Away For A Few Days

By Syed Akbar Ali


Folks I will be away for about a week. Off to the southern portion of the Land of the Morning Calm. I dont know if I will be able to post or update.


Here is Ray Price singing a classic. (Engelbert disabled the embedding for the same song) :

Jom Kita Menyusahkan Manusia : AP Holders First, People Belakang Kira.

By Syed Akbar Ali.

Well that seems to be the gist of the review of the National Automotive Policy or NAP. Has anyone noticed that the acronym NAP means to sleep?

And our brave MSM (mainstream media) said today “the National Automotive Policy (NAP) has been comprehensively overhauled to ensure a healthier automobile industry. However, there was no indication if there would be any reduction in the price of cars.”

It means its just back to square one. There is no break for you and me – the long suffering citoyen, the masses, the proletariat, the worker ants. We will still be paying the highest prices for cars in the world with our Third World salaries.

We will be paying up to RM100,000 for a locally assembled 2000cc Perdana when for the same price (USD29,000) people in other countries like the US can easily buy a Mercedes Benz 200 CLK - 2010 model !

I dont get the part about “ending a freeze on manufacturing licenses for luxury cars” above 1800cc. First of all define what exactly is manufacturing? Assembly is also classified as manufacturing.

What is the big deal about “unfreezing licenses” ? First of all it is not as if there are hundreds of car manufacturers waiting to rush into the vacuum. There are hardly a dozen big car makers left in the world anyway. And they have all been here for decades.

Toyota, Mercedes, Volvo, Honda have always had some assembly (manufacturing) presence here. So they can continue to do what they have always been doing here (assembly etc) but now they dont need to apply for a license ? So the office boy has one less borang to isi once a year? Big deal.

Looks like the NAP is easing up on something that does not make much difference.

And it will definitely not make major car makers start coming to Malaysia in droves either. Not likley at all.

Almost every car manufacturer in the world has serious manufacturing plants in Thailand, where Thailand imposes a minimum tax (or duty) of 5% on cars and parts. Toyota has a 1.0 million square meter Toyota gateway plant in Thailand. By the way, this 5% duty is supposed to be part of the AFTA Agreement that we have signed. How come we are not following the AFTA?

In Bangkok and the rest of Thailand today there are almsot no Kancil type cars on the roads. The smallest cars in Thailand are Toyota Vios or Honda Citi. The Thais drive better cars than we do and pay much less for their cars too than we do. In Thailand the 1500cc Toyota Vios costs about 504,000 baht (about RM50,000). Over here the Vios costs RM75,000 or more. The Perodua Viva 1.0 litre costs RM40,000.

So we are not able to achieve a higher standard of living for our people or lower their cost of living either. Our people have to pay the highest cars prices in the world. Why?

The Minister says the Government collects RM6 - 7 billion a year from car duties and taxes. So the Government needs the revenue. This is not an answer.

The Government has acknowledged, in the Auditor General's Report, that it loses up to RM28 billion in poor management of expenditure. The Government has paid RM42,000 for a laptop computer. They invested RM500.0 million in some aircraft manufacturing in the US and just lost the money. Cut the waste and dont burn the taxpayers money. And dont burden the taxpayer anymore.

Also the AP holders are making billions of Ringgit with little or no real benefit to anyone, even to themselves.

On the other hand if the car market is freed up, more benefits will certainly, most definitely accrue to the Malaysian economy. The resources that are freed up, the taxpayers money that is saved, the citizens monthly living expenses that are reduced, will all be channelled elsewhere within the economy. We must have faith in the basic laws of economics. As long as we stick to economic efficiencies there will positive outcomes. But if we keep supporting innefficiencies, there will be a huge price to pay.

When she was the Minister of the MITI, Rafidah Aziz once said that APs would be removed. That was years ago. The AP’s are still around.

Now the Governments says Open APs (aka cap duit APs given to cronies) will be in place until 2015. Why 2015?

It looks like “People First, Performance Now” has become ‘AP Holders First, People Later, Performance Also Later’.

The Minister says the long time frame until 2015 is needed to give time for the Open AP holders to adjust themselves to the new life (a life without cap duit APs) and also give them time to develop new businesses. Here is the quote :

“The termination of the (open) AP system by 2015 will provide an interim period for AP holders to diversify and venture into other businesses,”

Does this include the AP holders who do not even own a car showroom? Yes folks, there were such creatures too. Showroom kereta tak ada, tapi AP dapat beribu-ribu.

Oh boo hoo. Someone get me a handkerchief – I cant help the tears. The poor Open AP holders. They may have to do some other real business and do real work to keep their helicopters and swimming pools.

I really cannot believe the Minister said such a thing. They really do not listen to what they say.

Firstly just how many Open AP holders are there? I dont know if the AP King guy with the helicopter landing pad in his house is still in the AP business? But how many Open AP holders are there? 100? 1000? 10,000? How many?

And the rest of us 28 million people have to pay the highest car prices in the world, to give sufficient time to these easy money parasites to learn to diversify their income over the next six years so that they can still maintain their helicopter pads and swimming pools?

And why do we need franchise APs ? I believe franchise APs are APs that go with the name of the car. For example there may be APs just for Toyotas. If Toyota has been importing Toyota cars into the country (since the early 1960s) why do they need APs? And even franchise APs are given to cronies who then make a cut from selling it.

But here is the soalan cepu mas : what really is an AP? What does it do to the value of the car or towards improving the standard of living of the average Malaysian? Can someone answer this first?

The ministry also has a sense of humour. They say “Malaysia will from 2010 also offer tax incentives for development of hybrid and electric vehicles”

Hybrid cars are technology intensive. No car maker is going to come to Malaysia – with our world record taxes and duties imposed against car imports - to develop hybrid technologies here. Please stop insulting the intelligence of the suffering public.

We are still manufacturing left over Japanese Mitsubishis (Proton) and left over Daihatsus (Perodua). There is no chance for our car makers to develop our own hybrid technologies in such a small and heavily protected market. Our market and technology inefficiencies are just too acute.

Even if the car makers want to invest in hybrid technology, it will possibly happen in Thailand but even Thailand is too small a market to develop indigenous hybrid technology.

In brief these measures are not aimed at making the motor sector more competitive. Malaysia will find it extremely difficult to become a regional auto hub in competition with neighboring Thailand.

And why prohibit the import of used cars from 2015, and used automotive parts and components from June 2011? Kenapa begitu seronok hendak menyusahkan manusia saja? The import of recon cars has served the public well. At least they have a chance to buy good quality cars at fairly decent prices. Now, itu pun tak boleh ke? Kenapa syok sangat nak menyusahkan orang?

As for Proton, the time has come for them to be cut lose. Compete or just roll over and die. 25 years is too long a burden on the poor public. Proton punya pasal, orang Melayu yang jadi miskin sekarang. It was a good experiment. We have learnt a lot from the Proton experience (yes I can hear the sniggers). But we have to face the facts. Proton cannot survive anymore without burdening the people’s pocket.

I fear that Proton is going to become an election issue that we just cannot answer anymore. The ‘some more what issue can tok ah’ Opposition may just make car prices a big Election issue. The pro Government Bloggers like BigDog, Voice, Rocky, Marahku, Jebat Must Die, Parpukari, me and others are going to have a tougher time speaking up for the Government on this one.

KESEDARAN POLITIK ORANG MELAYU SUDAH MULA BERCELARU – Bah. 3

Oleh Veteran UMNO.

KESEDARAN POLITIK ORANG MELAYU SUDAH

MULA BERCELARU – Bah. 3

Buku kecil ini adalah hasil karya seorang pejuang bangsa dan veteran parti UMNO yang pernah bertugas dengan pimpinan tertinggi parti dan kerajaan.

Atas sebab tertentu beliau lebih suka namanya tidak tersiar. Supaya ianya lebih mudah dibaca, buku ini akan dibahagikan menjadi 10 siri.

6. Benteng perpaduan Melayu semakin rapuh.

Suara sumbang DAP ini sudah pasti akan ditentang oleh UMNO kerana perjuangan UMNO dari mula lagi, telah menentang apa jua dasar atau ancaman yang menggugat kedudukan hak istimewa kaum pribumi bagi melindungi hak kepentingan bangsa, agama dan negara. Perjuangan yang bertitik tolak dari usaha menentang Gagasan Malayan Union oleh British dan Gagasan Malaysian Malaysia oleh Parti DAP itu tetap tidak berubah dari dulu hingga sekarang dan sampai bila bila selagi ada parti UMNO .

Untuk terus mempertahankan hak kepentingan kaum pribumi termasuk kaum pribumi di Sabah dan Sarawak yang telah dimaktubkan dalam perlembagaan, orang Melayu perlukan “KEKUATAN” dan kekuatan itu hanya akan ujud jika benteng perpaduan orang Melayu kukuh.

Semua kaum perlukan benteng perpaduan

“Kekuatan” benteng perpaduan orang Melayu ini amat penting kerana rakyat Malaysia adalah bersifat majmuk. Dalam masyarakat yang majmuk biasanya kaum yang ujud akan sentiasa memperjuangkan hak kepentingan masing masing dan akan disuarakan melalui pertubuhan parti politik. Justru itu perjuangan untuk mempertahankan hak sesuatu kaum itu akan terus ujud di mana mana negara jua.

Mana mana kaum yang lemah sudah pasti akan terpinggir. Kaum yang lemah sudah pasti akan didominasikan oleh golongan yang ada kekuatan. Inilah perjuangan untuk “Survival” bangsa dalam sebuah negara yang mempunyai masyarakat yang majmuk. Justru itu untuk meneruskan “perjuangan” tersebut, kita perlu amat perihatin dalam arena berpolitik.

Kita juga perlu berwaspada dalam semua perkara, kita perlukan generasi yang cerdik lagi pintar serta rajin berusaha, kita perlukan barisan pemimpin yang berpandangan jauh serta berani bertindak dengan tegas dan yang teramat penting sekali adalah Perpaduan yang jitu. Inilah kunci segala kekuatan bagi sesuatu kaum itu.

Hak kaum Pribumi adalah kenyataan dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan

Dengan kekuatan itu sahajalah dasar untuk menjaminkan “HAK” Kaum Pribumi” yang sedia termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Negara dapat terus dipertahankan. Hak Kaum Pribumi bukanlah isu dalam Perlembagaan Parti UMNO tetapi isu yang tertulis dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Setakat ini, apa yang dapat kita buktikan ialah dasar memelihara “HAK” kepentingan kaum pribumi ini hanya dipertahankan oleh orang Melayu melalui UMNO sahaja. Justru itu UMNO perlu diberi kekuatan untuk meneruskan perjuangan itu.

Dalam masa yang sama, parti politik yang mewakili kaum bukan Melayu juga turut memperjuangkan hak kepentingan mereka. Dalam perjuangan untuk memperjuang dan menuntut hak kepentingan ini, kaum bukan Melayu sentiasa bersatu tenaga dan bersatu suara. Tetapi malangnya orang Melayu semakin berpecah belah.

Dalam suasana politik di Malaysia hari ini, adalah amat malang bagi orang Melayu, walaupun mereka merupakan golongan majoriti di negara Malaysia ini tetapi “kekuatan” orang Melayu berada dalam keadaan yang amat lemah. Sebabnya, perpaduan orang Melayu sudah menjadi amat rapuh.

Kumpulan Serpihan

Benteng perpaduan Melayu yang dibina oleh UMNO pada mulanya cukup kukuh tetapi kemudian telah mula goyah apabila lahirnya PAS sebagai serpihan daripada politik UMNO. Telah terbukti bahawa selepas lahirnya PAS, perpaduan orang Melayu telah mula berpecah. Perpecahan itu kemudian menjadi semakin parah hingga ke hari ini apabila ujudnya pula parti PKR yang diterajui Anwar Ibrahim.

Parti politik pimpinan orang Melayu ini, khususnya PAS dan PKR tidak lagi pentingkan perjuangan untuk mempertahankan hak Bangsa, Agama dan Negara. Mereka ini semua hanya pentingkan perjuangan politik untuk mencapai matlamat peribadi sahaja. Perpecahan perpaduan umat Melayu bererti perpecahan perpaduan umat Islam. Jika orang Melayu menjadi golongan yang lemah ini bermakna umat Islam juga turut menjadi golongan lemah.

Kita juga perlu sedar bahawa PAS lahir bukan atas semangat perjuangan politik orang Melayu untuk mempertahankan hak dan kepentingan Agama, Bangsa dan Negara. PAS lahir sebagai serpihan dari cetusan hati ahli UMNO juga yang kecewa dan patah hati kerana gagal mendapat jawatan dalam UMNO. Mereka mementingkan diri sendiri. Justru itu, dari awal lagi PAS tidak mempunyai dasar perjuangan yang jelas lagi khusus untuk kaum pribumi. Sehingga hari ini PAS keliru apa sebenarnya perjuangan mereka.

PAS boleh meniduri siapa pun.

Makin kabur samada PAS mempunyai dasar untuk mempertahankan ‘HAK’ kepentingan Bangsa, Agama dan Negara atau pun tidak. Bukti yang dapat kita lihat setakat ini, dasar perjuangan PAS sentiasa berubah mengikut keadaan dan suasana di sekelilingnya. Asalkan boleh mendapat undi dan untung untuk kepentingan politik, PAS akan turut memberi sokongan kepada siapa sahaja walaupun terpaksa mengorbankan prinsip perjuangan mereka sendiri.

PAS akan meniduri sesiapa saja untuk memancing undi. DAP, Lim Kit Siang, PKR, Anwar Ibrahim, Ibrahim Ali semuanya boleh menjadi kekasih PAS.

Dan dalam bab mutakhir ini, PAS sendiri bergolak bertelagah antara kaum yang ingin meniduri UMNO pula dan puak totok yang masih berpegang dengan konsep "undi PAS itu undi syurga". Inilah PAS yang sebenarnya.

Tetapi pada awal penubuhannya, dasar PAS yang wahid ialah menentang UMNO kerana UMNO bekerjasama dengan bukan Melayu melalui Perikatan. Pada masa itu PAS menuduh UMNO mengkhianati orang Melayu kerana bekerjasama dengan kaum China dan India melalui MCA dan MIC. Sikap PAS bermusuh dengan UMNO ini tidak mengenali batas. Apa jua yang diperjuangkan oleh UMNO, telah ditentang oleh PAS secara membabi buta. Kita semua tahu pada satu masa, PAS telah mengkafirkan ahli UMNO.

Buktinya, apabila dasar UMNO memperjuangkan dan mempertahankan “HAK” kepentingan orang Melayu, PAS menuduh UMNO mengamalkan dasar Assabiyah pula. Semua orang peka tuduhan PAS itu. Jadi hari ini kerjasama PAS dengan DAP, Lim Kit Siang, Tian Chua dan sebagainya hanya kerana hendakkan sokongan bukan Melayu demi memancing undi. Pendirian PAS yang sebenarnya amatlah tidak jelas. Apakah yang diperjuangkan oleh PAS itu hanya Allah sahaja yang tahu.

Kemudian dalam usaha untuk mendapatkan sokongan orang Melayu pula, PAS melancarkan cita-cita kononnya hendak memperjuangkan Islam dan melaksanakan undang undang Islam. PAS telah menjaja di seluruh negara kononnya PAS akan menjadikan Malaysia sebuah negara Islam dan melaksanakan undang undang Islam.

Para pemimpin PAS dengan begitu angkuh cuba mempengaruhi orang Melayu kononnya mereka sajalah golongan orang Islam yang sebenar dan akan memasuki syurga. PAS sanggup menuduh UMNO sebagai taghut. Mereka berkata undi PAS dapat pahala dan dijamin masuk syorga, siapa menatap wajah Tok Guru Nik Aziz akan mendapat pahala dan macam macam lagi. Di sini jelas bahawa PAS meniduri syaitan.

PAS menuduh UMNO menolak Islam. PAS mendakwa bahawa hanya parti PAS adalah parti Islam dan menggunakan slogan membangun bersama Islam. Para pemimpin PAS terus menjadi riak dan angkuh hingga menuduh ahli UMNO kafir. Ini menyebabkan perpecahan umat Islam bertambah buruk lagi hingga berlaku boikot memboikot di kalangan masyarakat Islam di seluruh pelusuk tanah air.

Apa yang perlu kita sedari ialah niat PAS melancarkan dasar memperjuangkan Islam dan melaksanakan undang undang Islam itu tidak bersandarkan niat ikhlas seperti mana dipesankan Baginda Rasulullah s.a.w.

Apakah buktinya kita boleh membaca nawaitu PAS? Paling mudah sekali. Sekarang setelah kerjasama PAS dengan DAP dan PKR sudah begitu jelas, lagu Undang undang Hudud, Hukum Syariah, Negara Islam dan sebagainya tidak dimainkan oleh PAS lagi. Jelas sekali nawaitu Pas bukan untuk menegakkan Undang Undang Islam di Malaysia.

Semua ini hanya taktik PAS memancing undi untuk menang pilihan raya. Jika niat di hati mereka benar ikhlas hendak menubuhkan Negara Islam dan melaksanakan undang undang Islam sudah pasti mereka tidak akan bermusuh sesama umat Islam dan menuduh orang UMNO golongan tangut dan kafir yang memecahkan lagi umat Islam di seluruh pelusuk negara ini. Sebabnya, untuk benar benar ikhlas jadikan Malaysia sebuah Negara Islam PAS hendaklah terlebih dahulu menyatupadukan Umat Islam.

Umat Islam sangat perlukan kekuatan dan kekuatan hanya dapat dicapai melalui perpaduan.

Tetapi apa yang diamalkan PAS adalah sebaliknya. PAS bermusuh sesama Islam dan menuduh saudara Islam sebagai taghut dan kafir atas fahaman politik yang berlainan. Perjuangan begini bukanlah yang dituntut oleh Islam. Islam sangat pentingkan perpaduan dikalangan umatnya dan semua umat Islam adalah bersaudara. UMNO tidak pernah kafirkan ahli PAS.

Akan Bersambung Bah 4..

19 Children Found Alive

By Syed Akbar Ali



KAMPAR: One girl is dead, two pupils are still missing and nineteen have been found safe. They are the 22 pupils on a camping trip who fell into Sungai Kampar when the suspension bridge they were crossing broke near Kuala Dipang, Kampar, at about 10pm on Monday.

The dead girl was identified as Dina Deve Nathan, 11. She was found by rescuers at about 8.40am Tuesday.

They were among 298 students from 60 primary schools from Kampar, Tronoh and Batu Gajah who were attending a co-curriculum activity organised by the Kinta Selatan district education office.

Search and rescue is ongoing. Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir is at the scene.

My deepest condolences and sympathy to the parents of the young child. Let us not give up hope on the remaining two. Kids can be tough. I hope the two will be found unharmed and well. There is always a possibility.


I fail to understand what 10-12 year old kids were doing out on a hanging bridge, 30 at a time, at 10:30 pm at night? And the very fact that no adults fell into the river shows that there was no adult supervision.



But what were they doing out at night at 10.30 pm hanging over a river? The Sungai Kampar can be a mean little stream after the rains. It is a well known white water spot.



Its yet another case of "sudah terhantuk baru tergadah". Now there will be the usual recriminations, politicians making statements, committees being formed to investigate the matter and then after some time quiet again - till the next catastrophe.


I pray the two other kids are found soon.

Towards Higher Income ? 1Malaysia Together We Prosper?

By Syed Akbar Ali

Here is an obvious contradiction : whenever the Government gets more income it almost always comes at the taxpayers expense. This is Rule No 1. So lets bear this in mind.

In this Budget, the Government has decided against selling cheap APs. Why? I thought the idea is to move Malaysians towards higher income? Together we prosper and all that? The Government will now impose RM10,000 for each AP to Open AP holders. This will definitely be passed on the public in terms of higher prices.

Why not just remove the APs – abolish saja.

So Rule No 1 again – when the Government makes more money, the public gets poorer.

Then the Budget says income tax will be reduced from 27% down to 26% for those earning RM100,000 pa. Firstly just how many people are involved here? Just how many million Malaysians are in this RM100,000 tax bracket? Ini nak tolong orang kaya saja kut?

Here I see only the “CCC Class” benefiting. The CCC Class are those who can at least buy the Mercedes Benz C Class. They include the Chinese business class, the Corporate class (better spelt ‘korporat’) and the Crony class. Put together they become the “CCC Class”.

Other than this the ordinary Chinese working class, the ordinary Indian and Malay need not worry too much about calling their tax accountants just yet. They can go back to watching Awani, Thangathirai or Wah Lah Toi.

And yes I too would like to know the justification for the 15% tax for all income earned in Iskandar. What is so special about Iskandar? I have got nothing to do with Iskandar. The same goes for about 27 million other Malaysians.

The fact is Kuala Lumpur, the Klang Valley, Penang and other places generate huge chunks of our GDP. Why not give some real tax breaks to us hardworking folks? My wife and I work seven days a week. And why 15%? Who and how did they come up with this magic number? Why not 25% or 20% or 18% or 16.555%? Ada logic ke?

And this also creates huge amounts of room for cheating. You can open a “name plate” office in Iskandar – just an office, a table and chair with a fax and phone. Then do all your business in KL but issue all your invoices, receipts, cheques addressed from Iskandar. Close your accounts in Iskandar. Then you pay only 15% income tax. In fact I think many of the businesses in KL are considering this already. Tak terpikir ke?

And the only bumiputera who may benefit from this is the multi billionaire Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Bukhari who has extensive business operations in the area.

Just like the Labuan Offshore Financial Centre or LOFC. For the past 20 years the Labuan OFC has actually been operating from the UBN Tower in KL beside the Shangrila Hotel. Because that’s where many of Japanese offshore banks operate from. They maintain a simple office, fax machine and telephone in Labuan just for appearances but most of the business is done from KL. Big deal.

And those who will benefit most from this 15% tax in Iskandar will also be those who pay taxes - again mostly the CCC Class only. What about the ordinary Malay, Indian and Chinese? 1Malaysia Together we prosper – remember ?

The majority of Civil Servants are Malays. So are wage earners. So how will they benefit much from this 15% tax rate? This Budget can kick up greater economic divisions among the people.

The idea to impose a RM50 fee on Credit Cards is also quite mind boggling. Who is the genius who thought up this little nugget? Firstly the Banks can easily award bonus points, give fee waivers etc that can overcome this extra RM50 fee. But again Rule No 1 applies here. This RM50 tax per credit card makes us poorer . Only the Government moves to a higher income bracket.

First of all lets state clearly what is the desired outcome? What does the Government want to achieve? If the idea is to reduce the abuse of credit cards and prevent people (especially the middle and low income) from incurring unnecessary credit card debt, here is a suggestion, a simpler method : Just tell the Banks ‘No Cash Withdrawals Using Credit Cards for Malaysian Citizens inside Malaysia’ (or something like that).

Malaysians on genuine travel overseas can still withdraw money using Credit Cards and foreign tourists and travellers inside Malaysia can also withdraw money using Credit Cards. But the 25 year old Malaysian who has got five credit cards will be prevented from withdrawing RM2000 cash from each and every one of his five credit cards and then default on his payments in two months.

I think there are other ways too, to skin this cat instead of walloping everyone with a blanket RM50 per credit card to enrich the Government. And it may still not work. Its just Rule No 1 again. It certainly does not move us to higher income. Only the Government gets richer. Lip service saja bang.

Tax relief of RM500 for broadband subscription. Firstly this only applies to those who pay taxes. The CCC Class will again benefit most from this. But how many Malays pay taxes in the first place (to benefit from this)? If they don’t they will not benefit from this. And how many Malays or Indians or Chinese have broadband connections ? We need statistics. So to me these are just Christmas tree decorations to decorate the Budget. They don’t really move many people towards “higher income.” What we need most is better broadband connection.

First Class Honors Grads will get their loans converted to scholarships. Again can we have some numbers? How many grads get 1^st class Honours in the first place? 100? 1000? 10,000? Can we see some numbers? I can say straight off that over 99% will be non Malays. Which is fine. I hope more Malays will also work hard and get 1^st Class Honours too.

But how does this move the rest of us 28.0 million Malaysians (especially the Malays and Indians) towards higher income? How does this have an effect on the economy as a whole?

I feel this idea about the 1st Class Honours grads should have just been announced by the Minister of Higher Education or the Government without having to include it as part of the Budget.

I have this feeling the Goverment ran out of ideas for the Budget and is just throwing in more Christmas tree decorations to make the Budget sound good. I remember when I was a student, we used to add extra pages on our answer papers in our written examinations to “bagi berat” ie make our answers look longer. We could not fool the teachers though. That was in the 1970s.

The same can be said about adding eight new EMU coaches by Keretapi Tanah Melayu and building covered walkways linking LRT stations to activity centres. I find it strange that little things like this were also included as part of the Annual Budget. These are operating items which can be announced by General Manager of KTM or the LRT folks.

I certainly hope the covered walkways do not become mega projects (like the RM110 million now being spent to build a flyover and road works in Jalan Travers).

The same goes for the 30 top students getting scholarships. This is a very, very good thing but does it have to be part of the Budget? 30 students will have a chance at a better life but how does that move the rest of us 28 million not so clever ones to a higher income?

The RM2.3 Billion infrastructure spending in Sabah and Sarawak is good. It is long overdue. Build big and build fast. But don’t waste money to only benefit the “cahaya mata” cronies. Thats an entire "C" class by itself. Spread it out to others too.

The RM6.0 Billion allocated under Agriculture can be a huge sinkhole. We must get maximum bang for each Ringgit spent. Lets face it : Agriculture spending is just handing out subsidies and dole to the farm folks.

But there is a new player now : agricultural corporations linked to GLCs. They are goofing up big time. (Like spending RM200.0 million on losing prawn farms). I hope we dont lose too much money there. GLC = Government Losing Concern?

But what is the big deal about the 20% stamp duty exemption on Islamic Financing instruments? Why discriminate based on religion? Money is still money. And there is really no such thing as Islamic Banking or Islamic Financing in the first place.

The point I am trying to make? The point I am trying to make is we are dealing with the real world here. We are dealing with 28.0 million Malaysians and we need to move the real economy of the whole country – and not just the Islamic Financing part of it (which is imaginary anyway because there is no such thing as Islamic financing).

If you want to give a 20% tax break on financing instruments then do it across the board – and not just on Islamic Financing.

This will really move us all together towards a higher income. Since the Government has taken away the exemption from RPGT (Real Property Gains Tax) then at least ease up a little lah on the stamp duties. Kasi kat semua orang la. Ini nak kasi Islamic Financing saja not fair lah. How does this fit the 1Malaysia Concept ?

I do hope the Government will review the Moneylaundering and Anti Terrorism Financing Act. At the same time please also put a stop on a lot of the hot money that is flowing into the country, especially from the Middle East. The Government may want to pay more attention to where much of the Arab money originates from. Some of it usually comes from very “sheikhy” hands. Lets not make our country a haven for “hot money” under the camouflage of Islamic networking, Islamic financing, Islamic Bank licenses etc.

There is already talk that with Pakistan breaking up, Pakistani generals, warlords, politicians etc will be moving out their money to other countries. They too may soon be looking for “Islamic brotherhood”. Jangan kita jadi kaldai.

The tax exemptions for the Green Building Index may also be minimal in its effect. It is a good thing – no doubt about it and I don’t disagree with Green Buildings. But it is like giving a tax break for Outer Space Exploration to Malaysians. Just how many Malaysians will benefit?

First of all Green Buildings are expensive. Green actually adds cost, it does not save cost. So it does not move anyone towards higher income.

My son just finished his Diploma in Architecture and is now working for an Architect where they are into Green Buildings. To go Green, you need new materials, new designs etc all of which cost more.

But here is something else : according to The Star’s front page, the construction sector only makes up about 1.6% of the economy.

In contrast The Star also quotes from the Economic Report 2009/10 which says that the size of the Malaysian Economy will be RM1.026 TRILLION in 2010. Syabas and Alhamdulillah. This is a tremendous achievement.

Out of this RM1.026 Trillion, 40.2% (RM412 Billion) is the Import Sector and 45.4% (RM465 Billion) is the Export Sector. This is where our economy really thrives : imports and exports.

So where are the Budget Incentives to help these very important sectors of our economy? Faster Customs clearance for Importers, less red tape, duty exemption, tax incentives for more export etc? Green Buildings will only benefit 1.6% of our economy.

So again – how many people will benefit from going Green? And how many Malays are in this sector? (I am not being prejudiced or racist folks but we really have to do things to move as many people forward together and not just some people . And the Malays make up the largest number of folks who need to be moved forward in a hurry). To me this thing about Green are just more Christmas tree decorations on the Budget.

And why remove the RPGT exemption? Its just Rule No 1 again : it only enriches the Government but makes the citizens poorer. The RPGT exemption was just helping the property and construction sector turn around. Now with the RPGT reimposed, it will certainly dampen some activity in this area. The Government gets richer but the public gets poorer. How to move to higher income? Apa sudah jadi "1Malaysia together we prosper"?

The financial and non financial rewards for headmasters is unclear. What exactly are they? RM10 for every ‘A’ scored by students in PMR and SPM?

The Deputy PM Ustaz Muhyuddin Yassin says it is a new ‘bai’ah’ or New Deal which the Government will introduce for principals and head teachers. Brader, pasai apa cakap Arab ? Apa itu bai’ah? Kalau “New Deal” maksudnya ‘Perjanjian Baru’ pun boleh. But Perjanjian Baru is also the name for the New Testament !

How are the Guru Besar going to get the teachers (who may not get the bonus) to work harder so that the Guru Besar can collect his bonus? Even if the teachers dont work harder, they still get paid. The KPI does not potong gaji for non performance. There is no such thing. And teachers salaries are according to Government salary scales. This bonus for the Guru Besar scheme may promote more budaya hasad dengki in school.

I feel it is better to cut down on guru ponteng sekolah. By this I mean the number of days teachers are NOT IN CLASS because they are away on kursus, away on leave, away on naik haji, umrah, more kursus, away attending meetings etc. If teachers spend more time teaching in class, our students may make better grades.

The biggest problem I see in this Budget is the plan to remove fuel subsidies but give it to “needy” target groups. Some crazy scheme about using MyKad etc, starting sometime later. I assume those in the target group will get a special classification that will be tagged inside their MyKads. Then when they buy gas, they may have to swipe their MyKads at the gas station to get the subsidised price.

We have forgotten a fuel subsidy fiasco that is still going on in Kuala Perlis, Kuala Kedah, Terengganu and other places. The Government decided to let inshore fishermen buy diesel subsidised at RM1.00 per litre (I dont know what is the price now but it is still subsidised).

This has created a new class of instant “oilmen” among our fishermen. They fill their tanks (including plastic containers etc) with subsidised diesel and then sell it to Chinese offshore men (or behind the lorong in the fishing villages), Thai trawlers etc on the high seas. And they have also stopped fishing. Why fish when you can sell subsidised diesel and make more money?

And the Customs Department has had to spend hundreds of Millions of Ringgit buying new speed boats to chase down this new ‘oilmen’ on the high seas. What a dumb idea that was. And it is still going on.

So this is now going to happen throughout the country. I can imagine the Mat Rempit boys standing just outside the petrol stations ready to ‘rent out’ their MyKads for a fee. Pay them some Ringgits, they ‘pinjam’ their MyKad to you, you go to the station and swipe it and get cheaper petrol.

Or the Mat Rempits may buy cheaper subsidised petrol, put it in tanks and go around the housing estates selling cheap petrol. ‘Minyak Murah, Minyak Murah’. Its bound to happen.

Then to curb the abuse the Police or Domestic Trade boys will be asked to increase their ‘enforcement’, buy new equipment, new procedures etc. More time and energy wasted.

Here are some ideas : impose a standard 20% Corporate and Personal Income Tax rate. Then waive the Personal Income Tax rate just for this year, since the economy is bad.

Remove the RPGT.

Reduce Stamp Duty for land transactions to a standard RM100 for all land title transactions below RM5.0 million. (Ok can tweak the figure lah).

Give real money incentives to industry and businesses for employment creation for Malaysian citizens (not Bangla factory workers or Indon contstruction workers).

Give more tax breaks to parents for paying college and university fees.

Remove all APs.