DOES PARLIAMENT NEED A NEW BUILDING?

At a time when the nation is struggling with its ‘book-keeping’, talks of relocating the Parliament House to Putra Jaya is abuzz that will cost the government an estimated RM800 million. At least Khairy Jamaludin is sensible enough to break ranks, and to disagree with the proposal which he says the money can be used for more beneficial purposes; I suppose that to mean people oriented purposes.

It puzzles me to hear the millions to be used, with zeroes keeps adding at every new project. Where on earth do we get the money now, and from what I gather from friends working in the various ministries, their operating expenditure has been drastically curtailed? I was told by a school teacher recently that even duplicating papers are running short with some teachers having to buy papers from their own pocket. Schools with a filthy rich PIBG will have no problem of course, but is this the responsibility of PIBG?

The existing Parliament House is a historical landmark with its fine and well manicured garden that is prominently perched on a hill overlooking the city and with lots of greenery around it. It also proudly displays its deer stock that roams freely within an enclosed compound. What is wrong if the parliament building is renovated to accommodate a larger gallery to cater for an anticipated increase in the number of MPs? All these renovation works will not take up RM800 million. And my other concern is the fondness of the government to change something that is working well, and several millions have been used up for major renovations works over the last few years; of course not forgetting for the leaking episode. And does building a new Parliament House got anything to do with this country being a developed nation by 2020?

Rather than move Parliament House, why not think of moving Mindef to Putra Jaya instead, and the present complex be taken up entirely by the Armed Forces, thus giving some breathing space for the Armed Forces. At the present moment the complex is not Mindef per se, but it is also the HQ of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Joint Force HQ. And surely this will not take up RM800 million……….see you have some savings here.

I would like to suggest that given the tight financial constraint of the nation, let’s stop taking about grandeur projects for a moment. Think of creating smaller projects where more medium and small scale contractors can participate directly without having to take on sub contract works from the much larger contractors. More importantly, the project has a direct impact on the ordinary people.

I am told that the larger and costlier the project, the better it is for some because these super rich contractors being small in numbers, has a better chance of getting such contracts. It is the medium and small scale contractors who will be placed at the mercy of the super rich contractors.

And as I had mentioned earlier, it is the construction industry that is the most corrupt industry in this country. I just do not know how much of the RM800 million will go to grease the pockets of corrupt officials.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

THE UGLY PARLIAMENTARIANS

I am utterly disgusted with the antics of some of our parliamentarian in the current sitting of Parliament. Are they elected to throw scorn at one another and act no better than a court jester, or are they to debate national issues that affect the nation and its people?

Watching them open their big mouth makes me wring in anger. There is nothing worthy to speak of such parliamentarians, except to say that some ought to return to grammar school to be taught manners. Indeed I am disgusted, because some are schooled in the best institutions, raise by reputable families but sadly, their behavior in the august house of Parliament befits those stray beggars that roam aimlessly in the streets.

Indeed I am sad, because we Malaysians voted them to the august house thinking that they are the best to represent us, but now we feel cheated and decorum is just being thrown out of the window. I have now told members of my family to switch off the TV the moment recordings of the parliamentary sitting is shown, and to ceased reading anything related to the current parliamentary sitting.

God bless Malaysia.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION