Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Who Says Malays Can't Compete?

The truth cannot be better illustrated by the results of the open tender processes which has been implemented in Penang for the state owned agencies.
Some 70 per cent of two state firm’s open tenders have been won by Malay contractors, showing the community to be as competitive as others... Malay contractors won 16 out of 23 tender awards, or 70 per cent, from the Penang Development Corporation(PDC) and 44 out of 66 or 67 per cent of contracts issued by the Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang(PBAPP) in open tenders since Pakatan Rakyat took over Penang in March 2008.

“The performance by Malay contractors in an open tender system with non-Malays proves that Malay contractors can compete with others and win tender awards on their own merit,” [Lim Guan Eng] said in a statement...
And the conclusions are clear as day. Malays can compete under an open tender system and they have been winning contracts, despite so-called criticisms that Penang has "marginalised" the Malays.

What the Penang government has marginalised are not Malay contractors. Instead we have marginalised the crony-based contractors who are unable to compete and relies instead on political cables to secure jobs with the Government. These crony-based contractors will either be unable to competently deliver the goods or, will as per Malaysian culture, sub-contract these jobs to other parties, be they Malay or non-Malay contractors.

What we have in effect done is to cut out the middlemen "contractors" whose only role is to skim off easy profits from the contracts awarded and leave the scraps for other honest contractors to carry out the actual works. In such a system, it'll also encourage corruption between the middlemen and the government contracting agencies.

And the result?

The Penang state government has been able to turn a projected deficit of RM35 million in 2008 budget to a record surplus of RM88 million. And in 2009, a projected deficit of RM40 million has been turned around to record a surplus of RM77 million.

The proof is in the pudding.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

great piece - this is the way to go - transparent, fair government with good corporate governance.

Anonymous said...

Can we trust the documents? as we can't thrust DAP...

Sandiwara lah YB.. make sure you have somewhere to go and do after your first and final term YB..

hahahaha...

AnakMelaka said...

Hidup LGE!
Hidup Ketuanan Rakyat!

kiatng said...

My former experience as a contractor can verify the same. Chinese contractors cannot come anywhere near the Malay contractors in terms of pricing. The Chinese contractors, especially the lower classes, have no chance in a typical Government tender. And the funny thing is these tenders are reserved for Malay. The Chinese contractors are lucky that the Malay contractors have not discovered the more lucrative projects in the private sector.

pinsysu said...

no doubtd that Malay can compete. it's juz dat UMNO doesn't want them to realise it so dat UMNO can continue to poison the minds of some Malays. if the Malays are taught that they are juz as capable as their fellow Msians, UMNO will become irrelevant.

Anonymous said...

Only UMNO Malays cannot compete, they want untung atas angin sahaja.
Way to go YB!!! My only comment on the recent spat of criticism in Penang is, if the committee that has been formed up and the decision is made so CM must stick to it and if he over rides the process then it is a mockery to the committee and they are not small kids, I dunno the truth, only reading from papers and blogs and it is better the CM chairs everything and decides in his office.
It is simple...you don't trust people so do people will not trust you. No body is perfect but we are given with the brain, so use them.
So the burst of that PKR is a serious issue that don't you ever belittle people!!!!!
Tension la YB to keep the momentum.

Anonymous said...

Tony,

It would be great if percentage of absolute value of tenders is also presented as statistics.

No of tenders only gives one side of the picture.

KoSong Cafe said...

Penang used to have Chinese Chief Ministers, but they were under the direction of Umno.

Now, Penang has again another Chinese Chief Minister but who has a mind of his own, in his quest for greater accountability and transparency to showcase its workability and efficiency. For those who expect connections to get contracts will be disappointed.

The important criterion is whether we are happy with the state's administration, not whether an individual is unhappy because things did not happen as he expected.

Anonymous said...

The spin here is useful but the fact of the matter is, the issue is moot. The fact of the matter is Malays MUST COMPETE or THERE WILL BE NOTHING TO COMPETE FOR..

resident.wangsamaju said...

UMNO says Malays can't compete- for the last 50 years.

Anonymous said...

Malays can compete among them like in Rejeman Askar Melayu Diraja RAMD. That why RAMD should big and biger for better nation....

nusantara

Observer@OZ said...

Of course the Malays can compete. The relative advantages the Chinese enjoy in business is the result environmental moulding over time, centuries and millenia. There is nothing inherently inferior about the Malays. They are a good and gentle people who unfortunately had been conned by UMNO for 52 years. But as you cannot 'Con all the people all the time', so the Malays are awakening. DAP, being a Chinese based party, must do all it can to help raise the Malays, bending backwards sometimes if necessary, and making sure that the Malay community knows this.

Tony, with people like you in Pakatan, there is still a slender hope that Malaysia can be saved!

Anonymous said...

Go Penang!! Go LGE!

lifechanging said...

well done you in highlighting these corruption...no wonder Malaysia 'boleh' seems to go s long long way!!!!!!!!!