Thursday, June 19, 2008

RAPID KL: Answers to questions & SAPP

1. My son-in-law was not and has never been Chief Executive Officer of MTrans. He was working with the company. I do not know why Prasarana should require 1,500 buses in 1995. It may have taken over the LRT lines but it had already got buses for the feeder system.

I have been informed that Rapid KL belong to the Ministry of Finance and not Khazanah. This increases the mystery of the 1,500 buses for Prasarana.

2. I confess I persuaded MTrans to go into the manufacture of the monorail train, build the tracks and operate it. There was no other Malaysian company willing to do so at that time. As the development cost was high I had to assure MTrans it would be given first preference if a monorail is to be built in Kuala Lumpur.

My main interest is to bring in the technology. I wanted Malaysia not just to use its own monorail trains but to export them as well.

Foreign companies were only interested in selling the train and the lines i.e. not to invest but to get a Government contract.

If being given the rights to risk their own money to acquire monorail technology, develop and test and then build the system in Kuala Lumpur when no others were willing constitute monopoly then I stand guilty.

If my son-in-law happened to be in this company and I did not penalise this company I am very sorry. Since no other company was interested penalising MTrans would mean no Malaysian made monorail train or system.

3. I did not authorise a bailout of the company. The Government talked with MTrans for a monorail system for Putrajaya which could provide some relief for the company.

But the Abdullah Government cancelled this project after the company had built the bridge and part of the track. Government only paid a part of the cost. After this MTrans financial position became worse.

Its value plummeted and Scomi bought only the manufacturing plant in 2006. This was the profitable part of the company.

The Kuala Lumpur Monorail system was acquired by Khazanah when it went into receivership. It was not profitable.

There was no bailout i.e. the Government did not inject capital to revive the company during my premiership. It was a simple purchase by Scomi and Khazanah of a company bankrupted by a decision of the Government after I stepped down.

I am glad that after Scomi bought MTrans it is now making profit. But then Scomi bought the profitable manufacturing plant.
If Utusan is to be believed Scomi only refurbishes Rapid KL buses. If refurbishing gives 20 million Ringgit profits in 2006 i.e. the first year of acquisition as announced by Scomi then the management of Scomi must be brilliant.

It is also no mean feat to get 70 buses out of 150 buses tendered out by Rapid Penang.

Five other companies got the balance of 80 – or 16 buses each. I wish them luck.


SAPP

Tiny SAPP (Sabah Progressive Party) wants to move a motion of no-confidence in Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Apparently SAPP is still confident in Barisan Nasional.

As expected we hear the usual chorus of pledges by the other BN parties to support Abdullah.

When will BN party leaders wake up to the fact that the majority of Malaysians do not want Dato Seri Abdullah as Prime Minister? It was this inability to appreciate the feelings of the people that led to the disastrous 2008 election results by them.

The peninsular BN parties should realise that they have become irrelevant.

Ignore the people and you will find yourself totally rejected.

604 comments:

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cyclotron said...

I'm always support you Tun


Thanks for the explanation.

Phoon said...

Assalamualaikum,
Tun, it has been too long now since you have not posted a new subject on the net. Are you all right. We all wish you well.
Wassalam

Zashnain said...

SAPP is merely doing what other political parties should be doing in these time and age. Speaking out and not blindly supporting the PM is part and parcel of democratic reforms. Other political parties should follow SAPP's example and seek clarification on why BN truly performed poorly in the elections. I am sure the rakyat have many concerns to highlight, especially about the powers that be.

As for Tun's Vision 2020, we should really focus on that milestone and not get distracted. Regretfully I still read many Malays seeking the easiest way up. We should belive in true solidarity or else would we not see an advancement of the Bangsa Malaysia.

As it is, the present govt has forgotten their roots and is merely thinking of their own pockets and their vast pride.

JeNz said...

I used to be ignorant about all these and for that I am ashamed. Anyways..I realized that I have not kept myself abreast with all these news and recently when I do find out more..everything is so depressing.

I find it lame that ACA seems to be on everyone's tail right now especially when the 'key words' were being mentioned.

And today when I read the paper (TheStar); (you should check this ridiculous article too!), this article by DZOF AZMI is really laughable! The big bold title of 'Get the big picture' is just stupid..

I'd be so glad if Tun could tell it in the like-minded's face that -- the big picture is the Rakyat is suffering and if they are -- so are the country!

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