Wednesday, April 10, 2013

BN privatizing this and that - avoidance of accountability and transparency - Pro-Rakyat?

One problem with the Barisan Nasional rule, was the appalling lack of accountability and transparency. Agreements were entered into by the Malaysian Government with private persons and entities, but alas Malaysians were not able to have sight of these agreements
The responsibility of providing basic amenities were privatised - like water supply, sewage treatment, electricity, telecommunication, road building and toll, postal services, railways, parts of healthcare (Institute Jantung Negara) etc - but alas Malaysians do not even have sight of these agreements. 

One wonders whether pre-existing facilities, built with public funds, have been leased out or just merely handed over en-bloc to these private entities, whereby the later would not be right. 

Road repair has also been privatised - no more speedily done by JKR - and this elections, we find that many roads are with pot-holes and in a state of poor maintenance even in constituencies where the MP is from Barisan Nasional.

Railway lines, for example, is about the same as in the 60s and 70s - We still do not even have a railway line linking Kota Bharu to Kuala Trengganu to Kuantan travelling all the way to Johor Bahru. People from the East Coast still have to go to Gemas and turn around to get to Kuala Lumpur - and this is a shocking failure of the BN Government - and even the last budget is more interested in Kuala Lumpur. What about the rest of Malaysia - don't we also deserve better.

Rates increase, including toll rates and other basic amenity rates, but this BN government very easily avoids blame since these have been privatised and the government has on behalf of the people struggled to keep it low...The fact is that the problem was created by the government in the first place.

Worse still, is the rise in the number of millionaires and rich - many of whom are related to some of these BN politicians - No. 20 Mokhzani Mahathir - $285 million (Kencana, authorized Porsche importer son of former permier Mahathir), No. 40 Nazir Razak - $100 million (Bumiputra Commerce Holdings, brother of PM Najib Razak, son of 2nd PM Tun Abdul Razak) 

One wonders whether for BN, having political power is not so much about service to the people - but enrichment of self, family, cronies and friends.

Malaysia recently had a foreign worker registration exercise called the 6P program, something that rightfully should have been done by the government and civil servants - and when we asked for accounts in Parliament - i.e. how mush was spent and how much was earned, there was no accounts provided - Why? Because that too was done by a Private Funding Initiative (PFI) - but surely there would be monies collected for migrants were required to make payments, and there should have been also LEVY payments by employers of the newly 'legalized' migrant workers. From the answer given, it seems that even what was die to be paid to the Malaysian government coffers ended up in the pocket of some 'private person or entity'. What about the time and effort of civil servants - for their salary and overtime came from Malaysians. There should have been accounts - how much was spent, how much was earned.... but this BN government just do not believe in accountability and transparency. In fact, I never saw any announcement before that this whole exercise was to be done by a Private Funding Initiative (PFI)- this comes to light only when a MP asks a question.
The question was about how much was spend and how much did the government earn - and the answer was not given - just that it was a Private Funding Initiative(PFI). So who decided, which migrant worker would be legalized and which would not? Some private person or entity? Surely, this is the role and duty of the government...
Where is that law that allow government functions to be privatised? Were they not 'authorised government agents' - of that too was left to some private person or company? Again, where is the law that allows for this? 
PEMBERITAHUAN PERTANYAAN DEWAN RAKYAT
PERTANYAAN       :         LISAN
DARIPADA            :        YB PUAN TERESA KOK SUH SIM (SEPUTEH)
TARIKH                :         3 APRIL 2012

SOALAN :
YB. PUAN TERESA KOK SUH SIM (SEPUTEH) minta MENTERI DALAM NEGERI menyatakan jumlah perbelanjaaan dan jumlah pendapatan yang terlibat dalam projek 6P pada tahun 2011. Apakah langkah yang akan diambil oleh Kementerian untuk mengatasi masalah kekurangan pekerja dalam industri perkhidmatan dan pembuatan di Malaysia.

JAWAPAN :
Terima kasih saya ucapan kepada Ahli Yang Berhormat Seputeh yang mengemukakan pertanyaan.
Untuk makluman Ahli Yang Berhormat, Program 6P dilaksanakan dengan tujuan untuk mewujudkan satu pangkalan data dan rekod biometric warga asing di Negara ini.

Program 6P dilaksanakan melalui kaedah Private Funding Initiative (PFI), oleh itu Kerajaan tidak menanggung kos operasi badi perlaksanaan program tersebut.

Di antara impak positif perlaksanaan Program 6P adalah seperti berikut:
  1. berupaya mengumpul data berhubung jumlah PATI yang berada di dalam Negara;
  2. membantu memantapkan pemantauan dan penguatkuasaan terhadap wangsa asing melalui pengambilan data biometric, sekali gus meningkatkan kawalan keselamatan negara;
  3. membantu menangani isu pemalsuan identity dan dokumen perjalanan melalui pendaftran data biometric cap jari yang tidak boleh dipalsukan;
  4. memenuhi segera keperluan pekerja asing sector-sektor ekonomi melalui process pemutihan PATI tanpa perlu membawa masuk pekerja asing baru; dan
  5. menangani isu ketirisan dalam pengutipan levi pekerja asing dan sekali gus meningkatkan hasil pendapatan Negara.
Program 6P adalah sebahagian daripada usaha penting dalan agenda Kerajaan untuk memantapkan pengurusan warga asing di Negara ini, sekali gus membantu menangani jenayah rentas sempadan khususnya jenayah pemerdagangan orang dan penyeludupan manusia.

Tuan Yang Di-pertua,

Kerajaan telah mengambil beberapa langkah untuk mengatasi masalah kekurangan pekerja dalam industry perkhidmatan dan pembuatan di Malaysia. Selaras dengan Program 6P ini juga Kerajaan telah menangguhkan pengambilan pekerja asing dari luar. Walaubagaimanapun, pihak Kerajaan memberi peluang kepada majikan dan industry untuk mendapatkan pekerja asing melalui Process Pendaftaran dan Pemutihan yang sedang dilaksanakan.

Bagi tujuan ini, pihak Kerajaan telah melonggarkan beberapa syarat dan peraturan di bawah Program 6P ang melibatkan perkara-perkara berikut:
1)    Membuka semula subsektor-subsektor di bawah sektor perkhidmatan yang dibekukan;
2)    Membenarkan sektor di luar dasar sedia ada mendapatkan pekerja asing melalui program pemutihan yang dijalankan; dan
3)    Melonggarkan syarat-syarat dan peraturan yang ditetapkan oleh Agensi Kawal Sedia untuk kelulusan pengambilan pekerja asing melalui proses Pemutihan yang dijalankan.

Langkah-langkah yang diambil ini adalah bagi memastikan majikan tidak menghadapi masalah kekurangan tenaga pekerja asing dan seterusnya manjamin kelancaran operasi di sector masing-masing.

Source: Teresa Kok's Blog

Now, on 10/1/2013 the Government of Malaysia clearly stated that the 6P Migrant Registration & Amnesty program, which began in October 2012  was ended today(10/1/2013) - and there will be no extension.

Tempoh 6P tidak akan dilanjutkan

PUTRAJAYA 10 Jan. – Kerajaan tidak akan melanjutkan tempoh pendaftaran dan pengampunan di bawah Program Penyelesaian Menyeluruh Pekerja dan Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin (6P) yang berakhir hari ini.

Bagaimanapun, Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN), Tan Sri Mahmood Adam berkata, secara pentadbiran proses permohonan pemutihan akan diteruskan bagi Pekerja Asing Tanpa izin (PATI) yang telah berdaftar sepanjang tempoh 1 hingga 31 Ogos tahun lalu.

Jelasnya, pertimbangan itu dibuat di atas rayuan para majikan bagi melengkapkan proses pemutihan, pengeluaran dokumen yang berkaitan dan temuduga dengan agensi kawal selia.

“Oleh itu, bagi majikan yang masih belum berbuat demikian adalah dinasihatkan untuk berurusan segera sama ada di Pusat Sehenti (OSC) di Putrajaya iaitu Ibu Pejabat Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia; Ibu Pejabat Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara Malaysia atau Pejabat Pengeluar Pasport Presint 15.

“Selain, Kompleks KDN Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, Pejabat Imigresen Pelabuhan Klang, Selangor, Kompleks KDN Johor Bahru, Johor, Kompleks KDN Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang dan Kompleks KDN Kuantan, Pahang,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini, hari ini.

Tempoh program 6P bermula Oktober tahun lalu.

Sementara itu, Mahmood berkata, sehingga hari ini sejumlah 323,093 PATI membabitkan 21,965 majikan telah diputihkan dan diampunkan.- Utusan Online, 11/1/2013, Tempoh 6P tidak akan dilanjutkan

BUT then, there was this document addressed to undocumented migrants to come for a Briefing and Registration on 26/1/2013 - telling them that they will get copies of personal identification papers that will keep them safe from action by local authorities...

One such questionable invite to get 'legalized', which I managed to get hold is as follows - the forms the migrants who attended were asked to fill up apparently all apparently looked very official as though from the Immigration Department but I wonder - for this happens after the 6P program had ended



Oh...would the answer be that this was after all nothing to do by the Government - it was after all Private Funding Initiative (PFI) - and they can do as they please? 

Paradiselinx Sdn Bhd decided to extend the 6P, and did this with the KDN(Ministry of Home Affairs) and the Immigration Department - was this the case?

Under the Barisan Nasional - more and more are being privatized, even functions that rightfully should be done by government and the civil service. The fact that it has been privatized or is a 'Private Funding Initiative (PFI)', there is yet another reason to avoid accountability and transparency

If BN continues to rule - more and more will be handed over to the Private Sector- and there willl less and less transparency and accountability...

What is happening to the monies of Malaysians and Malaysia? What is happening to our Malaysian people's government? We just do not know what is happening to this country... TIME for a change of government? 

 

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