When the National Service programme started, it had a budget of *RM500; then the budget rose to *RM600; oops, I forgot, or I was careless?, or something else? ...it should read RM500million and RM600million, respectively.
The second programme ended some months ago, but a "smallish" item caught my fishy Chinaman's eyes yesterday.
Page 4 of theSUN November 18, 2004 headlined:
NS Training Dept will settle RM4m debt, says D-G
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Service (NS) Training Department has reiterated its commitment to settle a RM4million debt to aprivate firm.
Its director-general, Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid, said yesterday he will meet Starza Corporation Sdn Bhd next wekk to discuss the matter.
"I am also meeting the Finance Ministry to sort out the payment," Abdul Halim said after attending his first NS Council meeting since taking over from Kamaruddin Mohamed Bariaa last month.
He was previously head of Intan's Professional Development Centre.
"Whatever it is, we must pay Starza. We want to pay. There is no issue about that, and we want the payment to be soon," he said.
TheSun reported yesterday that close to 1,000 NS trainers have yet to be paid their allowances.Adul Halim said the department ants to settle the matter before year-end, before the next NS training programme on Jan 1.
"Any problems will, of course, affect the success of the programme, so I am looking into this matter myself," he said.
DESIDERATA:
Hey, the "trainers" are a key component of the NS, and the RM4million out of a budegt of RM600million is just 0.666per cent, LESS THAN ONE PER CENT!, and the Dept can't pay for the fees for a programme that ended in late March and late July 2005 in two batches respectively (for the modules provided by Starza, according to its managing director Zafidi Mohamad.)
My question si: why the former D-G Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria is not asked to explain?
Also, on account of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's assuarnce that his government is committed to good and transparent governance, can the Rakyat be given an official accointing fo the NS programme's FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR 2004 and 2005?
In fact, the Pak Lah had promised some time ago that big budget items woud be OPEN TO COMPETITIVE CONTRACT BIDDINGS/TENDERS. What is happening at the NS?
This failure is just one "breach" of a huge NATIONAL EXPENSE. If the top managment of the NS Programme up to the point of the new D-G taking over can't give a proper accounting of their responsibility in managing such a huge budget, the honourable thing is call in the ACA.
We don't need a new DiG's assurance that "I am looking into this matter myself."
It is more than "just looking" on this "relatively tiny" expense that's needed.
It is INTEGRITY being the heart of the matter.
I continue to sigh for OUR COUNTRY.
** Actually I delibearely styled if afterthe fsahion of a once billionaire-at-27 answering an "exclsuive interview" question in a weekly magazine recently, about his borrowings reported at RM1.2billion in 19976/97 (NEVER DENIED THEN..), and his famous reply that he had paid back every dollar. It was only RM600,.... and left at that! It was implied (in context reading) it was only RM600million.
But these "experienced" journalists (two interviewed the second-echelon leader from a BN ciomponent party...) NEVER EVEN FOLLOWED UP WITH THE LOGICAL QUESTIONS LIKR:
(1) if it was just hafl the amount as reported some eight years ago, why did the subject not corect the misreported figures then?
(2) if he said he had "re-paid" every dollar, how come it was never reported on record? (The stock-market went down by some 70-80 percent in the period soon after this "billionaire" took over at least FOUR listed companies. Many stock players went bust -- how did he survive the crash? Even at RM6000,....??)
But we will never get any answers in this country. Some people are privileged to be not answerable, or accountable, for their actions, or inactions.
Maybe Pak Lah canpursue the matter of the NS just retired D-G, because D-Gs nowadays make a lot of headline news.
But I'd prefer he open up these "unanswered" mysteries of the former billionaire-at- 27, the case of the ex-Sabah Chief Minister gallivanting at a casino royale, and oh, yes, some minister involved in Taxi and AP permits and Bumi shares allocatin s....., oh, capers is the word I have in mind.
Just as it was with the Watergate Caper, remember, All the President's Men? before it morphed to become the Watergate Scandal.
Pak Lah, I don't envy you thy job. But I and mGf will continue to pray for you. God Speed.:)
9 comments:
Desi,
I've been a reqular here for 3 days in a row, just to rebuke your claim that I always go MIA.
Anyway, more dirt is thrown into the public eyes, trying to negate Pak Lah's efforts for a cleaner government.
Makes me wonder if there are certain quarters trying to smear his administration?
hey Imran:
you play carl bernstein and desi
bob woodward, ala Malaysia.
with some digging along the dark alleys in koala lumpur, esp chow kit and jalan alor, we
may uncover sum capers, then maketh them scandals
'ollywood, here we cometh!:(
aiyah, 3 days in a row -- my Blogger.com says if the "same" guy keeps enetyring my domain, the Adsense value goes south. Catch the drift -- cold wind blowin' from putrajAyA ... wonder how many millionaires cometh from NS? You are INsider, pls tell.
I guess some politicians will not be able to accept a clean government. They have no integrity and plus... Their minds are full of thoughts about - corruption.
Why can't they just support what Pak Lah's trying to do?
Digging in the red light area of KL? Sounds interesting. Where do I sign up?
Anyway, once again it shows the mentality of our Msian politikus. The NS was a brilliant idea, but then it was just another way for certain people to get rich.
*Shakes head and sticks up middle finger*
dear kyels, bro im, pls eavesdroOp2:
sis kyels, ls keep an eagle's eye on bro IM.
his- that midddle finger can get chopped off in chow kit -- it is all chow and chaotik!:(
hey, remember Da Mayor Rus sumbody's alleged expose? it's from listening to the ground that purported capers become 'ollywood scandals.
Oh, don't you thnik some beesybody smelt out the nooks and crannise ( i 'most said nannies...) of Jakarta to tell us i.cowws a fromer Mayor called himself a Dr. when it was JSUT a mere drs. from an Indon uni.
I bet if you throw a stone at a hallroom fool of Drs, you are likely to hit a fake one S0-so; ie. 50-50 chance, like tossing a coin.
kyels, don't wanna go into corruption terrortry -- otherWISE i will shake head like Sab's! (Hey, firm da get2gether, both of thee!:);)
Bor im -- don't 4get kuihdodol; i'll ta-pau tehtarik from hari-hario does it, 3 days in a row pulak! Make it SE7EN challengiA!
Desi,
I have a challengia for you as well. I want to see your presence at my place more often. Can?
bro:
i had been vsiting time2rise in da steal of the nite; i didn't leave any footprints' sherlock homes taught me well that when you have no stroies to tell, don't leave any klues, leave quiet alone well.:)
hey, reminder -- SE7EN in a row, oh no Romance Booker prize, can change mine one!:)
I'm one of the 1,000 trainers in NS and I can confirm it's true. I was in the March session and till now haven't seen a single sen from them. If I'm to elaborate what they have told me so far..all the excuses, it'll be more than 10 pages long. All I can say is that Pak Lah 30 days payment policy is down the drain and I've given up hope on my RM1,000 plus allowance owned by JLKN to me....sigh!
it's 28th Dec now and seems my prediction is rite...never trust the government promise. They stated in the newspaper saying asap to pay us or max before Jan but now still no news from them...HAHAHA
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