Warisan Merdeka

To Farrah DN and Ain Z

for making this entry an accomplished 

distillation of thoughts...

There's a friend of mine in Canada who wants to hear what are my thoughts regarding the PNB new iconic project, Warisan Merdeka which includes the construction of a 100-storey tower. Another friend of mine in India said the name 'Warisan Merdeka' is 'sedap' while my friend in Poland and me agreed it is kind of ' so kampung' but that is just typical me, gedix skit. 

So anyway, one thing that I think wrong made by Najib is that he announced this in the Budget 2011 while I was made understood by various sources of news that the project is privately funded by PNB. I am not in the Government nor am a lawmaker, so I am not sure whether our annual budget should contain Government spending only or involved private funding as well. Furthermore, it is a PNB project, a government-linked company, maybe it is a Government project but it is not funded by Government. Ala, private with Government influence, you get me? Overall, that's the only bad thing about this project; the place it was announced. Other than that, economically and socially, I lauded the new project! 

The brouhaha (best guna perkataan ni) made by the Opposition will never end. Why I support this project? I don't want to use the same reason that others use; the typical 'tengokla Mahathir masa dia nak buat KLCC dulu, ramai je yang bangkang'. I'm not going to use this because if you succumb this to those who oppose anything the Government make, ugh..selamat berjaya la yek.

Okay, first of all, you all ingat tak pepatah jaga tepi kain orang, kain sendiri tak jaga. Kain I, ikut pandai I la. I beli dengan duit I sendiri. The same thing goes to this tower. The owner has its own money (the market capitalisation of PNB can build 20 more 100-storey tower,seriously check the Bursa Saham) to build this building, it is not money from the Government. Ada orang bangkang you all nak buat rumah kalau ada duit banyak dengan duit you sendiri? Gila bangang! Bukan duit kerajaan, tapi duit PNB. 

Okay, if you say PNB has our money to build the tower, because we invest in ASB, ASN, ASW2020 and so on so on la. You feel risky if they use your money to build the tower, isn't it? Have you listened to comments made by the economists or investors about this project? Hey mister, the RM5 billion fund is from the private saving of PNB, the company itself! It is not from your money! If you study how a trust fund is managed, they take your money and invest in profitable companies and then, the dividend made is paid to you. Tu la yang you dapat kot dividend ASB tiap-tiap tahun tu. But, this RM5 billion is the company's money that they own themselves and invest it for their own profit! Kalu tak faham lagi, dia macam ni. Aku ada syarikat nak buat trust fund. So, aku kena jugak ada startup duit nak bukak company tu. So, let's say dah ada duit tu. For PNB, modal dia Government bagi dulu. So, aku you all sume bagi la duit kat aku and I ambil semua duit you and letak kat dalam company yang untung-untung. Tapi startup modal tadi tu? Aku invest la untuk company aku sendiri. Ada aku ambil duit you all nak bagi untung kat aku? Modal tu la yang PNB invest kat company lain and diorang buat profit dia sendiri! Actually, we have to be proud with PNB as they are able to have that much profit for themselves while at the same time our money also grow in our trust fund. Tu la, jangan dengar comment made by those who read Malay Studies, but from business perspective. Inilah yang dimaksudkan itu duit keuntungan company tu sendiri, bukan duit I, not your money either! 

I know why this is such a big matter if we want to build something big. Let's say Mah Sing Group ke, Sunway Group ke or even SP Setia want to build 500-storey tower right in front KLCC, it's okay. Takde bising-bising ni. The project get support from Lim Kit Siang, Anwar sekalipun. Why? You like it or not, nearly all investors in PNB are Malay so when they build it, ugh mana jadi ni. Which one is better, PNB built 100-storey tower with many Malay share in it or Sunway build condos around KLCC that no Malays can buy even a square-feet of them? Jawabla. You nak beli sekaki pun  tak mampu. So, when they have PNB, I invest in the funds, the money grows and able to have my equity share in the tower, although it is very little. But, is it much better than all of the condos that only super-rich can buy? Dia PNB buat ni nak suruh kita rasa ada jugak share dekat tower tu. If I know this reason is right and absolutely true, I dare say Malays who oppose this are stupid then. It may sound harsh, but are you freaking kidding me? Unless you don't have investment in PNB-related funds. Sapa tak suruh menabung? Padan muka. Look at KLCC, who owns the stores and retails? Pak sedara Najib ke, ayah aku ke? Ke Siti Hasmah punya Zara ke tu? They all owned by the private investors who are not ....Malay! Or those who oppose ni jealous sebab dia nanti takde share dalam bangunan tu? Is saying that my race doesn't own the shops in KLCC racist? 

That's the hidden agenda from those who oppose. Melayu yang tak tahu apa-apa ni, ikutla sekali oppose biar orang nak bagi dia senang sekali pun. 

I heard these reasons/comments as well:

1. Kenapa nak membazir lagi, buat la sekolah ke, hospital ke?

2. Kenapa tak tolong pesakit kronik ke, nak buat appendix costs thousands kot!

3. Healthcare sytem pun mahal.

4. Barang-barang mahal.

Jawapan: Semua benda kat atas tu semua betul, tapi semua tak kena tempat nak jawab dengan duit tower ni. Duit RM5 billion tu sekali lagi nak diulang: BUKAN DUIT KERAJAAN! Sape yang kena buat semua kat atas tu? KERAJAAN! PNB tu KERAJAAN ke? Dia syarikat nak buat untung. Untung dia pun kita jugak yang rasa, kalau you invest la. 

Questions just out of curiosity:

1. Is Malaysia a welfare society that we need to pay for all things including those who go to private hospitals? 

2. Is Petronas money need to be used to cut subsidies only so that you can pay for cheaper goods? 

3. Are you freaking taknak berusaha and complaint je all the time although benda tu tak kan guna duit you?

4. Do you want PNB to use the RM5 billion to give to the Chinese-owned sugar companies (richest in Malaysia btw) so that we pay RM0.50 je for sugars and so we will eat more sugars and get diabetes and then we don't have money to go to Petronas-owned Prince Court Hospital, so end up in public hospital and then keep complaining? 

5. Do you want the RM5 billion spent to political drama in the party's election fiasco?

Tu je. Bye. 

-The Chukai Insider

ps: I feel more patriotic watching The Amazing Race Asia compared to any other stuffs (don't know la other stuffs).