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Submarine deals: The French connection

Anil Netto
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11

A submarine that has problems diving?

John Berthelson of the Asian Sentinel has given us something more to think about here.


The manufacturer says the KD Tunku Abdul Rahman has successfully completed sea trials following “scheduled maintenance”. See statement here. – Photo by DCNS.

So far, 10 Scorpene subs have been ordered from DCNS – two for Chile, two for Malaysia (at a cost of RM3.4 billion) and six for India. DCNS designed the Scorpene and developed it jointly with Spanish naval shipbuilder Navantia. The second Scorpene for Malaysia, the KD Tun Razak, is expected to reach Lumut in the middle of the year.

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Live – Hulu Selangor Nomination Day

Anil Netto
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Live coverage of Nomination Day for the Hulu Selangor by-election.

Quit rent and Penang Structure Plan

Anil Netto
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Just looking at the law relating to land matters.

Under section 100 of National Land Code, the Land Administrator shall by order declare the land forfeited to the State Authority if the arrears in quit rent is not settled within the period stipulated in its notice of demand (issued under section 97).

Section 100 further provides that the Land Administrator shall not during the period specified in the notice of demand accept the tender of a lesser amount than the sum thereby demanded.

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Another PKR rep bites the dust

Anil Netto
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Another PKR elected rep has ‘seen the light’ and quit the party, citing disillusionment with the party leadership.

Tan Wei Shu, the Kedah state assembly member for Bakar Arang, had been replaced in the Kedah state government exco line-up by the PKR’s Tan Show Kang on 10 March.

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Is Najib’s New Economic Model the answer?

Anil Netto
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What do you think of Najib’s New Economic Model? It has taken such a long time for the administration to realise that the present low-wage export-oriented model is not working.

The need for a new economic model was pointed out in this blog back in October 2008:

One of the larger issues that arises in the face of the global economic slowdown and recession is that the foreign investor-driven, export-oriented economic growth model is clearly not working, especially in times like this when global demand has shrunk. With global stagflation or recession staring at us, capacity is rising and the trickle of foreign investors is drying up.

We should be focusing more on building up a strong, resilient, sustainable domestic economy by providing basic services (housing, health care, food security, public transport, education) rather than relying on foreign investors and now, foreign retirees.

Is Najib’s new model the solution? There are some encouraging bits in it such as the focus on the bottom 40 per cent of the population and the need to improve skills in the workforce.

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Zaid for Hulu Selangor: What do you think?

Anil Netto
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So Zaid Ibrahim is the PKR candidate for Hulu Selangor.

Over the last few years, he has been articulating a more inclusive Malaysian vision for the nation – unlike those Perkasa folks. He has also taken commendable positions on oppressive laws such as the ISA.

In that respect, the man appears to have evolved. The Zaid version 2010 seems quite different from the Zaid version 1980s of the Muslim Lawyers Association during the height of the judicial crisis. But he redeemed himself when, soon after his appointment to the Cabinet, he said the government had to openly apologise for its handling of the 1988 Judicial Crisis, which culminated in the unceremonious dismissal of the then Lord President of the Supreme Court, Tun Salleh Abas.

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Sabah bans urban swiflet farming – and MPPP?

Anil Netto
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10

The Sabah state government has decided to ban swiftlet farming in all urban areas in the state.

The ban was imposed as it was felt that the breeding activities in town areas were a health and environmental hazard and a public nuisance.

Where does this leave the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP)? George Town has been rapidly going to the birds. The ball is now in the MPPP’s court.

This is the Bernama report:

Sabah To Prepare Guidelines On Proper Swiftlet Farming

KOTA KINABALU, April 9 (Bernama) — The Sabah Local Government and Housing Ministry will prepare guidelines for proper swiftlet farming in all of the 24 districts in the state.

Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor said today this was because the state cabinet had decided to ban swiftlet farming in the city and town areas.

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MPSP turns around after 8 years of deficits

Anil Netto
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The Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) has turned around after eight years of deficits. It posted a surplus of RM14.6 million in 2009, after a marginal surplus in 2008 and deficits from 2000 to 2007 under BN rule.

Its actual income rose by 7.6 per cent to RM157.4 million in 2009 while its expenditure inched down by 0.3 per cent to RM142.8 million, giving a surplus of RM14.6 million (against a projected deficit of RM15.5 million). With this surplus, the Council’s reserves rose from RM29.1 million to RM43.7 million.

MPSP Surplus/(Deficit)
(RM million)
2000 – (5.1)
2001 – (31.2)
2002 – (36.7)
2003 – (39.0)
2004 – (48.9)
2005 – (57.1)
2006 – (5.4)
2007 – (5.1)
2008 – 3.0
2009 – 14.6

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Penang Turf Club: Having cake and eating it too

Anil Netto
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25

The Penang Turf Club is baulking at the idea of paying quit rent at commercial rates after its Batu Gantung land was controversially rezoned  from ‘recreational’ land to ‘mixed development’ in June 2007.

The Director of Land and Mines has issued a bill for quit rent for 2008-2010 totalling RM6.1 million (less amounts already paid), which works out to about RM2.4 million a year (or RM2.58/sq metre). The Turf Club had previously been paying RM0.5 million a year in quit rent (or RM0.54/sq metre).

The Turf Club wants the old rate to be used, arguing that the land is still being used for horse racing.

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David vs Goliath – MPPP and Boustead

Anil Netto
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The Penang Forum, a coalition of public interest groups and individuals, notes with dismay that Boustead is claiming compensation from the MPPP for consequential losses in having to reduce its hotel from 12 to five storeys.

Before the matter develops further, perhaps Boustead would wish to reconsider its position carefully taking the long-term big-picture view and the following.

Boustead should not have been given approval for 12 storeys in a heritage area in the first place by the previous administration. It was the Federal Government that chose to apply for and accept having George Town and Melaka jointly inscribed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site, which brought with it several obligations, one of which was to restrict the height of new buildings in the core zone. The Penang Government was merely its fulfilling international obligation. Not to have done so was unthinkable; losing the listing so soon after getting it would have been extremely damaging for our international reputation.

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