2 salutes and 1 downer

SALUTE1:
The New Straits Times, Feb 5, 2007 Frontpage:

SUBANG PARADE HEIST:
Suspects nabbed, jewellery recovered

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan looking at the weapons and jewellery seized yesterday from the suspects of Saturday's goldsmith shop heist at Subang Parade which resulted in the death of two guards and one of the robbers.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi commended the police on their quick action in nabbing the gang, suspected of being responsible for several robberies and murders in the Klang Valley. ***Full Story
(DESI: Go pay ***RM1.20 for a copy, sacrifice the Kopi or tehtarik for some education. I know some of you preach a boycott, or girlcott, but it's FREE CHOICE that Desi believes in and promotes. Don't embrace me if you disagree. Or miss-agree. Hey, Malaysia is steal a Free World.
BLOGGERS MAY UNITE, BUT NOT AT THE ALTAR OF ANARCHY.

If you don't understand what Desi's talking, go read my Poem on "The Face of a Tiger". Lost in the forest of words at Desi's Place; maybe at Blake's?




Downer1:

Yes, NST again, page 1:


Incompetent contractors, delays, cost overruns, failed projects:
Lessons learnt

PUTRAJAYA: The government has put in place mechanisms to avoid delays in project completion and ensure cost effectiveness. Referring to the New Sunday Times report yesterday on cost overruns in projects due to the incompetence of contractors and consultants, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohd Effendi Norwawi said the mechanisms would ensure only competent contractors were given government jobs.

DESI: This Minister should listen to the next guy, whom I had covered as MSM journalist a decade (?) ago when he was head of a Malay Chamber or branch of a Malay Chamber of Trade and Industry.

SALUTE2:

Yes, NST Page 6, last call:


Consultants ‘the cause of project delays’05 Feb 2007

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Malay Businessmen and Industrialists’ Association today blamed consultants for delays and cost overruns in government projects.

Its president, Datuk Moehamad Izat Emir, claimed these consultants applied "suspicious standards" and favoured suppliers with whom they "are in cahoots with".

"These people are not incompetent. They are just plain corrupt," he said.

However, he did admit that there were cases of new contractors with no experience or funds being awarded contracts.

Referring to a New Sunday Times report on errant contractors and cost overruns yesterday, Moehamad Izat said: "I applaud the government for highlighting this. I hope that the errant ones take this as a warning by the government."

Meanwhile, the Master Builders Association of Malaysia said unqualified contractors sometimes won contracts.

"These people are giving the entire profession a bad name," its president Patrick Wong said.

Malay Contractors’ Association president Senator Datuk Roslan Awang Chik said out of the 38,000 Class F contractors, 18,000 were genuine.

He said there were already mechanisms implemented to detect the non-performing contractors who still accepted tenders.

"There has been a study conducted and, hopefully, we will try to reduce the number to less than 25,000 contractors by 2009."


DESIDERATA:

Giving credit where credit is due, the FIRST SALUTE is accorded to the IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan, and his crimebusters, especially Federal CID Chief.

A Downer is given -- how I wsih I did not have to! -- the Minister for sounding like old old record, Same old sad refrain heard from decades ago from ex-PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad's regime.

SECOND SALUTE, given to someone who had also operated as a businessman plus corporate leader of his Association of brothers and sisters in trade and industry, harking back to again Dr Mahathir's regime, sharing a HOME TRUTH. Syabas to Datuk Moehamad Izat Emir for speaking out. Thinking Allowed. Speaking Aloud.