Petronas: “I do not meet people for the sake of meeting people”. Any hope for subcontractors?
This happened last Wednesday. However, it still affects me until today when I was compiling the documents for Petronas.
When I told my assistant that I have managed to get a reply from Petronas for an appointment, immediately she informed the subcontractors. Earlier, I have on record about 10 unpaid subcontractors who had carried out at University Teknology Petronas, Tronoh.
Two days later, when I called my assistant to find out how many subcontractors would be able to attend the meeting, she said, they would charter a bus to KL. News spread fast among the unpaid subcontractors. There were 24 subcontractors.
All came to KLCC, Petronas Tower in a bus. However, a call was passed to me and said that the officer would want to meet me first, alone. I insisted that the subcontractors should attend the meeting too. They were the affected parties. I was with MP for Ipoh Barat, MP for Bandar Kuching and State Assemblyman for Pasir Pinji.
However, I managed to convince the security to allow two subcontractors to go up to the 80th floor for the meeting with the elected representatives. The remaining 22 subcontractors had to wait at the entrance of the tower.
I was so frustrated after the meeting. The last sentence I said to the officer was, “could you please go down to meet the subcontractors. They have chartered a bus here. Please give them a chance to meet you and provide you the problems faced by them. Petronas should hear directly from them about how they were treated by the main contractors/subcontractors. ”
He gave a “fantastic” reply. “I do not meet people for the sake of meeting people.”
Since there was no contractual relationship between the Petronas and the subcontractors, the least the Petronas could do was to hear out the subcontractors. The attitude taken by Petronas was defensive. To Petronas, they were satisfied with the work of their appointed main-contractors. I said, it was not the main contractor who completed and delivered the work for Petronas, but all these 24 subcontractors. They are all villagers. I have estimated their total claim is RM 500,ooo.00.
Was it a responsible appointed main contractor by Petronas when they did not carry out the construction work but sub to another bumiputra subcontractor. The said bumiputra subcontractor further sub it to all these subcontractors. The bumiputra subcontractor, according to a company search, is only a RM 2 company.
Another main contractor, has a Wisma in KL. Yet, they have failed to pay the subcontractors.
I received another two set of documents today. The suppliers are claiming more than RM 700,000.00 for materials supplied and work done.
The subcontractors can bring a civil action against the main contractor who has a Wisma, but, how do you expect the subcontractors to sue a RM 2 company?
Please add up the total claim by the suppliers and subcontractors. I have estimated about RM 1.2 million.
My dear Prime Minister, please act. The suppliers and subcontractors were the inviduals who had assisted the Petronas and government in completing the projects. They are Malaysians too. Stop the “quick buck scheme” for the irresponsible main contractors. Pay all the 24 subcontractors and the suppliers!
*earlier posting: Finance Ministry: Is common and ok if main con does not pay the subcon in government projects. Do you agree?
You should name the main contractor and ask Petronas to stop award this company any more new contract.Name them in Parliament if possible and ask all other government ministries to blacklist this contractor.
Comment by Ah Kong Chai — November 30, 2005 @ 12:02 pm
Check Petronas’s tender policy. In many cases, the tender process is to have Main Contractor to farm out small contracts to the local people. Even MK Land, Bakun Dam has the policy to employ locals and orang asli.
Comment by omo — November 30, 2005 @ 6:52 pm
YB Po Kuan,
Guess this is yet another classic example of exploitations by privelieged group(s) arising from the loopholes in the system. It is demeaning to say the very least that lukewarm actions are being taken on activities reported. However, I certainly believe that the sub-contractors may have very limited options but to seek out the original contractor, who “delegated” the duty to them and work out a friendly exit prior to any further drastic action, if possible.
It is timely and notably that the Government has to identify and “sniff” out these irresponsible main contractors, of which, as reported in the newprints that, indeed this action ranks first in the wish list of PM, Abdullah. It’s also time to turn to people, a potentially more painful and less inanimate source of cost savings to the Government, whereby, the need for a meritocracy (rewarding people differentially, based on performance and track records) in order to produce an excellent Government and excellent results. In any organization, government alike, there are inevitably group(s) who are not up to “snuff” but the unfortunately they are the “darlings” and been rewarded. Similarly in the case of these sub-contractors, they would have approached legislatures like you prior to entering any formal agreement.
Guess that the poor becomes poorer and justice has to be served on the exploiters.
ch
Comment by ch — December 1, 2005 @ 9:28 am
Any good news for those sub-contractors?
Comment by Ah Kong Chai — December 1, 2005 @ 3:22 pm
Any good news for those sub-contractors?
Comment by Ah Kong Chai — December 1, 2005 @ 3:23 pm
For those who are already in oversea and live comfortably. There is no reason for you to come back to Malaysia. Life in Malaysia is getting tougher each day.
Frankly, as a Chinese, I don’t see there is any future for our next generation.
Another dangerous mentor that people always use is JFK “Don’t ask what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for the country”.
Is sound nice, but isn’t how German Nazi and Japan militarism start the world war using the same mentor? Under the great “ask what you can do for the country”.
Patriotism? Yes, I understand how you feel. Your love for the country was spoilt by the political party. Since non-malays will always be a second-class citizen, so you are probably the same in any other countries, if not better.
You get cannibalised by your own countrymen, intellectually and professionally.
As someone else advised, be a Global citizen.
Patriotism does not need you to be in Malaysia to work your due. Let no one pointed at you and say you are a traitor if your true intention is to generate good deeds for Malaysia wherever you are.
Save your time about coming back to Malaysia. Nothing will change in Malaysia. At least not even in this lifetime. Racism will still be here to stay, and also everything else.
I think there is such an entrenched discrimination against the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia, that it will take probably a whole generation to undo the damaged.
This is happening in whole spectrum of the Malaysian government, civil service, state governments and universities. Just look at percentage of malays in all these government bodies - 98%……….
A whole generation of malays has been brought up to think that it’s their inherited right to own Malaysia. The other races are damned.
I think the malays especially those in power, are scared right now that if they will to compete openly with other races, they will surely be the loser. You will see very strong resistance to hire other races even the most qualified.
The malays are never brought up to compete on even ground. This is fault of previous PM and now the present PM has to tread a balance ground to ensure the malays are not cast away as well as to make Malaysia competitive worldwide.
In US I never met a malay immigrant, although there are thousands of Malaysian Chinese and Indian immigrants. Why? Malays in Malaysia have an easier life where they are literately prince of the land.
We have infrastructure good enough to be considered first world or better. Look at the Cyberjaya, Petronas Twin Towers, Putrajaya?
Gleaming high-rise buildings but also in every city, dirty toilets abound, litter clogging up the drains, public telephones damaged, plus unreliable rubbish collection and disposal. We just treat public facilities badly, not caring about others.
Being an urban dweller myself, I am constantly disheartened by the poor public infrastructure and upkeep in our capital city.
Faulty pedestrian traffic signals, illogical positioning of bus stops, poor public cleanliness, poor quality sidewalks (which are paved using slippery tiles), un-integrated and poorly managed public transportation system, the list goes on.
Your children can’t even walk safely along the Kuala Lumpur streets, as they might be bags snatched, kidnapped, murdered, raped, or robbed, as they do not know the jungle laws of Malaysia. The police won’t help much as they now have a big pile of corruption cases running after them.
You owe nothing to Malaysia, you pay your due, so live on.
So, my last advice. Don’t come back unless you are really suffering in oversea.
I’m sorry this sounds very racist but I think we have to be honest in discussion.
Comment by run away from malaysia — December 3, 2005 @ 12:32 am
Is absolutely right!
For those who have been victimized under the Malaysian made meritocracy trap, look elsewhere. Opportunities abound.
Most of the talented people in the country leave because of this exact problem, the smart malays have two options, they can use their skills abroad, do something interesting, innovative,exciting, or stay in Malaysia, learn to abuse the system and their family ties and make shit loads of money.
I left Malaysia long time ago when my mother told me to look for greener pasture elsewhere.
Absolutely no regret. The government and local organizations sponsored all my educational and living expenses here to the maximum I could go.
Frankly speaking, if not for those incompetent, extremists, and brainless leaders and cronies who have destroyed Malaysia for the past 30 years, this land is a heaven on earth.
Comment by cool man — December 3, 2005 @ 12:11 pm
Chinese getting straight As are not allowed into universities. Not allowed civil service jobs. That is blatant discrimination.
Why do you support such discrimination?
Chinese Malaysians have built very successful businesses, hence they have the wealth that they have. This is not greed. They worked for what they now own.
Why do you envy what does not belong to you? Is this not greed?
It is quite untrue that business offers are conducted on the basis of race. Starting any business is very very hard work, but the malays did not have a hard working tradition to persevere. This is a cultural change the malays need in order to conduct businesses successfully.
Armed with this knowledge, do you still insist that Chinese Malaysians are greedy, and therefore it is right for malays to take what does not belong to them?
Your perception of business in Malaysia has got to be wrong.
Most goods and services can be conducted in open markets, and there is no particular reason to single out malays so that Chinese businessmen should swindle them. There are lots of swindlers in business so it is not just malays who get swindled.
Successful businessmen depend on providing real benefits to customers and partners so that it is worthwhile for them to do business again and again to both parties benefit. It is only when customers also get rich that businesses can grow.
The discrimination against Chinese, Indians and other peoples cannot be tolerated in the modern world. Countries that do this will face long-term decline.
Hard working people are not greedy as you accuse them. They are hard working because they have a mission in life to prosper, to give offspring a good chance in life to live to the full, to contribute their talents to the betterment of society……….
This is not greed.
Whereas, envy of others wealth and taking what they have not worked for is greed.
I would put is stronger. It is robbery and corruption. You talk like a Mafia extortionist when you said that worse could happen to the Chinese, so be thankful because there are more malays than Chinese, and therefore they can take even more from the Chinese if they want to.
You have to be joking to believe that your greed and prejudices are the wonderful things about Malaysia. Well, may be you do.
Malaysia as describe it is a country based on racism, lack of a conscience, and greed (taking from hard working foreigners).
Meritocracy is denounced. Robbing the wealthy is promoted.
How can there be a good future for such a country?
Looking from outside of Malaysia, it is easy to see that the malay-controlled government is enforcing a wealth-robbing programme from the Chinese who earned their wealth through hard work.
By barring bright well-qualified Chinese Malaysians from entering Malaysian universities, Malaysia is pursuing a discriminatory policy based on race.
This is not tolerated in civilised countries. It is a policy that gives Malaysia a very bad reputation and deprives itself of its most talented.
It is a policy which tells the malays that robbing from the rich is not greed because being rich, being educated is the same as being greedy.
This is moral corruption and self-contradiction which Malaysia will pay back a very heavy price.
Comment by hero — December 3, 2005 @ 12:49 pm
I AGREE!!!!!!!!
Comment by THENAMEIS — December 4, 2005 @ 2:31 am
Dear All,
I have been encouraged by the frankness of a few bloggers on the political and economic scenarios in Malaysia. Undoubtedly their replies were heavily laced with bitterness, unsatisfactions and perhaps anger with the current state of affairs in Malaysia. As a Malaysian, I would like to take a middle position on the various vies at hand, provided by the bloggers. To have a deeper understanding of the economic conditions and trends of Malaysia, one has to run the extra mile by further comprehend the past, present and perhaps by our own good judgements, estimate the future. Thereafter, decides what is best for us going forward.
After more than a decade of promoting public sector growth in the 70s and early 80s, Malaysia began to push privatization, rapid growth caused the per capita gross national product (GNP) to rise from USD2,424 in 1990 to USD4,698 today. Malaysia has been a phenomenal economic development success story. In 1994, its eighth year of growth in gross domestic product (GDP) of more than 8%, the nation was the fastest growing economy in Asia then after China. During the past twenty years, the country has moved steadily from having an economy based on agriculture and commodities to one based on maufacturing. Malaysia’s economic growth has put an enormous strain on its basic infrastructure. During this period of economic thrive many high flying entrepreneurs carved a name for themselves as well.
For instance, one may argue that the rights of the Chinese has been further marginalised but have we actually rise up and pool our resources together to change the scenario? Am afraid we are divided and political parties representing us are fractious. Worst, the many who bitterly complaining are not exercising their rights by heading to the pooling centres during elections citing lots of excuses or trivializing the importance. A vote less is a voice down, that’s my summing up. We can see how the minority, regardless how tiny they are, play a major role in tipping the point. A classic example is the upcoming Pengkalan Pasir by-election. The meager 900 Chinese votes are crucial in determining the ballot result.
Are we doing enough to boost the Chinese population? Again, am afraid no is the answer as many of us, Chinese, are prefering comfort over a new born child. Studies showed that many of the Chinese respondents prefer to pay installment for a new car rather than to add a child in the family.
One should learn to be an international citizen as significant changes has taken place in the economies of the world. Malaysia is dependent on external markets for the export of it commodities and increasingly on its manufactured goods. We need to adopt ourselves to the favours of global trading conditions and slowly discard the protectionist trend that may have created difficulties for us to move forward faster in the international market places. In this scheme of things, I believe Malaysia could not afford to be left out in the mainstream of economy activities.
We must not just bemoan the current situation but to rise up and try to change. One must remember that the corruption arising from a sense of powerlessness is as bad as the corruption of power.
ch
Comment by ch — December 5, 2005 @ 11:12 am
The shameful incident of a Chinese detainee being asked to ear squats in the nude is just the tip of the iceberg
When the former IGP inflicted the infamous black eye on Anwar, he knew at that time that his political master would protect him. Until the international press highlighted it.
When the police harassed the Indian IT expatriates, the Indian government retaliated. When the mistreated Chinese tourists protested, the Chinese government backed them up.
All in all, Malaysia only backtracked when a Big Brother country came into the picture.
What happens to the thousands of Bangladeshis, Indonesians, Thais, etc who are harassed daily? Nobody bothered. Why? Because there would be no political or economic fallout.
The root cause of police brutality is simply explained by famous words, “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Added to this dilemma, Malaysia has not seen a change of government since independence in 1957.
This country has been and continues to head in the wrong direction, setting it further back from developed countries and undoing the good work of others in the last four decades.
I propose a national independent commission to investigate and publicly report on the alleged widespread abuse and corruption in the police force. The police should not be allowed to investigate itself. This idea seems simply ridiculous.
The lack of any sense of discernment and the shameless politicisation of the issue is a bigger shame and even more incorrigible than the abuse itself!
Abuses of police power are just the symptoms of a sick government elected by an equally sick society. We need the cure. Change must be holistic and in a total package.
Ideally, we need a change of government with a two-party system.
Unfortunately, many don’t trust PAS with its Taliban leanings. It appears strategic that Anwar should lead a moderate coalition comprising Keadilan and DAP as the pillars that will include parties representing the minorities.
Undoubtedly this will be difficult to achieve but it needs to start now.
There is no more room for such nonsense for this country is collapsing under the burgeoning weight of all these fat and waste.
Let us improve in every aspect to build our Malaysia Boleh tag - which will not be fulfilled in the next hundred years if we continue like this.
Comment by fire eye — December 13, 2005 @ 8:11 am
I have always seen Mahathir as a personification of all that is evil? An overkill description but then if you put down the damage he has done to democracy than you would understand.
He suppressed press freedom, emasculated the judiciary, abhorred free speech, detained his opponents under the ISA, and made the entire police force and judges to his pet poodle.
The country lost billions of ringgit under him. Never forget how he humiliated Anwar. His own Umno ministers feared him and never dared question his opinions and views.
Print and electronic media never had one critical word about him.
He was made into a demi-God. He was a virtual dictator.
Now he talks with his second tongue because he is despised by his party. He is actually a nobody that even the Proton management ignores him. He deserves even a more severe ignominious treatment and an exit to hell.
Looks like we are pouring too much adulation on Mahathir for the Twin Tower, MSC, highway etc. Any PM worth his salt would have done them as Malaysia had to progress with the rest of the world. With the money we had in the coffers, it was possible to implement all these programs.
But look at his colossal failures - tangible and non-tangible. He dismantled all democratic institutions and the rule of law! He lost billions in countless business ventures and megalomaniac dreams.
If he had been a good PM as some claim him to be, then the present PM would have had no difficulty taking over the reins.
Today Pak Lah is running hither and because Mahathir did not lay a strong democratic foundation for its continuation. The transition would have been smooth had Mahathir been a “good” PM.
Remember Mahathir was No 1, No 2 and No 3 in the old government. There was a vacuum left after him. Thus, Pah Lah’s current predicament!
Ketuanan Melayu and Islamization will go hand in hand and surely this cannot be a good ingredient into to take - “the nation to great heights in terms of achievement and prosperity, well respected and a choice destination for business, education, holidays and immigration”.
MSC: A good idea, but lacks implementation. Our International Advisory Panel said so, and surprisingly, what was done and what was the result? They are still saying we lack the manpower, and most of the knowledge workers here! Why?
National car: Did you know that we are subsidizing a corporation’s immature venture overseas? Did you know that Proton costs dirt cheap in London? How is it ever possible that our Malaysia living standards can increase when we are subsidizing Proton, and indirectly, the British?
Highways: If we didn’t use the money on the white elephants in mega projects, perhaps we will be driving toll-free roads today?
Mahathir was telling half the truth when he said he tried for 22 years but failed to change the malays crutch-dependent mindset.
The truth is the malays mindset is firmly rooted to NEP, and he is correct on that score. But did he change the malays mindset during his term? He shed his crocodile tears, yes; but changing the mindset of malays, no.
He should in fact be credited or more appropriately discredited for making the malays formed their present crutch-dependent mindset. He used his book “The Malay Dilemma” for political advancement.
During Mahathir regime, NEP has gone perverted. Malay millionaires and billionaires were created through monopoly and state funds.
NEP should have ended after it has run its course in 1990, but Mahathir did not end the NEP. He did not bother to end NEP just because NEP protected his political interests. He left it as a baggage for Pak Lah.
Pak Lah claimed to do the right thing, to be PM for all communities. He cannot deliver because he cannot be what he said he wanted to be if the NEP hangs over his head. What was worst was his son-in-law had supported the position of that keris welding imbecile.
Was this a plan to make Pak Lah look weak? I wonder.
Mahathir could have changed the malays mindset had he wanted to, by being fair to non-malays in ending the NEP during his regime. He did not.
He created enough problems for the country. Today per capita GDP of Malaysians is only one-sixth of that of Singaporeans.
When the oil and gas run dry in this Malaysia in two decades, our Malaysia per capita GDP will at best be better than Burma, although some of the government companies CEOs might still travel around in helicopters.
Mahathir should of course continue to voice his views, since Malaysians have freedom of speech, but nothing said about freedom after the speech!
Authoritarian government carries a huge risk if the goals and objectives for the country and her ordinary people are not achieved. Ordinary people will suffer for many generations to come as a result of failures and losses e.g. Indonesia, Laos and many African countries.
Comment by malaysia is no future — December 13, 2005 @ 8:20 am
I left the country some 20 years ago. I am very glad I made that decision. My children got the education they desired and both enjoying their chosen professions after completing university studies.
I enjoy tremendously living and contributing to my adopted country. I am an IT professional, so are many of my friends who left Malaysia with me in the 1980s.
Most of our children are professionals in their own rights. They earned their places in the society on their own merits. Many of them are in the engineering, financial, IT, legal and medical professions.
Dare I say many of them won various scholarships throughout their academic pursuits. Oh Malaysia! You don’t know how much you have lost……….
I would never come back to Malaysia. It sucks……….control of malays. They have no rights for Chinese or whatsoever. The Chinese, Indians and other races worked hard to pay their tax while the malays just spend it. Where is the right?
I did watch a documentary on the history of Singapore……….few days ago……….There is an incident of the joining of Singapore and Malaysia.
The main reason Mr Lee Kuan Yew doesn’t want to join with Malaysia is because Tunku Abdul Rahman wanted the malays to stay power on the political side and the others be second class citizens.
If during that time Tunku Abdul Rahman were to treat everyone the same……….Malaysia will be as rich and famous as Singapore today.
Comment by yes agree run away — January 6, 2006 @ 11:59 am
Folks, please tell me how do you best manage a country, whereby - the majority community who rule, can’t competitive on equal footing with other countrymen, and fear to end up as working for very competitive - the other minority.
(Australia/Singapore/USA etc, don’t have these scenario, as the community who call the shot is also the majority community.)
But building a world-class university in a third-world nation is unheard of, with the exception of large nations of China/India.
Simply, a third world Malaysia software does not nurture a first class world-class university.
Our government complains of brain drain, but do we actually do something to lure all these professionals back?
It is sad to see that we have the greatest minds around the world. One would be proud to see that we have great Malaysian minds in almost every field, for example in dentistry, medicine, physics etc, and yet where did they end up?
They ended up in the developed world, helping the developed countries to become better day by day.
It would be more logical to try to attract these great minds back from other countries than to continue employing health professionals from foreign countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan that would not be dedicated in their work in the end, because of the poor system here.
Will this country ever change? Unfortunately, I doubt it.
We have a daughter who is currently studying overseas. My wife and I have been trying to tell her to stay there and get a PR and not come back.
Malaysia will always be here. It is a nice place to holiday - you want to live a compromised life you can return to work. But you want to be yourself then go wherever you please. We all wish you well.
Believe me, the government too wishes that you don’t come back to quell the Chinese professional numbers. So they remain obliged to make your life miserable. All this talk about brain drain……….come on, you doesn’t really buy the government’s feigned attempt to show concern, do you!
So, be wise, stay outside. Come back to get yourself rejuvenated with Malaysian food, and culture, as often as you can and stick your fingers up to the government too.
But just remember if you are not prepared to compromise principles……….just stay out!
Even though the white man’s land is not wholly a bed of roses, we know we will be treated more fairly and the system is much more transparent than what we have here.
It is a heavy heart that we have to make this decision for our daughter but deep down inside, we know it is better for her and her next generation. We are already near the final lap of our careers and life, and the political situation here has little impact on us.
Our children have a whole new horizon ahead of them. It is their future……….do they have one here?
Just be practical. One anesthetist told me, your perception will change when you have kids and a wife to worry about.
Comment by yes run away from malaysia — January 12, 2006 @ 1:39 pm