I think it’s a bloody waste of the rakyat’s money.
What do you think?
Have your say.
Posted in: Polls
Poll : Should the government go ahead with the proposed RM5 billion Warisan Merdeka?
Posted on October 17, 2010
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The People's Parliament 
Eyes Wide Open
October 17, 2010
Budget to propel Malaysia to the new economy konon…RM5 BILLION to build the stupid 1Tower while only RM250mil for ALL schools nationwide. That’s just 5% of the 1Tower’s budget! Who is going to grow Malaysia’s economy in the future – the 1Tower or our children?! BODOH!!
Lynn
October 17, 2010
It’s just syiok sendiri and just finding more ways for the elite UMNOputras to get more contracts.
Redhuan D. Oon
October 17, 2010
I voted YES. I think we should have more megaprojects. Not only does it give more jobs to the poor folks in town, there will always be corruption money to splash around. Most of us seem to benefit from those droplets.
Before you folks look at my comment with disgust, just take a good look around you, your home, and your family and friends. They are all here, breathing the air of 50 years of such evolved realism.
Soko
October 17, 2010
More jobs to poor folks?
Hallo. Construction workers, Indons.
Subcon company, Korean.
Office space glut, new building half empty.
So which poor folks getting jobs??
spider
October 17, 2010
please vote with some econimic sense. benefit all folks?? THINK LONG RUN; 5Bil pumps into SMI AND SME, ALL FOLKS WILL BENEFIT. SHORT RUN; 100 SOTREY TAKES 5 YEARS OR LESS TO BUILD, ALL FOLKS BENEFIT???? who are the only few own this building???? ALL FOLKS??? remember, richer gets richest, poorer gets even more poorest..
please think first before you reply any..
Jenama X
October 20, 2010
haiyah, why must worry?
the poor folks can do job as cleaners for those rooms lah or hang their fate on the cabels when cleaning the skyscrapper windows, but before foreign workers grab the jobs lor…
aca
October 17, 2010
this is the same freaking govt that tells us they need to cut subsidies to reduce the deficit.
talking about the once-upon-a-time australian PR from MCA. how much money she wants? not enough after getting rid of the secretary general who has been the stumbling block to her son’s ambition to put a hand into the RM600m advertising budget? Is the roof still leaking in Shanghai, Aussie-PR lady?
Damn, when will MCA produce a clean Minister?
Jong
October 17, 2010
Clean up the PKFZ scandal first and bring those culprits to books before they think of another
super-mega project! Wonder how much of RM5billion will be siphoned away?
hurricaneMax
October 17, 2010
WHY should jibby clean up the pkfz thingy when he is still learning from apanama how to make more money???
lee
October 17, 2010
I fully support NgYYen greatest passion to build the world tallest tower,if others can have it why we cannot.Of course if use her own money RM1, Ng said no way!Lets give this mega project to another advertising co. to build!Stationery supplier also can.That’s why all chinese know mca is a business centre.
john james
October 17, 2010
Couldn’t agree with more truly a bloody egoistic idea and a bloody waste of money. Another white elephant for sure. May they rot in hell.
k1
October 17, 2010
go build a 1000 sty building if you are bloody can!!!!
drrafick
October 17, 2010
Dear Haris
This RM 5 bill tower issue is being taken out of context. Firstly, it should not have been raised in the budget speech. The government is not expected to spend money on this project in 2011. This is a project by PNB which is done on government land.
As far as government is concerned, the land cost is zero. It is not forking out any money. I suspected it is supposed to generate some income to the government in the short and long term. This is what Najib should have explained and the people should have asked. What is the government getting out of the land?
If I am not mistaken the land was sold by the government several years ago to PNB. Therefore I expect it will not bring any revenue to the government. In reality, this is not a malaysian government project and from accounting perspective it should have been treated as such. Bringing it up at budget speech is a folly.
Habib RAK
October 17, 2010
Dr Rafick, You have sound argument here. Lets then wait to see what PNB has to say.
Soko
October 17, 2010
Good point.
We need to investigate this further and properly.
hurricaneMax
October 17, 2010
isnt PNB a glc???
drrafick
October 18, 2010
Huricane Max
PNB is not a GLC. It is an entity under created under trustee law to act as a fund manager for people who contributed to the fund.
The government does not get any revenue from the activities of PNB
Navi
October 18, 2010
Dr. It is known that many of such mega projects have been bailed out by the government eventually. See what happened to PKFZ, the monorails of VT and LRTs that Prasana had to take over to bail out cronies.
To glorify whom is such a project.
hurricaneMax
October 18, 2010
and the trustees are??
drrafick
October 19, 2010
You can check the fund trustee from the various fund prospectus. This is also available publicly. Try search pnb website.
Lynn
October 18, 2010
Dr Raffick, if PNB ‘is an entity under created under trustee law to act as a fund manager for people who contributed to the fund’ then you’re saying it is actually the rakyat’s money, also from the poor farmers and petani and urban hawkers and such; could not PNB use the funds entrusted to them to do something better?
drrafick
October 19, 2010
Lynn
I trust PNB. Based on their records of dividends that have been giving since 1989, I trust their ability to generate sufficient income for long term investment. I am also a contributor to this fund. I have full confidence in their ability.
In a nutshell, I believe they have done their maths.
hurricaneMax
October 20, 2010
Doc…i’ve checked long ago. I see pnb as a ca$h cow beholdened to the current board of ‘un’trustees.
pinsysu
October 17, 2010
oh yes! shd go ahead … wat better & faster way to bankrupt Msia & at the same time make big money for retirement! i najib am no idiot to handover the country to PR still wif lots of $$$$$$ left!!
giam2020
October 17, 2010
Why do we need this megaproject for,
it’s a sheer waste of money. 5 billion
can create a lot of smaller and more
beneficial project for the benefit
of the rakyat. Guess it’s to create
a mega UMNO at the expense of taxpayer’s money.
Ellese
October 17, 2010
Agree with dr rafick,
Pnb needs to explain why it needs the building. It must ensure there’s sufficient return otherwise affect investors confidence in pnb. It can still work say if during construction, companies under their stable are appointed as contractors etc etc and after that major tenants come from them and their stable of companies. But it’s for pnb to justify. Currently info is too sketchy.
So the vote you’re holding is misplaced.
Bella@Internet Marketing
October 17, 2010
Most of the projects proposed are costed higher than it should be. Don’t agree.
HuaYong
October 18, 2010
“Bringing it up at budget speech is a folly.”
Well, if that is your view, fine. However, fact is our PM did bring it up at budget. Thus your statement that the issue is being taken out of context baffles me.
The PM, government and PNB is accountable to explain in detail on when, what and how with regard to the project, the people have the rights to access the information and assess the feasibility and make a judgment out of it. Furthermore PNB is wholly owned by government hence I see nothing wrong with the poll and the subject matter.
As for Haris comment, he is entitle to state his opinion whenever he deem fit. It is not a statement of fact, and at the same time, he wants to find out his readers view pertaining to the subject. Whether our government is willing to disseminate more information relevant to Warisan Merdeka, it is beyond his control.
drrafick
October 19, 2010
The issue is being taken out of context by the public and the PM. The PM should not raised it there and the public should have a better analysis and interpretation of any matters being raised by anyone.
Sharing
October 18, 2010
Apparently the “Government” is trying to “spend” money with no good will for the People and much is inflated, such as RM40 billion for MRT!!
I believe diverting EPF into PPF and the JV as in
http://www.kwsp.gov.my/index.php?ch=p2news&pg=en_p2news_press&ac=3371
is another tapping of money and “conversion of State Properties into JV and shares and ……
Something are much “opened”, such as the Annual Budget. But, many are more “silently” done or hidden and processing!!
Similarly the “exchange” of the land of the Petaling Jaya Land office for some companies for land in Kepang(?). Manipulation of state land has always been the most serious of “misappropriation” with value easily “under-valued” and “silent”!! Playing with “book-value” has already bankrupted the commerce and economic sectors if one really care to look into companies (included listed) with land misappropriated!! Immagine the Subang Town Park land in the book of a listed company, the Water Retention Ponds into the books of Developers, Common Facilites of Condo (Club Houses) into the books of Hotels and Group Companies, etc…
The RM5 billion is only a corner of the iceberg!!
Paul Warren
October 18, 2010
How else can UMNO rebuild its stockpile of slush funds for the next elections? Especially if they lose control of parliament, they will need, not hundreds of millions, but billions, maybe, to buy over PR MPs and Aduns to cross over. Somebody has to pay for it isn’t it? And if there are no projects to use as a vehicle, how else can UMNO rebuild its war chest? So, RM5 billion or even more, these are things they got to approve before the next elections.
Ellese
October 18, 2010
I think the information on the tower is too scant at the moment. It’s being announced in the same fashion as other ppp projects where it’s being developed by third parties. (Eg the IPP in Sabah which is also wholly developed by third party.) All these developments however are announced since it’s part of etp and nkea as well.
On pnb, though it’s government owned it must be remembered it’s a fund manager. Meaning to say if there is no good return, investors in pnb funds may even move the fund away elsewhere. Pnb is actually putting it’s reputation at stake. It has consistently been able to give high returns despite the low risk nature of it’s investment. I reckon that if it’s return is lower than elsewhere due to this project, investors will punish pnb. Unless pnb packaged it well and expect better returns from it’s development of the project. The information is too scant on this. I sincerely believe that pnb must justify this. If it cannot justify I personally will rethink in investing in pnb but if it can justify properly, I may invest more.
charleskiwi
October 18, 2010
This is typical Malaysia after learning from the shenanigan how to spend and spend
on big project projects when the country hasn’t got the money and above all with
borrowed money. The ultimate aim of course is the bigger the projects the bigger
will be the ‘commission’ Najib has learnt well from shenanigan Mahathir and will no
doubt take Malaysia down the road to bankruptcy sooner than predicted. Already
many Malaysians including Ketunan Melayu, are putting their money or ill gotten
gains, for those who don’t qualify to immigrate elsewhere are ‘investing’ in Singapore
and in Thailand. What a bloody shamble !
SilentMajority
October 18, 2010
MEGA PROJECTS ARE THE QUICKEST WAY TO MAKE HUGE POCKET MONEY FOR THE CROOKS AND CRONIES. BCOS’ OF MULTI-LEVEL CORRUPTION SYSTEM, THE MAJORITY HAS TO PAY HIGHER COST OF LIVING, SUFFER WITH LOWER PURCHASING POWER, LESS ALLOCATION TO BENEFIT THE MAJORITY. CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT IF WE WANT BETTER LIFE FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION AND SO ON.
timeless
October 18, 2010
this poll is a blady waste of your readers’ time, me included. Yours is an intelligent blog, keep it that way
Lynn
October 18, 2010
Don’t vote if you feel it is a waste of time. People who are outraged feels this is a good outlet to express our disgust at the way the Government – come on, PNB whatever its legal enttity IS a government vehicle – dispenses with the rakyat’s money!
annoying mouse
October 18, 2010
1. Projected is Rgt5bil?
Which mega project has kept to its estimates?
The new Istana? Port Klang free port zone?
2. Do we need another mega building?
Need? No.
Is there such a lack of commercial space & too many biz in Melaka that 100 stories of commercial space can be fully occupied?
The population of Melaka does not justify this potential glut in space.
Want? yes. No need to expound on this one.
3. Why mention it at budget?
Transparency & it’s so costly, best get that outta the way!
Maybe transparency is equated with “announcing project publicly” as in “I am not asking you for yr opinion, I am TELLING you it’s happening”
Smacks of arrogance?
4. Many more ways to benefit the Rakyat with Rgt5 bil?
Unarguably YES.
However surely this issue must hv been carefully weighed out before the announcement was made
But yet fully realizing a hornet’s nest will be stirred, this was still announced
Why?
If I know why, I wont be posting this question!
shakuntala
October 18, 2010
We need education for all of us…the People, not eff…ing mega projects.
Can a caring government deny a poor intelligent student higher education, see the student shed tears at his/her desire to be educated, give as reasons limited funds and then go and annouce that a mega project at that ridiculous amount is in the pipeline.
It is pure maddness and a total disrespect because, this BN government does not want its people to progress to the level of being EQUAL with itself.
We want ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION.
MalaysiainnewYork
October 18, 2010
Harris, 29 comments to date, semua boleh in their comfort zone, NATO, this what i keep telling RPK with his zillion commentors. What are you actually breeding a bunch of NATO’s society? Frankly bro, it can mean something only if it really means something besides the grouses thatwe are all akin too for our own indulgence. I think, you think is not the solution, but how we can think and act without the usual pretense of I and you know it best. Bro, we are talking about the sociey, not how great you are or anyone for the matter. The pleasantry is an artifical environment that we undertake, but frankly is there is subsisitute for what is the reality and the truth? My guess is as good as your esteemed commentors.
Mr. Mickey
October 18, 2010
I fully agree with you, Sir.
Malaysia not only should be in NATO, Malaysia in fact should LEAD NATO since we are so good in doing that !
And btw, RPK is also a NATO fella.
timeless
October 18, 2010
You got a valid point brother.
A poll like this attracts many comments maybe because people straightaway understand its implications, apart from the usual heavy issues with the trademark Haris’s legal wrap-around, which if I may say so is beyond the digestion of ordinary Malaysians.
You are also right o say most commentators are NATO, as I believe most Bloggers are too. In fact many are mere bulletin boards or I call them horrid echo sense surrounders.
For me it is really enough to read a few original online news portals , such as Malaysiakini , Insider and Msia Today. The rest are Bulletin Boards if you know what I mean.
Haris is top notch but sometimes I get lost, especially when he collects awesome signature campaigns which disappear in thin air
shakuntala
October 18, 2010
Mr. MalaysiannewYork
Hmm….strange name, but none of my business.
We are willing to listen, see and learn. How do you propose that we get to know the reality and the truth, behind the Government’s scheming of things.
Can you tell us how to act, in the circumstances?
Your advice will be appreciated, am sure.
ykltpm
October 18, 2010
PM tries to follow Dr.M footstep by creating another icon during his reign.
If it is a 100 storey “Warisan Rakyat” which is a 100 storey apartments for the Rakyat, I will fully support it. But, since it is going to be for commercial only, why not build 200 storey ? The reason being if you build 100 storey now, the next PM will build 120 storey to surpass you and the following PM will build 150 storey to surpass his predecessor and never ending. So you build 200 storey now, it can last you for a few tens of decades.
RastamanJB.
October 18, 2010
Mr.MalaysianNewYork,
For your info, the rakyaat were allowed such dissenting space (electronic) with the arrival of Pak Lah. This new found feel good mood sustained well and the answers were found in the results of March 2008.Also take note of the narrow margins that were obtained by BN.All these were done without firing crackers or launching missiles.Even when the cops assaulted manay of the civil rights people, we choose not to bark or bite.
Come the next election….this silent majority (we need not pose for pot shots or make press statements or holler from some distance land) will show the way for BN.We encourage our friends to read blogs like this one and other similar ones.We also tell them to spread the news to all their friends,families and other blinded people.We will sure talk about this tall building,We will also talk about Ng Yen Yen and all her cabinets cutleries.
New Yorkers may resort to violent,fiery,confrontational or behave like our newly liberated brethrens in neighbouring Indonesia in seeking freedom and democracy,But we Malaysians are proud to do things silently like how we did it the last time.So,sit tight and watch us go about doing our business in a silent and matured manner.
The job that we are required to do is once every 5 years.We will talk for 4 odd years and our action will be seen after that.So,Jangan merepek pasal NATO lah.
Cheers
RastamanJB.
Habib RAK
October 18, 2010
Well said Rastaman. Second you.
Jong
October 18, 2010
Spot on RastamanJB! Thank YOU for speaking up for all of us here. Will this new-yorker be joining us or mere NATO?
vflai
October 18, 2010
…”””najeep”””” GRANDIOSE PLAN to build the 5 billion Warisan Merdeka ???? sure, can…..Malaysia Boleh!!!!!!!!!!!!……anyone with a SANE mind, especially the poor urban, will know that it IS NOT necessary…..WHAT purpose DOES it serve, to enlighten/ alleviate the poor rakyat, especially the POOR ruraL/kampung malays, village chinese and the down-trodden indian rubber tappers in the small-holders and the conglomerate estates??????…. being ‘so proud'(sebenarnya TAK GUNA langsung) from trying to be the champion(jaguh) of the tallest this, the biggest that, etc., etc…..please bear in mind, the realisation of the building of the tallest building will be BORN by you TAXPAYERS…. the proposal to build the WARISAN MERDEKA, THE WHOLE IDEA really SMACKS of DUBIOUS intentions…..awarding this gigantic ‘lucrative’ much unnecessary/non-beneficial PROJECT, , mainly to BENEFIT some politicians/political savvy-contractors……….hip hip hip hooray, MALAYSIA BOLIH!!!!!……sucked up dry(kontang)the treasury/ the land of ‘milk and honey’ before handing it over to the opposition in the soon to be coming General Election 13TH…PADAN MUKA to all those who voted in the ruling party for how long…….for as loooooooooooooong as 50/52 years?????!!!!!! to all you gullible people who so vehemently voted against the opposition(DAP a chauvenistic party, PAS a fanatical islamic party, PR/PKR a “sodomie” party?????!!!!)……you HAVE all BEEN well SUCKERED/WOOL PULLED OVER YOUR MYOPIC/’SEPET’ MINDS/EYES………suffer lah for your stupid folly….hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!1
HuaYong
October 18, 2010
“Hmm….strange name”
Not at all. The name allude a bystander that is intellectually outsmarting the rest here in Haris blog uttering his grand scheme of action that could bring out the best for Malaysia. Though I am yet to get any message from him that is solid enough to be commented upon apart from farting of his own vapid onanism, we should at least thank him for aggrandize the number of comments to 30, by participating.
Navi
October 18, 2010
Haris,
“The Warisan Merdeka project is going to lift Malaysia out of the doldrums and raise the standards in the middle income economy.” So says the PM. Ha ha.
1dumbo
October 18, 2010
Bury the pirates before they shove more earth into your mouth.
hurricaneMax
October 18, 2010
whats is there for PNB to give to the pak cik & mak cik kampong bumiputra, by supposedly funding this structure? I see it as the easiest way to inflate prices of everything, let cost overrun like no tomorrow and then have the gomen inject more cheap funds or even create more legalised ponzi schemes to enrich the few…?Or call it off next week/month as the gomen is lstening to the Rakyak? Either way, dia untung lah.
Mr. Mickey
October 18, 2010
Methinks RM 5 Billion is too little.
We should build a RM 500 Billion 666-storey high really stupendous building that can show the world, once-and-for-all, how “Boleh” we really are.
For the sake of “Boleh”-land, I hope you all should support this idea !!!!!
Who cares about the poor?
Who cares about our anak and cucu?
Who cares if this country is totally bankrupted?
I mean, who the fcuk cares, as long as we have a 666-storey-high building that no-one-else can challenge us, at least not for, like 2 years, or so.
Boleh ! Malaysia Boleh !!!!!
Borneo Gunner
October 18, 2010
Have a go at PNB’s website… you guys should really check out who’s in the BOARD OF TRUSTEES. Surprise, surprise.
You might argue… PNB total wealth management >< RM150 billion. What's RM 5 bil anyways???
Here I quote drrafick's:-
"If I am not mistaken the land was sold by the government several years ago to PNB. Therefore I expect it will not bring any revenue to the government. In reality, this is not a malaysian government project and from accounting perspective it should have been treated as such. Bringing it up at budget speech is a folly."
Yes, MAYBE(?) no revenue to the government. But certain individuals in that B.O.T sure will get their lion's share of the RM5 billion.
shar101
October 18, 2010
Sell all your ‘PNB’ investments because it’s a choice that you can make as a collective. It’s your money after all.
Be pro-active and exercise the option to divest to force PNB to respond with more transparency on this project. Note: Raising funds through the bond market will take PNB down the PKFZ route and we know how that turned out.
But I still think ‘Warisan Merdeka’ is a red herring from Najib. This project has been on the backburner since December 2009. It’s not something newly concocted. He needs to dangle a fat carrot in front of the UMNO Baru AGM delegates (read: class F contractors) for this week.
Thereafter, he’ll switch over to another position to appease the rakyat, hoping to gain sympathy votes for being prihatin to their concerns.
And lastly, don’t bother about what Mahathir says.
Sheila Pakiam
October 18, 2010
WHEN WILL THE MADNESS OF MEGA-WASTE STOP! AND MEGA-CORRUPTION TOO!
sheila
T
October 19, 2010
Yes. We should build the world’s tallest. And we should build a 200-storey tower, not just 100-story. Why not? If Burj Khalifa is 828m tall with 162 storeys, Malaysia should go for 1000m and 200 storeys.
If Dubai can, Malaysia surely boleh.
Jong
October 19, 2010
All those jazz about creating more jobs opportunity with super mega projects and who benefit? …those foreign workers eg Indonesian and Bangladeshi workers?
T
October 19, 2010
Ah, you forgot the biggest beneficiaries of all – mega projects means multi billions – means big fat kickbacks and commissions. Why do you think these projects are proposed and built in the first place? Do you think we needed the Petronas twin towers or Putrajaya or Cyberjaya?
dodgy
October 19, 2010
I’d rather spend 5 billion on schools than on some shitty white gajah.
Sean
October 19, 2010
I think we should spend the 5bn on severance payments – let’s not beat about the bush and pretend the money is going to end up in anyone else’s pockets anyway, shall we? Please – just take it and go already.
Zdin
October 19, 2010
PNB should not follow Najib’s @ UMNO’s instructions to build that stupid 100 storey building. The money comes from the ordinary peoples’ savings. We should protest by withdrawing our savings in PNB’s funds if PNB insist in building the white elephant which eventually will become “A Warisan” due it being ie. abandoned and neglected. The name for the project is PERFECT – Warisan Merdeka. The building is a useless Warisan to our children and Merdeka are the Umno goons coz they have managed to get a lot of money to spend….!!!!