I list below five problems for the prime minister and his cabinet to solve.
1. Housing woes
The Master Builders Association Malaysia (Mbam) held a dialogue on Aug 1 and poured out their woes. The housing industry has reached a ‘critical stage’ and 140-odd related industries would collapse if remedial action is not carried out.
Prices of raw materials have shot up in line with the oil price hike recently and the subsidy reduced.
They have asked for:
a. the import of steel bars and also to impose an export tax on steel bars,
b. allow the contractors to complete their jobs over a longer period owing to the present economic uncertainties,
c. give soft loans to contractors to tide them over the difficult financial crunch,
d. train more skilled workers.
This recession and stagflation will kill the building and other ancillary industries; and will affect the whole economy of the country.
Brainstorm and crack your brains on this vital issue. Spend less time on sex-related issues like sodomy, sex videos, bocor , water-cannons and tear-gas etc.
2. Transport woes
Traffic jams have been a daily nightmare. Motorists spend hours on the roads from home to office and back home.
Firstly, improve the public transport system. Have more buses on the roads. Improve the LRT, KTM, mono-rail and have more coaches with increased frequency so that there will be less dependence on cars.
Secondly, have an even-odd car registration system of travel whereby only half the number of cars are on the roads on any given day. This means car numbers ending on odd digits will travel on odd days and and car numbers ending on even digits will travel on even days of the calendar month.
This will halve the traffic jam and also reduce travel time (by the way, I suggested this idea to the former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik and received no reply!)
To further improve on this system, give incentives like parking fee waivers and toll coupons to motorists carrying at least three passengers. This will encourage those who can drive on the odd or even days to car-pool.
3. Road structure woes
The Middle Ring Road 2 fiasco is the latest incident. Some years ago, the same thing happened. This will cause traffic congestion, inconvenience motorists and transport companies and will endanger lives.
Why is it that the rectification works were not carried out properly since the incident some years ago? And what happened to those who did such slipshod work? Bring them to court.
The government should also check all roads and railway lines to ensure that they are in good condition. We must not wait for deaths to occur and then rush to the scenes of tragedy.
It is too late to get back lives. It is too late to console the bereaved ones and shed crocodile tears.
4. Judiciary woes
Since the revelations of the royal commission of inquiry into the Lingam tape scandal, the government must expedite certain measures to show that it sincerely wants to implement the recommendations. Several steps must be set in motion.
First step: An independent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC ) should be set up at once. Why is it taking so long to get this done? Though the de facto law minister is honestly trying to implement it, there may be some reservations by some ministers for reasons best known to themselves.
If it is the right thing to do, just do it. Is the PM so weak that he has to kowtow to these dissenting voices?
Second, the attorney-general should be replaced by a commission of ten or more eminent people to decide whether there is a case or not before it is taken to the courts.
5. Education woes
Schools, especially the vernacular schools, need teachers. Go back to the old training system whereby teachers are trained during week-ends.
Give scholarships to the needy students who score high grades in their STPM examination.
Give them their choice of study courses based on merit.
