— Ali Kadir
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 13, 2011
NOV 13 — It is left to us, ordinary Malaysians, to show outrage at the thievery, corruption, mismanagement and subterfuge that is happening in our country.
Let us just ponder at what has happened since the Auditor-General noted that the National Feedlot project was a failure or on the verge of being a failure. First, you have the deputy prime minister downwards trying to convince Malaysians that the project was a success, with arguments that defy logic.
Then you had Noh Omar and Khairy Jamaluddin speaking up and defending the track record of the project and the main beneficiaries of the RM250 million soft loan: Shahrizat Jalil’s family.
Their defence of the incredible — the squandering of public funds — indicated that the old and new of Umno are joined at the hip by ignorance, stupidity and a seemingly endless acceptance of bad practices.
Then came the revelation that the holding company behind the NFC project diverted nearly RM10 million in federal funds to buy a condominium in Bangsar. A company with a mandate to develop cattle project dabbling in property speculation, or was it a case of some people siphoning out public funds to build up their property portfolio?
According to Khairy, who — to an outsider like me — seems mighty ready to prove that he is a reliable Umno man, said that the company did not want excess funds to lie idle. This guy thinks that we are dumb as the Umno people he mixes around with.
When government funds or a soft loan is issued for a specific purpose, it cannot be used for other purposes. Otherwise, can you imagine the rampant abuses that would be taking place?
Here is the thing that has been disturbing me: Instead of shining a light on wrong practices and even owning up to mistakes, Umno and this government are prepared to lie and defend the indefensible.
In this NFC case, it is because a minister’s family is caught in this mess that politicians and the media are all colluding to defend the abuse of taxpayers’ funds.
Is Shahrizat’s family the only one who obtained a sweet deal from the government? I believe this is not the case. Our ministers and politicians want leadership positions so that they can suck out the marrow from our country.
According to blogs, the son-in-law of our DPM is involved in the biometric scanning system for foreign workers. Doesn’t Muhyiddin Yassin chair the Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers? Was there a conflict of interest? Was there an open tender?
Did you read about this in the newspapers? Or course not, because they are collaborators in keeping Malaysians misinformed.
It sounds tough and despairing but the events of the last few weeks shows that we need to reclaim this beautiful country from the cheats and thieves.
#1 by ChinNA on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 1:12 pm
… shows that we need to reclaim this beautiful country from the cheats and thieves.
Well, 40% of the voters understood. the other 60% is still voting for BN. Pakatan machinery is not there yet for it to conquer Putrajaya.
#2 by ChinNA on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 1:15 pm
… and most probably PR antagonists will continue to have a field day here in this blog for the next 5 years or so.
This is not my wish but it will most probably come true.
#3 by k1980 on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 1:26 pm
//Is Shahrizat’s family the only one who obtained a sweet deal from the government? I believe this is not the case. //
We read every now and then about mca leaders ( not elected reps, but those who had lost in the GE and then appointed as BN ‘coordinators’ ) handing out cash amounting to thousands of ringgit at a time. Where do this money come from? Why should taxpayers’ money be channelled to these political rejects who are not trusted by the rakyat?
#4 by monsterball on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 1:26 pm
These crooks are expected to utter anything to sort of program less educated voters…that they are logical and sensible.
Khiary and Shahrizat must mumble ….grumbling…and talk cow sense.
You protect me……I protect you.
Team work is solid.
All can fool everyone or all charged with corruptions…..fooling no one.
Head I win…tail you loose.
People Power will soon chuck UMNO b into tong sampah.
#5 by limkamput on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 1:27 pm
By the time we talk about the abuse, corruption and thievery, it is usually too late. The project of this nature was designed and meant to siphon money from the government coffer. If Shahrizat’s family knows for sure they have to pay back the loans taken, do you think they will ever want to take the loan to operate this moronic project that is destined for failure? So no point talking about buying condo and what not now; the project is meant to be abused from the beginning. If we want to protest, we should protest when the project was first conceived. Remember the tuna fish project? Why is the opposition so slow to take up this case? It is the same modus operandi, but the amount involved may be even bigger that NFC.
#6 by Godfather on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 1:38 pm
I would not be surprised if tens of millions get diverted into investment in Greek bonds. The yields are really good. Can make much more money than herding cattle.
#7 by Godfather on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 1:42 pm
One of my Malay acquaintances received a RM 20 million grant for offshore fish-farming in Langkawi. He spent RM 10 million on the project, and used “surplus” funds to buy luxury cars and land. Then he abandoned the project and Noh Omar is now desperately seeking white knights to rescue the project. How is this different from National Feedlot except for the magnitude ? There are hundreds of such scams – all in the name of food production.
#8 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 2:13 pm
Huh? How can even this question be asked? People who accept such things have no right to ask for respect. How can anyone even think this can be tolerated?
#9 by k1980 on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 2:26 pm
Actually there are thousands upon thousands of rural folks who are like the proverbial frogs under the coconut shell (ie do not watch overseas news channels like CNN, BBC or the internet news media ). They really believe that malaysia is the richest country in Asia (!) and that Singapore is a beggar Bangladesh. These people will readily vote for BN when given a tin of milo (RM15?) and some coins.
Even when shown the proof, these people will never believe that the mamak … girl has been given a RM10,000,000 condo FOC or that the PM’s …has bought a RM75 million diamond ring.
#10 by waterfrontcoolie on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 3:25 pm
What is a few millions when we could afford losses in the BILLIONs? Very soon the MRT will cost $100 billions; just mention ONE Project in this Bolehland where there was no cost overrun! Every Project that we all knew of has overrun by a few folds; so the only solution available is to remove them from abusing the national treasury!
#11 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 3:48 pm
Surprising Khairy, a one time corporate financier of ECM Libra could say that NFC did not want excess funds – which are public funds from a soft loan to lie idle – so they can be used for private purpose, whether buying a condo, punt in stock market or derivatives or maybe placed in some investments of higher yields to just collect the difference between the govt’s nominal interest and the yields. Who cannot be rich like that doing nothing?
#12 by monsterball on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 3:55 pm
We will read their nonsense…laugh at their nonsense.
UMNO b politicians have no way to defend corruptions…so they utter some nonsensical stuffs…and their job is done.
Waiting for 13th GE…chosen as candidates and voted out…”It’s God’s will” will be their last comment..waiting for Judgement Day.
#13 by DAP man on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 4:18 pm
“… we need to reclaim this beautiful country from the cheats and thieves.”
But how, when the smallest of minds, together with the naive and the gullible can defeat us by their sheer superiority in numbers.
The future of this country will be decided by this group, the hanger-on (Perkasa) and allow BN will to continue sucking the marrow dry.
Ultimately, it will be the Malays themselves who will destroy this country.
#14 by monsterball on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 4:24 pm
“we should protest when the project was first conceived”
But where was he?…..ran away washing dishes in Australia.
#15 by monsterball on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 4:28 pm
Limkamput is a legendary….an “Arm Chair Critic” insulting everyone….now back at me.
#16 by monsterball on Sunday, 13 November 2011 - 4:37 pm
We cannot keep quiet over the nonsense spoken by Khairy and Shahrizat.
Both are useless no power …no influence politicians.
Khairy is the first Youth Chief with 1/3 of total votes. 2/3 are against him.
Shahrizat came back from the backdoor…loosing out to Nurul…a first time very young Opposition.
Now she hopes all forget and she talks about her rights to take part of the cake stolen from Malaysians.
What she really meant was.. that everyone in UMNO b party doing it……why can’t she?
Out come budak kerchil lend her support.
#17 by sotong on Monday, 14 November 2011 - 11:44 am
There are powerful interest groups who will fight to the end to preserve their free lunch no matter what the cost is to the country.
#18 by monsterball on Monday, 14 November 2011 - 1:41 pm
We will give all free lunch in jail…after 13th GE.
#19 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Monday, 14 November 2011 - 4:21 pm
Ali Kadir, can you please go tell some of these Ministers straight in their bloomin’ face what u think of them. I think they all need a shocker. I suspect u wud hv access to them if u want to or when u chance to.