Bersih is Clean

I’m sure many read the piece titled “Himpunan Bersih buka ruang penyusupan ideologi Komunis” written by a certain Mohd Ayop Abd Razid. If you hadn’t, it’s here

I’m not sure who his masters are or what his game is but he is obviously misguided when stressing that a gathering of people asking for clean and fair elections is an avenue to spread the communist ideology.

Mohd Ayop Abd Razid is obviously oblivious to the fact that communism is dead. Maybe someone should tell him what happened 20 odd years ago in Europe.

Below are the demands of Bersih, can anyone show me communist elements in them?

Disagree with all 8 demands and you’ll get Perkasa’s stand.

Launch of Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) believes that a working democracy is built upon the foundation of clean, free and fair elections. Therefore, the role of the Election Commission (EC) in conducting elections with integrity and impartiality is crucial in the democratisation of the nation.


The electoral system of this country is marred with irregularities, electoral offences and rampant abuse of powers. As the EC has not made any marked efforts in initiating changes towards a clean and fair electoral system, BERSIH 2.0 has decided to organise a rally to intensify pressure in light of the upcoming 13th General Elections.

Today marks less than three weeks before Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0 takes place on 9 July 2011. Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0 is intended to promote democracy and call for much needed electoral reform.

These are the 8 immediate demands for Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0:

1. Clean the electoral roll

The electoral roll is marred with irregularities such as deceased persons and multiple persons registered under a single address or non-existent addresses. The electoral roll must be revised and updated to wipe out these ‘phantom voters’. The rakyat have a right to an electoral roll that is an accurate reflection of the voting population.

In the longer term, BERSIH 2.0 also calls for the EC to implement an automated voter registration system upon eligibility to reduce irregularities.


2. Reform postal ballot

The current postal ballot system must be reformed to ensure that all citizens of Malaysia are able to exercise their right to vote. Postal ballot should not only be open for all Malaysian citizens living abroad, but also for those within the country who cannot be physically present in their voting constituency on polling day. Police, military and civil servants too must vote normally like other voters if not on duty on polling day.

The postal ballot system must be transparent. Party agents should be allowed to monitor the entire process of postal voting.

3. Use of indelible ink

Indelible ink must be used in all elections. It is a simple, affordable and effective solution in preventing voter fraud. In 2007, the EC decided to implement the use of indelible ink. However, in the final days leading up to the 12th General Elections, the EC decided to withdraw the use of indelible ink citing legal reasons and rumours of sabotage.

BERSIH 2.0 demands for indelible ink to be used for all the upcoming elections. Failure to do so will lead to the inevitable conclusion that there is an intention to allow voter fraud.

4. Minimum 21 days campaign period

The EC should stipulate a campaign period of not less than 21 days. A longer campaign period would allow voters more time to gather information and deliberate on their choices. It will also allow candidates more time to disseminate information to rural areas. The first national elections in 1955 under the British Colonial Government had a campaign period of 42 days but the campaign period for 12th GE in 2008 was a mere 8 days.

5. Free and fair access to media

It is no secret that the Malaysian mainstream media fails to practice proportionate, fair and objective reporting for political parties of all divide. BERSIH 2.0 calls on the EC to press for all media agencies, especially state-funded media agencies such as Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM) and Bernama to allocate proportionate and objective coverage for all potlical parties.

6. Strengthen public institutions

Public institutions must act independently and impartially in upholding the rule of law and democracy. Public institutions such as the Judiciary, Attorney-General, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC), Police and the EC must be reformed to act independently, uphold laws and protect human rights.

In particular, the EC must perform its constitutional duty to act independently and impartially so as to enjoy public confidence. The EC cannot continue to claim that they have no power to act, as the law provides for sufficient powers to institute a credible electoral system.

7. Stop corruption

Corruption is a disease that has infected every aspect of Malaysian life. BERSIH 2.0 and the rakyat demand for an end to all forms of corruption. Current efforts to eradicate corruption are mere tokens to appease public grouses. We demand that serious action is taken against ALL allegations of corruption, including vote buying.

8. Stop dirty politics

Malaysians are tired of dirty politics that has been the main feature of the Malaysian political arena. We demand for all political parties and politicians to put an end to gutter politics. As citizens and voters, we are not interested in gutter politics; we are interested in policies that affect the nation.

England’s Greatest Football Club

I am a Liverpool fan. I have been a supporter since I was 12 when Kenny Dalglish was still a player. I must admit Liverpool was not the first English league team I supported; that honour goes to Tottenham Hotspurs. Supporting Spurs had nothing to do with their playing style, players or history; as a ten year old, the name ‘Spurs’ was kinda cool plus they had a cool looking Steve Archibald playing for them and that was enough reason to be a fan.

The 70s and 80s belonged to Liverpool. Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Everton and Arsenal managed to sneak a title or two in between Liverpool’s run of championships but there was never a single club that constantly challenged the Reds’ dominance.

In 1991, Dalglish left the club. His successors failed where he succeeded the most – winning.

In 1990, Alex Ferguson broke his four year trophy duck. He’s won everything ever since.

Well, almost everything; Dalglish took Blackburn Rovers to the title in 1995 and pushed United all the way with Newcastle a few years later but no other team really bugged United during the 90s. Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal won the double in 1998 and a few titles and FA cups in between but other than that, it was all MU.

Then came Roman and Jose. Abramovich’s money and Mourinho’s tactical brilliance gave Ferguson and MU a big fight. Chelsea is now a serious challenger and the noughties is theirs as much as the 90s were United’s. Chelsea however can only claim to be a great team of the moment, they have yet to acquire the right to be in the same group as the greatest team of all time.

I am a hard core Liverpool fan. But I’ll humbly admit that the greatest English football club is no longer the Reds of Merseyside, it is now the Reds of somewhere near Moss Side. It is without doubt Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager of all time in the English league. Shankly, Clough, Busby, Paisley and Robson were great managers but Ferguson brought continuous success to MU, year after year, without major downswings.

All this wouldn’t have happened if the United Board hadn’t given Ferguson time. If there was a good decision, retaining Ferguson despite his horrible record during the first 3 years was definitely the best.

All of MU’s success is attributed to Ferguson. He is ruthless, rude, arrogant, vengeful and scores of other bad things. I can’t think of anything nice about him. He plays football on the field as well in the mind. His confrontations with Keegan and Wenger are well documented. His contempt for match officials is a well known fact. Despite the many negatives, Ferguson knows how to win games. He knows how to buy players. He often gets who he wants (the United brand does play a part too).

I’m still a Liverpool fan and will be for a long time but I’ll take my hats off to Manchester United and Alex Ferguson. They have earned the title of the greatest club in England and the most successful manager ever in English football.

Having said that, King Kenny is back. The glory days are coming back to Merseyside and United’s 20 year reign may soon come to an end.

Please Take Action Against Utusan

I’m disgusted with Utusan’s recent behaviour. They have been so brazen in inciting racial and religious hatred. If the peace and calm in the country is shattered, the party that should take most of the blame has to be Utusan. The recent report on DAP conspiring with Christian leaders wanting to take over Putrajaya and abolish Islam as the country’s official religion is short of being brainless. No, it is brainless! To top it all, it is based on some blog posting. I mean, didn’t they themselves (Utusan, BN leaders) remind us (dumb citzens) not to believe what the bloggers write? Now, their front page news is based on a blog! Stupid or what??!!

Let me stress again (to my 3 loyal, regular blog visitors), there is NO WAY DAP on their own can take over Putrajaya. There is no way DAP or the Christians for that matter can change the constitution on their own. The present electoral structure doesn’t allow the DAP to take over the country on their own. Therefore, the constantly under threat and weak Malays/Muslims (that’s how Perkasa and their ilk portrays us, makes us believe) can be rest assured that no one, let alone the DAP; can take our birth right away.

The thing about Utusan is; I’m guessing their readership is mainly the rural, low income, less informed, less educated masses. These people, not having the right tools and exposure to evaluate, tend to take whatever Utusan says as gospel. When their more educated and exposed children tell them that Utusan is so full of bull, they will bark at the kids and tell them not to be ungrateful because Utusan’s master (UMNO) made them what they are today. By the same logic, Dr Mahathir should thank the British for establishing that kolej in Alor Setar and that University in Singapore for making him a doctor. I agree; we all should be grateful to those who have given us whatever we have now but to what point?

Latest I heard, 9 police reports have been made against Utusan. I however doubt any action would be taken against them. In the mean time, let us not worry about non-issues. Let us instead focus our worries on rising food prices, crime levels, corruption, job security, education opportunities and health services and maybe, love.

No More Osama

Now that the world’s most wanted man (according to the FBI/CIA/MI6) is dead, the US Armed Forces, CIA and probably the US foreign service will from now on have very little to do. I foresee a lot US armed forces personnel losing their jobs unless they find another bogey man to keep them occupied and employed for the next 10 years. We might also have some unemployed journalists as I’m sure Reuters, AFP etc had teams dedicated to reporting anything Osama related. The death of Osama actually causes unemployment to rise! Economics professors take note!

But seriously, I’m guessing, a lot of effort was put into the pursuit of Osama. The multiplier effect must have contributed quite a bit to the US economy. The White House cannot afford to lose that x% factor in the economic growth so they need a new target, a new public enemy. Ladbrokes and William Hill might not be taking any bets yet but odds on to succeed Osama as the most hunted and wanted would probably be Ayman Zawahri, Al Qaeda’s until recently second in command. Gaddafi probably has an outside chance, so does any Iranian leader. Unfortunately Kim Jong il has no chance of getting the kind of attention Osama got; North Korea ain't got no oil dude. Oil is apparently the magnet that attracts US warplanes and warships, which explains the lack of Western military intervention in oil-less, despotic dictator-ruled countries.

Osama is one smooth operator. No one really knows where his HQ is but from where ever he’s based, he can attack locations anywhere in the world! The latest I heard, his main means of communication is via human couriers. Yes, just like back in the good ol’ dark ages! Yet, this man Osama is able to evade the technologically superior Americans and at the same time launch periodic, deadly attacks all over the world.

No, seriously seriously, if Osama contributed to or ordered most of the terrorist attacks during the last 10-15 years, wouldn’t the world be a safer place now that he’s gone? Wouldn’t that be a good enough reason for the foreign forces (read, US) to leave Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Goaheadgostan? The targets for the suicide bombers were mostly places which are either foreigner-related (e.g. embassies) or foreigner-assisted (e.g. army/police camps). Maybe, just maybe, no foreigners will result in no (at least much less) bombings?

1Melayu

Utusan is pressing for a 1Melayu movement to counter the threat of Chinese political dominance.

Perkasa is taking up the responsibility to spearhead the 1Melayu movement to counter the threat of the Chinese taking over the country.

The Chinese in question are (apparently) Malaysians too. As Malaysian as any Malay, Iban, Kadazan, Indian or Negrito. They are not Singaporean Chinese, or Chinese from China. They hold Malaysian passports and blue IC. Yet they are not supposed have political power. Strange!

No, I’m not a Chinese sympathiser or a Chinese political protagonist. I’m merely curious as to why Utusan and Perkasa are so insecure about Malay political power.

Hafidz on Gays

Hafidz Baharom says –

“My thoughts on the issues of religious belief butting in on a way of life are simple. Read through your texts and go back to your basics. What makes a person a Muslim?

To be a Muslim, all you need to do is say the syahadah, fast during Ramadhan, pray five times a day, pay the fitrah tithe and go for Haj if you are able. So tell me, dearest fellow Muslims, where exactly is this straight/gay dilemma in the basics of being a Muslim? As far back as 1994, Sisters in Islam was decrying that no punishment was meted out under hudud law for homosexuality. And since you all love to quote the Quran, here’s one you missed:

Al-Ahzab, verse 58:

And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly bear (on themselves) a calumny and a glaring sin.”

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/article/softies-and-sexuality/

I’m called to answer Hafidz’s question on where exactly is this straight/gay dilemma in the basics of being a Muslim.

He is not wrong when he said to be a Muslim, all you need to do is say the syahadah, fast during Ramadhan, pray five times a day, pay the fitrah tithe and go for Haj if you are able. I said he’s not wrong but I don’t think he’s totally right either. Why do I say that?

First, I suggest he look up the definition of zakat fitrah vis-à-vis zakat. They are two different things, with different conditions and criteria.

Secondly, saying the syahadah is not merely an oral or verbal act. It requires one to fully appreciate, understand and accept what it means by professing there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.

Professing the syahadah means fully believing in Allah as the one and only God. Fully believing in Allah includes believing in his words (Al Quran) and adhering to his laws (Shariah). Fully believing in Allah also means obeying all of his commands.

Islam is not a mere collection of physical acts or words. Performing the Haj every other year doesn’t make one more Muslim than someone who has only been on the pilgrimage once. Fasting is not just about abstaining from eating between dawn and dusk and paying RM7.00 to the amil every Ramadhan doesn’t absolve one’s zakat obligation.

 

On homosexuality, the Quran has this to say:

We also sent Lut : He said to his people : "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." Qur'an 7:80-81

"Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!" Qur'an 26:165-166

Why didn’t Hafidz quote those two verses?

Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi of the ISNA said: “Homosexuality is a moral disorder. It is a moral disease, a sin and corruption... No person is born homosexual, just like no one is born a thief, a liar or murderer. People acquire these evil habits due to a lack of proper guidance and education.”

I said it once and I’ll say it again; there is no such thing as a Muslim gay. Just like there is no such thing as a vegetarian tiger or a stir-fried sushi.

 

It is interesting that he quoted 33:58 without highlighting “believing men and women”. Having disobeyed the decree on homosexuality (7:80-81 and 26:165-66), can a gay person be considered believing men?

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?

Sissy Says Who?

The Terengganu Education Department has a come up with a brilliant idea to eradicate pondans and bapoks – send schoolboys with effeminate tendencies to a boot camp for sissies. While I’m not a fan of the sexually confused or those who claim to be a woman trapped in a man’s body; I am also against branding boys with effeminate tendencies as “pondans-to-be”. If you believe the NST, it reported that the Terengganu education department sent 66 schoolboys who “were not behaving like normal males of their age” to a camp aimed at helping them behave appropriately, presumably like how men should. While it is commendable to help the young boys behave in manner acceptable to society, I can’t help but wonder if it is good for their self esteem and morale. Some boys may be naturally soft-er but pondans they are not. Even former YB but still minister Shahrizat is against the idea of a sissy camp. She fears such camps could stir prejudice against the boys and affect their mental health.

I do not have a suggestion to combat the problem of pondan-isation of the male populace but being brainwashed to be a man should be a last ditch effort, if at all. No?

Sarawak 2011

Everyone won, apparently. Maybe except the urban Chinese.

Let’s see how it went;

• BN lost 9 of the 64 seats they held prior to the elections.
• PR won 15, that’s 8 more than what they won in 2006.
• SNAP was snapped, crackled and popped.
• One Indie got elected.
• Popular vote for BN declined from 63% to 55%
• Even PAS ‘almost’ won in Beting Maro, losing by only 400 votes. PAS in Sarawak! Who could imagine?

Utusan says BN embarrassed PR in the election. I think it’s a case of lying to yourself. My definition of embarrassing your opponent is increasing the popular vote and reducing their number of seats. BN didn’t do either, did they? PM Najib and team should worry because Sarawak may no longer be a fixed deposit come the next election. Blaming the Chinese for their loss is a very bad move. Threatening them is even worse. Don’t they know that to win over your detractors is by being extra nice to them? The Chinese votes helped BN stay in power in 1999. BN should study why the reverse is happening now. MCA shouldn’t be telling SUPP to stay out of the cabinet, MCA should tell themselves (and SUPP) to stop being a puppet to UMNO (and PBB) because that is probably one of the reasons why the Chinese votes are moving away to the other side.


The signs are showing that a two-party environment is coming up in Malaysia, the check and balance should keep both sides on their toes and minimise the blatant abuse of power. Hopefully the rakyat will be the ultimate winners.

Thoughts Round-up

Rare earth plant – apparently rare earth is a very dangerous substance despite its important uses. No rare earth, no iPad. What would life be without iPads and Plant vs. Zombies ... Apparently no one apart from the Chinese (in China) wants anything to do with processing, producing rare earth. We on the other hand are more than willing to build a plant in Kuantan despite the disaster in Bukit Merah. And yes, there is a lot of money involved, something like RM8 billion a year from 2013 onwards. It appears our lives are worth much less than that ...

Sex in the city – Datuk T, I wonder if he is related to Mr T of the A-Team. Related or not, he has a recording of a politician resembling PKR chief Anwar engaging in a sexual intercourse in a hotel. The clip was allegedly recorded on the 21 February; Anwar claims he was blogging and twitting at the time of the incident. If precedent is followed, Anwar should not worry because if “correct, correct, correct; looks like me, sounds like but its not me” can get away, I see no reason why Anwar can’t. Chua Soi Lek is the president of the MCA now, if Dr Chua can, Anwar also can! Haha

Where is our politics heading? To the dumps no doubt.

Nuclear power – I’m sure there are many other alternative energy sources; solar, wind, hydro, gas and even coal which are safer (but not necessarily cheaper or cleaner) than nuclear but why does our government insist on embarking on a nuclear energy programme? I suggest they read about what is happening in Japan.

Malay language bible – has anyone seen an English language Quran? What if the English speaking countries ban the distribution of English language Quran because of the same reason given by our Government? Or the Chinese government banning Qurans to be translated into Mandarin? What will Sheikh Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria say to that? While I agree that the bible can be printed in Malay, I also agree with the requirement to print the “only for Christians” advice.

Evans can but Carragher (or anyone for that matter) cannot – Man Utd players can do whatever they want, no matter how bad and Sir Alex will say it’s allright lad, do it again but if anyone else does the same thing ... Crybaby Nani coldly rejected Carragher’s apology but the gentleman Stuart Holden (of Bolton Wanderers) accepted and forgave Jonny Evans for whacking him out of the game till next season. Good manners and courtesy is not something Alex Ferguson practices or preaches.

Interlok – I’m not even bothered to understand what the issue is. Apparently it concerns the use of the term ‘Pariah’.

Libya – the allied forces wasted no time to attack Gaddafi’s forces to ‘protect’ the people of Libya. Where were the allied forces while the Israel armed forces attacked stone throwing Palestinian boys with guided missiles?

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?

Show Us Your Money

I wrote about Roman’s riches [here] and how he was asked to declare his assets before contesting in the parliamentary elections. Malaysia should also compel aspiring wakil rakyats and YBs to disclose their wealth before being allowed to stand as a candidate.

When I go out to elect my wakil rakyat, I would very much like to know who he/she is, where he/she’s from, what is his/her credentials, education & professional background. I would also want to know his/her financial standing (including that of the immediate family) not because I want to be a busy body but to ensure that the wakil rakyat does not use or abuse his/her position to enrich themselves. There is nothing wrong with enriching one’s self (and family and friends) but the means must be ethical and fair.

Still on the political front, Sarawak has been in the headlines a lot lately. We have the Sarawak born sister in law of the former British PM, her Iban sidekick and a radio station going all out to expose Taib Mahmud’s shenanigans. Our efficient Home Minister efficiently called for Radio Free Sarawak to be efficiently investigated. Hisham the Home Minister said the investigation is "not about politics, it is about spreading malicious lies, the issue of unity and harmony among the races," (I got this from Bernama, verbatim). I suggest Hishamuddin (our Home Minister) applies the same argument on Utusan Malaysia which has been spreading whatever RFS is being accused of, for a very long time. That Hata Wahari guy can attest to that. Did the home minister ever think of finding out if the RFS “lies” are really lies?

Then we have Taib Mahmud’s soon to be former daughter in law demanding RM400 million as divorce settlement from Taib Mahmud’s son who is called Mahmud and has a son called Taib. She says she wants a divorce because she’s been beaten, abused and not given any nafkah batin since 2001. That’s 10 long years without sex! Damn! She also says she knows he’s worth double that. If Junior is worth almost a billion Malay bucks, I wonder how much T-daddy is worth.

Still on the political front … when is Mahathir going to shut up

Good Buy, Good Bye

Fernando Torres is without doubt a great striker, a proven goalscorer and given the inflated absurd transfer fees of late, is also probably worth the 50 million pounds Roman Abramovich paid for him.

The question is; was he a good buy?

Being a Liverpool fan, I say Chelsea paid at least 20 million pounds too much for him and I say that without an iota of bitterness. As a Liverpool fan, I want to say thank you to Mr. Roman; especially after watching Suarez play, how he ignites games, twisting and turning around defenders and swerving in accurate freekicks. Liverpool paid less than half the price and got a more complete player. Sir Alex and Carlo Ancelotti are probably kicking themselves in their groins for not buying him. Torres was a goalscorer, full stop. Suarez is a goalmaker as well as a goal scorer; two qualities for half the price. That is definitely what I’ll call a good buy. Having said that, I’m sure Torres will eventually settle in and start scoring again. He will also prove to be a good buy for Chelsea, just not at a good price.

If Torres is overpriced at 50 million, did Liverpool over paid for Andy Carroll? Kenny Dalglish is no stranger to record breaking purchases having broken the record in 1987 paying £1.9 million for Peter Beardsley and he paid £3.3 million for Alan Shearer in 1992. Seven years ago, MU paid £27 million for the young and inexperienced Wayne Rooney; I don’t see why people should question Carroll’s £35 million price tag given that he is a more complete player than Rooney was back then.

From the business perspective, the Torres for Suarez-Carroll deal seem a good one, Liverpool got more than sufficient replacement of superior quality and quantity for a mere £8 million.

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

MRT – Did we Learn from Past Mistakes?

I saw the plan for the proposed Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit system and I must say we never learn from past mistakes. What I saw gave me the impression that interconnectivity and commuters’ convenience were not on the planners’ minds when determining the alignment and location of the stations.

The MRT line runs from the existing Sungai Buloh KTM komuter station to the exsiting Kajang KTM station. It passes through Kota Damansara, Bandar Utama, TTDI, Section 17, goes along the Sprint Highway to Damansara Heights, submerges underground somewhere near Parliament, comes back up above ground after Maluri, goes along the Cheras-Kajang Highway passing through Plaza Pheonix, Taman Suntex, Ceupacs, Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, Balakong and Saujana Impian before arriving in Kajang. The underground section of the MRT covers the city centre. The sentence is as long as the MRT line and probably as perplexing.

My complaints – The interchange stations are really not interchange stations.

The MRT line doesn’t intersect with enough LRT/Monorail/KTM stations. What the planners forgot was that a public transportation system is supposed to make travelling easier. What I saw sort of made me not want to bother using the MRT. There is this station (tentatively) named ‘Kota Damansara’ which appears to be in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the satellite image used to map the railway line is out of date; the area is probably fully developed now for all I know. If the satellite image reflects what is on the ground, I say they have wasted their scarce resources on a station which will probably end up like Putra’s Abdullah Hukum station.

• The TTDI station is in a neighbourhood which probably has the highest concentration of German made cars in the country.
• The Section 17 station borders the cemetery and KGPA (a golf course).
• The KL Sentral MRT station is NOT in KL Sentral. In case no one noticed, the KL Sentral monorail station is also NOT in KL Sentral. Don’t these people ever learn? And KL Sentral is supposed to be a transport hub? Maybe someone should tell them what ‘hub’ means.
• The MRT line has two stations in the Bukit Bintang area and neither of them connects with the existing two monorail stations in the BB area!
• The proposed MRT Merdeka station is no where near the monorail Merdeka station.
• Only the lucky residents of Maluri get a connecting STAR-MRT station (I think).

Why am I making so much noise about this interconnectivity issue? Good, efficient transport links are supposed to be links, linking one place to many other places. 
Good efficient transportation system must be commuter friendly. 
Good, efficient transportation system must be able to transport commuters from one point to another point with minimal fuss. Maximum fuss is when a commuter has to walk a mile (probably under the hot sun) to change stations in order to get the train that will take them to their destination. Maximum fuss will discourage people from using the system. The planned MRT system in my humble opinion does not have the characteristics of a good, efficient transport system.

Let’s illustrate; let’s say I live in TTDI and work in KLCC and I decide to leave my Lexus at home and take the MRT to work. I however have to take the MRT from One Utama because the TTDI station doesn’t have Park & Ride facilities (at least what the plan says). So I drive from my home and park my car at 1U. I take the MRT to KL Sentral which is NOT in KL Sentral, walk from the National Museum area (well, that’s where the MRT station is in the plan) across (the wide and busy) Jalan Travers to KL Sentral to get connecting the PUTRA LRT train to KLCC. I do the reverse in the evening. I don’t mind walking from the Putra LRT station in KL Sentral to the KTM station in KL Sentral because they are in the same building (that’s how interchange stations are supposed to be) but walking from the Muzium to KL Sentral to change trains is just not convenient and is such a big turn off. If my fellow TTDIians feel the same way, we will all drive our quarter of a million dollar cars to work everyday and the TTDI station will join the Abdullah Hukum club. Mind you, most TTDIians have been to London and they would have experienced the seamless travel on the tube; giving them the MRT (in the planned form) would not convert them to MRT users.

I think the MRT is a rush job. It was announced not very long ago and in a few months time work on the system will start. Where is the EIA? Was a proper feasibility study done? If it was, where is it? What about tender process for the engineering and construction jobs? Is the proposed alignment the best? Does it serve the needs of the masses or will it only benefit the project promoters? What about high density areas such as Damansara Uptown and SS2; don’t they deserve a station too?

I use the LRT quite frequently and I was hoping the system and network will be improved. Sadly, the planned MRT seems to not offer any hopes of a fully integrated, interconnected and most importantly, a convenient and user friendly transport system. I’m really disappointed.

*I apologise if my choice of example offends any TTDI-ians or TTDI-ians to be or TTDI-ians wannabe. It’s just an example la.
** Graphics "courtesy" of The Star