Hantu Laut
It's the end of the Badawi's era and the beginning of a new Mahathir's era.
Malaysians are watching closely the road that Najib will be taking to redeem himself.How he is going to extricate himself from a whole slew of allegations which he claims to be unfounded and manufactured by the oppositions.They are malicious and baseless lies spread by the oppositions to smear his good name he claimed.
There is a general perception that Najib will be turning back the clock to the Mahathir's era, the use of strong arm tactics to intimidate the oppositions, muffle the media and crack down on the alternative media where the smear campaigns and oppositions to him ruling the nation resounding loudly.
Najib is asking Malaysians to judge him by his actions and said he has not taken office yet but people were already pre-judging him.
Malaysians are basically skeptical because of his non-reaction to the allegations other than denying it. Malaysians wanted him to clear his name by using the justice system which he seems not to be in favour of thus making the people even more suspicious.Tengku Razaleigh has asked him to exhaust the legal system to clear his name.Razaleigh has, in the past, used the legal system to clear his name when news report implicated him in the BMF scandal.
Mahathir has strongly indicated his return to UMNO and the entire nation is glued to a political watch of whether Mahathir will have undue influence in his administration. In another word would Najib be under his thumb? Will he takes Mahathir as the wise old man and a fatherly figure that he should render his respect and obedience ? Mahathir has openly thrown his support for Muhyiddin who had been instrumental in pressuring Pak Lah to step down. Would Mahathir make full use of Muhyiddin to pressure Najib to compliance ?
Malaysians will get an early indication of whether Mahatirism has snuggle back into the administration when Najib chooses his cabinet ministers.The one person that Mahathir wanted no business with is the young and restless Khairy Jamaluddin. He has openly attacked Khairy and wanted him out of the Youth race and later openly told Najib not to appoint him to the cabinet.By tradition the youth chief is usually given a cabinet post.
Will Najib appoint Khairy to the cabinet and faces the wrath of Mahathir or appease him and not appoint Khairy and faces the wrath of the party youth division ?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Cabotage Within A Cabotage: Sabah Ports' Moronic Idea
Hantu Laut
Most developed nations have cabotage law to protect transport of goods and passengers within the country.
'Cabotage' basically means the transport of goods or passengers between two points in the same country.It is a form of protectionism.It was originally started in shipping but later widen to cover aviation and to all other form of inland transport.The US has strict cabotage policy and consider it as not only protection for domestic transportation but as a form of national security and public safety.
Malaysia has its own cabotage policy to protect local shipping. Most goods from overseas are first shipped to Port Klang and later shipped on local carriers to other ports in the country. If domestic shipping is efficient and readily available than this is fine, the costs of transportation could be lowered but it could pose huge problems if the local shipping is erratic and inefficient, costs would go up making goods more expensive and less competitive.
Consumers in Sabah and Sarawak have to pay higher price for consumers goods due to the policy and even worse, manufacturers in the two states who export their products overseas have to incur higher costs in paying additional freight/transhipment charges for transhipment of the goods through Port Klang which is not a very efficient port by any measure.
There should be flexibility in this policy as far as Sabah and Sarawak are concerned.Strict adherence to cabotage would make Sabah and Sarawak unattractive to investors. There should be total relaxation on bulk shipments. That is to allow direct calls by both foreign and Malaysian registered vessels for bulk cargo going out or coming to the ports in Sabah and Sarawak. The two states are separated from the Peninsula by over a thousand miles of open sea and a malleable cabotage policy should be the case.
Take for instance if there was a big shipment of heavy equipment from Kobe in Japan to Kota Kinabalu it makes economic sense if the sailing is direct to Kota Kinabalu instead of going to Port Klang first because the freight charges would be much cheaper than to send it to Port Klang and than re-ship to Kota Kinabalu.
As they say "from the frying pan into the fire". It bothered me to read the most ridiculous proposal by Sabah Ports to make Kota Kinabalu Sepangar Port as the only terminal port for all ships coming to Sabah including all ships from Port Klang.Goods destined for other ports in Sabah shall be transported by barges and scows from the Sepangar Port.
I wonder whether the people in Sabah Ports are fit to be there in the first place. Void of better ideas on how to make money this bunch of morons have decided to start their own cabotage policy.They are trying to create a cabotage within a cabotage and bring more miseries to the economy and the people of Sabah.
The business community and the people of Sabah are already burdened by the high costs of goods by the inefficiency of domestic shipping protected under the national cabotage policy and they are trying to add salt to the wound and aggravate the already unpleasant situation. Needless to say this kind of vacuous policy would drive away both domestic and foreign investors.No businessman in his right mind will invest in a state where poor infrastructure, high costs of production and high cost of shipping existed.
It is also ridiculous on the part of Sabah Ports to implement such ridiculous policy after spending huge amount of money to upgrade the Sandakan port and those in Lahad Datu and Tawau.
This kind of policy makes no economic sense to Sabah other than to serve the incompetence of the 'goyang kaki'( laziness) management of Sabah Ports. The proposal virtually makes one 'smell a rat' in Sabah Ports and its parent company Suria Capital. The next step is to monopolise the transport sector by giving it to one or few people.
Malaysia as a nation already have in existence a national cabotage policy which covers the whole nation. Sabah should not be allowed to implement its own cabotage policy just to fulfil the whim and fancies of the management of Sabah Ports. The state government should not agree to this meretricious proposal even though Sabah Ports belong to the state.It's would be killing the elephant to save the ant.
I would be surprised if Chief Minister Musa Aman who himself was a businessman will allow this kind of policy to be implemented and one that will damage the state economy and stifle new investments.
Maybe, he should also consider appraising the management of Sabah Ports whether they are competent to run port business without government protection.
Most developed nations have cabotage law to protect transport of goods and passengers within the country.
'Cabotage' basically means the transport of goods or passengers between two points in the same country.It is a form of protectionism.It was originally started in shipping but later widen to cover aviation and to all other form of inland transport.The US has strict cabotage policy and consider it as not only protection for domestic transportation but as a form of national security and public safety.
Malaysia has its own cabotage policy to protect local shipping. Most goods from overseas are first shipped to Port Klang and later shipped on local carriers to other ports in the country. If domestic shipping is efficient and readily available than this is fine, the costs of transportation could be lowered but it could pose huge problems if the local shipping is erratic and inefficient, costs would go up making goods more expensive and less competitive.
Consumers in Sabah and Sarawak have to pay higher price for consumers goods due to the policy and even worse, manufacturers in the two states who export their products overseas have to incur higher costs in paying additional freight/transhipment charges for transhipment of the goods through Port Klang which is not a very efficient port by any measure.
There should be flexibility in this policy as far as Sabah and Sarawak are concerned.Strict adherence to cabotage would make Sabah and Sarawak unattractive to investors. There should be total relaxation on bulk shipments. That is to allow direct calls by both foreign and Malaysian registered vessels for bulk cargo going out or coming to the ports in Sabah and Sarawak. The two states are separated from the Peninsula by over a thousand miles of open sea and a malleable cabotage policy should be the case.
Take for instance if there was a big shipment of heavy equipment from Kobe in Japan to Kota Kinabalu it makes economic sense if the sailing is direct to Kota Kinabalu instead of going to Port Klang first because the freight charges would be much cheaper than to send it to Port Klang and than re-ship to Kota Kinabalu.
As they say "from the frying pan into the fire". It bothered me to read the most ridiculous proposal by Sabah Ports to make Kota Kinabalu Sepangar Port as the only terminal port for all ships coming to Sabah including all ships from Port Klang.Goods destined for other ports in Sabah shall be transported by barges and scows from the Sepangar Port.
I wonder whether the people in Sabah Ports are fit to be there in the first place. Void of better ideas on how to make money this bunch of morons have decided to start their own cabotage policy.They are trying to create a cabotage within a cabotage and bring more miseries to the economy and the people of Sabah.
The business community and the people of Sabah are already burdened by the high costs of goods by the inefficiency of domestic shipping protected under the national cabotage policy and they are trying to add salt to the wound and aggravate the already unpleasant situation. Needless to say this kind of vacuous policy would drive away both domestic and foreign investors.No businessman in his right mind will invest in a state where poor infrastructure, high costs of production and high cost of shipping existed.
It is also ridiculous on the part of Sabah Ports to implement such ridiculous policy after spending huge amount of money to upgrade the Sandakan port and those in Lahad Datu and Tawau.
This kind of policy makes no economic sense to Sabah other than to serve the incompetence of the 'goyang kaki'( laziness) management of Sabah Ports. The proposal virtually makes one 'smell a rat' in Sabah Ports and its parent company Suria Capital. The next step is to monopolise the transport sector by giving it to one or few people.
Malaysia as a nation already have in existence a national cabotage policy which covers the whole nation. Sabah should not be allowed to implement its own cabotage policy just to fulfil the whim and fancies of the management of Sabah Ports. The state government should not agree to this meretricious proposal even though Sabah Ports belong to the state.It's would be killing the elephant to save the ant.
I would be surprised if Chief Minister Musa Aman who himself was a businessman will allow this kind of policy to be implemented and one that will damage the state economy and stifle new investments.
Maybe, he should also consider appraising the management of Sabah Ports whether they are competent to run port business without government protection.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Autocracy Or Atonement ?
Hantu Laut
So! Najib got his dream team after all, if not all, at least most of it.With the exception of the Youth and Wanita wings nearly all his men are in place at the top echelon of the party.
The casualties among ministers and menteri besar would see some changes in the cabinet line-up.At least there would be a new Home Minister, new Foreign Minister and new Minister of Tourism. Another vacancy that may be in the offing is the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs presently under Shahrir Abdul Samad.He lost his bid for a seat on the Supreme Council.
Najib has plenty of room to make major changes to the cabinet and those ministers who failed to secure victory have made life easier for Najib to overhaul the cabinet and infuse new blood into the lacklustre cabinet.
From the new crop of leaders, many are uninspiring, unimpressive and known quantities. Maybe, Najib should start looking for professional ministers and engage them on contract basis especially for crucial ministries like the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Trade and Industry.These two ministries are the crucial conveyors in spurring economic growth to overcome the economic and financial crisis.
Sabah got a big shot in the arm when Shafie Apdal won one of the vice-presidents and Chief Minister Musa Aman got one of the highest number of votes in the Supreme Council.The head of Puteri was also won by Sabahan Rosnah Abdul Rashid Sharlin. Sabah also secured 2 more seats in the Supreme Council, Lajim Ukin and the controversial bocor MP Bung Moktar Radin.
Well, you can't put a good guy down and Malaysia must have court jesters not only in Parliament but also in every political party supreme councils, otherwise, Malaysian politics would be such a pallid and boring affairs.
It must be the saddest day for Ali Rustam.Looking at the votes obtained by 'Double-Barrelled Muhammad' he could have put up a good fight against Muhyiddin.
It will not be easy ride for Najib with Muhyiddin as No.2 because if he can't perform satisfactorily instability in the party will not leave him in peace and Muhyiddin is not a man who is going to sit around and let the party slide further down into the abyss, likewise, don't expect Mahathir to be sitting quietly in the corner.
All eyes are on Najib now, how he chooses his cabinet, how he tackles the economic crisis and most crucial of all how he deals with the oppositions. Many in UMNO believe a return to autocracy would fortify UMNO. This simplistic and outmoded political philosophy if simply put...... is a political suicide.
A return to Mahathirism is not the answer, atonement would be more likely what Malaysians are looking forward to.
So! Najib got his dream team after all, if not all, at least most of it.With the exception of the Youth and Wanita wings nearly all his men are in place at the top echelon of the party.
The casualties among ministers and menteri besar would see some changes in the cabinet line-up.At least there would be a new Home Minister, new Foreign Minister and new Minister of Tourism. Another vacancy that may be in the offing is the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs presently under Shahrir Abdul Samad.He lost his bid for a seat on the Supreme Council.
Najib has plenty of room to make major changes to the cabinet and those ministers who failed to secure victory have made life easier for Najib to overhaul the cabinet and infuse new blood into the lacklustre cabinet.
From the new crop of leaders, many are uninspiring, unimpressive and known quantities. Maybe, Najib should start looking for professional ministers and engage them on contract basis especially for crucial ministries like the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Trade and Industry.These two ministries are the crucial conveyors in spurring economic growth to overcome the economic and financial crisis.
Sabah got a big shot in the arm when Shafie Apdal won one of the vice-presidents and Chief Minister Musa Aman got one of the highest number of votes in the Supreme Council.The head of Puteri was also won by Sabahan Rosnah Abdul Rashid Sharlin. Sabah also secured 2 more seats in the Supreme Council, Lajim Ukin and the controversial bocor MP Bung Moktar Radin.
Well, you can't put a good guy down and Malaysia must have court jesters not only in Parliament but also in every political party supreme councils, otherwise, Malaysian politics would be such a pallid and boring affairs.
It must be the saddest day for Ali Rustam.Looking at the votes obtained by 'Double-Barrelled Muhammad' he could have put up a good fight against Muhyiddin.
It will not be easy ride for Najib with Muhyiddin as No.2 because if he can't perform satisfactorily instability in the party will not leave him in peace and Muhyiddin is not a man who is going to sit around and let the party slide further down into the abyss, likewise, don't expect Mahathir to be sitting quietly in the corner.
All eyes are on Najib now, how he chooses his cabinet, how he tackles the economic crisis and most crucial of all how he deals with the oppositions. Many in UMNO believe a return to autocracy would fortify UMNO. This simplistic and outmoded political philosophy if simply put...... is a political suicide.
A return to Mahathirism is not the answer, atonement would be more likely what Malaysians are looking forward to.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Return From The Dead
Hantu Laut
Just as I expected Najib will not get his dream team and the UMNO rank and file have shown they are not going to be cowed into electing candidates favoured by the top leadership.
The wind of change is brewing in UMNO and it is not coming from the top, it's coming from the bottom.They are also sending a clear message to former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad to stop interfering in the party affairs. The results of the Youth and Women wings will have a bearing on the election of the deputy president and vice-presidents.
In November 2008 I wrote.......In my earlier article "Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned" I said I place my bet on Shahrizat winning the race against Rafidah.I still do and the ground swell is moving in favour of Shahrizat.
I believe majority of members of Wanita UMNO had already decided who they want as their leader.
Read the full text here.
My congratulations to Khairy Jamaluddin.Most have signed his death warrant. Only few can sense that the rank and file are fed up with being forced to choose leaders they have no liking for and will be sending the message across to the top. Of course, some will say he won by money politics.
Khairy should be given an important ministerial position to bring out the potentials in him.I am sure he will out perform many of the dead woods in the cabinet.A major overhaul of the cabinet should be Najib's priority.More young blood should be brought in.
I am sure many of my readers will not be happy with this suggestion but than I am a different kettle of fish, I don't have herd instinct, right or wrong, I make my own analysis and judgement. So far so good.
From what transpired the last few days, from Najib and Hishamuddin's speeches there were no specifics for changes other than asking the rank and file to give full support to the leadership and asking them to elect good and honest leaders. Najib wants leaders who are able and are themselves enablers, who dare to change and are receptive to change, and who dare to criticise and are willing to accept criticism.
This sounds like looking for a needle in a haystack. Where the head leads, the tail will follow and fish rots from the head first.If Najib can lead by example and rule honestly and fairly he should not worry who his men are.With the power in his hand he can weed out the corrupt and incapable ones. If the party want to survive the next elections it must show colour-blindness, the issue of race and religion should not be a constant reminder of who is the master.These words are better left unspoken.
Rabble rousing Hishamuddin, as usual, were in the mood for bashing and blaming others for the trouble in UMNO. This time it's not the Chinese or Indians, it's a fellow Malay whom he accused of being a traitor to the Malays.Anwar Ibrahim is a traitor to the Malays. Cliches that we have heard many times before and the Malays are not buying anymore.
There were more histrionics than a sincere desire for change. Hishmauddin is still as sardonic as before and have not learned how to be a punctilious leader.He certainly not an enabler that Najib was talking about.
The PM-in-waiting may be in for a bigger shock ?
Just as I expected Najib will not get his dream team and the UMNO rank and file have shown they are not going to be cowed into electing candidates favoured by the top leadership.
The wind of change is brewing in UMNO and it is not coming from the top, it's coming from the bottom.They are also sending a clear message to former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad to stop interfering in the party affairs. The results of the Youth and Women wings will have a bearing on the election of the deputy president and vice-presidents.
In November 2008 I wrote.......In my earlier article "Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned" I said I place my bet on Shahrizat winning the race against Rafidah.I still do and the ground swell is moving in favour of Shahrizat.
I believe majority of members of Wanita UMNO had already decided who they want as their leader.
Read the full text here.
My congratulations to Khairy Jamaluddin.Most have signed his death warrant. Only few can sense that the rank and file are fed up with being forced to choose leaders they have no liking for and will be sending the message across to the top. Of course, some will say he won by money politics.
Khairy should be given an important ministerial position to bring out the potentials in him.I am sure he will out perform many of the dead woods in the cabinet.A major overhaul of the cabinet should be Najib's priority.More young blood should be brought in.
I am sure many of my readers will not be happy with this suggestion but than I am a different kettle of fish, I don't have herd instinct, right or wrong, I make my own analysis and judgement. So far so good.
From what transpired the last few days, from Najib and Hishamuddin's speeches there were no specifics for changes other than asking the rank and file to give full support to the leadership and asking them to elect good and honest leaders. Najib wants leaders who are able and are themselves enablers, who dare to change and are receptive to change, and who dare to criticise and are willing to accept criticism.
This sounds like looking for a needle in a haystack. Where the head leads, the tail will follow and fish rots from the head first.If Najib can lead by example and rule honestly and fairly he should not worry who his men are.With the power in his hand he can weed out the corrupt and incapable ones. If the party want to survive the next elections it must show colour-blindness, the issue of race and religion should not be a constant reminder of who is the master.These words are better left unspoken.
Rabble rousing Hishamuddin, as usual, were in the mood for bashing and blaming others for the trouble in UMNO. This time it's not the Chinese or Indians, it's a fellow Malay whom he accused of being a traitor to the Malays.Anwar Ibrahim is a traitor to the Malays. Cliches that we have heard many times before and the Malays are not buying anymore.
There were more histrionics than a sincere desire for change. Hishmauddin is still as sardonic as before and have not learned how to be a punctilious leader.He certainly not an enabler that Najib was talking about.
The PM-in-waiting may be in for a bigger shock ?
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