Monday, December 18, 2006

Hike! Hike! Hike!

We have heard it more than once too often. Whenever it is time for the highway toll rates to be reviewed, we have the Minister of Works, Datuk Seri Samy Vellu blaming the rakyat for the hikes.

“If someone wants some facilities, then he has to pay for it."

Yes, indeed, the rakyat would like to enjoy the highway facilities. Datuk Seri Samy Vellu is absolutely right there. However, the rakyat would also like to make transparent, negotiate and renegotiate the highway concession contracts since Datuk Seri Samy Vellu is doing such a shitty job in that process.

Malaysia must have one of the most democratically elected incompetent Minister of Works who can negotiate such biased and one-sided contracts which benefits only the toll concessionaires and disadvantages the rakyat.

As it is, based on existing toll rates, all the "affected" highway concessionaires in the rate review are already very profitable. However, not only are rates raised by as much as 60%, the Government has to further top up almost RM2.6 billion to the concessionaires!


And yet the Government has the audacity to "spin" the "subsidy" paid as helping ease the plight of the rakyat! Have we grown so stupid from our education system such that we are expected to be eternally grateful to the Minister of Works and the Government for their sacrifice?

In the early years of our Prime Minister's administration, we have been led to believe that the unfair toll concession contracts signed during the previous administration are being reviewed to ensure a fairer deal for the rakyat. Nothing has changed and we are hearing none of that now.

Today, even the new highway contracts continue to be awarded based on direct negotiations with contracts and terms signed under a shroud of secrecy despite early promises of open and competitive tenders. It's just a case of deja vu over and over again.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe next we could hear Samy Vellu said the toll hikes is inevitably Act of God.

Anonymous said...

dejaMOOOOOOOO ... the feeling of hearing all this bull before ..............

Anonymous said...

I tot Samy is 'god' himself?

Anonymous said...

Nah.....Samy is half man, half cow.

Anonymous said...

which half is cow? the part that use the 'artificial hair'?

Anonymous said...

Actually I love hearing Samy Vellu speaks.....its very entertaining.
he is a natural entertainer.

maybe someone should start a blog that cater for all known samy vellu jokes and his funny video clips

Anonymous said...

Which half is cow? I thought u know. His size is like a cow, he talks like a cow and he definitely works like a cow.

Anonymous said...

there was this joke..
an indian man just died and was at the heaven's gate. He was introduced by the gate keeper to heaven to a large room. this room is full of millions and millions of clocks.

He asked the curator..why so many clocks? and why some clocks move slower while others move faster?

The curator answered...every clock is the life span of a man on earth...

look at that slow clock there, covered with cobwebs, it belongs to a holy lady that dont lie...

Then pointing to another clock, that moves faster... the curator said, that clock belongs to a man who lies occasionally. Everytime he lies, the clock moves faster..

then the man asked..I cant see Samy Vellu's clock! Its not there...

The curator said, look at the ceiling. We are using Sami veloos clock as a ceiling fan at top speed to cool us....


hehe
just a joke ok....