Now is the time to call ....

Najib Razak, the PM of Malaysia, has every reason to be happy. Malaysia's economy on which hinges the success or failure of his party in the coming general election whose exact polling day is a subject of speculation in the last couple of years appears to be humming like a well tuned Ferrari, ready to be driven by a skillful driver.

In his last budget speech on 10 October 2011, Najib has sworn to keep the country's deficit down. Worried that the deficit had been going up and up for several years, even from before he became the Prime Minister, he had promised to keep the deficit under control. The local economists were also worried about the spectre of a runaway budget deficit that many speculated could bankcrupt Malaysia just like Greece.

Today, Bank Negara, announced that the deficit for 2011 is 5.o % versus 5.6 % the previous year. What' s more, GDP achieved was within the forecast figure of 5.1%, surprising most economic pundits prediction of 4.5 % while tax collections from direct and indirect sources showed a combined double digit percentage growth for the full year 2011 versus the previous year. To the surprise of many, trade figures have also increased despite the recession occurring in the US and Europe.

Rumour has it, that the good statistics would prompt Najib to call for a general election in June 2012 which , I believe, would be the right thing to do now. Furthermore, Anwar Ibrahim, the wily, immoral leader of the opposition alliance had angered the Malay community by expressing full support for the security of that hated country called "Israel". What more better for Najib now to strike while the iron is hot. It's an opportunity that should not be missed.

Pak Hajis and such ....

As someone once said to me, you can get away with murder in Malaysia. The Malaysian judicial system is so odd that judges tend to look the other way when it comes to dispensing with justice. Today, the local media reported of 2 men being adjudged in their favour for Criminal Breach of Trust or CBT for short.

Some 10 years ago, the 2 men were senior general managers of Tabung Haji which was an institution established to be the custodian of funds belonging to Muslims who wished to go for pilgrmage in Mekah in the near future. The funds at that time could have accumulated to some billions of Malaysian Ringgit. The 2 executives, possibly in cahoots with several others, were accused of misusing some RM 250 million in some investments which turned sour. They were then reprimanded and charged in court. The Sessions Court, which was a lower court in Malaysia, found them guilty of the crime of CBT and sentenced them to imprisonment.

Didn't it occur to the judges in the appellate court as to what had happened to the RM 250 million. Did the money end up in the pockets of the accused and their families, or did it just got burnt in the invesment schemes ?

To this day, I never trust those Pak Haji directors in government and financial institutions. The more turns they have on their haji turbans, the more dishonest they are. For they have this curious belief that their sins can be easily expunged once they go for their haj pilgrimage and ask for forgiveness from God and Allah, as usual, is all forgiving. I have seen my pious contemporaries who think of nothing to get some illegal ringgit.