I am flabbergasted by the speech of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to the monthly assembly of staff of the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya yesterday. There are three reasons.

Firstly, Abdullah is the first Prime Minister in the 50-year history of the nation to have given the official sanction to “moonlighting” in the Malaysian civil service, formally placing Malaysia in the footsteps of the Indonesian civil service well-known for “moonlighting” and corruption because of the low pay of the Indonesian government servants.

Although the Star headlined “PM: Don’t moonlight — Civil servants advised to budget and spend money wisely”, other media headlines are more accurate, such as: “Cut down on ‘extra jobs’ advises PM” (Sun), “PM: Outside jobs must not affect official duties” (New Straits Times), “Buat kerja luar jangan jejas productivity: PM” (Berita Harian) and “Gaji naik: Kurangkan kerja sampingan” (Utusan Malaysia).

This is because Abdullah never told civil servants to stop “moonlighting” but “to reduce such activities as they could adversely affect productivity”.

As Bernama reported, Abdullah said the government, aware of the problems facing civil servants in the lower ranks, had ensured that they got a higher percentage of salary increment compared to employees in other categories.

He said: “I’m aware that some employees in the lower ranks, especially those with many children, have to work at night selling nasi lemak, banana fritters or do odd jobs for additional income.

“I respect them for their diligence and the love they have for their family in fullfilling their responsibiities. I also understand that the wives too have to work to help make ends meet.”

Bernama reported that Abdullah however advised them not to do the part-time jobs until late night.

Abdullah has created history of sorts, as his speech is tantamount to an announcement to the world that the Malaysian civil service has fallen from the previous high standards five decades ago when it was regarded as of world-class standards. Read the rest of this entry »

Malaysians are very surprised by the revelation by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday that the government will be implementing a new public delivery system in 13 days. (New Straits Times).

Addressing Kuala Lumpur City Hall senior officials during a one-day tour of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Abdullah said he wants all state leaders and ministers to ensure that the government machinery is prepared to implement the new government delivery system in 13 days.

He said he gave the instruction at the National Physical Planning Committee meeting attended by all menteris besar, chief ministers and several ministers in Putrajaya on Wednesday.

Abdullah said: “I hope the ministers will follow up on the matter. This is important as we only have 13 days to go. We want them to monitor the state of preparedness to carry out the new government delivery system.”

This is a most extraordinary and cavalier manner to launch a new and major policy initiative like a new government delivery system — with the bulk of the civil service from all levels still in the dark and the 26 million Malaysian completely ignorant about the so-called new public delivery system, while mentris besar and chief ministers and “several ministers” were given the alert only on Wednesday!

Is the government capable of performing a miracle in 12 days time by June 14 to revolutionize the public delivery system which has been getting from bad to worse in the past four years? Read the rest of this entry »

The press today reports of the “crack-up” of another spanking new government building – the ceiling collapse of the RM450 million Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani which fell in two separate areas yesterday and on Saturday.

The New Straits Times story, “Hospital’s ceiling collapses” reported:

“In both the incidents, 28 ceiling panels came crashing down but no one was injured.

“On Saturday, 12 pieces collapsed at the men’s ward, about 1.45pm.

“Fortunately, the panels did not hit the four patients in the ward, recovering from post-surgery.

“The same day, eight panels fell at the lobby.

“At noon yesterday, eight panels fell into the pantry of the children’s nursery and intensive care unit.

“The pantry was vacant when the incident happened.”

It was clearly a fantastic run of luck that nobody was injured in the rain of ceiling panels — but no one should bank on such luck in future misadventures.

The Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital “crack-up” is the latest in a lengthening list of “crack-ups” of new government buildings, led by mammoth structures in the brand-new administrative capital of Putrajaya, followed by mishaps in Parliament after RM100 million renovation and the RM270 million world’s second largest court complex in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur.

It was only a week ago that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced a RM8 billion hike in civil service salaries and allowances — but it now seemed so distant, overwhelmed by one government mishap after another, that Malaysians are asking whether it is turning out to be a RM8 billion grand cover-up of government scandals and foul-ups of the public service delivery system. Read the rest of this entry »

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in Tokyo yesterday that the Public Works Department (PWD) is responsible for maintenance of government buildings and there should be no “finger-pointing” whenever a defect occurs.

Abdullah said: “I’ve told Samy Vellu that the PWD was responsible for matters related to maintenance, don’t quarrel among yourselves, it’s embarrassing.

“It’s alright if you want to talk it over and carry out the repairs jointly …what’s the point of quarrelling with each other to the extent of the people knowing.

“If there’s something wrong, talk to each other, cooperate and do it quietly… what’s the point of quarrelling in the newspapers, one says they’re responsible, the other says it’s your problem.

“Already people are unhappy with what has happened, who is to take responsibility and who is responsible have also become a public issue, two agencies quarrelling…this is not good.

“Whoever is responsible must have the sense of responsibility to make sure what it was responsible to do. It takes action, it carries out its responsibility.”

While the first public reaction is one of relief that the Prime Minister has finally broken his “elegant silence” on the RM100 million Parliament leaks, the latest in the litany of government building and public construction defects, Malaysians’ concern and even alarm about the effectiveness of the Abdullah premiership has not been addressedl

This is because Abdullah’s comments have only served to aggravate increasingly widespread public disquiet about the shambolic administration and the lack of effective and dynamic government leadership in the country, with many questions jostling for answer, such as: Read the rest of this entry »

by R.Q.

I’m a Malaysian who has been working in Singapore for the past 12 years. (And yes, I am a proud Kuantan-ite)

I just wanted to let you know of two incidents at the Kuantan IC registration department, and perhaps you may want to warn readers of your blog who are Kuantan residents.

Last April 2006, I went back on Good Friday to apply for my MyKad in Kuantan. After they had taken my photo, I was directed back to the counter, where I was told that I could not make my IC there, since the computer records showed that the last time I made my IC, it was in the Petaling Jaya New Town office.

I questioned the officer there, asking why my records could be accessed, but I wasn’t allowed to do it in Kuantan. A supervisor came over, and told me the same thing. Grumpily, I left, since I had wasted a trip there, and had gone back with the sole intent of making my IC.

In November, I made a trip to the PJ office, and upon submitting my application, the man behind the counter said “You lost your MyKad is it?” to which I replied “No, first time applying.” Then he said “You collected your MyKad in July, what. It says here.” And again I said “No, this is the first time I’m applying for it.” He then turned his computer screen to me, and asked, “Then who is this? This is you, right?” And to my shock and horror, it was the photo I had taken in Kuantan!

(At that point, I was too stunned to even know how the photo got there, and only recalled later that I was sent to the photo-taking counter before being sent back to the regular application counter.) Read the rest of this entry »

The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah, has set a golden standard of exemplary conduct for rulers and political leaders with moderation, economy and the people’s welfare as the top considerations.

Raja Nazrin has already carved a special place in the hearts of Malaysians with his scholarship and enlightened concerns for the people and nation as testified by his keynote address last month on “Prospects and Challenges for Nation Building” on the seven steps towards successful nation-building, in particular the first principle — “Malaysians of all races, religions and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun”.

The Raja Muda of Perak has now won the love and admiration not only of the people of Perak but of all Malaysians with his exemplary modesty and rectitude — wanting only a simple royal wedding with Zara Salim Davidson and declining to accept state-allocated funds.

His advice to the Perak state government to spend the money for development projects to meet the needs of the people as well as to companies and individuals not to compete to buy advertisement space in newspapers on the occasion of his wedding but to channel the funds for charity, especially donating to places of worship, welfare bodies, old folk homes, orphanages and schools in Perak, demonstrates the sincerity and depth of the Raja Muda’s devotion and commitment to the welfare of the people.

Raja Nazrin’s commendable example should remind Malaysians of a similar advice given by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he first became Prime Minister in November 2003, telling government departments and agencies to be simple and modest and to slash elaborate ceremonies and lavish functions, especially when a Minister, the Prime Minister or the Rulers are present. Read the rest of this entry »

I have sent an urgent fax to the Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu for on-the-spot safety assurance and demonstration that the RM1.9 billion SMART Tunnel is safe for use by the public not only on Monday, when it will start operation, but for the next few decades.

This has become even more urgent with more instances of government building and construction defects, with Parliament again leaking in some six places in the foyer outside the media centre this morning after heavy rain — a repeat of the disgraceful incident in April 2005 when Parliament had to be adjourned summarily because rainwater was pouring into the Dewan Rakyat Chamber as a result a ceiling collapse in a RM100 million Parliament renovaton contract.

With the recent unending series of mishaps in public buildings and construction projects, like the landslide in Putrajaya in March which should not have happened, the defects at the Immigration Headquarters and Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry buildings both in Putrajaya, the unfolding mishaps with every other day at the RM290 million largest court complex in Jalan Duta, and now the return of leaks in Parliament building, Malaysian confidence in the safety of public buildings and construction projects have reached a new low.

In this connection, was a certificate for fitness for occupation (CF) issued for the largest court complex in the world, and if so when. If no CF was issued, why was the court complex allowed to be used; and if there was CF, whether actions would be taken against those who had been so negligent as to issue the CF when there are still so many defects, including structural ones, which had to be rectified?

In the case of the RM1.9 billion SMART Tunnel, no margin of mishap could be allowed to happen,as life and limb would be at stake — unlike falling ceilings, leaking buildings and burst pipes which have so far luckily avoided fatalities or human injuries. Read the rest of this entry »

Public constructions and buildings have become a national scandal, with burst-pipes, collapsing ceilings, faulty air-conditioning systems in brand-new government buildings almost a daily shame.

As a result of we have the following two reports today:

• “”I have spoken until my mouth is dry’ — PM tired of talking about Terengganu airport maintenance problem” (Sin Chew Daily).
• “Judge loses his cool over faulty air-con” (New Straits Times).

The former referred to the cancellation of all night flights for two nights at the Sultan Mahmud Airport in Kuala Terengganu following a power glitch that caused the runway navigation lights to be switched off. The two-day closure affected six commercial flights and some 335 passengers were stranded on the first day. The Yang di Pertuan Agong and his entourage, who were to have left for Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night, were also grounded.

The latter referred to spanking new RM290 million largest court complex in the world in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur which has earned instant notoriety as the most mishap-prone public building — not only with collapsed ceiling, cracks on the walls, defective lift and toilet, and yesterday, High Court judge Datuk Mohamed Apandi Ali lost his cool with the frequent breakdown of the air-conditioning system in the new court complex as he was forced to postpone an appeal hearing. Read the rest of this entry »