Budget 2025: Show me the money

Extract from Thick as a Brick's Challenging budget to be tabled Oct 18th:

Suggestions to address the problems of the rakyat is greatly appreciated. 

Still, its about the spending side. Government's PR machine can gloat on the stronger ringgit to claim country is out of the deep hole but remember that Malaysia is not out of the wood yet. 

One can talk about raising living standards, or various enhancements or fiscal responsibility or 16th Malaysia Plan and its challenges, but do "show me the money" to finance all the plans! 

Otherwise all the planned expenditures will end up being repeatedly mentioned at every Budget to give false impressions of big plans in the works which is no different than the myriad of past PAS Kelantan government grandeur project launches.   

Government need to look at the rakyats' needs and problems wholeheartedly from "cradle to the grave" and strategise a way forward. 

Privatising all the governments' revenue generating assets have proven to be a disaster to the government coffer and social programs. The outcome is presently felt with the masses becoming victims of depravation.

Rafizi need to start showing formulae more original and effective than growing chilies or introducing vending machines or announcing civil servants' copycat of policy ideas from UN or World Bank/IMF or WEF.

Bloomberg paid to hit M'sian govt. by Mahathir, Daim?

According to Dato Lokman Nor Adam, Bloomberg became the spokesman for Tun Daim and his wife Toh Puan Naemah to create a false claim that MACC were instructed by the Prime Minister to investigate him and his wife. [Go to his FB here and here]

Its obviously another of Daim's delay tactic to buy time from making his asset declaration. The old man has not exhausted his bag of tricks. Its a matter of time he will resort to claim of suffering from serious mental health to evade trial. 

An old trick was to have foreign media float a claim and other media viral the media report. In this case, the wife make a police report as though it is the truth that vindicated them. 

One wonder why a so-called credible foreign media willing to be an accomplice to cover up alleged crime?  

Is it the end for Western hegemony?

That is how the above documentary sounded. 

Generally, the following video is the western attitude to the dedollarisation trend that is in play as it is revealed recently that Japan, China and Saudi Arabia are reducing their dollar holding to buy gold.

Ceterus peribus? Everything remain the same? Or its just putting up a bold front?

Read on in Thick as a Brick HERE. 

What to come of Malaysia's semiconductor industry?

A lecturer and Senior Manager for InvestPerak was all praises for the National Semiconductor Strategy announced by Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim at an event that month. 

However, off-late tech stocks have been taken a beating in the market on Wall Street and Bursa Malaysia since the Yen carry trade driven sell-off early in the month. For one, the incumbent darling semiconductor stocks, Intel having been on a reversal trend to the other rising semiconductor stocks. 

The new darling, Nvidia have taken a tumble due to some anti-trust issues, a usual front for corporate battle in the US. 

In addition, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are campaigning to revive manufacturing sector in the US to compliment the sanction strategy imposed on China. The globalisation promoted by Clinton and Obama doing a reverse due to geopolitics. 

This could have an impact on Malaysia and the layoff by Intel Penang, though an Intel problem, is seen by certain business and stock investor as prequel to a pullout.   

Few days ago, Trump threaten at imposing 100% tariff on countries involved in dedollarisation indirectly hitting at countries active in BRICS - members and associate by virtue of BRICS plus in which a new BRICS payment system seemed to be forthcoming. 

Read on in Thick as a Brick here. 

Should chequered past YTL involve in public transportation?

On Monday September 9th, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim unveiled PIKAS 2030 or Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Masterplan, It aims to boost governance and management of projects under PPP framework or in the decades used parlance, privatisation.  

There will be more competitive bidding, transparent and merit-based to ensure good governance, free from corruption, and high standard of management. The "whole nation" approach will be used to build a progressive nation approach for all.

Taking that into account, then companies with a poor track record of governance, having their past unraveled and implicated in court cases should not be allowed to participate in any PPP projects. 

Any  application and bid put on hold pending investigation or revelation in court proceeding. Only then PMX seriousness for governance not taken lightly. One such company is YTL. 

YTL's bid for Johor's ART or MyHSR should not be considered, especially with the age old 1Bestari.net controversy is a hot conversation on social media and among the knowledgeable public. 

Their takeover of Ranhill should be reviewed by UKAS and government.

Read on Thick as a Brick here. and Corporate Secret here.

UMNO need to retake the mantle of Malay leadership

For one, the Malay brand is no more the sole ownership of UMNO but that of many. 

So do the alternative Islamic branding, in which PAS has an oligopoly nearing a monopoly on conservatism and only left is a niche progressive Islamic segment to be shared with others.  

Despite remaining in government, UMNO has yet to set itself apart and be seen as holding the mantle of Malay leadership and the agenda setter it once was. 

It is not enough to talk of merely of Bumiputera empowerment or educate members on TVET initiatives or efforts of the various UMNO Ministers in their Ministries 

At the UMNO General Assembly, the discussion; ever since losing government in 2018 till the recent one, remained focus on politics, party matters, and conduct of its political affairs. 

It is still repeating and convincing the same explanations and matters arising since 2018 and 2022 GE15. Is the UMNO masses that blase?

Sinkhole and sinking coastal cities

Taken from the Youtuber EARTHBOUND, 3 years ago: 

Temperatures and sea levels are rising all over the world. Low-lying coastal cities are already dealing with disastrous floods and are desperately trying to find innovative ways to combat rising sea levels. Here are ten sinking cities that will soon be underwater.

Jakarta was mentioned. In South-East Asia, two other cities are also seriously facing the risk of sinking; namely Manila and Bangkok.

Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur and other coastal cities are not spared too.

The effect of climate change is not a hoax as claimed by Donald Trump. During his 22 years 'reign', Mahathir too ignored the environmental cause championed by fomer US Vice President, Al Gore.