from: Saleh Mohammed, via email

Let’s say I give a warning to those people in power against issuing ill-advised (stupid) remarks. Now let’s say the CIMB Group chairman says it. What effect would it have? Think about it.

Now let’s take two of such remarks made about the Goods and Services Tax (GST):
* GST will benefit Malaysian firms as the cost of doing business will fall as they recover input taxes
* GST will cut prices of necessities and not vice versa

Now, after eight months of GST, we are witnessing spiralling costs, made worse by the falling ringgit.

There is some hope when it was announced recently that a “high-powered” committee would look into high living costs. About two years ago there was also a “high-level” cabinet committee on Tackling the Rising Cost of Living.

What were the recommendations of this committee? Why the need for a new committee with six cabinet ministers and their respective secretaries-general unless the previous one was disbanded?

It was reported this high-powered panel has several resolutions already on its plate. But it seems that these resolutions are quite similar to those policies already carried out by several ministries.

The question here is whether there was any committee or task force looking at the implications before implementing GST? In hindsight, the authorities seemed to be immersed in telling the rakyat only about the advantages of GST.

Before GST implementation we were told the provisions of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 will be fully enforced. The Act empowers the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism to monitor, control and take action on any price increase due to excessive profiteering. What happened to the enforcement?

Is it true that we are fond of creating committees? Valuable resources could be directed to other pressing matters like the rate of our household debt at an unenviable position of the highest in Asean.

Having committees creates overlaps. If existing agencies are functioning, why do we need these committees and task forces? More often they are formed using personnel and resources of existing departments and agencies. Committees and task forces are known to be glorified outfits created to diffuse and divert responsibility.

Can anyone with conviction tell us of any member of a committee or a task force who is ultimately responsible and accountable for any decisions made by the committee or task force?

Remember we used to have a task force investigating a big case last year which was stopped!

Also, remember the “powers” that be who were acting so tough and showing concern by making tough statements, ranging from no forgiveness to those responsible, more stringent enforcement, to lectures on sustainable living and respect for environment when devastating mudslides struck Cameron Highlands in 2014?

A Special Working Committee headed by the Prime Minister was formed to ensure that flood mitigation procedures are on track; other task forces supposedly aimed at providing coordinated efforts were also formed

The latest report was that more than 80% of the 2,260ha of land illegally cleared by farmers has been cleaned up and 1,449 illegal immigrants have been arrested so far and the operation to flush them out was ongoing.

What happened to those responsible for the illegal clearings and who bears the cost for the clean-up? Have they been hauled up and pardoned?…

Let us have a look at two very recent instances.

Criticisms about bauxite mining have been heard since early last year.

A few days ago it was reported the state government is doing its fullest to make sure that the welfare of the people at all times supersedes any benefit including monetary benefit and are coming up with an action plan as to how to handle this problem.

If we rewind time to May 2015, the Pahang Public Amenities and Environment Committee chairman said the state government would look into the issue.

In August, there were articles highlighting the issue of environmental deterioration and toxic contamination of water from bauxite residue containing high levels of heavy metals and traces of radioactive elements, which are hazardous to humans. One doctor in Pahang said if Malaysia is to avoid potential disaster, the government must either regulate or shut down bauxite mining.

Apart from the above, there were also mischief by operators, such as submitting different sets of figures to different agencies and digging up all the bauxite as quickly as possible without regard for rules and regulations.

Even the Tengku Puan of Pahang was saddened and disappointed by the pollution caused by the mining activities.

The justification for lack of enforcement is lack of manpower at the Road Transport Department, Public Land Transport Commission and police to carry out effective enforcement.

Then, in November 2015, newspaper reports said there are no plans to stop bauxite mining as it is a lucrative source of income for many people. “Because of this, I cannot stop the operations,” said the Menteri Besar in an interview with a national daily.

*Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]*
Quran Al-Rum 30:41”

How about Lynas then? Let us pray nothing untoward will happen.

Another recent incident is the air-conditioning system at Kuantan hospital. It had not been functioning for the past three months. The temporary solution seems to have taken a long time. A tender for the repair work is expected to begin by March and will take as long as a year and a half because of the severity of the damage.

The reason for the delay in solving the problem has been blamed on the involvement of many agencies in assessing and estimating the costs involved.

The above incidents show a lack of care for the welfare of the people.

A popular inspirational quote, source unknown, goes like this: “When you fully trust a person without any doubt, you finally get one or two results: A Person for life or a Lesson for Life”.

So, who is ultimately responsible?

Saleh Mohammed, of Kuala Lumpur, is an FMT reader.

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