TJ Ringkas:

MAHATHIR TIPU BONTANG

Berikut adalah antara petikan ucapan Mahathir di Cambridge:

"The present Government is business-friendly. It encourages the private sector, including foreigners, to invest and act as the engine of growth.

"Kerajaan kini adalah mesra-perniagaan. Ia menggalakkan pihak swasta, termasuk orang asing, untuk melabur dan ia bertindak sebagai engin untuk kepesatan kemajuan."

Sejarah yang berlalu boleh membuktikan apakah benar kerajaan "business friendly" atau sebaliknya....

TINDAKAN KERAJAAN MEMALUKAN PETRONAS

Saya gusar apakah Presiden Petronas dapat menerima pakai kenyatan Mahathir yang manis di bibir tetapi pahit ditelan ini. Alang-alang lidah bercabang, cakap tidak serupa bikin....

Bayangkan royalti ditarik bukan di atas meja rundingan, sebaliknya ia dilakukan ala samseng dengan dikhabarkan melalui cetakan akhbar. Demikianlah gambaran satu layanan yang kononya "friendly" - apakah itu satu "pengiktirafan" kerajaan Mahathir kepada satu kerajaan negeri yang dipilih oleh rakyat marhaen atau satu penghinaan sebagai luahan dendam yang tidak berkesudahan?.

Yang pastinya Mahathir telah menodai perlembagaan negara yang mengiktiraf hak negeri yang berpayung berdaulat yang dipilih oleh rakyat melalui demokrasi. Dia melanggar Akta Petroleum, Akta Tanah dan Perlombongan, Perjanjian Royalti, dan salah-guna kuasa pusat. Mengikut Tun Salleh Abbas, kuasa Pusat hanyalah terbatas terhadap 2 negeri sahaja di Malaysia ini, iaitu Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur dan Labuan sahaja. Dia tidak berhak mencampuri urusan negeri, apalagi mengambil wang 5% dari Petronas untuk disalur sendiri.

TINDAKKAN MEMALUKAN PELABUR BRITISH

Mungkin pelabur British belum lupa, bagaimana kerajaan Malaysia bertindak memboikot barangan mereka bila skandal Pergau dan Pesawat Tentera terdedah terbuka. Padahal Malaysia boleh membela dirinya dengan menyaman mereka yang dirasakan menfitnah kerajaannya!

Berita yang tersebar itu bukanlah angkara semua pelabur British, tetapi ia berasal dari lapuuran Akhbar di sana sahaja. Apabila Mahathir melenting bagai si gila, ia menampakkan lagi betapa kerajaan tidak ikhlas untuk menunaikan amanahnya untuk membangunkan negara. Kita tidak perlu meneropong jauh untuk memerhatikan mutu barangan yang dibeli oleh kerajaan kita yang penuh dengan skandal. Lihat sahajalah berapa banyak kapal-terbang jenis jet pejuang yang rosak sehingga menyebabkan pilot handal TUDM terkorban. Atau helikopter yang asyik meragam. Atau Skandal Pularek yang menghiris perasaan dan Sauk yang memalukan.

TNB MEMBISU INGIN PINJAMAN SEMULA

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones) -- Tenaga Nasional Bhd kini sedang meraba-raba untuk meminjam semula sebahagian daripada pinjamannya untuk mengurangkan kadar faedah, demikian dilapurkan oleh Business Times, Isnin ini.

Menurut lapuran itu, Tenaga dikatakan sedang memikirkan skim pinjaman islam yang lebih murah daripada pinjaman jangkapendek masakini.

Kos servis (melayan) hutang adalah kos ketiga terbesar buat TNB, selepas kos kepada IPP dan kos bahan-api minyak.

TNB berhutang sebanyak RM 25 billion, dimana 43% dalam matawang RM. Jumlah faedah pula mencecah RM1.2 billion setahun.

PM questions the need for change in Government

From Ahmad A. Talib in Cambridge, England 08 October 2000

MALAYSIANS, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said, had two choices - change the Government for the sake of democracy or retain it and allow the present set of policies to continue to help drive the country to become a developed nation by 2020.

Said the Prime Minister: "Is it democratic to have the same party returned time and again? Some say it is not democratic. They say a democratic country must see frequent changes of government. Will the future see such a change? It is possible, of course.

"Many are already saying that we need a change, we need a new Government merely for the sake of change. That the present Government performs well is no reason for not changing."

Dr Mahathir was asked to gaze into his crystal ball and share his thoughts with participants in a conference organised by the Cambridge University Malaysia Society yesterday. He was given a topic to articulate _ Malaysia in the new Millennium. (Full text of speech tomorrow.)

Drawing several possible scenarios, he said: "Assuming that a new party is elected to form the Government, it must change most of the plans and policies of the previous Government. Perhaps the changes would be good for the country. But changes must create uncertainties and uncertainties must disrupt.

"The present Government is business-friendly. It encourages the private sector, including foreigners, to invest and act as the engine of growth. But a new Government might not think that being business-friendly and giving the private sector a major role in the economy is a good thing.

"Promises and agreements made by the present Government will accordingly be dumped. This will hurt investors, both local and foreign. They will take their business elsewhere .... Changing Government may be considered democratic but it is very disruptive. It affects a country's development adversely. Again, we have to consider whether we want democracy for its sake or we want democracy for the good that it can deliver."

Giving his audience much food for thought, the Prime Minister spoke of the country's foundation laid by previous leaders, such as the "neat arrangement" involving race-based political parties working within a coalition on a power-sharing formula.

This arrangement has provided political stability needed for the country's growth, but whether it continues to function or not would depend on the coalition Government promoting the interests of all the races more evenly.

"It will not do for the coalition government to neglect any of the races because this will result in a breakdown in the coalition party. Failure of the races and parties to support each other will result in the coalition losing the election."

Dr Mahathir's closing remarks reflected his preferred scenario: "Malaysians will make every effort to bring about the best scenario, that of a stable, rapidly growing country which will become developed by 2020 .... And so it is quite likely that Malaysia in the new millennium will be a developed nation of 30 million plus hardworking, peace-loving people, respected and trusted by the rest of the world."

Sumber: Yahoo Biz Finance

Monday, October 9 7:52 AM SGT

Malaysia Tenaga Mulls Refinancing Ringgit Loans - Report

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Malaysia's Tenaga Nasional Bhd. (TENA.KL), the dominant power utility, is looking into refinancing a portion of its ringgit loans to reduce heavy interest charges, the Business Times newspaper reported Monday.

According to the report, Tenaga is said to be considering Islamic debt instruments which are cheaper than its existing short-term ringgit denominated loans.

Tenaga has total borrowings of about 25 billion ringgit ($1=MYR3.80), of which 43% is ringgit-denominated.

Total interest payments amount to about MYR1.2 billion per annum.

Tenaga officials were not immediately available to comment on the report.

Debt servicing is Tenaga's third largest cost component, after capacity payments to independent power producers and fuel costs.

Company executives said Tenaga's main objectives this year include managing its high borrowings and costs

The report said that Tenaga Chairman Jamaludin Jarjis told fund managers in London that the management is undertaking a thorough review of all business units to improve efficiency.

Non-core activities might be outsourced if it is cheaper to do so, he said.

Jamaludin also stressed the importance of new income streams from non-traditional activities to boost revenue.

Among the opportunities that could be tapped immediately were the 5,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cables embedded in the company's transmission lines, as well prime land for development in choice locations, Jamaludin said.

The company is considering joint-ventures with property companies to develop select sites that it owns.

Tenaga is also venturing into electronic-commerce and will possibly establish a business-to-business exchange as it already has about 5,000 business clients in its database. .