Subsidies for the rich, austerity for the poor
'Why are the rakyat subsidising the operations of the IPPs (independent power producers) thus allowing them to earn obscene profits?'
Anwar: Why no subsidy cuts for corporate giants?
Magnus: Why no subsidy cuts for corporate giants? Ahem, is it because all or most of these corporate giants are mostly or partly owned by those in government and/or their cronies and so that would be like asking one to cut off one's nose to spite one's face, or one's many faces?
Loyal Malaysian: A very pertinent question indeed! And one which various groups had raised at different occasions - why is the rakyat subsidising the operations of the IPPs (independent power producers) thus allowing them to earn obscene profits?
Rolls-Royce: All the points mentioned by Anwar Ibrahim were earlier stated one way or another by commentators here - like how the government squandered the saving on subsidies to the poor, how Pemandu overpaid not just consultants but also the do-nothing civil servants in Pemandu, and how subsidies to the poor should be looked into holistically that include other distortions in the economy such as the monopoly by power producers, and the subsidies to corporations, cronies and privatised entities.
FairMind: Even with the 13th GE coming soon, there is already a trickle of price hikes. It is a trickle now because BN fears the backlash from the voters in the general election.
I just couldn't imagine if BN wins the next GE, there will indeed be a flood of price hikes as the fear of voters' backlash has subsided. The only way to remove future price hikes is the removal of BN in the next GE.
Freemsia: Despite all this which is making the rakyat poorer, many Malays still support Umno. It is time for them to wake up to the realities of things.
Killing us softly with each price hike
Alan Goh: Idris Jala, first plug all the daily leakages and reduce corruption, then talk about price hike.
Look at the new general hospital in Shah Alam - it was given out to Sunshine Fleet for over RM400 million, a company without any track record. It was sub-contracted out to Isyoda and then GMH, now abandoned and is looking for a white knight.
What about the Istana which cost the taxpayers nearly RM1 billion. Is it necessary to build a new palace when the president of the USA has been staying in the White House since the time of George Washington?
What about the RM400 million commission paid for the two Scorpene submarines which cannot dive, and the ‘thief' minister of Sarawak, who owns commercial properties in US, Canada and London?
When the bleeding stops, so will the price hikes and the impending GST, which will come into force after the 13 th GE when Umno/BN wins big.
Anonymous: The PM was right when he said the people began to trust BN and its leaders; and the trust is that the BN leaders will "kill the people slowly", done over a period of time.
The people could trust BN to spend lavishly on mega-projects like the palace, the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka, the Putrajaya residences of the PM and the DPM, the unlimited expenses of the PM's wife.
Anon: Syabas wants a 37 percent increase in water rates. Let them, Najib. And do yourself a favour. Retire early.
PAS: Cut gov't spending first before subsidies
Gunner: Yes, the government should do away with negotiated or direct award contracts and practise an open-tender system. I reckon the government will be able to save RM10 billion annually.
Ghkok: Privatisation is not the issue. It is the privatisation agreement that is the issue. Most of the privatisation agreements are lopsided.
The concessionaires are practically guaranteed criminally-high profit margins by allowing prohibitively high annual increase in tariffs - for example, the toll highway concessionaires and the IPPs. The concessionaires can also inflate the cost to hide their profits. This can be corrected if there is political will.
Pakatan Rakyat has made a concrete proposal for the takeover of Plus that will freeze toll rates and save the government billions of ringgit in compensation to the highway companies. Unfortunately, BN does not have the political will to do it. They find it easier to reduce subsidies and therefore continuing to oppress the people like what they have been doing for the past 52 years.
Armour Man: Thank you, PAS. These are the kind of issues the rakyat expect you to tackle - issues that affect our well-being; not women's dress code or similar frivolous matters.
Whose money was it? Pemandu's or rakyat's?
Gerald: In my previous employment, the company director hired a so-called Asian consultant to assist in managing the factory. The salary and perks given to this foreigner was far beyond many senior managers of the company.
For two years, this consultant was unable to implement any progressive ideas/plans to increase the efficiency and the quality of the products. Why? The consultant did not understand local working ethics and culture.
There were silent rebellions and finally a work slowdown affecting the company's financial position negatively. The consultant was sent home. The company paid a heavy price for a very painful lesson.
Annoymous: I wonder Pemandu understands how the ordinary laymen live - having to survive from month to month. Do they go down to the ground and gauge the actual feeling of the rakyat? Paying millions to foreign consultants is really taking the rakyat for a ride.
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