'What about the billions stolen from Petronas, commissions, power contracts, inflated project costs, and of course the bailouts of cronies? Why no alarm bells for these?'
Idris Jala: Country will be bankrupt in 9 years
Tristan: Dear Idris Jala, it is very easy to go after the soft targets, i.e. the rakyat. It takes real guts, political will and leadership to attack the root cause of our economic woes. We know why we are in this mess and how we got here.
What we have today are the results of institutionalised incompetence and corrupt practices nurtured over 22 years of 'you-know-whose-rule'. That is what you and the others, purportedly roped in to stem the bleeding, have got to do.
The people will support any effort to address the root causes like corruption, the AP (approved permit) scam, life-long toll payments and rent-seeking parasites doing mega and wasteful projects. They will not support any attempt to sweep the real causes under the ‘belukar' (bushes) and pile more pressure on the long suffering rakyat.
The people are speaking and you better learn how to listen. Every silly statement coming out of Putrajaya (like the one that you made yesterday) is another nail in the coffin of BN.
Keturunan Malaysia: Idris Jala, I know you for quite a long time. Like someone here said, you used to bring your brains to work all the time, that was when you were with an international company, but since in politics, you leave your brains at home at most times.
If you care to read these comments (which I know you and your political colleagues definitely do), virtually all talk the same language with the same intent and purpose insofar as helping our beloved country any which way we can.
What have you done and/or planning to do about the cheats and wastage, corruption, trimming the colossal numbers of unnecessary government servants so that the rakyat have better value for money.
Going forward, how sure or what guarantee have we that future savings from subsidy cuts are going to put to good use? Our government have long past disappoint us. Are we going to be suckered again and again until you draw our blood?
Rakyat Malaysia: Prime Minister Najib Razak, how can you allow this to happen? If you cannot manage the wealth of the country, then please step down and let Pakatan Rakyat takes over. Our country has so much resources - oil, palm oil, rubber, timber in Sabah and Sarawak, etc, and you say we can go bankrupt? Unacceptable!
SMC77: It is interesting to see the main concern of rakyat is on the reduction in fuel subsidy. I am a Pakatan supporter but I don't think it would be a responsible government if Pakatan is contemplating to maintain current fuel subsidy.
In fact, a responsible government should have the guts to remove the fuel subsidy gradually to zero and abolish high car taxes (i.e. effectively asking Proton to close shop if it cannot survive without government subsidy).
Frankly speaking, the subsidies provided by the government went to wrong parties (not wrong income groups). The wrong parties are IPPs, AP kings, toll-road operators, civil servants, arm dealers and BN-friendly businessmen.
Malaysia should be in a comfortable fiscal position if we can cut down the subsidies to these wrong parties. In short, cut off all the contracts to the rent-seekers.
Anonymous: What about the billions stolen from Petronas, commissions, power contracts, inflated project costs, and of course the bailouts of cronies? Why no alarm bells for these?
1Malaysia: The sharp increase in subsidies in last couple of years came about when oil prices surged. Don't forget, Malaysia is a net exporter of oil. Hence any oil price increase will increase the country's revenue and that should offset any subsidy.
Where did the extra revenue from the increased oil price go? Please present a balanced view and not just look at one side of the coin.
Jbss: The government should first focus on introducing reforms aimed at reducing/or cutting massive wastage and leakage of public funds through open and widespread corruption, misuse and abuse of treasury funds, rent-seeking practices and policies, direct negotiated contract awards to cronies and family members of the regime.
These measures would help save billions of ringgit, which could be better utilised for the benefits of the rakyat. Reducing subsidies can be delayed and implemented more gradually to reduce the burden on the man in the street.
Doneit: I agree that at some point subsidies should go but please show us what is the ruling coalition doing to stamp out the rampant corruption and leakages in the system. Plug that first before raping the citizens again, and again.
Hann Wei Toh: Corruption is not going to disappear overnight, probably not even over several years. If we do not start reforming the subsidy system now, and just wait for corruption to disappear in order to figure out if the subsidies can stay, we are more likely to go bankrupt first.
Besides, the elimination of corruption is not as straightforward as we want it to be. There may be instances in which we have to tolerate certain kinds of inappropriate/corrupt practices in order to satisfy the public. Letting Pakatan in charge cannot solve such problems, unless they want to be dictators.
Beetle: The government's priorities are wrong. The ordinary people can see that corruption and wastage is the main problem. Take away the monopoly of rice, sugar and other essential items from the cronies and allow a free market, and the price of these items will fall. Until and unless the government deals with these issues first, the rakyat will never support the government on the cutting down the subsidies.
Is the government trying to rob the ordinary poor rakyat to reward themselves? Obviously the treasury has been bled dry by those in power under BN’s rule and they have to find ways for funds to flow into the government’s coffers in order to continue plundering the wealth of the people. Say ‘no’ to subsidies cut and ‘yes’ to tackling corruption first.
Fairplayer: Idris, you should tell the Umno crooks to return what they have siphoned from our treasury - for their excesses and corruptible indulgences - back to the nation's coffers. Umno is responsible for draining out our wealth in the last 53 years.
Cala: The right to govern is only possible because government leaders discharge their duties expected of them fairly. In this case, we say the government is worthy of our support.
But if the government has the audacity of asking for belt- tightening amongst its people while at the same time it continues with its laisser-faire way of wastefulness, corruption and cronyism, the people have every right to reject it.
Outahere: I am grateful that Idris has spilled the beans. I hope he can further tell us what else is killing our country apart from the subsidies. Let us know in detail. If not, why should we believe half truths? Is it okay for the rakyat to go bankrupt but BN leaders and their cronies get richer? Come on Idris, where is your conscience?
Unite:
It is time to unite and go forward. We were God's country but over the years, the plundering, looting and squandering has stripped us to our bones. The so-called negotiated contracts of the Mahathir era has siphoned off much development funds.I appeal to politicians to unite Malaysians rather than sow discord. All the ‘ketuanan’ stuff is not going to help if the nation’s coffers are empty. We got to be a competitive nation and get out of the comfort zone. Ibrahim Ali yang gagah perkasa, you have any ideas to save Malaysia?
Not Confused: It is clear to everyone that the burgeoning expenditure by the corrupt government cannot continue. It is clear that the subsidising of costs is not economically and globally acceptable any longer.
However, if the billions wasted in "consultation" fees and the ritualistic creaming off of major project costs by the well-connected as well as other corrupt practices were all stopped, there would be no deficit and subsidies could be reduced over a longer period of time.
The BN government will never learn or accept this, so it is up to every man and woman in this country to show them the door. Fifty years of corruption has to end - now!
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