Sila baca komen saya pada hujung nya. Another lucid eye opener from Dr Rosli Azad Khan.
After the formation of Barisan Nasional in 1973, prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein appointed Hussein Onn as the new finance minister in 1974, taking over from MCA leader Tan Siew Sin, who had occupied the post since 1959. For the first time since independence, Umno controlled the country’s purse.
When Hussein became PM, after the death of Razak, he brought in Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, then chief executive of Petronas, to be the new finance minister in 1976.
Hussein Onn had a strategy. In exchange, he appointed MCA leader, Lee San Choon, as the new transport minister on Nov 1, 1979.
Since then, the transport portfolio has remained with an MCA leader, except when Pakatan Harapan won GE14 and the post went to Loke Siew Fook of DAP.
Transport to riches
The continued dominance of MCA in the country’s business and financial matters has been well documented. As the Chinese controlled almost all the commercial activities in the country, MCA frequently set the agenda and influenced public policy on commerce and industry.
The Umno-led government was simply the political administrator. They had no choice but to “kow-tow” to the “towkays” in MCA, the centrifugal force built around the leader who also controlled the transport ministry.
Certain leaders in the ministry were opportunistic in regards to a variety of business, whereby operating licences, vehicle registration and inspection, route permits, import approvals for vehicles, shipping and forwarding licenses and contracts, were all managed on a regular basis.
Major contract works and construction for airports, ports, railways and roads were also budgeted by the ministry. Dredging contracts for ports alone were worth hundreds of millions of ringgit.
Having said that, MCA’s transformation of declining industries like rubber production and tin mining into oil palm cultivation and small-scale manufacturing was obviously commendable.
Equally impressive were the construction initiatives for housing estates and new townships. Conversion of agricultural land and old mining areas into housing and commercial urban centres, were ultimately beneficial.
These were new economic activities using mainly locally raised funds and investments. MCA members were mainly responsible for them.
At this point, Umno was busy with issues of nationalism and was clueless about business development and technology. As such, it wasn’t aware of many money-spinning opportunities.
Their national agenda was limited to fighting for “Bahasa” in schools and soon after, religion and “shariah” matters, which made some Umno individuals look important as this was a domain familiar to them.
Marcos led the way
However, there were a few leaders within the party who began to realise the business potential within the government. “Bumis must be in business”, was coined as a new tag line.
A commission-based culture, popularly referred to as “Ali Baba”, started to take shape within Umno which soon spread like a bush fire. With the shout of “Bumi” agenda on top of this hidden intent, the slogan gained traction and became a new leading light for Umno.
The new slogan camouflaged corruption but by the late 1980s, Malaysia had began its downward spiral into what is now latent corrupt practices, relatively similar to what was happening in the Philippines and Indonesia.
When President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines was thrown out of office in February 1986, due mainly to escalating public discontent, there were similar calls in Malaysia that we were heading in that direction too.
Twelve years later, similar riots or a people’s revolution happened in Indonesia. President Suharto had to quit after three decades in power due to the economic and political crisis, a polite term for rampant corruption and abuse of power.
During the peak of the two-day riots in 1998, about 5,000 people died throughout Indonesia. Exactly a week later, on May 21, Suharto stepped down. The Indonesians paid dearly for their freedom and to resurrect justice from the dictatorial rule of Suharto.
More procurement opportunities became available to the selected few in Umno’s top echelon. Their leaders became more brave and visible in their attempts to win larger commissions and to become part of the project agents or project promoters as there were no rules to bar them from getting involved in business.
Leakages through huge commissions
The scale of corruption grew and so were the amounts involved. It could best be summarised as follows.
In 1984, the rate of commission perhaps started at 10% of the contract value, while 90% was spent on the actual contract work.
By 2014, the figures were reversed; higher commissions and less money for the actual contract work.
These amazing figures reflected badly on Umno’s administration. It became a measure of how serious the outflows or leakages or commissions in government procurement systems have become.
It cut across every aspect of their budgets, businesses and projects including what we now have just learned from 1MDB scandals, in government bonds and so called “Islamic sukuk” too.
- Therefore, is there any necessity to explain how a Lumut-based naval ship contract failed, when RM6 billion was paid prior to any ship delivery?
- Or the RM5.4 billion contract to build six offshore patrol vessels (OPV) of which only one was delivered in 2017?
- Or the US$1.2 billion French Scorpene submarines deal, the outcome of which we are all familiar with.
- Or RM300 million paid for US-made helicopters that were never delivered?
Rampant corrupt practices were found all over the country. From as small as a piece of paper called taxi permits, to import permits or APs for vehicles, industrial goods and machineries, to major gas pipeline construction contracts in far-flung places like Sabah and Sarawak.
A common one that is so widespread in many local authorities, is in land use conversion or “kebenaran merancang (KM)” for housing and commercial projects. Highway concessions weren’t far behind, and so were the many large-scale sales of government assets such as army camp land in urban areas.
And of course, the most lucrative, the creme de la creme among many politicians, is the easy money obtained from the compulsory 30% Bumi portion of shareholdings in non-Bumi companies prior to them getting approval for the listing exercise.
Umno leaders, under the pretext of the New Economic Policy, became instant millionaires but their supporters especially those in rural areas remained poor. The ordinary members, who badly need not only financial assistance but also technical skills and proficiency which the party has long neglected, are still to be counted.
Whereas the rich Umno leaders are found to own massive amounts of equity in monopolistic companies and businesses such as banking, insurance, securities, foreign labour import and sand mining licences, among many others.
All this was done under the guise of the NEP and for “Bangsa, Agama dan Negara”.
Reboot the system
Umno leaders have obviously failed their members and the Bumis big time. No doubt about that. They have to take the full blame for the systemic failures in the country, too.
The B40 group and the youths remain out of focus.
- With a poor education system
- poor command of English and
- poor employment opportunities
the Umno riches never trickled down, as often articulated by an ex-Umno prime minister.
Among other matters, Umno has to bring back fiscal discipline and prudent financial management. It has to run like a corporate entity fully responsible towards the shareholders (members) and stakeholders (the rakyat).
Umno, therefore, is in a default position to reboot the system and start all over again.
This is a massive task and it cannot be done without a new leadership at the helm, with a new path to tread, and a new direction to take.
Those who are known to be corrupt should be kicked out, otherwise, the party will not get anywhere and cannot be salvaged.
There is a lesson to be learnt from the Partai Golongan Karya (Golkar) of Indonesia, which Suharto once led. “Eliminate the corruption virus. Keep them out of the party.”
This virus has been spreading in the country long before Covid-19 came along.
My comments :
Saya sudah sebut banyak kali dan berkali-kali. Kalau golongan elit ini menjadi kaya atas usaha mereka sendiri, dengan menggunakan duit mereka sendiri atau duit bapak mereka sendiri maka kita berdoalah agar mereka menjadi lagi kaya dan mereka menjadi lagi successful.
Sebab apabila terdapat ramai orang yang boleh jadi kaya dalam sesebuah ekonomi atas usaha mereka sendiri dan dengan berdiri atas kaki mereka sendiri ia bermaksud bahawa negara, masyarakat dan ekonomi itu sudah "dewasa". Itulah disebut 'ekonomi maju'.
Ekonomi maju tidak semestinya bermaksud membuat roket, komputer, industri kereta, industri keretapi laju dsbnya. Jauh sekali. Di Finland dan New Zealand mereka tidak mempunyai industri roket, kereta atau keretapi laju. Tetapi ekonomi mereka sangat maju. New Zealand tidak mempunyai sektor kilang (pembuatan) secara besar-besaran pun. Mereka lebih kepada pertanian dan pelancongan. Per capita GDP penduduk New Zealand melebihi RM155,000 setahun !!
Ekonomi maju ialah sebuah ekonomi yang dapat menjana kekayaan baru (new wealth creation). Ekonomi maju ialah sebuah ekonomi yang sedikit pun tidak menyekat rakyat negara itu daripada mengusahakan apa pun ikut kebolehan, kemahiran dan keupayaan mereka untuk menjayakan ekonomi.
Malangnya dalam negara kita golongan yang tidak faham habuk pun apa itu ekonomi atau bisnes atau apa itu kewangan (finance), golongan yang tak faham habuk pun apa maksudnya 'buy low sell high' atau 'risk and return', golongan super dangkal ini telah mengambil keputusan untuk membentuk Dasar Ekonomi Bebal ikut kepala hotak bapak mereka. Mereka telah gagal sama sekali. Dan hari ini 50 tahun kemudian kedangkalan mereka makin merugikan agama, bangsa dan negara kita.
Percayalah that 3.0+ million unemployment figure is not going to go down. Also that 1.9 million underemployed graduates !! "Underemployed" kepala hotak apa? Jual 'windshield wiper' atau produk susu entah apa daripada belakang kereta buruk depa kira "underemployed" ke?
Tetapi geng elit ini juga bermuslihat. Mereka berniat jahat. Mereka berniat untuk mencuri.
Pelbagai laungan, pelbagai takbir, pelbagai topeng, camouflage samaran, lakonan adat berserta persolekan dengan tepung ubi digunakan untuk memperkayakan golongan elit mereka dulu. Rakyat marhaen pula jadi haprak. Rakyat marhaen menjadi mangsa pencuri.
Trademark dan SOP mereka yang paling special ialah - mereka menjadi kaya dengan memakan duit rakyat. Duit bapak kita.
Duit rakyat maksudnya cukai yang kita bayar ia itu "hasil cukai Kerajaan" yang di songlap oleh golongan elit ini menerusi projek dan kontrak Kerajaan, kontrak 'rundingan terus' atau 'direct nego' atau mereka sapu duit rakyat menerusi lesen perniagaan monopoli, lesen impot, lesen AP, cartel dsbnya.
Kita ambil contoh monopoli jalan t-l. Walaupun kebanyakan syarikat jalan t-l di pegang saham majoriti oleh agensi Kerajaan tetapi setiap tahun syarikat jalan t-l membelanjakan berbillion Ringgit untuk bayar maintenance contract, untuk membeli equipment tertentu, untuk beli cat, beli uniform pekerja, membeli kereta, tow truck, lori, membina bangunan baru dan banyak lagi lah. Juga mereka mempunyai petak iklan yang disewakan kepada syarikat iklan. Jadi siapa yang dapat kontrak berbillion-billion ini? Siapa dapat sewa petak iklan (untuk disewa kepada syarikat lain) ? Tuan-tuan yang haprak dapat ke? No way.
Hanya kaum-kaum elit saja yang monopoli "peluang-peluang" ekonomi seperti ini. Dan itu bukan menjana 'peluang ekonomi' lah. Itu hanya 'sapu' kontrak.
Dan kaum elit ini tak payah tahu menahu habuk pun berkenaan kontrak dan projek itu. Si Watak pakai costume boleh terlibat kontrak juga. Pandai cakap tiba-tiba boleh jadi pandai besi pula. Dari segi skill level mereka tidak beza pun daripada tuan-tuan yang marhaen. They have no skills. Skill mereka hanya lah 'Who you know'. Bukan 'what you know'. Oleh kerana 'who you know' mereka termasuk orang powerful dan berpengaruh, maka kayalah mereka. Itu saja. That is all. No other skills are needed.
Setiap tahun GLC-GLC gergasi belanjakan berpuluh billion Ringgit untuk equipment supply, kontrak buat bangunan baru, kontrak bina bengkel dan gedung, membeli kapal, sewa kapal, kontrak beli bahan mentah (raw materials), kontrak outsourcing dsbnya. Siapa dapat kontrak ini? Tuan-tuan yang haprak boleh dapat ke? No way lah.
Jadi trademark dan SOP kaum elit ini simple saja : mereka makan duit bapak kita dengan secara tidak adil. They do not "earn" their money. They "take" our money.
Mereka tidak menjana peluang ekonomi baru. They do not create new economic wealth. Mereka makan duit peruntukan Belanjawan atau Budget allocation. Itu saja.
Segala kereta Mercedes mereka, segala rumah banglo mereka, segala kemewahan isteri muda mereka - semuanya datang daripada mengambil "duit bapak" kita.
Berbeza dengan mamak nasi kandar yang successful. Dia boleh bekerja 12 jam sehari. Kedai dia buka 24 jam. Dia jual roti telur sebiji sebiji. Dia dapat pendapatan dia daripada menjual teh tarik setiap satu gelas. Serupa makcik yang menjual nasi lemak di tepi jalan. Atau Cina yang jual kitchen cabinet. (Ini cerita benar) Mula dia buka satu bengkel kecil. Dia kerja siang malam. Lepas 10 tahun dia buka cawangan. Selepas 20 tahun dia sudah expand ke seluruh negeri Selangor. Sekarang first time dia nak masuk WP Kuala Lumpur. Dia pun mempunyai kereta Mercedes tetapi kereta itu dia beli dengan titik peluh dia sendiri.
Tetapi yang jauh lebih penting ialah mamak nasi kandar, makcik nasi lemak dan Cina jual kitchen kabinet menjana peluang ekonomi yang baru atau 'value added' ataupun 'new wealth creation'. Apabila mereka jadi kaya, semua orang lain pun jadi kaya.
Bukan makan duit bapak kita menerusi kontrak dan projek Kerajaan dengan dua, tiga, empat kali lapis 'jual kontrak' Ali Baba.
Jadi tuan-tuan jangan kita marah atau dengki atau jealous kepada golongan yang kaya tak kira mereka Cina, India, Melayu atau bangsa apa pun.
Lagi ramai orang kaya dalam ekonomi kita maksudnya syukur Alhamdulillah negara kita sudah dewasa. Ekonomi kita sudah maju. Tetapi maksudnya orang yang jadi kaya atas kaki mereka sendiri. Mereka jadi kaya atas kerja keras dan usaha gigih. Their own blood, sweat and tears. Apabila mereka jadi kaya, semua orang lain pun turut jadi kaya.
Yang kita tidak mahu adalah golongan elit yang menjadi kaya dengan bolos duit kita. Mereka menjadi kaya dengan makan taxpayers money atau 'kutipan hasil Kerajaan'. Itu adalah duit kita. Duit bapak-bapak kita.
Dan taxpayers funds adalah tersangat-sangat sedikit. Kutipan hasil cukai oleh Kerajaan tidak cukup untuk menampong ekonomi sesebuah negara. Kutipan hasil cukai hanya cukup untuk bayar gaji Penjawat Awam, bayar gaji berpuluh ribu sebulan bagi Menteri, bayar gaji berpuluh ribu sebulan untuk Ahli Parlimen dan Wakil Rakyat, dan beli kapal perang yang tidak timbul-menimbul.
Kutipan cukai tahunan tidak cukup untuk menjana ekonomi sebuah negara yang mana pun. Sila lihat sekali lagi perumpamaan 'teh tarik' ini.
Saiz ekonomi Malaysia adalah lebih RM1,200 Billion (atau RM1.2 trillion). Hasil cukai Kerajaan (tahunan) pula tak sampai RM150 billion.
KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 20): The Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia achieved a new record in direct tax collection last year (2018), with RM137.035 billion collected, which is 11.13% or RM13.723 billion more than the RM123.312 billion collected in 2017, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said today.
Hasil cukai yang dikutip kerajaan setiap tahun kurang lebih 11% sahaja daripada saiz ekonomi negara Malaysia. Maksudnya dalam umpamaan segelas teh tarik itu, hasil cukai tahunan yang dikutip Kerajaan hanyalah buih-buih dan sedikit lemak yang terapung atas teh tarik itu.
Kerajaan tidak boleh ambil buih-buih dan lemak yang terapung di atas teh tarik itu dan bancuhnya dengan 'kuat-kuat' untuk 'menjana' balik satu gelas penuh teh tarik. That is impossible.
Tetapi itulah pemikiran kepala hotak bodoh pemimpin kita dulu terutama sekali pemimpin UMNO yang dangkal macam nak mampus. Kepala uban itu pernah berkata 'we can bring up the Malay economy through government procurement'.
'through government procurement' kepala bapak bodoh kau lah.
And then how to bring up the Malay economy through government procurement when all the money has been stolen by the golongan elit pencuri?
Jadi tuan-tuan, you all kena faham dua perkara yang sangat penting.
No 1. Jangan sekat ekonomi negara kita. Jangan sekat ekonomi ikut kaum ke, ikut agama, ikut bangsa, bahasa, warna kulit dsbnya. Kalau tuan-tuan rela ekonomi kita disekat atas apa sebab pun, percayalah anak cucu tuan-tuan akan menjadi papa kedana, mengemis dan akan tidur di tepi jalan. Saya jamin 100% perkara ini akan berlaku. Biar ekonomi kita bergerak bebas dan biarlah semua manusia mencari peluang hidup tanpa sebarang halangan dan sekatan. Kita semua akan kaya. Percayalah.
No. 2 Jangan benarkan golongan elit terus kaya raya dengan makan duit bapak kita saja. Dia nak kaya atas usaha dia sendiri dengan guna duit bapak dia sendiri bagus lah. Selamat maju jaya. Tetapi jangan pula mereka kemut projek, kontrak Kerajaan, mereka sapu lesen monopoli, cartel, AP dsbnya untuk makan duit 'taxpayers funds' atau duit hasil Kerajaan. Maksudnya duit kita lah.
Kutipan cukai Kerajaan adalah sangat sedikit. Lets say tahun ini RM140 Billion. Itu saja. Kalau golongan elit sapu separuh (RM70 billion) maksudnya kita rakyat marhaen tinggal RM70 billion sahaja. (Projek kapal saja sudah hilang RM6 Billion - duit sudah ghaib dan kapal pun ghaib).
Tuan-tuan, golongan elit ini berapa ramaikah bilangan mereka? 5,000? Paling maximum pun mungkin 10,000? Tuan-tuan rakyat marhaen pula seramai 32 juta orang.
Duit dan harta 32 juta manusia boleh dibolos oleh begitu sikit punya penyamun.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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