Better senses for our country’s sake

DATUK Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, you mentioned it was time to separate the chief minister from state government agencies.

It was reported that if Barisan Nasional (BN) wins Penang state in the next polls, the Penang chief minister may not lead state government agencies such as the Penang Development Corporation and PBA Holdings Bhd. This may appear to be a gallant call but I think otherwise.

A much-needed rectification of our governance structure is long overdue. It is timely and rational but at the same time, the rakyat questions if this suggestion is rational, sensible and whether it makes sense to apply this call to both the federal and state governments.

You are a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, you have a moral obligation to explain and enhance the rakyat, more so the Penangites. Let us examine the case of PBA Holdings Bhd for which the Penang chief minister has been sitting as chairman on the board.

I agree that he should not be there but most other states have a similar structure where the mentris besar sit as chairman of the water companies. As Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong pointed out "Why the double standard?" What makes Penang so different?

At the same time, we have the Gerakan secretary-general, a politician sitting as chairman of Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN), the water commission which is the regulatory body of water supply services.

The uncanny position has given way to a public spat between Datuk Liang Teck Meng, a member of Parliament and SPAN chairman, and Lim Guan Eng, PBA Holdings Bhd chairman and Penang chief minister. The former made a public statement that Penang had applied for a tariff increase.

I would have thought, that being SPAN chairman, he would've been more sensible in keeping such an application confidential until SPAN had approved the implementation for an increase.

What is wrong with an application for water tariff increase? Didn't TNB increase its tariff? Isn't a water tariff increase part of the water reform, which is an established policy direction for SPAN to implement? Why did the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water allow the spat to manifest?

I have pointed out that it does not bode well, to have politicians or retired politicians along with members who have little knowledge, skills and experience sit on the commissions, boards or committees of these agencies. We need to be sensible! Water utility is meant to serve the people.

I wish to commend Abdul Rahman for rationally broaching the subject of the chief minister's power over government agencies.

But rationality, when myopic can lead to paucity of sensibility. Let us not lose sight of a good proposal and make it sensible to apply across the board, especially regulatory bodies, immediately.

Regulatory bodies should discharge policy objectives fairly and should consist of board members or commissioners who are knowledgeable and contributing to the development of the industry in which they regulate. It is not a political platform nor a retirement home for politicians.

We have our challenges in life and we cannot blame our leaders for external shocks. However, we cannot accept self-inflicted wounds of political strives spilling over on to people's well-being.

Please confine the political battles to intellectual discourse on policies that promotes socio-economic development in Parliament and state assemblies. May better senses prevail for the sake of our country.

Tan Sri Robert Phang Miow Sin
Justice of the Peace

Source: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2017/09/13/better-senses-our-country%E2%80%99s-sake

DOJ probe independent of Najib-Trump meet, says White House

he US Department of Justice's (DOJ) investigation into the 1MDB scandal is independent of the upcoming discussions between US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, the White House said.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the discussions will instead focus on a wide variety of regional and security issues.

"(They will be) talking about ways that they can strengthen counterterrorism cooperation, certainly the halt of ISIS, addressing North Korea and their continued actions, and making sure that we promote maritime security in the South China Sea.

"We're not going to comment on an ongoing investigation being led by DOJ, and that investigation is apolitical and certainly independent of anything taking place tomorrow (which is today)," she said at a press briefing yesterday.

Sanders was asked whether Trump would address the DOJ investigation or avoid the issue, and what is expected of the meeting between Najib and Trump, which is scheduled to take place later today.

The DOJ is currently investigating the alleged misappropriation of US$4.5 billion from 1MDB on grounds that some of the funds had been routed through the US financial system.

It has filed multiple civil forfeiture suits since last year to seize the alleged proceeds of the misappropriation (totalling US$1.7 billion) and also revealed in a court filing last month that a criminal investigation has been underway for some time.

Its civil forfeiture filings had linked a certain "Malaysian Official 1" (MO1) in the scandal, saying that some of the funds had been routed through his bank account, and had been used to purchase diamonds for his wife.

MO1 is alleged to be referring to Najib, but he has denied allegations of misappropriating public funds for personal gain.

Source : https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/394869