— Ali Kadir
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 25, 2011
OCT 25 — Some of us sing the Negaraku with gusto, we fly the flag and proclaim ourselves patriots. But do we really care about Malaysia, care enough that we will do more than just sit and shake our heads when something so wrong and unjust and corrupt happens before our eyes.
I am referring to the Auditor-General’s report for last year and I am not talking about the sanitised version in the mainstream media. Does it bother us that:
* the RM142 million RazakSAT malfunctioned barely a year after being commissioned, and was woefully inaccurate. Why was it commissioned? Who approved it? Who made a bundle from this project? We will never get answers to this crucial questions and we will never learn? Because the accountability of our politicians and decision makers is zero.
* the Tourism Ministry overpaid RM270 million in advertisements because it chose not to go for open tenders. Guess what, the ministry breached Treasury regulations in doing so. Ng Yen Yen’s ministry also paid RM1,950 for a pamphlet rack.
This from the same ministry which overpaid for Facebook consultancy and everything else. So brazen is their flouting of regulations, they don’t care if they are found out by the Auditor-general or the police or the MACC. Would we tolerate such behaviour in our own companies or families? We would not but yet every year we are informed that the people we put in power are betraying our trust and we reward them with more power.
* Not even 1 per cent of computer labs in Sabah completed. Brilliant and the contract was awarded to TimeCom Holdings. I am not aware of any company which can miss its KPI by an ocean. I guess Sabahans are not aware that despite being a fixed deposit state for BN, it is treated this shabbily.
This is only a few examples from the Auditor-General’s report, there is the usual overspending by ministries and ballooning national debt. But do we care about this mismanagement and misappropriation and corruption and cheating and lying? Or are we just going to say : What can I do?
The fact is that there are many things that ordinary Malaysians can do. For a start, given that the local press will downplay the bad news, those of us who have access to alternative media shouls download or print out copies of these articles and distribute to our friends, relatives and colleagues.
We should pressure our elected representatives to ask pertinent questions in Parliament and we should push for more accountability.
Finally, we have the power of the single vote. I don’t know about others, but I am not willing for my hardearned money to be used to buy Birkin bags or private jets.
#1 by dagen on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 - 6:37 pm
Congratulation cintanegara. Looks like umno blasted another hundred million plus into space. I know you probably contributed nothing by way of taxes to that 100m plus now spinning in space, somewhere. Never mind. Someone would have to contribute. I do. So part of the 100m now floating in space is mine. It is alright. My duty. It is just a national service. And I paid. And I still have the take home part of my salary with me. But hey. That 100m plus. They were meant for people like you and your rambutan tree. That means part of that is yours. WTF. I suppose if you use a long enough pole you probably could hook the satelite down to earth. But remember to tie yourself to something heavy before you attempt that feat ok? Just in case. Know what i mean.
#2 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 - 6:55 pm
The only way to stop rakyat’s money from being squandered away is to change the tenant at Putrajaya in the coming 13th GE.
#3 by waterfrontcoolie on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 - 8:38 pm
Someone posted me a write-up on Gadafi on what he had laid down as social policy for the people, OMG, he actually did better than what we have had received all these years! And yet… see what happen to him! It is for certain we are real suckers if his action could be a yardstick for comparison.
#4 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - 12:44 am
Any wonder Y d number of millionaires in 1M’sia has doubled so fast n furious?
#5 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - 7:03 am
It is predictable that Najib will delay calling the 13th GE until public anger has dissipated.
#6 by k1980 on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - 10:07 am
RazakSAT is a Malaysian satellite carrying a high-resolution camera. It was launched into low Earth orbit by a Falcon 1 rocket on July 14, 2009.
An audit report released in October 2011 revealed that the satellite had failed after only 1 year of operation.
As of 2009, the Falcon 1 has made five launches. The first three failed, however the subsequent two flights were successful, the first successful launch making it the first privately funded and developed liquid-propellent rocket to reach orbit. The fifth launch was its first commercial flight, and placed RazakSAT into low Earth orbit.
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Is RazakSAT insured? And why choose an American rocket that has failed 3 successive attempts in launching?
#7 by KeenWatcher_01 on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - 11:23 am
Corruption to the core. All started by The Father of Corruption. They thing they can get away with it. If Malaysians do not wake up this GE13 to vote out the present government, it will be too late. God helps.
#8 by k1980 on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - 11:43 am
My only regrets is that RazakSAT did not take cintanegra’s rambutans with it into space.
#9 by AskChong on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - 9:52 pm
I care but just afraid can’t do much. This nation is doom to fail as the tactic by BN are extremely wildly dirty. Can we kick them out by vote coming GE13? Let’s give it a hard try.
#10 by tak tahan on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 - 10:37 pm
/Can we kick them out by vote coming GE13?/
Yes,if we as one united and truly patriotic Malaysian could do this.Vote wisely for future Malaysia and reject racist,corrupted,incompetent and good for nothing BN.Throw them out before we let them get us into mess situation,ie racial polarisation,religious disharmony and worst bankruptcy of nation.