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The Lobby Lobbyists

Now we may have the reasons why we can't find parking lots around the Parliament House.

There are many visitors to the Parliament. And there are too many lobbyists who have parked themselves in the Parliament House to start campaigning though Umno party election, and the EGM that Ku Li is trying to lobby for, are still far-fetched in the calendar.

This Umno phenomenon was testified by NST's Zubaidah Abu Bakar yesterday. Quote:

CAMPAIGNING for the Umno elections has found its way to Parliament.

While aspirants do not openly campaign there, a handful of self-proclaimed "lobbyists" are now often seen in the building whenever the Dewan Rakyat is in session.

For those who are familiar with these faces, they are quite easily spotted -- in the cafeteria for instance -- trading information, cross-checking facts with one another or merely mingling with aides of cabinet ministers and deputy ministers.

While those already "working for someone" could be seen playing their roles in earnest, the others were simply pitching for potential "employers". And they tend to be quite choosy as to who they would work for as there are many among the Umno lawmakers who are keen to contest in the December party polls.

Using the services of these lobbyists or campaign managers, as some prefer to call themselves, is an acceptable practice in Umno. It has been going on for a long time although some say this norm breeds money politics in the party.

These lobbyists are also widely recognised in Umno circles as people who can make or break aspirants, being quite adept in pushing for certain candidates to get elected, or equally skilled at thwarting the rise of ambitious leaders by destroying their credibility.

And, of course, they work for money.

The more they change, they more they remain the same.

NOTE: On Monday (May 5, 2008), since my complaint, new parking lots have been drawn along the kerbs formerly demarcated by non-parking white lines to take in more cars.

RM39.11m bill for Malaysia's Space Traveller

Parliament Round-ups...

Government Blogs. The Information Minister told MP from Alor Gajah in an oral question that the government will engage bloggers and use blogs as a platform to disseminate information. The Speaker did not allow my request to ask a supplementary question, through which I intended to get a response to the current episode of threatened charges for sediton on RPK and Syed Akhbar Ali. MP for Ipoh Timur described the action on the two and act of "empire strikes back" by the BN government.

Space Traveller. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Maximus Ongkili told the Parliament that the BN Government paid RM39.11 million for the Angkasawan aka Space Traveller programme.

Rice Shortage. The Deputy Speaker allowed an emergency motion put forward by the MP from Kubang Krian to debate on the issue of rice shortage and related drastic price hike.

Investigating Investigative Journalists. MP from Ipoh Timur told the Parliament that two award-winning investigative journalists, namely theSun's R Nadeswaran and Terence Fernandes, are now being questioned by the Police over their reports on controversial multi-million ringgit fund transfer to Bakti by Balkis.

Ali Rustam. Two Umno MPs from Malacca, including a deputy minister, interrupted MP from Ipoh Timur when the latter mentioned about the use of force on three DAP assemblymen over investigations into damage caused to an abandoned lamp-cum-telecommunication pole in Bachang, recently. The Umno MPs rose to protect Ali Rustam, who is not a member of Parliament.

BBC Leader Grilled on PKFZ Bail-Out. When the MP for Ipoh Timur took to the floor after the lunch break, names of three Transport Ministers, past and present, were invoked when the MP for Bintulu, also the Chair of BN Back Benchers Club (BBC), was quizzed on his involvement as a stakeholder of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ). Ipoh Timur also quoted media reports that said the present Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat, and the new Port Klang Authority chairman Lee Hwa Beng, will appoint an independent accounting firm to conduct an overall audit on the accounts of the PKFZ project. [ For context, Minister Ong had previously promised to reveal how the RM4.6 billion soft loan to the PKFZ was spent after costs of the project were said to have ballooned from RM1.845 billion. ]

Dismantle Bernas Monopoly. Opposition MPs from Kubang Krian, Kuala Selangor, Selayang, Pasir Mas, Kepong and Pokok Sena called for the dismantling of rice monopoly now enjoyed by Bernas to facilitate better management of rice supply.

Let foreign players lead broadband sector

Two consortia led by foreign-owned players, namely Canada-based Axia NetMedia and Hong Kong's City Telecom, will bid for the rights to build a new ultra-fast national broadband network in a progressive country.

Unfortunately, the progressive country is not the seemingly xenophobic Malaysia.

Again, the leading country is Singapore. The bids by foreign players came two years after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong unveiled plans for the network, which promises to put Singapore on par with regional rivals such as Hong Kong.

Another new thinking is that the new broadband network does not aim to open up just the Internet speed. It promises to open up access and breakdown monopolies.

As understood from the Request for Proposal (RFP), any operator, such as a true-blue telecoms company, can use the network to provide Internet, cable TV and telephony services to its customers. It also indicates that, as reported by the Straits Times, no single operator will be allowed to own the network and block newcomers from accessing it, paving the way for more choices, and possibly lower prices, for consumers.

To facilitate the plan that aims to improve Internet connection speeds by up to 10 times faster than the best connection speed available today, the Singapore government will provide up to S$750 million in funding for the laying of cables in the network.

Another surprise in corporate moves. Singapore Press Holdings, a major media group and publisher of Straits Times Singapore, had teamed up with SingTel, SP Telecommunications and Axia NetMedia to form the OpenNet consortium that submitted the bid. The consortium will use fibre-optic cables rather than the traditional copper wires used today.

On the other hand, the rival bid called the Infinity team and led by City Telecom - which recently rolled out an ultra-fast network in Hong Kong boasting 1 Gbps speeds - and includes local heavy-weights StarHub and MobileOne.

This consortium will also be building an open-access network using fibre-optic technology.

May the best team win.

Soaring crude

Crude oil futures surged yesterday (May 5, US time) to above $120 a barrel for the first time on concerns about supply disruptions in Nigeria and weakness in the U.S. dollar.

Petronas will benefit from the price hike, but our government will say fuel subsidy for the people will also increase.

How about fuel subsidy to the Independent Power Producers (IPP) by means of pass-through costs to the government (and TNB) stated in their 21-year agreements? Ask Malakoff, PowerTek, YTL, and Genting Sanyen?

Shadow Cabinet

Political commentators Ong Kian Meng and Oon Yeoh are questioning if the Opposition could come up with a Shadow Cabinet any time soon.

They suggested an obvious approach that could be based on the UK model where every minister on the government bench will have a counterpart on the opposition bench.

This would give the public a basis for comparison between the Opposition and the BN cabinet.

More so, the duo say, as the public has a right to know whether the Opposition MPs are capable of meeting the challenges at hand, and there is no better way to let them know than by having a shadow cabinet -- sooner than later.

I think the Opposition is still struggling for one reason or another, some of which Kian Meng and Oon had articulated fully.

Into the Hansard?

The MP for Gombok just introduced Anwar Ibrahim, in his impromptu speech in the Parliament, as 'bakal Perdana Menteri Malaysia' (Malaysia's Prime Minister in waiting) when he stood up to speak on Abdullah Badawi's political rhetorics in fighting corruption.

This was in response to MP from Pasir Salak who said he was 'sacked' from Umno by Anwar for unexplained reasons. The moods in the House turned into something that resembled an Umno general assembly.

Pasir Salak also challenged Gombak to repeat his allegations about him outside the Parliament and he (the former) will sue.

Read the transcript in the Hansard?

Desperate Housewives... ( 5 )

UPDATED VERSION. There is a Letter to Editor in theSun (May 5, 2008 Page 21):

The news item in context is pointed to theSun, May 2.

However, the core issue, to me, is about the repatriation of money held in trust by a group of people who had ceased to be valid members of Bunga Tanjung -- de jure and de facto -- the moment the former Chief Minister of Penang conceded defeat on the night of Polling Day, March 8. Nevertheless, the record shows, and Bunga Tanjung did not deny, that monies were repatriated elsewhere after that crucial date of March 8.

To justify their respective beings in the system, the RoS and ACA should move in to investigate on the issue of impropriation, and even possible criminal breach of trust, in this controversy. That's the core of governance, good or bad, and there must be due respect for the rule of law by all parties, victors or the vanquished.

Only then could we see the intellectual basis for a public debate, which is sorely missing for now despite the show of sheer tantrums. The core issue on the interpretation of the constitutional provisions of Bunga Tanjung -- de jure and and de facto -- mustn't be hijacked with sideshows that are hallmark of TV series like Desperate Housewives.

A gesture of sincerity to Penangites is for the relevant parties who were instrumental and responsible in repatriating the reported sum of RM350,000 to Bakti, a Kuala Lumpur-based elite organisation, to be returned to coffers in Penang.

I shall reserve my further action till an appropriate time from now till GE2013. We have ample time.

Streets of Saigon... ( 2 )

More images from Ho Chi Minh City... in huge contrast of class, very much like what you see in Malaysia.

Au Pare Restaurant... This place near the Notre-Dame Church serves fine French and Mediterannean cuisines... LensaPix by Jeff Ooi

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Streets of Saigon

It has been two months I laid off photography to campaign in GE2008 and subsequently to give a helping hand to the new Penang state government. Itching to claim back the cultured part of me, I went trigger happy as a private citizen in an alien land. Here are some images I captured on the streets of Ho Chi Minh city.

Street barber along Ly Tu Trong, District 1... LensaPix by Jeff Ooi

Street barber with different customer... LensaPix by Jeff Ooi

Ben Thanh bazaar, District 1 Saigon... LensaPix by Jeff Ooi

Jumping the gun at traffic light is quite a norm... LensaPix by Jeff Ooi

MORE!

Vietnam is hungry

UPDATED VERSION. Everybody is saying Vietnam's economy is booming and may surpass Malaysia's in no time if we are not careful in planning ahead. You can't mess around with a country of over 85 million people, with over 60% of them clustered among the young and productive -- median age being 26.9 years.

Even India is now a strategic partner to Vietnam. It was announced recently that two-way trade between the two countries is expected to reach US$2 billion this year, two years ahead of goals set in the joint statement issued nearly one year ago when the strategic partnership was forged. Major categories of goods exported from Vietnam to India, which has been increasing at a steady 20% growth over the past few years with the trade balance in favour of India, include pepper, rubber, computer hardware and electronics products, cinnamon bark and spice, and garment and textile products.

In July 2007, India decided to invest US$527 million to set up a steel factory in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province, and a further US$600 million oil exploration and exploitation project. Besides, India's Tata Group has decided to pump in more than US$4 billion to set up two steel mills in Ha Tinh Province.

What's more, business registration processes had been expedited even in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai -- investment licenses can now be issued within six days!

There must be some magic in Vietnam that helped pump-prime the country's economy. So I decided to give it a closer look and landed on Ho Chi Minh City on Vietnam's Liberation/Reunification Day (April 30 evening), and witnessed the celebration of Workers' Day (May 1).

Doubtlessly, HCM City plays an important role in the country’s socio-economic development, accounting for 22% of GDP, one-third of the State’s budget and 40% of the country’s export turnover.

Yesterday, teamed with a group of Malaysian investors, I toured the Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) and Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP), and the Phu My Hung area in Saigon South.

The SHTP is where the new Intel mega-site is being developed, with US$1 billion investment for the company's digital ASEAN (d-ASEAN) programme. Key tenants now are Jabil from USA and Allied Group from Singapore. It will need another five years or so to mature but most of the outsource services have virtually set up camps in Saigon to capitalise on Intel's supply chain. Capturing Intel into Ho Chi Minh is a coup for Vietnam, and a severe threat to Penang as a base for the Electrical and Electronics industry.

The VSIP, near Song Be area, is about 14 years old, set up in March 1994 during the time when Vo Van Kiet and Goh Chok Tong were both Prime Ministers of the respective countries. It now houses full occupancy of tenants with manufacturing as a strong base. I could see earthwork for Phase II being carried out. It has the signature of Singapore-conceived facilities, clean, systematic and natural vegetation-friendly.

Phu My Hung is basically a Taiwanese investment when Kuomintang ran the economy before Chen Shui-Bian came around. Having endured the Asian Financial Crisis, the far-sightedness of the Taiwanese investors had finally paid off, and Phu My Hung, a former swampy area that needed massive earth-fills, is the jewel of the crown for Saigon South. Land prices now fetch US$4,500 per square-metre! Hip names in retail sector are now located here, including the sleek HQ for Unilever.

What amazed me is that the thoroughfare leading from District 4 to Phu My Hung is linked with a 12-lane highway, and the structural plan is mammoth by any benchmark. Is it any surprise that, after barely six months the new international arrival terminal was commissioned for Saigon's Tan Son Nhat International Airport, a brand new airport that rivals KLIA is now being crafted on the drawing-board?

Vietnam's home brand, Highlands Coffee, is located at Broadway D in the neighbourhood of Unilever HQ and opposite the soon-to-be-completed Saigon Paragon... LensaMalaysia pix by Jeff Ooi

Thanks to friends in HCM City, I was brought around to view the on-going mixed development project at Asia Phu My (APM) in Saigon South. It is targetting realty investors who are comfortable with the US$1,500 ~ US$2,500 per square-metre bracket.

I am also delighted to see that my university, RMIT of Melbourne, has set up a reasonable-sized branch campus in Saigon South. It has been running for a number of years.

VIETNAM'S ECONOMY IN CRISIS? Despite the glittering outlook, some of the old hands among Malaysian expatriates I met up with expressed their concern that Vietnam's economy may be headed for a bubble burst by August. That's the date when the financial sector's monetary credit squeeze policy comes into full effect and speculators in the real estate industry may be the first to burn their fingers, and domino effect see in.

According to media reports, State-owned corporations, which had invested 37% (US$8 billion) of their capital into real estate, banking and the stock market, are now trying hard to maintain solvency.

At last month’s meeting with officials from the national government, Viet Nam News said representatives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) told State-owned corporations and groups need to focus on their major businesses, and warned that the local financial market is being hurt by small banks.

It is said that State-owned corporations active in the coal, electricity and petroleum industries have made huge profits in telecommunications, finance and banking, but are facing sharp reductions in their own productivity. This could have major repercussions for the national economy and security.

According to estimates, the average corporation makes a profit of 15 to 18% annually. but the modest profits would not be enough to compensate for losses from over-investments in non-core businesses.

To head off a potential disaster that could affect the national economy, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked all State-owned corporations and groups to cap their outside investments at under 30%. Concurrently, banking groups are also forbidden to allocate more than 15% of their capital elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has switched on the 'damage control' mode to fight a s,liding stock market. Last week, the Ministry allowed the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) invest in the Vietnamese stock market has immediately brought a halt to the relentless decline in the VN-Index. In addition, the ministry will review investments for all State-owned corporations and groups later this month.

On the other hand, inflation is getting more heightened while trade deficit is worsening, a double whammy of sorts.

Recently, Dr Nguyen Tri Thanh from the Central Insitute for Economic Management said consumption growth rates had increased significantly compared with the country’s GDP growth rate in the past few years. Significantly, the country’s trade deficit now amounts to 17% of the GDP.

He said the increase in consumption, especially spending on imported goods, is one of the causes affecting the trade imbalance. He added that Vietnam’s trade deficit would increase from US$7.4 billion in the first quarter to US$19 billion for the entire year.

According to the World Bank, Vietnam’s population can be divided into five groups, and the 20% in the richest group accounts for 43.3% of the country’s consumption, compared with 7.2% of the poorest group. Purchase of luxury imports by the upper echelon has been blamed as the main culprit to trade deficits.

LEARN AND RE-LEARN. Whatever that's said and done in Vietnam's econiomy in recent months, it is a live chapter for me to climb the learning curve.

Admittedly, I am mentally and physically exhausted after surviving the gruelling GE2008 campaign. Saigon seems to be the ideal place to recuperate the tardy anatomy as well as to rejuvenate the mind.

What I can gather is that Vietnam has put wars and politics behind them. The whole nation is hungry for economic progress. We should be seeing their back as they zoom past us soon, real soon.