Malaysia, it seems, has developed a proclivity for hubs of sorts - but at what public cost?

So far, we are already promoting Malaysia as an education hub, a transportation hub, an IT hub, a regional distribution hub, a multimedia hub, a tourism hub, a film making hub, a global air cargo hub, a media hub, an air travel hub, an international procurement hub, etc.

Recently there, the prime minister invited Germany to set up yet another hub here for motor manufacturing. One wonders how many of these hubs have survived the rhetoric and actually materialised?

No doubt some 'brave blue-eyed boy' has ended up taking the challenge to make some of these hubs a reality. Usually, it's the government that ends up being the financier or the project's guarantor.

In such cases, these 'blue-eyed boys' need not worry about the feasibility of the hubs. They just need to jump into the 'pool' because 'life buoys' will definitely be provided. Should they fail, Petronas, EPF and other public funds will be there to bail them out.

Wasn't that the way Tajuddin Ramli was bailed out of his overindulgence in MAS or Halim Saad from UEM?

It is an open secret that these 'blue-eyed' companies and personalities are well-protected because they need to serve many masters. The Finance Ministry itself has to serve never-ending political interests.

Politicians need plenty of money to sustain their positions. When their pockets run dry, billions are injected into development projects to 'rejuvenate' the economy. This usually happens when major elections are near.

It is the system Dr Mahathir Mohamad left in place when he retired. How come he is now complaining that corruption has come above the table?

The highway concessionaires are a glaring example of money-spinning ventures that get extended frequently by the politicians. They never even give a thought if the public can afford to pay such expensive yet recurrently rising tolls.

Why is the cost of maintaining the roads so expensive? How do we make sure the costs are not overly inflated to fill innumerable corrupted 'pockets'? The Finance Ministry neither has the time nor the will to check on all this due to pressure from its political masters.