Businesses run by foreigners are growing in Klang

I refer to your investigative report, Businesses run by foreigners are growing in Klang town and note that this is the second time The Star Metro has highlighted the same problem of foreigners 'overrunning' the country, particularly in Klang. I had also expressed my fears many times in your paper,{Foreign Invasion in Petaling Jaya,  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 } that the unrestrained influx of foreign workers for all sorts of cheap labour and even 'entertainment' will result in disastrous social consequences to our society. Our nation is already buffeted by global financial problems, imminent water problems in some States, unmonitored destruction of forests due to illegal timber extraction, dirty roads and clogged rivers. How is the country going continue to to provide the basic amenities to look after a large community of 'twilight' citizens who do not pay taxes but continue to share our country's dwindling resources such as water and livable space?

I agree that with a resident's comments when he "questioned how foreigners were allowed to operate businesses, especially when they came into the country with work permits. I do not understand why there is no action taken by the authorities,’’ 
It is simply amazing that Malaysia seem to be the only country in the Asia Pacific region that allow unfettered work and business opportunities for foreigners who admittedly all come to the country to seek work for a limited time on contract. For example, Philippines do not allow foreigners to take part in the retail business, and I am sure other nations in the area have similar restrictions. So, there must be something totally wrong with our Governments {State and Federal} when so many foreign workers, presumably coming here to work as labourers and guards, or who seek temporary political asylum, end up doing lucrative businesses for the long term. And do not appear to be returning ever to their motherlands.

While we seek to transform our country into a high income nation filled with opportunities for our citizens, through massive capital injections and transformation programs, nevertheless,  how are we going to deal with the onslaught of 'imported foreign workers' who seek to transfer their low cost low quality businesses from their homeland to our country?  Can our nation cope with an additional burden of 5 million foreigners, and have we taken account of their needs and their effect on the social fabric of the country?

The increasing number of grievances being aired clearly show our lives are being affected by such a force, and this is only going to increase as time goes by. If no serious action is contemplated by the Governments, I fear our nation will soon be just a myriad of multinational slums by the turn of the century.

We will then be truly Asia, slum-wise.

Provide actual meter readings monthly

Reading this letter in the Star today,>> Provide actual meter readings monthly by a 'Domestic Consumer', it is obvious that in spite of numerous appeals for a more equitable form of billing the customer published regularly in your paper, such as, 'have power meter readings monthly', 'continue with monthly power reading' and 'ensure "green levy" is based on monthly bills' {from November 2011 till now} the TNB has chosen to ignore the clamour from frustrated users, and have apparently ridden rough shod over the complaints.

As mentioned in those letters from the public, NOT having regular and fixed monthly readings of our power consumption, but alternately imposing higher estimates on our usage is tantamount to charging us unfairly on higher rates for fictitious power units that we NEVER consume at the time of billing. This is because of the sliding rates imposed by TNB in order to discourage high consumption. Thus, higher estimated billing will unfairly push the consumer to pay higher tariffs, (e.g. over 300 kwh per month), and now, with the RE Act 2011 already in place, also a higher 1% levy for the RE Fund.

It is also clear from the letter that the TNB has not done its job in explaining the 1% levy due to the “Kumpulan Wang Tenaga Boleh Baharu” or the Renewable Energy Levy

I hope those who have the authority to act will do so to protect us the power consumers, and not allow a monopolistic body to do what it thinks it's expedient to do so on the helpless public.
Bimonthly readings unfair to the public

PJaya is losing its soul

I refer to your report, >Former Star site to undergo RM900mil development into Pacific Star which, among other things state that Section 13, PJ,  bordered by Jalan Kemajuan, Jalan Semangat and Jalan Universiti, would be converted into a bustling special project area. Projects already completed are Jaya 33, Jaya One while further conversions of land are expected, with more buildings like office suites and hotels in future. The Picture also shows a beautiful futuristic skyline

and is comparable to those of Singapore/Shanghai/Manhattan by night.

But what the report has failed to inform us is how the developers are going to tackle the traffic gridlock that such massive development is bound to cause. Anyone who is familiar with the area, bounded by Section 12, 14, and 17 will agree that the present roads like Jalan Kemajuan, Jalan Semangat and Jalan University are woefully inadequate even to address the current traffic jams, especially on Jalan University, except for Sundays.
What will happen to the traffic on these roads during the development phase, and worse when the project is fully completed? There are also two mosques in the area, and will Jalan Semangat and Jalan University be converted to 'parking lots' as businesses and worshippers jostle for space?

Petaling Jaya is certainly losing its soul as big businesses continue to pursue profits, to the detriment of everything else

uncomfortable with influx of too many foreigners,

I refer to your report, Sg Way folks uncomfortable with influx of too many foreigners, It is timely for the media to highlight the many instances where unscrupulous house owners, in search of a quick buck, rent their premises to foreigners at a high price, not regarding the number of occupants that are squeezed into a house, and the damage to the premises that they occupy and to its surroundings.

Unfortunately, Sungai Way is just a blip on the landscape. If the media and the authorities would just do a census of the occupants in Section 17 Petaling Jaya, for example, especially those single and double storey link houses, we would find that not less than 20% of those houses have become more like 'hostels for foreign workers, and Myanmar "political" asylum seekers, who nevertheless seem to be gainfully employed. Some of these foreign workers have started families too. Likewise for other sections like Section 14, etc.

In Section 11, one group of houses in Jalan 11/10 seem to be a favorite for groups of foreign workers, and you can observe that these houses** are dilapidated, dirty, with garbage strewn outside the houses, in plastic bags. The houses do not appear to have been maintained since they were built more than 40 years ago, and they are an eyesore, besides posing as a health hazard.

What sort of Transformation program are we boasting about, when all we think of is to keep increasing the number of cheap foreign workers into the country, but at the same time, not catering for their basic needs. We cannot hope to achieve high income status, just by increasing the minimum wage which will only benefit foreigners, which will not result in an economic spillover effect in local consumption and growth. {Foreigners remit their earnings back to their motherland}

In the case of Section 11, I have been told by the Councillor some years back that he intends to make Sections 11 &12 the model section in Petaling Jaya. All I can say to that is, "hahaha" come and look at Jalan 11/10, with unkempt road edges, backlanes and clogged drains. 

Foreign Invasion in Petaling Jaya

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....