Blatant Govt profligacy

The doubling of the cost of building a new Palace seems to be in most minds as observed in the column Squeezed in the Middle where the author expressed his doubt whether the increased cost of building the New Palace will endear the Govt to the public who are already being asked to bear increased costs of living by the imminent removal of most subsidies.

Likewise, the confirmation that the Govt did not resort to open tender procedures to award the 800 million New Palace job, New Palace to cost more
is a clear indication of continuing Govt profligacy in spending the country's hard earned wealth.

It is indeed hard for the 'man in the street' to accept that he has to face much higher costs of living, while the Govt continues to spend on what is perceived as 'redundant' projects, like the building of a new palace, or a New Parliament building.

In this respect, let me tell a story. When I was working in a Norwegian company a few years ago, and had to go to Norway (Trondheim) for management meetings, I was proudly shown a simple and old wooden building that was the summer palace of the King. It was such a simple structure, situated humbly in the middle of the town without much security and was open to the public most days, and to see that, one would not realize that Norwegians have one of the highest living standards in the World, and that the Norwegian Sovereign Fund is the world's richest. Substance seems to matter to them, more than form.

It is correct for the rakyat to demand that, for the Govt to institute reforms to the country that call for the rakyat to make huge sacrifices, the Govt must be seen to also make large steps in the same direction. Canceling the construction of the Parlaiament House and the King's Palace and maintain the present ones as part of our National Heritage is a big first step