I refer to the Malaysiakini report e-Kesihatan: Company demands RM103mil.

I refer to the above report and could not help but wonder how on earth did Supremme Systems Sdn Bhd come up with this quantum to the tune of RM103 million in claims for damages against our beloved government.

Or to be more precise against the transport ministry and its officials. When this scheme was first proposed and intended to be effected on Oct 1, 2007, I had vehemently protested against it for a number of issues which the government had failed to addressed.

In my opinion, this scheme was flawed from the drawing board and the manner in which it was hastily pushed forward could have made an unsuspecting public pay for the follies of the Road Transport Department.

I have maintained that drug addicts are much more sly, shrewd and smarter and it is not difficult for them to foil such loopholes in this particular system.

No drug addict in his right frame of mind would table his urine for tests, knowing full well his urine will be tested positive by the labs.

Neither will he be foolhardy enough to submit obediently to these doctors who are not even empowered to compel them to urinate in their presence. We submit our urine for tests to find out what's wrong with our body but will drug addicts submit their urine to prove to authorities they are indeed the real addicts of Malaysia?

First of all, with due respect to Supremme System, my question to the finite-minded public is:

How much of monetary losses could Supremme have sustained? It is asking damages of RM103 million for a untried company which was formerly known as Pantai Supremme. Has it really suffered such an extensive loss of reputation?

Was it not merely a ‘middleman’ company passing the onus of urine testing to a chain of doctors and laboratory assistants? Was not this company set up for this sole purpose only? It will need to establish what reputation it has in terms of goodwill and track records.

Has anyone from the public domain known about the existence of this company prior to Oct 1, 2007? Was there any attempt by Supremme to mitigate its losses, if any, when the implementation was put on hold due to the serious and widespread public concerns over this issue?

Deputy Transport Minister Lajim Ukim said that the government was mulling whether to settle the amount or mount a legal challenge.

‘We will decide if we are going to pay SSSB the compensation or not,’ he said. This again is preposterous and intend to construe that the government is unequipped to enter into commercial agreements.

The onus here is not for Lajim Ukim to consider but rather for Supremme Systems to justify the amount of losses it has actually incurred.

Do we still remember the infamous ‘crooked bridge’ and the Semenyih incinerator compensations which amounted to hundreds of millions paid as compensation through taxpayers funds? The projected profits of the ‘crooked bridge’, even should it have been completed, would had been much less than the compensation paid to the contractor.

And the shelved incinerator in Sememyih, can anyone from either side of the political divide tell us how compensation was paid?

It is high time that those in authority who misuse their authority and fleece the wealth of our nation should be brought to book and vicariously held accountable or liable for their incompetence and lack of responsibility.

How could the people in authority enter into an agreement with a company without a due diligence study and the effects of the lopsided consequences? Isn't it akin to putting a horse before the cart?

In other countries, the authorities concerned would have tendered their resignations and apologised to the people. But here in Malaysia, the irony is that, not only are they not penalised, but I know of one who has even been promoted to a higher position!

I know of a certain Yang Di Pertua (president) of a local council who despite his implementation of a flawed policy which ultimately was reviewed and revised due to public outcry, is still sitting very prettily and high up in a certain state government's hierarchy of leaders.

And this state is under the Pakatan Rakyat coalition!

So do not be appalled that if at this juncture, whether it is the BN or the Pakatan, this incident will merely remain another episode of ‘to err is human, to forgive is divine’.

After all, man in his quest to excel will fall and rise and our laws here are manmade to rehabilitate and are not punitive or retributive in nature.