Air Asia X Dropping More Routes

AirAsia X, the long-haul arm of AirAsia, Asia’s largest low cost airline has announced it will drop flights to Christchurch, New Zealand as part of the carrier’s plan to realign its network to meet demand better.

Will Syed Mokhtar End Up Owning Everything?

What is not owned by Syed Mokhtar? His acquisition of Proton added to his already vast business empire across practically all sectors. He now controls;

(1) DRB-HICOM, which controls (or has stakes in);

Proton;

EON;

Modenas;

Honda Malaysia;

Isuzu Malaysia;

Puspakom;

Bank Muamalat;

Uni Asia insurance;

Alam Flora;

Pos Malaysia;

KL Airport Services;

Glenmarie Properties.

      (2)  Malaysian Mining Corporation (MMC), which controls (or has stakes in);

          Port of Tanjung Pelepas;

          Johor Port;

          Senai Airport

          SMART Tunnel;

          Malakoff;

          Gas Malaysia;

          MMC-Gamuda JV.

(3)  Tradewinds, which controls (or has stakes in);

          Bernas (amongst its brands is Gardenia);

          Gula Padang Terap;

          Central Sugar Refineries.

Amongst the assets controlled by Syed Mokhtar include those of national importance such as Pos Malaysia, Gas Malaysia and the various ports.  Independent power generation is almost exclusively Malakoff’s; rice and sugar is monopolised by Tradewinds; and so is waste management (save for Selangor!).

My socialist instincts prompt me to ask the question why so much wealth is concentrated in one person. No doubt he is a very generous man who shares his wealth with the ordinary people, his philanthropic activities  bears testament to that but is it wise to have one person controlling so many of the nations strategic businesses?

SARA 1 Malaysia - 1 Malaysia Ponzi Scheme

“You cannot find a package like this anywhere else,” said Prime Minister Najib Razak at the launch of the scheme at Putra World Trade Centre.

The scheme, known as “Skim Amanah Rakyat 1 Malaysia” or “Sara 1 Malaysia”, allows households earning RM3,000 and below to purchase 5,000 units of Amanah Saham 1 Malaysia (AS 1 Malaysia) at RM1 each and earn guaranteed returns of double their investment after five years.

Under Sara 1 Malaysia, applicants can choose to invest RM5,000 of their savings to purchase the units or apply for loans from participating banks. According to the PM, those who invested in the scheme using their savings will be given a fixed dividend of RM134 monthly. But if they choose to reinvest it in the scheme, they will stand to receive RM13,000 at the end of the programme’s five-year lifespan.

Those who obtained loans, however, will have to pay RM84 monthly as repayment, leaving them RM50 to reinvest and a RM10,000 pay out in five years. The scheme is however limited to 100,000 households.

I immediately cried Ponzi when I first read the news.

How Much does a Scorpene Submarine Cost?

In 2003 the Spanish government ordered 4 Scorpène-AIP submarines for €1.76 billion, roughly 440 million Euros each 
(source: http://www.deagel.com/Conventional-Attack-Submarines/Scorpene-Basic-AIP_a000425003.aspx).

In 2005, India purchased six Scorpènes for US$ 3 billion (US$500m per boat). These submarines are to be manufactured under a technology transfer agreement by the state-owned Mazgoan Docks in Mumbai and delivered between 2010 and 2015 
(source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/12def.htm).

Malaysia spent €1.084 billion to purchase 2 Scorpène submarines. 
(source: written reply in Parliament by Ministry of Defence to MP Tian Chua on 22 June 2010).

The Spanish spent EUR440 million per sub; the Indians, EUR385 million per sub but we Malaysians paid EUR542 million for each of our previously unsinkable submarines!

Why did we pay much more than the other two countries? Is that why the French prosecutors are investigating the deal?  

Malaysia boleh I guess …

Image courtesy of Mak Hon Keong.

MAS Dropping Routes to Ensure Air Asia Gains Market Share?

That is a very long title. I'm talking specifically about the Kuala Lumpur - Surabaya route. From 6 January 2012, MAS no longer flies to Surabaya. Apparently it is one of the many unprofitable routes currently served by MAS. Not surprisingly, sister company Air Asia flies to Surabaya too. How come KUL-SUB can be profitable for AA and not for MAS?

While we're on the topic, is it true that MAS pays way above (high-end) market price for its nasi lemak? Is it true that suggestion to change the aircraft from B747 to B777 for the day flight to London was shot down by certain people upstairs because the 777 lacks a first class? Is true that MAS is top heavy and they are over paid? I'm not hurling accusations. I'm asking questions. 

If I was in the position to appoint a CEO to overhaul MAS, I'd probably hire someone (very) senior from the world's successful airlines like Cathay Pacific, SIA or Lufthansa. Chances are he/she may not be Malay and Ibrahim Ali will be furious. He will then call me a traitor and ask for my citizenship to be revoked. He will also say something stupid (as he always does) like 'MD MAS hak Melayu'. Let's not talk about Ibrahim, let's look at who made money from the skies last year.

Top 5 by Net Profit (ATW World Airline Report 2011)

1.         Air China

2.         Cathay Pacific

3.         Lufthansa Group

4.         Emirates Airline

5.         China Southern
Ethiopian Airlines is once again Africa's most profitable airline, according to 2011 World Airline Report by Air Transport World (ATW). For Fiscal Year 2010 which ended in June, Ethiopian Airlines made a net profit of 121.4 million dollars, ranking it as the most profitable airline in Africa by far. Second place South African Airways made a net profit of 78.9 million.

Ethiopian's revenue for FY 2010 was $1.3 Billion. In 2010 World Airline Report, Ethiopian Airlines was ranked the 16th most profitable airline in the world. In 2009, Ethiopian was ranked 25th in the World's Top 25 Airlines, appearing for the first time.

(ATW World Airline Report 2011) 


If Ethiopian Airlines can, how come MAS cannot??

UMNO Thinks They Own The GLCs

Yes they do. UMNO assumes all national assets belongs to them. Khazanah, PNB, EPF, FELDA, Tabung Haji, UDA, the whole lot is theirs. 

These people are so very stupid. 

Now Everyone Can Email

All Malaysians over the age of 18 now has a 1Malaysia email account. The ‘big brother’ seems to be getting bigger eh? Apparently, this brilliant idea to give all adult Malaysians an email account came from a Pemandu lab session.

Before giving everyone an email account, the government should ensure everyone has decent access to the internet. What good is an email account for someone without access to a computer let alone the internet? The poor farmers and fishermen would prefer fertilisers and diesel subsidies over email accounts anytime. IT savvy young people, I presume, would prefer the tried and tested gmail, yahoomail or hotmail. Most of us working adults have corporate email accounts which often double as a personal email account. Why the need for another account, username and password?

The contract to set up the infra for this initiative (which supposedly will allow direct and secure communication between the citizens and the government); worth RM 50million was given to Tricubes, a company currently being monitored by Bursa Malaysia under GN3 for accounting irregularities [find out more] Why award the contract to a troubled ACE listed company? Was there a proper tender undertaken? Why RM50 million?

I think it’s a bloody waste of money; those email accounts will be filled with spam and Nigerian scams. The only beneficiaries are those sharing the RM50million contract. The rest of us?

Ibrahim and the Chicken

Ibrahim Ali never ceases to annoy me with his harebrained ideas, suggestions and demands. Now he says [here] KFC must remain in Malay hands. By KFC he means Kulim Berhad and QSR Brands. I guess the Perkasa chief got spooked after hearing Ali Hashim say that JCorp might sell Kulim.

Doesn’t he know that YUM! Brand decides who they want to give the Malaysian KFC franchise to? So, if they decide to take it away from QSR Brands and give it to Ah Chong or Muthusamy, there is nothing Ibrahim Ali can do.

Secondly, if selling Kulim will enable JCorp to re-invest the proceeds into higher yielding assets, what is wrong with selling?

Thirdly, I don’t understand the pre-occupation with owning everything. I mean, I would rather own 20% of something that will make me RM100 than owning 100% of something which will only pay me RM20.

Fourthly, if I want something maybe I should work hard at getting it fairly. I shouldn't be using the federal constitution to demand everything to be given to me. If I work to get something, it will truly be mine.

And finally, when will Ibrahim Ali shut up?

Roman Abra-more-rich

Roman Abramovich is worth over £11billion. That is two ones and nine zeros. How do I know that? I read it on the internet of course, Yahoo news I think it was.

Apparently, in order to stand for election in Russia, one has to declare his/her wealth and since Roman aspires to be a parliamentary deputy (I’m guessing that’s the Russian wakil rakyat), he has to declare what he owns.


Our 13th General Elections is coming soon and I propose the Election Commission implement similar rules.

According to the web, Abramovich is Russia’s fourth richest man but according to his spokesman the declared numbers may not show the full extent of his wealth.




John Mann (the spokesman-n) says the numbers may not show the full extent of his wealth because it only shows the interest income on his bank deposits and not his full income. Wow!

Apart from the extensive list of residences in several countries, Abramovich's taste in cars may seem less opulent than expected. The most luxurious of the vehicles declared is a Mercedes S500L, but a four-year-old Volkswagen Golf fills out his garage. Abramovich's more majestic purchases, such as his four super-yachts and collection of private jets and helicopters, were however not disclosed in the report.

The declaration is unlikely to interest the residents and voters from Chukotka, where the average income is estimated at £11,000 a year.

Abramovich's fortune is mostly held in companies including Millhouse Capital, Eucla Investments Limited, Primerod International Limited and Chelsea Limited, which owns the Premier League club.

Some highlights of Abramovich's December 2010 declaration of wealth include:

Properties

Seven in Britain, two in the United States, three in France, four in Russia, and one in the Caribbean. Estimated total value of property: £300m

Cars

Seven, notably Mercedes S500L (2010), BMW 760Li (2010), VW Golf (2007). Estimated total value of car collection: £650,000

Cash and shares

£71.78m across 22 separate bank accounts, £25.48m tied up in shares

Ownership

100% of Chelsea Limited (football club estimated worth of £402.19 million), 100% of Lowndes Square Management Company Limited, 100% of Croe France Chateau de la Croe and Eucla Investments Limited, 25% of Primerod International Limited, 100% of Wotton Overseas Holdings Limited, and 100% of Camberley International Investments Limited.

graphic "courtesy" of soccerlens.com

Talent Corporation – Exercise in Futility?

JFK’s famous words were “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country”. Spoken like a true patriot. I won’t be surprised if the talents at Talent Corp use the same words of wisdom as their tagline to lure talented Malaysians back home.

The Talent Corporation, which has been tasked with encouraging Malaysian professionals overseas to return home, will start operating this month. The Government announced the appointment of Johan Merican to head the corporation which will headhunt Malaysians who want to come back and work.

The keyword here is who “want” to come back and work.

The question is; does anyone want to come back and work in Malaysia ?

Before we answer that question, we should first ask why they chose to work overseas in the first place. Unfortunately I do not have answers to that. All I can offer is assumptions. In choosing careers many factors come into play. I may be wrong but I think most people choose their careers based on what they studied in university. What they studied in university most of the time was either determined by their parents, peers, current trend, government policy or simply availability of university places or scholarship. No doubt some are lucky enough to be able to enrol in a course of their choice at a university of their choice but do they form the majority? I personally do not think so.

So, the hypothesis is: courses taken at university determine career choice.

Now back to the question of why those people chose to work overseas. For those with unusual degrees (unusual in the Malaysian context) like Marine Biology or Russian Economic History or Classical Drama & Latin, they have no choice but to seek overseas career opportunities as I don’t think there is any suitable career options for them in Malaysia (based on the above hypothesis). For those with typical/common degrees (law, economics, mechanical engineering, IT etc), choosing to work overseas is probably motivated by the financial rewards and/or professional exposure. For specialised professionals like the doctors and architects, working overseas not only enlarges their wallets but also enlarges their knowledge base and develops their expertise.

The next question is why do they choose to remain overseas? The obvious reason would be money. It is without doubt professionals are paid higher overseas compared to their Malaysian contemporaries. The cost of living may be higher but it is adequately compensated by the pay package and on top of it all, cars are cheaper overseas, apart from Singapore that is. But money isn’t everything.

So what is the real reason these people prefer to make a living in a foreign land? Could it be that the government policies are unfavourable? This could be true for the non-bumis who feel discriminated in terms of promotion opportunities (in government or government linked organisations) or when buying property. What about the Malays working overseas? What is their raison d’etre?

For those who are overseas for the money, I doubt Malaysian corporations are able to match their wage demands without disrupting the wage structure.

For those who are overseas for the experience and exposure, I doubt there are many Malaysian corporations able to give similar experience and exposure.

For those who are overseas to escape from the unfair policies, they won’t be coming back until and unless those policies are removed.

For those who are overseas because they can’t find a suitable job (with a decent pay) in Malaysia , they won’t be coming back until such jobs are available and pays a decent wage.

Fro those who are overseas because the public transport is better over there may come back once our public transportation system improves, IF it improves.

For those who are overseas because they want their children to have better education will stay overseas until their perception of the quality of education in Malaysia changes.

For those who are overseas because their spouses are not welcomed here (Israeli citizens for example), won’t be coming back at all.

For those who are overseas because they are bitter (with the government policies perhaps) might not come back, ever.

For those who are overseas because they are gay will probably never come back.

If the government are considering incentives to lure these professionals home, it would be unfair to the rest of us who are already working in Malaysia . For example, why are they allowed to bring back their cars tax free when the rest of us have to pay exorbitant taxes on our cars?

Students who were given scholarships to study overseas by the government or GLCs have a social and moral obligation to come home and serve their benefactors (read: taxpayers, stakeholders). It is grossly unfair for them to not come back; working overseas for extended periods would render them ungrateful and unpatriotic. These people should not be the target market for Talent Corp., instead; it’s the Attorney General’s office who should be sending them letters demanding repayment of the scholarship.

Often our talents are taken away at a very young age. Foreign universities and governments have and will continue to offer scholarships, jobs and eventually citizenship to our bright young students, especially those neglected and “rejected” by our government. We must have policies that will keep these gems from being lured away.

While trying to attract the lost talents to come home; the Government should also have an anti attrition policy to avoid existing talents in Malaysia from moving abroad. They can start with promoting an equal opportunity policy. Personal tax rates should be reduced to a “competitive” level. Basic infrastructure should be improved. The local education system must be of a standard where everyone agrees is good. Government policies should not be seen to favour a certain group over others. Taxes on cars should be reduced. Freedom of speech and thought should not be punished.

Is the Talent Corporation able to do all that? Or will it be another exercise in futility?

Schooled Out

Owners or directors of colleges are not required to possess academic qualifications, but their teaching staff must have the necessary qualifications in their respective field of studies, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

As such, he said action would only be taken against Kolej Antarabangsa Fazley (FIC) if it was found to have breached the conditions stipulated by the ministry.

"Many people who have set up colleges do not have high academic qualifications because that is not required. What is required is that when you conduct the course, you have the teaching staff who are actually qualified," he told the press after launching the International Lifelong Learning Conference 2010, here today. (Bernama)

Apparently (Dr?) Fazley obtained his PhD from a bogus institution. Apparently he got straight As for his SPM. Three years ago or so, Fazley who was then a famous motivator decided to take a step further by setting up his own school. He even got the University of Wales to provide accreditation for his his programmes.

The Hon. Minister says owners or directors of learning institutions need not have high academic qualifications. I beg to differ. They need some qualification and SPM does not count. Bogus degrees don't count either.

Secondly, it's all about credibility. A restaurant owner (or co-owner) is expected to have some knowledge of food, either how to cook, prepare or at least buy. Someone who doesn't know the difference between kangkung and bayam should not dabble in the restaurant business. Similarly, the owner of a auto workshop must at least know the difference between a spark plug and wall plug. In the case of Fazley, I'm guessing his marketing tool is apart from his popularity, is his academic qualification.

Education is serious business, we shouldn't just let anyone open up a college; there must be some form of quality control and screening. The future of our nation depends on the quality of our present education and having 25 year old degree holders teach 20 year old undergraduate is not the way to go.

Billion Dollar Questions

If PM Najib goes ahead with his 100 storey Wawasan Merdeka Tower, I'll call him the 5 billion dollar man. Not only will he beat Dr M by 12 stories (Petronas Twin Towers has only 88 floors), Najib will also beat Lee Majors* by a lot of billion Ringgit multiplied by the prevailing USD/MYR exchange rate. 

I went to school at the location of Najib's dream tower. If I remember correctly, there isn't much space left for a row of shophouses let alone a skyscraper. Unless of course he's planning to tear down the iconic stadiums. These are sporting facilities which I presume are still usable and probably are still being used. Maybe he's planning to tear down my alma mater to make space for his fantasy and being a Johanian, I won't be surprised if he does. 

Najib also wants to build an international financial centre somewhere near RSGC/RHB Centre. I'm sure the final details have yet to be finalised but if it does go through, I wonder who is going to occupy the centre. CIMB and BIMB have spanking new HQs in the city, Maybank moved a large chunk of their non-commercial banking operations to Bangsar recently and RHB is already in the "KLIFD". Last I heard JP Morgan scaled down their KL office. Yes, we have a few new banking licences but their immediate effect will merely involve relocating bankers from other Malaysia based banks to their offices and disrupting the wage structure in the process.  I personally know a few Islamic banking professionals who have successfully transported themselves to the Middle East. So, I ask again, who is going to occupy KLIFD? 

Traffic in KL is already worse than bad. These projects will only make it even worse. 


Another question is, who is/are the lucky contractors who will be getting these projects? We all know the construction workers from Indonesia and Bangladesh are the major beneficiary of these projects. I'm not sure how the ordinary Malaysians will benefit though.


*Lee Majors = The 6 million Dollar Man, a 70s TV series

New Yanks from New England

Liverpool FC have new owners from the same old country. New England Sports Ventures also owns the Boston Red Sox, who like LFC, has never won the baseball equivalent of the BPL for dog years until NESV came. The Red Sox tried for almost 100 years, which makes LFC's 20 year title drought nothing to whine about.

The former owners however have not yet given up the fight. They claimed to have spent GBP140mio and want it back. The players and coaches are relieved, the off field problems are affecting the on-field performance and now they can go back to playing football. 

Sports is now a big business. There is so much money involved in sports, it is dictating how sports is played. Back in the day, games in the English 1st Division (now known as the Premier League) were all played at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. There were limited, if any, live television coverage. We either had to go to the stadium (which was always full, unless you're a supporter of Man City) or listen to the game on radio. Failing both, we'll gather around the TV at 4.45pm waiting for the result. 'Darlington ... one ... Huddersfield ... two; Swindon Town ... nil ... Port Vale ... nil;' I was watching the result show in 2009 and realised that its the same voice I was listening to back in '92. Maybe the job requirement is you must sound like the guy before ...

Nowadays, big games hardly clash. TV wants to maximise the viewership because more viewers means more revenue so we can now watch Man U play Arsenal at 8pm, Liverpool play Chelsea at 11pm and end the football marathon watching Spurs lose to West Ham at 1am. The old system not only creates suspense but makes match fixing slightly more difficult. The new system opens the door to possible match fixing because after knowing result for the MU - Arsenal game, the bookies can attempt to manipulate the Liverpool game. 

Most top players are now paid obscene salaries. At an average of fifty thousand pounds a week,  each player on the pitch makes as much as two spectators in the stands earns in a year. When clubs pay that kind of salaries, they expect the players to put the club first before the country. Uli Hoeness, the Bayern President was so upset that Marc Van Bommel came back from the international duty with an injury, he told the player to remember who his employers are. At the end of the day, the national team suffers.

Money makes the world go round, thats why the Fed* is printing money all the time. Money may not be able to buy you happiness but it can buy you things (or people) that makes you happy. Everything is about money nowadays, everything is measured in monetary terms, which is quite sad really because I believe money is good, but its not God.

*Federal Reserve = Central Bank of USA

Letter to My Boss

Dear Tan Sri 'X',

You don't know me but I know you. I know you because I work for you. I'm sure you saw me at the open house we had last week, I'm the tall-ish guy with the goatee dressed in the blue Johor-style baju Melayu. 

In case you're wondering why I'm writing you this letter, let me reassure you that I'm not asking for a raise. Not that I don't want a raise, a raise would be good and while you're at it why not throw in a promotion as well. I would love to know how it feels to be an M2. Heck, why stop at M2, make me an M1 or a SM5 even, with a Camry thrown in. 

I digress. Any right thinking judge could see there was mens rea in my digression.

I digress. Again.

My real reason for writing this letter is to humbly request for a loan from you. I know you have a lot of cash lying around. Especially after you sold that company to the Singaporeans. I know you spent a bit of the sales proceeds on some stuff in the land of our former colonialist (yeah boss, show the gwailos who is boss!) but if my maths is right you still have a few truck loads of cash stuffed somewhere. 

Now that we have established that you have lotsa moola, can you spare me some loose change? I initially wanted to ask for three hundred million quid but that stockbroker guy from Singapore decided to spoil the party and come in with a 320 million bid so I need at least 330, maybe 350, tops. 

I was told you're a fan of Islamic banking so I would like to thank you in advance for granting this qardhul hassan loan to me. May you become richer and richer, especially after you buy that company and merges it with the company you already own.

You must be asking now why do I need so much money? Like you, I'm also a sports fan. maybe our sports differ but we share the same passion - sports. I'm sure you heard of the predicament faced by my beloved football club, Liverpool. If we don't pay RBS by the end of this week, they will put LFC under administration. How ironic! Wasn't RBS almost under administration a few years back? They needed the British taxpayers to bail them out. It's a funny world we live in eh, Tan Sri? 

With your money, LFC's debt will be wiped out and I will be appointed Chairman of the Board. If you're interested to sit on the Board with me, just tell me and you'll have a seat. We'll then go shopping for players and build a beautiful new stadium. I'll let you choose the contractor but you'll must promise to let me design the stadium. 

We don't really need that many players but we'll buy a partner for Torres, I'm thinking of Darren Bent or maybe Adebayor, since he hasn't got much to do at City. We need a good left-back and center-back, maybe Warnock, Kjaer or Hummels. The midfield needs some beef and flair, I like to see Marek Hamsik in our team.  

Until we get those players in January, this is the team I'll play (if I'm the manager, I have nothing against Uncle Woy):

4-4-2

Reina; 
RB - Johnson, CB - Carragher, CB - Skrtel, LB - Konchesky;

LM - Cole, CM - Gerrard, CM - Meireles, RM - Kuyt;

CF - Torres, CF - Jovanovic;

Subs:

Agger, Poulsen, Babel, Lucas, Jones (GK)

Please bank in the money into my account in Cayman Island. Your secretary knows my account number.

Thank you sir. God bless! 

2x5?

I’m very disappointed with MB Khalid’s statement on the support letter issue. I can’t help but feel he’s promoting the issuance of support letters despite a majority of PR lawmakers and the rakyat wanting it to be done away with. He may be right in saying support letters from elected representatives were not guarantees for obtaining contracts but if the rules, regulations and procedures are followed to the t, there won’t be a need for support letters, don’t you think?

The support letter culture is proof that doing business in Malaysia depends on “who you know” rather than “what you know” which can be quite unhealthy from the business perspective. In fact, it is plain unfair. Support letters are only needed by those people who cannot get contracts on their own merit hence the need for political interference. I mean, if the person is good and qualified, contracts will look for them.

The support letter culture is not limited only to business dealings; one can find letters supporting scholarship applications, welfare requests, land acquisition and even employment applications! Political appointment in the corporate sector does happen and sadly the deciding factor is not technical ability but rather the ability to manage the interest of the political masters.

I’m sure the culture of support letters and recommendations happen everywhere in the world and I myself may have benefited from them but that does not make it right. Such things may help initially but it should not be made a habit and dependant upon. We should strive to be in demand because of “what we know” instead of “who we know”. “What we know” will take us anywhere and on our terms but “who we know” will only take us where that “who’” goes, if he/she goes down, so will we.

Do We Need a New Building?

There is this ‘rumour’ that the government is considering moving parliament to Putrajaya; that is, if you believe The Malaysian Insider lah.

The MI report says that the government is considering moving the Parliament to the Putrajaya administrative capital, a move which could cost up to RM800 million. However, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told reporters that the Cabinet had yet to discuss the relocation. “It’s not decided yet. We will bring it to the Cabinet to be discussed,” he said. He added that the Cabinet would also look into possibly demolishing the current Parliament building. “We will look into every aspect. The Parliament is actually a heritage building so we would have to see if we could demolish it.

The minister said another option would be to refurbish the existing building, which would cost substantially less than a new construction. “We would need the RM150 million for upgrading [works], like fixing the roof and the electricity supply. while for the construction of a new Parliament [building], we might need RM800 million. So we will consider on the best proposal,” Nazri said.

This news/rumour is indeed shocking especially after we have been threatened with bankruptcy if we don’t cut down on our spending.

The current parliament building is one of the first national monuments built after independence. We shouldn’t even think of demolishing it. And what is wrong with convening our national assembly in that building? And what’s with this [bad] habit of demolishing buildings and erasing history? Who is the ‘identified’ contractor for the new parliament building? The existing building is a beautiful piece of architecture, why can’t we just maintain and preserve it for the future generations to enjoy?

Let’s not waste money la ok? We don’t need a new parliament building.

WWF’s SOS (Save Our Seafood)

The World Wildlife Fund recently produced a leaflet listing down the types of seafood we should avoid, not for health reasons but for environmental reasons. Some of the seafood in our waters has been over harvested for the past 20 years and if we do not contribute to ensure their continuous existence, our children might not be able to enjoy delicacies from the ocean that we take for granted today.

Below is some of the species we should avoid over consuming because their numbers are dwindling very fast:

• Silver Pomfret (Bawal Putih) – shouldn’t it be Bawal Perak or White Pomfret?
• Black Pomfret (Bawal Hitam)
• Ray (Pari)
• Threadfin Breams (Kerisi)
• Dorab Wolf-Herring (Parang)
• Flounder (Ikan Sebelah)
• Silver Sillago (Bulus)
• Indian Squid
• Needle Cuttlefish
• Mud Spiny Lobster (Udang Karang)
• Slipper Lobster (Udang Lobok)
• Most types of Grouper
• Brownstripe Red Snapper (Kunyit)

Below is the species we should think twice before consuming:

• Terubuk
• Timun Laut
• Jenahak (my favourite L) (John's Snapper)
• Senangin
• Ketam Bunga
• Ikan Merah
• Udang Putih (Banana Prawn)
• Siakap
• Udang Harimau

The following seafood is currently still in abundance, so I guess we can enjoy them as we please, for now:

• Lala
• Ikan Bilis
• Selar kuning
• Sotong Mengabang
• Belanak
• Tongkol (Tuna)
• Kembong (Indian Mackerel)
• Tenggiri (Spanish Mackerel)
• Cencaru
• Siakap Merah
• Bawal Emas
• Kupang
• Tiram
• Ketam Batu
• Kerapu Tikus
• Kerapu Kertang

What about fish farming? I’m sure they taste almost the same so why can’t we only consume fish/seafood from farms instead of from the ocean? After all we are already eating farm chicken, beef and lamb. The Tilapia (fried crispy) is a fresh water fish but not found in the wild, all the Tilapias sold in this country are from fish farms. I’m sure most of the prawns sold in our markets are from farms too. If I'm not mistaken, most of our Siakap (Seabass) are also farmed. The tasty Patin is definilty farmed, on the banks of the Pahang River in Temerloh. Never buy Patin unless they are from Temerloh!

Maybe we should ban open sea/river fishing and go all out into seafood farming. 

Before anyone asks "what will happen to the poor fishermen? Kesian, they'll lose their punca rezeki and most of them are Malays" (the last part from a Perkasa AJK), let me just say they can be the fish/seafood farmers. 

Bankrupt? Not if We Plug the Leak

I pity Idris Jala. Ever since he came out with the “we will be bankrupt by 2019” prophecy, he’s been getting bashed from all sides. The latest hit is from his boss PM Najib when the Treasury officers briefed Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers in Parliament today and indicated Idris had overstated his case for subsidy cuts with flawed statistics. Why the Treasury officers only briefed BN and not all MPs baffles me. Treasury officers are supposed to be civil servants and not BN servants.

Some commentators have commented that Idris was not too far off the mark when he said cutting subsidies could lower Malaysia’s debts BUT the cuts will only be successful if other leakages are also plugged.

I found some interesting allegations on the www. I wonder if there is any truth in them.

Apparently;

• There is a 20-year interest free loan of RM 320 million given to SYABAS, the Selangor water company.
• In 2008, global price for crude oil is about USD140 per barrel, and the fuel subsidy paid by the government was RM17 billion. Today the global price for crude is about USD70 per barrel, yet the government spent RM23.5 billion on fuel subsidy. Why?   
• Recently the govt has spent RM8 billion on purchasing armoured vehicles and tanks.
• The Auditor-General's Report revealed that the government spent RM500 to purchase 1 unit of screwdriver, the same government car being filled a full tank of petrol twice 1 minute apart.
• In Malaysia, local students take PTPTN loans of about RM21,000 for 3-year undergraduate studies. Foreign students pay only about RM15,000 - RM17,000 for the entire 3 years of studies. The government is subsidising foreign students so that we can become the education hub. Why use taxpayer's money to subsidise foreign students?

And finally,

According to Pemandu’s figures, total subsidies per household amounted to RM12,900 but the Finance Ministry said the amount of subsidies per household is only RM3,246. Sapa yang betul ni?

Since the statistics were gathered from the www, it may not be entirely correct but even if there is a grain of truth in it, then maybe there is something wrong with how this country is being managed.

God of Gamblers

Three weeks ago or so, there was a lot of hoo haa when the government announced that the sports betting licence has been re-awarded to Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd. NGOs suddenly appear out of no where to condemn the move. PR led governments immediately announced that they will ban sports betting in their states. Everyone seems to have something to say about the issue.

Today a different story surfaced … apparently, no licence was issued to Ascot.

The Star – The government has yet to issue or give the licence to Syarikat Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd to carry out football betting operations in Malaysia, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government had also not finalised discussions on the licensing terms and conditions with the company to undertake bookie activities in Malaysia.

Malaysian Insider – The Finance Ministry today denied awarding a sports betting licence to tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan's Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd despite earlier reports that the company will accept wagers for next season's English Premier League.

In a written reply in Parliament by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Prime Minister, to questions from four MPs, the ministry said the government has not yet concluded its discussions and terms regarding the legalisation of sports betting.

But yesterday it was reported that tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan will donate the proceeds of RM525mil from the proposed sale of his 70% stake in Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd to a foundation he has renamed “Better Malaysia Foundation.’’

On the 14^th of May, Sin Chew Daily reported Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung as saying “Now, the Government has discovered that people are interested in sports betting regardless of whether the activities were legal or not. Therefore, the Government has to reissue a sports gaming licence to fight illegal sports gaming activities,”

So, what is going on? Was there a licence or not? Is this a policy u-turn by the government after seeing the objections from the public, including non-Muslims?

I’ve never agreed on gambling, legal or otherwise. Maybe it’s due to my risk averse nature. Mostly it’s due to my fear of taking too much risk. And of course my religion prohibits maisir so gambling is a no-no. I also know you can never beat the house, so the punters will always lose and the bookies/casinos will always make money.

In a plural society with unlimited freedom of choice guaranteed by the constitution, it would be difficult to ban all forms of gambling completely. If I was the government, I would restrict gambling opportunities, limit the number of Magnum and Toto outlets to maybe one per district and any district with Muslim population exceeding 51% cannot have any gambling outlets. Close all the other race courses and keep only one with monthly race days instead of weekly. Increase gaming taxes and make it compulsory for gaming companies to maintain at least one waste management facility in every state. One armed bandits and jackpot machines in private clubs will also be heavily taxed. Severe penalties will be imposed on illegal gambling operators. Severe mean those convicted of running illegal gambling operations should expect to face at least 5 years in jail and a fine of not less than RM500,000 and will have to undertake at least 500 hours of community service in the form of cleaning public toilets.

Given the underworld connections of the illegal bookies, I’d probably have a price on my head …