Every day we faced revelation of another case of cronyism by the ruling party (UMNO to be more precise). Today it’s the story of 'light', or the government’s directive to award contracts for electrical fittings to only 4 companies. malaysiakini headlined the monopoly as Lighting monopoly casts a dark shadow.
This electrical monopolistic contract isn’t new as I had blogged on it in December 2005 under the title Malaysia - Let there be no light!.
Then, out of 10 bumiputra and 18 non-bumiputra companies involved in the manufacturing of electrical/electronic lights and accessories in Malaysia, the government through a Treasury circular decreed that only three – Amat Sinar Sdn Bhd, Permintex Electronic Sdn Bhd and Muarlite Industries Sdn Bhd – could provide the items to government contractors.
We are informed by malaysiakini that since then, a second circular was issued in May 2006 and another company - Maxlane Sdn Bhd - was included.
malaysiakini did a little probing and found that – yawnnnnnnnnn - one of the four companies listed is owned by an UMNO politician, Mohd Ismail Mohd Shah. He is also the UMNO state assemblyperson of Maharani in Johor.
Why should we be surprised as yesterday in my posting Express buses - who's regulating whom? we hear of the CVLB and Road Safety Department complaining of unfairness when an insurance company warned errant bus companies that they would be held equally liable if any of the following safety conditions were not met, namely:
> Full compliance with permit provisions,
> Having Puspakom roadworthiness certificates,
> That drivers are not drug addicts and alcoholics,
> That drivers have valid licences and are free of traffic warrants
> That drivers are physically and mentally fit.
As I said, these are fundamental safety issues that MUST be met by all bus companies. The insurance company would only require equal liability if the bus companies fail to meet the above conditiosn.
By criticizing the insurance company’s conditions as unfair and unnecessarily wielding the big stick, the top executives of the CVLB and RSD are seen as admitting that the bus companies would likely be violating these basic safety requirements, with the inevitable (probably unavoidable) accident, and it will be unfair for the poor bus companies to be made liable in any passenger’s death, injuries or damage to property.
Can you beat that? Or, can you interpret their moans and groans any other way?
Incest is being perpetuated in every nook and corner of our bureaucracy as government regulators prefer to protect the commercial providers (those supposed to be regulated) rather than the public (those supposed to be protected), while favoured contractors are pampered over others, even those who are bumiputeras (and so what hope would there be for a non-bumiputera?).
The incestuous rape of our nation continues.
Incest is best... relatively speaking.
ReplyDelete'Nuff said.
Another way of looking at it:
ReplyDelete"Rape's great, but incest's best!"
That must be the motto of the UMNO Putras.
Let's vote them out soon
of the 4 companies, who are the real beneficiaries (stakeholders)? and are they of Malay? Chinese? Indian ? or other natives such as Iban, Kadazan or French descent? Lets dig a bit more....
ReplyDeletekaytee,
ReplyDeletewhat about the latest e-kesihatan? remember the monopoly of secuirt printing for cigarettes. think thsi is in the hands of the keris wavign family ( correct me if I am wrong). what about the monopoly of hologram supply for medical field? now, there is requirement for doctors to dish out pre-packed medicine ( no more loose bulk purchases by doctors) which is going to inflate cost again. just wondering who is given the monopoly (or duopoly) contract?
kaytee, this is the land of rent seekers and if you want to be in this game to line up your pockets, well time to join UMNO or MCA.
aiyaa... actually all this bumi/non-bumi preference thing in business is smokescreen only. what matters is how close you are to the right people, and how useful you are to them. so many of these favoured companies are non-bumis what. corruption is equal-opportunity. that's why it's taking so long to narrow the gap between rural malays, the indigenous peoples, and indians, with the urban groups and the chinese. the NEP supposed to be giving a hand up to people who start out with less, but abused to feed cronies. true, race is used as a general guide in many policies, but remember the actual aim is to lessen the socio-economic gap. politicians have selfish reasons to keep us focused on the race part, and not the gap part. smart professionals like some of us have no excuse if we buy in to this. actually us better off people among the middle-class malays and chinese (yes, you too, chinese countrymen!) should be talking to help the rural poor, and the races least benefiting like the iban, kelabit, etc. and even the indians, instead of whining about ourselves and education quotas and insisting on segregated schooling and so on. being malaysian is not something we wait for the govt to do for us or make easy, or what, it is something we choose for ourselves, now. if we don't stop talking or insinuating things about other races, we have ourselves to blame if this govt continues to remain in power.
ReplyDelete