The World Anthem


WE ARE ALL OF 1 RACE, THE HUMAN RACE.


31/05/2008

GRAND SAGA – THE SANCTITY OF GRIDLOCKS & POWER GRIDS



by leo velusamy, donplaypuks® intrepid correspondent for killer watt tolls







As a layman, it is my understanding that any 2 or more parties may enter into a valid contract, but not quite for any endeavour. Leaving aside the intricacies of ‘honour and offer’ etc., among the list of illegal and voidable contracts and agreements are those promoting:-

1. illegal and unlawful activities
2. activities against public interest
3. and containing unfair terms and conditions
4. possible breaches vis-à-vis issues of National Security

Thus, a prostitute cannot sue in court a client who has enjoyed her favours, but refuses to pay up, since the contract would have been for an illegal activity. In a bygone age, prostitutes could not be taxed on their ‘back-earned contract earnings’ since the source of their earnings was deemed illegal. But when high class hookers in Mayfair and Park Lane in London took home half a mill a year, but also claimed welfare (dole) privileges, the law got wiser, pronto. The Inland Revenue, eschewing their usual laid-back stance, just issued these women of genteel leisurely pursuits and easy morals, a Tax Assessment on their ‘activities from a Trade.' Gains from plying one’s body, mind and soul to another for mere mutually agreed pleasure (and ‘optional’ lucre and ‘tips’) were no longer to be viewed as a charitable endowment. Solicitation, the oldest profession in the world before Accounting & Tax Fiddles, and Priesthood, became a taxable Trade.

The Inland Revenue’s new posture was apparently a sea change from the usual missionary position they assumed when dealing with Madames. It was up to the Christine Keelers of our world to dispute the tax assessment, but most paid up quietly rather than risk losing a lucrative 9-5 (p.m. to a.m. that is) income and a lifestyle that engaged AND simultaneously challenged the rich and famous.

There is also that wonderfully enlightening ‘Nuremberg’ ruling that no one is obliged to follow and act on the instructions of their superiors (or inferiors, I suppose), to commit a crime. Of course, the Nuremberg Principle was established in 1945-6 to prevent German (and Japanese) soldiers and officers from pleading ‘mea culpa’ after enthusiastically committing Genocide. Thus while a Nazi Boche Jerry Hans might have signed up and agreed to follow implicitly every command of his SS General on the battlefield, it did not give him the right to gas the Jews (whether by 6 million or not), and after that to knock out their gold teeth and rifle through their wallets as well ! ‘I was merely following the General’s orders’ is simply unacceptable in the civilized modern world.

Which brings us to the ‘Sanctity’ of Agreements for Toll Roads (TR) and Independent Power Producers (IPP) signed between our Government and various privately incorporated companies, several of which are listed on the KL Stock Exchange.

It was only by the narrowest of margins in 1988 that our Federal Court ruled that the Government need not secure contractors for huge privatisation projects through transparent Open Tender processes, which had been the Government Treasury and Ministry of Finance mandated norm until them. The tipping vote came from one, Tun Salleh Abbas! This paved the way for a little known once Singapore listed company, United Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM) to be awarded the then largest contract in Malaysian history – worth some RM 800 million or so.

The rest, as they say, is History.

What is most revealing and devastating as to the failure of Dr. Mahathir’s Government in its fiduciary duty towards its citizens’ and taxpayers’ can be gleaned from a disclosure by the former MD of Tenanag National Berhad (TNB), Tan Sri Ani Arope (TSAA).

In an interview published in the STAR, TSAA divulged that the Economic Planning Unt (EPU) which is a department operating under the aegis of the Prime Minister, had repeatedly attempted to force him to concede to onerous terms demanded, not requested, by several companies lobbying for very lucrative IPP contracts. Among these demands were:-

1. IPP status even though Tenaga had excess capacity of about 15% - 20%.
2. Charges of as high as 20 cents per kw of electricity when Tenaga could produce them at below 10 cents per kw.
3. ‘Take or Pay’ contracts which meant Tenaga had to pay the IPP’s at extortionate rates whether or not it needed or used their supply.
4. IPP’s be allowed to utilise TNB’s infrastructure and take over assets for a song.

Where TSAA had courageously stood firm against the onslaught and outright threats of
the IPP promoters and their buddies in the EPU, his successor had no qualms in approving the IPP proposals carte blanche, with indecent haste. When recently, there was a suggestion that these IPP contracts be reviewed, it was then that a Mahathir-era crony ‘entrepreneur’ pontificated about the ‘Doctorine of Sanctity of Contracts’, someone who had wangled, some say (since details are classified under the Official Secrets Act or OSA), an unheard of 18 cents or more per killer watts of theft.

Among Malaysian Ali Baba Phoneykookakhomeni Entrepreneurs, this is called the ‘Apocalypse Now’ strategy. When their gravy train is threatened with possible derailment, they will circle the wagons and bleat as one that the entire world financial system will collapse if their unfair contracts are hauled up for review. Phrases such as ‘The very foundations of the global financial system will be undermined’, ‘Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) will dry up’, ‘This is the thin end of the wedge of Communism’, and my favourite, ‘We are not a charity, you know. We cannot be subsidizing TNB at give-away prices’ will abound in the financial sections of state-owned newspapers and media. Revolting, is it not !

For his honesty and integrity, TSAA was rewarded with early retirement and short-listed for possible Chairmanship of Kelvinator – the company that produces liquid nitrogen deep freezers!

The Direct Negotiations Non-Tendered Out Contract (DNNTOC), which perhaps had its historic beginnings with the Penang Bridge, metamorphosized and evolved into an art form with the TR contracts. The inventor, thought apocryphal, of the DNNTOC is said to be a certain ex-Minister renown for the piscatorial delight on his tonsure, who is famously quoted as saying, just seconds before 40 cracks appeared, that ‘The Keposayang Bridge vill last a hundred years’ as well as for his prescient ‘After the General Elections, ve vill yave a new team !!’ Never were more prophetic words uttered.

This Minister has never minced his verds. He has always, repeatedly made it clear that he represented the interests of Big Biz, the ruling political parties and then the People, in that order. I suppose we should be grateful to him for his honesty for having none of the usual pretensions that other Ministers wear on their sleeves about serving the Electorate by whose covenant the ruling classes are given their legitimacy to form Governments.

A cornerstone principle of such a DNNTOC is ‘CYA (cover your ass) everywhich vay at the peoples’ expense.’

No one knows who conducted pre-contract traffic studies or reviewed them. One wag suggests it was probably done in London, Beirut and Cairo, during one of several ‘Lawatan Sambil Belajar’ (Research cum Holiday) overseas junkets sponsored by State and Federal Governments,and possibly, a political party charity fund or two to boot. Spouses of Ministers and VIP’s may have made that arduous and physically sapping journey through the savage roads leading to Knightsbridge, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason and thence to Oxford Street and Selfridges.

This may serve to explain the veil of secrecy surrounding these DNNTOC, the sadistic vicarious thrill derived, in this instance, from keeping the veil on, firmly intact !!

Not only do these TR contracts allow for periodic automatic increase of Toll charges, they appear to do so even where traffic count has far exceeded agreed approved targets by the thousands. And if traffic count should fall short of base figures used in computing the initial charges, or God forbid, plunge as motorists shun toll roads, why, the White Knight on his Woven Wig Bucephallus will charge in and help out – the Concessionaires, of course. So what’s an additional $100 million or two to buy out TR contacts awarded to croneys who in the first place were subsized with low-interest preferential loans. And if it was felt unnecessary to inform EPF & Socso members that the returns on their funds were not maximised, lest God forbid, they should rush out into the streets and topple a Government or two, the National Security angle and card were well played.

And, if the public protests about crippling toll charges, the solution? And there’s that damned phrase again, - to protect the sanctity of contracts – keep the toll rate unchanged, but extend the tenure of TR contracts from 15 to 20 to 30 years. QED, Einstein. Oops, forgot the Addendum. Yes, compensate the TR Concessionaires to the tune of several $100 million or billions a years from Government coffers. Heads I Win, Tail You Lose! And damn that pain-in-the-ass promised alternative non-toll access roads or about maintaining them.

Details of the TR & IPP contracts, though clasified under OSA, have become available in the public domain through filings with KLSE in documents pertaining to listing and raising of capital through issuances of Bonds and Loans. So, there have been exposes in the Edge about undue preferential protection and terms given to Concessionares, much against public interest.

Yet, the Minister can say it with a straight 'po' face that the Concessionaires had to service bank loans and interest charges, implying an onerous business with razor-thin margins and profits. Strange then isn’t it that none has folded up, gone bankrupt, seen their share prices collapse or seen to be looking to sell their companies. None to be had for a bargain. Financing Interest Charges are 100% deductible against operating profits. So, what's the beef? Except perhaps, UEM, which given a golden goose, promptly began to dissect it, and eventually, of course, had to be bailed out with taxpayers’ money.

But, the icing on the cake must surely be that clause which requires the approval of TR & IPP Concessionares before such Public Works contracts and agreements can be disclosed to our People.

And this is where we started.

Can the OSA be legally invoked to conceal contracts from being disclosed to the Public, where such contracts are funded by taxpayers’ funds? The use of the OSA is in this instance, clearly illegal if not Unconstitutional as well.

The use of the OSA here is clearly to avoid transparency and prevent accountability for unfair terms which are blatantly against Public Interest. It would be prudent to get all these companies to disclose how much they have donated to the coffers of political parties over the last 10 years. Who will bell the cat? The KLSE and Securities Commission should insist on it, or stand convicted of protecting these robber-barons.

National Security cannot be invoked to protect one-sided Public contracts. If, as the Minister claims, the disclosure of these contarcts ‘might lead to unrest and dissatisfaction against the Government’ that is no more than the just desserts the Government deserves for trying to hood-wink the People. What, the Government wants cast-iron guarantees from its People? The Bastille fell for want of mere loaves of bread. Should the Elite & Croneys stay afloat for the loss of billions of ringgit?

And, the Nuremberg Principle?

No civil servant or citizen is obliged to comply with any Ministerial or Government orders to prevent the disclosure of any Government Contract if such a contract:-

1. promotes illegal and unlawful activities
2. is against Public Interest
3. contains unfair terms and conditions that adversely affect the People
4. prevents the Public from guaging transparency and accountability where Taxpayers’ Money is utilized.

There's no two ways about it!

donplaypuks with my tax money man!! at http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com/

22/05/2008

Transport Query - ‘GRIDLOCK’ OR ‘FOR WHOM THE TOLLS BELL IN BOLEHLAND’

by the international jew henry ford
donplaypuks' intrepid correspondent for motoring affairs

Excerpts from the intro to Ben Elton’s (UK) 1991 ‘Gridlock’ about a group of aliens visiting Earth to shoot a 3-minute TV comedy item for their top-rated show ‘That’s Amazing’ :

QUOTE ‘But then, they were stumped. They had encountered one aspect of human activity which astonished and mystified even those hardened researches. Researchers who thought they had seen every illogicality and lunacy that the universe had to offer.

All those things which we on Earth believe to be complex and difficult had been simplicity to these aliens - the situation in Beirut, what Hamlet’s problem was, how to set the timer on a 14-day VCR (although in fairness they managed to record a documentary about Tuscany rather than ‘Dirty Harry’ which is what they really wanted to watch)…whether an object exists when you are not looking at it (it does), whether there is a God (if you want), and why people eat KFC even though it makes them ill (human beings are stupid).

They had seen pointless wars and pointless destruction. They had even visited the Tate gallery, listened to modern jazz, read the novels of James Joyce.

They scratched their multiple thought podules and said ‘Bugger me, that’s weird!’

The problem was one of transport.

They could see the long thin arteries along which humans travelled. They noted that after sunrise all the humans travelled one way and at sunset they all travelled the other. They could see that progress was slow and congested along these arteries, that there were endless blockages, queues, bottle-necks and delays causing untold frustration and inefficiency. All this they could see clearly. What was not clear to them, was why. They knew humanity was stupid.

The super intelligent beings transmitted their data back to the producer of their programme who responded.

‘You’re mad, bellowed the producer. You’re tying to tell me that they’re all going in the same direction, travelling to much the same destinations and yet they’re all deliberately impeding the progress of each other by covering 6 square metres of space with a large, almost completely empty tin box?’

‘That’s exactly what we’re trying to tell you, boss.’

‘You’re lying,’ shouted the producer. You mean, a society sufficiently sophisticated to produce the internal combustion engine has not had the sophistication to develop cheap and efficient public transport?’

‘Yes, boss,’ said the researchers, ‘it’s true. There’s hardly any buses, the trains are hopelessly underfunded, and hence the entire population is stuck in traffic.’

‘Well, that’s amazing,’ said the producer. Get your asses back to Britain. We got a show.’ UNQUOTE

Is it not amazing that our Malaysian Triple Degree Havoxhavudbridge Transport Consultants, Ministers and Government have learnt nothing from all these disasters which started long, long ago in UK, USA, France and Germany.

What do they do, these Peoples’ Reps, when they go overseas on taxpayers’ money?

The long-suffering motoring public are mass victims of belly-dancing, shopaholic escapades and 'lawatan sambil belajar' junkets at their expense!!

donplaypuks with my transport man!! donplaypuks® at http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com

19/05/2008

The Great MPO Debate


by foxgang amadeus beethkovsky
donplaypuls' intrepid correspondent for musical affairs


The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) issue is not an easy one to criticize lest one is accused of being a music and culture Philistine.

And for the record, my eclectic taste in music does include Holst, Rachmaninoff, Strauss, Mozart et al.

But perhaps, one way of looking at it is by comparing it with Indian Carnatic Music and Bharathanatyam Dance (ICMBD).

ICMBD is much older than Western Classic Music by at least a thousand years, and it is a highly developed and sophisticated art enjoyed by several hundred million Indians and their diaspora. But nowhere in the Western Hemisphere, or for the matter anywhere outside India, is this art form subsidised, year in, year out, to the tune of some $ 30 million per year, by any Government or Semi-Government Body, as Petronas does with the MPO, where almost 100% of the musicians are foreigners. What the capital and annual maintenance cost of the Auditorium is, is anybody's guess, since it is bound to be blacked out under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

So, what gives with MPO and Petronas subsidies? Has that man-for-all-seasons and people (just dumped by London voters) Red Ken Livingstone ever suggested in his 20-odd year tenure as the mayor of London, that Dikir Bharat, Mak Yong, Malay Dance and Malaysian Culture should be given an airing at the South Bank or at the Royal Albert Hall in London bank-rolled by the GLC's coffers?

Tourists visit the MPO because it is there, not that they have ever threatened a UN sponsored international boycott and embargo on KL if they could not relax to the strains of Beethoven and Bach whilst washing down their Satay and Durian Dodol with Tiger Beer (sad is it not that Anchor is a poor, second cousin, nowadays!) or perhaps it is quaffing caviar with Chianti, Beaujolais, Chateau Lafitte and Dom Perignon.

When will we stop imitating our 'unknown neighbours immediately across the Causeway,' who today are totally confused as to whether they have their own unique culture, or, they have evolved into some foreign outpost of London, New York and Paris. And, perhaps, of Vienna.

When is the Malaysian Government ever going to get its priorites right? We spend $1.2 billion to buy Russian Warplanes that will never be used (because no one is going to invade us anytime soon) so as to be condescendingly allowed (read as conned) to sponsor a space tourist, at the additional cost to us of only another paltry $ 40 million. What next, Buy 20, Free1? But we cannot afford to give scholarships and bursaries to some who are less equal than others and who score 10A1's in the SPM examinations, despite the PM's guarantee? Or is it, will not?

When did we surrender and hock our national identity and collective conscience to Messrs. Elgar, Chopin and Tchaikovsky? When did the Flying Dutchmen, Aida and the 4 Tenors become part of Malaysian culture? By all means let these world class Western luminaries visit us every now and then; let our children learn to appreciate them as much as they have a desire for them. But not at the taxpayers' expenses. We do have other more important priorities. And, if your little wunderkind cannot fathom Italian and Enrico Caruso, it will not be fatal to his maturing. He has lots of time ahead of him to cultivate such uplifting interests.

The least Petronas could do is to put a gun to the heads of the Conductors of the London, Paris, Vienna, Munich and Moscow Symphony Orchestras and get them to underwrite 80% of the bills.

But then, if we keep buying jumper jets, submarines and Kalashnikovs from them, they will only load it upfront anyway!!

Catch 22, all the way!

SOME VERY PRIVATE COMMENTS ON THE FINDINGS OF THE RCI

DOCUMENT CLASSIFIED UNDER OSIBISA (OFFICIAL SECRETS, INTELLIGENCE, BANKING and INTERNAL SECURITY ACT)

FOR EYES ONLY. DO NOT LEAK. IF IT LEAKS, CALL PLUMBER.

SOME VERY PRIVATE COMMENTS ON THE FINDINGS OF THE RCI

Rip Van Winkle
Zzzzzz. Who, what, where? why did’nt they leak it to me first?
Rosemajib
I never met her. The 2-books were all done by the book and will show no commissions were ever paid
Sil
the RCI report was stolen from 4th floor, in Dec 07. Putrajayagate!
M2M
There were 2 suitcases full of evidence in Bahasa
BDS Fujimori Toyota
It was a toothless inquiry. Zzzzzz has snatched defeat from from the jaws of victory!
A Gung Ho Generalissimo
NFA. It was a drunken monologue between two people, or possibly, more
I Raja Polis
There may be links to Tiger Beer & Anchor Beer Terrorists
ACA
We could not investigate since more than $9 changed hands
VKL
Extraditable from Timbaktu?
TSToto
Extraditable from Timbaktu?
EC
Eh Vik, can book flight to Timbaktu, ah? Make sure different itenerary, this time. The old bag can stay in KL in the double-storey bungalow house
FZA
How sad, we could have had an ex-parte RCI
TAM
Get me a stiff G&T. London, here I come again. Shit, can’t do that now I’m not in charge of tourism anymore.
Maha Firaun I
Now I remember. It was a malaysiasoros.con Zionist-Bush-Blair-Howard conspiracy
Maha Firaun II
The PM must resign immediately like a gentleman. That is our adat. (But sir, Firaun I was the PM at that time). Oh, I see. Then all the people must resign for misleading Firaun 1
Thiruapanama
Crazy, am I? Now who will be asking for asylum?
Go Burnem
The longer I recorded it, the more accidental it became
Wigs Samy
Ve did the wrong thing the right vay
ChuaSonofagun
Justice must be videoed to be seen doing to be seen to be done
Master Yoda
Foreman of the Jury, a verdict you have? Yes Master, guilty they are
Obi Wan Kenobi
Maha Darthvader is now down on all Fours
Judge Ididit
2 down, 10 more to go!
Don Corleone
Firaun, why didn’t you come to me before. We could have made the RCI an offer they could not have refused. Horsehead Curry & Sleeping With The Fishes
Wigs Samy (again)
This vill take a heavy 30-year toll on the people
LKYak
These Ingdian lawyer buroks ah, I suppo you can knaver thrust what they do behind chamber doors and rubber estate bushes. You get it ah, dontch know what I mean ah?
Kapak Malkitsiang
Don’t stop now. Korek, Korek,Korek!
Mahatokguru Nicholas Azizi
That’s the throuble wis Secular procedures. If My Way, all kena whipping and stone
EC Chief
I am taking da Rap for Snoopdoggydog,
I am only a humble servant, a mere cog
In da wheel of life
For anudder extended year of strife

10/05/2008

3 ORANGE = 1 APPLES, WHOA MATRIX MATHS, MAN!


INTERVIEW WITH THE JEDI MASTER PLANNER OF THE REALM FOR JEDI LIGHT SABRE KRISIS & HIGHER, LOWER AND ANY OTHER IN-BETWEEN LEVELS OF LEARNING, LATOK HUSSAIN ALAKAZAM HASHIM ALAKAZOOM POPULARLY KNOWN AS LORD HA HA (LHH)

By Asha Labax Lorraine Osman Khan (ALLOK), donplaypuks® intrepid correspondent for Learning Affairs

ALLOK Welcome to Astral TV Master, you are looking rather well, all ok.

LHH Yes, all ok. Ha ha, thank you, you’re not too bad looking yourself. So, fire away.

ALLOK Well Master, there seems to be a controversy every year about Scholarships, local and overseas, and allocation of students’ places in the Universities and Institutions of Tertiary Learning, and this year seems to be no different. What do you have to say?

LHH Ha ha, no controversy, no problem. These complaints are the work of mischievous Communist and Zionist trouble makers.

ALLOK There have been accusations that many scholarships, especially to prestigious universities in advanced western countries, for courses in medicine, pharmacy, engineering, law, bio-tech etc, are awarded to children of the Haves, who are not income means-tested, to those who secure much lower number of A's and even to those who secured Grade 2 and 3.

LHH The selection and award process is actually very methodical, rigorous, transparent and fair, but they are covered by OSIBISA (Official Secrets, Intelligence, Banking and Internal Security Act), so, ha, ha, I cannot talk about it publicly.

ALLOK How about the fact that many students with better grades than their fellow ‘more equal’ counterparts, are unable to secure scholarships and/or places for medicine, law and engineering, and the situation is resolved every year only after intervention by the Complaints Bureau of CHARSIU (Chinese Heavenly Association for Race, Sincerity, Integrity and Unity)?

LHH There is no real issue. No official protest or demonstration. The situation has been resolved now, ha, ha.

ALLOK We have received numerous letters from very, very disturbed students who claim that the practice and principle of equating arbitrarily The Matrix Exam Grades with The A-Level Grades is seriously flawed. The so-called 3 orange = 1 apples selection formula applied by you. After all, the Matrix Exam unlike the A-Level, is a local exam for selected students only, and rumours are that the students are very heavily coached before the exams.

LHH These are scurrilous attacks upon the integrity of good people. I deign to answer this racially-motivated, slanderous, defamatory and cowardly filth. Do not make me take a Jedi stance and draw out my Jedi Light Sabre Krisis and wave it about menacingly!!

ALLOK Still Master, what about the 3 orange= 1 apples formula, surely this must be defended?

LHH Ha ha, this is sheer nonsense. Look, it has been mathematically proven that this formula is correct. Let me demonstrate:-

The proposition is 'The Matrix vs A-Level, 3 orange = 1 apples.'

PROOF BY MADDAYA PROFESSOR OF NEWTONIAN CHAIR OF MATHEMATICS AT THE MATRIX UNIVERSITY, PROF ANDRESSON NEO THE ONE

Number of letters in `orange’ = 6 x 3 orange = 18
Number of letters in `apples’ = 6 x 1 apples = 6
Orange/Apples = 18/6 = 3

Therefore 3 orange = 1 apples. QED.

ALLOK Wellll, ha, ha, that’s certainly a novel and interesting approach Master, so let’s take a break while I recover. I feel faint and vomitous.

INTERVIEW TERMINATED PREMATURELY

donplaypuks® with my education man!!