NAJIB SHOULD CLARIFY FINANCIAL SCANDALS

By : DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN

NUMEROUS financial scandals have rocked this country. However the current ruling party led by UMNO seems to be immune of any critics, or seem to appear that everything is in order.

Let me ask the visiting PM Najib Razak over some of the most notorious scandals and extravaganza so that he may have the opportunity to clarify and quash them if he may, while he is on Sabah soil.

First I would like to ask Najib what is his opinion on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal that involved a whopping RM12 billion. Since it is in court proceeding, the PM may not want say anything on it but what about the established commission to the tune of RM500 million derived from deals to buy our navy submarines?

And related to submarines, can Najib, who is also Finance Minister, explain the buying of submarines worth RM 4.1 billion really boost security in Sabah waters? Mr PM what about the PSC naval dockyard that costs us RM 6.75 billion? Do you call this prudent or necessary?

Can the PM explain whither the Sime Darby financial issue involving another whopping RM964 million? What about the RM88 million deal in Paya Indah Westland or the RM1 billion wasted on the Eurocopter deal? And can you clarify to the people on the RM230 million lost in Pos Malaysia (ttransmile)?

Or the easier to explain, the collapse of the newly-built Terengganu Stadium that cost RM292 milllion to build? And what about the repair cost of RM70 million on the MRR2? Or the issue of Maybank overpaid bill to the tune of RM4 billion?

Can Najib explain to us why his government approved RM70 million to build a Malaysian sport complex in London which now has become a white elephant? What about the MATRADE repairs cost of RM120 million? Is this all what he called prudent spending?

We also want to hear our Prime Minister while in Sabah on his view on the most current scandal involving Sharizat Jalil which involved RM250 million. We Sabahans, would also want to ask Najib what is the benefit we received in the past 10 years since the Philharmonic Orchestra was established, as this orchestra is said to have swallowed our money to the tune of RM500 million. Is it true that its CEO's salary is more than RM1 million per annum ?

The government has spent a total of RM3.2 billion in teaching Maths and Science in English over the past five years. Out of the amount, the government paid a whopping RM2.21 billion for the purchase of information and computer technology (ICT) equipments which were unable to give a breakdown. The Government paid more than RM6,000 per notebook in contrast to market price of less than RM3,000 through some new consortia that setup just to transact the notebook deal.

Mr PM, there was no math & science content for the teachers and the notebooks are all with the teachers' children now. Look at our schools and the students in Sabah, do you say this 'people first'?

There are heaps of extravaganza and scandals involving public and private funds, either committed during previous PMs or and allowed to go "unnoticed" under your current government.

But let this statement go on record to taunt you that your government has indeed failed us the Sabahans and Sarawakians who are always in dire need of more fund, but denied our rights to it while the Federal escaped unscathed from obvious corrupt acts by its cronies.

I list down here further items for Najib and his entourage to ponder on how much public fund had been embezzled and wasted under his watch, some of which appeared in Government Auditor-General reports : -

- Three paintings bought by MAS during its red-period worth RM 1.5 million (yeah only RM1.5 milliion but this could have built hundreds of houses for poor in Sabah)

- Overpayment by Sport Ministry (RM 8.4 million)

- Cost of new plane used by PM (RM 200 million)

- InventQ irrecoverable debt (RM228 million)

- Compensation for killing the crooked bridge to Singapore (RM 257 million)

- Lost in selling Augusta (RM 510 million)

- Worth of AP given out in a year (RM1.8 billion) who benefitted?

- The Bank Bumiputra's old twin scandals in the early 1980s saw US$1 billion loss (RM3.2 billion in 2008 ringgit)

- The MAMINCO attempt to corner the world tin market in the 1980s is believed to have cost some US$500 million. (RM1.6 billion)

- Betting in foreign exchange futures cost Bank Negara Malaysia RM30 billion in the 1990s

- The Perwaja Steel resulted in losses of US$800 million (RM2.56 billion)

- Use of RM10 billion public funds in the Valuecap Sdn Bhd operation to shore up the stock market

- Banking scandal of RM700 million losses in Bank Islam

- The sale of M.V. Agusta by Proton for one Euro making a loss of €75.99 million (RM348 million)

- Wang Ehsan from oil royalty on Terengganu RM7.4 billion from 2004 – 2007

- Advisors fees: Dr Mahathir Mohamad was paid RM180,000, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (women and social development affairs) RM404,726 and Abdul Hamid Othman (religious) RM549,675 per annum

- The commission paid for purchase of jets and submarines to two private companies Perimeker Sdn Bhd and IMT Defence Sdn Bhd amounted to RM910 million

- RM300 million to compensate Gerbang Perdana for the RM1.1 billion"crooked scenic half-bridge"

- RM1.3 billion have been wasted building the white elephant Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facilities on cancellation of the Malaysia-Singapore scenic bridge

- RM100 million on renovation of Parliament building and leaks

- National Astronaut Programme (RM40 million)

- National Service Training Programme... it is said a yearly estimate of RM500 million is spent on this. Is this necessary?

- Eye of Malaysia (RM30 million and another RM5.7 million of free tickets)

- The infamous last-minute cancelled indelible ink in 2008 (RM2.4 million)

- Samy Velllu announced in September 2006 that the government paid compensation amounting to a whopping RM38.5 billion to 20 highway companies. RM380 million windfalls for nine toll concessionaires earned solely from the toll hike in 2008 alone

- RM32 million timber export kickbacks involving companies connected to Sarawak Chief Minister and his family

- Two bailouts of Malaysia Airline System (RM7.9 billion). At a time when MAS incurring losses every year, RM1.55 million were used to buy three paintings to decorate its chairman's (Munir Majid) office

- Putra transport system bailout which cost RM4.486 billion

- STAR-LRT bailout costing RM3.256 billion

- National Sewerage System bailout costing RM192.54 million

- Seremban-Port Dickson Highway bailout costing RM142 million

- Kuching Prison bailout costing RM135 million

- Kajian Makanan dan Gunaan Orang Islam bailout costing RM8.3 million

- Le Tour de Langkawi bailout costing RM 3.5 Million

- Wholesale distribution of tens of millions of shares in BursaMalaysia under guise of NEP to cronies, children and relatives of BN leaders and Ministers worth billions of ringgits. Any Dusun or Bajau benefitted?

- Alienation of tens of thousands of hectares of commercial lands and forestry concessions to children and relatives of BN leaders and Ministers worth tens of billions of ringgits.

- Since 1997, Petronas has handed out a staggering 30 billion ringgit in natural gas subsidies to IPPs who were making huge profits. In addition, there were much wastages and forward trading of Petronas oil in the 1990s based on the low price of oil then. Since the accounts of Petronas are for the eyes of Prime Minister only, we have absolutely no idea of the amount

- And what about RM5,700 spent to buy a car jack that worth only RM50?

- Government-owned vehicle consumed a tank of petrol worth RM113 within a few minutes

- A pole platform that cost RM990 was bought for RM30,000!

- A thumb drive that cost RM90 was bought for RM480

- A cabinet that cost RM1,500 was bought for RM13,500

- A flashlight that cost RM35 was bought for RM143

- The untold expenses for 1Malaysia campaign paid to APCO? There are plenty more to talk but this should suffice for the visiting PM to tell us one or two, if he cares.

Mr PM, please spend some time to clarify on these much-talked extravaganza by your government. Failing which, you register yourself as could not care about how our money being spent by your cabinet.

This is outrageous and unacceptable to Sabahans and Sarawakians. We believe this is why your government is losing ground in the whole Peninsular, you must do something to quash all this talks once and for all. Perhaps, just admit it and apoligise to us the poorest Malaysians. We will forgive you at the ballot boxes. Or is this not-important for you to respond and clarify. You decide.