Friday, September 28, 2012

Past cronies, our air space and Bajet 13

As a former editor, headlines continue to intrigue, haunt, affect me. This morning, for example, I could not help but mess about with a headline in pro-Anwar independent news portal Malaysiakini, Bersih to Government: A Rock Concert Reminder. Certainly a more independent, and accurate, headline would be, Bersih opts for concert, abandons street protest to win back waning support after Bersih 3.0 violence. It's longer (shorter headlines are supposed to be punchier) but necessarily so: we need to tell the story of how Bersih has to shake off the images of violence captured during their "peaceful" street protest last April and at the same time, as in the run-up to the 2008 general elections, it needs to win some points for Anwar and Co in Pakatan Rakyat against the ruling government, and that is why it is going for a safer option: a rock concert, which will probably be held in a stadium (a no-no venue for previous Bersihs).

This morning's headline in the Mole Fighting for Papa's Friend is intriguing and makes you smile, but it can be a tad misleading, too. For this is not a story about a gallant child but of a young, ambitious, angry politician who is being exposed for misleading the people. It is possible that Nurul Izzah does not know that xxx is a close associate of his papa, Anwar Ibrahim but the point of the story is she is not actually fighting for a better ATS, that she does not even understand the issue... Read Rabid Spinning for Past Cronyism, the original piece by Big Dog, an expert among bloggers in this kind of stuff.

As his story goes, Nurul Izzah's campaign against the existing operators of our civil air transport system would unearth a bitter rivalry and jealousy between rival companies.
It was learnt that the main player of AMCOP Dato’ Mustaffa Abdul Rahman is an associate of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, when the latter was Finance Minister and calling the shots for all Federal Government contracts and awards. They have established the relationship a while back and now, the Princess of PKR ‘Politics of Hatred’ is taking up the fight for ‘an old Papa friend’.
The third headline that got my attention this morning is Rumah Lebih Murah on the front page of Utusan Malaysia. Other newspapers go with the usual GDP figures, etc. as a teaser for this afternoon's Belanjawan Negara 2013 to be tabled by the PM, but I like the Utusan editors' focus. Cheaper homes - not cars - are what Malaysia desperately needs to improve the quality of life. But can Najib Razak resist the housing cartels and their evil agents who have been pushing up prices of properties to the detriment of the people? Samy Velly tried and failed (through his 4P initiattive in the 80s) and Anwar Ibrahin tried and failed in the 90s! Daim Zainuddin (who was a developer himself) had warned us of escalating home prices but nothing was done. 

I will be very interested to listen to his Budget if only for his proposals on how to address the housing issue. Borrowing his own favourite word, it could be the game-changer for PRU13.

14 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:22 pm

    Rocky,

    How about it!!

    Rocky the Najib Crony talking down other Cronies!!!

    Well...Now we have to Categories the LEGITIMATE CRONIES from the Illegitimate ones!

    Lets Start with the FAT OBESE DOG Crony...He's Legitimate to Mahathir..Half Legitimate to Najib and Ignored by Muhyideen (Not Kampong enough!).

    What about the Barking BlackPie! He's to tally Illegitimate all and Sundry...He's Just Plain Mad Hatter! Trying to Warm up to Muhyideen by His Ketuanan Melayu Stand!

    Mother of all Legitimate Cronies Razak Baginda Couldn't be Bothered now that he has made his Hundredth Million Bucks. He's basking in Wealth and jetsetting from KL to UK..He says Up Yours to all the other Cronies, especially to the family of Cows who wasn't as smart as he was!!!



    Once a Crony Too

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  2. Anonymous2:24 pm

    Wow, you really can bend your back to suit any UMNO's agenda. Street demostartion is Malaysian citizen right and is not a wrong thing. Only a corrupted and tyrant gov will be afraid of street demo. No one likes street demo. A street demo demonstrate that the gov has failed to serve her citizen.

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  3. Anonymous2:32 pm

    Dato' Rocky,

    It would be interesting to see what the PM is going to offer with regards to more affordable homes! The ever spiraling cost of houses has been a major concern for a long time. Everyone is aware of it but alas nothing was done to arrest this issue. Land cost, high raw materials cost are among the main reasons quoted. Speculators too further aggravate the situation, whereby they buy during the launch and sell later at a higher price. I know of people with more than 20 houses in their portfolio, either to rent out or sell at a higher price. It's business they say!

    Perhaps it is timely for entities such as the respective Cooperatives to play a major role in addressing the affordable home woes. I am referring to the large Cooperatives such as the Armed Forces Cooperatives or other Cooperatives with strong financial standing whereby they can apply for land and build affordable homes. Financing can be from internal sources or even from Bank Rakyat or other commercial banks whereby the rates can be competitive. In so far as the raw materials are concerned, the government would need to assist by way of ensuring that the prices of the related materials are priced at a level that would ensure that the prices of the houses could be affordable to its members.

    Thus, if there is a concerted effort among all these Cooperatives to adopt the same modus operandi therefore this would certainly be a boon to their members. After all the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Consumer and Cooperatives is targeting to set up 10,000 Cooperatives including schools, mosques, family etc. Therefore, why have so many Cooperatives just for the sake of the numbers but nothing concrete can be undertaken?

    We see that in many countries such as Japan, China the Cooperatives play major role in the growth of the economy and therefore why not in Malaysia too?

    Well, maybe ANGKASA can take the initiative via synergy with the Cooperatives and provide the lead towards assisting more Malaysians to be able to purchase affordable homes! The other alternative would be for the Cooperatives to come up with a Rent/Purchase scheme, namely to rent initially and later purchase once the rental amount matches the sales price. This scheme has to be worked out strategically so as to ensure a WINWIN formula for both parties.

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  4. Anonymous2:37 pm

    Nurul kena tanya Papa kenapa Saidatul Badru telah dipilih sbgai pemimpin nbr dua Keadilan masa Papa dalam jail..

    Ask her to merisik2 then she will shut her mouth selama-lamanya.

    Kawan Pipeline Papa.

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  5. Anonymous2:58 pm

    the Princess of PKR ‘Politics of Hatred’ is taking up the fight for ‘an old Papa friend’.

    This just show, the Princess gives no favour to anyone even for his father's friend unlike the UMNO who always protect their cronies depsite the wrongdoings to the rakyat.

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  6. Anonymous3:44 pm

    Woi Rocky... bulan ni September lah...bukan April, April fool's day dah lepas !!

    Kah..kah..kah....

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  7. Anonymous3:59 pm

    So the son of Jamaluddin Jarjis is eligible for a RM 140 million contract ? Why can't I get the contract ? After all, I can find a technology partner too...just like JJ's son....

    So now it's OK to give contracts to JJ's son, or to Nong Chik's daughter, or to Sidek's daughter ? Or give special loans to Shareezat's family ? Man, it must be really worthwhile to be an UMNOputra.

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  8. Anonymous said...
    the Princess of PKR ‘Politics of Hatred’ is taking up the fight for ‘an old Papa friend’.

    This just show, the Princess gives no favour to anyone even for his father's friend unlike the UMNO who always protect their cronies depsite the wrongdoings to the rakyat.

    xxx --- xxx

    Anon, you sound like Monsterball. Nurul Izzah isn't attacking "papa's pal", she is attacking papa's pal's rival company.

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  9. Anon 359pm,

    I don't think it is fair to deny Nurul Izzah and Guan Eng from holding top posts in their parties just because their dads dictate those parties.

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  10. Anonymous5:48 pm

    She revealing her inaptitude to politics every minute.

    Should have stayed home to look after her kid. Would have excelled.

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  11. Anonymous5:51 pm

    Wah, Latuk Locky, gua tabik sama lu. Sudah lama kenal, first time you cakap betul2. Banyak tahniah !

    Godfather

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  12. Anonymous7:04 pm

    I like your version of the Bersih headline Rocky. It has an air of truthful and honesty in it. Or...they could come out with this,
    "Bersih is so desperate to clean up their acts and trying to show their peace loving side by holding a concert..yeah, a concert..didn't you guys, young people love music? please come to their concert and lend your support despite the riots and mayhem they caused in the the street of KL which scared the sh**t of Malaysian public.." is that qualify for your front page headline Mr. Rocky?

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  13. IT.Sheiss8:07 pm

    While I would welcome cheaper new cars, still, one has the option to buy a used car at lower prices,since car prices tend to depreciate.

    I drive a 20 year old Nissan Sunny which I bought used for RM12,000 some years back and it's still running.

    On the other hand, home and land prices tend to appreciate and a used home costs more than a new home, so a high new home price makes it more unaffordable for people to buy any home, new or used.

    It make sense therefore to reduce the price of homes, rather than cars.

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  14. Anonymous10:18 am

    Ok, just because others resort to name calling does not mean we should.

    Bro Rocky has his points of view and as democratic people we and he has a right to defer. Lets not take away his right and become like them.

    Its sad that BN and those that survive from BN has lost touch with reality, they dont feel and hear the rakyat!. I used to be a strong BN supporter and voter till the last, then I switched.

    Bro Rocky will understand and come to his senses, he too has to survive.

    By the way I don't agree with rocky or what he stands for, but he has a right too.

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