Wednesday, May 26, 2010

KTMB LAND DEAL – WHY THE HASTE?

The speed at which PM Najib concluded a deal with his Singapore counterpart over the proposed relocation of KTMB's train terminal at Tanjung Pagar to Woodlands is baffling. Once again, Malaysia have lost a historical landmark that has been ours since the colonial days, just by a stroke of a pen. Earlier it was the RMAF Sg. Besi airbase, and a few months ago, it was Pulau Batu Putih. What else is going for sale or lost, is any one's guess.

I do not know what all it takes for PM Najib to strike such a hasty deal with his Singapore counterpart. But as an ordinary citizen, I am terribly concern that this all important issue, i.e. the question of the nation's sovereignty is given a backseat. Nations go to war over their rights to retain land, and in the example of KTMB land deal, it seems a cup of tea was all it takes to conclude an agreement. Malaysians are totally ignorant as to how the deal was made, and by saying that Khazanah owns 60% of the deal in the future development of KTMB land is not enough to satisfy every right thinking Malaysians. The least PM Najib could have done was to raise this issue in Parliament.

Former PM Tun Dr. Mahathir had once remarked that it is not easy to negotiate and to strike a deal with the Singapore government, that is to our advantage. But in the case of PM Najib, it wasn't that difficult at all. What is so lacking in Tun Dr. Mahathir that he had so often failed in his dealings with his Singapore counterpart. And what is so obviously easy for PM Najib to appease his counterpart to accept an agreement, that has for years been kept in abeyance.

I know for sure that officials of the Singapore government are not dumb and stupid. They are the best crop of the nation, and it is not so easy to hoodwink them. They do not have people like Bung Mukhtar, or for that matter, the likes of Nazri Aziz as lawmakers. Each an everyone of them are scholars, and I think PM Najib knows this.

My only hope is that PM Najib does not get hoodwink by his Singapore counterpart in this KTMB land deal, and that the agreement reached is in the best interest for both Malaysia and Singapore.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

33 comments:

FMZam said...

I think we need Najib more than anyone else, we need him more than Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and Nik Aziz combined, to help bring down the BN decisively in the next GE.

Capt's Longhouse said...

hello PM !,

,,,tell you what since you find its too difficult to manage this country of yours (its ours tau) !
...WHY not just give up the Northern states i.e Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu back to King of Siam.
...mid-states, Penang and Perak to Sultan of Aceh.
...Central states, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Melacca to some Jawa Sultan in Indonesia.
...Southern state, Johore to Singapore.
...Eastern sate, Sabah to Philippine.
...Orang Ulu & Dayak state, Sarawak to Sultan of Brunei eeerrmmm ????.
,,,You can just manage Pekan or rather Pahang with your office high up Genting Highland or hand it over to your Bugis brothers ?.

It sure would make your life and living real easy.

SORRY, mind me saying that YOU are really the biggest pain and a joker of an PM to-date with no backbones at all, no wonder your VERY strange other half leads you by the nose !.

...Never in my wildest dream that our nation be lead by such poor characters like the likes of you and your power crazy mafia gangs in Putrajaya !.
Anyway, just start packing cos. we will address this issue in the next coming GE 13 and most of you guys will end up in the jailhouse for all the wrongs that you guys have willfully created. Most of us, have lost faith in you and enough time been given but nothing positive has been delivered by you to-date.
Or better still just resign from your post to save us the trouble.

Unknown said...

Wah Dato', one can really feel the venom in Capt Longhouse's comments. Hello bro' relax sikit lah. Janganlah pukul dia teruk2 sangat, siapa nak ganti?
Rest assured, mereka yg berkuasa tu ibarat penumpang yg menaiki kapal yg sudah usang dan bocor dimakan anai-anai... Lama kelamaan, tengelamlah mereka!
As regards the railway land dissecting the Republic and Tg Pagar, I am of the view that we have dragged our feet long enough. We should move forward because going back is foolhardy to say the least. And the deal struck by the govt seems to be sensible.
Be it as it may, we cannot deny the fact that Malayan Railway still hold a 700 odd year lease on the land, but are they capable of developing it. To my mind, no. So why should we behave like the proverbial dog in the manger?
True, when you think of the ease with which the deal fell through, one cannot help feel that we have been second-bested again as was the case with Pedra Branca and the crooked bridge.
However, we cannot view our tiff with Singapore from the narrow perspective of nationalism only. To be rational we must look at the issue critically through the prism of national, regional and the wider global interest. Only then we will not feel insulted or angry.
Further, while we cannot yet see the quid-pro-puo, I am sure it will serve Malaysia's strategic and economic interest.
So nak hentam adatlah, tapi we must remember he didn't start the problem. Lagipun Najib tu anak bapak dia; seperti juga Hsien Loong. Nampaknya ini gara-gara pakatan dua anak bapak. ha, ha.ha!!!

Unknown said...

gents & dato',

wat would u all think would be the best deal?

give your suggestion and debate it

F said...

Can't comment on how the deal would benefit Malaysia, or otherwise. But I do know that these issues need to be resolved in the near future. As a Singaporean said to me recently, when the present generation of Singaporean leaders pass on or retire, they will be replaced by a new generation who have less famility/sentimental ties to Malaysia and less feelings of affinity. If Najib or anybody else can't get a better deal at present, who's to say we can in the future? I suppose only time will tell on how much advantage the deal will bring to Malaysia.

Capt's Longhouse said...

dear dato,

,,,what would you expect from someone that allowed his political sec. to make rm480M kickbacks from the hard earned nation's fundings ?. Are we dealing with a devil in disguise here !. Is the killing by C4 just an imagination to others ?. Someone died or rather being murdered in direct relationship to this case too.
,,,What would make some nut to realise this craziness ?. Another bigger sell out !! Geez, what kind of stupidity of the lowest degree. We are going through the biggest con job in our short history or may i say memory ?.
,,,in exchange for pulau puteh with the KTMB land swap deal would at least be the minimum, if you were to ask me. Even that would be a give away in my books.
...an eye for an eye, yes indeed that's me and so be it !. Bloody nonsense going on, are we malaysian totally blind or something ?. Or just plain stupid. Am i getting mad for nothing too ! eerrmm....trusting qualities of malaysian or just chickeness. well, well, well...but its not o.k. honky dory-lah "kena gadai bulat bulat" what else to say ?.
...maybe just "BODOH" will be more appropriate ?..or bodoh sombung to be specific !.

i rest my case.

FMZam said...

Hughsen,

To debate? Why now when the deal is done? Why not before it's done? Ask Najib la, why on matters like MEB, GST, Subsidy he threw it to the people to give our views first? But when come to KTMB land deal, he made it as if this matter is his own matter "macam lah tanah tu bapak dia punya"? Najib didn't even bother to get cabinet's approval, what good to debate for us other than to lambast and blast all our bullets on Najib and that also won't do any more good.

Whether the deal will bring good or bad to our country is not the matter, and as said MB Johor the deal will not be a lost to us, it's not the matter. This is not a matter whether we gain or lose, that when we lost Batu Putih to Singapore had the MB Johor said we had lost and did he reacted accordingly to Pak Lah like a loser? This is a matter of sovereignty, win or lose is not for Najib to decide and not for MB Johor or anyone else to say we had not lost.

What a cartoon thought you all are to say the deal is not a lost deal when even when we lost Batu Putih and the two Oil Blocks we hadn't done nothing about losing it? Can't you see that this is UMNO's propaganda to give, as normal and as if you all don't know, excuses and to confuse the people when they make silly and costly BLUNDERS?. These are all their blunders so what better thing to say anymore about it?

Yes I too tend to buy some of the UMNO goon bloggers covering up the deal with rosy blanket, but in the first place why the cabinet was not being addressed as it should have normally been. All the good side of the reasons do not exornerate Najib the duty to tell the people first before he made the deal, no matter how good was it, when that good was only for his own good.

So I can say now that the deal is between the two prodigy sons of the two former prime ministers of the two countries who are now the prime ministers of their countries doing what their fathers had failed to do, GAMBLING their countries for the eventuality of ONE thing - there will only be ONE winner in the game where so far Singapore had been winning.

samsaimon said...

Bros all,
the truth is najib has shit in Singapore. The Singaporean with their uptodate intelligence knows very well that after GE 13, the PR is going to be in power.
To deal with PR with the like of Anwar, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal, their best brains wouldn't be a match.
So they have to hoodwink najiborosmah now to avoid later !

abdulhalimshah said...

Dear Dato' Arshad,
From past experience dealing with bilateral issues where national interests are at stake, the negotiating team of our country usually lacked the focus and preparation to match the opposite team. Frequent changes of people involved and lack of clarity on the depth of the issues as compared to the same people almost dealing with the subject-matter contributed to this fiasco.
Now as the Malay saying goes, " Nasi sudah menjadi bubur " there is not much that can be salvaged. Probably it would not be long before we see another blunder happening right under the nose of the Johore MB when Iskandar development will be taken over by Temasek.

Unknown said...

Great News yet More to Come!!

PKR TODAY PROMISES

"EXPLOSIVE DISCLOSURE OF THE SUNGEI BESI AIR FORCES BASE [TUDM] LAND DEVELOPMENT DEAL!!

HURRAY MALAYSIA!! VERY PROACTIVE / TRUE BUSINESS MINDED

Memang Maju Lah Malaysia

PLEASE SAVE THIS COUNTRY FOR ALL THOSE WHO NEED TO HAVE A TRUE PROPER LIFE!!

I LOVE MY COUNTRY MALAYSIA

PTendas said...

Very honourable gen. Arshad Raji,

Following up to my latest message dated back to latest 13/5/2010, I am still waiting to receive an E-Mail message from you.

Truly yours,

Pierangelo Tendas
Armi e Munizioni - Tecnologia e Difesa
Contributing/Field Editor
e-mail: p.tendas@edolimpia.it
Editoriale Olimpia SpA
Lungotevere Flaminio 60
00198 ROME (RM) - Italy
Phone +39 0645474902
Fax +39 0645474906
www.armimunizioni.com
www.edolimpia.it

Malaysian said...

What can we expect from the government? We know they are corrupt, racist, abuse power, etc. They promise us reform yet nothing changes.

They sold the Sungai besi air base to private company (who bought it).
They approve the football betting (who got the license).
They gave our land to Brunei (where is the money?).
Somebody killed Teoh Beng Hock? (Did somebody kill him)

What to expect from these people running the country? Maybe RPK is right about Malaysia is worse than Zimbabwe.

Salam

FMZam said...

Sdr Malaysian,

How would life be to the majority of us the common people of this country, when living is no longer under the blanket of Subsidy? Without having to tell the people the grim picture of the consequences of "subsidiless Malaysians", this government has driven home the point to scare the people by playing the idea so effectively cunning by some sort of a psychological warfare in disseminating their intention to the masses and let it works like poison into the mind of the people.

To me by doing so, with Idris Jala taking the charge in elaborating and deliberating the subsidy plan, this government is actually disguising its scare tactics in a "soft threat". So what can you expect from the government who uses Subsidy to pull the support from the people and stops at nothing to use it as the last resort to remain in power?

What do you expect from the government who just a year ago told the people that our economy is strong and now made a U turn to say our country will go bankrupt because of subsidy?

Just what actually bankrupting our country when all the monies we got from our oil, from taxes, from trades and from investment have been lost due to whose mismanagement it is, if not this government?

So what do you expect from the government whom we have trusted to manage our resources when all the trillion of RM lost is blame on subsidy?

When the subsidy is withdrawn, don't say we all are going to suffer a lot. No brother, it will not be the case, it will be the case where so many of us will suffer the worst because of the so few and that so few have been growing so fat that they will never feel the pinch to live without subsidy.

Malaysian said...

FMZAM

I do agree subsidy is bad for the
economy. However, I think our current budget problem is due to corruption. We all know we've corruption problem in almost all government agency. It's not a secret anymore!

Salam

FMZam said...

No Sdr Malaysian, subsidy is never bad for economy, it helps the majority to live with sense and cents, so don't blame the subsidy when the corrupt politicians made subsidy goes into their pocket FAT before it goes to the people THIN!

Malaysian said...

FMZAM

I disagree with you about subsidy. There is other way to help majority to survive.

We can both agree that it's corruption that bankrupt our country. Furthermore, we're spending too much money to help failed company such as MAS, Proton, etc.

Salam

FMZam said...

Yes Sdr Malaysian,

This government must come clean first of corruption and mismanagement before BLAMING SUBSIDY as the FACTOR as the sole factor to cause our country's bankruptcy. That was what I wanted to mean to say. Thank you.

Capt's Longhouse said...

Malaysian,

,,,i posted this in right2write, guess may i repeat it again here.

...,,,"its CORRUPTION that need to be morally addressed by the existing leadership, which unfortunately is just a bunch of just plain rubbish.
,,,We just need to replace the existing corrupted UMNO/BN team members plus also restructure the Governmental organization with honest/intelligent individuals too. Presently, most of them are just stupid lame ducks and bloody ineffective. (except for Idris Jala, i think he is trying his very best to address many of such issues…keep on going bro. !)
,,,Why should the Rakyat/Nation suffer due to these ungreatful and inefficient characters ?. We don’t own them a living, do we ?.
,,,Most of us have to work very hard and smart to just survive nowadays plus to properly educate our kids. Most of our savings, if ever any left is channelled for the kids higher education.
,,,Billions and billions worth of wasted projects, which has directly caused the government expenditure deficit by just plain inefficiency plus totally corrupted leadership…that’s my simple honest take on the root cause.

,,, indeed the “Subsidy Removal Threat” is a “scare tactic” as strategized by dirty corrupted politicians with pig’s mentality !…(rubbish eaters/makers)….presently nosed lead by one arrogent mdm Piggy. eeerrmm !!.

…I can just pray for the future generation-lah BUT i have indeed properly prepared mine with proper education. ( may God bless them). HOWEVER also telling them that success or failure in any business in life and living is caused by mental attitude even more than just by mental capacities."

i rest my case. What a bloody rubbish….yaa !.

Malaysian said...

Do they have any conscience on governing the country? They know how to manipulate our mind to divide the people between skin color and religion. Once again, they want to held "Bangkit Melayu" gathering. WHY???I'm not angry but sad to see my country destroy by people that preach they love "Tanah Melayu".

I may be powerless but I'm a voter. I'll vote with my conscience.I'll vote any politician that truly help us.

Salam
Anak Malaysia

Yap said...

Next to go will be kem sg udang and later terendak camp to petronas. Malacca CM is trying to put a stop to this???

Malaysian said...

Capt

Could you please be kind to share your view about Idris Jala? If he's a good politician then we all should know more about him. I think it's time for us to start listing good politician from both side of the aisle.

Salam

Unknown said...

Poor Idris Jala, first they plucked him from Shell at the apex of his career to head MAS, a job which he reluctantly accepted. Then after steering the sick airline back to health they enticed him with a Minister's appointment and to do what? The unpopular task of defining the performance of Govt Depts and Ministeries. Now the quiet and soft-spoken executive from the Kelabit Highlands has been given the gargantuan and unenviable task of reducing govt subsidies, WOW. All these in a space of 3 years.
We all all cannot run away from the fact that we have reached a stage that we take subsidies for granted. To cut them off, however gradually, would be a very unpopular move in anybody's language. Clearly, this time Idris Jala has a job cut out for him.
Once again I say poor guy; I wonder when he is going to stop being made used of. As head of Shell South East Asia, he would be drawing 3 times the salary of a full fledge Minister. Is the govt likely to give you a Tunship like they did to all wives of former prime ministers. The title have become so cheaplah...
However, on the brighter side, we can at least sleep with the knowledge that there is someone capable handling the delicatejob, For once thanks to PM Najib.
But what about those so called bright boys of UMNO?
The Hishamuddins, the Nazris and the Shapiees? Or have I missed out KJ and Mukhriz? Ha.Ha. Can't they stick their neck out for once and do something useful for the country? Or can they?
I guess these people are wise enough to know that they are unlikely to survive the heat.
Letting the 'fall guy' from Bario face the wrath of the kampong folks appears to be the obvious way out for them.
As a parting shot I have this to say. Dato' Seri Idris Jala, you have my best wishes. If there is anyone who can do it, you are it man. Good Luck...

Capt's Longhouse said...

Malaysian,

,,,Idris Jala as an Shell guy, is indeed a professional. As a politician ?..i don't think he bloody cares being one or not but will deliver whatsoever is expected as from his past records had shown.
,,,actually, he is the better person to act as our PM than that spoilt Tun Razak's son from the way i look at it. Idris Jala is a gentleman too and will always be one, as we all known him in Shell.
eerrmm Shell guys are good yaa !! hahaha.
YES indeed, To all my Kelabit bro....high five ! Selamat Gawai too.

Mohd Arshad Raji said...

Dear All,

Wira says it all....Poor Idris Jala. PM Najib has made Idris Jala a doctor to cure all the ills of this government. If it is cured, a pat on the back for Idris Jala, but if it turns sour, he takes the entire blame. Our ministers can rest assured to take a back seat, and no blame will befall on them. What a way these politicians have to escape blame. Once again.....poor Idris Jala.They have placed your head on the chopping block.

Unknown said...

To all patriots,
I drove by the KTMB in Tanjung Pagar yesterday for my final glimpse of the lost landmark. Just mark my words that the blueprints for the redevelopment the KTMB land was ready in the 1980s. I bet that th skyline will changed in just 24 months

benadam said...

Just look at the mainstream print and electronic media providing "scafolding" for najib's decision on this issue. Once I was invited to do the same after the goverment agreed to buy the mig 29. I just walked out of the meeting. Period.

Malaysian said...

It's a shame that people like Idris Jala can't do much to help this country. The culture of corruption is so bad that I'm not sure if we're able to curb it.

Is our public servant willing to fight corruption without the support of the political leaders? We can't rely on the politician anymore because they're willing to do anything to hold on to power. Anybody from public sector can share some thoughts?

Capt's Longhouse said...

Malaysian,

,,,don't give up with Idris Jala as yet, knowing him, he will deliver somehow that's the speciality of this highlander from Bario. Mark my words o.k !!
,,,but i will tell you what !.,,,unfortunately the present breed of UMNOputras lives and survive within their bloody corrupted system, though being able to distinguish between right or wrong was a relative simple subject but frankly it does not matter to this breed of so called human !.
,,,We were used to every action was supposed to be considered on its own merits, and thus justice could be applied to everyone regardless of their economic or social status in the 70th.
,,,unfortunately in present Malaysia today, however the guidelines for human conduct are based on circumstances; on rules or laws established by those in power, and designed by them to sustain and extend their power.
,,,Under this bias UMNOPutra system, individuals are not protected by absolute principles. Their lives and their fortunes are in the hands of changeable circumstances, as these circumstances were created by those in Putrajaya i.e. the corrupted authority !.
,,,Circumstantial ethics also meant that anything they could get by with was all right and did not leave a sense of guilt.
,,,Under this racist UMNOputra system, the overruling obligation was the APPEARANCE of doing the "RIGHT" thing; not actually doing it. Form took precedence over content and what you/me/others saw or heard was often a facade instead of reality.
,,,Morality in the UMNOputra context became something like a bloody show. The primary concern was NOT to get caught in doing something that would be criticized or for which you might be punished. DOING something WRONG was no big deal cos there was NO SENSE of GUILT !.
,,,my final take is the present UMNOPutra Power Crazy Elitist must be desolved and a NEW political system or party and members be recreated with new political leadership that value morality and respect of the law for justice to all Malaysians.
,,,Racial and in fact also religious based political parties should also be 'Out-Lawed' in this country.
,,,Perhaps a proper two party system might work ?.

i rest my case. (and am an apolitical type of individual unfortunately cos. i really don't trust politicians from both side of the coin).

To Idris Jala, i salute you for your efforts, keep it going.

Malaysian, i only served the Armed Forces for just 11 years, before which with an Engineering Company and later with the Offshore Helicopter Operators before serving an MSC for 23 years plus owning my own hospitality set-up for the past 20 years, which am finally running full time right now. So i have been through the mill, so to say from almost all sectors. The thing is, just don't give in to corruption...its within oneself. Never ever take a ringgit that you don't earn honestly or try giving any to anyone that don't deserve it too ?. Just give them a bloody kick on their you know where-lah. Hope that i have answered your question ?. Live an honest life o.k. ! and may God bless you.

Akuromeo said...

sorry my Sifu i'm quite buzy recently..hope u still enjoy ur life..May ALLAH Bless U Sifu

FMZam said...

Dear all,

Idris Jala is no politician, he's merely a plain minister and all of you are right, poor him to have to do what he has to tell the people about subsidy and bankruptcy. But mind you his position can be anybody's to have to say on those things if that was what he had been told to do, nobody's indispensable, anybody can be Idris Jala too in just painting about subsidy and bankruptcy without painting other than just what his master had asked him to paint, merely to serve his master's purposes. And as WIRA has said it, there are Hishamuddins and Nazris and Shapiees, then there are Idris Jalas too. Suffice to say a good dog to some are a bad dog to others.

To those of you who are lucky to be what you are now, never say others have not made efforts in their life to be lucky like you. Some people just work for any organization as the true workers without "moonlighting" while on the job so to find opportunities for a better life outside, until they reached their pension time to live on their meagre pensions. So stop boasting us with your examples about living your way out because not everyone has the chance to be lucky and not everyone can follow your way of living to be lucky in life the way you did. We can only hear what you are cocking but we know we have been doing the right thing to be good workers to our employers first, not opportunists.

So when you talk about agreeing with subsidy withdrawal, don't talk to show you can live it because you are lucky unless we all have started off from the beginning in a Subsidiless Malaysians right from the start, to now say you have faired all to be what you are now. Without subsidy, those present billionaires would not have been billionaires and without subsidy we might have been living with the cost of living of the Singaporeans where most ex military officers, let alone the ex NCOs, living under the poverty lines with their pensions!

Don't just read right2write, read the pro-BN and pro-government blogs as well, like The Scribe A Kadir Jasin as well and the Gerakan Anti PKR (GAP) Blog too and The house of Parpu Kari for all you care.

Malaysian said...

How much does it cost to run the government? As far as I know, we're one of the country that have most minister and deputy minister. If we want to cut cost then we must reduce the number of minster and deputy minister. Furthermore, we must have more transparency for our bidding system for government contract. If we've open tender system then it'll help a lot of bumiputra company that's not link to any political party or politician.

The government must tighen their belt before asking us to give up subsidy!

Also, another good reading link:
http://www.bakrimusa.com/


Salam

Malaysian said...

Previously, I read an article wrote by Raja Petra. He stated that it's because of NEP that destroy a lot of Malay businesses. The reason is due to contract offered to company that's link to certain politician. Is that true?

Salam

FMZam said...

Sdr Malaysian,

In this country we have two ditinct types of leaders, the natural and the manufactured, the natural are "born leaders", the manufactured are "leaders are not born, they are made". Between the former and the latter, we see more of the "manufactured" leaders increasing while the "natural" leaders are fast thinning out.

You're intelligent enough to know just how many "manufactured leaders" in this government that you can know one when you see one for there's a bunch of them around. I don't say they are not good but if most of us say they are good then how come we are in this deep shit? All I ask is just how the hell were they "manufactured" from what materiel and into what products to cause us to clean up nothing but all their SHITS all these whiles?

Now instead of keep on with cleaning their SHITS, why not we just clean them off this country?