Pages

Saturday, October 20, 2018

How much is a billion ringgit?

I cannot yet conceive of just how much a billion ringgit is, let alone sums like RM2.6 billion or RM42 billion or RM100 billion, the last was which Barry Wain alleged in his book "Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times" that Mahathir wasted RM100 billion on grandiose projects and corruption during his 22 years as premier.


T'was reported that:

Malaysian Maverick became a hot topic in online forums, blogs and even offline, in the political arena:

Opposition elder statesman Lim Kit Siang called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to set up a royal commission of inquiry to investigate Tun Mahathir over the book’s allegations .....


But ...

Najib Tun Razak has dismissed the call to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the claim that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad wasted RM100bil during his years in office, saying there was no basis for it.

“Having a commission is inappropriate,” he said when commenting on the call by DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang.


Lim made the call following the recent release of a book Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times by author Barry Wain, who alleged that Dr Mahathir “burnt” RM100bil in corruption and grandiose projects during his 22-year reign.

Speaking to reporters after opening the 14th Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah annual congress here, Najib said: “There is always a call for a royal commission. For every single thing, they want a royal commission. It is not appropriate to have a royal commission just because somebody has written a book.”


And Lim KS riposted (extracts):

It is the quintessence of Mahathirism – pure Machiavellianism, perverse illogic and most cunning to distract attention from the core issue.

This was what Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad produced in his blog yesterday when claiming to welcome my proposal that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate into the allegation by Barry Wain’s new biography, “Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times” that the former Prime Minister had wasted or burned up to RM100 billion on grandiose projects and corruption in his 22 years as PM.


Those exchanges were in 2009, and Malaysian politics has certainly changed since. Najib and Lim KS have changed roles, wakakaka, where Lim now is Mahathir's most ardent defender and supporter.

I wonder whether Najib now regrets he didn't listen to Lim KS to investigate Mahathir for wasting RM100 billion, wakakaka, and Lim KS wishes he isn't reminded of his yester-years' rants on Mahathir, his current chummy buddy, wakakaka again.


But screw those big-shot politicians like Mahathir, Najib and Lim KS.

I cannot help but recall my school days when my MBS school principal forced, yes, forced every student including those poor like me to buy at least RM3 worth of church fete ticket if not more.

The old man didn’t use any recognized compassionate Christian approach. He was full of sarcasm, insults and dire threats for those who pleaded that their parents, or in my case (as with many other students) my widowed mum, couldn’t afford the RM3.


As typical of most financially impoverished mums in those days, mine gave me hell for the RM3 she was forced to dole out - which sometimes consisted of lightning-fast slaps if I were to stand too near her, wakakaka. I haven’t stopped cursing that school principal yet, wakakaka No 2.

On the day of the fete at Wellesley Church in Burma Road, I walked up and down pondering how I could maximize my RM3 worth of ticket.

[Of course I quite cleverly didn't tell my mum I was going to the fete. That would have reminded her she lost RM3 to a church which would have re-triggered her fury].


Wellesley Methodist Church Penang

Burma Road

I saw and liked the nasi kunyit kari ayam which was RM1.50 a plate (aiyoh, too expensive lah for such a teeny weeny itsy bitsy small plate), whilst the rose syrup ice water was RM1 (what! KNN), which would then leave me with an unusable 50 sen because every damn thing at the church fete was at least RM1. No way was I going to go home with this sum unspent. It would have been an unmitigated sin to waste 50 sen.


the one at the fete aeons ago and selling for RM1.50 was only one-sixth the above size

wakakaka

I agonized for over an hour on the best combination of dishes and drinks to use up the entire RM3, whilst pacing restlessly up and down the beautiful church garden.

In the end I skipped the ice water and had 2 plates of the nasi kunyit but which only keened up my appetite as the servings were way too Lilliputian – guess I was just a born loser, sigh.


someone in Lilliput and it's not Gulliver

wakakaka
 

And the worst thing was, because of my long-ish agonising over how to fruitfully spent the RM3, I didn’t have the untroubled mind and time to enjoy the event at all. I missed out ogling the beautiful girls from MGS and St Georges visiting the fete, wakakaka. Of course the lovely sweeties from (Catholic) Convent wouldn't be seen dead at a Methodist Church fete, wakakaka again.


like me they have all grown up, wakakaka 

When I read of billions of ringgit in Malaysia's obscene profligate shindig-ing since 1981, I wonder where’s the bloody justice? Some people just can’t be trusted to use money wisely like sweet naive kaytee, wakakaka.

9 comments:

  1. All budgets since 1981 have been prepared by an UMNO-led government. This year will be different.

    It is a well known fact that mission schools in Malaysia give a well rounded education, including how to live within ones means and managing budgets. Guanee, who is an ex-La Sallian is a good example. If KT managed to maximize the value of RM3, Guanee will figure out how to stretch the full value of our (taxpayers) money, for 2019 Budget.

    QUOTE
    KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 — Pakatan Harapan has managed to boost government funds by seven times in four months after taking over from the previous administration that had just RM450 million of ready funds for spending, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said today.

    In continued adherence to the “full disclosure” principle under the PH government, Lim explained how it managed to pay the monthly RM8 billion bill of wages and pension despite being left with a mere RM450 million in its Consolidated Revenue Account.

    Lim ultimately chalked it down to the PH government’s “sound and prudent financial management practices”, which he said was reflected in the figures in the four months it took over.

    He noted that the PH federal administration saw its four-month revenue during the May-August period growing to RM73.58 billion as compared to the slightly lower RM71.88 billion during the January-April period, while at the same time substantially reducing its operational expenditure by RM12.96 billion from the previous four-month period’s RM83.29 billion to RM70.33 billion.

    “This current account balance surplus of RM3.25 billion has helped the Federal Government to record an increased Consolidated Revenue Account balance of RM3.70 billion as of 31 August 2018.

    “The seven-fold increase in the Consolidated Revenue Account by RM3.25 billion in only four months, from RM450 million in the Consolidated Revenue Account on 30 April 2018 to RM3.70 billion on 31 August 2018, is a testament to the good financial management of the Pakatan Harapan government,” he said in a statement today.

    This seven-fold jump was “how the Pakatan Harapan government managed to secure sufficient funds to run the administration of the Federal Government including paying the monthly RM8 billion salaries and pensions,” Lim said.

    Lim today again reiterated the drastic wiping out of 96 per cent of the then Barisan Nasional-led government’s funds in the run-up to the 14th general election, noting that the Consolidated Revenue Account’s funds plunged from RM11.41 billion on December 31, 2017 to RM450 million on April 30, 2018.

    “Due to the alarming fiscal position of the Federal Government when Pakatan Harapan first took over the administration on May 9, 2018, we were left with no choice but to implement stringent measures to control the operating expenditure and practise prudent spending.

    “Furthermore, Pakatan Harapan’s clean administration of Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) has allowed not only savings from eliminating corrupt practices but also efficiency gains from institutional reforms such as open competitive tenders,” he said.
    UNQUOTE

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cha Bor has been out of Malaysia for decades.
    That is why he is permanently fixated on alleged wrongs from decades ago ( not to say that they are relevant,) but has totally zero outrage over the missing 1MDB RM 42 Billion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also playing mute about zahid's 45 charges of 'fooling around' with money of questionable sources!

      Real selective mindset.

      Delete
    2. "missing 1MDB RM 42 Billion"

      wakakaka

      Delete
    3. Wakakakakaka……

      W/O that malfeasance of missing 1MDB RM42B how could both jibby & Irwan Serigar Abdullah needed to conspired to divert RM6.6B of public fund to service the payment to IPIC!

      Some people r forever living under the tempurung of self denial!

      Delete
    4. Wakakakakaka……

      A quickie from OSTB to awaken yr assigned tempurung ignorance!

      Unlike Super Moron And Local Media

      Al Jazeera Not Dumb

      Najib outburst during Al Jazeera interview reported Malaysiakini

      Najib lost his cool several times during Al Jazeera interview

      quizzed over matters like notorious "pink diamond" and 1MDB

      Here is a timely and very perceptive view by Kee Tuan Chye which exposes that Super Moron was lying through his teeth, his ass and through everywhere else.

      COMMENT | Najib getting deeper and deeper into the web of stories he has spun around the RM2.6 billion that he received in his private bank accounts in 2015.

      Dec 2015, he told three "safe" M'sian journalists on TV3 donor wanted “donation” to be banked into his account

      He said “donation” made in personal capacity

      journalists didn’t ask why donor made strange, dumb request. Dumb because draws attention to such huge amount of money

      Even Ahmad Maslan remarked no PM is that stupid to have such huge amount deposited into personal account

      the point is Najib knew who donor was
      and that he communicated with donor
      He said donors verified by MACC, obtained their statements

      But on Fri he told Jazeera something else. He said did not verify source when RM2.6b deposited in his account

      He said he assumed it was “donation” (from) Saudi King Abdullah

      Such huge amount could put him in vulnerable situation and he didn’t verify the source?

      when I received funds, I thought it was genuine donation based on conversation with King Abdullah

      now changing his tune!

      he was so sure and adamant before!

      Saudi foreign minister came to KL Friday said indeed no donation made to Najib by Saudi king

      So, on Al Jazeera Najib said he never verified where RM2.6b came

      To save himself from acknowledging money was “donation”

      Conclusion : This is unbelievable stupidity. These morons do not know that this is the 21st century. Everything they say is recorded, uploaded, downloaded, stored, shared, forwarded etc. It is available Permanently.

      Super Moron is lying through his teeth, his ass, his d__k and through everywhere else.

      Can the family, the mother, brother etc advise him?

      Sungguh memalukan lah.

      Dont you family members have any kind of class at all?

      This is Tun Abdul Razak's family.

      Surely you must have some sense of self worth or self respect.

      The whole world is laughing at you.
      They will soon start spitting at you.

      This is the lowest denominator par_ah class.

      This is Super Par_ah class.

      Unbelievable.

      Delete
    5. BTW, zombified ketuanan freak, what say u about yr zombie alpha male's out burst about

      Hadi questions Guan Eng's morals after K'tan debt appeal revelation

      ?????

      Under zombieicism IT'S definitely a OK to tell lie to hide one's fault!

      Wakakakakaka…… yr 'allah' must be a real something le!

      Delete
  3. Why so much opposition against Death Penalty in Malaysia? What is the fear about death penalty? Is it because of religion, human rights or because of fear of miscarriage of justice due to a corrupt and undependable fair justice System?

    In Malaysia the death penalty should be expanded to include corruption since it has become a cultural thing done quietly and blatantly for so long under BN whether politicians, businessmen, Govt servants, law enforcers, religious men etc.

    Just amend all the penalties for corruption cases of more to death by hanging and overnight we'll see fear and sweat among those charged with corruption instead of suspects smiling, waving, politiking and telling stories of moralities,piousness and past charitable deeds.

    And it should also include Paedophiles who are a danger to civilised society in Moral Upbringing, Family values, Children security and crimes against Humanity.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I support the ending of mandatory death sentences upon conviction to allow the judge discretion to hand down an appropriate sentence, up to and including death, given the circumstances of the crime.

    However, abolishing the death sentence altogether appears to be driven by western-oriented, 'progressive' NGO thinking on 'human rights' and more sympathy for the criminal than the victim.

    As for dealing with the corrupt, paedophiles, cold blooded murderers and so forth, I would support changing the law to allow for death by execution before a firing squad in public or execution by guillotine in public - i.e. such as at Dataran Merdeka, and the execution must be televised and mandatorily shown on all TV channels and before films in all cinemas.

    BTW. I'm reading Billion Dollar Whale right now and am at the early part of the book which describes the decadence of the rich and powerful, the wheeling and dealing and so forth.

    ReplyDelete