As the dust settles in Bolehland, the country that had sent man into space, scaled the highest peak, walked the southernmost tip, jumped the northernmost plateau ... the list is never ending; people are beginning to count the number of days that the current prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has gone without calls from several quarters for him to step down.

Such is the heavy responsibility of leaders nowadays that they are lauded like heros when the party wins, but blamed as rudderless in defeat. In Abdullah's case, the public outcry might be justified, following the many questionable decisions and the apparent influence that others, especially his son-in-law, has over the administration of his government.

What irks the public most is not Pak Lah's inherent failure to change the Malays, nor to strengthen the economy. It’s his failure to transcend the mileage needed for transparency and integrity that has made him a laughing stock among Malaysians.

But it is not only the government's failure to combat corruption that irks the public. GLCs, too, have come under fire recently for their apparent lack of transparency, especially in giving out contracts, sub-contracts and awards for minor projects under their projects belt.

One such company, UEM (Builders) comes to mind. The company now has been revitalised following its huge failures in the 1990s, and has been given the chance to participate in the Second Penang Bridge project.

We expected the management's mentality to change. But lo and behold, its top management still holds tight to the old belief of helping their kin, their friends and their cronies even though these people include one who is an ‘Ali Baba’ who does not even have knowledge and business in this field. The sub-contract about to be awarded involves the supply of sand (worth millions).

What people don’t see is that this ‘Ali Baba’ company's bid has actually been tailored and briefed by inside information. As such, this company will definitely be one of the favourites, if not the sole company, which will win the job outright.

It is actually run by traders with a sand supply license, but as many are aware, they need some bumiputera interest. And here comes this schoolteacher, who has included his family members in the company.

Sources in UEM who are unhappy with this development, claim that other companies are not treated equally, yet this company is briefed every week by this UEM top gun on the developments of the project. There are other tenders up of grabs, and these sources claim that this ‘Datuk’ also has a finger in each pie.

This is a clear case of abuse of power and corruption, but the sources claim that UEM’s top management and the police have yet to act upon it. What better way to a cleaner image then to let the police investigate this allegation and prove it wrong, right? This is the question being asked by my sources and several other key UEM Builders staff who have overheard and seen meetings involving this ‘Datuk’ and the company represented by his good friend.

This practise is claimed to have continued from the past - meaning it is a common practice for some GLCs to help friends and relatives get big contracts at the expense of honest, hardworking suppliers who ‘unfortunately’ happen not to know the directors or CEO. This is the magic of Malaysia and why Islam Hadhari will fail to deliver.

So the story continues in Bolehland, as the public begins to expect certain changes with the new Penang state government. Can Lim Guan Eng answer this question, or will his answer be the same? All we can do now is wait and see if the company is awarded this tender.