There is something rotten in the state

...of Malaysia", was how ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad described the status of the country, adapting a quote from Shakespeare's "HAMLET", replacing "Denmark" with NegaraKu, which is not a pleasant sobriquet coming from a former UMNO leader who handed over the reins of power to a new captain about four years ago. After a 22-year rule.

Much water has flowed under the bridge. Straight, crooked, built or imagined.
The ever-cynical but humourous -- or sarcastic is the better word? -- former CEO who steered the ship for 22 years, controversially said the current situation is so bad that a group of concerned Malaysians have rallied around to find ways and means to "check" the smell of the rotting state of affairs.

Calling themselces MAJLIS PRIHATIN MALAYSIA or Prima -- no, not the milk brand! as Dr Mahathir wise-cracked -- the group organised a dialogue with some 250 to 300 people (Desi's estimate-lah), comprising members of NGOs and Bloggers mainly, hosted by Dr Mahathir at his spacious Perdana Leadership Foundation office in Putrajaya.

"If we were to believe the mainstream media, the State of Malaysia is in fine shape, and it's fragrance surrounding the air in the fields of the economy, politics and social aspects affecting the rakyat," Dr Mahathir wryly summarised.

ASIDE: Readers of my report today, done as closely following the ground rules of the press as a journalist could try,must be cautioned that the audience present at the packed auditorium could view the sprightly 82-year-old's body language, and so must work their grey cells a little to se if the former PM was saying things in half-jest. (As is wont to do by some Bloggers, including Desi hear, th elder statesman chose his words pretty double-edged, so one had to be discerning to know who the barbs of sarcasm were meant for.)

So while I give you one account, it's best you also surf to Raja Petra Kamaruddin's famous site to view the video as Dr Mahathr's body language -- especially his wordsmithry as baffling as Desi's sometimes -- could leve the inattentive listener wondering whither his targets were, and a journalist might even interpret wrongly and earn the elder statesman's ire. As I had observed in my earlier posts, it's a case of either you love the guy, or you hate him, seldom in between. But as newsmen's copy depends on colouful subjects, Dr Mahathir never fails in delivering, so the newshound in Desi was pleasantly entertained.

The state of Denamrk now transferred to NegaraKu that was rottening include the following areas, my paraphrase:

* Crimes are now rising, including violent ones, compared to his times (1981-2003), and the people don't feel secure or safe, hesitant to venture out from their homes;
* If one believes the MSM -- mainstream press, the economiy is doing fine. But the Rakay on the ground say they don't see anything "happening".
* Yes, the Government keeps announcing mega-mega projects, running into tens of billion, "Yet they canclled several of my mega-projects running into few billions, citing that the coffers have run dry, with the double-tracking rail project cancelled within two weeks of my stepping down".
* Now the Government is announcing all sorts of corrdiors up north, down south, eastwards, but were the contracts awarded in any transparent manner after getting the GLCs to oversee these projects? Dr Mahthair's numerous questions directed of course to the nation's new CEO.
* Dr Mahathir reiterated about Singapore's status of needing to be consulted before Malaysia could embark of certain projects; the old sand and water at 3sen per 100 gallons thingy still lend some smell to the Malaysian air-space, expected to linger for a while.

Desi managed to squeeze in a knotty question during Q and A, with a rambling preface-lah, showing that I was no ordinary journo, as I showed I did some home-work, yet I was apprehsensive as the former PM occasinally had voiced some less than favourable statements about the Fourth Estate.

(He recalled a difficult time with malaysiakini.com (hey, when George Soros-Rogue traders issue was hot then, I was da nu'es editor, if I am not mistaken...) But I was happy to hear that he now considers Bloggers as a voice of influence to right the many wrongs and ills besetting Denmark ala NegaraKu. Hey, maybe I should turn Desi's Place commercial with his clarion call for rousing support among the people to speak boldly; otherwise, the nation is heading towards the Abyss (Dr Mahathir did not use the Abyss word, mine as I had been saying often we are indeed heading over the cliff...they mean the same thing, I think.)

Back from digression, I prefaced my concern on PETRONAS by saying that I as a commoner didn't get to taste any of Petronas sweet fragrance despite it reporting rising net profits every year. From RM35.5buillion to RM43.6billion to RM54.4billion in the last FYE March 31, 2007; yet the pump oil prices keep rising. Where have the funds gone.

I asked Dr Mahathir coyly by stating I was THINKING ALOUD -- sdr jeffooi's mantra I follow often! -- -- did the national oil corporation syphon off its profits elsewhere? Did the largest and most profitable entity in Malaysian under-report its revenues?


Dr Mahathir said half in jest, or was he awe serious? THAT HE WAS A MALAY ADVISER, NOT A BRITISH ADVISER. The brits had authroity and their advice was followed by the locals. As Petronas as well as Proton's adviser, he was expected to maintain "eloquent silence" (He did not use the two words this time around), my inference okay!

"When I stepped down, they canclled the double-tracking rail project. Someone said I had dried up all of the public coffers," Dr Mahathir recalled.
But now they are building super-mega projects -- north, south and eastern corridors, and yes, Petronas was indeed gaining lots of revenues the last three years, he affirmed. But he could not tell Desi if the oil corp was under-reporting its profits as well was advised to remain a silent Malay adviser, not a questioning British adviser.

"But I know we need not borrow funds from China to build the second Penang bridge as Petronas profits could many many Twin Towers and many more brridges, yet..." I apologise my short-hand was not catching up with the former PM's quick wits, So I refrain quoting further on pain I misquote and get a love-letter via Sufi Yusof. Yes, journalism has many occupational hazards, also some fringe benefits-lah like a tea reception and tehtarik by Blogger-mates. IF I wrote out of turn, Sufi, explain to your Boss that sometimes newshounds over-dozed/overdozed on tehtarik -- I had five cuppa over the four-hour I was covering this Putrajaya event, gratis.I mean the five cpuua came gratis, as for reporting, I am trying to negotiate with a foreign wire. Lines crossed as I dialled...

ONE gem I think was vintage Mahathir was his reply to an attendee's query about a Star reporter's comparision of Khairy more than Mukhriz, as a copy to the young Dr Mahathir, and his quick repartee was to the effect -- Yes, like me as a dictator,and other not nice or complimentary traits, so I won't re-state here on pain of mis-quoting as my steno-sexcretary did not accompany Desi. Neither did mGf zorro-unmsak bring along Cathy Z Jones who I heard 'rides pretty well. And Bid Dog did not bring his tape-recorder althought DR Mahathir recoognised he was a Big Man around blogsosphere.

Hey, Bloggers are getting due respect hear!
Come join ALL BLOGS, rockybru and I are adjoining for tehtarik cum SBrunch where I can negogaite my 30sen if I can convert more Malaysians to blog responsibly like him and Desi. Off course there are always some nasties showing their foul tongues and damaging rumours. Less rmouring, more humouring please, you blardy writers. Don't hide behind covers of anonymity -- my advice, not Tun Dr Mahathir.

He just wants more Malaysians to be concerned about the rotting (fish-?) head -- that's another metaphor I think came from another retired Minister. I wonder if he could be recalled to do National Serice by saving the monster of a White Elephant in the Port Klang area. I understand wan Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy is having a nigtmare even during daytime in hot equatorial zone.

Let's see whether the aura emitted from the Port is smelly or fragrant.
I hear the Bard also said: A rose by any other name smells just as sweet.
The trouble is Most Malaysian MPs don't even know that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet or Julius Caesar. Some might even think Caesar was a Russian emperor who fought Genghiz Khan, do you think so? Maybe Dr Mahathir's former Deputy DS Anwar Ibrahim should be sent as Tutor to that august House to teach the inmates -- some rude Malaysians call them monkeys -- some poetry. I don't mind being an intern-tutor -- 20million anyone?