Let’s see how much of the 68 left goes into ‘anything-but-sports’!

Not a blade of grass has been cut, nor a single pile driven for the proposed Malaysian High Performance Sports Training Centre in Brickendonbury in Hertfordshire, UK, but almost RM1 million of public funds has already been spent.

On top of that, the supposed plan for the national under-16 football team to train at the Arsenal Football Club may not materialise.

The bulk of the money has been paid to St. Albans-based architect and town planner, David Lane Associates, which has sent two invoices — one for RM350,000 and another for RM450,000 — for “work done” to apparently transform part of the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC) into a mini-sports complex.

The amount does not include the travel expenses and allowances of sports officials who have periodically visited the architect and the site over the past eight months.

This is even before planning application to renovate the centre has been submitted to the East Herts Council.

The professional fees are expected to mount after the submission and when objection hearings take place.

Asked to comment on this, National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz gave his assurance that the expenditure was within limits and has been accounted for.

“We need to make this happen and all these expenses are necessary,” he said.”

Some commitments must have been given to some powerful people on the development of HLTC and what-comes-may, the HLTC has to be developed and the RM70.0 million spent. Otherwise, I cannot understand the twists, turns and spins, Datuk Azalina and her advisers are going through, to revive HLTC from RM490 million to RM70 million and training in Arsenal, etc.

Nothing but more of the same. As Ministers from UMNO they are not accountable to the people except to the party’s Supreme Council - and even then it is about who gets how much?

I suggest we look closely at the figure they call “refurbishments” - I am not surprised if some Ministers’ bedrooms in their West London apartments end up being refurbished to impress their Mongolian beauties.

The entire Cabinet will need to resign en bloc.

Government lies about Bumi Equity.

Nasioncom lies about inflated revenue figures. (see Malaysiakini news.)

Naguib lies about Brickendonbury (maybe other things too!)

MITI and Rafidah) lies about FDI. [BTW, NAsioncom boasts of Rafidah’s son link)

Sudah-lah. Memang frus!

rm70 million for a facility in UK, while textbooks for our nation’s future has to be scrapped - malaysia BODOH!

Just because he is Msia’s Defence Minister he thinks he has a God given right to associate his statement with the Gunners.

I’ve previously worked at Trafford House overlooking Old Trafford, watched MU’s (then) Div 1 every (well, nearly) home game, and European mid-week matches during Ron Atkinson’s time. Over those 3 years, crossing paths around the grounds occassionally past players as Bryan Robson, Ray Wilkins, Stevie Coppell, Norman Whiteside, Frank Stapleton, Gordon McQueen, Goalie Bailey, Arnold Muhren, Kanchelskis, Mike Duxbury etc.. in fact, the best United team NOT to have won the First division…… Despite my insignificant and most remote connection with the great club, I do not think DPM Najib has any greater or substantive connection with Arsenal, certainly not enough to make such a blatant misrepresentation about the training of a Msian U-16 team (do we have such a squad, anyway?) with Arsenal FC at TARRC. In commercial terms, I would call it dishonesty and gross misrepresentation, justifying termination of contract. How do we stop such an untrustworthy politician, a PM-in-waiting, no less. In Msia, he can barge his way around, but he forgot other countries peoples and local authorities don’t work with the “Malaysia Bolih” way.
Cantonese saying: Lor yan tey ke see fatt joh meen pei
Translated: Reflecting off other’s glory

The government has chosen to squander public money on grandoise activities which benefit just a few over the textbook loan scheme which can benefit hundreds of thousands of students. But still, idiots like those in Batu Talam refuse to evict it from power.