It is so nice when we receive things we do not have to pay for. The Barisan Nasional government received RM100 million worth of election paraphernalia free of charge ! No questions asked, no Purchase Orders needed, no obligations, just receive and use.

I wish all of life was such but as the old maxim goes 'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.' My economics professor at university (not Ivy League unfortunately) made us repeat this - there ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

When day by day the PM and president of the BN-led coalition ignores this issue and many others, they will all blow up into a messy scandals.

Why would Elegant Advisory Sdn Bhd issue Purchase Orders to various companies for BN election paraphernalia when they have not received any orders or instructions (written or verbal) from the beneficiary of these election paraphernalia?

There is another common saying in business; 'We ain't a non-profit organisation and we may end up that way, but we certainly didn't set out to be one'.

The election supplies order originated from somewhere and unfortunately the poor vendors - the bottom feeders, the ones at the end of the food chain - are made to suffer. We all who are in business knows how it works.

It is the Malaysian way of business and it is what keeps Malaysia from being top notch in business ethics. A government agency needs supply of some goods. Only bumiputera companies with 'good connections' will get the contract.

He hopes his connections will stay connected with the right camp, of course. This bumi company then sub-contracts to another bumiputera businessman who then sub-contracts to a dozen or so vendors.

The first bumi company gets paid, maybe the second, but by the time the business term expires, the money has all been spent and the smaller vendors will have to struggle to pick up the crumbs.

The small vendors work on small margins because they are squeezed at both ends. The middle bumi company puts in his hefty margin and then the first bumi company jacks it up by another 100 percent or so. This is no secret, it is a common practice in Malaysia.

Shahrir Samad is right in pursuing the matter. It is no longer a political party issue, it is a now a criminal issue. A breach of trust. There was a willing buyer and a willing seller. Goods and services were delivered and now there is non-payment.

Who is that 'connected Umno politician' which the CEO of Elegant Advisory claims to have made that initial order? The rakyat must know. Don't make the CEO of Elegant Advisory the fall guy.

If Pak Lah had any credibility, with all his talk prior to the general election, he should get to the bottom of the issue. He should be serious in weeding out corruption in his government.

Unfortunately we are seeing many issues with no decisions or actions. There is delay in making decisions hoping instead the problems will go away. This is sign of weak leadership.

Here is another good quote (perhaps not quite Oxbridge standard) seeing how this administration likes them: 'It would be better for Pak Lah to have said little and done much, then said much and done little'.

For me, I am one of the bottom feeders weary of government contracts. I avoid it like the plague for the saying goes; 'Once bitten, twice shy'.