Nurul Izzah's typical opposition bo bo

Although we are pro-Barisan Nasional in partisan inclination, we also hope for a better more credible and respectable opposition to play the role of check and balance to Barisan Nasional. The hope was that new breed of opposition will emerge like Nurul Izzah, Tony Pua, Salahuddin Ayub, Lim Guan Eng, etc. Off late, all of them turned out to be disappointing.

Lim Guan Eng may have won a lawsuit against Utusan Malaysia, but in our view, the Malaccan-born from Johorean father Penang Chief Minister is a compulsive liar, abused the media, and do cheap politics. He is equally corrupt, chauvanistic and draconian. We know what happenned in Penang ...

So did Tony Pua. He not only lost a lawsuit and has to pay RM500,000, but has not live up to his professional credential and became arrogant. He claim he is only an MP for national level issue and will not bring himself down to day-to-day issues of common folks in his Petaling Jaya Utara constituent.

Salahuddin Ayub, the former PAS Youth Leader and current Vice President has a problem that is endemic of PAS. They can't take up an issue for the strength of an issue without giving a political and sensational spin that usually loses focus.

While Nurul Izzah is daughter of arch political enemy, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but she epitomise the hope of many young women in politics. The mother of two is educated, has the pleasant look, speaks well, and now her party's Vice President. Unfortunately, she has picked up many bad habit of papa.

In several recent episodes in her constituent, Lembah Pantai, she turned out to be a drama queen and heartless and inconsiderate in her politicking. She picked up papa's worst habit of lying, spinnning and making up stories. Nurul has poor grasp of logic behind the facts and her sensationalising is becoming more obvious.

The allegation she made against AAT Sdn Bhd is another fine example to the many she has made.

Sensational allegation

In a Malaysiakini report dated June 21st, 2011, Nurul Izzah alleged that an air traffic control system costing €26.0 million (RM128.4 million) supplied by a company AAT Sdn Bhd (AAT) to the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) for use at several airports as part of the National Air Traffic Control Centre (NATCC) was both defective and not done as open tender.

The trademark of any issues raised by opposition is to sensationalise the story, or spiced with an angle to raise emotion and public anger. Even if it means lying or twisting the facts. This allegation by Nurul is no different and anyone can suspect that the allegation could be faulty.

She sensationalise the indirect shareholding of Ikwan Hafiz Jamaluddine, son of former Malaysian Ambassador to the US, Dato Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis and former Chairperson of DCA Dato Zolkifli Abdul who retired in 1997 in AAT via a company Tirai Variasi Sdn Bhd's 50% shareholding in AAT.

One can spot something is not quite truthful when she claimed in Free MalaysiaTiday report dated June 8 here that the information and supposedly documents reached her door step. Usual storyline to protect her source. Read here.

Read in the June 21st Malaysiakini report in full below:






The above Malaysiakini report is reproduced because AAT management have wrote to Malaysiakini to withdraw and correct the above article.

However, like any opposition raised issues, there will be a build-up. This is no different because they build-up the issue from claims of sysytem defect and brouhaha over public safety.

In a June 8th Zaid Ibrahim-controlled Free Malaysia Today report here and June 9th article in Tian Chua-controlled Malaysia Chronicles here by Nurul Izzah with her usual con-conspirator Tian Chua and N Surendran, they alleged that there were 68 defects with the system.

She cited cases where the system "suddenly changed from MRT to DARD in a few seconds causing the target to drop and becomes transponder code only even though the data line is serviceable." Her claim was that "flawed controllers revert to the old system of not using radar."

By mid-June the story has picked up tempo into an issue of corruption and cronyism. The Malaysian Insiders report dated June 14th here and Malaysia Chronicle report June 15th here, they begin to drum up on the shareholding and twisted it as "project to a minister's family member."

Rebuttal

Using a set of documents leaked to them, Nurul made a molehill out of mountain without making proper investigation into the matter.

Lost is our hope of a credible opposition for Malaysia that raised and discuss issues based on facts and sound arguments. The current zoo-like charade and monkey acts in Parliament will continue to stay for a while.

Having checked with our sources within DCA and Malaysia Airports, Nurul allegation is untrue and slanderous. And, AAT has written to Malaysiakini and somehow made its way to our doorstep from some sender from Bangsar. Isn't that where Malaysiakini's office is?

Firstly, there is no such supply contract from AAT. The system is supplied by SELEX, the OEM for the original system in 1994.

Second, since Nurul Izzah claimed that "air traffic controllers at the National Air Traffic Control Centre (NATCC), Subang Airport have lodged a complaint with the Director General of Civil Aviation regarding a recent system upgrade of the Malaysian Air Traffic Control Network ...", it needs to be clear that the system that cost so much is not meant only for Subang Airport but for the whole country.

That is part of sensationalising an issue to give the impression that the system that cost so much is only for Subang.

Third, AAT is merely the one doing installation and technical assistance and appointed by SELEX. AAT has no dealing with DCA or MAHB.

JJ's Son

This brings to the fourth issue of the interest of JJ's son and Dato Dzulkifli in AAT. What is the issue then?

Isn't Ikhwan Hafiz a separate legal entity than his father, JJ and is entitle to make a living including doing business? JJ is not a member of Cabinet despite the so-claimed Ministerial status. He is not part of any establishment that makes decision with respect to SELEX or AAT's contract.

Maybe one do not like the idea of powerful man's children getting contracts, but one likes and dislikes is not the issue. And is it a legally valid complain?

Moreover, the Dato Dzulkifli being alleged to have links with DCA has retired for more about 15 years! Bet most officers in DCA hardly knows the man.

One thing has to be understood about AAT. It is established by former Army Engineer Kol (R) Dato Mohd Munip in 1994. It is a bonafide company established to develop in country capability (or in other word local based technological capability) in the area integrated air traffic capability in air traffic management.

It is not a one-off contract company but have been around for 17 years and exported their technology to countries like China, India, Middle East, etc. It has 110 engineers and technologist including young Engineer, Ikhwan Hafiz in their payroll and management.

Despite the presence of a powerful man's son and his group's 50% shareholding, which his cash rich father may have supported, Kol (R) Dato Munip claim himself as one of the controlling shareholders of AAT.

In a technical company, control does not necessary lies with the shareholding structure but the proprietary knowledge, licensing and likely the link with SELEX.


The company is a seldom found structure of win-win and cooperation.

The AAT letter to Malaysiakini below:




No Defect

Fifth, there is no such claimed defect.

Perhaps Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha is giving a typical bureaucratic or political denial that is seldom short of facts to make it believable.

That is an endemic problem in public relation and communications today. The public does not buy into simplistic denial. Bureaucrats and even corporate communication is still stuck in a mental time warp not realising that such denial does not help to convince their cause in the Social Media.

We've given a helping hand to call our kaki in DCA and MAHB. Since one of us is an ANSARAn, he has friends everywhere, more in number than any MCOBA or TKCians.

The answer is no such thing. All system is working find.

The phenomenon described by Nurul is typical one find when there is overlapping coverage by more than one telco tower in a particular area. One find that our handphone will have a short glitch but there is nothing faulty.

The described phenomenon is similar.

This does not means that the document with complain by Subang controller is not genuine. Maybe it is and maybe it is not but for sure, it could be any such technical report which report as they experiance it.

DCA and MAHB is aware and see it not a technical issue but a common phenomenon. Most important, it is not dangerous to the public as exagerated by Nurul.

Cannot be an open tender

Sixth, the typical practise in radar system acquisition is the preference to upgrade any existing and fine working system.

Although it does not concern AAT, but of SELEX, it need to be understood that it is a better choice not to change brand but onlu upgrade. It is easy and convenient. No more the need to test and synchronise with existing system in cases of new brands.

This contract had no open tender and could rightly be called closed tender because it is only open to SELEX. It is merely expanding the usage of an existing system.

Seventh, out of the contract of RM128.5 million given to SELEX, how much did AAT get?

There are three companies doing the subcontracts. The lowest is for RM125,000. million. Second lowest is for RM1.17 million.

Yes, AAT got the highest subcontract award. Go ahead if they wish to make a big deal out of a RM9.19 million job. Ikhwan can't even buy a new Porsche.

Eighth and last, there is no issue of public safety at stake. Please not make mountain out of molehole. Exagerating over nothing.

Now Nurul ... would she apologise and answer for her wrongful politically motivated allegations made against JJ? Would she reply appropriately to explain her wrongful accusations?

If she is her father, she won't. She probably would dispell this answer as the work of UMNO. So what, if we support UMNO.

Fact remain a fact. A lie is a lie.

Typical of opposition

That is the problem with opposition these days. Their allegations are seldom spiced with emotional allegations like in this case public safety, alleged Minister's son, croynism and corruptions when on fine combing the allegation, there is none.

It is irrresponsible and malicious to make the public panic and create accusation based on a simplistic conclusion.

There is JJ and there is his son. So immediately assumed as cronyism and corruption. It takes more than that for such to happen.

In her attempt to raise the issue of no tender for contracts, she should look back to her own party in Selangor. Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim made policy statement that all Government procurements must be on open tender but hundreds of contracts are not given out on tender basis for the last three years!

Coming back to Nurul who as Vice President, seemed to be assigned issues to rise in public, please do your homework. Our suggestion to Nurul is for her to focus on her Lembah Pantai constituent which she had failed to attend for the past many years due to her party's excessive politicking.

As Member of Parliament of Lembah Pantai, she failed to raise the concern of the urban poverty in her area. But yet she irresponsibly poisonned the mind of some of the poor from moving out and take up a more decent housing given by Government for the sake of her politicking.

This did not include the charade from cheap drama she created as though her ceramah was attacked.

Instead of raising defective issue like AAT, Nurul should help her father answer a long list of questions and allegations that is getting longer left unanswered including allegations of sexual misconducts, corruption, abuse of power and war chest of RM3 billion in his days as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister.

Perhaps she could help her Deputy President too whose been keeping quiet to the list of issues raised against him.

That is if mother allow it.

One for the road, Nurul should spend more time finding out where and what activities did husband, Raja Shahrir chaperoned his father-in-law to and for?