The case of a conniving PTD officer

One housemate from our bachelor days used to described the PTD as the doyen of the Malaysian Civil Service.

As a PTD officer himself, he used to tell us that the British assisted to established the PTD as the pillar of Civil Service. They were trained to be efficient and thorough administrator imbued with impeccable integrity and right values and carry themselves as true gentlemen.

With finance and banking as our profile, one personality that epitomise such administrators would have been the former Bank Negara Tun Ismail Ali. Others, we are not closely familiar.

That may have been so sometime ago. However, times may have changed.

The Malay's foray into corporate business saw many civil servants tagging along for the opportunity as businessmen or company directors. Their colleagues' sudden wealth and good fortune changed their values and attitude as professional administrators.

Those still in service become greedy, corrupt and conniving. Self interest rules the day. Manouvering and manipulation refined to an art form.

A recent event shows how disgustingly conniving these PTD officers sitting at the top of Ministries food chain could be.

Early in the month, a group of bloggers as initiated by a few were whacking on former TV3 head honcho, Dato Farid Redzuan. Seehere and here for samples.

Frankly, we have no issues with bloggers whacking of Farid.

This is the guy who was spening timebodeking Tun Abdullah and particularly his late wife, Toh Puan Endon that he did poorly in his job as a Government backed media. Heard he is diligently bodekingDatin Seri Rosmah, which we hope is smarter than that, to fall to his complimentary words.

That is Farid the kaki bodek. If he had been a sexy secretary, he would have fellatioed his way to the top of his organisation. Her is more appropriate.

But does he deserved to be whacked on this occasion?

It seems that the bloggers were irritated by his negative comments on pro-UMNO bloggers in his presentation to Cabinet. Some bloggers have this ego as though they or the blogging "profession" can't be criticised.

Understandbly most socio-political bloggers are volunteers contributing to the party or cause. We reckon it's hurtful when efforts and dedication are not appreciated.

It turns out that Farid did not say those negative words. As blogger Big Cat said, Farid was merely focusing on the wide performance gap between government-owned RTM and stations run by privately-owned Media Prima and Astro.

  

There were leaked pictures of the presentation in the blog, The Benchmark here.

It turns out that someone from the Ministry of Information was trying to protect their turf by connivingly pitting bloggers and social media practitioners against Farid.

What the batu api fella did not realised was that Farid made a private presentation to the Prime Minister, Dato Najib Tun Abdul Razak. Subsequently, Najib suggested he make the same presentation to the Cabinet to initiate discussion to draw out some ideas to improve the situation.

The fella could have only heard of the presentation in the Ministry's post Cabinet meeting and reacted badly. Instead of addressing his Ministry's sagging presence in the social media, he decided to shoot the messenger; not realising that he had shot the PM. What an attitude?

The Mole has a good account of the event here.

Rocky here refuted that the fella was the Minister, Dato Rais Yatim himself doing such dirty manouvre. If he had been Rais, Rocky would have whacked him harder.

Who would have been the fella that attempted to sabotage or "menangguk di air keruh"?

Even if Rocky had not revealed ithere as the KSU, Dato Seri Kamaruddin Siaraf, we would have guess it. By tracing the bloggers who wrote it, one can guess who it was. But we already six sensed it as him from the very beginning.

It is simple. Incompetent people or those whose got something to hide are usually secretive and insecure.

There is nothing to be ashamed that RTM lags behind Astro and Media Prima. Obviously private TV stations will do better than RTM, but why the need to be insecure and shoot Farid.

Well ...

We've touched on him here in a posting way back on October 13th 2010 when Rais instructed his attack dogs at us.

Below is a recap of what we wrote:

Now that Rais decided to do the police report and had given the impression of flexing his power by instructing an agency under him to go after the bloggers, he has attracted attention on himself.

He may not be aware but his Ministry have been attracting much attention and rumours among bloggers in the last six months.

Few bloggers have hinted that the "KSU", described in Awang Selamat Mingguan Malaysia's column of a "KSU" more powerful than the Minister, is his Secretary General, Dato Kamaruddin Siaraf.

Rumours circulating is that Kamaruddin have been ignoring and overriding Rais's directives and instructions. Suppliers have a long list of complains against his purchasing practices.

Bloggers were suspicious of the RM1 billion broadband initiative spending to giveaway free laptop in exchange for broadband subscription.

Some industry players are saying tax incentives to bring price of broadband lower or use the fund as grant for telco to improve infrastructure were significantly more effective option.

One petty but sizeable abuse that this KSU did was to hold his Hari Raya Open House at the Ministry's expense at his home in Kuala Pilah some Rayas ago.

At one time, he was said to have an affair with a newscaster in which both naturally denied. Nevertheless, such rumours involving top Government Man is bad for any Ministry.

We'll save the big ones after the general election because by then we'll just send the files to MACC.


In the meanwhile, we need to have the Ministry's publicity machinery up and running for the election. We can't afford Little Napoleans like the KSN, DG for PSD and this KSU tying red tapes around everyone and stifling Government machinery.

Heard his retirement is coming up in few months. Make sure his contract is not renewed!


Make sure MACC enter after the general election. That should stop any more of these kind of PTDs from doing more monkey businesses.

Najib should consider making the appointment for MACC head under Parliament and free MACC from the grasp of PSD like the position of Attorney Generals and Auditor General position.

That way there will be no PTD manipulation of MACC to shield them from getting busted.

Lastly, in case Dato Seri need to retrain your rather pathetic cybertroopers for the election, you know how to contact me.


- Another Brick in the Wall