Malaysia, A Banana Constitutional Monarchy? (Updated)

I was watching an episode of Keiser Report on youtube the other day. In it, the hosts Max and Stacy likens the U.S. to a banana republic. So I figured it would also be quirky to draw some similar parallels with Malaysia too. But of course we need to use term 'Banana Constitutional Monarchy' instead.

So let's get started with some basic characteristic of a Banana Country :

1)Profits are privatized and debts are socialized.
The Malaysian government had been dishing out sure profit deals to private companies. For example we Berjaya Sports Toto,IWK, Highway concessions, Independent Power producers and many more unknown companies below mainstream radar.In addition to that we have many land giveaways at below market price (Kg Buah Pala, Naza TTDI and Godfather Daim).
Then we also have gigantic bailouts like CIMB(at least 3 times if I remembr correctly), Perwaja and numerous companies of ex-minister offsprings, We also transfer forex, tin hedging and other market manipulation losses onto the public shoulders.


2) Devalued paper currency in the international community.
Here is a chart I generated from World Bank. It shows the Real Effective Exchange Rate Malaysian Ringgit for the past 25 years.

Its basically an index that compares a currency with a basket of other currencies. The last peak was in 1984 and it has been downhill ever since. So that sort of explain why a Kapok guitar now cost RM100 compared to RM40 when I was back in college.

3)Kleptocracy.
Kleptocracy though not often used in here but it is actually the most accurate to describe Malaysia. Constitutional monarchy or Westminster democracy are no longer the basis for this country. Now the core of the Malaysia system is just kleptocracy, where the current bunch of ruling elites are nothing but thieves who spent most of their time stealing form the public. All sort of monopolies, oligarchies, toll booths, Approved permits, subsidies, compensations(for nonsensical reasons) and schemes are created to move money into the hands of ruling thieves and their proxies.

4)No principle of accountability within the government.
Unlike in UK or Japan where politicians and gov officials resigned over the slightest of impropriety. Those in Malaysia never need to take any responsibility for their wrongdoings.
For all those thousands deaths in NS camp, 1 Malaysia camps, Kg Memali and police custodies no minister or senior civil servants was held responsible. Where are the culprits for PKFZ, Bakun and other fail projects which losses amount to tens of billions? They are still smiling all the way to the banks and some are still occupying ministerial post.

Half of the MPs in Dewan Rakyat are there dubiously because of postal votes and gerrymandering. Dewan Negara is just a dumping ground for past shelf life rejects trying to become backdoor ministers or worse, just to secure a comfortable pension. Monty Python and Mr Bean gets more respect in the international community than our judges. Corruption exists in every level of our police and civil servants.

So it is fairly accurate to say that the whole government structure is just a rubber stamp by the kleptocrats 'kecil' and 'ular besar' kleptocrats to enrich themselves.

Malaysia 'Truly Banana...........'

Update 29Jun2010 : The government had just socialized another RM700 million of Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd debt.

Collapse

I've just watch Collapse a movie where Michael Rupert explain impending crisis of peak oil.


I am not really into conspiracy theories. But his explanation are strong and convincing. Michael really drives home the issue of the human over dependencies on oil and how we are ill prepared we are against its eventual depletion.

It's a great movie. If you cannot get the original DVD, just download Bit Torrent. A must watch and will change your view of the world.




A thought provoking excerpt from the movie:
"There was a guy named Von Clausewitz,who said that war is a continuation of politics by other means.
Politics is a continuation of economics by other means."

Promosi hebat Piala Dunia 2010 !!!!

Pinjaman Harga Runtuh !!! Pinajaman Harga Runtuh !!!!
Faedah tahunan hanya 5% ......


Sempena Piala Dunia 2010 Afrika Selatan, nampaknya peminjam wang berlesen Johor Bahru akan menngadakan Promosi Pinjaman Sukaria. Hebatnya peminjam berlesen ini sehingga boleh menawarkan faedah serendah 5% setahun.

Jika betul seperti diiklankan, maka siapa lagi mau pinjam wang dari bank. Mampuslah Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, Citibank dan sebagainya.





Kanak-kanak tadika juga tidak dilupakan dalam promosi ini. Mungkin harimau bintang yang comel itu dapat memupuk semangat Piala Dunia dengan lebih kuat.

More on Sijil Beranak

After some feedback from a friend on facebook, it seems I may not have clearly express my concern. So here is a little more that I hope can clarify some things.

My friend feels that parents ICs and marriage cert basic requirements. Medical records on the other hand can strengthen the application and prevent fraud. Tightening procedures will curb problem with illegal aliens. I do agree in theory.

But a lot of later day aliens have already gotten birth cert or mykad. In Project IC Sabah, it was alleged that many ICs were just given away without the documentation requirement of that time. If they can flout basic rules back then, they sure as hell can do the same thing now. Perhaps in smaller scale. (Project IC Sabah - Dr Chong Eng Leong is an expert in Sabah illegal immigrants problem. Lim Kit Siang has also written exensively on this issue)

IMHO it is not about procedures. The real problem is the in-existence of political will. To crack down and check on these errant activities is not that difficult. In Pekan(Najib constituency), you can find Burmese refugees there. The authorities can just go there to investigate the allegations that some of these refugees have Mykad or voted during the elections? And whether they really possess the basic documents for IC or birth cert application?

But do anyone want to risk angering these key civil servants or campaign donations by investigating further. We cannot deny that, it might be very useful for some politicians to have inside help in create pool phantom voters with .

All these years,aliens can get item 1,2,3 or any documents through syndicate and insiders of registration department. Forging of a medical card or whatever additional documents is a non issue for aliens , except for maybe higher bribes.

But its a real problem esp for the natives in remote areas. So any more tightening of procedures, will only harm these marginalized folks. Instead of adding more requirements, the government should reinforce the basic services and access to these folks.

As for the solution corruption and abuses, that's a long road ahead for every Malaysian.

Sijil beranak ...

2 days ago I went to get a sijil beranak(birth certificate) for my newborn. I was quite shock by the increased in documents needed compared to the time of my eldest daughter.


The originals plus photocopies of documents required for birth certificate application.


To apply for a sijil beranak you need to provide :
1) ICs of both parents (originals and copies)
2) Marriage Cert (originals and copies)
3) Medical Doctor endorsement on the application form.
4) And shockingly copies of the mother medical record (every page).

It makes me wonder whether this tightening up of sijil beranak application are necessary. Or even effective in solving the problem of illegal immigrants. Does the goverment look at the weight gain pattern or blood sugar level recorded over the 42 weeks of pregnancy? Do they use these medical data to determine whether this application are fraudulent or not? Where do they find space keep all these papers?

As far as I know, the reason illegal immigrants can received Mykad or Malaysian Sijil Beranak by:
1) Forging documents - they will just forge marriage cert, medical cards or whatever the government can come up with.
2) And the main reason they can do the above is because there are corrupt officers who does the issuing for a bribe.

You are probably wondering, why get so excited over some red tape? Well it maybe small matter for us urbanites.

But for the poors in remote areas(orang aslis, Indians enslaved in estate, natives of Sabah & Sarawak), how on earth are they going get their sijil beranak or ICs? Intentionally or not all this bureaucracy will put them even deeper at the mercy of BN and their cronies in civil service. Without a paper proof of citizenship, their children will continue to be marginalized and be manipulated come election time.


Will this beautiful child get the basic health care or go to school as my daughter?

Photo lifted from Sofiyah Israa