R1.8 million six Facebook fiasco – Going by Chua Soi Lek’s logic, Malaysians must thank their lucky stars they had not been charged RM18 million or RM180 million as “creativity cannot be quantified”
Going by the logic of MCA President Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek, Malaysians must thank their lucky stars that they had not been charged RM18 million or RM180 million for six Facebook pages to promote tourism to Malaysia although facebook pages are free as “creativity cannot be quantified”.
Chua’s logic is impeccable when he said it might cost nothing to start facebook but “maintenance had costs” particularly when he stressed that it is difficult to put a dollar figure to the creativity of the IT consultants used.
If Chua is right, did the Cabinet at its meeting on Friday recorded its appreciation for the acumen and services of the Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen for only billing RM1.8 million when it could be RM18 million or RM180 million for the “unquantifiable” consultancy fees to start the six free Facebook pages?
Why then are there reports of Cabinet unhappiness at its Friday meeting over the Tourism Ministry’s latest RM1.8 million Facebook fiasco to the extent that Ng Yen Yen had to issue a late-night statement on Friday insisting that the Cabinet had accepted her explanations?
However, the conspicuous silence of the other MCA and non-MCA Cabinet Ministers (including the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who had earlier demanded that Ng explain to the Cabinet) had been so deafening that Chua Soi Lek had to come to her public defence – although Chua is not a member of the Cabinet!
What Chua did is not unexpected as he Is reciprocating Ng Yen Yen’s support for him when he was facing his great political crisis – but it does raise the question of propriety especially when Chua said he had asked Ng for Cabinet minutes of its Friday meeting on the RM1.8 million facebook fiasco.
Isn’t this a breach of Cabinet confidentiality and a violation of the Official Secrets Act for a Cabinet Minister to reveal Cabinet minutes without authority to a non-Cabinet member, even though he is MCA President?
But Chua is defending the indefensible! What creativity is Chua talking about?
Why don’t Chua ask Ng to invite those who started the “Curi Curi Wang Malaysia” to take over the “Cuti Cuti Malaysia” facebook as at 10 am today, there have been over 115,854 support for “Curi Curi Wang Malaysia” Facebook though started in less than five days since last Tuesday evening or some three times the hits for the official Tourism Ministry Facebook “Cuti Cuti Malaysia” started in May.
Malaysians cannot accept Ng’s self-serving statement that she has got Cabinet endorsement for the RM1.8 million splurge on six Facebook pages especially as the Deputy Prime Minister has gone public demanding an explanation from her.
Either Muhyiddinh or the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself should declare to Malaysians whether the Cabinet fully backs Ng in the RM1.8 milion Facebook fiasco and if not, what the Cabinet is proposed as remedy to the extravagant and reckless expenditure of public funds at a time of economic austerity.
#1 by hallo on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 10:23 am
For this 1.8m facebook webpage, Malaysian government admitted as the most stupid administrator in the world
No government in this world would paying this amount for facebook webpage especially it is free webpage for all
#2 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 10:45 am
They purchased armoured personal carriers at the over-inflated price of RM30 million each when the actual market price in the US is only RM10 million for each vehicle. What was the price paid to APCO for its 1Malaysia promotion campaign? Thats only tip of an iceberg in (say) defence expenditure: whats the cost to public purse on acquiring Scorpene submarines and associated logistics and training – one of which could not dive??? So what is RM1.8 million on creativity for facebook? So how can they take action against NYY or question CSL’s defence of her? In the whole scheme of the right to take advantage of patronage – by virtue of political ‘power sharing- on one wants to play up too much the application of NEP principles here = that MCA takes the public rap (disproportionate to the wastage). The only well known collosal number is that of PKFZ – over RM12 billion. Again ex MCA ministers were charged including bluffing the then wiley PM in cabinet. No one has details of how much of this RM12+ billion wastage is really attributable to misfeasance of MCA’s stalwarts and not others (undisclosed).
#3 by -e- on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 11:12 am
stupidity cannot be quantified too, not by the size of nyy’s and csl’s brain!
#4 by donng55 on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 11:18 am
Whenever political leaders talk drivel, such as above by Chua Soi Lek, it throws me back to what Morgan W. McCall says in his book, High Flyers (Harvard Business School Press): “There’re imperfections of organizational selection processes and those who reach the top of the corporate food chain are not always the most highly evolved.”
It also reinforces in me the belief that there’s a paradox in the idea of vitiated minds of politicians reforming themselves.
In an unselfish aspect, we’re sorry that Chua Soi Lek did not get picked to be in the Cabinet, because it would have been a bad thing for the rakyat in a worldly point of view.
In a selfish aspect, we’re glad that Chua Soi Lek asked not to be picked to be in the Cabinet, because it would have been a bad thing for the rakyat in a worldly point of view.
Here is a poser for MCA President Dato Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and others of his ilk: You say you care for MCA, you would do your utmost to protect MCA, and hence there follows a thirdly, “When will you stepdown for the sake of MCA?”
As I am told time and again by MCA that, by virtue of the fact that I am a Malaysian of Chinese origin, my business is their business – I HAVE SPOKEN.
#5 by k1980 on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 11:31 am
“It’s something that you cannot measure, not like the server and the software. That one you can quantify the amount.”
Yeah, old geezer chua. Just like the service provided to you to your personal friend Angela— you also cannot quantify the amount. By the way, how much of that RM1.8 million was your share?
#6 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 11:34 am
The real reason why CSL open his mouth the way he has its because NYY did him a favour when he got caught with his pants down. The problem CSL worsen the situation and NYY feels like the women in his video instead!
CSL should have known better to open his mouth on a subject he knows nothing about. He should have known this is not an easy issue to just slide by because his colleagues, not the brightest group around, could immediately tell the fraud that it is. Its possible, no likely, CSL, fatten on the ill-gotten gains from the stupidity of his colleagues, have forgotten that fact in his times of desperation of being cornered each and everyway these days.
Regardless, all CSL has done is proven that the entire top Chinese leaders in BN is hopeless with him and NYY at the top. They deserve each other seriously..
#7 by Godfather on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 12:00 pm
I read CSL’s response as “er hem…er er…ah ah…so so….er ar….hmm hmm…” Shameful for a president of MCA to try and gurgle like a new-born baby….
#8 by k1980 on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 12:13 pm
//#4..him and NYY at the top. They deserve each other seriously..//
No can do, says uncle chua. Me want Angela, not that old hagtel’s NYY
CSL should read this—-
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/fashion/scholars-discuss-weiners-behavior.html
#9 by monsterball on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 12:24 pm
If you can be educated by Chua Soi Lek’s logic…your brain is full of sheeeet.,
#10 by waterfrontcoolie on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 2:47 pm
As the saying goes” great men think alike but fools seldom differ”. The BN style of thinking is all alike! The basic objective is never waivered! Just learn to TRY to JUSTIFY the sum! Whatever it may be; but do remember, this is 21st Century! CSL, the more you open your mouth, the more sh.t will be thrown into it. MCA has really lost all creditability today with such jokers such leaders. Your CD delegates may be in the same mould as you but certainly not the rest of the Community you keep harping that you represent! We can’t insult our intelligence by being associated with you all; you better remember that.
#11 by boh-liao on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 5:33 pm
Yes, indeed, a big fat thank you 2 黄燕燕, 4 it could hv been worse, like RM168 million or RM1169 million, rather than d cheap cheap RM1.8 million
I help U, U help me mah, U me much happy lor