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It is still my country, however painful it is to the heart.

Haiyo, spoil market la like this, do so many good things, no wonder la, the rest of the region government always cannot agree with Singapore on many issues, they are just too ahead... I also can see many opposite comparing Penang and Singapore,

btw while malaysia is 44th, singapore ranks 5th on the corruption index. lower number is better. sigh.

Another bad news for foreign investment in Boleh land ...

Intel to invest up to US$1 billion in Vietnam

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Intel Corp., the world's largest chipmaker, has received permission to increase its initial investment in Vietnam from US$300 million (euro236 million) to up to US$1 billion (euro790 million), a Vietnamese official said Tuesday.

Intel is constructing a US$300 million chip assembly and testing plant in Ho Chi Minh City. Its original license, granted in February, allowed the company to invest up to US$605 million (euro476 million).

The government has since approved an amended license allowing Intel to invest up to $1 billion and increase its production capacity, said Nguyen Anh Tuan, director of the Information Technology Industry at the Ministry of Telematics.

The deal is considered a significant step forward in Vietnam's campaign to attract foreign investors. It is already the largest single U.S. investment in the country since the Vietnam War ended in 1975.

Intel has scheduled an announcement for Friday in Ho Chi Minh City, but would not disclose its specific plans.

Tuesday's development comes on the same day that the World Trade Organization is scheduled to approve Vietnam's entry into the Geneva-based body and just days before it hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which will draw heads of state and business executives from around the globe.

Construction of the plant, which will employ 1,200 people, is expected to be finished in 2007. It will be Vietnam's first semiconductor facility, and Intel's sixth testing facility in Asia.

In 2005, computer and electronic equipment exports from Vietnam rose 34 percent to US$1.44 billion (euro1.2 billion), while imports of computers and electronics rose 26.3 percent to US$1.7 billion (euro1.42 billion).-AP

What's next ... any comments from bunch of political circus jokers??

I refer to Datuk Ghani's article on Bangsa Malaysia and one doesn’t need a high IQ to see why Johor is in such a bad shape in the economic front.

We have a CEO of the state who hasn't got a clue on attracting new businesses and no wonder we have so many abandoned projects in Johor.

Just to name a few of the infamous abandoned projects under his tenure….. SunCity at Pelangi, Kemayan Mall in Skudai, Lot 1 Johor Bahru Waterfront, Pacific Mall and many many more.

We have long dreamed of turning sleepy southern Johor state into a Hong Kong-style metropolis, but instead we have abandoned buildings that mar the skyline of Johor.

I tend not to read too much on the newly launched multi-billion-dollar development project aimed at transforming the Southern region into a thriving business destination to rival Singapore. This to me is an old and tired salesmanship. With Datuk Ghani at his helm and his anti Bangsa Malaysia rhetoric and also his lack of business acuemen, it makes one wonders who would want to invest in Johor. 10 years ago, Datuk Ghani was selling the idea of a Southern Triangular hub and now we are calling it the SJER. It is like an old stale cake which is now provided with a new icing.

Pardon my scepticism, I just have no faith in Datuk Ghani and I think he should do the right thing and give up his job to join his wife as a lecturer. After all he can continue to procrastinate his theoretical approach which lacks the practical approach in running Johor.

The economy in Johor is down, crime rates and unemployment are high and Johor Bahru is known as cowboy and sleazy town especially to the Singaporean.

We are blessed with Singapore as a neighbour. With an average per capita income of a Singaporean that is 5 times more than that of an average Malaysian, Datuk Ghani still couldn’t make Johor to be a prosperous state. How many other states have this advantage? If we consider the spending power of Singapore it is equivalent to 15 mil Malaysian living next door.

We couldn't even provide Johorean with proper jobs and we have at least 30,000 vehicles (perhaps 100,000 Malaysian) crossing the causeway every day to earn their livings in Singapore. If these workers and also the Singaporean visitors do not bring the foreign exchange to Johor, Johor would be a Dead City.

Compared to the orderly Singapore, from which it is separated only by a narrow waterway, the shabby state capital Johor Bahru has struggled to shrug off a reputation for crime and disorder.
Scores of ugly concrete pillars bristle from the seabed alongside the failed JB Waterfront Lot 1 shopping complex, which was part of a planned mega-development but now lies empty.

And now we are talking about another waterfront in Danga Bay. Again one doesn't need a high IQ to realise that for a successful waterfront, we need good water quality. I don't think any foreigner would be so idiotic to buy a water front property without realising that they may die of ecoli poisoning while taking a dip in the polluted Straits of Johor.

Danga Bay seems to be Datuk Ghani's buzz word of late. Day in day out he is harping on Danga Bay as a World Class Waterfront City. I would seriously ask Datuk Ghani to visit Gold Coast of Australia and learn the success story from there, before he throws our good money to chase after the bad.

The eyesore in Johor acts as a warning to investors that despite the big talk, other new projects in the state could suffer a similar fate.

The concrete pillars are the vestiges of the 1.7-billion-dollar Waterfront City, which was launched in 1996. The ambitious project which was supposed to comprise 41 blocks of commercial, residential and hotel development, sitting on 47.2 hectares of land created by driving concrete supports into the seabed is now another sad legacy of abandoned projects.

Johor must win foreign capital if it is to succeed. There is no economic power here in Johor and we have to build on the investments from Singapore and also foreigners.

Call me a person with an axe to grind and I would not be too upset. FYI, I have to leave Johor and uproot my family to look for a job in KL.

Datuk Ghani Sir, could you please do the right thing and step down so that Johor can have a Fair Go.

I find this paragraph, from the CNA article quoted by Jeff, to be most (as the Singaporeans say) curious:
"Johor's Economic Planning Unit says Singapore's ports and Changi Airport will be the major outlets for SJER exports."

So it's not just Singapore media, but JEPU itself which thinks Singapore will be the outlet for SJER exports. Oh dear.

I like the sound of this project but the devil remains in the execution and planning. Much as I hate to say it, we have not had a particularly good record on both. But still, a toast to an ambitious plan - please try your best to see it through to the end!

Hi Jeff ...
I'm wondering how Rocky never blogs about idiot Ghani's view about Bangsa Malaysia (which is a burning issue for non Malays).Did he agree with him ??

the main problem was laid 25 years ago by our former pm ... he made it such that he's the only one who decide for the country and no one else ...

he made it such that all others should be blind and he's the only one with 1-eye ...

he made it such that all other party members do not have to think logically & globally but just have to throw in 110% support to the leader of umno for continuous power ...

he made it such that malaysia will always compare against african country so that we can always have the illusion that we're more developed than others (including s'pore) ...

he made it such that all the umno leaders are ok to speak nonsense when face with global economy challenges ...

so now we have leaders who act like villagers when confronting the globalization challenge ... just simply have no idea how to attract foreign direct investment ... mind you vietnam is laughing to the banks now (when we used to look down on them) ...

is this SJER for real ? or just some non-existence carrots thrown into the crowd for the upcoming general election support ?

only time will tell dude ...

http://stocktube.blogspot.com

cheers

Singapore thrust into the economic limelight - to be a gateway for Malaysia? What about Klang Port then - a calling port for Indonesian illegal migrants?
As for Harry Lee calling S'pore a 'red dot', it can also constitute a Communist State, which I'm sure he loves to align with. Is that why there is so much of domination by particular segments of society over other segments? The Lee Dynasty Strikes Again!!!

Dear Jeff,

I have my doubts over the so-called SJER project. Despite all the hoo-ha and glamourous launching, there are many white elephants and protruding concrete pillars that adorn JB. Is this one of the strategies cooked up by the blue boys at level 4 PM's office Putrajaya? God knows! In the end, Singapore will benefit the most.

There's a big difference between Singaporean politicians and their Malaysian counterparts. The former exudes professionalism and seriousness in creating a better country. However, our MPs are more content with bashing the opposition and coming out with idiotic comments as you rightly mentioned earlier. Seems to me that UMNO has another pain-in-the-neck politician after Khairy, Zakaria and now Abdul Ghani.BTW I disagree with Gozie when he suggested that Ghani be a lecturer because with all the outdated thinking and xenophobic attitude he will end up poisoning the poor students' minds. He should read "The World Is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. In fact, may I suggest that this book be made compulsory reading for all politicians especially BN. Hopefully they will change their mindset and emerge from the coconut shell to join the global community.

08/11: Shock waves over detention of Najib's close aide

By Leslie Lau
The Straits Times

POLITICAL and intellectual circles here are abuzz with talk of the detention of one of their own in an investigation into the death of a Mongolian woman.

Abdul Razak Baginda, who is in his 40s, is a close associate of Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

He set up the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre (MSRC) in 1993, a private think tank specialising in defence and strategic issues, when Datuk Seri Najib was first appointed Malaysian Defence Minister.

He is said to be in the inner circle of Datuk Seri Najib's supporters and aides and has been frequently quoted in Malaysian and international publications.

'I am in shock. I do not know why he has been arrested and how he can be involved,' said a close associate of Mr Abdul Razak, who declined to be named.

Mr Abdul Razak is well-known not just in Malaysia but also among the region's many research organisations for his moderate views on politics and security issues.

The suggestion of involvement in any extramarital affairs is a shock to many who know the man.

Mr Abdul Razak is married with children, and is known to be obsessed with his work in the MSRC.

He is also a regular on the lecture and seminar circuit and a talk show host on national television. His qualification as a stellar analyst is backed up by his qualifications.

He was previously the Head of Strategic Studies and International Relations at the Armed Forces Defence College here.

He is a graduate of King's College London and is a member of the World Economic Forum's (Davos) Global Leaders for Tomorrow as well as the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Ahh...the plot thickens...still, one is innocent until proven guilty. What a shocker for Malaysians. AND a big scoop for NST!

/// As for Harry Lee calling S'pore a 'red dot', it can also constitute a Communist State, which I'm sure he loves to align with. ///

bnaipal - where have you been hiding? Harry was using this "red dot" facetiously and back-handedly. He did not coin this phrase. The honour goes to ex-President Habibie. And yes, Habibie was trying to paint Sg as Commie state (red) in a sea of green (no prize for guessing what green states refer to.

queequeg,

The report is from Singapore Straits Times, not NST.

Green States, either figuratively or literally are much better than Red Dots like S'pore whose composition of Parliment portrays much more than needs to be said. Red Dot talk sures seems to tickle many a 'placid' human being in the wrong places! If the hat fits mate -WEAR it with pleasure.

Funny how the Singapore Straits Times have more info than the Malaysian one though the crime is in Malaysia.

And considering the girl was bombed only yesterday and the identity of the girl is already known although she was blown to bits, salut to the police!

ktak,

You're right. I stand corrected. Thanks for the info. One wonders how come S'pore knew about it firsthand or is it due to self-censorship of our dear editors? Innocent till proven guilty I still say. No wonder Jeff disabled the comments section on Abdul Razak Baginda and with all that "deleted...wild inuendos against him". Good work Jeff! I support the way you handle this issue.

The Star Online > Nation
Wednesday November 8, 2006

Money laundering report against deputy minister

KUALA LUMPUR: A fruit exporter has lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency alleging that a deputy minister was involved in money laundering of up to RM10mil.

Mohamad Tahir Fazal Mohamad lodged the report on Aug 23 along with supporting documents.

Among them, were certified copies of receipts of payment to the deputy minister from 2000 up to the present day, and the general ledger of a company of which the deputy minister is chairman.

Mohamad Tahir claimed the documents showed that the deputy minister had breached the Anti-Laundering Act and Bank Negara regulations through the illegal transfer of huge sums of money
.
“I have gone to see the ACA four times since filing the report but nothing has been done,” he said at a press conference yesterday at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat office.

“They have not even recorded my statement.”

At the press conference, he was flanked by lawyers Damian Pheny, who is his counsel, and Sivarasa Rasiah, who is the PKR vice-president.

“If there is no response from the ACA after this, we will assist to take it up to Putrajaya to the Prime Minister’s Department,” Sivarasa said.

The difference between Singapore and Malysian leaders is that the former think from a global perspective while the latter are more parochial.The former tend to walk the talk while the latter suffer from the infamous 'NATO syndrome'.

Malaysian leaders also suffer from ' the world class syndrome'where many a project are cheaply labelled as being world class . We have heard countless statements from our leaders on the creation of world class universities and institutions but the final product is often a great disappointment and nothing more than a third class product disguised as world class .

Examples abound; Desaru & Waterfront project in JB,Entertainment City & Biovalley in Selangor all of which have been abandoned but not before the loss of millions of taxpayers funds.

Another example is the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).Today it is nothing more than a feeder airport( akin to Manila & Jakarta) for the three major regional airport hubs of Singapore,Bangkok & Hong Kong.Visit KLIA and often you feel like you are in a ghost airport.Most major international airlines have stopped flying to KLIA.Next March Austrian Airlines will drop Kuala Lumpur as a destination. That leaves only a single airline from Europe,US or Australia that will continue to fly to KL ie. KLM , the Royal Dutch Airline. What a pity. In fact, more international airlines used to fly to Subang in the 1990s compared with KLIA today.After having spent billions on building KLIA, it is a real pity when major carriers relegate it to a FEEDER REGIONAL airport. In other words, KLIA has been marginalised.

The danger is that the marginalistion of KLIA,is but another example of a bigger problem. That is the marginalistion of the entire Malaysian economy.This is bound to happen unless the current policies of NEP, Islamisation & 'Ketuaan Orang Melayu" are reversed.

It is wishful thinking to expect a project like the South Johor Economic Region to reverse this process of marginalistion.There are deeper structural problems with the economy.

We are fortunate that we are a net oil exporter which is expected to last until 2010-2011 after which we might become a net importer.Thats when the real economic crunch will bite.

So folks, unless our leaders think more like our Singapore colleagues, we are gradually heading in the direction of the marginalistion of the whole country.

The difference between Singapore and Malysian leaders is that the former think from a global perspective while the latter are more parochial.The former tend to walk the talk while the latter suffer from the infamous 'NATO syndrome'.

Malaysian leaders also suffer from ' the world class syndrome'where many a project are cheaply labelled as being world class . We have heard countless statements from our leaders on the creation of world class universities and institutions but the final product is often a great disappointment and nothing more than a third class product disguised as world class .

Examples abound; Desaru & Waterfront project in JB,Entertainment City & Biovalley in Selangor all of which have been abandoned but not before the loss of millions of taxpayers funds.

Another example is the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).Today it is nothing more than a feeder airport( akin to Manila & Jakarta) for the three major regional airport hubs of Singapore,Bangkok & Hong Kong.Visit KLIA and often you feel like you are in a ghost airport.Most major international airlines have stopped flying to KLIA.Next March Austrian Airlines will drop Kuala Lumpur as a destination. That leaves only a single airline from Europe,US or Australia that will continue to fly to KL ie. KLM , the Royal Dutch Airline. What a pity. In fact, more international airlines used to fly to Subang in the 1990s compared with KLIA today.After having spent billions on building KLIA, it is a real pity when major carriers relegate it to a FEEDER REGIONAL airport. In other words, KLIA has been marginalised.

The danger is that the marginalistion of KLIA,is but another example of a bigger problem. That is the marginalistion of the entire Malaysian economy.This is bound to happen unless the current policies of NEP, Islamisation & 'Ketuaan Orang Melayu" are reversed.

It is wishful thinking to expect a project like the South Johor Economic Region to reverse this process of marginalistion.There are deeper structural problems with the economy.

We are fortunate that we are a net oil exporter which is expected to last until 2010-2011 after which we might become a net importer.Thats when the real economic crunch will bite.

So folks, unless our leaders think more like our Singapore colleagues, we are gradually heading in the direction of the marginalistion of the whole country.

This story was printed from channelnewsasia.com

Top Malaysian analyst pleads innocence over model's murder

Posted: 08 November 2006 1411 hrs

KUALA LUMPUR - A top political analyst close to senior politicians was being detained for five days as part of a police investigation into the abduction and murder of a French-trained Mongolian model, his lawyer said Wednesday.

"I had a short interview with Abdul Razak Baginda this morning at the court and I am relieved to hear that he is in no way involved in the abduction or murder," Shafie Abdullah told AFP.

"He is being investigated for the abduction and murder. Abdul Razak is being detained for five days until Sunday.

"He pleads innocence," he said, adding Abdul was picked up by police on Tuesday.

Abdul Razak is the executive director of the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre, a leading private think-tank in Malaysia, and provides regular commentary on the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

Shafie said Abdul Razak knew the Mongolian women, identified as 28-year-old Altantuya Shaariibu. She was believed to have been murdered and her remains blown up with an explosive, Bernama news agency reported late Monday.

Three members of the Malaysian police force who were arrested for alleged involvement in the murder were also brought to court Wednesday, but no further details were available.

Bernama Tuesday said the affair had resulted in the Mongolian model having a baby this year.

Shafie also said Abdul Razak knew one of the policemen detained in the investigation.

Malaysian police conducted a search and found skeletal remains of Altantuya, who was shot and her body blown to bits near Subang lake dam, west of the capital Kuala Lumpur, the Star newspaper reported Tuesday.

It said Altantuya came to Malaysia on October 6 with her sister and cousin is search of "a political analyst" whom she claimed was her husband.

On October 19 she had received a telephone call to meet him at his house, the Star said.

But when she reached the house, she was seized by several men, pushed into a car and driven away, the newspaper reported.

Her sister and her cousin, who last heard from Altantuuya on the night of October 19, subsequently lodged a police report.

Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan vowed there would be no cover-up.

"Whoever is involved would be brought to book regardless of his stature. I am also going to find out how and who authorised the issuance of the explosives used in the murder," he said. - AFP/ir

singapore is like a second home to me. In the good old days, you can talk to taxi drivers in malay. Presently only the older generations understands malay.
The way of life in singapore construed by the government is that you wll have to work, otherwise there is no place for you there.
Most assets are in the hands of the government, hence the majority ultimately owes the government either financially or job security.
With the system in place, the government of singapore can control its populace into submission.(Almost all livingspaces are on long term leases and major developers ar government owned companies listed in the SGX, as well as banks, airlines,ports,bus companies, taxis, supermarkets, telecoms, media, shipping lines etc).HDB flats are owned by the govenment and leased to the masses.
That was how LKY managed to closed down chinese schools without a whimper of protest and turned nanyang unversity into NTU - a technical college.(that policy has now being reversed and mandarin is now lingua franca, while previously, it was subject to discrimination in the civil service). When LKY says stop at two the malay community ignored it.
Now in order to stop the population decline and halt increasing ratio of malays, Foreign talents, FT's are being recruited at a frantic pace, mostly from chinese speaking countries, but also from india and other parts of the world including Malaysia. this policy have created resentment because the FT's do not hve to serve in the national service(2 years - not the summer camp we have here) and end up taking the jobs of locals or press down the wage rates.
many Malaysian quitters have succeeded in singapore, including some who have become ministers and MP's.
For Johore to succeed, they should work closely with singapore businesses, who are as fed up with the charges being conveyed upon them by the government.
With the recently declared Southern Johore plan, i believe it will be a win-win situation for both entities, i.e. singapore and johore.who cares if the producst will be shipped through singapore. It can work both ways, i.e. more products beng shipped from johore too from singapore manufacturers. The final result should be both ports and airports shipping more products that what they are experiencing presently. majulah singapore/majulah johor.
As for bangsa Malaysia, we can forget about it.There should be several official languages in the country, much like switzerland, whereby malay/english and mandarin taking prominent positions. malaysian have proven to be too tough to mould into one "bangsa".Might as well give up and go with the flow.

I would strongly urge all of you to refrain making any comparison between the "red dot" and Malaysia, lest blood start to ooze out from your ears and eyes...we have been trying to copy Singapore for as long as I can remember but for some strange reasons, we cant seem to get it right. Why? hmmm...a million dollar question...