Who says you need not worry about democracy when investing in a country.
You would probably be bananas if you think that your investments would be safe in an undemocratic country.
These can’t be the smartest of Malaysians to invest in a banana firm in Zimbabwe, ruled by the autocratic Mugabe, that good friend of Mahathir’s.
Interesting developments at Pharmaniaga Bhd, which through a subsidiary was awarded a lucrative concession to manufacture, purchase, store and distribute pharmaceutical and medical products to government hospitals.
The concession to privatise the Government Medical Store was originally awarded in 1994 to a subsidiary of United Engineers (M) Bhd known as Remedi Pharmaceuticals (M) Sdn Bhd. Medicine prices soared after the privatisation.
Remedi became a subsidiary of Pharmaniaga Berhad in 1999 and was then known as Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd.
Last December, Pharmaniaga Bhd revealed that the Public Private Partnership Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department had awarded Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd a 10-year extension on its concession. The Privatisation Committee of the PPP Unit would negotiate the new terms and conditions of the privatisation concesion and then propose the outcome to the government for further consideration.
On 3 March 2010, however, the firm dropped a bombshell when it revealed that the Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Health Ministry, following a routine audit, had revoked the manufacturing licence of Pharmaniaga Manufacturing Berhad effective 1 March 2010.
This is something I wrote in the wake of the defections from PKR of late:
The defections of PKR elected reps are a blow for democracy in Malaysia, but in the long-run they will provide timely lessons for all concerned.
At the last general election, many Malaysians chose to express their disgust with the BN over pervasive corruption, human rights abuses, economic hardship and the politics of divide-and-rule.
No doubt people voted for the party rather than the person, based on certain principles.
By the time the ceramah ended, the crowd at the site had swelled to 20,000.
2225: A crowd of 10,000 is now listening to a speech by PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution at a Pakatan ceramah at the Seberang Jaya expo site on mainland Penang, according to a veteran journalist at the scene.
The magistrate hearing a case involving a dozen reformists who protested in 2000 at restrictions imposed on Harakah has acquitted all the accused.
Free at last – Photo via Tian Chua
The reformasi supporters had protested against a restriction slashing the frequency of the Pas newspaper from twice weekly to once a fortnight.
Of the 12 charged, one had already passed away.
The DDP had subpoenaed 11 witnesses but only two witnesses testified with no response from the rest, said Tian Chua.
The inquest into the death of Teoh Beng Hock resumes today as the Sungei Buloh Hospital’s head of Forensics Dr Shahidan is cross examined by MACC counsel Abdul Razak Musa.
Have you been to the market recently and scratched your heads at the rising prices of vegetables and fruit. What do you do?
Vegetable and fruit prices have almost doubled over the last six months or so. And there is nothing to suggest that it won’t rise even further.
At one time, we had quite a few vegetable farms in Penang. Now most of our vegetables and fruit have to be brought in from Camerons, Australia, China and the United States.
This is not an ideal situation on three counts:
Now along comes an initiative to show what ordinary people like you and me can do.
How do excessive federal powers affect Penang and other states in Malaysia?
To understand some of the constraints that state governments, especially Pakatan-ruled states, are operating under, check out this report in theSun on the Penang Forum.
NGOs alarmed at excessive federal govt powers
Himanshu BhattGEORGE TOWN (March 7, 2010): The impact of widespread federalism, or entrenched federal government powers in state affairs, is a serious concern that needs to be looked into, a forum to assess the Pakatan Rakyat’s two-year rule in Penang heard today.
Several NGO activists expressed concern over various matters in which the federal government exercised undue control, leaving the state authorities out of important local matters they should be handling.
What do visitors to Penang and Penangites themselves think of the place? Are we building more malls and high-rise luxury condo blocks than we need?
What about affordable housing?
Look at what has happened to Midlands One-Stop Centre, once a popular shopping draw. What is its occupancy rate now? It looks more than half empty now – many of the shoplots are shuttered down -as shoppers make a beeline to the newer, flashier malls.
Have a look at these two letters to the press: