Mega Projects is What the Doctor Recommends
That is what UMNO is scheming. Kill 3 birds with 1 stone – steal as much as possible in the remaining time, weaken the country, and ensure that Pakatan does not succeed when it takes over the as the new government after GE13.
By Just Gan
Why does a nation continue with and embark on mega projects worth hundreds of millions if not billions (new palace, new FELDA HQ, new Parliament building, revival of the crooked Malaysia-Singapore bridge, building a huge arsenal for war, buying submarines which don’t dive, etc.) when it is facing an imminent financial crisis, as evidenced by the decline in its economy, FDI and reserves and its plans to remove subsidy for essential goods (food, fuel, etc) and to introduce general services tax (GST) for all its citizens which will spare no one, not even the new born baby or the old and invalid?
It appears illogical for a nation’s government to go on a spending spree when one does not have the cash or worse still has to rob from poor people. However, a close analysis of the situation will reveal that it is not at all illogical. In fact, it is a very well-thought out plan which will deliver tremendous benefits. Unfortunately, those benefits are for a small group of UMNOputras at the expense of the Rakyat.
Firstly, UMNO (MCA, MIC, etc do not matter, hence BN is irrelevant for the purpose of this article) knows that it may not be in power for long, given the awakening in the Rakyat. UMNO is fairly sure that it will lose the next GE. That’s what the experts say in spite of the weaknesses of Pakatan Rakyat and the troubles of its key partner, PKR. (Remember that Pakatan did brilliantly in the last GE in spite of being a last-minute coalition which lacked experience, financial resources and even credible candidates – Pakatan is in much better shape today than they were at the eve of GE12.)
What will be the consequence for UMNO when Pakatan forms the next government? Absolutely terrible for UMNO (and wonderful for the Rakyat). Pakatan will have its hands full in exposing the corruption, racism and criminal activities of UMNO and bringing those responsible to a proper court of law to answer for their evil deeds.
And the first on the list will be none other than the mastermind and father of corruption, racism and crime in Malaysia – Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, followed by Najib and many many others. Knowing that this is what will happen in the next few years, what does the smart doctor recommend – repeat the tested and guaranteed mega-project formula to amass billions in the remaining time in power. What better way is there than to embark on mega projects and steal the Rakyat’s money “legitimately” through unnecessary projects at exorbitant costs offered behind closed doors to cronies and proxies?
The basic strategy being pursued by UMNO is: Steal as much as you can within the remaining time, get out of the country with the loot and leave the bankrupt nation to the incoming Pakatan Rakyat government. The dire economic state of the nation and the suffering of the Rakyat will be so serious that the Pakatan Government will have its hands full in dealing with the economic and social problems and will not have the time, money or resources to go after the UMNO crooks.
Subsidy would have been cut for essential items, GST would have been introduced, the reserves would have been depleted by the time UMNO is kicked out. Petronas’s reserves would have been siphoned out and oil/gas futures would have been sold and money collected, leaving it as another failed national oil corporation. All disputes with foreign countries, where money can be made, would have been settled and the money received would disappear and become unaccountable.
The huge civil service left behind by the UMNO government will be a tremendous drain on the financial resources of the country. It may even become necessary to print billions of new ringgit bills to pay the high salaries and bonuses of the civil servants and this will weaken the ringgit and the country’s ratings. Any action taken by the Pakatan government to downsize or to increase the productivity of the civil service will have serious consequences.
By the time Pakatan takes over, the ringgit would have plummeted, leading to inflation and serious financial difficulty for the Rakyat. It would be very difficult for the Pakatan government to restore subsidies or address the financial problems of the Rakyat. They will be judged as a failure by the Rakyat. That is what UMNO is scheming. Kill 3 birds with 1 stone – steal as much as possible in the remaining time, weaken the country, and ensure that Pakatan does not succeed when it takes over the as the new government after GE13. So here is the doctor’s advice (order?) to Najib and UMNO: “Continue the plunder of the nation. Resume work on the “crooked bridge” immediately. Embark on new istanas, parliament houses, HQs, etc. Let there be many many more mega projects, and be quick about it.”
