Outside the door or under the table?

Here's what I don't understand. Each time there's a new article about PEMANDU, the ETP, the GTP or whatever peas by my brothers and seniors in the blogosphere, it is always when I have landed somewhere. Always.

I was in Kuching this time. I had a very, very good meeting this morning with important people in Sarawak despite the open secret that a very, very powerful man there doesn't like me (and my boss). True story guys, true story.

And after that good meeting, I had this on AK 5213 at 535pm.

When I touched down in LCCT at about 8pm, I saw this - KJ tells Idris to give con-sultan RM6.0M to confirm toll hike??




Extract from SAA's Blog:  

"Yup thats what our hare brained Ministers are suggesting. I have been informed that each of these "labs" that will be run by the con-sultans will cost us the taxpayer at least RM6.0 Million. And at the end of it all do you think the tolls will not go up?"


Laaaaaa. Ini macam cerita lawak Samy Vellu dah. When asked "Tapi Datuk, sini tak ade sungai, buat apa bina jambatan?", Samy said "kalau takde itu sungai, kita bikin itu sungai". (just a joke la Samy, jangan marah)

Come on bro. Your informer told you it is RM6 mil? Not RM60 mil? Are you sure?

Yes, it is true that in the Cabinet meeting on 18 Dec 2013, PEMANDU has been instructed to come up with an overview and plan on the various subsidy rationalisation exercises that are being carried out by various Ministries and agencies in Government. But there's no RM6 million.

Is this workshop good? Yes I think so. At the moment, does anyone in Government know about subsidy rationalization plan? No. What's next on the list, anyone knows? No. What is the total impact, anyone? No one.


Why aren't there questions like:

• Why are the various Ministries slashing subsidies like there's no tomorrow?
• Was there an actual centralized plan on subsidy rationalization?
• Why are these decision so decentralized when there's a Fiscal Policy Committee chaired by the Prime Minister himself?
• Where are the guys from Treasury? 
• Where are the guys from EPU?
• Where is the communication plan?
• How will the CPI and household expenditure look like with these?
• What will happen to consumption driven GDP growth?
• What will happen to a sudden dip in public expenditure? 
• Remember the basic C+I+G+X?

I am as unhappy as all of you. I pay about RM12 toll everyday (dua belas ringgit ... setiap hari ya) and I pay RM100 per week for petrol on my mom's 10 year old Proton Waja (yes I don't own any cars myself).

Whatever said and done, it is time to move on and get things right. Because our Communications plan suck, the uncoordinated and zero sense of 'people first' subsidy rationalization programme is crazy. Please, ini subsidy rationalization programme bukan yang asal dan dijamin bukan kerja PEMANDU ya. Omar Ong pun takde. Saya boleh jamin. Kalau saya silap, seumur hidup saya tak terbang AirAsia. Saya kayuh perahu.

I heard there's a deadline for this task. It is to be completed by Jan 2014. Well, imagine if you get this instruction "Hey boys and girls, wherever you are or whatever you plan to do next week, go home tonight and have a good dream about it but come back tomorrow.You have work to do, and you have less than 14 days including weekends to get this shit done".

What holiday? Christmas? New Year? HAHAHAHA, very funny. Now get to work.

I can only imagine what is the first thing that comes to the minds of PEMANDU staff and key decision makers in the various Ministries including Treasury. Probably the same feeling like Spurs fans lately:

If you are interested to know, the consultant's name is Idris Jala. Yang lahir kat Bario, Sarawak tu.

I don't think the Treasurer General will be taking an "Outsyed The Box" approach and pay this consultant RM 6 million for this lab. If he does, please call me. I will join you in Putrajaya for a Duduk Bantah in front of Treasury.


But seriously bro, your informer was ... well..... probably outside the door. Or under the table?

Bro, itu mesyuarat Jemaah Menteri.Yang bancuh kopi atau teh tarik pun:

1. tak boleh duduk tengok PM senyum
2. tak boleh tengok muka serius DPM 
3. tak boleh masuk tengok Nazri Aziz pakai kot putih/krim (yes, I have seen him in this)
4. tak boleh tengok Subramaniam geleng kepala

If your informer was a Minister, then please name him/her. Because clearly he/she is dreaming in the Cabinet meeting and in the next election, let's give the fella a grand farewell. Maybe you and I can sponsor his/her retirement holiday to Somalia.