corruption must be destroyed at the roots.

It was good to read in the news today that efforts to stamp out corruption seems to have surged at the end of 2011, and hopefully this diligence will augur well for the future. See the various stories.. 'duo to be charged in graft probe of Iskandar company's 2billion package', 'man charged with 1.6m bribery' and 'Perkim trio claim trial to CBT'

However, the common question in those stories that begs to be answered is, since such large amounts of bribery have been paid and all the parties have been positively identified and charged, what happens to the company or contractor who has paid the bribes and who has been awarded the projects? It is obvious to us readers that such contracts awarded will have been at inflated prices, and would naturally NOT have been value for money. In other words, the Government or the authorities would have been short changed with contracts of substandard quality and safety.

Do the 'bribe givers' continue with the projects that they have procured through such unethical means? Do the shortchanged Government or the public have to live with projects of an inferior quality and standard? In this connection, I wish to relate a news story I read in a SE Asian country some 12 years ago, when the President of the country was implicated in a free textbook scheme project. It was reported in a survey, initiated as a result the exposure, that because of corruption, the free textbooks distributed to all students were worth only 60% of the value that has been paid, and that the remaining 40% of the value has been lost to corruption!

There is an oft quoted saying that "it takes two hands to clap", and in my opinion, to weed out corruption at the roots, we should look to  ensure that the cause is addressed and not just the symptoms. 'One hand clapping' will not make a sound.

We should also view seriously bucreautic red tape as another ominous form of corruption even though cash has not 'changed hands'. "Red tape and little Napoleons" are cynical ways to make legitimate businessmen into 'bribe givers', and the other prong of an effective anti corruption drive must be to get rid of this obstacle. In my view, an entrenched lackadaisical Government attitude is directly responsible for the growth of red tape and bureaucracy. Needless to say, red tape is discouraging investments, local and foreign, into the country as has been frustratingly expressed in the letter, Red tape a turn off ..

We have much to look forward to in 2012, are we up to it?

Happy New Year.

Malaysia should be at the forefront of renewable energy efforts using PV Solar cell technology

Reading the business news, >Nanopac sees transforming industry with new solar cells, it is heartening to know that efforts to increase tapping the most abundant renewable resource that Malaysia has, ie sunlight, is being vigorously pursued.

However, it is also surprising to read of the fact that “There is a lot of room for growth in this market {photovoltaic cell} as solar only makes up a fraction of the 0.7% of renewable energy sources." Surprising because, even though Malaysia has so much sunshine, and plantation waste, less than one percent of our energy requirements come from renewable sources. (solar, hydro, biomass, etc)

In view of the fact that our natural oil reserves may not last beyond this decade, unless massive new oil bearing areas are 'discovered', and the fact that the Sun will continue burning for a few billion years more, I feel the natural step for the Government to take, is to embark on a "mother of all" projects using the solar source as its primary renewable energy resource. To do this successfully would entail huge investments into technology research and human capital, but the infrastructure for harvesting solar energy would be mostly in place. If Malaysia can increase its reliance on renewable energy sources to say, 40% of its total requirements (like in Germany for example), it would be able to wean the country away from the debilitating subsidies that are holding us back from becoming a high income nation, among other things.

Is harvesting most of our energy from the Sun far fetched? Not so, if we look at the situation around the country. Malaysia is fortunate to have the Sun almost 365 days a year, even during the monsoon seasons, and we have a good house ownership to population ratio. If all roofs of residential, commercial buildings an institutions are required to be used as solar harvesting platforms, think of the amount of energy we can tap and use, and even feed it back to the national grid.

Of course this will require a massive effort in technology research and commercialization, and it will also require the redesign of the national grid to cater wholesale for the FIT concept. It will also require Government incentives to ensure the changes take place, like heavily subsidized roof solar panels for example. But what will be the benefits arising out of this tremendous effort?

Malaysia will be able to wean itself from the deleterious effects of traditional and depleting energy sources, and cut itself away from the burden of ever increasing fuel prices and worse, the ill effects of pollution as are being witnessed in great cities like Beijing even today. Sunlight is free, and will be free for a long time. Unlike hydro, which though by itself is a 'clean' energy source, solar energy has no negative environmental effects like dams and destruction of natural habitats and life.

There is no easy way out for the world in its continuing search for affordable, and possibly clean energy. In the long run, sun, wind and water seem the best bets for humankind. Malaysia is blessed in these resources, so let's seize the opportunity and show the world that there is a better way..

Too many foreigners staying in Malaysia

While it is good to see that the authorities are diligently enforcing the 6P programme, Foreigners fling chairs at Immigration officers during raid, it is nevertheless showing that we are just 'attacking' the symptoms of the 'disease' and not the cause.

I had expressed my fears several times already in your paper, Concern over littering by foreign workers , foreign workers staying in slums, paying the price for cheap foreign labour, Malaysia a haven for illegal workers, and sex ring bust only addressing the symptoms among many others, that unless the Government seriously address the issue of our increasing dependence on cheap and often illegal foreign labour, we are just introducing our country to all the negative and undesirable consequences of unrestrained and sub standard labour. As the number of foreign workers with limited skills and no experience increase and converge inside our country, they inevitably form cliques, recklessly occupying previously peaceful residential areas, and exerting their influences forcefully and abusively, as can be seen by your report of foreigners fighting to evade arrest and eviction. We know now there are numerous enclaves in KL and all over the countryside, where suddenly a foreign (non citizen) group has become a majority in the area, depriving the locals of living space, clean water and houses, and even business opportunities.

While culturally, it may offer Malaysia an excellent opportunity to claim that it's "Truly Asia", the social and environmental effects of such a large number (and still multiplying) of very low skilled foreigners ferried into our country and muscling our denizens out of their living space and work opportunities can only be deleterious in the long term.

And with Malaysia insisting on paying 'slave like' wages to those who clamour to work here, we cannot deny that we are just a part of the larger human trafficking system that is exploiting the poor and the down trodden of the world.

Think about it..

Welfare bodies being run like businesses to get donors

I refer to your report Welfare bodies being run like businesses to get donors and agree that it's getting more difficult by the day for the welfare institutions to obtain assistance from the public, the main reasons being the skyrocketing cost of living in the City, and the difficulty in differentiating those desperate institutions that sorely need help and those that may receive regular funds from Government bodies and large corporations.

The public would be well served by organisations that can provide such updated information, and in this matter, the efforts made by non profit organisations such as www.Hati.org.my which is in effect a "one stop shop" for all welfare institutions in Malaysia, highlighting their functions and their needs, is much appreciated and is to be further encouraged.

The poor, the disabled and the under privileged among us deserve all the help they can get, and I really hope to see that mainstream papers like The Star and the others actively ensure that such efforts to help the needy would be vigorously supported.
Helpful Website 

Feed in Tariff, Renewable Energy and TNB Billing.

I have been following the features on Renewable Energy with avid interest, and the RE Act 2011 mandates that consumers who use more than 300kwh of electricity per month will have to pay an additional 1% levy on the monthly cost. The additional 'contribution' from the consumers will be used to fund the implementation of renewable energy resources which will alleviate the country's dependence of diminishing and 'dirty' fossil fuel. TNB is required to report to Parliament annually on the use and the dispensation of the RE Fund, collected from the consumers.

While we should be happy that the Government is adopting such a far sighted move, albeit with additional cost to us, the poor consumers, we should consider the cautionary remarks that have been made that " the authorities {should} would implement the RE strategies taking into account some companies who are eager to make a quick buck by riding on the country's vision to go green

However, my immediate concern is as a small domestic consumer, and that TNB has been shown to be not efficient in the reading of meters and the usage of the Estimation process in billing the consumers. Our electricity tariff rates are based on kwh consumption PER MONTH, and based on this policy, the correct way to bill the consumer is to read the meters every 30 days, or close to it, and bill the consumer accordingly.

If the TNB continues to practice reading the meters for periods longer than 30 days, it will unfairly push the consumer to pay higher tariffs, (eg over 200 kwh per month), and now, since the RE Act 2011 is in place, also a higher 1% levy for the RE Fund. Sending bills to the consumer by post, based on normally much higher estimations will also have the same consequence of hitting the consumers with higher than appropriate tariffs.

The paying public deserves to be treated in a fair manner, and it is only through efficient practices and transparent policies can we be assured that our payments and taxes are not being paid in vain..
Ensure 'green levy' is based on monthly bills..