Open letter to PM from Sabahan Cynthia Ong

Open letter to PM — Cynthia Ong Gaik Suan

AUG 15 — Dear Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, I write to you as a deeply concerned and saddened citizen of Malaysia.

For most of the 45 years of my life, I have been proud to be Malaysian. Recently, I have become heartbroken to be Malaysian.

I am profoundly grateful to write this with the support of both my local communities in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo and California, USA, and a larger world community.

That said, I take full ownership of and sole responsibility for the views articulated in this letter; I express them from my stand as a mother, an earth citizen and a leader.

I founded and lead a public charity and non profit organisation both in Malaysia and in the US, to bridge between worlds and build partnerships for ecological conservation.

I have been at the front lines of the founding and mobilisation of Green SURF (Sabah Unite to RePower the Future), the civil society movement opposing the construction of the 300 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu, Sabah, on the edge of the Coral Triangle, one of three of the world’s most bio-diverse ecosystems. You know.

You signed the 6-nation declaration between Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Solomon Islands to collectively protect this 1.6 billion acres of ocean. You also know of course of your pledge at Copenhagen to reduce carbon emission intensity by up to 40 per cent by 2020.

You likely also know that the plant will displace fishing communities who have been there for a long time — irreparably contaminating their livelihoods forever. And if you listened, you would also know that they do not want the “development” that your government is imposing on them.

One of the priorities of Green SURF was to study clean energy alternatives to the coal-plant, and propose them to the government.

We collectively invested tremendous time and resources to identify and commission the expertise of Professor Daniel Kammen at Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory of University of California, Berkeley to conduct the Clean Energy Options for Sabah report. We had no notion of the outcome of the study, and results showed that Sabah is in an exceptional position to shift towards clean energy due to the availability of natural resources.

We are in fact in an opportune position to lead the nation and the region in clean energy — the kind of leadership the world so urgently needs now.

I wonder if you know that Sabah is the last coal power-free frontier of Borneo. FYI, the 5 core NGOs in Green SURF are amongst the largest, oldest and most recognized conservation groups in Sabah and Malaysia — collectively responsible for most of the conservation work in the nation, with partnerships that span the world.

We have tried every avenue available to communicate to you the results of our findings and to engage in discussion about the future of energy for Sabah. After months of unsuccessful attempts to meet with you, I can only conclude that you do not want to meet with us.

This confuses and disturbs me. Your words in public are about listening to the rakyat (people) and hearing their views. A sizeable portion of the rakyat of Sabah has been doing everything within their power to be heard by you. To no avail.

We have given you the benefit of the doubt that word is not getting to you, and yet we have met with those around you who promised they would convey our message to you. Many months, memos, reports, letters, faxes, emails and phone calls later, and we have not received a single response from you or any member of your administration.

We also did our best at state level government, and have huge support from within the government but ultimately the message is that this is untouchable because “ini Najib mau” (Najib wants this).

Sir, my most consistent experience of your administration is stone walls, arrogance and insincerity. I am shocked by the behavior of the leadership of my nation. I find it patronising, archaic, oppressive, blatantly and self-righteously elitist and top-down.

I do not experience your administration as democratic, transparent, open, accountable or responsible. There is a deep incongruence between what you are projecting externally and what we have experienced internally.

I can only surmise that you intentionally run your administration in this manner. Otherwise, it would mean that your leadership is incompetent and ineffective.

I am angry, and I am not willing to accept systemic disempowerment of our people. I am writing this open letter as a last resort. Sabahans are speaking up because we are deeply troubled and scared about the fate of our ecological and cultural legacy, and what we will be able to hand down to our future generations.

Please show true leadership and listen. You and your administration have much to do to regain a modicum of respect amongst many Sabahans.

If 1 Malaysia is more than a PR campaign and is truly intended “to provide a free and open forum to discuss the things that matter deeply to us as a Nation”, please walk your talk.

Yours sincerely, for the children, Cynthia Clare Ong Gaik Suan.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or the publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified

Related article:Stop Investing In Coal,You Idiots!

The Chinese Myth-Buster

Hantu Laut

This is one Chinese who speaks the truth.The Chinese were never marginalised so weren't the Indians.Otherwise, how could Malaysia have so many Chinese billionaires and millionaires.

Let's look at Forbes' 20 richest Malaysian in 2009 and see how many Malays were there.

1. (1)Robert Kuok USD 9 billion, 85, married, 8 children.
   Diversified
2. (2)Ananda Krishnan USD 7 billion, 71, married, 3 children.
   Telecom
3. (3)Lee Shin Cheng USD 3.2 billion, 70, married, 6 children.
   Palm Oil
4. (5)Lee Kim Hua USD 2.5 billion, 80, widowed, 6 children.
   Gaming
5. (4)Teh Hong Piow USD 2.4 billion, 79, married, 4 children.
   Banking
6. (6)Quek Leng Chan USD 2.3 billion, 68, married, 3 children.
   Diversified
7. (7)Yeoh Tiong Lay USD 1.8 billion, 79, married, 7 children.
   Diversified
8. (8)Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary USD 1.1 billion, 57, married, 5 children.
   Diversified
9. (10)Tiong Hiew King USD 1 billion, 74, married, 4 children.
   Timber
10. (9)Vincent Tan USD 750 million, 57, married, 11 children.
    Diversified
11. (11)Azman Hashim USD 470 million, 69, married, 5 children.
    Finance
12. (12)William H.J. Cheng USD 390 million, 66, married, 3 children.
    Retail
13. (26)G. Gnanalingam USD 260 million, 64, married, 3 children.
    Ports
14. (15)Lim Kok Thay USD 225 million, 57, married, 3 children.
    Gaming
15. (19)Anthony Fernandes USD 220 million, 45, married, 2 children.
    Airlines
16. (20)Mokhzani Mahathir USD 215 million, 48, married, 5 children.
    Oil Services
17. (17)Lee Oi Hian USD 210 million, 58, married, 4 children.
    Diversified
18. (-)Chan Fong Ann USD 209 million, 78, married.
    Palm Oil
19. (21)Kamarudin Meranun USD 205 million, 48, married, 5 children.
    Airlines
20. (24)Chong Chook Yew USD 200 million, 87, widowed, 4 children.
    Real Estate.

Out of the 20 there were only 4 Malays.If you total the wealth of the 4 Malays they can't even match the Chinaman at No.6.

Even more shocking, there were 3 Indians out of a population of 7 per cent.

So, who is marginalised? The Chinese, Indians or Malays?

Somebody, got to tell Lim Kit Siang and Anwar Ibrahim they are barking up the wrong tree.

By Yow Hong Chieh

August 14, 2010

Liew’s firm is behind some of Malaysia’s biggest property developments, including in Putrajaya. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 – Top property developer Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin today punctured the Chinese community’s complaints that it had been treated unfairly by the government, pointing out that Malaysian-Chinese have fared well under pro-Bumiputera policies.

Liew, whose SP Setia Bhd is behind some of Malaysia’s biggest property developments including in Putrajaya, said statistics show there are more Chinese-controlled firms than Bumiputera companies on the local bourse.

“Statistically, Forbes magazine shows that the Malaysian-Chinese can prosper over the last 30 years,” said the SP Setia president and chief executive.

According to Forbes, Chinese-controlled companies account for 37 per cent of market capitalisation among the top 100 Malaysian listed companies, compared to Bumiputera equity of seven per cent.

Chinese individuals also control 73 per cent of the wealth owned by the top 40 richest Malaysians and make up eight of the top 10 richest Malaysians.

“Have we fared badly?” Liew asked rhetorically.

He pointed out that Chinese small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) had done very well too, and that their owners could even afford to buy the multi-million ringgit bungalows put up by his company.

“One Chinaman want to build a bungalow of RM40 million!” he said.

“That’s wealth. Where did wealth come from? The wealth came in the last 30 years of so-called NEP (New Economic Policy) policies.”

Liew also argued that the increased presence of government-linked companies (GLCs) in the market meant that Chinese businesses would soon have no choice but to tap into Malay expertise and funds if they wished to increase revenues in the future.

“Today, the government has money through GLCs (government-linked companies)... They can buy buildings off you, they can buy your supermarkets, your hypermarkets, you shopping centres from you. That will give you a big source of income,” he said.

“It’s up to us. Do we want to tap into their expertise, financial abilities? Do you want to tap into their so-called connections?”

However, Liew stressed that such Malay-Chinese cooperation required a spirit of give-and-take.

“Before we start asking them to give us more liberal policies... we must also allow them to come to our sector, things that we are good at. If not, this so-called collaboration will not happen. They will not allow us,” he said.

“If we were to say we want to take a bigger pick from this economic cake from under the NEM (New Economic Policy)... we must also learn to give in.

“We must also learn to take a step back. We must also learn how to live with their culture, their mindset.”

He explained that the Malays still feared that the Chinese would “run over them and kill all of them” if they (the Chinese) were not bound by pro-bumiputera policies.

“That is their mindset. Whether it’s inferiority complex or whether it’s upbringing, whether it’s cultural... it is there,” he said.

Liew reminded delegates that it was only pragmatic for Chinese companies to link up with Malay ones as business was all about profit, not politics.

“We’re in business. Our job is to make money,” he said.

“Are we prepared to be a small fish in big market or the big fish in a small market? It’s up to us"

The Malaysian Insider

Kelantan's Dinar A Good Investment Alternative?

Hantu Laut

Although, the price of gold fluctuates from time to time it is still the most stable and a good hedge against inflation.Gold is probably the safest investment in time of war and financial crisis.

In times of economic crisis or inflation, recession or worst case scenario, a depression, gold always stands out as a stable value so that, even when you might need wheel barrows of dollars to buy a loaf of bread (like in Zimbabwe), a tiny gold coin would be enough for you to buy a wheel barrow full of bread.

In 2010, Indian converted more gold into investment than into jewelery.

The chart below shows the price of gold the past decade.



The Kelantan state government has issued gold dinar and silver dirham as legal tender.Which means you can buy them to use as legal tender in Kelantan only or if you wish keep it as an investment.

The move by Kelantan should not be viewed as an illegal action but more to allow its citizens the opportunity of having a more secured currency, as an investment or as an hedge against inflation and in times of economic crisis.

My grandmother used to hoard gold in the form of jewellery and coins.Your grandmother must have done the same.So, the practice of keeping gold as security for bad times has been around for thousand of years.

It is certainly better than investing in some State government's unit trust that have completely wiped out investors money with some losing their whole lifetime savings to this moronic former Sabah chief minister here.

If your are a CEO of a company or leader of a state who manages the state's finances and something goes wrong you are responsible no matter how much you wish to deny it, be it due to external forces beyond your control or bad decision on your part.

Anyway, which right thinking chief minister would allow a share swap of state owned blue chip shares for crappy junks in shitty companies?

I think Kelantan's gold dinar will not become a bona fide currency even in Kelantan but depending on its par value ( I have no yardstick to assess it at the moment) I believe it will be good investment to buy some for keeps.

Bank Negara should approved the minting, maybe not as currency, but as instrument of investment.

Other states should emulate Kelantan's move to offer its citizens a stable and safe investment alternative.

The World Islamic Mint that issues the gold and silver currency is here.

No School Of Hard Knocks! Why The NEP Failed ?

Hantu Laut

He is as blunt as a kick in the shin.

Former premier Mahathir Mohammad never munches his words, he does not know how.Those who dislike him called him racist.

No prime minister of this nation can afford to be a racist. Mahathir is just one man who shoot straight from the hip, he has no niceties, no political correctitude.A racist but he is not.

His statement here would be very upsetting to non-Malays particularly the Chinese.Literally, Chinese do not need political power, they were already rich.Certainly, the Chinese per capita is much better than the Malays.It's not a wild guess, it's a statement of fact.The Chinese should be proud of it.

Mahathir himself, while he was in power, did not push the Malay agenda as aggressively as he is doing now.Why? Does he feel the Malays are losing their grips on political power.

Mahathir said the Malays have not attained the desired equity proportion after almost 40 years of NEP and out of which he helmed the nation for 22 years and had the best opportunity to correct the imbalance.

The greatest chance of the NEP being made successful should have been under his regime.UMNO politicians shrivelled in fear at the prospect of falling out with him.He could have hard-nosed the NEP then.Why, didn't he?

Should Mahathir shoulder greater part of the blame for failure of the NEP or are the bumiputras to blame for their indifference and lamentable attitude toward hard work that smothered the government's efforts to turn them into shrewed businessmen and corporate leaders.

We have seen how GLCs handed over to selected bumiputras had gotten into trouble because of bad management.They are not small entities but big corporations, some, have existed since colonial days.Over the years billion of ringgit of taxpayer's money have been lost to corruptions and bad management of such companies led by manufactured entrepreneurs.

GLCs under bumiputra's management have also suffered the same fate.The recent debacles in Sime Darby and Felda are big embarrassment to bumiputras and the government.

The question is why have the Malays not grown better in business? What are they lacking in? Lack of business skill and acumen may be one of them but than skill can be learned. We are either taught or learned it empirically.If Malays can become doctors,engineers, lawyers,architects and many other professions, why can't they be good businessmen?

If I remember well Mahathir was of the view that all he needs to do was to make few Malays rich who in turn will make many more Malays rich.

Obviously, Mahathir's principle of multiplier effect was a failure.There was no quantum jump in bumiputra's equity. His dreams of Malays helping Malays in the business and the corporate world did not happen. The rich Malays stay rich and the poor Malays stay poor.

The nouveu riche Malays become a class of their own, leading flatulent lifestyle with horrid distaste for the proletariat.They ride on their high horses ignoring the fact that the millions they have were not the fruits of hard labour but were the windfalls of political connections.

I have no doubt there are many hard-working honest Malays but they are the forgotten lot.

In this country it is 'who you know not what you know' and a policy with fatal consequence.The good brains left the country where their talents would be better appreciated.

Mahathir's policy of helping only few selected Malays have not brought the desired result and one that led him to coin the phrase "Melayu mudah lupa", a reflection of his frustration with failure of the Malays to achieve higher economic success.

It is simple logic which Mahathir overlooked.

If you have RM100 to distribute and you divided it into RM10 each and give it to 10 people you would have made 10 Malays happy and maybe 5 out of the 10 would have used the money wisely and succeed.If you give the RM100 only to one or two than you only make one or two Malays happy and this one failure mean total failure.

During his time Mahathir did not push the NEP as aggressively because he knew without active participation of the Chinese the country could never attain the higher growth rate that would help push his vision 2020 to reality. The Chinese are the economic engines and their big contribution to the economy is undeniable.They also hold bigger slice of the economic cake due to hard work and business prudence.Mahathir had openly admitted the Chinese larger contribution to the economy by the amount of taxes they pay.

The Chinese are mostly urban and semi-urban dwellers.Most real estates in urban and semi-urban areas are owned by Chinese and over 90 percent of retail trade and most of service industry are done by them. This is one area where the government seems to lack the will to encourage bumiputras to be actively involved in.If there are some, it is negligible.

Most wholesale and retail businesses are dominated by the Chinese. Other than the typical restaurant business that bumiputras seem to prefer they shunned other type of business in this category instead preferring the easier option, chase government contracts where the money is bigger, faster and easier to make.More often than not such contracts go back to the Chinese where Ali sat on his ass and Baba joyfully working hard to make lots more money.

Even in the remotest areas deep in the interior, where I observed during my time as a logger, it is likely to be a Chinese family running the village shop and does everything as seller, buyer and financier.

Other than selling the essential commodities the Chinese towkay would also buy local produces and gives financial aids (advances) to reliable natives to secure the products which he than export to the bigger towns and cities to another Chinese middleman.In another word the Chinese is not just mere shopkeeper but also the banker in the village.

Retail,whole selling and contracting are tedious and competitive business and these are the places where most Chinese business had its early existence before making it big.It does not make your rich overnight but it teaches you hard work and the art of doing business, of being competitive and of being able to survive the cruel business environment.This is the school of hard knocks.

Are the bumiputras willing to take up the challenge or continue to rely on their leaders for government handouts.

It is not that the Malays or bumiputras can't become good business people and are at fault, it is the Malay leaders that spoiled them, Mahathir included, resorting to quick fix solution and politics of political patronage.

As the English say "Take care of the penny and the pound will take care of itself"
A business built purely on political connections would eventually fall.

The next time you hear Ibrahim Ali cry wolf, take it with a pinch of salt.