Believe it or not, this question raised Barisan Nasional ire in Parliament yesterday.
When yesterday’s sitting started and Deputy Finance Minister, Datuk Dr. Awang Adek presented the 2007 supplementary operating and development estimates totalling RM11.9 billion and explaining the details of the supplementary requests to the original 2007 estimates of RM159 billion, I stood up to ask for clarification.
I pointed out that under the Prime Minister’s Department, there was a request for an additional RM18.2 million expenditures for the 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations. However, unlike many other items where supplementary estimates were being requested, it was not possible to find out from the Treasury memorandum tabled in Parliament what were the original estimates which had been budgeted for the Golden Jubilee Merdeka celebrations.
I asked Awang what was the original estimates to which an additional RM18.2 million allocation was being requested.
Who would have thought that such a simple-and-straightforward question nearly brought down the House, with the Deputy Minister stubbornly refusing to do so and even threatening to refuse to give way to me to seek clarifications when delivering his winding-up speech the next day, with Barisan Nasional MPs creating a din and demanding that I should cease and desist and stop posing such a question as if I had committed something sacrilegious in Parliament.
I rejected Awang’s argument that he would give the answer during his reply as such information should be at his finger tips unless there were reasons why he was not prepared to be forthcoming about the original estimates budgetted by the government for the 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations.
I rebutted Awang’s argument that I was already debating the supplementary estimates in posing the question, as what I wanted was the most basic information so that an informed debate on the supplementary estimates could be conducted by MPs from both sides of the House.
In the event, the brute majority of the Barisan Nasional in Parliament prevailed and Awang did not enlighten Parliament as to what were the original estimates budgetted for the 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations and the BN MPs were very happy about their ignorance!
Awang told me this morning that he has the answer to my question which he would give during the winding-up of the policy debate on the supplementary estimates later today.
Why was he so coy about giving the figure when he was asked yesterday?
#1 by raven77 on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 1:43 pm
Mana ada duit………pinjamlah dulu untok jolly sekarang….kemudian boleh bayar……Hello Brunei….lu mau Sarawak balik kah……angkatlah…..berapa mau kasi ?…..apa lagi mau lelong….Johore sudah jual….
#2 by k1980 on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 1:47 pm
In the coming years, the BN govt will also refuse to entertain questions regarding the repayments made by PKFZ to the RM4.6billion “soft loan” given to it by the govt.
#3 by Justicewanted on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 1:47 pm
Two reasons
1.Got the disease from the rotten fish head, Mr tak tau and do not know the figure
2. The figure is so large when told the opposition will faint.
#4 by Jong on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 2:00 pm
Money not spent, is not going to be money earned!
Irresponsible and unnecessary use of the Jalur Gemilang – on fences, on trees and roof-tops, at rear of motor-bikes and by the butt of pillion-riders!
Is that display of patriotism? Where’s the respect for the country’s national flag?
#5 by sotong on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 2:01 pm
When one is placed in a position trust to take care of taxpayers money, one must be responsible and accountable as to what it was spent on and how much.
If one is responsible, one is accountable.
#6 by toniXe on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 2:16 pm
malaysia bolih ! semua ok ! tak tahu ! apa salah nya ? mari kita jom ! main mian aja !
#7 by smeagroo on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 2:44 pm
Just for security alone it amounts to millions. Now all cronies are driving big cars. So easy to get projects as long as u r connected.
#8 by cf233 on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 2:55 pm
let us all shout – ‘mau-duit-ka’ seven times!
#9 by shiver on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 3:01 pm
they dont want to tell because they tak tahu.
BN MP’s are really merry making idiots who has nothing better to do but just make a lot of noises.
merdeka feel good? they demolished the upper stands of the merdeka stadium to make the stadium look like 1957 for crying out loud!!!! who got the contract to do that? patrick badawi company?
i couldnt believe my eyes during the temberang night when there was MIC, MCA and UMNO flags flying!
bloody hell, who are we celebrating? BN or Malaysia?
Very dissapointed with the country leadership
kick BN out!
#10 by madmix on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 3:20 pm
Again, UMNO attitude: this money is OUR money, we will spend it anyway we want; this is not rakyat money; rakyat should be grateful we spend money. Don’t ask for details.
#11 by Toyol on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 3:45 pm
“Who would have thought that such a simple-and-straightforward question nearly brought down the House, with the Deputy Minister stubbornly refusing to do so and even threatening to refuse to give way to me to seek clarifications when delivering his winding-up speech the next day, with Barisan Nasional MPs creating a din and demanding that I should cease and desist and stop posing such a question as if I had committed something sacrilegious in Parliament.”
That’s because LKS caught him with his pants down. He had either no answers or was not given the green light to report them. Either way, its shows that PM’s promise of a clean government is all rhetoric and nothing else. The sorry thing is that they can do such things so blatantly and get away with it. WE NEED MORE OPPOSITION!!!
#12 by pwcheng on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 4:37 pm
Looks like they are blatantly abusing their power to the hilt. They are not prepared to be accountable for anything, especially monies from the rakyat. Why they are doing this (keeping mum) is too clear that they got shit all over their bodies and ad hoc expenditure like this is a God send bonus for many of the UMNO crooks.
So how to tell anything to the rakyat. They obviously cannot tell that some of the money has ended in somebody’s pockets.
#13 by citizen on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 5:41 pm
“Why was he so coy about giving the figure when he was asked yesterday?”
Err… my straight guess lah…
He was scared to face live dabate because he got no confident about the figures. He wanted to seek approval from his boss first before giving you the answer.
#14 by Fort on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 6:06 pm
This is the way they spend the tax payers money. No accountablity needed. when one dominant individual or group can rule with such an overwhelming majority for so long; what else do you expect?
Plenty examples in history show us what happen to those powers that plundered the nations wealth. Just take the eg. of Marcos. Yes took a lot! But toward the end could not even enjoy nice food, had to bring along his own banana and what not. Finally died of kidney failure in exile. Suharto is the other eg.
Corrupted leaders will fall! One of this day. Hope it is soon. The people will rise up to hasten the day. At the rate BN is going, I will give the most another 5 years to fall. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
#15 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 6:21 pm
“…//….Corrupted leaders will fall! One of this day. Hope it is soon. The people will rise up to hasten the day. At the rate BN is going, I will give the most another 5 years to fall. WHAT DO YOU THINK?…//…” – Fort
Let me put it another way:
1. Would the BN fall when those who otherwise will be voting against it or campaigning for others to vote against it are themselves lowering the boats and leaving the “sinking ship” emigrating under the banner of “Globalisation” to elsewhere to join the Malaysia diaspora?
2. If you were BN’s politicians, would you change your corrupt ways when you are assured that the best fight that those who oppose you will put up is likely to be flight?
#16 by badak on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 6:56 pm
AHH YOHHH.. Mana ada corruption, sekarang semua barang mahal.Mahu kasi crony sikit mah, Bangalow di London cukai pun sudah naik, girl friend di Paris ,Dan lagi satu di. London Mahal mahu jaga.Y.B Kit SIANG jangan bisin bisin ,Masuk BN lah, you pun boleh jadi kaya macam kita,sini bungalo sana bungalo, sini ada girl friend sana pun ada girlfriend,DAP tak boleh menang mah. You tahu orang Malaysia bodoh mah , Bila Plihan raya.orang kampung kasi satu sarong, orang estate satu bottle beer, orang bandar kita sebut May 13 ,kita sudah menang.Wang kerajaan ia lah ,Wang BN mah..Kita boleh buat apa kita mahu ,
#17 by badak on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 7:08 pm
As a MP, you can,t get a reply from Awang, regarding the budget ,How can we the man on the street do it,every project that is run by the BN goverment is filled with corupption.
IF CORUPPTION IS NOT THERE THE GOVERMENT CAN SAVE AT LEAST 60% OF THE COST.BUT THIS IS THE WAY BN DOES IT ,S WORK
#18 by democrate on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 7:28 pm
We hv a bundle of stupid BN MPs in the Parliament like Awang. did he pass his Maths paper i wonder! Stupid but still behave like a hero. YB Lim pls teach these bundle of stupid MPs to learn more from those MPs form China , Japan and Korea dan letakan jawatan if only answer TA Tau in the Parliament.
#19 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 7:46 pm
Since when our ministers and deputy ministers have to account for actions done and money spent?
Since when our ministers and deputy ministers, as well as BN MPs, have to give way to opposition MPs to seek or make clarifications in the parliament, even though there is a Standing Order for it?
Even way back in 1965, Lee Kuan Yew, then an MP in the Alliance-controlled ‘democratic’ Malaysian parliament, found out that he and other opposition parties’ MPs were always denied their constitutional right by the Speaker to reply or seek or make clarifications in parliament!
Nothing has changed since then.
#20 by raven77 on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 8:52 pm
boh-liao Says:
Even way back in 1965, Lee Kuan Yew, then an MP in the Alliance-controlled ‘democratic’ Malaysian parliament, found out that he and other opposition parties’ MPs were always denied their constitutional right by the Speaker to reply or seek or make clarifications in parliament!
Then….win Penang and declare independance…..
#21 by ADAM YONG IBNI ABDULLAH on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 9:00 pm
the money spent would have been better be provided for the poor, single mothers, the orphans regardless of race and religion.
this will be a more meaningful Independence Celebration, rather than millions to show the world how pompous we are.
the money spent would have been better to supplement for the toll and fuel increase , with a government for the raayat.
we have always gets our priorities wrong.
#22 by k1980 on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 9:23 pm
Should we thank the fools who placed this administration into power?
http://the-malaysian.blogspot.com/2007/09/malaysian-chinese-businessmen-urge.html
…they acknowledged that affirmative action policies were also causing concerns. “We don’t (oppose) the government helping the poor, but when (the poor can) stand up already, then we must let them freely compete,” Cheng told a news conference. Many analysts say that the objective of the affirmative action policy has already been met and that the Malays hold a substantial amount of national wealth. The government denies that with both sides providing conflicting statistics to make their case. Cheng stopped short of asking the government to review its policies, stressing that “if we go into detail, we’re going to quarrel.”
#23 by Godfather on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 9:43 pm
They will simply steal until there is nothing left to steal. And they won’t tolerate any questions regarding their theft.
#24 by cabby mabok on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 9:54 pm
The 50th Merdeka really has little meaning, they are trying to praise what they have done but if you look at Singapore than everyone realise that they have done nothing worth in the pass 50 years!
I would say spend the money on a tree planting day will have more meaning and worth spending.
#25 by Lee Chee Lek on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 - 9:58 pm
Maybe that is Islam Hadhari he is practicing and so does all those supporting him. Why don’t YB ask for other expenses rather than just for Merdeka celeb. eg. New Insurance scheme in Kelantan, milk scheme, free textbooks etc.? Maybe you’ll get the same reaction?
#26 by pwcheng on Wednesday, 5 September 2007 - 12:32 am
We don’t (oppose) the government helping the poor, but when (the poor can) stand up already, then we must let them freely compete,†Cheng told a news conference.
The problem is the more you have and the more you want and they have the power to take as much as they like and do not have to account for it. The sky is the limit and in this case even after reaching the sky I do not think they will want to get out of the comfort zone to compete.
So Mr Cheng, though you and me know that it is like asking for the moon, but you did it right to pass a message to them. We will now sit and watch their reaction and you can be sure those bunch of monkeys will feel like .Just watch how these envisage there will be some nasty words for you from
#27 by pwcheng on Wednesday, 5 September 2007 - 12:35 am
errata:
“We will now sit and watch their reaction and you can be sure those bunch of monkeys will jump up and down as though their bottom are on fire”. Period
#28 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 5 September 2007 - 9:24 am
Paya Menkuang had its own Merdeka Celebration and it did not cost the taxpayers anything. It even reflects the true spirit with all its ugly truths laid out.
They can spend RM100mil on the celebration and can’t spend a small amount to better manage the pig farms, instead focibly shutting things down. The lesson here? Ugly truth, even in wrapped out in state forms, brings out ugliness in everyone.
#29 by undergrad2 on Thursday, 6 September 2007 - 1:28 am
“…BN MPs were very happy about their ignorance!”
It is all about “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
#30 by Lee Chee Lek on Thursday, 6 September 2007 - 9:35 pm
I still don’t understand the issue. I can only ponder what it is about.
It is only celebrated once a year and so what’s wrong with celebrating it with a big bang. We all like to celebrate after all the gloom in 1 year. It is still smaller than the PKFZ. I think the BN must also invite all the opposition to celebrate and jolly together once a year. Jangan kedekut la.
If there is corruption involve again, then call in the ACA. If found nothing, then make it even bigger next year and this time invite also foreign parliamentarians. Maybe throw in too a visit to all the YB’s houses, palaces, business premises and show them what the celebration is all about. Mana ada malu. All honest decent gains from working a decent wage like all Malaysians.