Benign neglect and Malignant Indifference

Though it is suspected that there are 'other' reasons for such a photo shoot to grace the front page of your paper, I must admit that the report >> Ties with London set to soar is indeed uplifting. It is good to see a leader of our country stand shoulder to shoulder with a Head of State of a World Power{albeit faltering} and exchange views of mutual importance, treating each other with equal and genuine respect.

The underlying reason for such confidence and comfort demonstrated by our Prime Minister is of course his excellent command of the English language, and his ability to trade word for word, without loss of understanding and without diffidence, views on the nation's needs and aspirations.

The British Prime Minister has also promised to 'end an era of benign neglect' and restore Britain's relations with Malaysia to its 'former glory'. May I paraphrase Mr Cameron and suggest that, in order for our nation to continue to command respect in the International Arena, and improve our relations globally, the Government has also to end an era of  'malignant indifference' over the teaching of English in our schools. We need to grab the issue by the scruff of the neck, and get it right. Leaving it to the politicians and their inherent parochialism, we will end up spelling 'butterfly' as 'batefelai' 

Najib's command of English lets him soar

Malaysian contractors to build Bangladeshi's largest bridge {RM9bil deal with Bangladesh}

It is indeed a feather in the cap for Dato Seri Samy Vellu and the Prime Minister regarding the RM9bil deal with Bangladesh which have opened the path for Malaysian contractors to build Bangladeshi's largest bridge  when the Government announced the signing of the MOU with Government of Bangladesh.

However, on reading the details of the reports, I feel the initial euphoria should now be tinged with some caution. Two facts stand out and I quote:

1. " The Padma bridge project had last year been halted after the World Bank suspended a US$1.2 billion loan on allegations of corruption in the pre-bidding process. To this, Samy said the allegations are an internal matter for the government of Bangladesh to resolve."
2. " Under the MoU, the Malaysian Government would form a consortium of companies to implement the project on a Build, Operate, Own and Transfer (BOOT) concession basis.

1. Considering that even the august body like the World Bank has seen fit NOT to support the project because of alleged corruption, we would expect the Malaysian Govt, or even the private companies roped in to implement and finance the project would be extra cautious when signing the detailed joint venture and other implementation agreements, and not do it with "one eye closed", to their own peril. Those who have had international experience in implementing international G to G projects know that there is a tremendous amount of "discrepancy" between an MOU and the subsequent implementation agreements.
   
2. The other announced matter that should be taken with a pinch of salt is that under the MOU, the project is to be implemented on a Build, Operate, Own and Transfer basis or BOOT. Again, those with international experience on such projects will advise to tread with caution. In most countries around the South and South East Asian region, local and national laws normally prohibit ownership of projects that involve land, and that will include all infrastructure projects. Foreign operations of high profile and landmark projects are normally frowned upon by the unions and the Opposition, and sometimes, it can be too late when the real facts are made known. Foreign companies can subsequently be booted out in spite of firm support from the Governments who had inked the MOU. 

I am writing this based on personal experience, having managed  and organised two such similarly conceived projects a decade ago in a country SE Asia.
Be forewarned

Living next door to vice

Reading this column, >> Living next door to vice gave me a huge dose of deja vu  and a heightened feeling of hopelessness that our country is veering towards lawlessness, where its own citizens now live in fear of their own lives, as clusters of ethnic immigrants increase in numbers and viciousness.

I have been writing in my blog that we have too many foreigners staying in Malaysia, and also frequently in the media, { 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 } but all these portentous comments seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

While I have previously addressed mainly the issues of foreign 'workers', PGolingai has highlighted a new element in our 'love affair' with foreigners, that is, our uninhibited admission of foreign 'students' who use the opportunity to study in a foreign country to escape the drudgery of their own lives in their motherland.

Uncontrolled admission of  foreign students will have the same effect of continuous influx of foreign workers and I would like to repeat here,  that unless the Government seriously address the issue of our increasing dependence on cheap and often illegal foreign labour, and our love of foreign students, we are just introducing our country to all the negative and undesirable consequences of unrestrained and sub standard population. As the number of foreign workers and students 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 reports 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 {and maybe partially Africa}", 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.

Additionally, 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.

It's right; the worse is yet to come, not only for the residents of Venice Hill Condo, but for all the peace loving citizens of Malaysia.
Problems we don't need....