OutSyed The Box

Tanjung News : Penang Port Privatisation Poser
Updated : Court Says JAKIM Outrageous, Irrational, Defy Logic
Hisham & Khaled Should Sleep Together.
Tanjong News

Tanjung News : Penang Port Privatisation Poser

Posted: 27 Jul 2012 02:18 AM PDT

Yesterday we drove up to Penang in time for buka puasa at the well known Hussein Restaurant in Queen Street. Unfortunately their 'kari angsa' or 'goose curry' which was featured in the newspapers recently was all sold out. So we made do with the ayam, kambing, perut and stuff. OK lah but nothing to really shout about. We have had much better fare.

The picture above is the quiet and heritage "Hotel 1926" on Burma Road - our inn for the night. It is always a thrill to drive around Penang. Off Burma Road one will find Ranggoon Road, Mandalay Road and also Moulmein Lane. These are all places in modern Myanmar. Penang still has strong links with our colonial history.

The restoration and relaunch of Penang's numerous colonial buildings is fantastic and very beautiful. My old hangouts at Beach Street, Bishop Street and Union Street are now refurbished eating and designer places. Gone are the plants growing out of cracks below the roofs.

There is something new about Penang - the people drive faster. There are also serious traffic jams but there is less hooting (or horning). I was surprised that in the early morning rush, people actually give way for other cars. Boleh tahan juga.

The older lady in the convenience store was unusually polite and kindly with many good mornings (in old style English), have a nice day and such. Its like one of those Disney's animal stories with "spring in the air" and all the happy creatures prancing about.

The island is buzzing with activity. Wealth is in the air. Thanks to the former Barisan Nasional Government approving all those projects there is much construction activity on the island (I am just saying what Lim Guan Eng said ok - the BN Government had approved all the projects that are now booming around Penang).

The hot news among the Chinese business community in Penang is the privatisation of the Penang Port to Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary. They are all against it. The Penang folks have got together and they want to take over Penang Port.

The interesting thing is that BOTH the ruling Pakatan Rakyat as well as the Barisan Nasional components in Penang reject privatising the port to Syed Mokhtar Bukhary.

Here is the news :

Chambers aim to buy Penang Port for RM500m

GEORGE TOWN: Local business groups here plan to outbid tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhari to buy the Penang Port from the federal government with a RM500 million financial layout.
the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC), Malay and Indian Chambers of Commerce, and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM).
to ensure that Penangites retain control of the port, the oldest harbour estabilised by the British.
Both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional leaders have expressed the need to retain the port's ownership with Penangites.
state DAP's signature campaign "Return Penang Port To Penangites" garnering 1,000 signatures within two weeks
BN's "Return the Freeport Status" campaign launched on June 28 also aimed at getting the port back to Penangites.
state BN chairman Teng Chang Yeow said the Penang Port privatisation matter would be asked to be reviewed and deliberated under the National Economic Council (NEC). He said since the deal between Syed Mokhtar's Seaport Terminal (Johor) Sdn Bhd and the ministry was not inked yet, there was still a chance to keep the port within Penang.

The Sun newspaper (northern edition?) has frontpaged the report. They quote the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC) as saying that privatising Penang Port to Syed Mokhtar Bukhary was 'against the Competition Act 2010'. They say the privatisation was against the spirit of "anti-trust". 'Anti-trust' is an Americanism for "cartel".

I feel it is good that we have a Competition Act and that people are beginning to talk intelligently about "anti trust" and "cartel busting".

No matter what our plans are or no matter how good the intention, one cannot run away from a few things :

i. the laws of nature

ii. the laws of economics and trade

iii. the almighty power of the market place.

Ignore these three laws and you end up in the Club of Doom. There are far, far too many cartels, monopolies and oligopolies for a very, very small country like Malaysia covering nearly all the essential goods and services in the country.

Monopolies, oligopolies and cartels are just not good for the long run economic health of anyone, especially the bumiputras - whose economic interests many of these artificial cartels are supposed to defend. Kekawan it just does not work that way.

Kekawan, even the Quran tells us to avoid monopolies, oligopolies and cartels. Here it is :

Surah 59:7 'Whatever ALLAH has given to HIS Messenger as spoils from the people of the towns, it is for ALLAH and for the Messenger and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, in order that it may not circulate only among those of you who are rich. And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it. And fear ALLAH, surely, ALLAH is Severe in retribution.'

bayna al-aghniyaa minkum : among those of you who are rich

Now it does not mean that monopolies and oligopolies are bad just because the Quran says so. It is quite the other way around. The Quran says so because it is a fact that monopolies and oligopolies are really bad. Actually this is quite obvious. You dont need the Quran to tell you this. But people keep forgetting. So the Quran serves as a zikir or reminder.

Finally, this episode of the Penang Port could become a major political catastrophe for the BN. Especially since BOTH the Pakatan and the BN parties in Penang (including the Penang Malay Chambers of Commerce - at least according to the newsreports) are together on this one. Penangites, whether Pakatan or BN, want Penang Port to remain in the hands of Penangites.

May I suggest a compromise solution : kasi lah kepada Syed Akbar Ali :)) Saya pun dah makan nasi beriani di Restoran Hussein di Queen Street. Isnt that qualification enough?

Updated : Court Says JAKIM Outrageous, Irrational, Defy Logic

Posted: 27 Jul 2012 12:17 AM PDT

Here is a comment about this post that I would like to highlight:

Anonymous said...

Tuan Syed,

Inilah padahnya bila orang tongong diberi kuasa dan pangkat.

Salahnya siapa? Salah kita juga sbb bagi ruang utk mereka mengamalkan kebodohan mereka ke atas kita. Beri mereka kedudukan dan jawatan. Dalam arti kata mudah suruh org bodo yg kita mmg dah tau bodo mengajar kita supaya jadi bodo.. inilah yg COA tu kata irrational dan defy logic. Yg paling bodo adalah umat islam di malaysia.

Saya harap kerajaan kita ni cukup2 la kunonnya nak memartabat kan Islam. Bukan begini caranya. Kasi tutup la Jakim tu. Sejak ada nya Jakim ni makin huru hara Malaysia. Jakim ni lah antara sbb integrasi kaum hancur.. sbb dia ingat dia ada talian "hotline" dgn tuhan. Maka dia rasa dia hebat dan jual nama tuhan..

Anti Jakim No. 1

Friday, July 27, 2012 2:52:00 PM

Court of Appeal: Banning of book 'outrageous, irrational'

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal challenging the lifting of a ban on the book "Muslim Women and the Challenges of Extremism', published by Sisters in Islam (SIS).

A three-member panel chaired by Justice Abdul Wahab Patail upheld a decision by the High Court on Jan 25, 2010 to lift the ban on the book.

Justice Abdul Wahab said the former Home Minister's satisfaction that the book was prejudicial to public interest without any clear evidence of any prejudicial events occuring was in "outrageous defiance of logic," and and fell within the realm of irrationality.

He added that even if the book had breached JAKIM guidelines, as submitted by the counsel for then Home Minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar (the appellant), this did not address the issue of whether the book was prejudicial to public order.

Syed Hamid had made the decision to ban the book on Jan 2 2008.

The book, published in Oct 2005, is a compilation of essays based on research carried out by international scholars and 18 women activists.

Folks, this is what I have been saying here again and again and again. These "agama yang boleh dijabatankan" people can be outrageous, irrational and defy logic.

Normally you would only hear this type of language in this Blog, OutSyed The Box. Well folks, it looks like the Court of Appeal does not mind using similar language to get the message across.

Let me translate ok. Defy logic can mean "tidak menggunakan akal". Irrational can mean 'tidak siuman' as in "orang gila". Outrageous means shocking behaviour - akin to "kencing berlari".

Congratulations to the Sisters In Islam that the Court of Appeal has UPHELD the decision by the High Court on Jan 25, 2010 to lift the ban on this book by the Sisters In Islam. This does not mean that we must agree with every book that is written. Or that you must agree with everything I say in this Blog.

But why ban books that do not cause any harm or threaten society. The only people who are threatened by these books are the religious people.

They ban books for a very simple reason : self preservation. Remember : No money no religion.

Hisham & Khaled Should Sleep Together.

Posted: 27 Jul 2012 12:13 AM PDT

Here is more news about "foreign college students" and "foreigners" committing crime, including some sophisticated scamming and conning.

1. Cops smash Nigerian Casanova ring with eight arrests

MALACCA: Images of nude bodies and African men participating in a sex orgy with a woman have lured at least 21 gullible victims to the foreigners' social network site and seduced them into parting with more than RM400,000 since January.
Following a tip-off, seven Nigerians and the woman were arrested at an apartment in Bachang near here in a 1am raid yesterday.
Four of the men are students of a private college in Kuala Lumpur while three others have invalid travel documents. The Nigerians are aged between 23 and 33 while their woman accomplice is 23.

2. Police thwart robbery attempt in Subang Jaya

PETALING JAYA: Police thwarted an attempt by four men, believed to be foreigners, to rob a house at Jalan 18/2A, USJ 21, Subang Jaya Thursday night.
Yahya said that based on preliminary investigations, the MPV was rented from a tour agency and that the four suspects had been staying at a hotel in Bandar Sunway for four days.

And still Hishamuddin says that the crime rate is decreasing, everything is under control bla bla. Actually the situation is getting quite out of control. The cases of foreigners being involved in crime is going from epidemic to pandemic. Hari-hari ada saja berita buruk keluar dalam akhbar.

It is easy to get into the country. Just ask Khaled Noordin for a 'student visa'. It does not matter if you are 35 years old, that you want to study 'nuclear physics' in Malaysia (everyone knows that we are a great nuclear power) you will get a visa.

You can commit any crime you want - Hishamuddin the Minister of Home Affairs is sleeping, on the job. I suggest Hisham and Khaled should sleep together. Then they cam exchange real notes about the crime situation in the country. Maybe they will come up with real workable ideas.

Tanjong News

Posted: 26 Jul 2012 11:03 PM PDT