So, what’s the solution then?

 

And not all these property buyers in the UK are Malays or Malays from Umno. Many are Chinese and many are Chinese who support Pakatan Rakyat (I know because I am acting for some of them as their property agent). So in what way can we blame the government? And will all these people be happy if the Malaysian government demonetises the Ringgit and make it worthless outside Malaysia?

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

RM200b outflow Najib’s best achievement as Finance minister, says PAS Youth chief

(Harakah) - The high ranking recently given to Malaysia among developing countries suffering illicit funds outflow means the country's Finance minister Najib Razak has broken a records of sorts, according to PAS Youth leader Nasrudin Hassan.

“It is something which has surprised many. What is not surprising is the fact that mainstream media do not report it," he said, adding that the public would eventually come to know details of the damning report issued by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity.

Nasrudin reminded that Najib himself had admitted during UMNO's recent congress that young Malaysians were now more equipped with information due to information technology.

In its latest report on illicit funds outflow released on Tuesday, GFI ranked Malaysia second only to China among other Asian economies in terms illicit funds outflow, while it is placed third globally.

Noting that some 80 percent of illicit financial flows were due to trade mispricing and 20 per cent due to corruption, GFI said that between 2001 and 2010, a total of US$285 billion was transferred out of Malaysia illegally.

Nasrudin compared the figure for illicit funds outflow provided by Najib last year - RM135.4 billion between 2000 to 2009 - with GFI's figure of RM662.6 billion for the same period.

He added that one should not be surprised if the government denies the figure by GFI.

He also said the revelation reflected badly on giant government-linked companies such as Khazanah Nasional and Petronas.

“It proves the existence of illegal acts to avoid taxes and siphoning out the country’s revenue through property investment, foreign bank accounts and others to shore up personal wealth,” said Nasrudin, who cited the recent revelation of unusual wealth owned by the family of Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, when some RM100 million was demanded for a divorce settlement involving the latter's son.

Nasrudin also reiterated the urgency for public office bearers to declare their assets.

Earlier today, Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he would write to Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar to participate in a discussion on how to weed out illicit funds outflow.

"Urgent steps must be taken to finalise an action plan, not by avoiding the issue as the case has been so far with Najib Razak," said Anwar.

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While it is good that we reveal the transgressions and excesses of the government, plus the mistakes it makes, we should also be prepared to offer a solution to the problems. If we just point out that the government is no good and that we must change the government without mentioning in what way it is no good and what we need to do to make it a better government it is no bloody good.

I mean most Malaysians know that the government is no good but they do not really understand in what way it is no good. Then they think that the solution to this is to just change the government without a second thought on whether by changing the government we shall be a getting a new government or the same type of government, sort of like old wine in a new bottle.

That is why I sometimes shy away from writing these types of articles. As much as I try to take the middle road and not be seen as propagating one side or the other, because I do not scream ABU that is interpreted as I am pro-government. If I do not support the ‘death to Israel’ war cry does that mean I am a Zionist? Not all Muslims believe that the Middle East solution is to drop a nuclear bomb on Israel.

Do you know that many Muslims danced on the streets in November 2001 when the New York Twin Towers was brought down? They openly celebrated the destruction of the Twin Towers, a symbol of American capitalism. But how many Muslims died in that tragedy? And how many Zionists died?

It was like the discussion on the social problems amongst Malaysian youths (I think it was two years or so ago). Invariably, how strict Islam may be, the biggest social problem is amongst the Muslims. So who has failed here? Has Islam failed? Or have the parents failed?

If Islam has failed then in what way has Islam failed? Islam is strict enough as it is so it must be the implementation that is the problem then.

Okay, just for the sake of this discussion, let us say that the implementation or the enforcement of Islam has failed. And that is why we have a big social problem amongst Muslim youths. Can we then solve the social problem amongst Muslim youths by tightening the rules? And let us look at some examples from other Muslim countries.

To start of with, no female can leave her home un-chaperoned. When a girl or woman leaves her home she must be chaperoned by a male member of her family. If she leaves her home alone she will be arrested and jailed. She also cannot drive or work.

It is easy to scream about the social problems amongst youths and then blame Islam, Umno, the government, or their parents. But what is the solution to this problem? That, no one is talking about. And most times the solution may be worse than the problem.

Let us not blame Islam. Let us blame the government. Why is the government not doing anything about the problem? Let’s therefore change the government. So a new government takes over. But what is the new government going to now do?

Can the new government impose a curfew on kids? All those below 18 must be at home by 7.00pm. If after 7.00pm they are still outside their home they will be rounded up and then their parents will be arrested and will be jailed up to a maximum of three years.

Is this too draconian? If that is not done then how to solve the problem? And if the problem is not solved you will blame the government, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat.

Hence screaming about the problem and blaming the government is not going to solve anything. Are you prepared to suffer the consequences of the solution?

Take the bad driving habits of Malaysians and the extremely high death rate on Malaysian roads as one more example. How do we solve that problem other than blame the government for it?

Can we ban those under 21 from driving? Then can we install number plate recognition cameras all over Malaysia and on every street and every street corner of Malaysia like in the UK? And when drivers commit a traffic offence their driving licence is endorsed and they get banned from driving for two years the first time, five years the second time, and for life for the third time?

All this would be done by computer (the number plate recognition cameras all over Malaysia are computerised), which means we can eliminate the human element (no policemen involved). This means we will also eliminate corruption since the entire process is fully computerised like in the UK.

Probably more than half Malaysian drivers will lose their right to drive.

That will for sure reduce the problem. It will also reduce the number of drivers and the number of car owners. It will also mean half of Malaysians will need to hop onto a bus to move around.

No doubt this will make life very difficult for most Malaysians but at least the government can no longer be blamed for the problem.

Okay, now what about the problem of funds outflow? Who is to blame for that and how would the government solve that problem? Anwar Ibrahim wants to meet the Bank Negara Governor to suggest a solution. That is good but maybe Anwar can give us an insight into what his solution is going to be.

Pakatan Rakyat makes it sound like the entire problem should be blamed on the government and that the opposition has a solution to this. Okay, say Pakatan Rakyat was the government and Anwar was the Prime Minister, how would he solve the problem?

Trust me, never mind who forms the government and who becomes the Prime Minister the solution is not as easy as they try to make it sound. So what are they going to do? Are they going to demonetise the Ringgit? That would mean the Ringgit cannot be exchanged for any other currency and will only be worth in Malaysia. Outside Malaysia the Ringgit would be worthless.

How would Malaysia trade? We can’t exchange Ringgit for any other currency. Zambia did this by delinking its currency. In turn inflation increased like crazy and the country’s economy collapsed. But at least their money stayed in the country.

One of the strongest economies in the world is the US. And there are more US Dollars floating outside America than in America.

Do you know that property prices in Australia are higher than in the UK? And that is because the Chinese are buying up property there, mostly in cash. The Australian property market is benefiting from the huge outflow of funds from China. But local Australians are suffering because property prices are beyond their reach.

Malaysians are the second largest buyers of property in London. Because of that I live in Manchester. London property prices are too expensive for my taste. I can buy three or more houses in Manchester for the price of one in London.

And not all these property buyers in the UK are Malays or Malays from Umno. Many are Chinese and many are Chinese who support Pakatan Rakyat (I know because I am acting for some of them as their property agent). So in what way can we blame the government? And will all these people be happy if the Malaysian government demonetises the Ringgit and make it worthless outside Malaysia?

Janganlah semua salahkan kerajaan! In some of those things we are talking about we are actually the culprits. And if they government was to act against us we will get angry. But when the government does not act we also scream.

Susahlah rakyat Malaysia! Ini pun salah. Itu pun salah.