Petrol price savings - rakyat being conned to subsidize Supercorridors instead

It is ironic. Malaysians were informed that we were oversubsidized in our fuel usage and government unilaterally, urgently decided to raise the retail fuel price by 41%. This would mean more savings in these subsidies, decreasing the RM4 billion per month tab on the government. More media statements came out after that and one of it promises better usage of these savings by investing it in real alleviation of transportation woes. Though experts came out with their observations that those plans have bigger holes than the manhole without a cover, some people like me still take it at face value in intent. With this report on the RM9 reivew, it felt like a scam. It does mean that the billions saved per year from savings via petrol price increase is now being pumped into corridors. It means that the billions of ringgit ( from people) is now subsidizing the 5 corridors and not to improve transportation.

Tell me, who gets the contracts for these corridors?

It is terrible that Penang are being singled out. It is more pathetic that the rakyat is being conned to fork out more money to subsidize these cronies!!

The government will postpone the Penang Monorail and Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) project in a major review of the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP) despite adding another RM30 billion to the RM200 billion masterplan, officials said today.
Slashing the urban transport projects was meant to reallocate resources and mitigate soaring global crude oil prices, the officials said while briefing editors, denying it was meant to punish Penang for voting in the Opposition alliance of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) as the state government.
The briefing came a day before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tables the mid-term review of the 9MP in Parliament. Abdullah's home state is Penang where the 17km PORR expressway from Tanjung Tokong to Glugor costing RM1.5 billion has caused controversy.
The RM2 billion monorail plan, while generally welcomed by Penangites, has been criticised as one of the main bidders is Scomi Group Berhad which is partly owned by Abdullah's only son Kamaluddin.
The officials said Abdullah will speak about reviewing state projects and giving priority to people-centred projects particularly food security and housing. Some RM10 billion of the increased sum for the remainder of the plan will go to the five growth corridors promoted by Abdullah.
The government also expects growth to continue at an average of six percent until 2010 while inflation, which saw a jump to 3.8 percent in May, will average 3-4 percent for the 2008-2010 period.
- The Malaysian Insider

How much a Tenaga Chairman costs

More than RM1 million per year.

SAPP , the cili api with a massive knocking effect.

I hate it when mainstream media try to engage in character assasination. NST is the main culprit still, with headlines like "Double crosser" and stories of disloyalty abounds. Teck Lee of SAPP is then characterized as a person who is greedy, with the Prime Minister stating that the greediness comes from Teck Lee not contented with his offer of senatorship and some-lousy-what-is-it-about-ship. So, a person is greedy if he wants to grab on to a position? Then what about say, the post of a prime minister? Or a cabinet minister, along with a RM18K travel allowance monthly? Perhaps all senators are greedy then when they accept their job. Surely not. That brings us to the next level : Are they anything else offered to Teck Lee? Would that not be bribery?

And if all these 'things' offered and Teck Lee still goes on to decline and make his infamous declaration, would that be greed or plain stupidity? Many of us think that he is stupid and time will tell. I believe that he has come to a point where he knows what really matters and makes a point. This is brave, considering that no other politicians ( especially from Sabah) backs up their vitriolics with actions. Certainly, the issues concerning Sabah and Sarawak should not be swept under the table. Mismanagement in Semenanjung have cost us an estimated RM100 billion in wastage and certaintly it is affecting Sabahans and Sarawakians too.


KOTA KINABALU: Presiden Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP), Datuk Yong Teck Lee hari ini mengakui menerima surat tawaran jawatan Senator dan Wakil Khas berkaitan Kawasan Pertumbuhan Asean Timur Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Filipina (BIMPEAGA).Bagaimanapun, bekas Ketua Menteri Sabah itu menganggap tawaran itu sebagai "sogokan politik" supaya tidak terus menyuarakan isu-isu mengenai Sabah.Yong berkata, beliau menerima tawaran itu melalui "surat rahsia" daripada Bahagian Kabinet Jabatan Perdana Menteri pada 17 Jun lepas iaitu sehari sebelum Yong mengiystiharkan parti itu telah hilang kepercayaan terhadap kepimpinan Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan akan mengemukakan usul undi tidak percaya apabila Dewan Rakyat bersidang minggu depan."Sebenarnya tawaran jawatan Senator and wakil khas BIMPEAGA disampaikan kepada saya melalui Ketua Menteri Sabah. Dia (Ketua Menteri) kata kalau saya setuju, Perdana Menteri akan umum."Saya kata kalau umum saya tolak juga... jadi tidak manis, bagus jangan," katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.Yong berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas kenyataan Perdana Menteri semalam bahawa beliau telah menawarkan jawatan Senator dan Wakil Khas ke BIMPEAGA itu kepada Presiden SAPP.Abdullah berkata memandangkan Yong tidak bertanding pada pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lepas kerana tiada lagi peruntukan kerusi untuk parti itu, maka beliau telah memutuskan untuk menawarkan Yong jawatan anggota Dewan Negara.Mengenai kandungan surat daripada JPM itu, Yong berkata, beliau tidak boleh mengumumkannya sebelum ini kerana ia adalah surat rahsia tapi "Perdana Menteri sudahpun bercakap perkara itu"."Apabila saya dapat surat ini secara normal, saya cakap dengan Ketua Menteri, kalau pada masa kini kamu menawarkan jawatan, saya kata "adakah ini ditawarkan untuk tutup mulut?" katanya.Yong berkata, beliau juga tidak pasti sama ada tawaran itu tergolong sebagai satu amalan rasuah.Ditanya sama ada beliau akan membuat laporan kepada Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR) mengenai perkara itu, Yong berkata, beliau tidak bercadang untuk berbuat demikian."Tiada apa yang peribadi di sini tetapi saya hairan kalau dia (Perdana Menteri) cakap pasal personal greed (ketamakan dirinya)... saya tak pernah pun minta sama Perdana Menteri perkaraperkara peribadi."Cadangan senator ini daripada Ketua Menteri, saya kata baguslah... jangan kerana ini akan dianggap sebagai tutup mulut... jadi tidak betul saya ada personal greed."Saya kata kalau adapun, biarlah pemimpin SAPP lain yang layak (diberi tawaran itu). Waktu ada perjumpaan di Kuala Lumpur pada 13 Mei pun, Perdana Menteri ada cakap "kami mempunyai tugas untuk anda"... jadi saya dengar itu mungkin satu umpan, itu sebabnya saya tidak beri maklum balas," katanya. BERNAMA

From Malaysiakini
Cheras saga continues - toll operator vows to rebuild wall
May 26, 08 6:37pm
Toll operator Grand Saga has today vowed to rebuild the concrete barricade to block a toll-free access road to the Cheras-Kajang Highway in Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC).
MCPX
Notice is hereby given that the company will be constructing the barricade this week,” said Grand Saga’s executive director Zainal Abidin Ali in a terse press statement.Zainal Abidin, who is former Dang Wangi police chief, said that Grand Saga had constructed the barricade in 2005 “to prevent unlawful access” to the highway through the access road from BMC.
In April 21, the original barricade was demolished by the outraged residents with the help from BMC developer Narajaya.However, an attempt to rebuild the three-feet high wall by Grand Saga - for the third time - on the night of May 8 was abandoned after volleys of tear gas were fired at an angry crowd.Residents have accused the riot police of siding with Grand Saga in the dispute. Four days later, the residents failed to get the High Court to restrain the toll operator from re-erecting the barricade.Zainal Abidin (right) said the court, in throwing out the injunction, had noted that Grand Saga has the right to build a barricade “within its indisputable concession area”.“Members of the public are advised to respect the decision of the court,” he warned.The new Selangor government has however argued the area where the barricade was built on was part of state land and questioned Grand Saga’s right in erecting the barrier.

'My message to the police is - UMNO, and their toll operator and fellow corporate friends, do not pay your salaries'. In my former post, the writer wants to know why our police acted without restraint against the residences. What is the motivation that the Royal Malaysian police were seemed defending corporate interests than rights of citizens.

If the executive director of the said company was a former police chief, would that be a satisfactory explaination? In business world, it could fall into a RPT ( related party transaction).