Malaysia rises to No. 2 in crony capitalism index

Malaysia rises in The Economist’s crony capitalism index The Economist’s second run of the index of crony capitalism saw Malaysia rising to number two, just behind Russia which clinched the crony capitalism crown. Malaysia was number three in the index when it was first instituted two years ago in 2014, to test if the world…

Stupidity plus corruption is worse!

Stupidity plus corruption is worse! – T. K. Chua I wrote this piece before I chanced upon Tony Pua’s “outrageously stupid agreements” as published today. I have taken another approach to look at the “stupidity”. When we say corruption is killing this country, we are perhaps only half right. I think a more comprehensive answer…

New Crony Scandals for Malaysia’s Najib

In the middle of two gigantic scandals involving hundreds of millions of US dollars, the Malaysian government may be courting another mess, according to critics in Kuala Lumpur. In mid-September, in an affair that is being widely talked and written about in Malaysia, the government-owned Prasarana Malaysia Bhd. (Infrastructure Malaysia Bhd) awarded a RM11.5 billion…

Questionable motives and benefits in bringing in 1.5 million migrant workers

Press Statement Lawyers for Liberty views with extreme concern the government’s plan to bring in 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers over the next three years when clearly its migrant workers management, policies and laws are in dire need of serious reform after decades of mishandling and abuse. It is all the more of serious concern when…

Zahid’s brother eyes system for 1.5m Bangladeshis

A firm owned by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s brother is in talks with Dhaka and Putrajaya to provide a management system for the 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers Malaysia intends to allow in through a new business-to-business system. Real Time Networking Sdn Bhd, in which Zahid’s brother Abdul Hakim Hamidi is executive chairperson, aims…

10 years on, defence academy’s completion date remains a mystery

Ten years after a project to build Puspahanas, a Defence Ministry academy, was awarded to an Umno-linked developer with no track record in construction, the government is no clearer on when the building, already beset by delays, will be completed. Deputy defence minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri when asked by The Malaysian Insider for the…

Malaysia’s rank in crony-capitalism index

Our crony-capitalism index The countries where politically connected businessmen are most likely to prosper AMERICA’S Gilded Age, in the late 19th century, saw tycoons such as John D. Rockefeller industrialise the country—and accumulate vast fortunes, build palatial mansions and bribe politicians. Then came the backlash. Between 1900 and 1945 America began to regulate big business…

Tycoons can protest, but Malaysia’s crony capitalism is real

Tan Sri Francis Yeoh does protest too much for someone who has benefited from being part of the system. Listening to him, you would think that YTL Corporation became financially strong only on the back of astute decision-making and the innovation of company executives; that the raft of lucrative projects from the lopsided IPP concession…

Ridiculous estimate of RM400 billion to buy back highways

RM400 billion to buy back highways? Ridiculous, says DAP MP How did Putrajaya come up with the incredulous amount of RM400 billion as the cost of buying back the highway concessions in Malaysia, a DAP lawmaker asked today. Party national publicity chief Tony Pua said the construction costs of the 26 tolled highways in Malaysia…

Launch of C4 (Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism)

C4 explodes amid kangkung and whistle-blowing PETALING JAYA (Jan 16): A new body calling itself C4 was launched with much kangkung waving, whistleblowing and singing of songs. The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism declared that it is not just another non-governmental organisation (NGO) and it will make sure that the people become the whistleblowers…