Monday, 20 December 2010
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Our MRT project
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Sepang F 1 racing: view from the grandstand
I wrote an article on the F1 racing in Malaysia. It drew a respectable number of comments. Clearly, there are more people out there who are more knowledgeable about this industry than I. Since then, my interest in the subject has increased. I am not the only one paranoid over possibilities of people using some grandiose ideas as means to make us suckers. I am beginning to see, this is another scheme of skimming money from the kitty. Does Sepang make money or does MAHB who owns the circuit cares? I once asked a former very senior UMNO leader and a senior minister at that, about the F1 racing. Since he is also a racing enthusiast, I asked him whether the Sepang circuit makes money. He answers flatly no. Then how can it survive? No one he says hosts a racing event makes money nowadays. So how does it survive I pressed on? We don't see Sepang merchandise all around do we? Do they make money? They do, by asking money from the government. They get all sorts of subsidies. Maybe deferred tax on earnings, reduced tax, no tax, and services in kind, grants etc. we can never know. We don't have audited reports. They spend like it's their father's money. The government sometimes allows Sepang to have rights over special lottery draws. Oh.. itu macam. Saya pun boleh buat ini business and after that I too can drive around in my Bentleys, hummers, or Cayenne. No big deal. We have been hailing certain personalities as being proven entrepreneurs. In reality they are a bunch of bullshits. Fcuk bananas. Fcuk Sepang. We haven't been told how much it cost the government to build the circuit? Or was it the MAHB who fully shouldered the cost and how much is that? What's the annual hosting fee? USD 20 million? The government should stop backing these people with money. MAHB who owns the Sepang circuit must find its own ways to make money. It should build better airports and collect from whoever owes it money. Air Asia who is making tons of money must pay for using the airport. If not, why are you people in MAHB sitting on your backsides? How much money was actually spent in building the circuit? How mucxh money has it paid Formula One Organizers to hold the races? How much money has it collected? How much tourism was attributed to people coming over to see people having fun in the ultimate phallic symbols? It's said the adrenalin surges in drivers are substitute for the surges achieved at sexual orgasms. I don't know that. But I certainly know of one personality in the multinational company I once worked with, was said to be impotent but compensated his inadequacy there by taking up crazy racing on weekends. Sporting events such as F1 racing has become a major business industry and perceived as tool for improving the economies of host countries, regions or cities. It's nice if MAHB or the government can show us some economic impact analyses. How many jobs were created? Spillover businesses? Bumiputera businesses? Tourism revenue. Nyonya Ng Yen Yen- lu takde bikin a-na-li-sa ka? Bulapa manyak olang mali wo. Bernie Ecclestone and the bankers with him are laughing at our antics. If people fight over who gets to use the Lotus name, he doesn't give a tinker's cuss. Eventually one of the suckers will come to negotiate with him on the rights to participate. The whole grand prix thing, since Bernie turned it into some commercial behemoth, has generated bidding wars amongst prospective host countries. But at what price and what wonderful stories were told to us? Paying the price has commonly involved event organizers inducing governments to provide public funding, telling stories about indirect economic benefits that the event will generate. Where are the results though? The stories are seldom accompanied by a detailed and independent economic impact assessment, to substantiate the claimed benefits. Khazanah, EPU, Pemandu- lu orang semua bikin lah. So that we armchair critics can counter your arguments. Come on, don't be bashful; we aren't as good as those Mckinsey boys. Why do people go see the races? Those adrenalin junkies or those who want to be seen and see are all addicted to the high speeds, spectacular overtaking moves, horrific crashes, superman drivers, super-fast pit stops, team tactics and not forgetting the beautiful women. Yes sir, those clad in tight micro skirts. People can memorize those racing for Ferrari (Italian), British-American Racing Honda (British), Renault (French), Williams F1 (British), West McLaren Mercedes (British), BMW Sauber BMW (German), Toyota F1 (Japanese), Red Bull Racing (American), Midland (Russian), Torro Rosso (American), and Super Aguri (Japanese). We can even mesmerize people with our knowledge of engine manufacturers: - Fait - Ferrari (Italian), Honda (Japanese), BMW (German), Mercedes Benz (German), Toyota (Japanese), and Cosworth Ford (American). Don't forget the Tyre Manufacturers: - Bridgestone (Japanese) and Michelin (French). Then there are the fuel and Oil Suppliers: - British Petroleum, Elf, Esso, Mobil, Petrobras and Shell, PETRONAS. Why are we enamored with F1 racing? Of course it started with our grey eminence- that man who can walk on water- Tun Dr Mahathir. He wanted to bring motorsports here in Malaysia. F1 Teams are brought here to entertain billions of spectators across the world. The teams vie for the prestige and the honor of being crowned the best constructor (cars, tyres and fuel) and /or driver in the world. We the Sponsors are over the moon to be associated with the best motorsport and /or F1 team in the world and to enjoy global exposure. But let us pause for a moment and analyze how much it cost is to host a grand prix? A racing circuit must obtain a T1-licence to qualify to host a F1 GP testing session. However to host an actual F1 GP the circuit must receive a Grade Circuit License and such license is only obtainable from the FIA. Since 1999 F1 GP has been brought to Malaysia, USA, Bahrain and China. This was however at very high monetary costs, the major cost requirement being circuit construction and annual hosting cost. In the cases of the USA, China and Malaysia the government not only played a role in the construction costs of the circuit but also contribute to the annual hosting cost. Does hosting the F1 race and sponsoring 3 teams to race beneficial to our economy or rather does it benefit a selective group of individuals actually?
Thursday, 16 December 2010
F1 racing- a view from the paddock.
It's getting more bizarre by the day. We spend money like water. Meanwhile projects get cut because the government is trying to economize. But GLC bosses holding our money aren't practicing prudence. They are urging the government to spend and spend. Consider the matter of F1 racing for example. What's attractive about formula one? It's a massive television event, with a global audience of 600 million people for each race. The Formula One Group is the legal holder of the commercial rights. Who owns Formula One Group? Bernie Ecclestone? He owns the market. Owning a racing team is incidental. Its high profile and popularity make it an obvious merchandising environment, which leads to very high investments from sponsors, translating into extremely high budgets for the constructors. However, mostly since 2000, due to the always increasing expenditures, several teams, including works teams from car makers and those teams with minimal support from the automotive industry, have gone bankrupt or been bought out by companies wanting to establish a team within the sport. This means, Formula One Racing is a potential landmine. Companies, teams and constructors can get blown to pieces. Or the sponsors teaming up with constructors and teams will have to spend a lot of money to stay afloat. So I hope those companies backing our F1 teams, thinking they are seeking greatness are reading these. PETRONAS are you reading this? Proton- habib are you reading this? Tony- you can go fly. In the first place, can Malaysia afford to have 3 F1 teams? Are we that rich or glaringly imprudent to be spending large amounts of money? For what purpose? For advertising or putting whatever product and services on a high profile visual? In 2011, Lotus Racing Team or 1 Malaysia F1 Team or whatever will race as Team Lotus. Who is who? Proton says it owns the lotus name. Tony Fernandez says he owns the lotus brand. Before the actual races, these two business entities are fighting over who gets the right to use the Lotus name. The Lotus Racing Team originally took a license from Group Lotus (owner of Lotus Cars) that allowed them to use the Lotus name for the 2010 season. Group Lotus, is owned by its parent company, Proton. Group Lotus then terminates the license for future seasons as a result of what it called flagrant and persistent breaches of the license by the team (headed by Fernandez). What had Tony done? Will Tony gets what Tony wants? How did Tony Fernandez acquire the confidence to use the name Lotus? Tony Fernandez announced that his Tune Group had acquired Team Lotus Ventures Ltd. This was a company, according to Tony, led by one David Hunt since that has full ownership of the rights of the Team Lotus brand and heritage. Because of this, Tony said he has rights to use the name Lotus and announces to the world that they would be known as Team Lotus or Lotus Racing from 2011 onwards. Group Lotus( owned by Proton), owner of Lotus Cars launched legal action against Lotus Racing, claiming that Tony Fernandez did not have the rights to use the Lotus name because David Hunt was never in a position to sell them. Proton the parent company of Group Lotus issued a statement saying that Group Lotus owned all rights to the Lotus name in the automotive sector, including Formula One, and that Fernandez has no rights to use the brand in the 2011 season. Group Lotus then went on to announce that it had bought a stake in Renault F1 and had agreed to become title sponsor, with the French car maker playing the role of engine supplier. The team would be known as Lotus Renault GP. So what shall we see in 2011? We shall be seeing double- as 2 teams both carrying the name Lotus powered by Renault engines will be lining up to race. To further the confusion, Group Lotus announced that the 2011 Lotus Renault GP cars would carry a black and gold livery reminiscent of the John Player & Sons liveries previously used by Colin Chapman's Team Lotus in the 1980s, paralleling plans by Tony Fernandes to race in 2011 with a JPS-inspired livery. You have 2 teams (both controlled by Malaysians) using the same name, powered by the same engine who will be also using the same liveries. What's happening? So before the confusion becomes out of control, in December 2010, Tony Fernandes stated that it his team would continue with their present green and yellow color scheme in 201 We see quarrel before the race has even started. Proton which hasn't done enough to market its lotus cars is thinking it can shortcut its way to eminence by sponsoring an F1 racing team. Is that stupid or what? As a layman and as a person who gets deaf from hearing the roar of F1 engines, I am thinking, rather than spend money on sponsoring a racing team , Proton is better off spending that same amount of money into RND for lotus cars. Why go in to save Dany Bahar and Renault? What's so special about the name Lotus? Lotus the car manufacturer? Lotus the flower? Lotus the glint in Tony Fernandez's eyes? Which Lotus? What's in for Proton to be the Lotus-Renault team? The man in charge of the project, one Dany Bahar has said, its longer term plans is to full owner of the team. What does that mean? It means Proton, our car manufacturer whose money making capabilities are questionable under the stewardship of its current CEO is already spending millions and millions to be the title sponsor. Now, to fit into the longer term plans of this Danny Bahar, Proton will be sending many more millions to become a full owner. You can't just buy into Renault and not spend more later being owner, when your partners want to become something else. Take a look at Lotus Cars itself. It is in the midst of a major renewal, and signaled their intent by wheeling out five concepts at the Paris Motor Show. They'll need a lot of money to realize that future range of cars. After that, will they have enough for Formula 1? Dany Bahar must have been assured by Proton that he shall have the money he wants. He says he would not commit without backing from shareholders, banks and investors. Whose money is Proton going to spend? For Proton, its foray to become a title sponsor and becoming a full pledged owner, is a recipe for financial disaster. We now have 3 home boys to race the F1 under their banners:- PETRONAS Mercedes GP, Lotus-Renault and Team Lotus . At least PETRONAS seems to be doing the right thing to sponsor MercGP , as there's a legend there racing for them. But lotus? Two people are fighting for the rights over using the name. One of them owns a budget airline but probably like many of us, don't know how to change our car tyres. What's in for Tony in racing the F1? What is the strategic importance? The cars can't be faster than Boeings or air buses? He is already well known especially after winning the bet to employ Branson as a stewardess on his plane? Branson will cross dress. That's advertising for Toy already. The only plausible reason is that Fernandez is using the "Lotus" name to attract sponsors. He believes he'll have a lot less sponsors, just like Virgin & HRT Where will the Malaysian government stand on this issue? The Malaysian government says it is supporting Proton-owned Lotus to return to the F1 grid. Is this a good decision? They will argue that it's in the best interest of promoting the sport in the country, to heighten the interest among kids, to make Proton cars better, to maintain the PETRONAS name in F1 etc… Seriously, the main reason why I think some people are pushing hard to sponsor F1 racing teams is they get their hands on the kitty. What's in the mind of Proton chief? Could he be seeing sponsoring Lotus Renault as a means to improve the marketability of the Proton brand? If this is their plan, the general idea is its going to take a lot more than a F1 team in their repertoire to improve Proton. Although Proton has owned majority of Lotus stocks for the good part of 13 years, we can't say much of their technology has been transferred to our shores. Instead of pouring the millions into an F1 team, why not invest in improving Proton? They've been cash-strapped for the past couple years as their sales have taken a downturn due to stiff competition from the like of Perodua, Toyota, Kia, and others. Their quality isn't worth much mention either. Better spend money (our money) here than F 1.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Not divisiveness and racism, not bigotry and stupidity, not incompetency and duplicity, not injustice and lies
Here is another gem of a consolidated comment from Walla. Corruption is the biggest scourge in this nation. Stupidity is a close second. Incompetence is not far behind. Duplicity is catching up fast. Sir, do you agree with what was said about our politicians, that they are incompetent?' Sofea, i have a problem with what those dotheads down south said. They're wrong. Our politicians are not incompetent. They're nincompoops. At least when one is incompetent, there is insyaAllah hope they can become competent. But in our case, they can only make dins and poop all over the rakyat. Take one marvelously competent Malay first minister. When asked if development funds can be provided to opposition MPs like how it is done for barisan MPs, he skirted around the question by just saying it's only for barisan MPs to top up federal projects. Excuse me, but rakyat in opposition sites are not rakyat ke? They don't deserve development funds, is it? Then will he answer if they should pay cukai at all?' Sir, you can't say that. You may be branded a traitor.' Let me ask you back, Sofea. Which is more traitorous to the country? The PAC team to dare ask immigration about Project M, or immigration to snub the committee by walking away without answering the queries, or the original designers of Project M? Note that up till today, we don't know how many Indonesians have been naturalized in one stroke in our Sabah and Sarawak so that come a few months' time they will vote for Barisan including our own Brown Rajah. Meanwhile our people who have slogged years for the country can have the privilege of being photographed holding the hand of one grandson of one late leader, thanking him profusely for finally giving them the brittle plastic just so that they can be buried soon, considering their age, as proud citizens of this exceptionally competently-run country. Not good enough an example? Let me ask you again, Sofea. What about spending lavishly over-the-budget on a single residence when thousands of our Malay rakyat can't even afford a roof over their heads these days so that they can call this their own country in order to finally have a taste of what is meant by a sovereignty they have been asked not to disabuse? Talking of which, why did it take so long before people could suddenly have a brainwave to excuse the reason for ketuanan by saying it was really all along about sovereignty and not supremacy? An afterthought, is it? Or the clearest sign of shifting the damn goalpost again?' 'Sir, i sense your frustration for our rakyat and nation. Is that why we are having this conversation in the wee hours of this morning?' Perhaps, at my age, i had to wake up to take a leak? Look, Sofea, UMNO spends a huge chunk of our national development funds on defense. Yet, if we are to believe the wikileaks, a foreign intel can be so assured of itself that it can privately say a politician knowingly walked into a sodomy trap. Why, they got hidden cameras all over the place, including one that could unbelievably read his primal instincts ke? And in the first place, who would knowingly walk into a trap that will not only destroy his career but also vindicate his nemesis? Now, why didn't the Aussies ask SINGAFORINTEL about that, and if they did, why was the transcript not recorded in the same breath? Secondly, Mahathir triumphantly said it was not an entrapment on the reason that 150 people could not have been coaxed to go along with a lie. Hello there, all you need in this country of saya yang mengikut perintah is one lie by one person at the top and all the rest will follow the official line. If this isn't so, why are doctors so adamant they don't need to refer to their patient notes while being cross-examined in a legal setting they may not expect to be comfortable in? Have you ever seen a govt hospital doctor not read from his notes when seeing a patient for a second time, even in his own clinic room? Thirdly, where's the wikileak on the Mongolian case? It is curious that none has surfaced on that case. Surely any foreign intel would be expected to be more than curious over the question as to who had ordered the hit for an order must have been made since it was pre-established in the court that the extermination team only obeyed orders like robots. So if even a court system including defense as well as prosecution has shown such a curious lack of curiosity about a murder case, how can anyone say that it is impossible to coerce an entrapment, especially when that someone has a project to his name that had emboldened an entire government department, namely the immigration office, to defy a parliamentary query on a possible treasonous deed against the sovereignty of the rakyat? I have an idea. Why don't we coopt LKY and Mahathir to come onboard Anwar's case as material witnesses? From their elevated heights, they seem to know what purportedly happened in an apartment. Let them walk their talks for once. Let LKY show proof how he had concluded the act happened and let Mahathir show proof why he is convinced it's not an entrapment.' 'Sir, you're mounting a sturdy defense for the opposition!' Sofea, don't get me wrong. I am not mounting any defense at all. If it looks like that, it is only because the facts and the fictions don't jive in this country. Besides, i don't think Anwar is absolutely needed in order to mount a credible opposition for a two-party system in our beleaguered country. It's the rakyat, Sofea. They are the ones who are the hope, voice and destiny of Malaysia, not our brilliantly competent nincompoop politicians. Let all the truths come out so that our rakyat will no longer have a yolk on their necks, so that there is national moral conscience again, so that leaders and higher-ups don't have to shift goalposts to try and justify the unjustifiable anymore. Do you know what is dangerous? It's when our rakyat are made insensate by all these shenanigans. People have limits and limitations. Look at our peoples. Most are simple folks with kind hearts and honest minds. But how have they been treated? Like dupes! They have been treated like cows pulled along by the rings on their noses. Today this direction. Tomorrow another direction. One is reminded of aqiqah korban. But it's not FOR the umat miskin. It's OF the umat miskin. Enough is enough lah! Corruption is the biggest scourge in this nation. Stupidity is a close second. Incompetence is not far behind. Duplicity is catching up fast. When a nation suffers from corruption, stupidity, incompetence and duplicity, it is finished. And the last nail on its coffin will be the dirtiest general elections in our maligned history.' But, Sir, the country is doing well; bonuses will be declared, investments are up and there are so many exciting projects up and coming.' Like the smart tunnel flushing out floods, eh? Did it work in the recent floods? Exciting projects? Come, tell me what will be the price of the ticket? Bonuses and investments? Don't you know the starting salaries of our graduates today are like what they were years ago? Measure the increase against the inflation and then come convince me things have really improved enough for them to eagerly await their bonuses. Investments? Aren't they mostly in our opposition-run states, eh? And how many are in the manufacturing sector which is supposed to be the main employer for the lower-income groups? And look, i have no problems with any wage rise for our defense chaps. They deserve it. In fact i wonder why they have not been the first to get the raise before all others. But what is the impact on the government bottom-line? Has it been timed to swing votes? And how will our rakyat be able to pay for services which the government won't be able to afford when it has to bail-out all these exciting private sector projects whose feasibilities are yet to be submitted long after they have been announced? Just as we have never seen an entire community anywhere else in the world which is proud to say it needs special attention, I have never seen an economy anywhere in the world bolstered by stating the projects first and then waiting for their feasibility reports after! Take the menara wawasan, for example. One minister said go ahead. Next thing an ex-minister said he was sentimental for it not to go ahead. And then the next minute the boss said do the feasibility study first. At this rate, it will come out a crooked high-rise, like crooked bridge and crooked politicians. If all this is not spin, what the fcuk is it? No, Sofea, our politicians are not incompetent. They're eunuchs who have lost their frigging, desiccated marbles.' Talking about eunuchs. I just saw a Chinese movie. Fortunately it has our language subtitles. It was titled Reign of the Assassins and it starred our own Michelle Yeoh. Well, she was a disciple to one eunuch villain but ended up in one last fatal battle with him after mending her ways. He was confident of winning because he had withheld four strokes of swordplay from her which would reveal weaknesses in defense. But he didn't know she had learned those four strokes from another opponent who died trying to mend her soul. She won the fight in the end but was herself mortally wounded. The last words of the eunuch, said to himself hysterically in disbelief while counting the number of wounds he had sustained by her blade, was "now how did she manage to strike me in eleven places?"' But our own eunuchs are so thick-skinned they think they are immortal, Sofea. Our rakyat need to winnow the chaff and see the political, economic and social situation clearly. They need to put everything in the correct perspective. We have veered from the right track for our nation. We need to give her a future all can be happy and comfortable with. This is a nation where all are pendatangs except our orang asals. That is why cooperation and mutual help must be nurtured. Not divisiveness and racism, not bigotry and stupidity, not incompetency and duplicity, not injustice and lies. Truth is the ultimate blade to cut the crap.'
Monday, 13 December 2010
Malaysians- forget about Wikileaks
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Willy-nilly leadership.