'Only in Malaysia is the state government impotent towards renegade SDOs who run riot to sabotage the state administration and vandalise state property.’

SDO office in Komtar: Half a million ringgit mess

Pemerhati: This unused and dilapidated space in a prime location, which has been left to rot by the federal civil service, is just a minor illustration of the colossal, wasteful and profligate spending by the BN government.

The real big wastage comes in maintaining the bloated 1.2 million strong civil service. When we look at the civil service to population ratio in other well-run countries like Taiwan, Japan and Singapore, we only need about 500,000 civil servants.

This means that every year billions of ringgit of the taxpayers’ money is wasted and squandered on 700,000 unnecessary workers.

Wira: I presume that the SDO (state development officer) had been asked what he intended to do with the space after leaving it for another building. It could mean that he, on behalf of the federal government and the people of Malaysia, is still paying rent (RM15,000 per month) for the place he no longer uses. The state government could immediately bill him (or Putrajaya) for the mess as per tenancy agreement.

Concerned Citizen: Lim Guan Eng was wrong to publicly pick a fight with the SDO. As a CM, he has other ways and avenues he could used instead of the press. It is most unbecoming of a chief minister. LGE must stop thinking like opposition and realise he is in power in Penang.

And Malaysiakini too should stop the act of quickly jumping on the bandwagon and start hitting out just because LGE did.

Joe: Concerned Citizen, look at the photos again. The premises was trashed up in March 2008, way back before the current blow-up between LGE and that 'little Napoleon'. If you still need further convincing, look at what happened in Perak and what is happening in Selangor today.

A cold war is being waged relentlessly since March 2008 involving the use of proxies and outright bribery to subvert and topple the Pakatan state governments. This vicious, no-holds-barred fight will continue right down to the next general election.

Friend, it's important for you to get your perspective right. Your future and the future of your children, and their children, will depend on you making the right choice.

The photos show that the BN-Umno regime has no respect for the sovereign will of the people and instead show contempt for them. In the trashing up of the premises of the former State Development Office, we see the true colour of this hypocritical and devious BN-Umno regime.
                
Anonymous: It’s good that Pakatan Rakyat make known the issue but I am wondering why is it not brought up earlier. Anyway Nik Ali Mat Yunus is wrong in wasting public money. As for the ruling government, it’s their right to pick up any unethical practice either by BN or the government official.

LGE please reveal more untold stories of the BN as the Penangites like to know more as it’s our right.

Akar: I am not aligned to any one party, but why LGE and the Komtar assemblyman (Ng Wei Aik) waited for close to two years to highlight this. They knew the SDO has moved out, but did they do anything to repossess that office and put it to productive use? In that respect, they failed in their duty to the rakyat. Who should be reprimanded for letting the unused SDO office idle for two years?

DannyLoHH: Imagine entering a boxing ring with your right hand tied behind your back and your trainer waiting to pounce at you when you rest?

From the SDO Nik Ali episode and what happened in Perak, it is clear that what the Pakatan state governments have to deal with - absolute insolent civil servants who are waiting for an opportunity to sabotage, and if possible, destroy the Pakatan state government.

It is part of Pakatan’s defense mechanism to highlight the matter. Yes, it is definitely a political game or sandiwara, but one that has to be played by Pakatan because people need to be reminded that they enter the ring for us.

And yes, they are not perfect for they are no saints. They are human beings that could be corrupted too. But at this moment, we should answer their rallying call. Lest you do not want to see changes.

Wan Husmi: The office been left after March 2008, what's the point of highlighting it now? It’s just to show that Nik Ali really a bad guy. Every man on the street know the SDO is another Umno man who will ‘sapu’ (sweep) everything for them and their cronies. Just move on...

Yuvan: Why should the DAP 'publicise' this matter now if the SDO had vacated his Komtar office more than two years ago? The party should not be seen as going overboard with its 'feelings' on the recent spat between LGE and Nik Ali (the federal SDO).

The DAP should stop harping on petty issues like this and focus its resources and time on bigger issues like unresolved high-profile corruption scandals (involving hundreds of millions of ringgit of public funds) and the severely lagging socio-economic performance of the country.

People will remember political leaders and parties that can put up decent 'fight' and come up with intelligent long-term solutions for 'bread and butter' issues that affect the whole nation. Small and petty issues which provide some 'sensation' for a while will not remain 'issues' forever and will soon be forgotten by the people.

Nicole: That is very unprofessional of a civil servant and downright very disgusting. Shame on you, Nik Ali. So are you going to prepare another speech at the Umno headquarters and call the current government under DAP ‘biadap’? Nik Ali, please grow up.

Bye: Nik Ali is a typical Umnoputra who thinks nothing of wasting the people's hard-earned tax money. And this is the guy the Umno federal government has given the power to spend the people's money as he likes.

Pulau Betong assemblyperson Muhammad Farid Saad is a strong supporter of this waste of public funds. And both these Umnoputras are persecuting the chief minister who went to jail for a poor Malay girl, who was allegedly raped by one of the Umnoputras. The people of Penang are watching.

Jiminy Qrikert: Nik Ali leaving his office in a mess is not surprising. He is a mere civil servant who does the bidding of his masters, Umnoputras. What's blowing RM450,000 and leaving the office in a mess compared to the blowing of billions of ringgit in PKFZ, the stupid space tourist episode, the meeting with US President Barack Obama, the stupid submarines, the Felda losses, the waste by the Ministry of Defence and the 81 percent drop in FDI that's leaving the country in a financial mess.

It will not be long before the Malays will really, really feel the pain of such financial failure of the Umno-BN government.

Phan Gaik Cher: How is it that we have such idiots in the civil service and no action is taken against them? No wonder the whole civil service sucks and the nation going bankrupt.

Lim Chong Leong: Only in Malaysia is the state government impotent towards renegade state development officers who run riot to sabotage the state administration and vandalise state property.

If I were Guan Eng, I would make him count the fast running white baby crabs along Batu Feringgi as part of a beach conservation project.