No PAC report on Eurocopter and no PAC investigation into HSBB and BII scandals after more than a month


No Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on its inquiry into the RM1.6 billion Eurocopter deal has been tabled in Parliament today although the PAC Chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid had promised last Wednesday that the PAC report would be ready to be tabled in two or three days.

More than a month had passed since Azmi announced on Oct. 14 that the PAC would investigate into three scandals which had shook Parliament and the country – the Eurcopter helicopter, Bank International Indonesia (BII) and the high speed broadband (HSBB) deals but there has been no inquiry into the latter two apart from a most unsatisfactory inquiry into the first.

This does not reflect well on the chairmanship of PAC by Azmi.

Why is the PAC reluctant to go full-steam to conduct investigations into the propriety, accountability and integrity of the HSBB and BII deals?

I have just returned from Tawau and I can personally vouch that Malaysia’s present broadband network is a shame to Malaysia’s claim that boasts as being at the cutting edge of information and communications technology.

Whether in Tawau or in Klang Valley, it can be a torture to use the mobile broadbands available in the country, whether Maxis or Celcom, demonstrating Malaysia’s unique broadband contribution to the world of IT in having “snail-pace broadband”!

The PAC cannot be blind to the urgent economic need for Malaysia to catch up in having the most up-to-date broadband network and technology if we are not to lose out in the global competitiveness stakes.

Less than two months ago, Singapore awarded its next-generation high-speed broadband network (Next Gen NBN) in an international tender to the consortium, OpenNet to design and build an islandwide network offering 95 per cent of homes and offices Internet speeds of up to 1Gbps by June 2012.

What is Telekom Malaysia’s RM11.3 billion (with RM2.4 billion government subsidy) offering? Only 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps for residential customers and 10 Mbps to 1Gbps for business at high-impact economic areas and over a 10 year period till 2018!

Malaysia has already been left behind by other broadband powers like South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore and will trail even further behind with the RM11.3 billion HSBB contract to Telekom Malaysia, allowing it continued monopoly for another seven years without having to open up the last mile copper to allow other industry players to buy the “last mile” at a fair price and thus promote a full liberalisation of the telco industry.

PAC should step in now and force a review of the RM11.3 billion HSBB contract to Telekom Malaysia.

PAC Chairman Azmi will again be failing in his duty if he drags his feet and procrastinates further in conducting prompt investigations into both the HSBB and BII deals.

  1. #1 by Godfather on Monday, 17 November 2008 - 5:47 pm

    Are you kidding us, Kit ? Azmi to investigate his bosses ? No way, no how, no UMNO. When the stealing stops, the country will automatically go on the right track. But not before the stealing stops.

  2. #2 by Dr.Ken on Monday, 17 November 2008 - 5:56 pm

    Obviously , Azmi found somethings wrong in these cases, so that why he keep quiet about it. As I have said b4 , there is no such things as Independence agency/body in the Bolehland. the BN gov’t control everythings.

  3. #3 by dawsheng on Monday, 17 November 2008 - 6:17 pm

    “What is Telekom Malaysia’s RM11.3 billion (with RM2.4 billion government subsidy) offering? Only 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps for residential customers and 10 Mbps to 1Gbps for business at high-impact economic areas and over a 10 year period till 2018!”

    Pork barrel politics???

  4. #4 by rubini on Monday, 17 November 2008 - 6:32 pm

    They need figure out the 50 years contract distribution. If a contact is rolled out to cover the next 50 years requirement, then there’s no more contract.

  5. #5 by All For The Road on Monday, 17 November 2008 - 6:32 pm

    The PAC under chairman Azmi Khalid is a no-go in whatever they investigate and probe and as such is just a lame duck. It is so obvious he is dilly-dallying on the three cases at hand viz. the Eurocopter helicopters, the High Speed Broadband (HSBB) and Bank International Indonesia (BII) which is high time to be dealt with accountability and responsibility.

    Remember he is an UMNO man and a former BN cabinet minister and he has to serve his political masters and subservient to them or he will just get the boot and lose all privileges the next time around.

    Pakatan Rakyat MPs in the House shouldn’t let up, put pressure and pursue these cases up to the hilt until there is action and answers to be forwarded. The PAC should act fast and not take its own sweet time as if there is nothing to worry about. Literarily speaking, it is dragging its feet and sweeping the issues under the carpet!

  6. #6 by hadi on Monday, 17 November 2008 - 7:11 pm

    The government will continue to drag in the hope that you and the rest will just forget the issues.
    Keep the pressure until we get the truth
    Any other options YB Kit!!!

  7. #7 by cinaindiamelayubersatu on Monday, 17 November 2008 - 7:28 pm

    asyik azmi azmi aje. apa peranan tan seng giaw? apa peranan ahli pac yang lain ? mulut kena masking tape ?

  8. #8 by chengho on Monday, 17 November 2008 - 8:14 pm

    3 G licence was awarded to Maxis ,Celcom , MITV ( Berjaya group ) and Digi ( thru acquisation of Time)
    5 companies were awarded WIMAX licence
    A dozen also companies were awarded Broadband access last mile
    Why jump on Telekom HSBB when the above companies not performing.

  9. #9 by HB Lim on Monday, 17 November 2008 - 11:24 pm

    I thought the PAC is a committee of a few people. Why are the others not saying anything? Why the focus on Azmi? Can the other members of the PAC shed some light as to what happened in the enquiry?

    Kit has been saying that the Chairman of the PAC should be an MP from the opposition. Why is the PAC of the Penang State Assembly chaired by Jagdeep Singh Deo who is from the state ruling party?

  10. #10 by Jimm on Tuesday, 18 November 2008 - 9:42 am

    Aiyo , this guy married that TV lady …. using so much ill-gotten monies to but her heart over and take care of her entire families affair , businesses to her brother and sisters …
    who do go for the marriage of monies …?
    anyway, he’s one of those silence theives that evil enough to mulled you with a smile.

  11. #11 by dawsonruby on Tuesday, 18 November 2008 - 9:45 am

    In the Malaysia’s dictionary, there is no such thing as “transparency”

  12. #12 by frankyapp on Tuesday, 18 November 2008 - 1:20 pm

    Well guys,now you understand,why I said about smart hunters don’t set traps to trap themselves.Also I said that you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.BII,HSBB,EUROCOPER are three perfect cases to prove my view.What else you guys wanna me to say more ?

  13. #13 by Godfather on Tuesday, 18 November 2008 - 6:07 pm

    These are not very smart hunters, Frank. These thieves forget to switch off the lights after they have looted the bank.

  14. #14 by frankyapp on Thursday, 20 November 2008 - 12:51 pm

    Please don’t get me wrong,Godfather. You see these hunters, I called them smart because when they are trap by their traps,they have remote control divices to difused. Example Eurocoper,the divice is Azmi .

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