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Apco, Stadlen take Najib on expensive ride

YOURSAY ‘Why would a government need a foreign spinmeister?’

 

Gov't PR expert Paul Stadlen worked for free

SteveOh: Isn't good governance the best advertisement for any government? Why would a government need a foreign spinmeister?

 

The line between party politics and government matters is a thin one and let's hope taxpayers are not paying for someone's political benefit.

 

It is obvious whatever monies have been spent on communication have been wasted and failed miserably in light of PM Najib Razak's present predicament and sinking popularity.

 

If he had hired former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad as his communication adviser, he might have done better.

 

The monies spent unnecessarily on communication could have given many poor and struggling Malaysians a better life.

 

But having a high maintenance PM is another reason why the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is needed to shore up dwindling government revenue and rising costs of government. The country is being governed into poverty, not the high-income nation promised.

 

Fortunately, not many Malaysians are easily fooled. Bad governance cannot be dressed up nor the stench of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and Altantuya Shaariibuu and Paul Stadlen's pay be disguised.

 

Hopeless Govt: Stadlen, could you do some corporate communications work for me for free as well. All other vendors are charging me a fee. Apparently, they need to make a living.

 

I see that you’re a very charitable person. You are willing to spend all your time and effort to help a country you have no allegiance to.

 

Justine Gow: There is no such thing as a free lunch in the corporate world. Even when a company gives to an orphanage, it is expecting something in return (e.g. free publicity).

 

So can we believe it when told that a corporate figure was volunteering his precious money-making time to serve the government for nothing?

 

Abasir: "Up to now, the government did not provide any remuneration to Paul Stadlen," said Shahidan Kassim, the minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

 

Leaving aside the syntax so typical of Umno's semi-literates, the reply may be taken to mean that Stadlen will be paid any time after "now".

 

It could also mean that he had been compensated by other forces in control of the PM’s Office (a Jho Low perhaps) in return for which said forces receive certain favours based on the "you help me, I help you" business model.

 

But let's ask chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa and Minister in the PM’s Department Idris Jala how this works.

 

We have a foreigner brandishing a business card emblazoned with the government crest and the words 'National Communications Team, Prime Minister's Office' as proof of his employment status.

 

Who does he report to and who gave him his KPIs (key performance indicators) since he is not paid employee?

 

Is he a volunteer sent by and reporting to a charity? Or was he seconded to the PMO (PM’s Office) by a secret subcontractor for RM100 million? Like Altantuya and 1MDB, this is yet another skeleton in the closet.

 

Abdul Kadir Jasin: Shahidan might be correct. Stadlen and many similar people in the PMO may not be paid by the Treasury.

 

There are many such people who might not appear in the Public Services Department (PSD) establishment. Many individuals, agencies and institutions linked to the PM and PMO are not part of PSD's establishment.

 

Could these people not been paid by companies over which the PM and his associates have influence on?

 

Would it be such a big secret if people like Jho Low and Riza Aziz were to employ PR (public relation) people to help burnish the PM's image?

 

Swipenter: Najib's administration is all form and no substance. That RM77 million on PR is all wasted. If Najib is PM material in the first place, then the RM77 million could have been put to better use instead of just churning out empty slogan after slogan.

 

Everybody was excited by the 1Malaysia slogan. At last we thought we were going to see social justice, more equality, fair play, accountability, less corruption, wastage and leakages.

 

Instead we see that Bolehland is getting more lawless, more connivance of extremism, more scandals, mega corruption and the possibility of going bankrupt.

 

JD Lovrenciear: Wow, we have a philanthropist PR consultant and a foreign one to boot, providing services to the PM of Malaysia all for free?

 

Vijay47: Najib, you and your team have been caught out every single time when you danced with words and all that such corrections earned for you was further depletion of your fast fading credibility.

 

After all this while, you still have not learned that truth will out and you will be left holding a large bag of lies.

In the case of Stadlen, rather than making an outright denial, Shahidan could have at least explained the manner in which Stadlen was rewarded for his services.

 

By the way, his contributions to your image were nothing to write home about, you still came out looking and smelling like a snake-oil seller.

 

After repeatedly being shown that you were economic with the truth, you still keep committing the same PR sins. Pavlov did much better with his dogs.


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