The RMAF 'foolproof' logistic system

Yesterday I highlighted 2 characteristics of our world famous Malaysian malaise, namely:

(a) everyone wants to make a fast buck, more so after seeing their ‘leaders’ live in palatial mansion and having multi billion assets, despite the financial and mathematical improbabilities of such lifestyles given the leaders' earnings.

However, it so happens in Bolehland that there is in fact a way, and an easy way at that, by simply gouging the hapless Malaysian public and their collective property especially the tax money they pay, and

(b) when the sh*t hits the fan, 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.

I’m just about to tell you a third, which is quintessentially Malaysian. It has to do with the unpleasant reality that many of our political leaders don’t like to be questioned by the public, especially by their own supporters.

After bribing, bullsh*tting or begging the unsuspecting voters into electing them, once elected, suddenly these public representatives would forget how they become ministers but believe and act like they’ve been crowned Sultan Mansur Shah, he of the Hang Tuah infamy.

They'd look down patronising at their voters and expect the latter to toe the line silently like loyal subjects. After all, who are those voters to question 'royalty' - dei, siapa raja?

We get to see a glimpse of this in The Malaysian Insider’s Missing engines: Zahid confirms action against ‘traitors’ which reported:

Zahid warned bloggers not to sensationalise the incident, stressing that the government was committed to having a transparent investigation.

“For your information, those involved have been identified and we have taken action internally. They won't escape from legal action. I don't want bloggers who will twist facts with various analyses and speculation. I would like to inform that the Prime Minister and I will monitor the investigation. Further action will also be revealed to the public from time to time,” he told reporters.

My dear Minister, in a democracy the public (and would you believe bloggers are members of the public as well) have the right to talk about a major loss of public property, to blooming question the government especially you. It's our constitutional rights and your accountable responsibilities.

Besides, how can we twist facts when there have been a total absence of facts about the engines for 2 years since their ‘disappearance’ (now apparently two engines, and not one as earlier suspected)?

Zahid also reiterated his belief that the RMAF's logistics system was foolproof. “I stress that the record and inventory system of all national services is satisfactory including the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

“But no matter, a traitor will always find a way to find loopholes in the procedures. We have confidence in the police and marshals in the Royal Malaysian Air Force to take the necessary legal action in the near future,” he said.

My dear Minister, please stop using the word ‘foolproof’ if you do not understand what the word means. Don’t show your stupidity.

And would you believe, Dumbo again contradicted himself in a new Malaysiakini news GONE: Not just jet engines, other equipment too where he revealed that "…Besides the two Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F-5E fighter jet engines reported missing, other related equipment is [sic] also gone …".

Foolproof eh? Or does the Minister think ‘foolproof’ means the RMAF logistic system is proofed against fools only?

Also, the Minister should stop using the word ‘traitor’ since he obviously couldn’t distinguish between a thief and a traitor. But I fear our dear Minister won’t be listening to me on the incorrect use of the ‘traitor’ word, since The Malaysian Insider reported his overly generous employment of that word, as in:

Zahid vowed that the ‘traitors’ would pay a heavy price for their treachery.

“Traitors, they are everywhere and any form of treachery must be paid with a high price. The Defence Ministry has not only conducted an internal investigation but we have given this case to the police.

“It must be open to the public through the court. Datuk Seri Najib (Razak) and I feel that these actions of treachery must be punished heavily and we are open in this matter,” he explained.

Omigosh, “Traitors, they are everywhere …”! Maybe even in the cabinet?

Or has it been just the standard UMNO-ish clarion call, when they’re in damage control, to the heartland to marshal around his banner against ‘traitors’?

But there is a bright side as Tay Tian Yan wrote tongue-in-cheek in Sin Chew (extracts):

The Royal Malaysia Air Force discovered the missing of the engine within a few months and they found the suspects in only two years. What an extremely high efficiency! […]

Of course, we must be pleased that Malaysia does not have any nuclear bombs. Otherwise, it will be very easy for our talents to steal that too. […]

Even it is no big deal to lose an engine, but I’m curious whether they will lose something else in the future?

As long as the don’t let anyone steal the Defense Minister which would be really embarrassing.

From now on, the Royal Malaysia Air Force must pull themselves together to protect the Defense Minister.

But have no fear, as the Chief of the Defence Force (the 2007 Chief of the Air Force) informed us, and the rest of the world including our potential enemies, the RMAF has 16 F5E's where only 7 are tactically operational.

We can now sleep at night in peace because our potential enemies would have laughed themselves to death.