Monday, October 15, 2018

Stop the Corporate Arrogance


A Kadir Jasin


PREAMBLE: Views expressed herein are entirely mine. I am writing in my personal capacity as a blogger. It has nothing to do with whatever position I may hold.

MRT2: MMC-Gamudia does not have to show arrogance
I AM miffed by the claim that any termination of the underground section of the Mass Rapid Transit Line 2 (MRT2) would leave 20,000 people jobless.

Pardon me for my ignorance. I had never thought that with the state-of-the-art tunnel boring technology we would require that many workers.

[Anonymous comments will not be published. Please use real or pseudonym. Thank you.]

If we do, Alhamdullillah. It means jobs for some of our people and for tens of thousands more Bangladeshis and an assortment of other imported workers.

The contractor, MMC-Gamuda KVMRT Sdn Bhd had claimed in the media that any termination of the contract to build the underground portion of the MRT2 would result in over 20,000 job losses from a supply chain of over 600 Malaysian companies.

I would have no problem understanding the requirement of that many workers if the tunnel is dug by hands using cangkuls, pick axes, wheelbarrows and dynamite.

I though with tunnel boring machines (TBMs) we would need, at the most, a few hundred workers. My Internet search tells me that at any one time there will be around 16 people working in a TBM.

So if a TBM operates around the clock on 8-hour shift, some 50 people would be needed. And if MMC-Gamuda KVMRT has 12 TBMs as it claimed, the number of workers is 50x12=600.

Sorry for my simple-mindedness! After all I’m only a country yokel.

But if MMC-Gamuda KVMRT is using cangkuls, pick axes and wheelbarrows for the project then it would be easier for me to believe that 20,000 jobs are at stake.

The fact is the government isn’t shelving the tunnel section for the heck of it. With the previous government leaving behind debts exceeding RM1 trillion, the new Pakatan Harapan government needs to save as much money as possible for other expenditure purposes.

People die without medicines and food but they do not die without MRT tunnels!

Be Reasonable

To begin with, the government had accepted the offer by MMC-Gamuda KVMRT to reduce the cost of the above ground portion of the project by RM5.2 billion to RM17.4 billion – a 23-percent reduction.

The contract for the underground portion was terminated because the government and MMC-Gamuda KVMRT could not reach an agreement on the required price reduction.

But the Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had since said that the government would make another assessment regarding the termination.

Still not everything is lost. Thanks to what appears to be MMC-Gamuda KVMRT’s arrogance and poor public relations, we now know how well paid their head honchos are and how ungrateful some Malaysian corporations can be.

This reminds me of a Chief Operating Officer of a Government-Linked Company (GLC), who upon being asked by the Council of Eminent Parsons (CEP) how much his salary was, replied: “I can’t remember.”

It turned out that his salary and bonuses annually exceeded RM7 million. Can’t blame him. With an income like that, one does not have to bother about the nitty-gritty.

I hope Malaysian companies, their shareholders, executives and workers study their history.

Let me put it this way. Not a single big name in the Malaysian corporate galaxy today – irrespective of race – that did not get a leg up from the government.

For instance, there might not have been MMC-Gamuda had it not been for the Smart tunnel project and the railway double-tracking.

Even the mighty sugar king, Robert Kuok Hock Nien, traces his wealth to the government when his farther, Kuok Keng Kang, was awarded rice, sugar and wheat trading concessions by the Johor government during the colonial era.

So there is no need for MMC and Gamuda or any other company to be arrogant about their corporate prowess. That goes for their owners and executives as well.

We know who they are!

Thank you.

19 comments:

Unknown said...

largest shareholders aka company owner of Gamuda and MMC includes PNB, KWSP, KWAP and LTH. you pray for demise of MMC and Gamuda, might as well pray for demise of the government.

plus, immigrants help build this country. show some respect. where's the pekerja melayu, cina and india to do those 3D work??

Abdulla said...

Terbaik Datuk!!!

Nampaknya mati kutu lepas ni 1st class engineer Gamuda.

Abu bakorrr said...

Mane ad ZAMAN CANGKUL lgi dato..
Zman excvator skrg ni.

Cangkul utk GALI KUBOR bole ler..

Pong pang pong pang crite 1 trilion..

PAS suruh kluar "kertas putih" A4 paper..

Ade BERANI ker??

Kihkihkih

Cakap "kedai kopi" hal 1 trilion.
Boleh blahhhh

Yg dlm "manifesto" da tertulis pon xbole tunaikan ni plak ckap kosong hal trilion..

Sape nak CAYER??

Chunky said...

What a dumbass statement.

So if immigrants loses their jobs, it is okay lah? Maybe their human values is far less than Malaysian locals.

And you are one of the so called PM's "advisors"? Allah help us!

Masuri Othman said...

Tunnel boring is no longer a rocket science. Even ancient people have built them miles n miles. Underground transportation are common in many European cities. Surely people have technologies that built super tunnel with minimum cost with small no of labour. 20k labour is just do no add up.

zreen said...

60% is bumiputra.

msh said...

Inilah akibatnya bila Ketua2 kerajaan terlampau korup.
Sebut sahaja Tuan punya syarikat2 besar yg mndpt kontrak dari kerajaan.....tiada seorg pun yg TIDAK RAPAT atau TIADA HUBUNGAN dgn Menteri2 kabinet.

Boleh kata semua ada hubungan.....sama ada secara terbuka atau gelap.

Mana2 menteri dari zaman dahulu lagi hinggalah zaman Mappadulung ....hampir semua ada kenalan atau ada hubungan dgn Tuan Punya Syarikat2 besar yg mndpt kontrak kerajaan.

Jika tidak secara terbuka....tetapi melalui perantara.

Dato....ini hakikatnya.

Kerana BN dibawah Umno telah berkuasa hingga zaman Mappadulung.....maka ramailah Menteri2 Melayu korup menjadi kaya raya hasil 'kickback' dari Tuan2 punya Syarikat atau korporat.
Dan....menteri2 MCA dan MIC juga mndpt tempias ....hingga kesemua mnjadi kaya sama dgn menteri2 Umno.

Inilah puncanya.....kenapa Tuan Pemilik syarikat korporat menjadi Bongkak dan Besar Kepala.
Mereka ada Menteri dibelakang.

Harap kerajaan PH tidak melakukan perkara yg sama.
Dan saya percaya....kita tentu ada mekanisma2 tertentu untuk mengelak Menteri2 mengambil kesempatan dari semua ini.

Kita tidak perlu melihat jauh.....cuma mengambil contoh dari jiran terdekat Singapura.....tentang cara mereka memerintah negara hingga menjadi 10 dari negara terkaya dunia.
Tanpa telaga minyak...kelapa sawit.... hasil pertanian....atau hasil mineral tetapi masih boleh menjadi negara maju 'develop nation'.
Tidakah ini suatu yg wajar Malaysia membuat contoh.

Tetapi saya percaya ...tentu ada yg mempertikaikan dan berkata...Hsien Loong pun serupa juga dgn Mappadulung....kerana isteri adalah anggota Pengarah Temasik.

Apa pun harapnya kerajaan PH dpt melakukan terbaik.....dan mempunyai mekanisma tertentu memantau menteri menjadi korup justeru Pemilik2 Syarikat Korporat diperingkat Federal atau negeri.....Tidak menjadi sombong atau angkuh dpt tampalan Dato.

Sudah merdeka lebih dari 60 tahun.....tetapi negara masih belum menjadi 'develop nation'. ....tetapi Menteri2 kaya raya.


Hakimi Abdul Jabar said...

I'm very sure, 110%, that the censorious and brilliant blogger-observers such as Isham Rais & Syed Akbar Ali are raring to actually see the booming development of the Port Dickson district especially its beachfront properties after the much-paid lip service of the previous kleptocratic regime and the newly-elected MP to ensure that he actually makes good on his local electoral promises of development which must certainly include the development of Port Dickson District's beachfront properties!

http://syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.com

http://tukartiub.blogspot.com

Jawi Pekan said...

Their arrogance is the result of getting all the big jobs year after year.Maybe its good if the Government spread the weaith around to other players.

Absurd and ridiculous! said...

Datuk,
with your kind permission, am reprinting comments here published in your earlier post.

In a way, the silly endowment of titles on members of the newly fledged govt could lead to bigger unsavoury activities, from little things come bigger things.
So a warning to all politicians.

Absurd and ridiculous! said...

Datuk,
fully support LIM Guan Eng who today chided several of his partymen for accepting awards from state rulers carrying the honorific Datuk title.

The DAP secretary-general said accepting such accolades would give people the wrong impression as the party and its pact members had captured Putrajaya only five months ago.

This is not only relevant to DAP but to all Pakatan members.
Only 5 months in govt and they are being given titles. So absurd and ridiculous!
State govts please DO NOT try to curry favour, the rakyat knows what this is all about.
Self awarding of titles is another form of rasuah and DAP must report such members receiving the awards to the authorities.
And the ones given the awards, please do not pretend you are unaware, REJECT these awards immediately.

One day may come you will be stripped of such titles.

Ujang said...

Hero kampung. Cant even get a single tunnel boring project in 3rd world countries.

dt rahman pekan said...

being in d thick of things in d rail industry until 2014 (22yrs), i can only respond in 3 words. they r talking 'nonsense, rubbish, n bollocks'.

all wil b revealed if d remainder of d project is procured thru open tender.

Unknown said...

Dear Datuk Kadir,
Good evening.

Allow me to voice out my opinion.
I have to disagree with your writings.
Even if the MMC Gamuda Honcho are being paid handsomely, why those engineers and low income Bangladeshi workers had to paid the price.

Why don't cut the leader honcho and its subordinates then.
Let other 'company' bought the shares of the MMC or appoint the government favored board of directors then. You know how the corporate world works though.

Those workers are just doing their job, finding means to survive themselves and families.

RD. said...

"It turned out that his salary and bonuses annually exceeded RM7 million. Can’t blame him. With an income like that, one does not have to bother about the nitty-gritty. "

Huh... patut pun ada sekumpulan ahli-politik dan penyokong yang rapat dengan mereka, bersikap gelojoh dan tidak sabar-sabar, sambil berteriakkan agenda reformasi tak apa-apa, sanggup menyalah-gunakan process democracy demi menjulang sesaorang individu.

BENJAMIN ISKANDAR said...

Bloated project to enrich certain people in power. They talk numbers for dumbers to believe, when right thinking citizens do their calculation 20,000 is just can't add up. PH is taking the right decision demanding cost reduction from GAMUDA or if not re-tender. Anybody sees this Gamuda's top management purks and salary?

BENJAMIN ISKANDAR said...

Bloated project to enrich certain people in power. They talk numbers for dumbers to believe, when right thinking citizens do their calculation 20,000 is just can't add up. PH is taking the right decision demanding cost reduction from GAMUDA or if not re-tender. Anybody sees this Gamuda's top management purks and salary?

Jojo said...

Datuk,

1. Both government and businesses need each other. Goverment need their taxes and businesses need money from government. Both should help each other.

2. In this case, I believe it comes down to just a simple word called diplomacy. LGE and Tony Pua may be good with numbers but when it comes to negotiation, they're like thugs. No diplomacy.

3. Give the business dealings to Tun Daim and his "anak2 didik" anytime I am sure this case will be settle in no time.

4. At time like this, we should work together to build back our crumbled nation ruined by previously stupid greedy PM led by missing fat pig.

Unknown said...

Well written datuk.

Stupid 5 DAP men said...

Datuk,
you write on corporate arrogance, let's switch to a slight different type of arrogance where certain DAP politicians in Malacca and Sabah received state awards.

The rakyat is fully behind the DAP's CEC which reprimanded the recipients.
The DAP central executive committee (CEC), which met on Oct 15 has reiterated that DAP elected representatives and local councillors should not accept titles and awards during their period of active political service.

DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke said in a statement today that elected representatives and local councillors should only receive titles and awards after retiring from active service.

He said the Melaka and Sabah DAP had been “informed and categorically told of this decade-old CEC understanding in July” and that the CEC had expressed its displeasure over not being consulted on the offer of titles and awards.

Recently, two DAP Melaka state assemblymen, Tey Kok Kiew and Wong Fort Pin, received the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) award which carries the title “Datuk” while two Sabah DAP ministers – Stephen Wong and Frankie Poon – and Assistant Minister to the Sabah Chief Minister Jimmy Wong were awarded the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK), which also carries the title “Datuk”.

So after being informed in July, Tey, Wong, Stephen Wong, Frankie Poon and Jimmy Wong deliberately ignored the advice of their party and accepted the awards.

We call upon them now to return the awards, otherwise in the next election we will NOT return them !! These stupid avaricious politicians, they show their true colours, going the way of MCA. Idiots, serve the people first, you won on DAP support otherwise you would have lost the elections. When you retire you can accept any number of awards.

About Me

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I was born in 1947 in Kedah. I came from a rice farming family. I have been a journalist since 1969. I am the Editor-in-Chief of magazine publishing company, Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd. I was Group Editor NST Sdn Bhd and Group Editor-in-Chief of NSTP Bhd between 1988 and 2000. I write fortnightly column “Other Thots” in the Malaysian Business magazine, Kunta Kinte Original in Berita Harian and A Kadir Jasin Bercerita in Dewan Masyarakat. Books: Biar Putih Tulang (1998), Other Thots – Opinions & Observations 1992-2001 (2001), The Wings of an Eagle (2003), Mencari Dugalia Huso (2006), Damned That Thots (2006), Blogger (2006), PRU 2008-Rakyat Sahut Cabaran (2008), Komedi & Tragedi-Latest in Contemporary Malaysian Politics (2009) and Membangun Bangsa dengan Pena (2009).