'When confronted with ‘a gun to his head' by Ibrahim Ali, our PM has no gall to uphold all his big talk of the NEM nor 1Malaysia.'

Doubts remain over Najib's reform agenda

Ko Pi Ior: It's a simple 20:80 rule where the government will incur public expenditure, on average, of RM23 billion to stimulate private investment of RM115 billion per year, making total public expenditure of RM230 billion as against private investment of RM1,150 billion over the five-year period.

As a Malaysian, I hope and pray that we are able to attract that much of private investment, particularly in the form of FDIs (foreign direct investments).

The big question is under the present political and administrative inefficiency, coupled with widespread corruption at all levels of government machinery, will foreigners come here to invest and will this stop the outflow of our own investment funds to countries like Vietnam, China and other emerging economies?

Jefferson76: How can you cut subsidies when wages have been stagnant for eons? You have to raise per capita income. Prime Minister Najib Razak hasn't really mentioned how he's going to do that, although it's fairly obvious that it involves policy changes for education and immigration.

I don't believe he has the guts to cut out the wastage of patronage, but if he doesn't and cuts subsidies instead, he'll face the fury of the electorate in the next election. Either way, somebody is going to have to sacrifice.

Let's watch and see which group (the cronies or the rakyat) it is going to be.

Mockingbird: When confronted with ‘a gun to his head' by Ibrahim Ali, our prime minister has no gall to uphold all his big talk of the NEM nor 1Malaysia. It has always been empty promises aimed at political leverage in weaving his way into the good books of the crucial non-Malays voters.

I for one never believed for one second of his sincerity. How can I ever trust a prime minister who has so many unanswered accusations directed against him and relies on a totally biased judiciary system to protect him?

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. The one who now leads our country has failed miserably in all these three aspects of a true leader.

Big ticket items lined up for privatisation

Kor Pi: I really hope that this time around, the privatisation exercise will be done transparently and in keeping with the principle of good governance. During Dr Mahathir Mohamad's time, it was ‘piratisation',where prime assets and projects of the country were allowed to be plundered by his cronies.

It was so bad that even proposals to the EPU (Economic Planning Unit) were hijacked by cronies and represented with minimal amendments (usually by amending the figures to their advantage) as their proposals, and many of these were approved.

Swipenter: It's time to reward his inner circle of cronies and Umno warlords. The spoils of war are to be divided according to loyalty and patronage. We all know that power and money is derived from the great Umno patronage system perfected by Mahathir. Those who dare turn against the great patron suffers financially and politically.

Is there going to be open tenders for these future privatisation projects or they are closed/negotiated tenders with an in-built bailout clause or at least a guaranteed profit quantum.

That's how the political elites and the politically well-connected tycoons become super rich and super mega-rich whilst the ordinary rakyat struggle to put food on the table, pay their credit cards, houses and car installments, and live to see the dwindling purchasing power of our ringgit.

Kit P: Three mega-concessionaires to carry out waste disposal, drain cleaning and maintain toilets in public places throughout the country? Sorry if I sound a bit dumb, but I totally fail to see how this will increase efficiency and accountability.

Disgusted: Ready for another round of piratisation? Subsidies are taken away and rates increased to fund it.

Yet another blow for Altantuya's family

Ken Tan: I know the distress which Altantuya Shaariibuu's father is undergoing. I appeal to Karpal Singh, his counsel, to initiate an Altantuya fund immediately and furnish its bank account number. I am sure Malaysians who love justice will donate to this fund.

Let us do our bit to assist this Mongolian gentleman to do what any father will do if one should lose a child, who is murdered, and there are persons already found guilty by the court.

Myop101: Our Malaysian pride is at stake. Don't underestimate the power of the rakyat to chip money into a fund to assist. Please create a bank account (safe and legal means) to contribute.

Voter-get-Voters: Altantuya father Dr Setev Shaariibuu's parting words to the Malaysian government and to all Malaysians were these, "Where is your justice? Where is your conscience? Where is your humanity?"

I am a proud Malaysian but I am utterly ashamed of this government, and I say set up a fund through Karpal Singh. I will donate RM300 easily. What say you, Malaysians?

Mockingbird: I will donate RM200. I am sure there are a lot of very willing donors who want justice done and the real murderers exposed.

RM3.3 mil award for ISA detainee

Noraini Yousoff: Badrul Zaman PS Md Zakariah did not challenge the validity of his detention. It is the extension of the detention period that he challenged. This means he could be admitting some contributory factors in his initial detention and has accepted it as a consequence of his actions.

What about those who are detained for no rhyme or reason at the pleasure of the minister? Remember Teresa Kok, the reporter (Tan Hoon Cheng) and many more?

Kgen: There's a 90 percent chance that the Court of Appeal will overturn the award and order Badrul Zaman to pay costs. It happened to another ISA detainee Abdul Malek Hussein who was awarded RM2.5 million.

Singa Pura Pura: Ever since His Lordship's judicial commissioner days at Shah Alam in the 90s, and later as High Court judge at Alor Star, Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus has consistently shown that he is a judge of unquestionable impartiality, honour and integrity.

Md Imraz Muhammed Ikhbal: It's well and fine for the court to award those wrongly detained victims of ISA by this oppressive ruling regime, but who foots the bill?

Our corrupt leaders simply get away doing as they desire to any whom they will. And if the victims sue in court and somehow succeed, the rakyat is made to pay through their tax money. This is a classic, yet idiotic game, of ‘heads you win, tails I lose'.

In the case of the poor citizens of this country, at this rate we will all soon lose both our heads and tails!