F5E RM50 million engine - stealthy loss but supersonic bullsh*t

Malaysiakini’s headlines today blared Missing jet engine: PM promises no cover-up...!

Now, much as we Malaysians have been used to hearing of multi billion ringgit waste or going ‘David Copperfield’, RM50 mil most certainly isn’t small lollie.

How did it happen?

Two days ago in another Mkini headline Defence Ministry to probe missing RM50 mil jet engine the Defence Minister had the bloody cheek to state "The investigations revealed RMAF's logistics system was full-proof. However, the shady activity might have been carried out staff in the lower rungs in cahoots with outsiders."

*… full-proof? Steve Gan should check his sub-editors' spelling more – ‘foolproof’ lah!

There are 3 issues involved here which the public needs to know:

(1) OK, what foolproof RMAF logistic system? Mana ada when a RM50 million engine walked out of the RMAF logistic depot to go samba-ing in South America? It's supersonic bullsh*t.

Then our amazing Def Min (or Daft Mini) contradicted himself by saying the armed forces had also reorganised its systems since the loss and more frequent monitoring on procedures, inventory, and control of assets had been put in place.

If the logistic system was foolproof why then the re-organization and the new process? He's really breaking the bullsh*t barrier.

(2) A theft of public property worth RM50 million has occurred. A police report had been made. When (If) the police eventually completes its investigation, criminal charges must be laid.

Therefore PM Najib had been incorrect in stating once the police authority has finalised its investigative report, it would be up to the air force and armed force's council to decide what action should be taken and against whom - see Mkini’s Missing jet engine: PM promises no cover-up...!

That's like saying citizen Ahmad who was robbed will decide what criminal charges to press and against whom once the police has completed its investigation into the robbery. We are now in a spin, an aircraft spin!

In the final analysis, the theft is symptomatic of our Malaysian malaise – everyone wants to get rich, and very fast. When you see the Bali Mansion and the Klang (private, not royal) Palace, both in Selangor, and hundreds of millions if not billions ending up in individuals’ pockets, it's hardly surprising that the ordinary mata mata or the RMAF airmen also want to 'emulate' those notorious examples of fast-track to wealth?

My uncle told me that once there was a Malaysian leader who promoted the concept of ‘leadership by example’. I am sure the latter didn’t mean this, that we live in a totally corrupt regime where everyone has an opportunity to gouge the public, like their 'leaders'.

Ok, we read of news that that police had arrested four individuals, including RMAF officers. An air force brigadier-general had to resign but with full benefits.

But where is the top leader’s responsibility in this shameful loss by the RMAF, when the 2007 chief of the air force has recently been promoted to become the chief of the three services (army, navy, air force)?

This is another character of our society's illness where only the ikan bilis get the rap on the knuckles. The favoured ones (those close to the political leadership) would be teflon-ised and even promoted.

Now that same Malaysian leader also instructed us to 'Look East'. I'd certainly like to see the local leaders adopt the Japanese time-honoured ethics and etiquette of accepting responsibility for f*-ups in their organizations. Banzai!