Our Nation is on the verge of Bankruptcy

According to Bank negara Malaysia's annual
report as at the end of 2004, the government's
external debt totalled Rm$34.7 billion while its
domestic debt is estimated atRm$181.9 billion.(nst. 28
July,2005.)If these figures are accurate and I have no
reason to doubt the authencity of Bank Negara's own
data base,then we can safely say that our nation is on
the verge of bankruptcy.A nation that is Rm$220
billion in debt cannot be viewed as solvent.
Malaysians must now ask our leaders how a
nation with so much natural resources end up being so
indebted?Were there lack of good governance, lack of
transparency and accountability that contributed to
this state of affairs?The crucial question is whether
our country was all along being financially
mismanaged?
In order to ascertain lack of good governance
we must first examine some policy decisions.Why was
lucrative highway contracts farmed out to private
enterprise with guaranteed future profitabilty?If
future profit is guaranteed why didnt the Govt. do it
themselves and divert the profits to the country's
coffers instead of benefitting private companies with
political connections?
Why was govt. contracts privately negotiated
and given at inflated price to contractors when a
public tender would save the govt.huge sums?Why did
the govt incur huge foreign and domestic debt to build
infrastuctural projects when it didnt had any funds of
its own?Why did the govt. forgoe revenue from excise and
custom duties by giving away A.Ps that benefitted a
few individuals that are politically connected to the
govt.
All these above questions remain unanswered and
must now be addressed.In view of our country' present
indebtedness, a comprehensive review should be
undertaken to introduce good governance,
transparency,accountabilty and good ethical
leadership.
Any attempt to introduce the N.E.P without addressing
the above weaknesses would be futile.

A.Ps Given To Niece.

The Minister of Internatonal Trade and
Industry, Rafidah Aziz adamantly claimed that she was
wronged and that she had not done any thing irregular
with respect to the issuance of A.Ps.She lied as
implied by Dr. Mahatir's statement because she mislead
not only the UMNO assembly but also the cabinet.The
obvious flaw in her statement of innocence is the
contradiction as reveal in the A.P list of 2004 where
it was shown that her niece, Annie, received 850 A.Ps
in 2004 and 199 A.Ps in 2005.
One wonders how she could swear her innocence
in front of the Holy Koran that she was cleaned when
in effect her hands were tainted with
corruption.Unless of course we are led to believe that
it is perfectly legitimate for a Minister to dispense
A.Ps to their relatives.Surely it would be a mockery
of our system if a Minister can escape with such a
brazen act of deception and still remain in public
office.But then maybe this is something acceptable in
'Bolehland.'

The Govt. Should Abolish A.Ps.

The revelation of the A.P. list merely
confirmed what the Tun had said all along that too
many A.P's were given to only a few individuals.But
what is most shocking is Rafidah's defending the
policy of giving out so many A.P's to so few
bumiputras.No one can deny that A.P's are licence to
print money because the permits are marketable and
easily converted to cash.The open A.P's are especially
in demand and can easily fetch $50,000 per permit.The
demand for such an A.P can be seen by this example. A
Ferrari from Europe will cost about $500,000.If you
buy an A.P at $50,000 your cost will be
$550,000.Without an A.P after paying excise and custom
duties the cost of the car will be in the vicinity of
$1.5 million. (custom and excise duties at 150%)
Rafidah seems to make a big deal that
Nassimuddin was able to get five or six franchises
from different companies from all over the world.But
the fact of the matter is that when you have A,Ps the
foreign principal companies come looking for you and
not vice versa.You dont even have to lift a finger
because the foreign principals know that if you can
import cars at a cost of $11,000 without paying excise
and custom duties, it is a virtual certainty that
their imported cars will sell like hot cakes.With the
franchise A.Ps you don't even have to have any
expertise in the automative industry to make a
handsome profit.All you have to do is add a margin
that is not below proton cars price and presto you are
printing 40k to 50 k for each A.P.
What is most sickening is Rafidah's statement
that it is a workable scheme that she will continue to
practice.Surely a scheme that only enrich a few
already rich bumiputras cannot be deemed to be
equitable.If such a scheme is allowed to continue, the
N.E.P will certainly not be able to be achieved in a
100 years.The wealth will remain in the hands of a few
wealthy malays while the rural heartland of the malays
will continue to remain impoverish.
The govt should abolish this skewed method of
wealth distribution and devise a more equitable system
that will ensure the poor rural malays will benefit
from its N.EP policy.
The A.P scheme is certainly not a suitable
vehicle for wealth distribution.The billions of
dollars that would have been collected from the excise
and custom duties should rightly go to the country's
coffers.From the revenue collected, a scheme that is
more equitable in wealth distribution should be
implemented so that the 30% equity in the economic pie
can be attained by all the malays.

Justice should be Tampered with Mercy.

I wish to refer to the article nst. dated 16th
july 'man gets Jail, rotan for sex with minor.'I
followed the case in 2003 when session court judge
Suraya Othman in her wisdom released Mohd Khairil
Anuar Osman on a $5000 three year bond for good
behaviour.At that time I was most impressed with the
demeanor of this Judge because she took the trouble to
inquire from the prosecutor whether the sexual act
between the two teenagers was consensual and on
finding that it was she proceeded to give a non
custodial sentence to the young man.At that time I
fully concurred with the Judge sentence because a
custodial sentence would not only ruin his future but
cast him among hardened criminals in prison.An act of
passion between two young people cannot be construed
as a criminal offence under section 376 of the penal
code.
Judge Suraya Othman had said at that time "that
it would not serve public interest to put him in jail
for a technical crime and that five years jail for
statutory rape was too heavy a sentence."This Judge
should be complimented.While other Judge would simply
gloss over the case , she would take the trouble to
inquire to see whether there were any mitigating
circumstances.She embodies the principle that justice
should be tampered with mercy.I salute this woman.
Imagine my shock when I read your paper that the
prosecutor had succeeded in his appeal when Judge
Datuk Muhamad Ideres Muhamad Rapee had struck out the
order of Judge Suraya.What is justice if justice means
sentencing a young man to 10 years in prison for an
offence that can be translated to be a moment of
passion which resulted in consensual sex between two
teenagers.If it was a case of an older man with the
minor I would understand the gravity of the
offence,but this was a young man barely out of his
teen.While we are safely in the comfort of our home
spare a thought for this frighten young man
languishing in prison for a crime he probably doesn't
even know.The law should show some compassion and
bring him home from prison. He simply don't deserve
the 10 years and five stroke of the rotan.Anybody who
can help this young man please do so.I am convince that
this young man got a poor deal.

Wake Up A.C.A and Do your Job.

It has become a habit for our Menteri Besars
when in or out of office to display great wealth.Not
long ago if memory serves me correct we had an M.B
caught in Australia with a couple of millions in loose
change trying to exit from an Australian city.Needless
to say he was caught and charged in court and from
there the sordid details of his extravant purchase of
landed property was revealed.The revealation of his
astounding wealth seems to pose some questions as to
how the wealth was accumulated when his monthly salary
was only about $20,000.Considering that he had only
served one term as M.B (but was still in office) the
question still remain unanswered till today was 'where
did he obtained his millions?'
Next, we had an M.B who contested for an UMNO
vice-President post who spent nearly a million to
secure his win by bribing the delegates.The million he
spent for the election was just only loose change
because his two palatial homes in Port Dickson and
Nilai must have cost a few million too.
The most scandalous of the lot must be the
ex-M.B of Sabah losing $158 million to a casino in
U.K.What is most perplexing in this case was how did
he accumulate such fabulous wealth in so short span of
time?
Frankly, its not difficult to trace where their
wealth is derived from.The State ExCo. consisting of
elected state assemblyman that are selected in the
exco committee holds regular monthly meeting to decide
on matters from application of state land to approval
of licences for forest concessions..If you require
approval for any application dont expect to get it as
a matter of course.Without going through the proper
channel and some agreed financial arrangement it is
most likely your application will be rejected without
any reasons given.
Despite all these public display of wealth by our
politicians the most glaring dereliction of duty must
be the A.C.A.They seem oblivious to all that is
happening.Maybe they are waiting for the culprit to
make a public confession before they will take any
action.By now the citizens of this country must be
immune to all this blatant acts of corruption.Each new
leader come to office with the promise of eradicating
this scourge but each time we are left
disappointed.Sadly we must admit we just don't have
the leader to exert the political will and
determination to wipe out this menace.

Democracy is Dead in Malaysia

The term democracy no longer connotes any
significance if the freedom to say the truth is
rewarded with a punishment.A government that demands
absolute loyalty from its cabinet members irrespective
whether it is right or wrong cannot fundamentally
pretend to espouse democracy.At best it can only
pretend to be one.Western style democracy especially
the Westminister type demands that ministers in the
cabinet or parliamentarians are expected to speak on
issues that they feel is in contradiction or is
contrary to their expectations.
It is therefore not uncommon for members of the
same party to break ranks in order to voice their
opposition to certain govt. policy as in the case of
Labour Ministers and parliamentarians speaking out
against the U.k govt's involvement in the Iraq war.
So when Deputy Minister Sothinathan was
suspended for breaking rank and speaking against the
govt. on an issue that affected the interest of a
section of the malaysian public, the suspension marks a
sad day for our fledgeling democracy.If a member of
the govt whether he be a minister or backbencher
cannot speak out on issues that he feels is against
the interest of its citizens then democracy is dead.

Who are The London Terrorists?

After sept. 11, foreigners of muslim
origins coming to the united kingdom are stringently
screened and it is not uncommom for the immigration to
turn away dubious muslim travellers if they are
suspicious of their intended purpose of travel.
In view of the very strict entry
surveillance, it is most likely that the terrorist who
planted the bombs were muslims of British origin.There
were previous instances where British citizens of
muslim origin going to Pakistan, Afganistan and even
Iraq to join the legions of foreign fighters.If there
are British citizens of muslim origin who are prepared
to go to foreign land then it is conceivable that
there are fanatic muslim terrorists of British origin
on British soil.
As long as Britain host a sizeable
population of muslim citizens it is highly probable
and most likely in the forseeable future that such
bombings will be repeated.To prevent such future
bombings in the future the govt. must institute more
stringent immigration policy prohibiting muslim
migration into the United Kingdom.At the same time it
should monitor closely the movements and activities of
radical muslim groups in the united Kingdom.
In the aftermath of the London bombing many
muslims in London no doubt criticised the bombing but
what was most disturbing was their denounciation was
qualified with a justification that it was in return
for United Kingdom's invovlement in Afganistan and
Iraq where innocent civilians were bombed and
killed.If such perception is common among the muslim
populace in U.K then it is very possible that there
will be muslims who are prepared to extract revenge on
British soil.
The chorus of Protest against such
terrorists bombings should be unanimous and vocal.To
kill and slaughter innocent civilians in the course of
furthering the muslim religion do not serve justice to
the very religion they are trying to defend.

Suhakam should consider its call to punish those who visit prostitutes.

The human rights commission,Suhakam,should
preoccupy itself with more important issues rather
than making a call to punish those who frequent
prostitutes.Studies have shown that people who
frequent prostitutes have an underlying sexual problem
or the need to vent their sexual frustration vis-a vis
prostitutes.
The oldest profession in the world
invariably has a role to play in every age and in
every society.There are people in our society who have
difficulty in forging meaningful relationship with the
opposite sex and the availabilty of prostitutes
provide an avenue for these psycologically handicap
people to have the service of prostitutes.In the
absence of prostitute these people would have no
alternative but to target innocent woman who could be
your sister, wife or even your mother.
In the context of our malaysian society we
have over a million of foreign workers in our work
force.Most of these foreign workers left their wives
and family to seek work here. These foreign workers
are also human beings who have sexual urges like every
normal human beings.Over a duration of two to three
years while they are here where do you expect them to
release their pent-up sexual frustration?Would we
prefer a situation where these foreigners resort to
raping your sister, wife or love ones?There are
certainly many such cases already in our midst and the
surest way to aggravate the situation is to take away
the outlet for them to visit prostitutes.
In fact many western countries have now even
seen the merit of legalising prostitution and
strangely enough statistic have shown that sexual
crimes are virtually non-existent in such countries.
Our southern neighbour, Singapore have also joined the
chorus of countries legalising prostitution.So before
hastily calling for punishment against those visiting
prostitutes and the extreme measure of eradicating
prostitution, I suggest Suhakam make an in depth study
before embarking on such a course.