of politics produce almost predictable outcomes similar to that played in earlier times.

Take cabinet appointments for example. The pattern of appointments is predictable. Dr Mahathir wouldn't want to appoint someone as brainy as him. That would place those people in direct competition with him. Musa Hitam was also brainy but two predatory tigers cannot exist on the same mountain. Moreover Tiger Musa has this unnerving behavior of acting smarter that he truly is. Tengku Razaleigh wasn't allowed to breathe the same air as Dr Mahathir did because Mahathir knows the budu- eating prince from Kelantan can outsmart him.

The unwanted effect of appointments in that manner is that it produces a team whose members gravitate towards the strong leader. The fortunes of a country then depend on the quality of a paramount leader and not on a team. One leader produces self perpetuation. A team produces self continuity.

When such a leader exits or expires, the whole country is thrown into a mess. The elevation of Pak Lah as our 5^th Prime Minister for example was a discredit on Dr Mahathir. He has not worked to produce a team which could bring in self continuity but rather, he operated alone. Everything revolves around him. Everyone gravitates towards him. He was the black hole that snuffed out lesser leaders.

Success would have to depend on a strong leader- a disciplinarian and mentally overwhelming. Mahathir had those qualities, Pak Lah didn't.

Pak lah didn't have the temperament or the qualities of DR Mahathir. PM Najib unfortunately is closer in temperament, verve and discipline to Pak Lah than DR Mahathir. It's logical then to infer that PM Najib has similar leadership qualities to Pak Lah than to Mahathir.

That places different demands on the leadership style of PM Najib. He is accommodative and indecisive at times. Success in managing a country would then depend on his ability to offer a crack team consisting of intelligent individuals with the drive, verve and discipline to carry out the agenda of this country. Why? Because his leadership personality could then be counter-balanced with strong team members.

 

If there is one lesson in leadership which PM Najib must quickly appreciate and acknowledge is the urgency to make changes quickly. He must act decisively and rapidly. If he wants to forge a new team, he must strike while the iron is hot. Fidel Ramos thought he could wait for several years to return Philippines to parliamentary democracy. By the time 4 years is up, everyone wants to be an autocratic president and the road to full democracy becomes difficult. Mrs. Arroyo hasn't done anything in 9 years. You want to make changes, you do it quickly. Pm Najib wants a team, he must make changes rapidly. Its better quicker than later. Now, in two years, elections are up and the usefulness of forging a new cabinet isn't urgent.

He made the mistake of not making changes quickly. Now he is compounding the mistakes by making so many wrong moves.

Appointing senators to important positions became more prominent actually during Tun Mahathir's time. My esteemed friend, The Oracle for instance can attest to the fact that his close friend, Tun  Daim was made a senator during Hussein Onn's time and then was made a minister by Dr Mahathir. History repeats itself in this manner now- the appointment of senators en route to holding government positions has a long tradition.

It's hard to accept that cabinet reshuffles aren't done in the expectation of appointing talented individuals in pursuit of objectives for the greater good of society. Instead they are done, as in the past to achieve matters of political expediency.

But PM Najib can choose to play smarter and better. Water level does rise above its spring source. But he can also play dumb as when appointing mental retards and those with no added value to the cabinet. The senators he appointed from PPP for example were done for what purpose? PPP is a party in the same category as a speak takraw club. It's a receptacle for collecting rejects and unwanted Malaysia Indians from MIC. PPP is a basket case that doesn't deserve any recognition except in the same breadth of a lotto or Bingo club run by Kaveas as MC.

It's very difficult for many of us to believe that this is a winnable team to manage our country. With so many senators and losers, the cabinet should be better named a loser's cabinet. Koh Tsu Koon lost, he was made a minister. Shahrizat lost, she was made a minister also. Palanivel wasn't fit to be considered a candidate for Hulu Selangor, yet he was made a senator and now a junior minister. Mukhriz Mahathir lost in his bid to become Ketua Pemuda, he was appointed a deputy minister. PM Najib's cabinet is known more for the appointment of senators and losers than for forging a seriously credible team to manage this country.

Is PM Najib rigorous in his thinking? Very hard to accept that. Here is why. Now the other MIC MP, a vice president of the party is a full minister and is therefore higher ranked than his deputy president. That makes the definition of a 'loser' carry a new meaning. Senator don't win elections, buy they have an easier time on being appointed minister.

The objective of appointing capable leaders in positions of substance and authority by which they can contribute to achieve that overriding agenda of the nation, then becomes lost in translation.

What cabinet reshuffle? There wasn't any. The PM was just playing musical chairs- placing them so that his BN partners don't lose more credibility instead of thumping to the floor. Or giving his BN partners ring buoys so THEY won't drown and in turn can save the BN itself from going under.

Hence MCA is rewarded for just being around just like a person listening in to a business deal expects to receive a 'hearing' allowance. The litmus test is, if the cabinet reshuffle can only invite scorn and ridicule from the voting and voting influencing public, better not to have one at all.

Consider the case of Palanivel. If this person was said to be NOT FIT for voter consumption in Hulu Selangor and by that token, rejected by the people, how do we justify his appointment? It's made to appear that what the PM has done is completely in defiance of what the rakyat wishes. Not reflecting his people first sloganeering is it?

Has Palanivel gone through some recently discovered method of laundering politicians which can turn a political reject into a new minted must have?

Palanivel's appointment can only indicate that all is not well in MIC after all. He needs to be given a government post to shore up his chances as the next MIC president. Without a post, he can offer nothing to the MIC. Right now, the MIC is split into 3 camps- Samy and Palani , Minister Subramaniam and Samy's bugbear- 'whisky' Subramaniam. These are 3 contenders to claim the MIC turf.

Which actually gives PM Najib an unsolvable paradox. MIC paradoxically but actually, needs strongman Samy Vellu to balance the contending forces in MIC. He can use for instance his unchallengeable prerogative of sacking and appointing MIC members by sacking Whisky Subra for instance- that would still not eliminate other contenders to stand in for Whisky Subra. Maybe this is the radical change he was suggesting yesterday. That would certainly cement his reputation as Samy Sivaji the boss, numero uno of the Sentul Sentinels.

Who are the PM's Indian advisers? Haven't they identified a potential Samy Velu replacement who can command the respect and support of the majority of MIC members and who can push the BN agenda?

UMNO doesn't want a compliant MIC president. They need someone who can work magic on the Malaysian Indians. They need a Malaysian Indian who not only can clear the heaps of rice on the banana leaf with all the sambal, dried slated chillies, tairu, rasem and the fiery mutton vindaloo all at once, but also a person able to out scare his opponents. Right now, Samy Velu is the only personality in MIC politics who can rip open his shirts and challenge others to a fight. MIC needs such a figure. UMNO must cultivate such a figure.

Maybe it's Sothinathan. Then appoint him a senator but no necessity to appoint him to a government post . Let him do his rounds galvanizing Malaysian Indians support.

Instead, Pm Najib appoints a reject to the cabinet whereas our favorite Kamalanathan who won in a constituency larger than Melaka was left holding his balls. He should be appointed instead because he delivered Hlulu Selangor to BN. Chor the MCA horse was someone implicated in the PKFZ financial fiasco, was given a ministerial post. That makes a mockery of the PM's commitment to cleanse the government from the stains of corruption.

What PM Najib did recently was just tweaking here and there. It's another move to strengthen the image of a sitting PM increasingly better known for his trying to be all things to everyone. In this particular instance, as a back-scratcher to an increasingly irrelevant and effeminate MCA.

Whatever for do we need to please the MCA? They have what?- 8000 members in Hulu Selangor incapable of delivering Chinese votes in Hulu Selangor? It's fast becoming a party not capable of delivering to the BN. Its more prominent in using Chinese support in potential, to negotiate political deals instead of contributing to making BN stronger.

The recent cabinet changes that took place represented what the sitting PM can do. In other words, do as he pleases and in the course of doing so, showing to us, the public that cabinet appointments are not dictated by utilitarian principles but by political expediencies. Were those appointed of great use to the demands of running this country? That should be the acid test. But like Pemuda UMNO says, it's the PM prerogative.

Except that the PM is not living in a glass house. He invites comments and assessments from public spirited individuals. You can no longer do anything that affects or potentially affects the wellbeing of the voting or voting-influencing public without inviting responses.

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Sakmongkol AK47 meets Ibrahim Ali, dkp.

 from A Voice's Blackberry.

Whats DKP? Is that a new Datukship?

It is indeed- conferred upon by the royal house of Golok across Rantau Panjang. It's Darjah Dato Kaya Parti. DKP. Ibrahim Ali has been a member of different political parties more than anyone else in Malaysia. So he is the sole recipient of the DKP- Dato Kaya Parti.

He has been a member of party BERJASA, UMNO, Semangat 46 and now no party.

I decided to meet up with this irrepressible Ibrahim Ali. There are several reasons why I decided so. First, I don't relish the idea of being walloped whenever I go to Kota Bharu, a place where I like to go. Ibrahim Ali has many friends there and many are also of the wise guy types.

Second, it's for the sake of objectivity. I have to assess him objectively, disarming my own prejudices.

I have lampooned the man, mock him at every occasion, and ridicule him. But never heaped scorn on him. When a fellow blogger suggested the idea of- why you don't meet up with him, I agreed with one condition. Please do not bring along a certain vendor of a certain type of curry with you.

Apa pasal? asked Voice..

Because then I may lose all sensibilities. I said. 
Voice: Agree. But don't stop me from eating certain curry dishes.

Here's the deal. There are 3 most talked of individuals in Malaysia currently. One, is DS Najib, because he is the index-finger-pointing-the right-direction PM of Malaysia. He is OUR PM. Second- is Anwar Ibrahim, because he WANTS to become PM. 3^rd s Ibrahim Ali- we don't  know what he wants to become! Yet he is talked about in reverential terms by certain quarters. Certainly by those sitting at some tables surrounding the table where Sakmongkol the Muay Thai lover and Ibrahim 'Stopa" Ali the Kris wielder sat.

I had to bring another blogger friend Aspan Alias along. He knows Ibrahim Ali since MARA days at a time when the most revered name then was Arshad Ayub- the man with the muffler around his neck. Aspan comes along as insurance, just in case Ibrahim Ali's minders decide to be ungentlemanly. Not that the two of us, golden aged and pot- bellied can do anything to scare them away.

The blogger friend, Mau aka A Voice who brokered the meeting was at hand to be the moderator of sorts.

Ibrahim was late. We were supposed to meet at 3pm at a hotel in Jalan Pahang. Ibrahim Ali has an office here. We decided to meet up at the coffee house at an area now known as Ibrahim Ali corner. He had to attend court where he is suing a certain newspaper. The day before he was also in court, pleading a suit against Saifudin Nasution.

Ibrahim Ali may need the money to pay for his next general elections.

When he finally came, we shook hands after the usual introduction. He has not eaten lunch and quickly ordered a plate of white rice and a bowl of fish Tomyam Khung. He took out a small Tupperware container. He has brought that delicious and famous sambal serunding of Kelantan.

AK47: What is it that you actually want Dato? I asked him. You can't talk about NEP which has been superseded several times. That's already dead. What you actually want to talk is about the Malay interests.

That's the way I think which could get Ibrahim Ali worked up. Ask him direct and pointed questions. He will be in his element. It certainly worked.

Ibrahim Ali was his normal usual boisterous self. You know, at the recent convention of Perkasa, I said its better not be an UMNO member if UMNO betrays the race! I said that openly to a red-faced UMNO President. I said, I am not an UMNO member which suits me as I can say anything, on anything about UMNO.

At that convention, DS Najib said I was shouting. I didn't, I was speaking in a normal tone. It was PM Najib who was shrieking and shouting. Your president was clearly rattled. He had to abandon a prepared speech. I talked about NEP and you know lah, for dramatic purposes, I deliberately placed a picture of Tun Razak at the back. I asked- who was the architect of NEP and I turned around and pointed at Tun Razak's portrait and ended by saying- now we have the son of the originator of the NEP who is the 6^th PM of Malaysia. What kind of son is he who betrays his father? You should see Najib's face- well you know; you come from the same bahagian and was his ADUn what.

I have come to realize that Ibrahim Ali doesn't read blogs. He doesn't care about the opinion of others of him. He believes in his cause and therefore is focused only on his thoughts and opinions. That is the ONLY important thing- he BELIEVES in something. His thing mostly.

My friend Aspan interjected- him, I wrote a post commending and saying your convention was worthy of praise because, PERKASA has become the voice on the voiceless Malays. But I wish one thing only. Once you commit to this cause, please don't waver. Don't change midway.

Ibrahim Ali was momentarily stunned but quickly collected himself by saying- what's there to waver. I will stay loyal to this cause.

I hope so, said Aspan. I know you.

Hey Aspan- interjected another friend known as Yusuf Merah. I hear that its you have crossed over Pan- you have been over friendly with PKR that's what we hear. 
Aspan quickly responded by saying- its I who have never wavered from Old UMNO. You change from OLD UMNO to the UMNO of Dr Mahathir , sup.

You know, continued Ibrahim Ali. I don't worry about the non Malay detractors. I don't care about what Wee Kah Siong or Chua Soi Lek say. In fact I told Soi Lek, we can argue but don't go personal. I told him, come elections, if you go personal, I will instruct Perkasa members to distribute videotapes of his sex romps and tell ALL PERKASA members not to vote MCA. We have agreed not to get personal.

Him, Aspan butt in once again before you go on, I have to tell this joke about the Kelantanese meeting up his future father in law to marry his daughter. In fact, the story revolves around you.

As the story goes, one day Ibrahim Ali meets up the man whose daughter Ibrahim wants to marry. The father asked Ibrahim a few questions- demo judi? Dok eh, tokse ambo. Demo main pempue? Dok weh. Tokse ambo. Demo minum arok? Dok weh, tokse ambo. Demo semaye( sembahyang)? Dok..jugok... demo bayar zakat? Jauh skali, ambo dok bayo dih….

The morale of the story- Ibrahim Ali is consistently inconsistent!.

Wait for Part 2. Objectives of Perkasa, liberal Malays, the future of UMNO etc.

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Asas Serba and its toll

 

In contrast to Asas Serba's RM50 billion bid, government think tank Pemandu, as part of its subsidy rationalisation exercise, estimated that it will cost the government RM383 billion to nationalise the 23 toll concessions.

Pemandu as part of its subsidy rationalistion proposal is recommending that rates be allowed to rise for toll roads that do not have alternatives in order to save the government as much as RM3.7 billion in subsidies over the next five years.

I don't think managing the 23 toll concessions in Malaysia is a rocket science. Before any of these companies presently operating the toll concessions came into being, they were little known and didn't have experience in operating toll concessions.

What so difficult? Asas Serba or whoever buys over the 23 toll concessions at RM 50 billion of whatever price can always call in expatriate workers to manage the whole thing for a number of years. Maybe some good work ethics can be cultivated within our workforce here. If you can pay RM 50 billion, you can pay specialist good salaries.

I want to ask this question. Here is a deal that could save the government billions of Ringgit and toll rates not raised for a number of years- meaning something good for the government and something good for the public. What's the objection? Oh… because these people behind Asas Serba are alleged to be connected to Tun Daim?

Come on..Since when do some people who got good business deals not connected to someone in Malaysia?

What's the alternative? The alternative is for the government to raise the toll rates and maybe later, bail some of these concessionaires. I think it's time for us to realise that the strategy of bailing out failing companies with taxpayers money is a stupid strategy. The better strategy is to allow other private companies to take over and show they can manage better.

But I want the public to be aware of a more sinister scenario behind the numbers brought up by Asas Serba and the minister who says he is not a politician. If he is not then why does he accept the post? The government says they need RM 383 billion. Asas Serba says it can do the job with RM 50 billion. Which figure is true?

What does the difference between 383 and 50 billion represents? Tell me. I shall answer. That figure represents the level of profiteering, corruption, over charges and other financial legerdemain that is taking place and perpetrated by the various levels of decision makers.

These levels of internal haemorrhaging that allow some retired KSUs and TKSUs and SUBs receiving handsome ex gratia payments upon retirement.

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Ibrahim Ali is bigger than UMNO

 

When Ibrahim Ali convened the meeting of 125 Malay NGOs at PWTC, it's not them that got me worried. The party whose future is worrying is UMNO's. UMNO's voice has been taken. Its thunder is stolen. It offers no rain, now even its thunder is lost.

That reflects the ambivalent leadership of UMNO as a whole. Its credibility isn't helped by the flip-flopping UMNO president who has since turned the much despised flip-flopping behavior most associated with a former UMNO president, into an art form.

Like Ibrahim Ali said- very sorry YAB President.

The UMNO president is showing us a new kind of leadership. He is following instead of leading public opinion; a wet-finger-in-the-air type of leader. It's been a long time since I heard this idiom mentioned until Bakri Musa's most recent essay. Apparently the 'wet finger in the air' is an idiom that has a convoluted reason behind it. When someone wets their finger and holds it up, he/she is trying to gauge the direction of the wind flow at that moment. Once they have this piece of knowledge, they could align their decision along with the rest of the majority.

Perhaps the UMNO president isn't aware of this. His unthinking-thinking circle does not update him on public opinion that originates in the street. The street is saying, it's easy to discern the management style of the PM- he invites people to say their piece on some issue in his facebook. He sees which types of comments are in the majority, he decides on that basis. Then he says, he listens to the people. Who's zooming who baby! (I love Aretha Franklin!)

This blardy finger! The finger one holds out is the index finger. Maybe it's the 1Malaysia finger, no? I have wanted to mock this one finger thing for a long time. One finger is not much help if we want to carry out many of our daily life's tasks. And one finger sure isn't enough for some other pleasurable and sensuous activity. I like the joke about the Indian passenger on board of Air Asia, wanting service from the air stewardess exclaimed- why I finger finger, you never cum!

Can UMNO convene a meeting of the same number of Malay NGO's? It possibly cannot because UMNO has lost so much credibility that its name presently is a byword of hypocrisy. It possibly can't repeat the feat in 1946 when the original founders of UMNO convened a meeting of Malay clubs at Kelab Sultan Sulaiman in Kampung Bharu. If Ibrahim Ali had organized his recent convention at the Kelab Sultan Sultan Suleiman, that would be an irony of sorts.

Kelab Sultan Sulaiman is in Selangor (well WP) which is effectively controlled by PKR. That's already sufficient symbolism about the position of UMNO. Its historical link has been captured. But Ibrahim Ali held his Perkasa convention in PWTC, the bastion and inner sanctum of UMNO. That Perkasa which is non UMNO which now claims to be the preferred voice of the average Malay can hold its convention on a premise owned by UMNO, is yet another blow to UMNO's credibility and its fast eroding standing.

I have ridiculed and lampooned Ibrahim Ali for a long time. I am not about to ignore the deliciously wicked pun Mat Sabu has been claiming for a long time- that Mat Sabu is a wee bit handsomer than Ibrahim Ali or that Ibrahim Ali's poster face would be more at home in the padi fields in Kelantan scaring away the pests and the birds.

But he has this uncanny ability to mobilize raw public opinion and his unsurpassed ability to attract disparate groupings to his cause- whichever fancies him at any one time. For that I have to say- salute! I cannot see any of the UMNO leaders rivaling Ibrahim Ali in this department. The UMNO Ketua Penerangan who is so forgettable is a babe in the woods compared to Ibrahim Ali.

So go past Ibrahim Ali. Look at the cross section of people who attended the recent Perkasa outing. You see people with skullcaps at the front row, ordinary Malays resplendent in Baju Melayu regalia etc. you can't ignore these. Well, you can actually, at your peril!

So significant that it unnerved the UMNO president enough to induce him to throw away his prepared speech and he went off the cuff. In the end he has no other defense other that resorting to his uncontestable claim that he is after all the son of Tun Razak.

The crowd was hostile to say the least and that serves as barometer to the feelings of the average Malay. If the PM goes ahead trivializing the raw signals from the average Malay, UMNO's future is certainly forfeited.

The only thing remaining now is for Perkasa to remain steadfast and consistent. The weakest link paradoxically is with Ibrahim Ali himself.

Therefore, Its certainly comforting to hear that the various NGOs came out with their own individual resolution- that if Ibrahim Ali deviated from this struggle, they would harpoon him and have him politically impaled like Vlad the Impaler did to his enemies.

And I hope Ibrahim Ali doesn't see the PM on the side and whispered- Boss, don't worry, that is only a show or worse, he sees the PM individually and apologized for his forthrightness during the Perkasa event. Ibrahim Ali is capable of that.

 

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Lesen KTM-kuda, toto dan magnum

 
Its deputy minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussein had said that if the government had not given the licence, illegal betting would still take place without proper control and monitoring by the authorities.

Awang Adek is a former banker. He knows credits (plusses) and debits (minuses). Unfortunately, in politics, the credits and debits do not lend themselves to an exact science. You may offer the public a reasoning which to you, appear to be Ok, but turns out to be a (dis)credit to your own political fortunes.

Consider his answer as to why the sports betting licence was given. He has to suffer the collateral damage. One day as he alighted from his car to attend an UMNO function, someone shouted- ok- sesiapa nak lessen KTM( kuda, toto, Magnum ) tauke sudah datang!

We accept this infantile reasoning. We give the sports betting licence (which has since been resold) making money for the brief licence holder and whoever has shares in the deal. The reasoning behind is interesting.

If the government had not given licence, (1) illegal betting would still take place (b) no control and (c) monitoring. Hence the licence was given because the government wanted to limit illegal gambling and it can monitor and control.

Who does the monitoring? Who does the control? This licence is given for how many years?

Will this open the floodgates? Can the same principles of limiting/confining, monitoring and control be applied to prostitution? Because we can go up to Awang Adek and say, if you don't give licence, illegal prostitution will take place.

The government knows that prostitution in all sorts of forms and guises take place in hot Malaysia and therefore, applying the same principles by which Awang Adek explains away to justify giving the sports betting licence, this government must also award a licence to the warehouses whorehouses in Malaysia.

Like the person who says he's not a politician but merely presenting the facts, I take leave to say, I am a politician, but I can also present the facts.

The real reasons, we have to look elsewhere. Maybe someone has invested a lot of money to ensure a certain political outcome. When the planned outcome becomes a reality, the person/s who has invested millions of Ringgit into that plan, comes a calling to ask for a payback. Maybe, just maybe, this award of the betting licence is just one portion of the payback.

Awang Adek knows the real reasons but risks his intellectual credibility by coming out with a banal reason.

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