A bridge too far…or a bridge too much of a fancy??

Lo and behold the saga of the scenic over the straits of Johore is over.

The bridge that will link us with our economic rival, Singapore is not gonna be built.

“It was because the rakyat didn’t want it” says one Menteri Besar, who enjoys zapin rather than sitting in the office thinking of a way of how to elevate the lagging Malays in his own backyard.

“It was due to Singapore putting unrealistic claims such as sands and Malaysian airspace” said another Minister, from Kota Tinggi, Johor.

The same minister who said last year that the bridge will be built nonetheless regardless of what the Singaporeans wants, (even threatening to demolish the existing causeway just to coax the Singaporeans to agree).

“It wasn’t a popular rakyat decision, we listen to the rakyat” said another top Minister, who is currently lonely.

Oh rakyat…let your voices be known and heed your call, for your voices has been heard and heeded. Oh yes…the orgasm of being noticed is almost mind blowing.

But I beg to differ!!? This rakyat who pays good taxes be it income taxes, sales tax or road tax, really beg to differ.

My arguments?

1. After all the saga of building the bridge ended, does anyone knows what actually going on?

Why appoint the contractor and signed the agreement to build the bridge even before the Singapore government actually agrees on it?

On yes, it was mooted out in 1996, during the time of our last Prime Minister, everything was hunky dory and the Singapore did agree.

Did they? Did they sign any papers saying that they agree? Like the papers the Malaysian government signed with Singapore 30 years ago about the supply of processed water for a paltry 30 cents per litre?

Did they?

Guess you lots assume a lot huh? Like you assume I am not gonna pissed about the fuel hike and just rolled with the punches…

2. The contractors are smiling all the way to the bank!

Who are the directors behind the company being awarded with the job of building the bridge? Are they not disappointed with the news? Kenapa tak issue statements that they are incurring huge loss due to the cancellation! Why mum over this issue? I would have fight tooth and nails if my project were cancel on a grounds that I was not totally in control of?

Perhaps they are not angry and that is a BIG perhaps, is because they initially know that whether the project is a go ahead or not, they are making billions already.

If the bridge gets built, they already won on inflated prices, if the bridge gets cancelled; there is a provision in the contract that warrants a huge compensation.

Now, that is a business model I would like to have! Lebih baik tak jadi, makan duit atas angina saje…

3. Where is your consensus of this ”suara rakyat”?

This statement has been mooted out several times by various ministers. But on what grounds, where is your databases? What is your “r” value? What type of questionnaires used? Likert method perhaps? SPSS used to tabulate the score?

Did you participate in this survey? Or the minister can now reads minds?

I totally cannot accept that we are somehow being blame for this! Totally unacceptable?! You piled the crap and I got blame for the shit, which is totally fucked up la dude!

Back in 1996, were we the rakyat “consented on this also? I believe no…the Minister always know better than us. Suara rakyat….oh suara rakyat

May be some of you beginning to think, eleh kutu nie komplen boleh laaa…bagi la suggestion? I am no politician just a simple man. A simple man who tries to make ends meet through honest and legal business.

1. Survey are easy to do

It is so easy to set up a survey that is can costless. A website survey that is accessible to the general public can be set up practically free! SMS voting can also be done. If the public willing to part RM 0.50 to vote for Mawi, Marsya and Felix, why not vote for this?

Surely we Malaysian, especially Malays are not too fickle about issue like this? Or are they?

Web survey can easily tabulated and shown to the public. The participation can be limited a specific time, like 21 days. If it is a popular decisions, wouldn’t it be easier to force it through becoz the opposition would not a grain of ammunition to lambaste you with?

Alas…the flesh is weak as well as some minister brain.

2. Projects that involve billions need thorough planning.

Ini tidak, persetujuan belum dapat dari the other party, sudah “syok sendiri”. Appoint contractor dulu laa, buat pilling siap2 laa.., heboh satu Malaysia laa.

Did you know that not a single news was aired in Singapore about the bridge cancellation?! Are they not bothered, are they not concerned that their government were blamed?

Perhaps they know that Malaysians gemar Jom Heboh, so let them key poh!

3. How many bridges la chief?

May be many did not realized that we already have a second bridge linking Malaysia with Singapore at Gelang Patah. Over RM 2 billion were spent on that bridge, the usage is still below expectations and the payback period was expected to be over 30 years.

If I were the holding concession on bridge at Gelang Patah, I will be pissed that the second bridge is being built less than 8 years after my bridge is completed.

4. Who needs who?

I believe it is painful to say this especially when I am a Johorean myself, but Johor Bahru needs Singaporeans more than Singaporeans needs Malaysian.

They come in droves during weekends, spends millions of ringgit on grocery items and fuels, injecting our economy. Bettering the life in JB itself with better facilities, wider roads, hotel fully occupied and job for thousands of workers.

Most Malaysian goes to Singapore for jobs with better pay, better education and better healthcare.

So who needs who the most?!

I have run out of superlative in describing this funny scenario. I just wished our “beloved” minister would stop patronizing us once in a while…I am so covered with your bullshit that my mum beginning to think I work in a cow ranch in Rawang!

LIFESTYLES?

I have not been able to update my blog lately…honestly becoz I don't seem to have anything to write, be I becoz I am plain lazy or just a dry patch. Probably both …

Next two weeks my exams is coming up, got two papers on one day, man…when you are 18, you would think nothing of it…but when you are 30, that is a totally different story, though you understand the subject better as you grew older, your capacity to store it somewhat diminishes, it may not hold true to all people but majority do face this problem.

It is no excuse but just another way of telling yourselves, you need to try harder and smarter. Lots has been going on since I last update the blog, I have moved to a new office, a place i can finally called my own , the rent is okay and the parking is free, so go figure…slightly further from my house but closer to KL.

Business has been quite good but sporadic in nature, I got things align for June upwards but none currently, sounds ironic isn’t it but that the nature of my business is just that way. In the meantime, you need to do lots of proposal, drawings to appease your clients and do lots of presentation, you do your best, you win some and lose some.

I haven’t been the easiest person to deal with, I am no way by the book person but I do want to know what and who I am dealing with, old school business may irked with the way I handled things but I am what I am.

For me, in business …relationship is important, I may have to quote my price slightly higher in order to let my friends in it…there are other malay, who do not believe in this…they are pure businessman with a motto that says “ I deal with an end user and that’s about it…”

I do not favour that view for I am believe that good friends are hard to get…whilst enemy are aplenty. Just try this…even in your many years of being surrounded by friends, just how many can just leave everything just to aid you in your times of need? If you do have it…keep it close! It is easier to make enemy than make a good friend…if making friends is easy, might as well…we walk up to a particular guy at a mamak joint and ask him/her “ Beb…kita jadik member boleh?”

“ Err…err..awak okay ke?? “ or “ Apahal lu beb?” will be the most possible outcome, but just try walk to the same guy, and kick him/her at the back…there you go, an instant enemy, a foe!

Entah..i value friendship even in business. There are pitfalls though for there is no foolproof plan…but you do what you need to do.

Till then…good day and good luck!

Kereta nasional punca kemalangan meningkat?

Di petik dari laman web pencinta Malaysia

Jeremy Clarkson memusnahkan Kelisa, sila rujuk video
berikut: -

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Tf3Rw8VW3aE

Mungkin perasaan rakyat Malaysia yang menonton video tersebut, akan berasa marah, apabila media UK terang-terangan menghina kereta buatan Malaysia, yakni Perodua Kelisa yang semakin hari semakin hebat jualannya. Sudah lah ia diketuk, di gantung dan akhirnya diletupkan. Beliau juga berkata, bahawa barangan buatan Malaysia dan Korea tidak mementingkan keselamatan kecuali keuntungan jualan semata-mata.

Mungkin juga dengan menontonnya, jika boleh tersedar bahawa, selama ini kita tidak pernah mempersoalkan tentang kualiti kenderaan yang kita gunakan. Sejak Proton dan Perodua dihasilkan, kemalangan yang meragut nyawa semakin meningkat. Kita setuju bahawa kita tidak pernah mengambil berat dan mengikuti statistik kematian sebelum dan selepas kereta tempatan
dihasilkan. Ramai keluarga yang kehilangan ahli mereka akibat memandu kenderaan kebanggaan Malaysia. Suasa riang hari raya yang patut kita rasakan segera bertukar sedih dan berkumpul dihospital dan rumah mayat adalah pengalaman yang cukup tidak enak ketika musim perayaan.

TEKTIK KERAJAAN DAN PENGELUAR

Peringatan melalui iklan sering dipertontonkan ketika bermulanya musim perayaan. Pelbagai iklan dihasilkan oleh, syarikat Proton, Perodua dan syarikat minyak nasional Petronas. Sehari hampir 50 kali iklan yang sama akan disiarkan. Malah kerajaan dan artis akan memberi pesan yang sama kepada masyarakat yang akan pulang ke kampung. Namun akibat keghairahan, kita tidak dapat menjanjikan keselamatan, walaupun kita memandu secara berhemah.

Pecah juga lah kepala para menteri dan polis untuk memikirkan bagaimana langkah yang terpaksa diambil untuk mengelak dan mengurangkan kemalangan. Tektik terbaru adalah menyediakan minuman kopi di stesyen-stesyen minyak. Langkah yang lain ialah meletakkan pegawai polis di sepanjang jalan dan mengambil tindakan saman sekiranya berlaku pemanduan yang berbahaya yang dilakukan oleh pemandu dan pengguna jalanraya.

Tetapi sedarkah kita bahawa kerajaan dan pihak pengeluar kenderaan tidak pernah memikirkan untuk menambah, memajukan ciri-ciri keselamatan kecuali banyak memikirkan akan bagaiman untuk menaikkan jualan mereka sahaja.

HASILNYA

Media, kerajaan dan pengusaha kenderaan, sebenarnya asyik melekakan kita. Sedarkah kita bahawa kita juga asyik menyalahkan saudara kita atau mereka yang terlibat, jika kemalangan berlaku.

Pernah kah kita menyalahkan kerajaan kerana tidak menyediakan kemudahan yang sepatutnya dan pernahkah kita salahkan pada pengusaha kenderaan kerana tidak menyediakan ciri-ciri keselamatan yang mencukupi?

Kesilapan dan kemalangan boleh berlaku dimana-mana. Dan kemalangan tidak tentu masa dan ketikanya. Kita tidak pernah cuba menanganinya secara serius, selain menyalahkan pengguna jalanraya. Seolah-olah tiada pihak lain yang terbabit.

Minda dan pemikiran rakyat Malaysia sudah dikawal oleh sikap pemerintah dan pengeluar kereta tempatan yang asyik mementingkan wang hasil jualan kenderaan tanpa mengambil kira kematian yang terhasil akibat kebodohan ciri-ciri keselamatan kenderaan dan jalanraya.

Kesalahan yang dipertanggunjawabkan kepada rakyat adalah untuk menutup kesalahan pihak lain. Dari kegagalan RMK 8, kegagalan basmi dadah, kegagalan sistem pelajaran, peningkatan kadar jenayah, banjir, kerugian TNB dan sebagainya, jari telujuk menteri dan kerajaan, hanyalah menuding ke arah rakyat.

KERAJAAN YANG TIDAK PERNAH BERSALAH

Sepanjang kita hidup, kita tidak pernah sekali-kali berpeluang mendengar MAAF dilakukan oleh oleh Menteri dan kerajaan atas kesilapan mereka. Tetapi pastinya, mereka tidak pernah rasa bersalah dan beruntunglah Malaysia kerana mempunyai kerajaan BN yang 'PERFECT". Asyik-asyik salahkan rakyat dan asyik-asyik salahkan rakyat.

RAKYAT TIADA PILIHAN

Jika ketiadaan cukai import yang dikenakan kepada kereta luar Negara, sudah pasti jumlah penjualan kenderaan luar akan jauh lebih baik dari kenderaan tempatan. Tetapi malang kepada rakyat apabila cukai import yang tinggi, menyebabkan harga kenderaan dari luar Negara jauh lebih mahal dari kenderaan tempatan.

Namun begitu, kenderaan tempatan yang kononnya rendah harga, masih lagi tinggi dibandingkan dengan jumlah pendapatan rakyat Malaysia.

Rakyat tidak mempunyai pilihan. Dengan kualiti pengangkutan awam yang macam sial dan dek kerana ahli keluarga yang semakin ramai, rakyat terpaksa membeli kenderaan tempatan tanpa banyak soal. Maka duit dikumpul dan disimpan, hanya untuk membeli bukan kereta tetapi keranda. Keranda yang pada bila-bila boleh membawa maut.

Bukan sahaja ciri keselematan kenderaan tempatan sahaja yang longgar malah, kerosakan mungkin berlaku selepas kenderaan dibeli. Kekadang, sehinggakan pakar kenderaan jenama itu sendiri pun tidak boleh kenal pasti kerosakan yang dialami. Berbangga lah dengan kereta Nasional.

NASIHAT

Disini kita perlu lebih matang untuk memikirkan suatu yang baru. Sekiranya selepas ini berlaku kemalangan jiwa kepada kaum keluarga kita, kita perlu perihatin kepada kemungkinan tiada ciri-ciri keselamatan pada kenderaan yang kita beli atau keadaan jalan kita yang sememangnya tiada kualiti. Mungkin juga kekurangan tanda jalan dilokasi berbahaya.

Disebalik kesalahan hanya kepada pemandu, kenapa kita tidak libatkan pengusaha kenderaan, kerajaan dan siapa sahaja yang patut terlibat. Saman mereka asalkan ia berbaloi dengan sikap sambil lewa mereka.

Kerajaan selama ini tidak langsung mengambil berat akan keselamatan rakyat Malaysia dan kita terus-terusan membeli kenderaan buatan Malaysia. Kononnya "BELI LAH BARANGAN BUATAN MALAYSIA." Untuk kereta proton dan perodua, sudah lah tidak berkualiti, mahal pula harganya.

Apabila rakyat mempersoalkan kredibiliti kerajaan, masih ada pihak pro kerajaan yang menyangkal dan memarahi kita kerana masih tidak berterima kasih kepada kerajaan BN. Yang nyata kemajuan yang kita ada sekarang adalah jauh dari yang sepatutnya kia rasai kerana jumlah perbelanjaan kerajaan jauh lebih banyak dan banyak dari nya adalah untuk pembaziran
menteri-menteri.

Sebagai rakyat kita perlu sedar selain dari asyik dipersalahkan, nyawa kita juga tidak lebih dari RM0.30 kepada kerajaan. Nasiblah..