2030: We Were Warned

The signs are grim and gloomy for a country run (riot) by politicians:

The nation’s mismanagement of talent could have serious repercussions not only on its ambitions to become a high income economy on par with that of developed nations but could also lead it to fall further behind even its counterparts in the region.

Head of research at Corston-Smith Asset Management, Lim Tze Cheng, recently did a tour of South East Asian countries and came away sufficiently impressed that he feels Malaysia may soon be found lagging behind its neighbours that it was once ahead of.

He cited a recent visit to the Philippines, a current major supplier of maids, where he visited a company, International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) and he drew comparisons to local port champions Westport and Port of Tanjung Pelepas.

He said that ICTS now draws 50 per cent of its revenue from eight profitable ports outside the Philippines, and noted that no Malaysian port company can boast of similar achievements.

“I give it a 70 per cent chance that Malaysia will be exporting maids in 20 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens unless we get our act together,” he said.

Lim says that the issues plaguing Malaysia includes its “problematic” education system and distressingly low ability to retain talent.

What are the distressing trends?

1) We are hosting more than 3 million unskilled labour. Less than 40k are skilled foreign labour. Expatriates are finding it very difficult to get a working visa to work in Malaysia. Most of them were given 6 months to 1 year visas which are cumbersome. How many expatriates are still working in KL? Most of Mont Kiara high end condominiums are half empty. KL is NOT a regional city, not even close to Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok.

2) Malaysia is one of the prime targets for human trafficking. But skilled foreign spouses find it so difficult to obtain a permanent residency in Malaysia which allows them to work.

3) Malaysia's brain drain has accelerated in the last decade since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Malaysia has exported more than 1 million talents in the last decades. The emergence of dynamic regional economies such as China, Vietnam, India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and soon Indonesia are going to attract more talents away especially in construction, telecommunications, ICT, medicine, health care, finance and accounting.

4) Other countries are busy attracting young, dynamic and skilled foreign talents but Malaysia's MM2H programme is attracting the retirees. This speaks volume of our knowledge economy direction.

5) Other non-English speaking countries are spending billions to pick up proficiency in English, our deputy minister of education finds it weird to use the language in the private sector.

6) Other countries promote efficiency, innovation and creativity, we are promoting and condoning a "I don't care" (tidak apa) attitude.

Malaysia continues to depend on oil revenue. DAP Tony Pua highlighted that crony privatisation is on the prowl again. We should be thankful to have a sharp member of parliament like him.

Yes, these people/politicians are not stupid. They should be the ones to sense a sinking ship. Just like in the 2012 movie, this government has its fingers on the pulse and almost all documents in the administration. The public do not get an access to them because of the silly and undemocratic OSA.

Maybe they think its time to rape the country's resources - for whatever that are left - and abort this sinking ship when the time comes.

Malaysians, we were warned - 2030, or maybe earlier.

The future of this country depends on the majority. Yes, the Malay Malaysians. This ship is under your stewardship. It is time to show some leadership. No point blaming the minorities. We are not a threat but are willing partners to help steer this ship away from the dangerous glacier in front of us.

For goodness sake, wake up and do something.

Oil Royalty Caucus Should Lead The Way to More Decentralisation

Pakatan Rakyat proposed the oil royalty caucus last week, following PM Najib Abdul Razak's announcement that the federal government would make 'goodwill payments' from offshore oil operations to the PAS-ruled state of Kelantan from next year.

This saw opposition from Pakatan representatives, especially those from Kelantan, who said the federal government should pay the oil royalty and not make a goodwill payment to the state.

Veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has agreed to head the caucus to deliberate on the issue of petroleum and liquefied gas royalty, said Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

This is a good step forward to ensure that states enjoy a share of their resources. The monopoly of resources under the federal government is not only undemocratic but also inefficient.

State governments should be given more resources to plan and implement their own socio-economic development. As the moment, resource rich states such as Trengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak have registered high poverty rates.

Central planning has resulted in uneven and unfair development between states which are closer to the federal government and enjoy a closer political relationship with the federal lawmakers than states which are more distant.

This situation has to change. Monopoly of resources under the federal government breeds corruption. This was made worse due to a lack of a check-and-balance mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability in public spending.

I hope that states will be able to get a larger share of the direct taxes too. It does not make any sense to allocate less than 5 percent of the total tax collection to a state.

I had urged several PR leaders to push for greater power sharing and decentralisation from the BN federal government.

We, the voters, will have to do the same too. States must be given a larger share of their resources. Central planning has failed to deliver a just and equitable development to all states.

I would like to commend Tengku Razaleigh for his willingness to cross the partisan line to ensure there is fairness for all Malaysians.

RM628 million for RM15 billion?

Another sugar coated deal but at whose expense?

Naza-TTDI, a unit of the diversified Naza group, will build the expo centre on a 13.1-acre site in Jalan Duta in exchange for 65 acres of state land at RM226 per square feet (psf) although the market value of the land could reach RM1.5 billion. The entire project will have a gross development value of RM15 billion, the developers said last week.

The DAP has urged the Najib administration to have an open tender for the proposed Matrade expo centre in Jalan Duta after the controversial RM628 million project was given to Naza TTDI in a building-for-land deal.

Tony Pua said the prime minister should also declassify all ministerial papers relating to the project and table it in Parliament to show necessary due diligence has been done to ensure costs and profits were not inflated if they persisted with Naza TTDI as the contractor.

He added that the government is planning on a similar privatisation project which will involve 6.5 million sq ft of land in Jalan Cochrane for an MRCB joint venture worth an estimated gross development value of RM15 billion.

Ironically, I was asked by a journalist if the Iskandar development region is facing a crisis with the current management change.

I responded that it might be a huge challenge for the project to achieve measurable success if the government does not change the way it deals with the business sector.

Direct negotiated projects which favour certain companies like the ones mentioned above do not help to enhance foreign investors confidence in Malaysia. It confirms their fear that the public procurement process is not transparent and open.

The government still favour some companies over others. I support the Dap call to have an open tender for the project. An open tender system is the best way to reverse investors' perception of the country. It helps to ensure that a project is awarded to the best contractor.

A lack of transparency does not help us to become a competitive economy.

This is the attitude we see in the government and public sector today. It is impossible that these policy makers did not see the negative consequence. It is just that THEY DO NOT CARE.

This "I don't care" attitude is going to bring all of us down. I hope Malaysians will not display the same kind of attitude by tolerating corruption, nepotism and racism in their politics.

Kudos to Tony and DAP for doing a good job. I hope the same kind of attitude can be repeated in Penang, a state government led by the party.

MCA After UMNO's Intervention = Lame

The ongoing leadership fiasco in MCA is both self-inflicted and unproductive. It is difficult to imagine how the party can walk tall after the intervention of UMNO leaders.

First, it is a political problem created by MCA leaders. The leadership had wanted to implement reform by putting the party on a higher moral ground. This did not work.

It was supposed to promote a birth of new MCA. New MCA the party is no longer since the leadership has decided to accept, reinstate and recognise a so-called 'tainted' leader.

The party leadership can no longer walk on a moral high ground. Some leaders in the party led by the embattled VP Liow Tiong Lai are accusing the leadership for being undemocratic and unprincipled.

It was indeed a high stake game for the president, Ong Tee Keat. This episode serves as a good lesson for him. Know thy self, know thy enemies. A hundred battles and a hundred victories.

How much does Ong know his strengths and weaknesses? Does he appreciate his supporters and be grateful for the support he received when he promised to walk his talk on the PKFZ scandal?

It is a promise he cannot walk away from and hope to receive the same degree of enthusiastic support in the future. I had said earlier that the scandal will either make or break him.

However, it is not clear if Ong can win the war. He may have survived some battles and may yet lose the war.

What is clear that if MCA leaders cannot resolve their own problem and require the intervention of UMNO, it will limp out of the fiasco. It will not ever walk tall amongst the Chinese community again.

As a party, it should focus much of its time and effort to reexamine the relevance of the party within the larger political milieu.

What is obvious is that Chinese Malaysians are more supportive and receptive of a non-racial political model. This is a natural reaction of any minorities in any societies.

Not wasting its time on petty and unproductive squabbles and power struggle.

With the intervention of UMNO, neither Ong-Chua nor Liow-Wee would end up as winners. Both factions are losers. Both factions will be rejected by voters.

What is the aim of capturing power and losing influence?

Put an End to Biro Tata Negara

“We were taught a song with lyrics like ‘the land that you walk upon is owned by others. Lecturers told us the Malays were forced to depend on the Chinese for support after 1998 because some Malays had betrayed their own race,” Hafidz Baharom, a freelance writer, recalled.

These courses have been running for years, and are intended to instill nationalistic values and patriotism. Conducted by the National Civics Bureau — better known as BTN (Biro Tatanegara) — the courses are for university students on public scholarships and civil servants. BTN is under the Prime Minister’s Department.

Last week, seven young Pakatan Rakyat Selangor assemblymen handed over a letter to the Selangor government, urging it to stop allowing students of state- owned universities and colleges to attend these courses.

The Selangor government, which is now controlled by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, owns three universities and colleges.

Kudos to Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi, Batu Caves assemblyman Amirudin Shari and others for standing up against decades of racist rhetoric and a programme paid by tax payers.

This is one of the many reasons why a segment of the society still think that the presence of others is the main reason for their deprivation. This is also a strong reason for to reject a race based coalition and end racism in the country.

Thanks for the gallantry!

A Last Chance to Right the Wrong - Teoh's Body Exhumed

The exhumation of Teoh Beng Hock’s body for a second autopsy, ordered by the inquest into his recent death, has been completed. The exhumation comes following the testimony of Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand that the death of the political aide was very likely a homicide.

Dr Pornthip is also on the scene to observe the exhumation process.

Also present were two other forensic experts — Dr Shahidan Md Noor, who is chief pathologist at the Sungai Buloh Hospital, and UK pathologist hired by the MACC, Dr Peter Venezis. I trust these specialists will conduct the autopsy professionally.

The second autopsy is a last chance for the country to right the wrong. Someone was wrongly detained, a standard investigative procedure was not followed and a young bright life was lost.

Malaysia will continue to remain at the bottom rung of every index available if the majority in this country continue to believe in those who had abused their power and will continue to do so by justifying race and religion.

When this country eventually collapses, it is the majority who will suffer the most.

This country can only move forward if all of us, regardless of race, creed and religion, focus on good governance, responsible leadership and real sincere partnership.

SAY NO TO CORRUPTION! SAY NO TO ABUSE OF POWER! SAY NO TO RACISM!

Do it NOW!

MACC Had Acted Illegally, What Now?

The high court has made an important verdict:

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) has no right to question witnesses in an investigation beyond normal office hours, namely from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

Judicial Commissioner (JC) Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof stressed that the meaning of the phrase “day to day” as laid down in Section 30(3)(a) of the MACC Act – which is at the core of the dispute between Tan and the MACC – “cannot mean round the clock” investigation, which includes recording statements from the witness.

Mohamad Ariff explained that to do so would “offend the legislative purpose” and limit the fundamental liberties of a person, which are clearly laid down in the Federal Constitution, under Article 5, and which the Federal Court had recently upheld must be interpreted in the “widest sense” possible.

Asked to comment on the impact the High Court’s decision in relation to the dead political secretary, Karpal said: “In the case of Teoh Beng Hock, death was involved. The MACC has to be sued in a wider range and not limited to just the questioning.”

Yes, the MACC must be held responsible for a breach of its own investigative procedures. This ruling is not only significant for future suspects and witnesses but it is also a wake up call for other government agencies, departments and institutions which have been operating without observing proper procedures.

Just days ago, I went a department of a federal ministry to assist a client. I was shocked to find out that officers in the department do not even have a simple guideline and policy to deal with common requests and applications. The result is a lengthy wait for a simple response from the department.

I would like to advice the government to focus on real issues and weaknesses instead of wasting much of its efforts on PR spins and wasteful slogans and advertisements.

Back to the MACC, Lim Kit Siang lamented that political aide Teoh Beng Hock would still be alive if the MACC had followed the law. It is difficult to disagree with Lim.

I would like to urge MACC chief commissioner Ahmad Said Hamdan to suspend the officers involved in the Teoh's case and call an immediate internal investigation on the breach of conduct. Top officers in MACC who insisted that their officers can conduct investigation and interrogation beyond officer hours and round-the-clock should be send back for retraining or demoted.

It is time to focus on real issues, cut the crap slogans, PR spins and ceremonies. Something is not right in Malaysia.

Low Cost Advantage No More!

Can 1 Malaysia or Najib's strategists solve this problem? Leave the PR spin aside, revisit the Vision 2020 objectives and stop being in denial.

Malaysia has lost edge as a low-cost producer, says World Bank.

“The economy seems to be caught in a middle-income trap - unable to remain competitive as a high-volume, low-cost producer, yet unable to move up the value chain and achieve rapid growth by breaking into fast growing markets for knowledge and innovation-based products and services,” it said.

Too bad, this government is still keen to keep an outdated racially based socio-economic model - the NEP. This country is more interested to allow a net inflow of unskilled labour than working to lure foreign talent and skilled overseas Malaysians.

According to World Bank data, private investment in Malaysia fell to 12 per cent of gross domestic product in 2008 compared with 30 per cent prior to the Asian crisis.

Despite how spin masters intend to spin it, it is difficult to justify a net outflow of private investment on more local investors going regional. Some of the best developed economies in the region have registered a high net local investment.

It is a fact that the Malaysian economy is lackadaisical. The bureaucrats are still doing business-as-usual. All the slogans, shallow campaigns, family days and 1Malaysia programmes are not going to help enhance efficiency if the core culture of 'tidak apa' and mediocrity does not change.

According to the report, one major limitation on moving up the economic value chain is Malaysia’s education system, which churns out tens of thousands of graduates who are ill-equipped for the kind of high-value work such as biotechnology that the government has identified as growth areas.

Education in Malaysia has become mired in a deep political row as the government recently switched to Malay language instruction for math and science from English, a move critics said was designed to appease its ethnic Malay voter base.

Education is a good example how we let our politicians to continue screwing up the system and the nation.

My advice to all Malaysians, regardless of race, creed and religion, to wake up and help change this country before its too late.

Go watch the 2012 epic blockbuster if it is still not too late. There is a meaningful line in the movie, "The moment we gave up fighting, we have lost our humanity".

Are we human enough?

Prosecution of Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri is Not a Good Sign for Islam in Malaysia

The basic question Muslims in this country will have to ask themselves is, "Who own Islam? Government, Clerics or Muslims?

Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said he will continue preaching and campaign to abolish the law that requires preachers to get certification from the state.

He was charged under Section 119 of the Islamic Administration of Selangor which carries a fine of up to RM3,000 and imprisonment of up to two years.

The controversial scholar was arrested by the Selangor Islamic authority (Jais) some two weeks ago while giving a private lecture at a friend’s residence in Ukay Heights.

Several Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers also attempted to condemn Asri's arrest at the state legislative assembly but the Selangor executive councillor in charge of Islamic affairs Hasan Ali defended the action taken by Jais.

The religious authority should engage Asri instead or prosecuting him using a flimsy reason. Islam, as a religion, has been established for hundreds of years. It is a religion which has a rich body of wisdom, lessons and knowledge.

Malaysia has prided itself as a moderate and progressive Muslim majority country and yet the authority is trying suppress any discourse and discussion about the religion.

Asri's unconventional interpretation of Islamic principles which often contradict government-endorsed doctrines may be unusual but he might not be wrong.

The prosecution of Dr Asri's Islamic views does more harm than good to Malaysia's Islamic credentials.

Similarly, Hassan Ali is doing more harm than good to the PR led government and PAS.

No Need A Spin Doctor if A Product (Governance) Is Good

Dr Koh Tsu Koon confirmed that the government had engaged Apco Worldwide, an international public affairs and media relations company, to boost its image overseas.

It is believed that the contract is worth some RM20 million but Koh, in a written reply to a question from DAP’s Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching, did not divulge the exact amount.

“Apco Worldwide was tasked with promoting and improving Malaysia's image overseas,” said Koh.

He justified the appointment by asserting that a foreign firm would ensure that the country's communication practice was in line with international standards.

I have a problem with this appointment, using public money.

First, the Najib administration should not treat the international community as fools. His administration should focus on good governance, fight corruption, stop the abuse of public institutions for its own political interest, stop racist politics, repeal all draconian acts e.g. ISA, respect democratic rights of its people and promote a just and sustainable socio-economic development.

If the product (governance) is good, the administration does not excessive PR spin. News such as the PKFZ scandal, the VK Lingam-gate, the Ipoh double tracking fiasco, judicial flip-flops, custodial deaths, caning of a beer drinking model, religious intolerance, cow head stupidity and others are the ones that make Malaysia a laughing stock of the world.

Why waste the RM20 million and counting for foreign help?

Second, was Koh trying to say that we do not have any local PR experts who understand the international standards? If so, then the administration should really conduct a review of our education and skills training process.

How can we become a fully developed nation by 2020 if we cannot even produce any PR specialists who meet the international standards?

Imagine what the RM20 million can do for the smart and bright Penan students, especially those who were told they were not Bumiputera enough to enter a government sponsored matriculation college.

KPI Minister Dr Koh is just a puppet.

No One is Willing to Prosecute Lingam? Sack All Legal Officers in the AG Office to Save Tax Payers' Money

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz said that Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh can represent the Attorney-General (A-G) and prosecute controversial lawyer V.K. Lingam.

Nazri stressed that the government has no reason to defend Lingam and that veteran lawmaker can charge him.

“If Karpal is willing to represent the A-G, I will persuade the AG to engage Karpal to prosecute on the behalf of the government,” he told reporters at the parliament lobby here. “Let him charge ... the government has no reason to defend Lingam.”

Nazri should propose the government to do another thing - sack all those legal officers in the AG office if none is found capable or willing to prosecute Lingam despite the royal commission found strong evidence against him.

Nazri should help to save tax payers' money or stop monkeying around with this scandal. No wonder Malaysia is seen as more corrupt than ever.

According to the report, "Malaysia now ranks 56 out of 180 countries in the world with a corruption index score of 4.5 out of 10, with 10 being the least corrupt, said the world corruption watchdog. Last year, it placed 47 with a CPI score of 5.1."

The annual TI CPI measures how corrupt a country is in the public sector based on data sourced from 13 different polls and surveys from 10 independent institutions over a period of two years.

The government must not drag its feet on huge financial scandals such as the PKFZ, the Ipoh double tracking project, the Auditor General's report on financial abuses and others. A lack of action will render its own KPIs useless and irrelevant.

Both KPI ministers, Koh Tsu Koon and Idris Jala, must take this report seriously. It is time for the government to be held accountable for tolerating these abuses and corruption.

At Last, It's Senator Syed Husin Ali

PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali has been nominated a senator to represent Selangor.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim forwarded Syed Husin’s name for a vote to the State Assembly sitting on Tuesday, with 32 agreeing and three objecting.

Syed Husin had contested the Petaling Jaya Selatan seat for a few times. Unfortunately, the respected veteran politician decided not to contest in the last two general elections to allow younger candidates chance.

He could have won the seat easily. Syed Husin is still a political icon to many, a principled politician and a statesman to many of his supporters, ex-students and contemporaries.

This man deserves to be in the parliament. I am sure most of the senators will have something to benefit from his experience and knowledge.

Congratulations, Dr Syed Husin! His book, Two Faces, written after his ISA release was one of the first socio-political biographies I had read in the university.

Tok Guru Nik Aziz & A Bunch of Hypocrites

Kelantan Umno Youth today urged Datuk Nik Abdul Nik Aziz Nik Mat to vacate the mentri besar post, saying that the PAS spiritual leader’s decision to cancel his plan to perform the Haj in Mecca does not prove his innocence.

Nik Aziz had admitted that he had received sponsorship amounting to RM65,000 from a businessman linked to PMBK to perform the Haj.

He also said that the sponsorship is not a bribe adding that he had received numerous offers from many people who were willing to pay for the trip.

“The Mentri Besar cannot accept any form of sponsorship from any party especially from those who have benefited from Kelantan’s natural resources, as he is the head of the state government,” said Anuar in his memorandum to the MACC.

For the past 20 years, did Tok Guru abuse any state resource to build a personal palace for himself? No, the beloved menteri besar and PAS spiritual guru did not even live in the official residence, preferring to stay in his old wooden house to be closer to the people.

In this case, the donation is for him to go to Mecca to perform the Haj, a spiritual duty of all Muslims. It is a shame for other Muslims to question the motive of this donation. It is truly a shame for a non-Muslim like me who would do the same to sponsor an elderly person to perform his religious duty if I can afford to do so.

How many UMNO leaders have abused both state and federal resources? What about those trips to Disneyland, Paris and other exotic places?

What about the generous donations given to UMNO by some very rich tycoons? If not, how is it possible for the party to amass so much assets and cash (multi billion ringgit)?

What about the PKFZ scandal and huge financial losses due to misappropriations?

Kelantan UMNO are full of hypocrites.

PM to Lure Global Talent & Malaysians Abroad

A few prime ministers before PM Najib Razak have had the same dream. Najib said the government would make Malaysia a better place to live and work in to lure back its citizens residing abroad as well as attract global talents to the country.

"We will create more opportunities, more excitement and more buzz in Malaysia to attract the Malaysian diaspora and expatriates to the country," said Najib.

More opportunities - When is the government going to announce a post-NEP economic policy, implement meritocracy, open up the public procurement process etc.?

More excitement - When is the government going to adopt a more liberal approach towards international artistes performing in Malaysia? Clarify its performance permit application process and requirements? When is the government going to stop religious extremists/snoop squads from patronizing the people?

Buzz - When can the government get over a shallow sloganeering and media spin but did very little else to improve the situation?

When can we curb corruption, enhance democracy, stop racism and religious extremism, stop abusing public institutions for its own political interest?

20 years? 30 years? After 2020? Next 6 months? Anything more than 6 months, it is not going to help turn around this country.