Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Elegant silence across the Causeway

Najib's call for reciprocity. Looks like we'll have to wait another day for Singapore to respond to our DPM's call that it play fair and open up its door so that Khazanah Nasional can buy its companies as freely as Temasek is buying into Malaysian companies.
Both The Straits Times and its sister, Singapore Business Times, carried Najib Razak's statement extensively. The piece by seasoned commentator S. Jayasankaran, here, is interesting:

Even so, Mr Najib inserted a cautionary note in his otherwise conciliatory speech. Elaborating on the growing cross-border deals between the two countries, he said the acquisitions of Malaysian interests especially by Singapore state-controlled entities 'have far outweighed' the acquisitions of Singapore companies by Malaysians.
He said the deals include the purchase of Singapore stockbroker GK Goh by CIMB Bank of Malaysia as opposed to Temasek Holdings' acquisition of a significant interest in Malaysia's Alliance Bank.
"I am hopeful that there will be a greater degree of reciprocity from Singaporean authorities in facilitating more Malaysian acquisitions of assets in Singapore," Mr Najib said.

Will Singapore open its door wider to Malaysia? I am tempted to believe that even Mr Najib does not think so; hence, the "cautionary note in his otherwise conciliatory speech".

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:11 am

    Bro Rocky

    Najib was day dreaming when he made the suggestions. Singapore is too smart to do stupid things like Malaysia sold Telekom, Pantai Hospital and etc to Temasek through teh famous S-I-L.

    The way our half past six PM approved the sale of Telekom and Pantai Hospital to Temasek seemed to suggest that Telekom and Pantai are in desperate of fund. Telekom is cash rich and there was no necessity to sell its share to Temasek.

    Why didn't Telekom and Pantai sell its shares to the local companies??????? Of course, selling ot local companies will not be approved because the deals didn't go through the famous SIL.

    Enough of this half past six PM, who is heading a half past six government. The more we are reminded of all the non-sense such as this that was connected to the SIL, the more we are determined to vote agasint BN this coming general elections.

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  2. Anonymous8:59 am

    *TypicalProgrammer*

    Didn't our PM (Bapa Hypocrite) mention in his recent speech at Filthy Rich Crony Association (UMNO) assembly that if he ever decided foreigner to purchase our company he would be the one reprimanded? Now his deputy is asking other to the do what our PM say we shouldn't do? How hypocritical can you get?

    DPM statement also shows his incompetency as a politician. He is actually asking another country to implement a policy that is so loop sided and he justify it by saying Singapore should do it because the Malaysian government is doing it. Idiot. I thought he said Malaysia should never intervene with another country affairs and policy. Kudos though for his effort to emulate Pak Lah hypocrisy.

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  3. Is he speaking for his broither or the country?

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  4. spelling error: brother

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  5. Anonymous9:27 am

    Datuk AKJ, Sdr Rocky, Dato’ Ron dan lain-lain,

    Pada ketika TPM kita bercakap merayu Singapura agar lebih terbuka terhadap pembelian asetnya oleh pelabur Malaysia, kita mendapati begitu banyak penganjur korporat kita yang meniru dan mempraktikkan cara dan tindak-tanduk negara itu.

    Penggabungan tiga firma gergasi PNB menjadi sebuah konglomerat mega dan penggabungan NSTP - Utusan Melayu adalah acuan Singapura. Saya tidak mengatakan syarikat mega tidak baik. Kita memerlukan syarikat mega untuk bersaing di pentas dunia.

    Tetapi kita bukan Singapura. Efektifnya Singapura adalah negara Cina. Kita negara pelbagai kaum, agama dan budaya. Kita ada kepentingan-kepentingan kaum dan bangsa yang wajib dipertahankan.

    Jika orang Cina dan India begitu gigih mempertahankan hak mereka di Malaysia, termasuk kebebasan media massa berbahasa Cina daripada dimiliki oleh seorang dua individu, mengapa orang Melayu begitu mudah membiarkan diri mereka diperkotak-katikkan dan kepentingan mereka dipertaruhkan oleh segelintir manusia yang berkuasa dalam politik dan korporat?

    Orang Melayu perlu bimbang yang dua penggabungan mega ini bermuslihat peribadi atau kelompok dan dibuat atas acuan dan dengan input dari perantara pasaran dan agen-agen Singapura yang kini bermaharajalela di Malaysia atas nama keterbukaan, free market dan globalization.

    Cadangan menggabungkan NSTP dengan Utusan meniru acuan atau template Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) di mana beberapa individu yang rapat dengan Dinasti Lee Kuan Yew diamanahkan memiliki dan mengendalikan aset penting negara dan PAP itu. Semua media cetak digabungkan di bawah panji-panji SPH menjadikannya salah satu daripada dua monopoli media massa milik Kerajaan Singapura.

    Tidak susah meneka siapa di belakang cadangan menggabungkan NSTP dengan Utusan ini kalau bukan orang nombor satu Perdana Menteri dalam media massa iaitu Dato’ Kalimullah Hassan Masherul Hassan, bekas wartawan Straits Times Singapura di Malaysia. ST adalah akhbar panji-panji SPH.

    Tetapi untuk mengabui mata umum, khasnya mata para pendukung Umno dan orang Melayu, tugas mengepalai penggabungan itu diserahkan kepada Pengerusi Eksekutif Utusan Tan Sri Hashim Makaruddin, orang lantikan PM di Utusan, yang diketahui umum bukan tokoh korporat tetapi cukup setia kepada Pak Lah. Dia ni dulu Pembantu Khas Tun Dr Mahathir. Jadi siapakah yang akan menarik tali patung-patung ini?

    Sekali lagi jawapannya ialah Kalimullah Hassan, bekas Ketua Pengarang NSTP yang sekarang ini Timbalan Pengerusi dan Penasihat Jabatan Pengarang NSTP dengan dibantu oleh the usual suspects seperti Datuk Mutalib Pengerusi Media Prima Berhad dan Realmild Sdn Bhd, Khairy Jamaluddin menantu Perdana Menteri dan para broker kuasa Tingkat 4 JPM.

    Dalam penggabungan ini Utusan akan rugi dan Umno mungkin hilang kawalan modal ke atas Utusan. Media Prima mungkin mendapat “keuntungan luar biasa” yang amat-amat diperlukannya bagi membiayai shopping spreenya yang hebat dengan membeli stesen TV NTV7, Channel 8, Channel 9, stesen radio dan firma iklan. Media Prima tiada wang tetapi ia mempunyai backing 100% Perdana Menteri dan Nor Mohammed Yaacop. Mutalib adalah konco PM dalam Yayasan Pulau Pinang. Dia dibuang oleh Anwar kerana kes clowd seeding TNB dan kemuflisan Yayasan. Pak Lah membawanya kembali selepas berkuasa. Kalimullah adalah teman korporat Nor Mohammed Yaacob semasa beliau tersingkir dari Bank Negara setelah membakar RM30 bilion duit Bank Negara.

    Penggabungan NSTP-Utusan akan menguatkan kedudukan PM dan konco-konconya dan melemahkan pemilikan dan kawalan Umno ke atas Utusan. Umno tiada pengaruh ke atas NSTP. NSTP dan Media Prima bukan milik Umno. Ia milik rahsia
    “Umno President Incorporated” melalui proksi seperti Mutalib dan Kallimullah. Utusan dipegang bersama atas nama Presiden, Setiausaha Agung dan Bendahari Umno.

    Jadi tahukah kita bahawa aset Melayu dan negara kini sedang diperjudikan untuk kepentingan individu dan kumpulan tertentu?

    Barang dijauhkan bala petaka.

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  6. Anonymous10:22 am

    Never learned.These Island actually was advised by Jewish peoples for their army/intelligence/economic. Sorry to say,their action and reaction brings no good to us. And ask why does HK and Australia don't want to sell their airlines or telecommunication companies to this country ?

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  7. Anonymous11:22 am

    After a while you can see what politicians are up to. Najib is paving the way for more acquisitions of juicy malaysian companies (esp those with govt contracts) by singapore.

    This is not unlike chess - if you play long enough you will able to see your opponent's move being planned 3 or 4 steps ahead before the final 'kill'

    malaysia boleh!

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  8. Anonymous11:55 am

    The more I read about these mergers, the more angry I am at our Government.

    Has enough study/research done for the benefit in the long run for the country and the rakyat?

    To me, all these talks abt mergers are nothing more than a wool over the rakyat's eyes for politically-connected-people to make big bucks.

    For example CIMB CEO Nazir is the youngest brother of the Deputy Prime Minister Dato Najib.

    Like someone here said, is Najib speaking for his brother or the country?

    Sooo fed-up!

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  9. Anonymous12:19 pm

    Aisheman from aisheman.org says:

    “PNB is supposed to manage investments made using our money (yes, it is our money), not get directly involved in any business.

    It's like this: Say I'm a crony, and I have a billion-ringgit construction proposal (don't they all?), but I don't have the money to finance it.

    What do I do? I get PNB to pay me to build it. Heck, I can even get PNB to take over everything so I can run away with my (your) money and not get saddled with the "burden" of running the damn thing.

    Fundamentally, what I'm saying is that PNB should not be in the business of running businesses.”

    ----------------------------
    Couldnt agree more with him.

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  10. Anonymous12:33 pm

    Najib is a politician above par. He wasn't day-dreaming, I don't think so. Rather, he's shown some of Mahathir's shrewdness by forcing his Temasik counterparts into a tight corner. Rejal is dot on: the kiasus aren't going to ever allow themselves to be "conquered". It's a coup by Najib, a stinging reminder to Pak Lah and Syed Hamid about how average they are as politicians. I am all for Mukhriz as Foreign Minister. He's doing wonders in South Thailand, anyway. Make that happen, Najib. But be weary too.

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  11. Anonymous12:49 pm

    Rejal, marah nampak. Tapi, marah Rejal, marah bertempat. Marah Rejal' memastikan Melayu tidak merempat. Tapi, rasanya tak guna nak letak wartawan Malaysia di Singapore.Sekarang, kalau letak pun apa faedahnya kerana surat khabar akan twist dan spin story Singapore, lagi tak guna. Singapore adalah ibarat kiblat bagi orang-orang di Malaysia yang ada kepentingan. Semua oang tahu, orang Singapore banyak duit, kaya raya. Siapa dapat tackle orang kaya Singapore, dia akan jadi kaya raya. Yang dah kaya akan jadi bilionaire. Apa nak dikatakan, kita ikut sajalah. Memanglah sakit hati, tapi apa nak dikato, demo lagi bijak atur perancangan. Yang kita sedih ialah orang-orang suruhan mereka yang ikut je, setuju je. Orang Umno perlu melihat keadaan ini dengan SERIUS, SERIUS dan SERIUS. Yang kita sedih, masa Umno bersidang baru-baru ini, sorang pun tak cakap pasal Singapore. Ingatlah penggabungan NSTP-Utusan membawa implikasi yang besar kepada suara orang Melayu. Tolehlah kembali sejarah perjuangan orang-orang Melayu dan apakah peranan akhbar Utusan. Kita tidak nampak lagi akhbar lain yang nak suarakan suara orang Melayu selain Utusan. Sekiranya Utusan tergadai body, jangan harapkan ada suara yang memperjuangkan orang Melayu lagi. Akhbar lain melihat apa jua berlaku dalam konteks nasional, bukan dari sudut Melayu. Sama-samalah kita fikirkan cara bagaimana nak bantah perkara ini daripada berlaku. Jumpalah Pak Samad dan Mazlan Nordin, Syed Zahari dan yang mana-mana yang masih ada lagi, dapatkan pandangan mereka. Jangan jumpa Zam, sebab dia lain kiblat.

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  12. Anonymous1:11 pm

    p.s. As for Nazir, the DPM's little brother, many would be of the view that he should emulate Kamal, the PM's son, and seek his fortunes "abroad". But if Nazir does that, Najib will be sitting duck (I mean duck not "d"uck). CIMB is a mighty election chest, esp to ensure that DPM stays DPM and drops the "D" eventually, and that would be the view of many, too. At least I think it is.

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  13. Anonymous1:52 pm

    Bro Rock,

    have u seen today's NST (Nov 29)? What happened, eh? Spin too much now pening already, is it? One view of the frontpage is that PakBla has made too many EMPTY promises. Hence the trio of PROMISES. Got anyone panas bontot or not, aaa for the inadvertant boo boo?

    Any take on this, bro?

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  14. Anonymous5:43 pm

    Just want to echo the other commentators with regards to the kiasu republic spreading its wings overseas in a covert manner. Apart from Alliance Bank and MUI Bank (it took an alert Bank Negara to notice that Temasek was a substantial shareholder in 2 local banks) there are other examples in regional neighbours.
    Thailand - Shin Corp. If Thaksin was not deposed, the deal would have been consumnated.
    Indonesia - Indosat. The employees went on strike to break the deal.

    So the Fourth Floor Fools obviously know about this anyway. But they are still allowing this neo-colonialism to continue. Why are they beholden so much to Singapore? Wake up, fellow Malaysians!

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  15. Anonymous4:24 pm

    setahu saya all the previous cross causeway mud-slinging tu sememangnya reciprocity.

    benda dah ada najib tak perasan kut.

    orang-orang Singapura pasti kagum dengan retorik Najib.

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