Enough is Never Enough for Syed Mokhtar

I was away from our beloved Malaysia for almost 3 weeks in Vietnam on business-cum-rest, and during this period much water has flowed under the scrapped “crooked bridge” (of our former crooked Prime Minister). including the news of the High Court acquittal of Anwar Ibrahim in the Sodomy 2 case.

While Anwar’s welfare and future may also be our welfare and future, let us not overlook two main issues that have recently surfaced; the takeover of Proton by DRB-Hicom and the proposed takeover of KTMB by MMC Corporation Bhd which will have far-reaching effects on the lives of all Malaysians for now and the generations to come.

First of all, the Proton deal has been signed and sealed, and Khazanah Chief Azman has claimed the Khazanah (our money) did make a profit from the sale. I see the dark hand of the Mamak being instrumental in this betrayal, as he was the founder of the National Car (in cohort with Singaporean Rin Kin Mei and Kumei of Kawasho), and now Advisor of Proton (with high salary).

And who is the de facto owner of DRB-Hicom? None other than another Mamak from the Northern Malaysia, Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, who prior to 1981, was nothing but one of the many lorry transport operators carrying rice for the then National Padi Board (today he owns Bernas which means he controls the main staple diet of ALL Malaysians who are at his mercy).

Then came the “proclamation” by our imbecile DPM that despite the takeover, Proton remains our National Car. If you don’t know what his hidden meaning, let me enlighten my fellow Malaysians. We are in deep shit again because being the National Car, our Government will continue to protect it by tariff (and increase that if Syed Mokhtar says so).

Our worse fears may come if Proton succumbs to the fate of MAS under Tajuddin Ramli; we have to buy it back from Syed Mokhtar at inflated price, like the case of MAS, because it is a “National Car or National Carrier”.

Who then are behind all these, but the 3-M, viz Mahathir, Muhyiddin, Mukhriz (the team working behind closed doors to topple Najib).

Now, let us move to second main news or issue that is taking shape which might escape the notice of ordinary Malaysians. Here too, the face of Syed Mokhtar is in the picture. This time, he is using another vehicle (of which he has many in the stable) MMC Corporation Bhd. He wants to takeover the operation of KTMB (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd to become Keretapi Tanah Mamak Bhd, good-bye to Melayus).

What is his motive behind this move, we may ask? Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary! He is eyeing the Gemas to JB double track rail project. If he owns KTMB, then it is entirely, as owner, up to the great Mamak Syed Mokhtar to decide who he wants to award the project to, thereby making another huge commission from the Chinese Company (if the promise by Najib to Hu Jintao needs to be fulfill).

You think he cares for KTMB and us, the poor Malaysians who have to travel by trains sans the luxury automobiles and uniformed chauffeurs of the super-rich who rob from us in the first place? Again, because he grabs the huge commission from the project, the cost over runs into the operation, and he will seek fare increases; we the sufferers to bear the burden again.

Let me tell you that Syed Mokhtar has already made his money from the JV with Gamuda in the on-going Northern stretch of double track rail from Ipoh to Padang Besar project. For some reason, Gamuda’s name appeared in the news lately as likely winner of the Gemas-JB portion, but MMC’s name was not mentioned.

Perhaps, Gamuda has enough of Syed Mokhtar’s style of making money without working and Gamuda wants to bid for the Gemas-JB without MMC — that makes Syed Mokhtar mad and he decides to use his MMC to take over KTMB to teach Gamuda a lesson as to who calls the shots in this project; not even the PM Najib. Again, the advice could have come from the dark hand who was hurt by Pak Lah for cancelling the LOI he signed with MMC-CREC as Prime Minister, remember?

Having said that, it is my humble opinion that not the Chinese, not MMC, not anybody else, but Gamuda should be given that Gemas-JB project as this is the only Malaysian company that has real practical experience and track record to undertake the project, and to gain further cognizance to become internationally qualified railway contractor. The Chinese, let it be CRCC, CREC, CHEC, CCCC, CRBC or whatsoever, must play second fiddle to Gamuda, as sub-contractor or JV partner (to fulfill PM’s pledge to China) to be picked by Gamuda. This is good for Malaysia even though some misgivings could have reminded us of how Gamuda got their present Ipoh-Padang Besar contract.

Syed Mokhtar must be stopped at certain stage to prevent him from becoming the Monarch of all he surveys!

Todak