Perceptions & Fact
// January 27th, 2010 // Featured Articles
LAND ISSUE
Perception 1.1: By the fact that I or my ancestor applied for the land from the state government or bought the land from another land owner, I will enjoy the perpetual land ownership, which is entitled to be passed down from generation to generation.
Fact 1.1: Under the Land Ordinance, land is owned by the state government who only leases the land to the land lease holder (so-called land owner) for specific number of years such as 999, 99, 90, 60, 30 or even 20 years at a one-off premium payment and annual land assessment. So the ownership of the land lease holder (so-called land owner) will expire upon the expiration of the land lease.
Perception 1.2: Land lease should be renewed automatically with no or minimum premium.
Fact 1.2: The land lease holder (so-called land owner) should apply to the state government through the Land & Survey Department upon the expiration of the land leases. In the past, state government only allows the land lease holder (so-called land owner) to apply for the extension of renewal of the lease five years before the expiration of the lease. However, through the appeal by the BN Wakil Rakyat, the state government has since agreed that the land lease holder (so-called land owner) can apply to renew the land lease anytime before the expiration of the lease by paying a premium as specified by the state government.
Perception 1.3: The portion of the premium of the remaining lease period will be lost upon the renewal or extension of the lease.
Fact 1.3: The new premium for the renewal or extension of the lease will only be charged on the net lease period after deducting the unexpired portion of the previous lease period.
Perception 1.4: The new premium will be calculated on the total value of land and building constructed or situated on the land.
Fact 1.4: The new premium will be calculated only on the value of the land, excluding the value of any building constructed or situated on the said land.
Perception 1.5: The new premium will be paid at one go, inflicting heavy financial burden on the low-income group.
Fact 1.5: The new premium can be paid by 10 annual installments.
Perception 1.6: The government will exploit the people, particularly the low-income group on the high premium of the renewed or extended lease.
Fact 1.6: The government is very considerate and sympathetic towards the predicament of the people in general and the poor people in particular. The government could consider to give special discount or even waive the premium partially or totally on deserving cases upon appeal only by BN Wakil Rakyat.
Perception 1.7: Opposition political parties are championing the interest of the land lease holders (so-called land owners) and so they deserve the support of the people.
Fact 1.7: Opposition political parties only give empty and unrealistic promises which, they know, that they will not responsible to deliver as the next government will definitely the BN government.
FUEL PRICE INCREASE
Perception 2.1: The BN government should control and not increase the domestic fuel price as Petronas makes huge profit because of international oil price hike.
Fact 2.1 (a): The Malaysian government cannot influence nor control the international oil price hike, which is brought about by strong demand particularly from China and India, coupled with unstable supply brought about by war in Iraq, the conflict between Turkey and Kurds oil producing region of Northern Iraq, the tension between USA and Iran (the second largest oil reserve in the world), the typhoon seasons in Northern America and Mexico Bay oil producing areas, domestic conflict in Africa such as Nigeria, Sudan, etc as well as the nationalisation of oil production companies in Venezuela, South America.
Fact 2.1 (b): Petronas contributes 35% (RM62 billion) of the annual national budget of RM177 billion so that the government can allocate about RM42 billion for education, RM14.5 billion for defence, RM13 billion for the healthcare, RM3.9 billion for agriculture, RM3.4 billion for rural development, RM6.53 billion for public works, RM3.64 billion for transportation, RM3 billion for water, electricity and communications, RM2.65 billion for housing and local government. Therefore, the BN government has to fairly distribute the Petronas contribution benefiting the whole population in general and the low-income group in particular, instead of using it to keep the domestic fuel price unrealistically low at the expense of national development and welfare of the people.
Fact 2.1 (c): The BN government has kept its promise not to increase the fuel price anytime soon after the last increase in 2006 despite the fact that the government has to subsidise RM30 billion for domestic fuel and natural gas and another RM10 billion for agriculture and other subsidies totalling Rm40 billion, which is equivalent to the total national development budget of year 2008.
Fact 2.1 (d): The high fuel price era is coming, beyond our country’s control, and our neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and even Indonesia with higher domestic fuel price, still manage to achieve reasonable efficiency and competitiveness.
Fact 2.1 (e): The BN government will make sure that the future fuel price adjustments will least affect the interest of the low-income group and the poor people in our country.
Perception 2.3: If people are not happy with the high domestic fuel price brought about by the BN government, they should protest and support the opposition political parties.
Fact 2.3: Opposition political parties cannot influence nor control the international fuel price hike and do not consider the prudent management of our national economy. They only highlight the predicament of the people without a workable alternative agenda to solve their difficulties. For example, during the last Sarawak state election, the opposition political parties successfully exploited the fuel price and land issue and won few seats in the urban areas. The reality is that the international fuel price keeps on increasing and it is the BN government that has been keeping her promise made in 2005 of the domestic fuel price control.
According to international economists, there are about USD20 trillion hedge fund and major funds which are speculating the future trading of fossil, fuel and gas. This pushes up the price of oil and gas to the current level over USD100 per barrel. Realistically, the current market price of fuel should be about USD70 to USD75 per barrel based on market force of demand and supply. So they anticipate a crash of oil price in the foreseeable future, which will be abrupt. Due to the fact that the major oil producing companies are not doing enough to counter the OPEC carter like what they did successfully in the last fuel price hike crisis in the 1990s.
INFLATION OF CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES
Perception 3.1: The BN government should be blamed for not doing enough to control the inflation trend of consumer goods and services in our country, and inflicts suffering to the people in general and the low-income group and the poor people in particular.
Fact 3.1: The international fuel price hike resulted in the economic viability of producing bio fuel from crops such as corn, wheat and palm oil. The increase of demand for corn pushed up the price of chicken feed and animal feed, and thus the meat, in particular chicken and pork (although the price of chicken meat is still controlled). The demand for wheat pushed up the price of flour, and so the price of various types of noodles, while the increase of oil palm demand pushed up the price of cooking oil, which increases the price of processed food (oil-fried).
Perception 3.2: The low-income group and the poor people are suffering and not getting enough help from the government.
Fact 3.2: The BN government always has the interest of the people in general and the low-income group and poor people in particular by implementing various people-based economic policies such as:
3.2.1 Affordable education for all under the philosophy of “Education is the best investment in life” as follows:
a. Free education for up to 14 years (primary and secondary education) and subsidise up to 90% of tertiary education fees in government universities and colleges.
b. Increasing allocation for scholarships for deserving students achieving excellent results to study overseas and domestic tertiary education institutions.
c. Implementing skill training programmes for labourers and adult re-education programmes to those who are upgrading their skills and qualifications.
d. Actively developing tertiary education (including permitting the setting up of private higher learning institutions) as an industry to provide more vacancies for the domestic students and to earn foreign exchange from the foreign students studying in Malaysia, target to reach 100,000 foreign students by year 2010 (existing 50,000 foreign students study in Malaysia).
3.2.2 Nearly free medical care
a. Outpatients are charged RM1 with an appointment to see a doctor with a bag of medicine and RM5 with an appointment with a medical specialist with a bag of medicine in a government hospital are the shining examples of BN government’s care and compassion to our people’s healthcare.
b. Charging a fraction of the cost of conducting minor, medium and major operations in a government hospital with world class facilities and expertise indeed saves tens and thousands of people’s precious lives of the people in general and the poor people in particular.
c. Numerous clinics in the villages and rural areas provide instant medical care to the rural people to avoid delays due to difficulties in transportation before they can seek treatment in the government hospitals.
3.2.3 Towards self-sufficiency in food production
a. The BN government is making great efforts to improve the living standards of the farmers by introducing extensive agriculture subsidies and technical farming advice, provide farming machineries and also building a marketing network with the objective of achieving the vision of national food self-sufficiency in the foreseeable future.
3.2.4 Eradication of poverty
a. The BN government, through various ministries, including the Ministry of Housing And Local Government, Ministry of Rural Development, has launched a massive programme to eradicate poverty totally by year 2010.
b. 144 local authorities around the country and other government agencies have been appointed to implement this programme.
SECURITY
Perception 4.1: The security situation in our country is deteriorating and people are finding it not safe in going around their daily life. The BN government has not done enough to create a safe and conducive living environment for the people.
4.1.1: Social problems brought by foreign labourers and illegal immigrants
4.1.1 (a): Our country Malaysia has long common borders with neighbouring countries and long seashore, which are very porous to enable illegal immigrants from the neighbouring countries to enter Malaysia.
4.1.1 (b): Our country Malaysia needs millions of foreign labourers to sustain and fill the job vacancies in our rapid national development activities.
4.1.1 (c): These foreign workers, who after expiration of their work permit, do not all return to their home countries, and together with the illegal migrant workers, create social problems and some involve in burglaries, armed robberies or even as hired killers.
4.1.1 (d): The BN government is very serious and actively tackling this problem by increasing police force (60,000) with better equipment including patrol cars and ammunition, authorised RELA to monitor the illegal immigrants and encourage people to set up neighbourhood watch team and encouraged to inform the police of any suspicious people in the neighbourhood.
4.1.1 (e): The BN government is actively implementing programmes and steps to reduce the employment of foreign workers and clamp down illegal immigrants.
Fact 4.1.2: Gangsterism
4.1.2 (a): Malaysia has a fair share of the problem of gangsterism, which is common to every country around the world with different degrees of seriousness.
4.1.2 (b): The police department has launched various anti-gangsterism operations in every state in our country by roping in the gang leaders and have achieved extensive success curbing the gangsterism activities in our country.
4.1.2 (c): The government is considering to prevent gangsterism in schools by various educational programmes to instil in the mind of our young people the danger of gangsterism and steer them away from vices by organising various healthy youth programmes through sports and cultural activities.
4.1.2 (d): Parents are requested to keep a watchful eye on the children’s activities outside their schools in order to prevent them from involving in vices activities.
4.1.2 (e): Various job skill training and increase of job opportunities will provide the legal and proper way of earning a living particularly for those youngsters who come from broken and poor families with low academic qualification.
CORRUPTION
Perception 5.1: Our country Malaysia has been criticised as one of the countries with serious corruption problems, and the government is slow, inefficient in tackling the problem.
Fact 5.1: In order to avoid from making wrong decision, which is worse than corruption, particularly on economy matters, the BN government has organised extensive consultations with the private sectors and professionals in formulating national economic policies such as pre-annual budget consultation with the various associations from the private sector.
Fact 5.2: Y.A.B. Prime Minister, on numerous occasions, highlighted his determination to eradicate corruption and there are considerable numbers of both small and big “fish” being investigated and brought to court.
Fact 5.3: Y.A.B. Prime Minister also emphasised on efficient and fast delivery system, cutting red tapes to the minimum and fixed timeframe for processing and approving various applications such as One Stop Centre (OSC) on real estate development application implemented by the Ministry of Housing And Local Government.
Fact 5.4: The BN government requested all ministers and deputy ministers, parliamentary secretaries and senior government officials to declare their assets.
Fact 5.5: The National Audit Department under the Prime Minister’s Department has been highlighting the malpractice, weaknesses of various government departments to bring awareness to the top government leaders and for the ratification of the governmental departmental leaders.
COMPETENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY
Perception 6.1: The BN government is incompetent with low productivity as evidenced by long delays or non-response on the letters of complaints or application.
Fact 6.1: We cannot deny that there is room for improvement on the competency and productivity of the BN government’s departments. However, it is heartening to note that BN leaders have been seriously and actively increase the competency and productivity of the government as follows:
a. Introduce delivery system
b. Implement One Stop Centre (OSC)
c. Appoint government-linked conglomerates with proven and good track records to head the development of various economic development corridors
d. Launched creative and ambitious far-sighted thrust to enhance our higher learning institutions
e. Introduce Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on various government departments, local authorities and ministries
LOW-INCOME/POOR PEOPLE
Perception 7.1: The BN government is not sensitive to the predicament, suffering, requirements of the low income group, particularly the poor people.
Fact 7.1: In reality, the BN government is charged with compassion and determination to create a caring and loving society in our country with the following action plans:
a. Urban Poverty Eradication programmes implemented by the Ministry of Housing And Local Government
b. Rural Poverty Eradication programmes implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development
c. Skill training programmes for youth (mostly from kampong or poor families) who cannot make it to colleges and universities, in order for them to become high-salary skilled workers
d. People’s Housing Programme (Program Perumahan Rakyat – PPR) implemented by the Ministry of Housing And Local Government
e. Rumah Mesra implemented by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) under the Ministry of Finance
f. Generous scholarship awarded to poor students with good results
g. Extensive caring and supporting programmes to the single parents and women implemented by the Ministry of Women, Family And Community Development.
h. Well organised Old Folks’ Homes for senior citizens
i. Extensive healthcare which is nearly free, particularly for the poor people.
SIBU LOCAL ISSUES
Perception 8.1: Sibu BN Development Visionary Team (SBNDVT) has failed to establish a full-fledged university campus in Sibu.
Fact 8.1 (a): SBNDVT has been actively pursuing the establishment of a full-fledged university campus in Sibu by establishing contacts And dialogues with potential universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Semenanjung Malaysia at our own travelling cost. However, this effort was politicised by the opposition political party, which stopped the foreign universities from considering the invitation by the SBNDVT who is still undeterred in our endeavour to seek foreign or local universities to set up a full-fledged university campus in Sibu.
Fact 8.1 (b): United College Sarawak (UCS) which was originally founded by SUPP is well managed under the governance of SBNDVT, has progressed satisfactorily towards providing excellence in tertiary education recognised by Lembaga Akreditasi Negara (LAN) with the most affordable fee with our caring compassion to the students particularly those from low-income families.
Fact 8.1 (c): SBNDVT has successfully established Maritime Academy to conduct seamanship degrees which will be recognised internationally including Malaysia and will command high salary.
Fact 8.1 (d): Some members of SBNDVT have also established Sacred Heart College (a full-fledged IPTS) primarily to conduct skill training certificate courses and hospitality certificate and diploma courses and serve as a feeder college to UCS.
Perception 8.2: Sibu road and drain are poorly maintained by the local council & government department and is subject to frequent flood.
Fact 8.2 (a): Due to the fact that Sibu is situated in the low swampy peat soil land whose soil contain over 75% water, creates a very challenging, difficult and expensive construction of roads and houses.
Fact 8.2 (b): The two local authorities, namely SMC and SRDC with the advice from the soil engineering consultants, have adopted a road and drain maintenance working plan to continuously raise the road with minimum clearance of the drain to maintain the constant water level in order to avoid serious collapse of houses, many of which were built with bakau piling, which if exposed to air, will quickly erode, and result in the collapse of the houses.
Fact 8.2 (c): SBNDVT has successfully obtained the approval of flood mitigation materplan costing over RM400 million in RMK-9 in order to solve the flood disasters once and for all for Sibu. The speed and progress of implementing this gigantic project require Sibu BN Wakil Rakyat to follow up within the government for speedy implementation thereof.
Fact 8.3 (d): Sibu Town renewal programme. Recognising the fact that Sibu is situated in a very swampy low line area which makes construction of roads, drains and houses comparatively expensive, in particular, the maintenance of roads and drains which require frequent repair. SBNDVT, after consulting many consultants, particularly soil engineers, architects and civil engineers, have come to an understanding that human cannot work against the nature but with the nature, meaning we have to maximise the usage of the wetland and turn it into conducive and high value development like waterfront housing development and wetland park with canal meandering among them.
LACK OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FOR SIBU
Perception 9: SBNDVT is a standing block to the Sibu development as uttered by an opposition ADUN in the recent DUN sitting.
Fact 9.1: The particular opposition ADUN who uttered this comment is either ignorant on the facts or simply delivering a pre-election speech to discredit the contribution and smear the good name of SBNDVT.
Fact 9.2: It is an undeniable and concrete fact that SBNDVT, since its inception in 1999, has successfully implemented many big development projects such as the four bridges across Rajang River and Igan Rivers, multi-storey car park at Sibu Central Market, highway linking Sibu to Tg. Manis, just to name a few, which costs in total approaching RM1 billion.
Fact 9.3: SBNDVT looks beyond traditional existing Sibu development culture (red sea development strategies) and adopts a very futuristic, creative and conducive proposal (blue ocean development strategy) to sustain the future Sibu city development towards a world class city providing clean, green Information Technology (IT) friendly environment for people to live, work and play, such as:
a. Sibu Riviera City
The proposed Sibu Riviera City is a world class modern city development concept with wide spectrum of components such as tourism and business boulevard facing the rivers, golf academy, waterfront housing development, city centre, tropical rainforest garden, hideaway spa, marina, theme park, information technology centre, etc., emulating the successful mirror image development between Shanghai Bund and Pudong in China, Hong Kong and Kowloon. This proposed project, which will be primarily private-sector driven with government’s blessing, is expected to attract 50,000 residents, some of them will come from foreign countries under “Malaysia My Second Home” (MM2H) programme and will create 20,000 employment opportunities.
b. Urban renewal development for existing Sibu Town
This proposed project will turn the so-called flood-proned, poor soil condition area from Hua Kiew Road to Amoy Road in old town of Sibu into a beautiful and high value waterfront development by creating a big lake to sustain the water level with picturesque canals meandering among the mixed development of recreation, residential and commercial modern mixed development, which according to consultants, will help to solve Sibu flood problem and even could decrease the temperature by 2 degree Celsius, emulating the world famous waterfront development of Miami, USA and Patterson Lake, Melbourne, Australia. SBNDVT has solicited professional advice from Tongji University （同济大学）Shanghai, and Fongjia University（逢甲大学）Taiwan on the direction of development of this project.
c. Exploit the great potential of might Rajang River
The members of SBNDVT, with their own expenses, visited many mighty rivers among the world including Yangtze, Amazon, etc. and feel strongly that our mighty mother river Rajang is perhaps the best kept secret of future economic development for Central Region of Sarawak in general and Sibu in particular, into a gigantic river cruise tourist attraction with star grade floating hotels. The tourists, particularly from foreign countries, will be enchanted by the exotic flora and fauna of the tropical rainforest, the very colourful cultures of the 26 ethnic groups. We believe that this mighty Rajang cruise, if properly developed, will become one of the most attractive tourism products in our country, on par with Mulu Cave, Mount Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers, etc.
d. Sibu Airport Terminal Extension project
The proposed Sibu Airport Terminal Extension project (costing RM100 million) has been approved by the Ministry of Transport through the effort of SBNDVT, who will continuously and aggressively fighting for early implementation during the mid-term review of RMK-9. The conceptual design of this new terminal encompass the grace and beauty of our city mascot, Swan, and is very customer-friendly, with three times the size of the existing terminal, fully air-conditioned, emulating the existing Senai Airport Terminal, Johor.
e. Cybercentre for new Sibu city
SBNDVT is aggressively lobbying for the setting up of cybercentres for the new Sibu city in order to leapfrog economic development, connecting Sibu to national and international IT explosive development. We have preliminarily discussed with the world famous city connectivity consultant, Cisco, a US-based international firm to provide professional expertise on this project to turn Sibu into a world class IT outsourcing service centre.
f. Swan Park
The state government has agreed in principal to gadget over 500 acres of existing nursery run by the forestry department into an integrated tourist and economic garden producing rare and exotic tropical flowers and cash crops in addition to her tourism destination potential.
g. Indoor Stadium
This project (which costs over RM50 million with seating capacity of 5,000 people) has received the blessing of the government, and SBNDVT is aggressively pursuing the implementation of this project with funding either from the government or private sectors (on payment in kind basis).
h. Small and medium projects
There are numerous small and medium projects enhancing the beautification, traffic flow, cultural and heritage development and image of Sibu are being implemented or planned.
i. We sincerely appeal to opposition political parties not to play lip service but get down to work and be truthful to the Sibu development’s situation and stop hook wing the people’s opinion in favour of their selfish interests of catching votes in the coming election.
BALANCED JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL MALAYSIANS
Perception 10: Overwhelmed bumiputra majority working in the civil services with unfair promotion among races and too few bumiputras working in the private sector.
Fact 10: Under the former New Economic Policy followed by now National Economic Policy, the government has been taking in more bumiputras into the government service in order to solve the high employment rate among the bumiputras for the purpose of narrowing the gap and differences of income among races. This policy has, to a great extent, helps our bumiputra Malaysians to improve their living standards. The low percentage of non-bumiputras, especially Chinese, serving in the armed forces and police force also due partly to Chinese traditional culture of reluctance to let their children to serve in the uniformed service under the old belief, “Good iron should not be made into nails, and a good son should not serve as a soldier.” （好铁不打钉，好男不当兵）。However, it also brings unhealthy effect that not enough bumiputra professional and corporate elites and skilled workers working and competing in the private sectors. In view of this dilemma, the BN government has adopted the following measure:
a) Advertise in all languages newspapers for the vacancies available in armed forces and police force.
b) Promote considerable numbers of non-bumiputra government officers with excellent service track records to higher ranks such as generals in armed forces, police head in the police departments and pro vice chancellors in government universities and colleges.
c) Increase the intake of non-bumiputras in essential services like medical officers, nurses in order to facilitate easier holiday-taking during different festivals such as Hari Raya.
d) We wish non-bumiputra community leaders also play a role to encourage the parents to send their children to take up government posts, particularly in armed forces and police force.
e) We understand that most of the companies and corporations in the private sector do employ considerable number of bumiputra staff based on their academic qualifications and experiences.
POLITICAL AND ECONOMICAL REALITY IN MALAYSIA
11.1. The bumiputra Malaysians, particularly the Malays have long realised the fact that in order to protect and enhance the interest and position of their race, they have to unite in politics which will decide the future of their race.
11.2. The non-bumiputra Malaysians including considerable percentage of Chinese are still wandering at the crossroad, particularly during the election time, whether to support the BN government or the opposition parties.
11.3. We know there are dissatisfactions among non-bumiputras including Chinese, whose thinking and decision during the state and parliamentary elections have been successfully hijacked by the opposition political parties by exploiting their unsatisfactory feelings with the sole purpose of catching the votes.
11.4. Knowing the fact that the next government will definitely be a BN government, the opposition political parties are adopting unethical campaign strategies to give empty promises in tune with the aspiration of the people, particularly the Chinese community and do not have the responsibility and obligation to fulfil them.
11.5. These empty promises are as powerful as “ecstasy pills” to storm the minds of the voters long enough to lure them to vote for the opposition political parties during the election and whatever unsatisfactory feeling or “headache” of the people will not go away after the election even if the opposition candidate wins.
11.6. The time has come for non-bumiputra particularly the Chinese voters to realise this political reality that we must unite and rally our full support to the BN candidate to protect our interest and the future of our children.
11.7. We appeal to the opposition political party leaders that if they claim that they are playing supervisory or check-and-balance role to the government, they can do it outside the Parliament and let people, particularly Chinese, elect the BN candidates and send them to the Parliament and work hard in the government for the benefit and the interest of the people and their race.
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