Neo-Mega Projects: RM29b and still counting
Malaysiakini's 2006 X-files -- Malaysia's annual, accumulative unresolved cases -- are out.
If 2005's keyword in unresolved cases was ‘missing’, then, this year's is a befitting ‘silence’ -- Inelegant silence -- over methodology, mind-games, migrants, mergers and mega-projects.
So you think the Abdullah Badawi Era is one of austerity and one that's unlike the Mahathir-style mega projects that the present Putrajaya honchos had denounced? Do the maths!
1 ) RM600 million ‘bonus’ for Class F contractors;
2 ) RM400 million for the new National Palace;
3 ) RM220 million for the Agricultural Expo project;
4 ) RM2.8 billion for the second Penang bridge;
5 ) RM50 million to overhaul KTM Bhd;
6 ) RM120 million for fabrication of bus-parts for Sykt Prasarana Negara Sdn Bhd
7 ) RM14.5 billion double-tracking railway project
8 ) RM1.2 billion Penang monorail
Keynesian economics or whatever, go make my day so long as there's transparency about the Know-Who that lined the pork barrel.
Read in full, the Malaysiakini's X-file #6 for 2006: 6. Gen Next mega-projects
From Malaysiakini:
6. Gen Next mega-projectsGoing by official pronouncements, the era of the mega-projects ended circa November 2003, when premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi promised news ways of doing business.
Closing the Umno general assembly on Nov 20 this year, he affirmed: “In the past, wealth was generated not by innovation and creativity, but by foreign investment, government contracts and privatisation. Now that era is gone.”
Let’s match his words to deeds to date:
- RM600 million ‘bonus’ for Class F contractors;
- RM400 million for the new National Palace;
- RM220 million for the Agricultural Expo project;
- RM2.8 billion for the second Penang bridge;
- RM50 million to overhaul KTM Bhd;
- RM120 million for fabrication of bus-parts for Sykt Prasarana Negara Sdn Bhd
- RM14.5 billion double-tracking railway project
- RM1.2 billion Penang monorailTo reprise questions raised on Nov 21 by Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang over the new palace: “Why was (this) given to Maya Maju Sdn Bhd? Who are they? Are they a crony company? Why wasn’t there an open tender? Why wasn’t there a contract? Why do we need this new palace?”
We could ask the same of projects awarded or likely to be awarded to the UEM group (double-tracking, second Penang bridge); Scomi Group Bhd (bids for Penang monorail, bus-parts fabrication and KTM overhaul) and other companies involved - if we know who they are.
Meanwhile, the prestigious Iskandar Development Region covering 2,216 sq km in Johor is to encompass an area about twice the size of Singapore and 48 times that of Putrajaya. The Employees Provident Fund will invest RM3.4 billion in strategic projects, contributing to the RM47 billion required from 2006-10, and a further RM336 from 2011-25.
On Dec 20, Utusan Malaysia quoted government officials as saying that the cabinet had approved a 246km express rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Kuantan, where a new train station will also be built. The federal government will bear the cost (not revealed) of the project between 2012 and 2015, delivered under the National Infrastructure Plan approved in October.
No more mega-projects?
Comments
It should not be lost on Badawi that he's backtracking on his promises and statements.
If there are genuine development projects on the pipeline, then given all the planning machineries in Putrajaya, there should be no surprises. Yet one after another, we hear of projects coming out that's not been publicly anointed. Either they're doing a damn poor job at keeping the rakyat apprised of the pipeline or they're starting to slip in projects that's off-budget. The variation orders have morphed into entirely new projects, bypassing checks-and-balances that would have raised question on who are the actual beneficiaries.
The rakyat know that in an offguarded moment, one minister had muttered to some effect that what his ministry would have taken x ringgit to do, a special group in MOF overrode the decision-making process and made sure it would cost 3x. The rakyat want to know why that special group is still active and what's their mandate in the present administration. That's the least this govt can do to answer the rakyat which it has had the arrogance to call to change their lrifestyles. After all, it's the rakyats' money. And by rakyat, we also mean tax-paying corporations.
In the coming months, expect to see more projects coming out untraceable to any open tender process. Given Badawi's non-cashable promissory note on open tenders, this development reflects how crass is the word of his govt and how rapacious the machinery before us.
Posted by: Neil![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 29, 2006 10:36 AM
I just hope we don't go into debt and I have to work to balance the budget if I decide to go into politics.
Posted by: aput83![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 29, 2006 12:14 PM
The fact is that no country can improve without developments.
The fact in Msia is that almost none of the developments were without scandals nor justifiable benefits can be derived in proportion of the spendings.
Every mega-project sounded like another armed-robbery case to me. Anybody has the same problem as mine?
Posted by: hasilox![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 30, 2006 05:15 PM
If you can't beat them, just join BN and join on the gravy trail.
Posted by: aku anak malaysia![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 31, 2006 03:23 PM