Approved Permits - Rent Seeking mechanism to be abolished by 2010
Currently only a select(mainly bumiputra)group of companies have been given 'Approved Permits' or AP's to import vehicles and distribute them locally.At long last this non-productive, purely rent-seeking practice will be abolished by 2010. That gives a good 4 years for current patrons to make their killing before the taps are finally turned off.
In the meantime, the government says they will transition existing AP holders into "other related business activities, for example sales and distribution or component manufacturing." I wonder how many of them will end up actually doing that.
One wonders whether we will finally adopt the Singapore Certificate of Entitlement or COE scheme for car ownership where market forces determine the prices of certificates.
Technorati tags: cars, Malaysia, Singapore, COE, rent seeking
posted by hew @ 4:53 pm
14 Comments:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~! Sorry could not help myself. The government abolishing the AP system? Must be joke of the year or something. Hehe ...
Proton shortcoming is to be so preoccupied with their own self importance. They want to continue to exert managerial control so they can continue to employ Umno cronies.
Furthermore they are fearful of losing their cushy jobs at Proton. Therefore they must preserve the status quo at all cost. They can dictate ridiculous terms to the local non-malays who will in most cases comply.
But when you deal with multinationals, they don't give a damn about the NEP or whatever policies you have. For them the bottom line is profit, and to employ and engage the most proficient people.
They don't want deadwoods and free salary. So most likely if they take over managerial control, a lot of them would be out of a job and this is unacceptable to the Proton management.
Mean it is clear there are pockets of government that has absolutely no leadership and accountability. It is a joke that they had no idea the other party was giving up. It is because the people are used to being told what to do not actually have to think what to do.
All these bombshells give us one reality - which can be described by a Chinese phrase: If your head is not so big, don't wear such a big hat!
When we are not ready, we should not have set such an ambitious vision - the Vision 2020!
In business studies, we always learn to acquire the knowledge, the right organisational culture, the technology……….before we announce to the whole world that "Malaysia Boleh"!
Our parents always teach us: Don't run before you have learned to walk! A big thank you and salute go to BN for all what had done. We have to bear the consequences today.
One thing most puzzling is our government has stayed mum and has not taken any move to improve the quality of the cars, although tons of complaints have been made known.
What is so wrong to allow capable foreigners (or non-malays) to turnaround the national carmaker?
In this globalisation era, we Malaysians still want to hide cosily under the tiny coconut shell, we deserve to lose everything we have, including our dignity and pride!
Whatever shares the public drop! It just going to be snatch up using taxpayers money.
My gut feeling of the reversal of the midday nosedive is due to government dumping millions to safe face.
I concern if taxpayers money is used to save the GLC, surely tax will serge up and public will suffer. That is nightmare to Malaysia citizens!
As a young country, Bolehland is still in the process of learning, but sad to say, at enormous cost, and with the full knowledge and awareness of the policy-makers, who has no choice but to continue supporting the NEP desperately.
This will go on until the whole economy eventually collapses. The recent happenings including MAS and Proton are signs of bad-days ahead. The mental and psychological impact on the minds of those "corrupt" managers is now taking its toll to destroy them gradually.
It will take many generations to reverse the situation, but be warned that it is impossible to use conscious effort, like the NEP, to bring about any desired results.
The only way is through a natural process of suffering real pain, and learning to live and accept failures and shame. This is perhaps our greatest mistake and our setback until now and beyond.
All the leaders in Malaysia country are fully aware and understand. Unfortunately all these negative elements will go on and on. So are many other countries. The only setback is that Malaysia will take a longer time to learn or none.
I refer to prime minister Pak Lah call to BN leaders to go on an info blitz to 'provide extensive information on the rational for the government to raise fuel prices'.
I think the prime minister should know that there will be price increases when fuel prices are raised. Most people are forced accept the multiplier effect of a fuel price increase in their daily lives.
I did not really bother about the billions of the government claims it will save in subsidies with the diesel price increase. The amount is too much for me to fathom. And I have a niggling feeling the billions will be lost somewhere in the distribution channel. And come next year, we will be no better off than from today.
Imagine our luxurious city buses, plying the streets, shaming all the best cities in the world. Nowhere in the world does a government provide such buses as public transport. Truly, we will lead the world.
In a few months, we will have so many of such luxurious buses on the road that we will certainly leave our cars at home and take the bus to work.
Then I woke up. It was just a dream.
However Pak Lah, don't waste any more of our precious and scarce money on this info blitz, please. Don't spend more time and money just talking and talking and talking……….it is time to walk the walk.
Just roll up your sleeves and get to work immediately to improve public transportation right away. In the meantime, direct your whole cabinet to use public transport on a daily basis especially areas outside of Kuala Lumpur to experience first hand what you are asking us to do.
If you all have first-hand experience of the current nightmare that is public transportation, you will be better equipped to find the right solution double quick.
If the people can be provided with a public transportation system comparable to Singapore's, I will be the first to readily and willing give up car ownership. I am sure a huge chunk of the working-class population would do so too.
We are feeding the government servants but they are now instead trying to make us look like beggars. They are supposed to serve us but now they are treating us otherwise.
What has does the government ever done properly? The roads? The public transport? The government-related services? The government hospitals? It has no respect at all for we the public, we the Malaysians.
Ordinary people like me just cannot understand why that after making profits from the global rise in petrol prices, the government cannot use this extra profit to absorb the cost of rising fuel prices.
Just look at our oil producing neighbour, Brunei. The extra profit they made because of the world oil price increase was used to continue subsidising the people. This is a noble way of a caring government.
And please prime minister, do not associate the people with the opposition whenever they criticise the government. For sure, the government is not always right. The oil belongs to all Malaysians and therefore it is appropriate for them to voice out their anger and disagreement when they see things are not being done properly.
Thank you for hearing me out Pak Lah and I hope you will give this plea due consideration.
Pak Lah, you are losing ground as the clock ticks. You are supposed to be an honest and religious man when you are chosen to be the prime minister. You talk and preach of great things to come for all Malaysians regardless of race, creed or color. You have not shown any of your talks being implemented.
It is hard and tough decision to make as everyone knows, but still you have to do something to correct all the wrongs that are getting worse as the days go by. Now your own ministers are going against you.
Get rid of the dead woods and the useless ministers, and give the opportunity to the younger generation to help you rebuild the country.
This is just a case of ministers hijacking the issue to further their political standing. Sadly at the expense of the public people. How in the world can we vote them in? It is like a case of voting them in to screw us and yet we say they are doing their job.
Our Gerakan, MCA and MIC ministers have lost their souls and consciences a long time ago. So it is pointless asking them to do the right thing.
These are the reasons why I always mention that the BN ministers were fourth class mentality people.
When the British
- ruled the land
- crushed resistance using Gurkhas
- took the people natural resources (rubber, tin, etc.) to be brought to the UK
- they were called "penjajah"
When our own Malaysia people
- rule the land
- crush resistance using ISA and police
- exploit natural resources (gas, oil, etc) to be brought to the bank accounts in Switzerland
- they are called "satu lagi projek kerajaan Barisan Nasional"
Some ministers have strong connection and influence to get away with saying and doing anything without any respect for decency, law and order.
It seems the environment of fear, intimidation and threat is very strong to speak out for what is best for Malaysia and its ordinary people. This is a very unhealthy environment for a civilised, modern and progressive society.
It is time for the people to wake up and smell the coffee and think for themselves what is right and good for the country. Retain the good and discard the bad.
In this globalised world, capital is truly democratic and will go where it finds the best returns. Malaysia is not a place that you can get good returns at the moment, be it in starting a business, putting into the bank, or investing in stocks or properties.
We've lots of engineers graduated from worldwide universities, why can't we come up with a viable solution? Why am I being labeled as lazy bunch of government servant?
When the real lazy people are the administrator of this country who doesn't spend their time listening to the working people of government agency……….why? What does the CEOs of GLCs do, they spent taxpayers money to go overseas on a first class basis.
There is a break-down in communication between the government leader and the working people in the government or GLCs, the leader thought everything was ok because most of the CEOs lies in their reports, they will only tell good thing about the business although they are loosing money, the CEOs won't give a damn because they will be out of the company or retirement in 2 or 3 years……….and they will not be punished for their mistakes.
Make your journey to any GLC, 2 weeks before official visit by the prime minister, you will see building, flowers, people, roads, toilets, and trees undergoing major make-over at a very high cost due to the last minute preparation. So, how can they make money?
My only concern are the real workers, who really want have better future for the country. Don't blame them, blame the big-shot……….
The mistakes of privatisation during the Mahathir era, where his cronies managed to strip the plum assets of this country, should not be repeated. We should not play into their hands.
Malaysia business community, like that of nearly all East Asian countries except Japan and Korea, is dominated by ethnic Chinese and this have created envy and ethnic tensions in the countries, where the Chinese are a minority of the population yet is a majority of business leaders.
In some countries like Indonesia, this have provoked occasional anti-Chinese pogroms while in Malaysia, the malay majority have given themselves preferences in various ways. Including quotas in universities and companies and even a requirement that companies must distribute a certain proportion of their shares to malays.
In the purported intention to lessen ethnic tension and jealousy from Malaysia ethnic malay majority population and avoid the kind of anti-Chinese pogroms frequently occurring in neighboring Indonesia, the government there has instituted a extensive affirmative action program for the malays (including forcing businesses to hire malays for top jobs).
The policy has been successful in avoiding outbursts of violence, but it has not been successful in terms of getting the malays to be successful on their own.
For 30 years or more, Malaysia has given economic privileges to the malay community to help it win a more proportionate share of the economy.
But even former prime minister Mahathir, the great champion of malay special rights, ended his 22 years as premier frustrated that, rather than develop a work ethic, many malays had simply developed a sense of entitlement.
How astonishing! If people get something for nothing, they get less willing to do work to achieve it. Who could have thought that?
Ethnic Chinese in South East Asia have done a remarkable job of wealth creation and I don't want to belittle it, but we should consider that part of their success was due to the corrupt governments which the Chinese used to further themselves economically.
I am not blaming the Chinese; they simply played the cards they were dealt better than anyone else. In a world without the rule of law and protection of property, the Chinese had to resort to connections and bribes in order to protect themselves.
While the "malay professional class has grown rapidly from a negligible base" on a percentage basis, in real terms the size of the whole of the professional class could have been larger without affirmative action.
Yore analysis of Malaysia racial preferences does not consider their impact on ethnic Chinese emigration. As a scholar in Singapore, I met highly qualified Chinese Malaysians who were refused entry into Malaysia universities and emigrated with little intention of returning.
In a message now reports how this have aside from making malays lazier also created strong discontent among the Chinese. Many are now trying to emigrate to Singapore and other places where they won't be discriminated. This brain drain will of course hurt Malaysia economy.
We seem to start the year 2006 with a bang.
Proton, Perwaja, MAS, are all government-linked companies which are millstones round the country's neck as a result of dishonest former CEOs. Somehow, the guilty have not been caught and charged, their place taken by 'smaller fishes'.
I suppose Malaysians are by now immune to this type of news.
Only in this blessed country, I suppose, where we applaud failure can these crony companies do no wrong with government funds (taxpayers hard-earned monies) being used to keep them afloat, when times are bad.
Whatever it is, don't hold your breath waiting for justice to be served. With Malaysians getting more and more immune to this kind of behaviour by business and political leaders, their cronies are having a field day raiding government coffers and escaping.
'Malaysia Boleh'.
The Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry is worried about the requirement that all manufacturers in Malaysia with foreign equity, which sell any part of their production in the domestic market, are now required to form a separate legal entity as a marketing and distribution company with RM1 million minimum capitalisation, which would be under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, and subject to the 30 percent bumi equity condition.
These guidelines are taking a step backwards and will discourage foreign investors. If imposed on family businesses or small companies like this, it would discourage them from expanding or investing more.
Where previously they have been promised and given 100 percent foreign ownership, all of a sudden, if they sell one component into Malaysia, they find themselves caught under these guidelines and required to go back to 30 percent bumi equity.
Malaysia is talking about accessing the international market, competing with more foreign players for foreign direct investment and economic liberalization.
It is time for the Malaysia government to review policies to make them all consistent. The objective of 30 percent bumi equity is still there, but there is a need to review the minimum capital requirement. There should be an exemption for small retail companies, which won't find it worthwhile to look for bumi partners.
Malaysia is competing with its immediate neighbours, Singapore and Thailand. Both are very open economies: You can come in and invest as much as you want there, own 100 percent and do your business. They are internationally very highly rated; their efficiency levels are much higher; they don't have this restriction on top of that and their delivery systems are much better.
We have to consistently fine-tune investment policies which are no longer relevant. Guidelines which are not positive should be reviewed, or we will be forever lagging behind.
This is all about accountability and enforcement. It is no use if we only can list out all the corruptions and kickbacks, the errors and irresponsibility, the shortcomings and weaknesses, when there is no one to follow up with the investigation and prosecution.
How many of our noble ones are being charged compared to what is highlighted? Only a hand full and they are the unlucky ones. Maybe they are made the scapegoats. So, when everyone knows that no one is taking action, it becomes a phenomenon to do what they likes.
The public can piss off. So what? The audit general or commission can point out the mistakes but they say they are not the one who can institute the prosecution. It is left to the police or ACA. Since no one lodges any report, no action. Precedence's have been set that no action will be taken. It becomes a culture. So the cancer keeps on growing.
As far as English is concerned, Malaysia can say goodbye to it. There is still people who strongly against the learning of English. They don't know how far our quest for knowledge has deteriorated. Gone are the days we Malaysians can command that if you want to do business with us, we set the terms and conditions.
Our foreign customers have choices now. Just look at our southern neighbour and northern neighbour. Even China who has the biggest population that speak Mandarin, the Chinese are encouraged to speak English. If you watch CCTV over Astro, the Chinese has competition on English speech contest.
If the foreign customers make it compulsory that the country they invest must have good English, then we will be left out sooner or later if we don't correct our English. 20 years ago, our English is comparable to the world. In SEA at that time, Malaysia was one of the best speaking English nation. That was why we are able to attract the foreigners.
We let our neighbours overtakes us. In the near future, we will be left out. Some of us still don't realise the seriousness. Pity the future generations. Malaysia will be isolated or bypassed.
Our 'ketuanan' seems to be too busy to keep the voters happy with their projects that will ensure that the peopele will vote them back in power. They don't brainstorm on projects that can ensure survival of the nations. Most of our projects don't bring values to the country.
Drains, roads and rubbish are not cleared, collected or repaired. Yet they have money to travel, build arches, and beautify their own buildings. Putting the Malaysia flag on top of the pyramid is really a laughing stock for the country. Look at our own Malaysia book of records. It is a waste of money and efforts.
Our nation really need people that think of the nation and people first in whatever duties that are given to them. That way we could really see real nation building that benefits all. Only when we achieve that then can one think of the next such as tallest flagpole, tallest building, space exploration, longest jetty, biggest race track, etc.
These people that are attached to the various government departments unfortunately……….one sentence says it all: "They just don't have the nation and people in their thoughts when carrying out the duties."
The prime minister is urgently appealing to the public to come to his assistance to work with him and share his burden of state. He is been extremely busy these days you know having to work alone. You know where to find him, don't you?
As usual, the one in power always get the advantage. Depends on whether you want to take advantage of it or not. If you can differentiate between the whites and the blacks then you are okay. If not, you have moved to the dark side of the forces.
I seriously think malays should learn how to stand on their own feet instead of blaming non-malays for their own failure. Without the hardworking non-malays, Malaysia government won't have money to subsidy the hardly work malays.
NEP and institutional discrimination have brought negative effect to malays mindset and competitiveness.
I need to remind you; don't fool by this protectionism. Like APs, government contract, government land, government loan, government subsidy.
Tell me how many poor malays able to access to these goodies or did you get something from the list above! The grass-root malays have being cheated by the rich malays for supporting the NEP.
Only those rich malays have connection for these programs. Malaysia automobile policy has only created four APs kings vs. thousand poor malays. Wake up, your own people have cheated you not the non-malays.
Here is the following list of near bankrupt GLCs:
(They are direct GLCs or indirect GLCs via EPF, Tabung Haji or other government agency.)
(1) Bank Bumi (no longer exist)
(2) Bank Islam (looking for capital injection)
(3) IntraKota
(4) MAS
(5) ParkMay
(6) Perwaja
(7) Proton
(8) Putra LRT
(9) Renong
(10) Star LRT
It is about the wake up call for the malays. NEP will make malays as good as a 'katak dalam tempurung'.
Whatever you think may not be whatever it is. Non-malays never forbid malays to open their own business. Non-malays never ask malays to be not hardworking. I only hear non-malays complaint malays not work hard enough.
When malays choose not to work hard, please do not stop others to work hard by imposed regulation and rule such as permit or quota to stop someone to excel.
Why can't malays look beyond what is the protection? I never suggest take away all the protection; I know malays did not ready for that. But malays like you so scare to dare not even try for partial of the protection.
If this situation prolong, malays forever will live inside the protective area just like Red Indians live in their conservation.
I live in USA before, I used to work as an IT consultant. My pay was similar to the local white guys. They never treat me as a foreigner. I easily get a place for my MBA with a state scholarship. I never get discriminated even I have different skin color as them.
Yes, the income tax is high - 35%, sales tax is 7%; every time you buy anything you have to pay extra 7% for the goods; but when I call the city police regarding my car key being lock inside my car, they reach the site within 10 minutes. The best thing is the police never ask me for coffee money but some friendly advice for me to carry a spare key in my wallet.
I don't know where did one get the impression that USA is discriminate against foreigners. They know everyone in USA is foreigner. The black getting more scholarship than the white but the black don't like the book instead of drug/gun.
Protectionism will not able to broaden malays horizon. The best defend is reach out. Do not hide inside your protested area. It won't work. Learn how to reach out and proactive. Just like the fish in the river, either you being push down stream by the current or you constantly swim to stay ahead.
Hoping for our Malaysia motherland to revert the numerous declines to do things right again is hoping against hope. Circumstances have changed a lot now. We are no longer in the 60s, 70s, or 80s.
Then, we had god given golden opportunities to speed ahead. At those times, China was a sleeping dragon and a closed nation. The nations of Indochina were embroiled in one war after another. Wages were gradually rising in Japan and Korea, and many multi-national companies were relocating. Thailand was not that stable because of frequent threats of coup.
Because of all these factors and our unique position then we benefited from numerous foreign investments.
We could have grown from strength to strength by capitalizing on our assets, our bilingual if not multi-lingual, our human resources and intelligent. Alas, our myopic ruling parties did not realize our strengths - three major races and cultures, four major languages.
We shot our own feet by being ultra-nationalistic and obsessed with Ketuanan Melayu. We destroyed our strengths.
Meanwhile, the dynamics of the region have changed. China is no longer a sleeping dragon. The nations of Indochina are experiencing peace and hungry for progress and developments. Thailand is progressing by leaps and bounds. They, especially China, are like giant vacuum cleaners sucking in huge international investments. Their citizens, who used to admire our citizens ability in speaking English, are now eagerly learning English.
Much as we complain (the trouble is we only complain here; nothing like this will ever get into the mainstream media) about the many faults our nation is facing, it is almost impossible to see changes and things getting better.
We don't have an open and critical press that can change the thoughts of our citizens, that can expose objectively the numerous wrong doings prevailing in our nation, or that can induce positive political changes in our nation. The wrong doings will continue to be propagated. The wealth of the nation will continue to be channeled to certain privileged individuals.
Wait until our population explodes exponentially to a number that the nation can no longer sustain - when basic infrastructures fail and when food crisis or security becomes an issue. Wait until our oil run dry or when a new technology or product replaces our golden crop, the palm oil.
Perhaps by then, people are no longer in their comfort zones anymore and are prepared to change through people power - a revolution not because of racial or religious issues, but because of the huge gap between the haves and the have-nots.
If Malaysia has to push forward, they have to rebuild their political system to ensure that discrimination can never ferment in Malaysia.
I personally think that Malaysia is heading to a dead end, where it will meet Indonesia. Both of them might have taken separate ways, but the navigator (government) shares the exact same blood, teaching and thinking.
This Malaysia country is along the way of 48 years of independence has sideline the basic foundation of our government. Won't be surprise that many of our ministers do not even understand our constitution yet even knowing the Rukun Negara.
The purpose of Article 153 of the constitution and the National Economic Policy was to protect the interests of the bumis, in the fields of civil service, public education and public scholarships, as well as empower them economically.
Has this policy translated into tangible benefits for the non-malay bumi communities in Sabah and Sarawak? Not yet, if the economic disparity and the income figures, between the rich Chinese timber tycoons and their malay sidekicks are anything to go by.
We have double standards everywhere. One for the Umno and one for the non-Umno, I weep for the fools who think that their minister is fighting for their right. With every RM1 they give to you, they are taking RM100 away from your kids. Your son will grow up to become suicide bombers, trust me. Because they will think that the West robbed them.
Long-name Isa got kick off of the club for corruption, he was never prosecuted in court. Long-name Osu gambled millions away, in debt and nothing happens. The Rafidah-APs scandal? Last I heard she is still a minister.
Conclusion? We have a bunch of criminals in the parliament, and guess who is the head?
Well, you know what they say. Power corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely - given the chance, should he not watch himself, any politician (or most) would abandon his mission for money and status.
In summary - Malaysians enjoy the being multi-racial, love the country and not hung up on mixing with other races. The politicians (Malays, Indians, Chinese, and others) screw us all up, play up the racial card to protect themselves so that they can plunder the nation and put the blame on the people.
But anyways, it is sad to see the state of the modern Malaysia. I for one believe that Malaysians are very talented, and we can literally take the world by storm. If only we were given the chance and the support to do so!
Being an undergraduate, I have been advised time and time again by my elders, that if it were possible, attain a job oversea (currently in Australia). And don't come back. Except for holiday and the food.
But I still would really like to see its betterment. Fine, perhaps not in my lifetime.
My honest advise to my fellow countryman, no matter what race you are, save enough money and emigrate. You are doing yourself and your future generation a big favour.
Goodbye Malaysia. I guess there is no longer hope for a better country as long as it is a Muslim country and is governed by the ever corrupted malay system. They suck big time.
The truth is that Umno is not a philosophical organization. It is an animalistic political one. It is a political organization based on the most basic of animalistic principles - the main one being agenda Melayu which essentially is about material and power of one race.
Nothing philosophical about it. The original alliance was the philosophical part about our nation and political organizations which today is almost gone.
Hence the fact that third world mentality pervades and impossible to eradicate is just a fact of the rise of base instincts of Umno. There is no way this third world instinct will change if Umno does not change.
The fact they continue to resort to old ideas in the face of new challenges and means show how unchanging these animal urges are. It is so much more easier to turn to the lowest common denominators for politicians and political organizations.
It is the very foundation of why the principle of 'checks and balances' play such a role despite the difficulties of making it work. Our prime minister is no lion-tamer but the worst part is that he does not seem to realize that is his role.
While I admire the oppositions noble effort, in the end, the only way to change the mentality is for Umno to lose change its agenda. This is where they don't get it that the change can be delayed but not avoided. Unfortunately, they don't understand it and worst they don't believe it.
While Umno may go around touting that they champion the malay agenda for the good of all and that in the end they believe in multi-cultural Malaysia, the truth is that except for the very very enlightened few, most think of it as idealism that if not achieved is not so important. It is only natural they think so because there is not enough reason for them to think otherwise.
And those lack of reasons are also the same reasons why competitiveness and excellence is not high on the importance in their minds. You get used to one compromise in one ideals, it leads to other compromise in other ideals.
Face it, the prime minister may speak of third world mentality but when it comes down to it, will he fire people if they don't perform? In the end, the most he believes in will be gradual change of guards which in his mind gradual improvement. Unfortunately things don't work that way. Gradual change just minor change and ineffective.
I have traveled the world and worked with many great and bad companies and governments, and I will tell you that excellence is a very hard thing to achieve and its constant demand.
The European after a few decades of debate countless attempts are still indecisive about the role of their state in the economy despite continue high unemployment.
The Japanese caught up with the West in terms of industrialization only to discover that industry became less important than services and creativity which they cannot compete.
Singapore after decades of seeming success now finds that the system it creates is unable to take care of the poor and running out of options in creating businesses that don't just benefit the few.
Ideals are luxury but it does become necessary luxury. The danger is we are very close to giving up on those ideals forever and hence trapped in our own mediocrity forever.
Malaysia government and Proton know exactly how to run a car manufacturing company. They have proven right by making tons of money over the years. If the cars cannot sell, just shun other imports, raise the prices, or even break promise and agreements (i.e. Afta).
We have been proving ourselves right with lousy design and low quality cars!
Proton was created by Mahathir as the cornerstone of a strategy to industrialize Malaysia. Long profitable and protected from competition by high tariffs and taxes on foreign-made cars and parts, Proton is now under siege.
Actually, I would have supported Proton if it was a company meant for all Malaysians. Unfortunately, Umno has made it clear that Proton, like the GLCs, is for the Umno-malays.
Another fine case of the bumi policy chickens coming home to roost!
Hopefully, not just the end of Proton but the end of the Mahathir era as well.
'It is time for the government to come down from its ivory tower, swallow its pride and start handing the management over to capable people who can turn these GLCs around, irrespective of race, and the sooner the better'.
Well said. But it is not practical here in Malaysia. If you allow the best to occupy top managerial posts, where are we going to place those 'good-for-nothing' cronies? They too want to occupy those seats whether they can do the job or not!
If only the 'power-that-be' has the foresight, we would have already rocketed sky high in many fields, be it economic, scientific or sports.
No, it was not to be. The name of the game is still color of the skin, political connections and cronyism!
You think these people are stupid. They are just plain complacent and happily drawing big paychecks and bonuses.
The root of all these is corruption, denial syndrome and void of meritocracy. Get real and get rid of cronies and denial syndrome, and introduce meritocracy. And all will see the difference. But it will not happen because there is no political will to this Bolehland.
It is happening everywhere in all the GLCs. Already a culture! Like Chinese sayings 'Top not straight, bottom sure crooked'. That is why you need opposition party to whack them hard!
We are talking about the people on the street with the one vote power. They are the majority who are being kept from the truth and dirty plundering.
National pride? I will only feel proud if we are competing on equal footing.
Do you want you loved ones die in accident which could easily prevented if only the car had better safety features before realizing! National pride for 20 odd years is rather misplaced sense of pride.
Let no more Malaysian die on the road because of cars like Kancil, Saga or Wira. Every politician knows what is going on but the problem is it doest not effect them. They can bring cars worth millions and yes they get one free AP.
Rich man, small problem, money is no problem. It is people like us would go to work until old to pay for the house and children education - know the pain.
All these suggestion of government coming in to help Proton is not going to help Proton as long Proton is considered a national pride project. It must be seen a commercial entity without interference from politicians and cronies.
wow folks.. didn't expect to see so much response on this posting. One thing is for sure; we speak because I believe we want to make this country work. If not, then as some of you say here, there are plenty of other places willing to take us.
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