By Leslie Lau
The majority of voters in peninsular Malaysia are against the proposed construction of the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka project, a recent survey by the independent Merdeka Center has revealed.
The survey, conducted between November 30 and December 11, found that 65 per cent of those polled disagreed with the construction of what would be the tallest building in the country.
Opposition to the project was uniform across all three major communities.
Sixty per cent of Malay voters polled disagreed with the project while 76 per cent of Chinese opposed its construction. Among Indians, 58 per cent were against it.
The findings suggest that a recent online protest on the Facebook social networking site was a fair reflection of public opposition to the project.
More than 200,000 Malaysians registered their protest on Facebook in a campaign launched soon after the project was announced a few months ago.
Last month, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned of a property glut that would result from the construction of the proposed tower.
Dr Mahathir had said that the government should consult the public before proceeding with the project, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when tabling Budget 2011.
Government investment arm Pemodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) had defended the RM5 billion project, saying that it would neither involve public nor depositor funds.
PNB has formed PNB Merdeka Ventures as a wholly-owned unit to undertake the RM5 billion skyscraper project on the land it bought from Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Berhad in 2000.
PNB paid RM310 million or RM220 per sq ft to buy the land, but the market value of the land has since appreciated to RM800 per sq ft today.
The land was initially given to UEM Berhad in exchange for the infrastructure giant building the National Stadium complex in Bukit Jalil for the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have also derided the grandiose skyscraper project as wasteful and accused Datuk Seri Najib Razak of trying to “out-Mahathir” Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir had embarked on a massive development spree after he took power in 1981 by building highways, the Penang Bridge, opening new industrial estates and oversaw the construction of the Petronas Twin Towers, the KL International Airport, the Sepang International Circuit, intra-city train lines, several ports, and the new administrative capital Putrajaya and its neighbouring Cyberjaya, which was central to the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project.
Najib appeared to distance himself from the controversial tower when he made it known that the project did not originate from him but PNB.
He nevertheless defended it, saying that it would have a “multiplier effect” on the economy and help drive it forward, in addition to providing an attractive commercial centre for Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera businesses alike.
In his 2011 Budget speech, Najib said the rationale for the Warisan Merdeka tower was similar to that of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, in that it would serve as a symbol of a modern and developed Malaysia.
The 19-acre development area of the mega project — which includes a condominium and a shopping mall — is sited on the car park and land adjacent to Stadium Negara and Stadium Merdeka.
Showing posts with label Public Funds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Public Funds. Show all posts
Friday, December 24, 2010
Monday, April 20, 2009
Umno can never learn
We just still cannot understand why BN-Umno still cannot realize and do not want to learn from their mistakes they had did and are still doing now.
In the case of Pakatan Rakyat, they did as per their principles and stand. Once they find they can no longer accept their elected representatives tainted with corruptions, they will remove them from office.
We see this as a noble thing to do as once you are perceived as tainted or corrupted, you will be always subject to threats and it will compromise your ethics and works. Apart from that, if you are tainted and corrupted, the institution that you are working for will also be affected as people may perceive the entire institution as tainted as well.
We all know that more people are getting tired with by-elections one after another but the people also knows that this is the right move to flush out all compromised representatives and leaders.
This is supposedly how our private sectors are doing it to their employees to ensure integrity of a company is not tarnished with such practices. And our country’s system should also be working in such manner to ensure integrity of public office is maintained.
From here, we could also see that Umno and its BN lackeys are still in denial mode. Their leaders, ministers, deputy ministers and mentris besar had been tainted and corrupted for decades and no one dare to take measures to remove them from office. And that is why the entire institution of the BN and Umno all over the nation completely tainted with corruptions, money politics, power abuses and a lot more.
And yet they still dare, shamelessly talk about other people who are out there doing their best to ensure their housekeeping is in order.
BN and Umno should look at themselves at the mirror first before they comment and condemn other parties for conducting their own clean up. In fact, BN and Umno themselves have been tainted for decades and they did not bother to ensure the integrity of their organizations are maintained but instead letting it spread from bad to worst in order to benefit and enrich their cronies and political allies.
Now, BN and Umno are complaining that they are running out of funds and money because of too many by-elections which they have to contest and blamed Pakatan Rakyat of playing politics in such way. If they are really short of funds or cash right now because of the previously several failed by-elections contests, then they should not contest in the upcoming by-election in the Penanti state constituency and let Pakatan Rakyat win unopposed. Don’t blame Pakatan Rakyat just because you cash and funds has been reduced.
BN and Umno should also realize that, knowing that they are going to lose most of the by-elections, they still stubbornly contested it and misused all the government machineries and funds to support them by providing the strongest ever resources to their candidates. Isn’t all these wastage of public funds and money?
And if BN and Umno were to realize their potential losses and mistakes earlier, they would have withdraw from most of the by-elections and avoid any further contests. With this, they will be able to help save billions of ringgit.
So, why blame Pakatan Rakyat for all your funds drained dry? BN-Umno should blame themselves and not Pakatan Rakyat and not the people for being “ungrateful”. Their mindsets, thinking and maturity are still behind time and they are almost outdated with no political wisdom at all.
It is a clear fact that BN and Umno are still in denial mode, they felt too hard and too difficult to change, to reform and diverse, and that is why they can never change at all.
Read more in our Bahasa Malaysia version.
In the case of Pakatan Rakyat, they did as per their principles and stand. Once they find they can no longer accept their elected representatives tainted with corruptions, they will remove them from office.
We see this as a noble thing to do as once you are perceived as tainted or corrupted, you will be always subject to threats and it will compromise your ethics and works. Apart from that, if you are tainted and corrupted, the institution that you are working for will also be affected as people may perceive the entire institution as tainted as well.
We all know that more people are getting tired with by-elections one after another but the people also knows that this is the right move to flush out all compromised representatives and leaders.
This is supposedly how our private sectors are doing it to their employees to ensure integrity of a company is not tarnished with such practices. And our country’s system should also be working in such manner to ensure integrity of public office is maintained.
From here, we could also see that Umno and its BN lackeys are still in denial mode. Their leaders, ministers, deputy ministers and mentris besar had been tainted and corrupted for decades and no one dare to take measures to remove them from office. And that is why the entire institution of the BN and Umno all over the nation completely tainted with corruptions, money politics, power abuses and a lot more.
And yet they still dare, shamelessly talk about other people who are out there doing their best to ensure their housekeeping is in order.
BN and Umno should look at themselves at the mirror first before they comment and condemn other parties for conducting their own clean up. In fact, BN and Umno themselves have been tainted for decades and they did not bother to ensure the integrity of their organizations are maintained but instead letting it spread from bad to worst in order to benefit and enrich their cronies and political allies.
Now, BN and Umno are complaining that they are running out of funds and money because of too many by-elections which they have to contest and blamed Pakatan Rakyat of playing politics in such way. If they are really short of funds or cash right now because of the previously several failed by-elections contests, then they should not contest in the upcoming by-election in the Penanti state constituency and let Pakatan Rakyat win unopposed. Don’t blame Pakatan Rakyat just because you cash and funds has been reduced.
BN and Umno should also realize that, knowing that they are going to lose most of the by-elections, they still stubbornly contested it and misused all the government machineries and funds to support them by providing the strongest ever resources to their candidates. Isn’t all these wastage of public funds and money?
And if BN and Umno were to realize their potential losses and mistakes earlier, they would have withdraw from most of the by-elections and avoid any further contests. With this, they will be able to help save billions of ringgit.
So, why blame Pakatan Rakyat for all your funds drained dry? BN-Umno should blame themselves and not Pakatan Rakyat and not the people for being “ungrateful”. Their mindsets, thinking and maturity are still behind time and they are almost outdated with no political wisdom at all.
It is a clear fact that BN and Umno are still in denial mode, they felt too hard and too difficult to change, to reform and diverse, and that is why they can never change at all.
Read more in our Bahasa Malaysia version.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Disneyland scandal in Selangor
The loser of the Umno youth chief race, Dr Mohd Khir Toyo had created yet another “good name” for himself and so does his fellow Selangor Umno leaders and their spouses.
Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and his fellow Umno leaders who formerly governed Selangor had spent more than RM1.7 million of public funds to visit two Disneyland theme parks in the United States and France with their respective spouses and children.
These two trips which were organized in 2007 and 2004 were in addition to the two other trips to Disneyland parks in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
According to the chief executive officer of the state investment arm called Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (PNSB) Datin Khairiyah Abu Hassan who attended the hearing conducted by the Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency, PNSB paid for all those trips in full sum on instruction from Dr Khir Toyo who was at that time mentri besar and PNSB chairman.
Datin Khairiyah also testified to the select committee that Dr Khir Toyo’s entourage which also includes their families merely visited the theme parks as ordinary members of the public. Besides, Datin Khairiyah also confirmed that there were no reports file in accordance with procedures after the visits.
And there goes another discovery of Umno’s blatant power abuse and corruption during their years of governance in Selangor. These Umno leaders together with their spouses made use of the public funds mean for the betterment and development of the state for their personal enjoyment and luxurious livings.
The Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency which will be reporting its finding to the state legislative assembly should take its action as soon as possible by reporting these power abuses and corrupt activities to the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).
However, we doubt MACC will act against Dr Khir Toyo and other Selangor Umno leaders because Umno is still in power at the federal level and MACC will have to act only on the jurisdiction of the prime minister. Will MACC act independently or not? We will not know until we see them doing it, but with full heartedly or half heartedly? Is MACC really independent?
And if MACC decided not to pursue with this case, we understand because Umno leaders powerfully reign supreme over the others. They are the supremacist and untouchable.
Another political barbarian from Umno!
Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and his fellow Umno leaders who formerly governed Selangor had spent more than RM1.7 million of public funds to visit two Disneyland theme parks in the United States and France with their respective spouses and children.
These two trips which were organized in 2007 and 2004 were in addition to the two other trips to Disneyland parks in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
According to the chief executive officer of the state investment arm called Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (PNSB) Datin Khairiyah Abu Hassan who attended the hearing conducted by the Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency, PNSB paid for all those trips in full sum on instruction from Dr Khir Toyo who was at that time mentri besar and PNSB chairman.
Datin Khairiyah also testified to the select committee that Dr Khir Toyo’s entourage which also includes their families merely visited the theme parks as ordinary members of the public. Besides, Datin Khairiyah also confirmed that there were no reports file in accordance with procedures after the visits.
And there goes another discovery of Umno’s blatant power abuse and corruption during their years of governance in Selangor. These Umno leaders together with their spouses made use of the public funds mean for the betterment and development of the state for their personal enjoyment and luxurious livings.
The Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency which will be reporting its finding to the state legislative assembly should take its action as soon as possible by reporting these power abuses and corrupt activities to the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).
However, we doubt MACC will act against Dr Khir Toyo and other Selangor Umno leaders because Umno is still in power at the federal level and MACC will have to act only on the jurisdiction of the prime minister. Will MACC act independently or not? We will not know until we see them doing it, but with full heartedly or half heartedly? Is MACC really independent?
And if MACC decided not to pursue with this case, we understand because Umno leaders powerfully reign supreme over the others. They are the supremacist and untouchable.
Another political barbarian from Umno!
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