E Contrario

It is wrong to think that Defence scandals confine only to submarine, Eurocopter, Sukhoi, and big-time weapons.

Today I held a press conference in the lobby of the Parliament to expose more scandals in awarding Defence contracts. Last week, I received a written answer from the Ministry of Defence revealing that in 2008 54% of the RM8 Billion worth contracts had been awarded through direct negotiation.

The justification for direct negotiation was due to secrecy and sensitivity of national security. However here is a case that required high level secrecy:

One the favorite recipients of contracts is a guy named Syed Abu Hussin Bin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal. I found out that he is a loyal member of Umno from Bukit Gantang division (Membership no.: 00924477).

My search also found that he has been a director or share-holder of some 30 companies. Nearly 90% of contracts involving the supply of various items and rations to the Defence Department were awarded to his companies.

I presented to the reporters a list of these contracts. Here I just want to cite two examples:

a. Komantra Sajian Sdn Bhd was awarded through direct negotiation a privatisation project of food catering to the Armed Force (ATM) for Northern and Eastern Zones of Peninsular Malaysia. The contract cost taxpayers RM600 million.

b.  GPB Coporation Sdn Bhd was given a RM300 million contract for bus transportation to service National Service training.

I don’t want to go into the issues of the quality of the services. I have also received a lot of complaints from members of our Armed Forces over the food quality and other supplies.

We have no doubt some hanky panky is going on here. I think Pak Lah didn’t have much time to go into the details in the Defence Ministry. However I call on him to at least set up an independent inquiry to audit the Defence spending and contracts.

Karpal Singh was charged today. I was in court showing my solidarity with the Lion King.

He was in his usual self, undeterred and vowed to continue with his outspoken style.

Coincidentally (or rather by design), Umno Disciplinary Committee made several ground-shaking announcement this afternoon.

It seems that the Disciplinary Committee is inclined to support Dr Mahathir’s advice. I wonder the Committee is helping Najib to ensure ‘corrupted’ candidates got eliminated.

Ali Rustam the front-runner for the post of Deputy President has been disqualified. Khairy Jamaluddin too got a stern warning for his involvement in money politics. And surprised surprised Khir Toyo is free from corruption.

This time Umno Disciplinary Committee is more efficient, the bad apples are removed before the contest. Unlike the previous party election, the leaders were penalized after they were elected, e.g. Mat Isa, Zaid Ibrahim, etc.

Superficially, Umno appeared to be gearing up for a large scale cleaning up corruption and money politics. For outsiders, we are quite ignorant of Umno’s internal dynamics. But it does seems selectively targeted at personalities aligned with Abdullah Badawi.

After delivering lots of carrots in the stimulus package, Najib is now ready to wave the big stick.

MP for Puchong Gobind Singh Deo was suspended for a year today. The Speaker won’t even let the House to have a proper debate.

Last Thursday (12 March), Gobind has been suspended for one day. But that was not enough. Rosmah was in the Parliament during the commotion when Gobind requested Najib to explain his link with the murder of Altantuya.

Minister of the PM Department Nazri had to do the dirty job to assuage the anger of his future boss and more so his wife.

The issue here is not what Gobind said. The whole world is talking about Altantuya case. Najib had not offered a satisfactory disclaimers.

We dare Najib to demand the French paper Liberation to withdraw the article on Altantuya, or to sue the paper for defamation. Wonder why he is totally silent? Even the loudly Umno Youth are extraordinarily quiet about this. No demo in front of the French Embassy, no police reports, no threatening to severe diplomatic relations with France… Why are they not brave enough to defend the dignity of their future supremo.

Allergy over the word “Altantuya” is spreading across BN. I asked the Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee if the word Altantuya was not allowed to be uttered in the House. He dare not never confirmed it. Things must have change over the weekend.

The Speaker Pandikar was determined to deliver the penalty immediately.

Oddly, in the debate which purported to be a trial over Gobind’s “crime”, the people involved were not given a chance to speak. Najib was absent from the session, and Gobind was not given a chance to defend himself.

The debate was ended by the Speaker 10 minutes before 13:00hr, and Nazri was asked to conclude and tabled the suspension motion for a vote.

We had to walk out to protest against this group of kangaroos.

Tomorrow, Karpal SIngh will be charged under the Sedition Act for his alleged “lese majeste” remarks.

What happened to the father and son, Karpal and Gobind is a glimpse of what is coming with Najib the future PM.

Najib is fixing his muscle as well as all the tools within his reach. Be prepared for the big stick coming…

Two Members of Parliament were kicked out today (12 March)

The MP for Ranau Siringan Gubat was suspended by the Parliament Speaker during question time this morning. The House Speaker Pandikar ordered him to leave the chamber when Gubat interjected the debate on social contract between Parit Buntar MP Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Deputy Minister for Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Teng Boon Soon.

Ironically Mujahid from PAS was criticizing UMNO for harping on the issue of social contract while jeopardizing racial harmony. Deputy Minister answered that social contract did not exist in the Federal Constitution but “achieved between Malay, Indian and Chinese leaders before Independence Day” said Teng.

We presumed the MCA Deputy Minister meant the leaders of UMNO, MCA and MIC.

Mujahid continued to challenge Teng: “What is the Minister stand? The social contract does not even exist as a law (in Constitution), why allow certain racist Malay party uses this to intimidate other races.”

At this point, BN MPs burst out in anger. Gubat was suspended by the Speaker to calm the noisy exchanges.

In the afternoon, DAP Gobind Singh Deo was suspended by Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee.

At 14:30hr, Najib came into parliament to debate the Mini-Budget. As usual, he skirted through controversial questions from MPs and ended his speech quickly.

At the Committee stage, Gobind Singh entered the debate on the funding for court building. He said what is the use for paying for the building while justice is not served.

He quoted the examples of Kugan and Altantuya. At this point Najib had packed his bag and was about to walk out of the parliament.

Gobind said, “Don’t run! Hear this, what about Altantuya? What about justice for Altantuya?…”

Najib turned back, his face appeared not too pleased. Rosmah was in Parliament too, I can’t imagine how she looked.

Deputy Speaker tried to stop Gobind from mentioning Altantuya. He said: “these cases (refering to Kugan and Altantuya) are still in court, it is against the regulation to discuss here…”

Gobind continued to ask about Altantuya as Najib turned his back walking out.

Deputy Speaker ordered Gobind to be suspended from Parliament for the rest of the day today.

After Gobind was ejected, I stood up to ask the Deputy Speaker what was the ground of suspension? Does this means that the name Altantuya should never be mentioned in the House?

Deputy Speaker was reluctant to confirm this. He muttered that Gobind was suspended for disobeying the Speaker.

The House resumed the debate on Mini-Budget after this incident. Nonetheless, I don’t think the ghost of Altantuya will be ejected from this holy parliament chamber so easily.

As for the two parliamentarians, please follow the Perak example: go and make police report and get the MACC to investigate the Speaker/Deputy Speaker for possible abuses of power.

When we are facing a global crisis of an unknown magnitude, it is difficult to say how much money is needed to cushion the impact.

In general, the problem is not about how much we inject to stimulate our national economy. Or even how much reserve we can afford to use for the package?

We should take the opportunity to evaluate our economic policies and regulatory mechanisms. Global economic recession exposes internal weaknesses of each national economy — it might differ from one country to another.

The package announced by Najib left out institutional reforms, made no mention in strengthening regulatory mechanism and improvement of economic governance.

As a result, we learn nothing from the crisis. We have not even embarked on any serious institutional reforms after we were hit by 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

Second issue: the package has not addressed the crisis of massive unemployment and escalating poverty, especially urban poverty.

We are uncertain what will be mechanism to ensure funds injected into the economy can ‘trigger’ down to the bottom of the society. While uttering rhetorics against rampant neo-liberalism, the Government seems to blindly believe in the market to do the distribution.

Third: the main chunk of money go straight to cronies and big corporates linked to government or ruling parties.

For example, it is noble to contain toll hike, however Najib simply hands over a big sum of compensation to the concessionaires. The ruling clique continues to enjoy public payout. The Government has no intention to reveal the unfair and non-transparent terms in the highway concessions.

Similarly, the public will be paying for another airport — this time to award to Tony Fernandez. Just about one decade ago, Dr Mahathir built us an airport which promised to serve our needs for the next 50-60 years.

Now we are told we need another low cost airport. Have the Government conducted any thorough studies before such decision.

The Government basically failed to seize the opportunity in this crisis to install better governance mechanisms for our economy. For this, it is not surprise that the package failed to inspire public and investors’ confidence.

As I am sitting at the Parliament lobby, Najib is delivering his speech on the Stimulus Package.

BN called this a Mini Budget. Last year, when the government tabled the 2009 Budget, we in the Opposition called for a revised budget in the view of global economic crisis. It took the Federal Government half a year to acknowledge the need for a new strategy.

However there is nothing new or stimulating in the package. I don’t think the private sectors and the international community inspired much by a future prime minister whose image is tainted. Just think of the bloody killing of Altantuya depicted in the French newspaper Liberation, my stomach cramps. It hard to feel stimulating by such gruesome brutality.

As a leader of government, Najib will not gain confidence of investors or even the public.

It is clear that the majority portion of the RM60 billion package will go to feed Umno cronies. Our hard-earned taxpayers money will again go down the drain.

I have to stay out of the parliament chamber. I have no appetite to stomach craps from a murderer.

On 3 March, I received a written answer from the Ministry of Defence on defence purchases.

My question was:
Request the Minister of Defence to list down the number and value of military purchases or projects that had been conducted through direct negotiation from year 2006-2008.

The answer was rather disappointing. The Defence Minister who is the outgoing PM did not give me any detail of purchase or project. However, the information I received is quiet revealing.

The Ministry claimed that:
In 2006, the military purchases totaled to 607 contracts, out of that 52 (8.54%) were condiucted through direct negotiation.

2007: 497 contracts in total, and out of which 95 (19.11%) were purchased through direct negotiation.

2008: 477 contracts in which 100 (20.95%) through direct negotiation.

Superficially, we only seen a double-fold leap in direct negotiation in our defence contracts, viz. from 8.54% to about 20%.

Nevertheless, if we compared the values, the picture is very different.

2006: out of total RM6.726 billion, the purchase through direct negotiation valued RM2.113 billion. In fact it is 31.42% of total value of our defence contracts.

2007: of RM5.119 billion, direct negotiation valued RM1.686 billion; amount to 32.94%.

2008: our military purchases shot up to RM8.116 billion. In other words, 54.12% of purchases were obtained from direct negotiation.

Two observations here:

1) Why our defence purchases increased to RM8 billion? A 63% rise from 2007, and 83% rise from 2006.

Perhaps it has to do with our payment for submarines? Unfortunately the Ministry’s provided no details.

2) It is an unhealthy trend that proportion of direct negotiation contracts keep rising. 2008 more than half of the contracts were awarded without tender.

Under such circumstances, we can be assured that more taxpayers’ money will go down with the submarine.

Parameswara’s cabinet meeting under the Malacca tree, accompanied by dogs and kancil

In parliament today, some BN lawmakers tried to ridicule Pakatan Rakyat. They described the holding of Perak Legislative Assembly under the tree as “law of the jungle”.

In fact the problem is that BN leadership indeed only saw one tree but failed to see the jungle.

Our friend Golabakrishna has a good insight. He reminded our BN MPs the history of the Kingdom of Melaka.

Parameswara, who we are uncertain of his status as a Bumiputra, called his first cabinet meeting under a tree several hundreds years ago. Among the first motions passed was to express confidence in Parameswara as the ruler and chief executive of the newly founded kingdom.

The kingdom founded by Parameswara flourished in the next few centuries and its boundaries extended beyond modern Malaysian national borders.

By the way, the tree under which the state assembly was held was an Angsana or Pokok Sena, a species full of legends.

All human cultures have a special attachment to trees. Certain trees have also been seen as sacred trees which represent life and spirituality.

Let me quote a few lines from L. Brown on the concept of Sacred Tree:

For all the people of the earth, the Creator has planted a Sacred Tree under which they all may gather, and there find healing, power, wisdom and security. The roots of this tree spread deep into the body of Mother Earth. Its branches reach upward like hands praying to Father Sky. The fruits of this tree are the good things the Creator has given to the people: teachings that show the path to love, compassion, generosity, patience, wisdom, justice, courage, respect, humility and many other wonderful gifts.

The latest political events seems to follow the emblem of Pancasila:

First we have the cow, now Perak State Assembly was held under a tree.

What’s next? On the Indonesia’s national coat of arm, there are: the chain, cotton & rice and a star in the center.

Let’s wait to see how new events will be unfolding in the next few days. Hopefully we will complete the cycle of Pancasila and achieve the nation’s dream for a true democracy.