Archive for category Good Governance
Putrajaya says ‘good faith’ shown despite lack of MRT land guarantee
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, Transport on Thursday, 8 September 2011
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 08, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — The government today insisted that it had shown “good faith”, contrary to opposition accusation, by agreeing to meet and negotiate with Jalan Sultan traders.
The traders’ lots are under risk of being forced-acquisitioned for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project. The government has refused to guarantee the return the land to traders once the project is completed, which the opposition says is insincere.
Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar brushed off the accusations today, and maintained that the government had shown “good faith’ by agreeing to discuss and meet with affected Jalan Sultan traders.
“(Although) we cannot give our guarantee, we have shown our good faith in negotiating with them and looking into that possibility,” he said.
“I think we have been fair, looked into all sides, after we have acquired there is a next process . A process of application, legal process…stratum titles. It’s good we never give empty promises. But we have made possibility for engagement, we are very sincere about this,” Syed Hamid (picture) told reporters here. Read the rest of this entry »
MRT project: Chinatown traders slam SPAD for broken promise
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, Transport on Thursday, 1 September 2011
By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 01, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Jalan Sultan traders, who risk losing property to the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT), have slammed the public transport regulator for going back on its promise to leave their buildings intact.
Spokesman Judy Tan said the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) should not have reneged on its promise to allow landowners to return to their buildings once construction of the planned station and tunnel under Jalan Sultan is finished.
“From what I understand, SPAD has no right to imply that the affected owners in Chinatown will stand to lose their properties,” she told The Malaysian Insider via e-mail.
“This should be said directly to our Jalan Petaling/Jalan Sultan committee at the recent closed-door dialogue with SPAD and not 24 hours later at another unrelated event.” Read the rest of this entry »
Pua threatens to sue Najib, Nazri for Tajuddin Ramli bailout
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Good Governance on Sunday, 14 August 2011
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 14, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — DAP MP Tony Pua threatened legal action against Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz today, saying they would be sued for negligence if Putrajaya fails to recover the billions in debts owed by Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP predicted the directive ordering all government-linked companies (GLC) to withdraw their suits against the former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chairman would likely see him escaping scot-free.
“If the current Attorney-General is unwilling to consider the above action against the Prime Minister due to the complete lack of independence of the former’s office, Najib can be assured that full, open and transparent investigations will be carried out by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government against his misdeeds should we secure victory in the next General Election,” Pua warned in a statement today.
“This is to ensure that those who have knowingly and negligently caused losses to the government’s coffers will be held accountable and will not be let off unpunished,” he added. Read the rest of this entry »
Tajuddin intervention – Is it “the bailout of all Umnoputra bailouts” ?
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Good Governance on Saturday, 13 August 2011
The two recent headlines of “Nazri says Tajuddin intervention could save Putrajaya billions” and “Najib: Tajuddin intervention ‘off-site’ solution, not settlement” have raised more questions than given answers since the public revelation that the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had instructed all government-linked companies (GLCs) to withdrawal their civil suits against the former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chairman Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli.
It boggles the imagination as to how the withdrawal of all suits against Tajuddin could save the Federal Government billions when it has entered the national folklore that it is the Malaysian taxpayers who are the real victims of the Tajuddin-MAS financial bailout in 2000 to the tune of billions of ringgit – starting with the RM1.8 billion government buy-back of Tajuddin’s 29.09 per cent stake in MAS at RM8 per share representing a premium of RM4.32 or 117 per cent over the market price at RM3.68 per share when the deal was signed on 20th December 2000 and followed by MAS police reports from 2002 that Tajuddin had caused the national flag carrier to suffer losses in excess of RM8 billion.
Are Najib and Nazri seriously suggesting that after causing MAS, the Federal treasury and the Malaysian taxpayers to suffer some RM10 billion losses, Tajuddin is still in a position to virtually hold Putrajaya to ransom to force a “global settlement” of all civil suits filed by GLCs especially MAS, TM and Prokhas (formerly Dahaharta) as to require the lawyers of all GLCs concerned to hand over their cases to a known Umno lawyer? Read the rest of this entry »
A-G must still prosecute Tajuddin, says Mat Zain
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Good Governance, Police on Saturday, 13 August 2011
By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 12, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — A former senior cop has called for charges to be brought against Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramlim saying the withdrawal of civil suits against the former Malaysian Airline (MAS) chairman does not indemnify him against criminal culpability.
Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim told The Malaysian Insider today that Putrajaya’s decision to settle with Tajuddin out of court and directive to government-linked corporations to drop their cases against the latter did not mean that two police reports and another made to anti-graft enforcers were nullified.
“Even if MAS and other GLCs were to drop all civil claims against Tajuddin, they have no or power to indemnify Tajuddin from criminal liabilities. For that matter, no minister or even the Attorney-General has the authority.
“In fact, police have recommended that several criminal charges be preferred against Tajuddin and few others,” the former Kuala Lumpur criminal investigation chief said. Read the rest of this entry »
GLCs upset with Nazri for misleading explanation in Tajuddin Ramli saga
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Good Governance on Saturday, 13 August 2011
By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 13, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Several government-linked companies (GLCs) are perturbed by Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s attempts to justify Putrajaya’s intervention into ongoing lawsuits against Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli and claimed the de facto law minister was giving out misleading information.
Nazri claimed an out-of-court settlement was the best solution. — File picA source close to several parties named in the lengthy series of suits and counter-suits involving Tajuddin pointed out that the former poster boy for Bumiputera entrepreneurship had lost his RM13 billion countersuit against national debt restructuring company Danaharta in 2009.
Among several documents obtained by The Malaysian Insider, a High Court judgment on December 7, 2009 showed trial judge Anatham Kasinather had awarded a total sum of RMRM589,143,205.57 to Danaharta, its two subsidiaries and its four managing directors named as Datuk Azman Yahya, Datuk Abdul Hamidy Hafiz, Datuk Zukri Samat and Datuk Kris Azman Abdullah.
The same trial judge had also dismissed Tajuddin’s RM13 billion countersuit against Danaharta and its agencies a month earlier on November 12, 2009. Read the rest of this entry »
When politicians plot, public gets shafted
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Good Governance, Transport on Friday, 12 August 2011
By Mariam Mokhtar | August 12, 2011
Free Malaysia Today
The fly-by-night people in charge of MAS are no better than a posse of cowboys. Why do we continue to tolerate the wasteful antics of our politicians who indulge in a game of real-life Monopoly and who use taxpayers’ money to bail out ailing companies?
In a perverse reversal of the saying “King Midas and his golden touch”, it appears that whatever BN-Umno politicians “touch” will always turn to dust and ashes.
This deal that is struck with MAS and AirAsia is another smack in the face for the public. What sort of responsible government allows such a merger to take place? By agreeing to this merger, the government has neglected to address healthy competition which in essence should benefit the airline customers, companies and the Malaysian economy.
Read the rest of this entry »
Bersih and the wider trust deficit problem
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Good Governance on Saturday, 16 July 2011
By Hafiz Noor Shams
July 16, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JULY 16 — Somewhere in Streatham, south of London earlier this year, I found myself slouching lazily on a couch watching the BBC with a friend and his still lazier cat. On television was the Egyptian revolution “live”, with protesters and government supporters throwing rocks at each other. Such was the lamentable state of Egypt that used to be the apex of human civilisation not once, but twice. Its deeply-flawed institutions had reduced Egypt into a state of anarchy.
“Don’t you find this impossible?” I think I asked my friend. “We know these protesters want Mubarak out but what about his supporters? Are their wishes less legitimate than those protesting on the streets?”
The reply came promptly, “The importance of a credible election. Credible elections are important in determining popular opinion. Nothing in Egypt has enough credibility or the competence to ascertain the popular opinion right now.” Read the rest of this entry »
GST only removes tax burden on ‘wealthier’ minority, says Pua
Posted by Kit in Economics, Good Governance on Saturday, 25 June 2011
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
June 25, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — Implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) while reducing the existing income tax will only benefit the “wealthier” minority, says Tony Pua.
The DAP national publicity secretary said that currently only 15 per cent of the working population earned enough to qualify to pay taxes, which meant 85 per cent of the country’s workforce earned less than RM3,000 a month. Read the rest of this entry »
British joint-venture gets Kelana LRT job for RM670m
Posted by Kit in Finance, Good Governance on Tuesday, 21 June 2011
June 21, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — A Malaysia-British joint-venture has won the coveted Kelana Jaya light rail transit extension project for RM670 million, operator Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad said today.
Prasarana said it issued the Letter of Award to CMC-Colas-Uniway (CCU) to undertake works worth RM673, 920, 651.04.
“The job entails the engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of system works for the Kelana Jaya Line Extension project,” Prasarana said in a statement. Read the rest of this entry »
Now Putrajaya hands LRT deal to UK firm ahead of Najib visit
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, NEM, NEP on Monday, 20 June 2011
By Shannon Teoh
June 20, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — A Finance Ministry committee has changed its mind by awarding the contract for the Kelana Jaya light rail transit (LRT) extension to a consortium led by British firm Colas, after controversially ordering a deal last week with another joint-venture.
But the committee’s latest decision continues to ignore the recommendation of LRT operator Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad for the contract to be awarded to a third company in the frame.
The Singapore Straits Times reported today that the joint-venture between Colas and CMC Engineering Sdn Bhd would be awarded the project, citing senior industry executives and government officials close to the tender as its source. Read the rest of this entry »
What creativity?’ Kit Siang asks Soi Lek
Posted by Kit in Facebook, Good Governance, Tourism on Sunday, 19 June 2011
By Shannon Teoh
June 19, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Lim Kit Siang mocked today Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s defence of the “unquantifiable creativity” behind the tourism ministry’s RM1.8 million Facebook project.
The Ipoh Timur MP pointed out that a Facebook page protesting the project has already garnered three times the support of the Tourism Malaysia ~ Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia page.
“Chua is defending the indefensible. What creativity is Chua talking about?” said DAP’s parliamentary leader of the MCA president’s statement yesterday defending Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.
The Curi-curi Wang Malaysia community page has raced to nearly 120,000 “likes” in just five days while the official Tourism Malaysia page is yet to hit 40,000 despite being set up in May. Read the rest of this entry »
“Creativity cannot be quantified” – Malaysians must thank their lucky stars it only cost RM1.8m
Posted by Kit in Facebook, Good Governance, Tourism on Sunday, 19 June 2011
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. Read the rest of this entry »
Bank Negara’s conditions tripping Abu Dhabi’s RHB sale
Posted by Kit in Finance, Good Governance on Sunday, 19 June 2011
By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 19, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Several new Bank Negara conditions are threatening the RM5.9 billion sale of a 25 per cent stake in RHB Capital Bhd between two Abu Dhabi sister firms, including the requirement that the new shareholder must support a possible merger with another Malaysian bank.
Two other puzzling requirements by the central bank is the request for Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) and new RHB shareholder Abu Dhabi investment fund Aabar Investments to adjust the sale price if the merger price is lower than the RM10.80 per share price agreed by both companies and the merger must not deviate too far from the market price so as to weaken the merged entity.
The Malaysian Insider understands that after the deal was signed on Friday, Bank Negara sent a series of harsh emails to to ADCB telling them to state the conditions imposed by the central bank in their press releases, which some bankers say is an aggresive and unusual intervention for such a matter. Read the rest of this entry »
Pemandu explains RM64 mil expenditure
Posted by Kit in Good Governance on Sunday, 19 June 2011
Regina Lee | Jun 18, 11
Malaysiakini
The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), raising eyebrows with its RM63.9 million price tag, has pointed out that the expenditure pales in comparison to similar programmes undertaken by multi-national companies.
In a blog posting on the Economic Transformation Programme’s website yesterday, it said that out of the total amount covering communications and consultancy work, only RM27.5 million was expended on communications.
Out of which, RM15 million went to communications regarding the Government Transformation Programme while for the same purpose another RM12.5 million channelled to the Economic Transformation Programme.
But without providing a detailed breakdown, the statement said that they embraced “open days, exhibitions, speaker platforms and other targeted ground activities, media relations, advertising, digital campaigns, investor relations, production of videos, brochures and collaterals”. Read the rest of this entry »
Soi Lek says Tourism Facebook pages incur more cost than personal ones
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, IT, MCA, Tourism on Sunday, 19 June 2011
By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 18, 2011
The Facebook pages operated by the Tourism Ministry are “complicated” and cost more to run than similar personal pages on the world’s most popular social networking site, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said tonight
The MCA president waded into the controversy surrounding the RM1.8 million paid for six Facebook pages by the ministry helmed by party vice president Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, saying it might cost nothing to start such pages but maintenance had costs.
He added that it was difficult to put a dollar figure to the creativity of the IT consultants used, which he suggested was the largest variable in the bill.
“That creativity, I don’t know how much they will charge,” he told reporters after attending a fundraising dinner at SMJK Chong Hwa here. Read the rest of this entry »
Isn’t a one-race civil service a form of apartheid?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Good Governance, Public policy, public service on Saturday, 18 June 2011
By Dr Boo Cheng Hau
June 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
JUNE 18 — I remember once, as a young medical officer, I was boycotted by operating theatre staff when I wanted stern action taken against a staff nurse who went for a kenduri when she was supposed to scrub for a surgery.
An assistant nurse had to cover up for her delinquent senior. Both the nurses — the one who had absented herself and the one suddenly forced to relieve her duty — were Malay. The young patient lying on my operating table waiting to deliver her baby was Malay too. And also Malay, the anaesthetist and other operating theatre staff who gave me the cold shoulder after I remonstrated with the matron. Read the rest of this entry »
Johor oil terminal in rescue talks with investor, says contractor
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, Johore, Oil on Saturday, 18 June 2011
By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 17, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — Asia Petroleum Hub (APH) is in talks with an investor to fully finance its troubled multibillion-dollar oil terminal in Johor, one of its main contractors said today.
Muhibbah Engineering Bhd said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia that APH “has identified an investor and was in negotiations with the investor to fully finance the completion of the APH hub project, including making due payments to contractors.”
Singapore Business Times (BT) had reported on Wednesday that financier CIMB Bank had placed APH under receivership over a RM1.4 billion three-year bridge loan granted in 2006.
APH drew down RM840 million for project costs but executives told BT that costs had escalated and APH was looking for investors for a further RM2 billion in new financing. Read the rest of this entry »
On Facebook, protest grows against Yen Yen
Posted by Kit in Facebook, Good Governance, Tourism on Friday, 17 June 2011
By Clara Chooi
June 17, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — A spontaneous Facebook campaign started by critics of Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen has drawn the support of nearly 90,000 Malaysians, almost a triple of those who follow her ministry’s official page.
The campaign kicked off on Tuesday evening, shortly after it was revealed that the ministry had spent a whopping RM1.8 million to manage its Facebook accounts. Read the rest of this entry »
Facebook fiasco earns Yen Yen Cabinet colleagues’ ire
Posted by Kit in Facebook, Good Governance, Tourism on Friday, 17 June 2011
By Clara Chooi
June 17, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — Already facing growing public discontent, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen was confronted with a hostile Cabinet today when she tried to explain her ministry’s controversial RM1.8 million outlay on six Facebook pages and was even told by some colleagues not to waste their time.
The Malaysian Insider understands several ministers also insisted against announcing that Cabinet had officially accepted Ng’s explanation, preferring instead to say they had taken note of it. Read the rest of this entry »
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