RM800,000 spent, but no sign of sports centre works

Not a blade of grass has been cut, nor a single pile driven for the proposed Malaysian High Performance Sports Training Centre in Brickendonbury in Hertfordshire, UK, but almost RM1 million of public funds has already been spent.

On top of that, the supposed plan for the national under-16 football team to train at the Arsenal Football Club may not materialise.

The bulk of the money has been paid to St. Albans-based architect and town planner, David Lane Associates, which has sent two invoices — one for RM350,000 and another for RM450,000 — for “work done” to apparently transform part of the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC) into a mini-sports complex.

The amount does not include the travel expenses and allowances of sports officials who have periodically visited the architect and the site over the past eight months.

This is even before planning application to renovate the centre has been submitted to the East Herts Council.

Asked to comment on this, National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz gave his assurance that the expenditure was within limits and has been accounted for.

“We need to make this happen and all these expenses are necessary,” he said.

Ramlan said Malaysian officials involved in the sports centre project include Mej Muhammad Abdul Rani from the NSC, lawyer Phillip Chan who is a member of NSC’s management board and Muralee Menon, former chief executive officer of the failed Paya Indah Wetlands project, who is an adviser to the Cabinet Committee on Sports Development.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, who chairs the committee, announced recently that the centre would be completed by April, and that the national under-16 football team would be the first “beneficiaries” of the centre.

However, Arsenal have said that they have no knowledge of the club being involved with the training programme.

An Arsenal spokeswoman on Thursday told theSun in a telephone interview that the club was totally in the dark over training the Malaysian team.

“We are not involved in any project to train any team from Malaysia,” she said.

The centre has been in the spotlight because of the RM490 million price tag to transform the TARRC into a training centre for Malaysian athletes to acclimatise themselves for competition in Europe.

Following public outcry over the high cost and reservations from British authorities over developing the historical TARRC (which sits on a green belt), Najib announced two weeks ago a scaled-down project worth RM69 million to refurbish the existing facilities at the TARRC.

Source: The Sun

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Is the UK High Performance Sports a waste of tax money ?

PAC proposes oversight panel to prevent wastage of public funds

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) wants a cabinet committee set up to oversee privatised companies and projects to ensure efficient use of billions of ringgit in public funds.

Its chairman Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad made the call after a three-hour briefing by Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, the first cabinet minister to appear before the committee, today.

Shahrir, who is Johor Baru MP, said with RM113 billion in public funds being managed by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Minister of Finance Inc in 78 companies, it was important the money be used effectively and efficiently.

He said there had been cases of “unnecessary public expenditure”, citing as examples the much-delayed Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) project by PSC-Naval Dockyard Sdn Bhd and the re-acquisition of a controlling stake in Pantai Holdings Bhd to ensure it remained in local hands.

The PAC had exposed the RM5.3 billion OPV contract after the company failed to deliver on time the first two vessels. The craft were commissioned in August last year, after an 18-month delay and an additional payment of RM200 million.

The Pantai Holdings case saw Khazanah Nasional paying RM394 million to re-acquire a 51% stake, after Singapore’s Parkway Holdings bought a 31% stake at RM312 million to become a majority shareholder.

Another issue raised was the merger between ECM Libra and the government-owned Avenue Capital. On this, Shahrir said Nor Mohamed explained that there was nothing unusual about the deal since it had obtained clearance from the Securities Commission (SC).

“To say we are satisfied (with the explanation given) is not right since the PAC consists of representatives of various political parties. We all have a different degree of satisfaction. The government feels that since the SC had no objection and the majority of shareholders of the two companies want to merge, the merger should take place without any interference,” he said.

Source: The Sun

Is the UK High Performance Sports a waste of tax money ?

Is the UK High Performance Sports a waste of tax money ?

  … how did those involved in the project arrive at a figure of £10 million (RM69 million)? Were the figures picked out of thin air or were they actual figures based on estimates provided by the consultants?

Surely converting an existing building to a hostel and converting the existing cricket Oval into football pitch, and extending an existing swimming pool would not cost that sum.

A quick on-line search of the classified columns of the local newspapers in the area reveal that three-bedroom houses cost between £150,000 and £250,000. Therefore, taking the higher end, the government will be better off buying 40 houses instead of spending such a humongous sum just to renovate the existing centre.

Besides, if the under-16 footballers are going there to be trained by Arsenal, Brickendonbury should be the last place where they should be housed. Arsenal’s training base is in London Conley – 60km away, which means someone is going to suggest purchasing a coach, which means more money.

Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman says after the footballers, the hockey players will be based there. But the base of British hockey is in Milton Keynes, where there are proper training facilities.

Wouldn’t it be worthwhile investing in property in and around such centres? For example, the home of British athletics is in Crystal Palace where pre and post-competition conditioning is carried out.

Now, we hear that there are plans to expand the swimming pool. For what? Unless it is a heated indoor pool, it will be redundant for a good nine months of the year!

Why are we obsessed with having a “high-performance centre” when our athletes (except for squash and badminton players) have not achieved any significant standards to warrant being sent to such a centre?

Or for that matter, is such a centre necessary when the standards of most of our athletes are mediocre, to say the least?

Experts will tell you you can’t expect someone who runs the 100m in 11 seconds to improve to running a sub-ten by just being in a high-performance centre. So, why all this money on something that will not bring the desired results?

Having said that, it was the same sports ministry which paid substantial sums of money to the Everton Football Academy, whose coaches came to our shores two years ago. They held coaching clinics in Penggarang, Pekan and Kepala Batas, which happen to be the constituencies of Azalina, Najib and the prime minister respectively.

So, where are the boys who went through the Everton coaches? Have they made any significant improvement and are they knocking on the doors of the national team?

It’s time to re-look at how taxpayers’ money is used.

Source: The Sun

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Najib changes tune, UK High Performance Training Center needs RM69 million to refurbish

Najib says, ‘From Research Center to High Performance Training Center without cost’

Najib denies approving RM490m UK sports center, shifts responsibility to Ministry of Youth and Sports

Najib approved UK sports center concept only

who approved the UK sports center

Najib’s mettle

High-performance centre for Malaysian athletes in London a non-starter?

  The government’s plans to convert the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre in Brickendonbury, Hertfordshire, outside London into a high-performance centre for our athletes has hit a brick wall. Or for that matter, may end up as a non-starter.

Despite Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announcing that the training centre will be fully operational in April, it will never happen – an application for permission to renovate the centre has yet to be submitted to the local authority.

Source: The Sun

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Najib changes tune, UK High Performance Training Center needs RM69 million to refurbish

These people don’t want to work, they don’t want to learn

An average of 85.37% of projects given to bumiputra contractors had “flowed” to those of other communities, a Works Ministry survey done last year showed. 

This was revealed by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at a dinner organised by the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department here last night. His speech was read out by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“These people don’t want to work, they don’t want to learn and they give little importance to the many opportunities provided by the Government,” he said.  

The people should be able to strive to learn more to improve themselves and compete in a globalised world. Otherwise, they might be caught in the subsidy mentality and would always hope for aid and assistance from the Government, he added.  

Source: The Star

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Najib: We have the right recipe for success

Malaysia’s squandered reform chance

Affirmative action risks splitting Malays, weakening economy

NEP protects the upper class

Malaysian spin on economy sparks poll talk

Malaysia’s media has been trumpeting good news about the economy, and that is stoking speculation of an early election this year.

The mainstream media, which generally cheers the administration, went to town last week with a slew of upbeat stories ranging from a record 2006 trade volume to rocketing share prices, a stronger ringgit and rising foreign reserves.

“Good times are back,” blared one headline in the best-selling Star newspaper, summing up comments by Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

“The feel good factor is clear. Retailers are enjoying better business and restaurants are packed,” the minister said.

“Economy now more resilient than ever,” was the headline in the New Straits Times, a daily controlled by Abdullah’s ruling party.

More such stories are on the cards, said one editor, who attended a government briefing recently.

Despite the government spin, the real economic picture is not that rosy and Abdullah’s promises of reform remain largely unfulfilled, critics say.

Private economists only expect growth of 5.5 percent this year, against an official forecast of six percent, largely because of weaker U.S. demand for Malaysian exports.

Car sales are unlikely to pick up sharply this year while property sales are sluggish as consumers, concerned about job security, remain wary of big-ticket purchases.

“We have to tighten our belt. There are not many jobs around, and there is less purchasing power,” said Lokman Mohamad, a building contractor. “Some firms also face cashflow problems.”

Source: Reuters India

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Malaysian reform inertia threatens growth and Badawi

Badawi’s government is not transparent

Malaysia headed for trouble

Malaysia’s half-century of independence overshadowed by race tensions

Malaysia’s flawed democracy

Najib: We have the right recipe for success

Samy explains the RM70million repair bill : 18m x 2 + 8m + ?

Consultant fees and additional work have pushed up the cost of repairing the RM120mil Middle Ring Road Two by almost four times. 

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the initial repair cost was RM18mil but because of the additional cost, it had gone up to RM70mil. 

“The initial figure did not take into consideration the RM8mil paid to a foreign consultant,” he told reporters after presenting ang pow and hampers to Sungai Siput Old Folks Home residents yesterday. 

He said the number of pillars needed to be repaired also doubled from 18 to 36.

Source: The Star

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MRR2 constructed at RM120 million, needed RM70 million repair

Nazri says toll concession agreements should be declassified

The highway toll concession agreements should be declassified from the Official Secrets Act in order to prevent public misconception over transparency in the pacts, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said Monday.

He said he did not know exactly why these concession agreements were not being made public as he was not in the Cabinet when the decision was made to place the pacts under the OSA.

“These are public documents. What is there to hide?” he told reporters after delivering a luncheon address at the World Ethics and Transparency Forum, organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI), here.

Source: Bernama

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Weaknesses in the toll concession arrangements

Cabinet does not want to be transparent with toll agreements, Samy wants to go after source of leak

Coalition Against Toll Hike (Protes) shows proof of contract unfavourable to public

Badawi’s government is not transparent

Is the Cabinet abusing OSA for its own purposes?

Mahathir says cabinet is not very knowledgeable and sometimes stupid

Cabinet now passes the buck to the concessionaires

The Cabinet does not have any problem declassifying the concession agreements for privatised expressways but is prevented from doing so by the confidentiality conditions, said Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz. 

“The Cabinet is not worried about declassifying the documents. The concessionaires are the ones making the money, not the Government. There is nothing to hide,” the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said. 

However, the Government could be sued by the concessionaires as both sides had agreed to keep the documents under the purview of the Official Secrets Act, he said this to reporters at the World Ethics and Transparency Forum here yesterday.  

Source: The Star

Read:

Weaknesses in the toll concession arrangements

Cabinet does not want to be transparent with toll agreements, Samy wants to go after source of leak

Coalition Against Toll Hike (Protes) shows proof of contract unfavourable to public

Badawi’s government is not transparent

Is the Cabinet abusing OSA for its own purposes?

Mahathir says cabinet is not very knowledgeable and sometimes stupid

An analysis of Hishammuddin’s Education Blueprint

Blueprint For Continued Mediocrity

Poor Presentation

Long on Diagnosis, Short of Prescription

Summary:

The Education Blueprint preceding this one had a shelf life of only a few months. This one would also be soon forgotten, and a good thing too for this Education Blueprint 2006-2010 is nothing more than a blueprint for continued mediocrity.

Source: Bakri Musa

Read:

Hishammuddin says Malaysia’s education system ranks very high