What now? Kedai kopi?

As expected DSAI won the election and very soon would gain a clearance to parliament. Public had spoken, more voters jump ship signalling more dissatisfaction and perhaps distress to current government leadership.

BN is now in pressure to play their next cards. Let us look onto the possibilities:
1. Sodomy conviction
This might be the last card than Pak Lah would like to play. If the ‘evidence’ is strong, they should already been a private meeting with DSAI to limit his advancement to Prime Minister role. Looking at the current scenario, it is unlikely the evidence even exist. To convict DSAI on this charges itself will bring more chaos and instability from public anger and frustration. Then BN will be in total lost of control and defy all the harmony that they claimed they built.

2. Reduce fuel price
We know Malaysia have a lot of financial resources. Reducing price to RM2.00 as intended by DSAI can even be sealed at kedai kopi.

3. PAS
Malaysia already have shariah law in place. It is only a matter of mandate to PAS to manage and possibly PAS would be hooked to the proposal. BN would wait until the cross-over speculation really surfacing the truth.
4. More funding to Sabah
Typical strategy from BN. Again, Malaysia have a lot of resources to make this easily happen.


The political uncertainty in Malaysia is very entertaining indeed. No wonder we can’t wait to do our sembang kedai kopi for the possibility of speculation is endless.

What can we talk about in kedai kopi?
1. Leader tak sedar diri
Not even Pak Lah, Najib, Khairi, Saberi and Khir Toyo, even Samy Vellu does not accept that they are bringing down the party

2. Conspiracy

a. Pak Lah and DSAI are at the same team.
i. Pak Lah released DSAI
ii. Their home origin is not far apart
iii. Pak Lah purposely weakening BN
iv. Handover in 2010, can be done sooner to gain voters confidence, but no.
v. Let Najib surrounded with scandals.

b. DSAI and Najib are at the same team
i. Top position is not important to Najib. Having authority on defence deal is more important.
ii. Najib brought in the sensitive sodomy conspiracy, which clearly known that rakyat would not accept. This even give DSAI campaigning momentom to be continuosly victimized by dirty politics.

c. Saiful work for DSAI
i. Face it, a lot of so called muslim out there is a non-believer. If DSAI do the sumpah laknat as well, then one of them will be a non-believer. Until then, we wouldn’t know.
ii. The accusation is too lame that it works more on DSAI side rather than BN
iii. We see Najib at PP as well didn’t we?

d. Rise of Tun M
i. God of master planner.
ii. Pak Lah = weak + OFF scandal, Najib & DSAI both have scandals.
iii. He spoke of only the ‘truth’ through his blog.

3. How trustworthy is DSAI?
1. What exactly happened before that he pissed Tun M off so much?
2. Intervention by USA?
3. Is he going to lead us to another BLR spike? We are onto recession.
4. What will be left for Malay?


That is Malaysia truly Malaysia. Everybody have secret box of somebody else. Yet everybody claiming they are the ‘clean’ guy.

KESAS

It came to my attention that our force expenditure issue is far from a positive solution. I posted fact and figures about Plus and how there should be no reason for any excuses to not to reduce the toll. Today’s paper showing LDP, Kesas and NPE profitability and none of it been passed on to public.

Let us first look on the KESAS, which claimed to earn RM5.61 billions profit.

Shareholders:
PKNS (30%)
GAMUDA (30%)
AMDB (Arab Malaysian) (20%)
PNB (Permodalan Nasional Berhad) (20%)

Combined state (PKNS) and central (PNB) say to the company decision, 50% right already given to government combined. This has not been thoroughly deep for GLC equity in AMDB and GAMUDA. Combine both direct and indirect equity holding, I am sure government have the veto decision of the KESAS well being.

What possibly could justify the RM 2.20 per tollbooth charges?
R&R – I am sure KESAS is charging the stall/ shop keepers with rent
Toilet – how much does it need to facilitate and maintain toilet per R&R
Emergency line – it wouldn’t cost that much.
No traffic jam – is it?

The toll charges will keep escalating with the concession deal. The end of it is farsighted, and the 28 years 9 month concession would end on late 2021. Knowing our present government trend, like we observe on PUSPAKOM 15 years extension deal, government would hardly want to loose any revenue that each time mysteriously missing Malaysian public pocket.

There is no reason for optimistic thinking. The concession deal needs to be looked at immediately. Charges need to be reasonable and tax money should not be paid to the concessionaire on profit loss recovery.

Fuel Price.

Malaysia is burdened by the subsidy when oil price increased but loss in revenue when the price decreases. There are no room for the public to enjoy the benefit of our own oil resources.

So we all know that we are net exporter of crude oil. We have refinery facility and we have distribution and marketing arm. All this chaotic equation caused by three factors:
Malaysia earned from trade, all our light sweet crude oil sold elsewhere and cheaper crude oil brought in for domestic market.
Petronas does not have the full right of our oil reserve. Shell has the most?
Controlled petrol/ diesel/ gas price. Subsidy not only to Petronas but other player as well.

How about if we use local oil resource for our oil refinery and Petronas to market it for domestic usage. Since it is all ours to begin with, the actual cost incurred is oil extraction, refinery process, additive and distribution. Since god does not charge us per barrel oil extracted from our soil/ seabed, then we can’t be tied up with the global price. Excess domestic requirement can be exported.

With that, then government do not have to give subsidy anymore. Petrol price will be governed by Petronas lead price. Shell will have the equal power, and Petronas – Shell competition will ensure price is reasonable.

When there is no subsidy, and then there will be no smuggling issues. Singaporean can fill their tank all their want and we will make money for the profit. Industry will bloom again because of lower cost. Even local businesses will get benefit from tourist.

As Petronas said, local petrol distribution only gives them a few percent to their revenues. Sure the opportunity loss from trading better oil for lower grade would be negligible. The important thing is, Petronas will still make money and government will not be at loss.
How about it? Kira cincai la.

Sumpah

Secara zahirnya, pemilihan masa untuk membuat akuan lafaz sumpah ini di lakukan menjadi tanda-tanya dan sekali lagi rakyat menjeling ke arah puduk pimpinan UMNO. Spekulasi boleh di nafikan, tetapi dengan keadaan yang amat kritikal bagi kedua-dua pihak yang bertelagah di Permatang Pauh, susah untuk kita menerima dengan seadanya keadaan ini.

Kredibiliti penganut agama rasmi Malaysia di persoalkan. Sekiranya DSAI turut melafazkan sumpah menidakkan usul yang di tuduh kepadanya, terang-terang salah seorang dari mereka menipu. Salah seorang akan menempa tempat sebagai yang di laknat tuhan. Implikasinya besar. Keadaan sekarang ini seolah-olah DSAI tidak bersedia untuk bersumpah dan menidakkan sumpah yang di tuduh kepadanya. Saya rasa, DSAI banyak kerja lain yang lebih penting, cetek bagi kita untuk membuat kesimpulan sendiri.

Tapi, tak ada cara lain ka? Sodom menyodom pun nak membabitkan kitab suci dan nama tuhan? Bukan ke ada teknik poligrafi yang boleh digunakan. Ini mufti-mufti pun bertentang pendapat, kata isu islam itu sensitif?

Laporan kesihatan sudah ada. DNA repot ada. Kalau DSAI mahu di adapkan ke mahkamah, jangan lah tunggu sampai hari pilihanraya kecil. Sekiranya kes tidak wujud dan laporan kesihatan seperti tersiar di MalaysiaToday itu benar, tangkaplah yang memfitnah. Sekiranya laporan saintifik merujuk kepada DSAI sebagai tertuduh, jangan lah buang masa rakyat dan terus meletakkan senario politik Malaysia huru-hara dan menjatuhkan ekonomi kita yang sememangnya goyang kerana teras yang lemah.

More on UiTM

Making an education institution with sole ethnic enrolment does not fit to any kind of reasoning and explanation. Not only the recognition of the institution itself is severely self-degraded, but also the value of the exposure that builds positive character of the student is totally prohibited.

Almost any proposal or remark with regard to Malay/ Bumi ‘right’ is condemn as racist slurs. It does not take a highly intellectual group to rationalize the necessity, enough with just two minutes thinking rather than emotionally driven acts.

Are we so inferior that we are scared of a little competition? Are we insecure for our allocation been taken away?

Let me share my experience for Malay to think about.

My early education school did not even have proper infrastructures. It was a new Felda area, so you could imagine that we were lack of everything. I was the top graduate back then. I was blessed with my parents work as a Felda executive, not settlers. Back then; Felda settlers were having a very rough ride. Not having a proper lighting to read books at night was not a myth but it was an absolute truth. With little competition and benefit from proper lighting, I soared to the top.

Based on my good primary school performance, I got a placement to Felda boarding boarding school program. The idea was to facilitate better environment and promote competitive edge to the students. From top graduate, my rank at this new town school skidded downhill. Ironically, this time I put more effort but the top seems far away. Somehow, the environment pushes me to do better, and I did. Not at the absolute top, but on the right side of the bell curve.

When I began my study in United States, again I was filled with inferiority. But, environment really changes your result. After first year, Malay student rose far above than local American. In fact, it was not a best option for them to be in the same class with a lot of Malay because we would raise the A par.

You see, we Malay are not inferior. We just never made aware of our potential, some of us did.

For the sincerity of our government to help Malay community, I give my full appreciation. Think again, is having UITM for Malay only is really helping? Even with Chinese, Indian and foreign students in the same institution, UMNO could always help Malay student on financial aid, self-confidence development, character building, extra English classes, extra Chinese and Indian dialect classes, and lots of other ways.

10%!. No harm. It is not even a political act to show respect to other ethnic education opportunity, but it is the least that you could do.

Systematic approach need to be in place to accommodate govenrment ‘sincerity’ on helping Malays. All this steps actually driven by the only factor of reducing economic diparities within ethnic especially for Malay as the majority population. The purpose of the act is to prevent any ethnic clash.
Now, to give full pledge of helping hand for a Malay to graduate with Degree in Diploma itself is not near sufficient.
Graduates with low score.
Graduates without job opportunity
Graduates with adequate score but with little recognition of the education instituition does not worth much either
Graduates with jobs but with double standard under-paid salary, not even enough to sustain living requirement and study loan repayment.
Graduates with low self confident?
Graduates with little or no communication skills?

The basis of this ‘aid’ still revert back to reducing ethnic economy diparities. What is the use of the degree when they can’t get a suffient job and make a good living from it? How do we expect Chinese and Indian employer to sincerely employ a Malay knowing Chinese/ Indian graduates had went on much tougher route and still successfully graduated.? Not even all Malay employer willingly employ a Malay. Most of the employment is coupled by lower salary pay.
Think!

UiTM -

I wasn’t aware UITM only meant for Bumiputra only. Frankly, I don’t see any reason why Chinese and Indian are not allowed to enter UiTM especially when limited to 10% only. At this age of modernization and toleration between ethnic, how could it be wrong.

I am not entirely with Malaysia for Malaysian concept especially on the stripping off Malay privilege part. Nevertheless, at certain aspect, the privilege does seem too much and a little flexibility wouldn’t hurt.

I do applaud to Tan Sri Khalid for his bravery on poking his finger into this ‘sensitive’ issue. I am also completely agree with the Datuk Seri Khaled criticism on the singular primary education system is more effective on racial harmony approach. In fact, I already voiced out my opinion on this on my previous ‘article’.

This issue however is not merely about racial harmony. Whilst our previous leadership see eye-to-eye on the importance of minimizing racial economic disparity, we now should embark on minimizing racial opportunity disparities.
Chinese and Indian have every right to enjoy at least a portion as oppose to none of our higher education opportunity. Malays on the other hand, have every right to earn a good job with good pays from Chinese and Indian company with lesser amount of double standard.

That is the truth about Malaysia system.

We know Malay proverb, ‘bertepuk sebelah tangan’ (clapping with one hand). It simply means just one side of table doing some action will not result to the desired outcome. On this Bumis versus non-Bumis, it is now in chicken and egg situation. Does Bumis waiting for non-Bumis opening up their tolerance and reducing double-standard perception or vice-versa. The truth of the matter is both side are surrounded with fear and insecurity of losing.

Corridors development – Are we serious about this?

Whilst WAWASAN 2020 stressing on balance of economic power with cultural preservation, Corridors development focusing on development alone.

Looking at the project criteria, Iskandar Corridor namely, I simply can’t compute the actual benefit of this massive development plan to the local resident and Malaysian.

Understandably, three main government obligations to the public are job opportunity (unemployment prevention), eradicate poverty and provide infrastructure.

Ever since privatization era, our government seems passing all the development cost to the public. The public partially fund the project, a body raised the total financial obligations and the public is forced to be the customer with little or no option to alternative.

Iskandar (or AAB lead government) has taken this step even further. Based on my understanding, this project is self-finance project whereby the ‘sponsor’ or ‘investor’ is not limited to locals or with local partnership but done in more open opportunity to foreign power. The benefits through tax exemption, red tape cutting, expatriation and foreign residency is massive. Without our political turmoil, if I am a foreigner with money to spend, I will not have to evaluate much deeper but to participate in this development.

Back to the three government obligations to the public, yes, this project will benefit Malaysian and local resident on jobs, rising living standards and maybe profited by the infrastructures.

It is not the benefit that I am worried about, but the consequences.

Improved local living standard will be subdued by escalating local inflation with flooded ex-pats that are in spending spree when they are here. Look at Bangsar, Kota Damansara and other semi-flooded ex-pat areas and how much is the cost of foods and goods there.
>Social destruction. Massive count of wealthy foreign man looking for entertainments.
>Lost of land ownership by the locals
>Cheaper foreigners will conquer Job opportunity for lower income segment.
>Double standard on salary pays for middle-income group. Ex-pat will be paid lavishly as always and the balance from the human resource spending budget to be segregated amongst the local employee.
>Local will dismissed themselves from the area due to high cost of living.
>This development will eventually burdened the locals and the area will be capitalized by foreign residence.

On immediate effect the cost of land ownership had increased tremendously throughout Malaysia. As the corridor covers north, south, middle, east and west, there are no escaping from this perpetuate property inflation. Coupled with food supply crisis and rising of rubber and palm oil commodities, the escalation is inescapable. On this aspect, I am particularly disappointed for the chances of people like me to own a piece of land for project or future investment is made impossible.

Looking from a broader aspect, I can’t find a valid reason why our government is very keen on type of development. First of all, the total cost run up to billions ringgit and we have no resource to fund such scale, thus foreign investor is needed. Secondly, we are quite healthy on country revenue growth, why can’t we stick to our finance capability and execute any project with full benefit potential to Malaysian rather than outsiders? Most importantly, where is our so-called wealth disappearing until we are depending so much on foreigners? And why do we want to go to high-risk development plan with uncertainties of world economy performance.

Recap to our economy blooms:
>Light crude oil revenue has quadruple since 5 years ago.
>Fuel subsidy mostly removed creating more revenues to government. More revenue fuel user.
>Oil palm and rubber export revenue has at least tripled. Thousands of poverty bracket group has been removed.
>All agriculture products price has inflated. More poverty bracket group has been eliminated.
>Almost all the new infrastructure is paid by ‘private’ and public is forced to contribute lavishly on usage of the infrastructure and services.
>Vehicle excise duty and sales tax still high.

Come to think of it, I can’t extract of where our nation revenue being utilized?
>Education – we are out-ranked by our neighbouring country.
>Medical – my company have been paying for my medical bills.
>Security – we are far from 1:250 policemen: public ratio. A lot of suburb areas does not even have police/ mini police station. I wonder why crime statistic is high?
>Defence – what do we have? More money been spent on Nuri maintenance and compensation to Nuri’s unfortunate crashed patriots.
>Controlling media?
>‘Dividend’ to MPs, EXCO, etc?
>FRU?
>Tourism campaign?Cleanliness and health? Look at our river quality.

Hire Purchase - should we surrender our car to the bank?

I bought a new car 3.5 years ago and now I am stuck with it. The car acceptable values the market worth about 20k but I have 25k on my outstanding hire purchase balance. During the acquisition, I paid 3.9k for the down payment.

I need a bigger car. I want to sell this car but I still have to pay extra 5k to the bank for the full settlement and down payment to the new car. Plus 6k for the new car down payment, I am exposed to 11k financial catastrophe to make it better for my family.

Part of the reason is the second-hand car value is crashing down. Ever-changing NAP does not help. 9 years loan still resulting me to pay quite excessively but the effect on principal knock down is far under the car depreciation.

3 financial institutions made a press statement for their intent to reduce our burden by extending the hire purchase term. As a result, our monthly instalment would be reduced but we would be further sink with the car to the grave. If this is the ideal car for my family, I would be very happy. I am sure a lot of people are in the same shoe as me, we can’t straight away buy a big car, and instead we have to climb the ladder. Now the ladder is broken.

The bank also stating that they are re-posses as much of 2500 cars a month. This equate to losses. The car re-sale value is low, lots of it in poor condition and there are costs of re-possession of hiring the bouncer to take away the key. This also represent 2500 potential customer being black listed. Minus figures for their liking. Not to mention the cost of storage and tender out the cars.

In the newspaper it was also stated that we could surrender our car back to the financial institution. After all, that would be what Hire Purchase mean to me. Whether our name will be blacklisted too by surrendering the car, I am not quite sure. Nevertheless, that is the solution that I am seriously considering at the moment.

Extending the term is not a solution for me. As I said, I need a bigger car.

I am more acceptable to interest reduction or elimination. The bank would have choice to reduce the instalment based on the reduced/-eliminated interest or giving us a fair chance to cope up with the depreciation.

A wise thing to do is to have the bank to make a better offer to us as I mention above. First, each of us need to do some survey of how much cash would you get by selling off the car. First, contact the bank to ask for outstanding amount, then go to a few second-hand car dealer to see how much they would take the car for and go to free advertisement column in newspaper or website to see the perceived market values. It might be worth to call a few of the private advertiser to see whether they manage to sell their car at reasonable timeframe, or that would their hope price for the car only.

Should the cash come out negative, I would like to call for unity on this activity. We need to start calling the bank again and state our intent to surrender the car, say in October after raya. By having high statistic, they have to re-evaluate their offers and bound to meet to our proposal. As we know, the car value is less and re-possession would create losses to them. What we are asking is for them to cut our losses and make less money on us without actually making losses on their end. Fair.

Actual surrendering the car in mass would create a big loss gap in the financial institution. For our economy sake, I wouldn’t want that to happen. But they must be conscious about our issues too. Therefore, a compromise is needed. We are thinking of them and they have to think of us. Should they ignore us, and then it will leave us little choice on mass surrendering the car despite the negative effect of their cash flow.

It is my family that I want to feed first, not our government, economy and bank.

Chinese holding the key for new government formation

PKR de-facto leader is about to make a re-entry to parliament. Chances of him losing the seat on the re-election are very slim.

BN have nothing to offer to the voters. Since the election, BN had failed to show or even focus to develop this country. All that public saw were Penang were punished by denial of the 4 billions worth project, Kedah with the lodging funds issue, Terengganu never ending royalty disappearance issue, Sabah no-confident votes awarded with multi-billions funding, Najib scandal and recently resurfaced MRR2 link.

As a conscious public, we have every reason to deny BN popularity and commitment. All we need is somebody else that would have greater offer to the public, not a threat.

PKR coalition were success simply because public does not want to vote for BN. Last election featuring Chinese and Indian voting for PAS and Malay voting for DAP. Without BN as the not to vote party, this would never happen, at least not to the scale.

PKR on the other hand were also filled with imperfection and far from purities. From nomination of DSAI brother opposing the no-crony concept, personal tender recommendation, RM100 millions pig farm and DSAI scandals clouded PKR integrity. Most concern is the significance of PAS-DAP coalition that seems out of the picture. Furthermore, ‘muqabalah’ and possible ‘muzakkarah’ with UMNO stir up PKR strength and DAP especially got very nervous.

The outcome of the re-election to me is inevitable. Regardless of PKR ‘issues’, UMNO issues and not moving forward attitude outweighed PKR issues by miles. BN know this and so is PKR. DSAI will be in Parliament (unless if the Sodomi case successfully fabricated). Winning is not even an option for BN as that will trigger more anger and question of government integrity on the election process. What UMNO would aim is merely reducing the majority count so that they could use that in their future campaign.

Back to the Chinese that hold the key, I truly belief the success of this new intended government is on the Chinese shoulder. Malay had shown their sincerity and willingness to compromise their biggest asset of bumiputra status and benefit, PAS had ease up on their Islamic country approach, and that left is the Chinese.

Precisely, I think it would mean a lot to Malay if Chinese (DAP) can do the following:
Oppose RM 100 million pig farm
Drop ‘fluent Mandarin speaking’ in their job requirement
Promote Halal food
Do not double standard Malays in job segregation and remuneration package
Stop viewing Malay as lazy and less intelligence

Where do I stand? I do not favour BN under Pak Lah. I think he is full of sh*t and care very little about the public. Malaysia made more money than ever and he is going to waste that money on the over-ambitious Corridor project, project that benefits outsiders much more than locals. I prefer Tun Dr. M above other leader or current future leader candidates, for his accurate vision (development, not people) and firm execution. Yes, he is not perfect but I think he scores between 8 to 9 out of 10, which is good enough for me. I can’t be fanatic about PKR for the reason previously described. I like PKR numbers in the parliament but WALKOUT for not agree with something is just too childish and that have to stop immediately. You can’t be a part of a decision if you are not in the decision making room.

May god bless our country and all Malaysian. For a country rich with natural resources, blessed with highly values crops and public that are willingly be ripped-off on ensuring highly profitable GLC, we just need a true and honest leader. Who can it be?