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Thursday, August 02, 2018

"Air kow haw p'ang teng'

There is a Chinese saying about a mute being stung by a hornet (tebuan). The Penang Hokkien phrase is "air kow haw p'ang teng".


The axiom means a person is stuck dumb or silent like a real mute even though the experience has been very painful to him (or her), because he or she could not or dares not yell out.

Though everyone in Malaysia except Mahathir alone knows his third national car will be a folly and a financial disaster, no minister or senior Pakatan person (eg. verbal-diarrhoea-ed Lim Kit Siang, Anwar Ibrahim) thus far has (or dares to) contradicted his nonsensical justification for another Malaysian car.

Proton has been in existence for 33 years while Perodua for 24 years. What nonsense is Mahathir's argument for a new national car to support the growth of an engineering infrastructure, enhance a new engineering culture and knowledge, etc etc etc.


If after 33 years Malaysia still doesn't have that engineering infrastructure or culture, it'll never ever will. WTF, at one stage, Proton could NOT even fix a defective power window problem. It should have consulted with mechanic Ah Chong at his backyard automobile repair shop in Sabak Bernam.

On top of his obsession with his silly expensive hobby (at taxpayers expense) he wants to now impose tariffs to protect his future car. It's his old nonsense in over-protecting Proton which brought about a disastrous effect opposite to his intention, a Proton that could NOT stand on its own wheels.

Over the 33 years Proton has been in pitiful poor pathetic existence, it had consumed approximately RM380360 Billion of taxpayers' money.


RM360 Billion isn't a bag of peanuts in any language.

And on top of which, Mahathir has a notoriety for several disastrous mega projects or schemes. We cannot afford another one.


"air kow haw p'ang teng"

Yet, his cabinet and PH allies have remained silent thus far in his several soundings out for his new national car project. Yesterday he even test-drove a Ferrari at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), one among several of the legacy from his previous term as PM in the 1990's.

He was at the SIC to open the circuit's newly lights for night driving. MM Online reported:



he couldn't see former chair of Khazanah for 2 months but could attend SIC official launch of its newly installed lights 

Mahathir also said SIC’s effort to transform the venue into a renowned motorsports hub through new skills and talent development programmes is a step in the right direction.

“Sepang can now become a top motor city where those interested in engineering and motorsports can come here to learn how to move forward in the field,” said the prime minister.

“Engineering is not a static field, it is moving and developing all the time. Today, we have the means of controlling the engines like we never could before.

“We need not be diffident. I believe we can be as good engineers as anybody else. It is high time we acquire the skill and knowledge to do so”

Wakakaka - his bullshit automobile engineering skills again, after 33 years of pathetic achievement.


"Air kow haw p'ang teng".


9 comments:

  1. There is no support for Proton 2.0 in the Cabinet...that's why the silence. And that's why Mahathir s frustrated.
    He has his view, but he has no fuel for the plane to fly.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Where did your facts for your "Proton consumed ...RM380 Billion of taxpayers' money." come from ?

    The dictionary definition of Consumed in this context means Used Up, that means Proton Used up the money.

    https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/377219

    Gunasegaram, a relentless critic of Mahathir, estimates RM 360 in additional import duties were imposed during the Proton years. The money went into the Government Consolidated Fund, which is spent on all kinds of Government expenditure and costs.

    There is no evidence Proton ever consumed that any where near that amount of taxpayer money, though it did receive single-digit Billions of R&D support over the years, to develop new models, develop engines, etc. probably adding up to Double Digits in total...




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. minor error - not 380 but 360bil

      see https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/429398

      Delete
    2. https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/429398

      Where exactly was the RM 360 Billion lost ?
      It was Tax revenue which went into the Government Consolidated Fund. Quite modest amounts actually went into allocations for Proton.

      Gunasegaram is playing hyperbole, no doubt arising from his unrelenting hostility towards Mahathir.

      If you want to get upset about Government funds which are REALLY Lost, you should look carefully 1MDB. THAT is really Lost, Gasak by son of Tun Gasak.

      Delete
  3. Look at it this way.

    What if ProTiga is privately funded & thus given to a group of enthusiastic risk-takers.

    Unlike Proton, purely govt funded & been administrated based on ketuanan agenda, ProTiga must fight to survive on product ingenuity & innovation via marketing forces via creative destruction of Protons old idea. Zilch govt interferences, both financial & administrative. Sufficient govt incentives, according to market environment, r welcome.

    Ain't this HOW many new tech entities become unicorns & turn into commercial successes?

    If along the way, those weaklings CAN be bootstrapped to the next socio-econ levels, that's the bonus!

    Is this what mamak has in mind for ProTiga?

    Ditto with SIC!

    Millions spent to built the facility & yet the returns r minimum!

    WHY?

    Wrong people to manage the facility lah!

    Hungary can be successful in holding the Hungaroring F1 race for that many years, with an archaic racetrack & facilities, simply bcoz the Hungarian has a proven F1 management of zilch fat title-collecting cats.

    All says, people PEOPLE!! If u enrol with the right people, ALL issues r secondary. PERIOD.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks like the Air Kow (mute) to me is TDM and should be changed to Chow Hee Lang (deaf) if he insists on going ahead with his Proton 2.0.

    Someone just give him a Toy car called Proton TDM Model 1 ver. 1 for him to play with if not able to advise him.

    At times of austerity measures by PH Govt. and the Nation's coffers empty, the money would be better off used fulfilling other PH election promises.

    ReplyDelete
  5. did the man who can walk on water specifically announced we are going to start another car project from scratch? I think some people are deliberately creating resentment on this presumption, with a 50.1 percent stake in proton are we not effectively still the owner

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. he wants a NEW national car project - maybe he regrets the fckup done on proton

      Delete
    2. I don't think that is his intention, even during his time proton was already looking for a strategic partner and now we got one in geely, we can expand from here and still have the proton name intact

      Delete