In belt-tightening, Najib should lead by example 
MalaysiaKini.com
Mar 19, 2015     
By Yoursay 

YOURSAY ‘Surely our VVIPs can make some sacrifices by switching to...’
 
New jet to cost gov't half-a-billion ringgit

Negarawan: The PM of Singapore does not have a private jet and travels on commercial flights. This makes economic sense and shows financial prudence and responsibility.
 
Imagine the cost savings if the PM of Malaysia does the same, instead of wasting the rakyat's money on a fleet of executive jets.
 
The PM is not even sensitive to the economic suffering of the rakyat, and seems to keep spending foolishly.
 
If the rakyat wait until the next GE, Malaysia will be bankrupted by Umno and the value of the ringgit will plunge further.
 
Oracle: The US vice-president and the US secretary of state - both much more "important" persons on the world stage than our PM - use Boeing 757s, a much older aircraft model which was first operational about 18 years ago than the PM's current Airbus.
 
So do major US airlines, and one can continue to use it for a further 10 years. So what is this hogwash from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) about "safety and greater expense". What diddly squat!    
 
Vking: It is acceptable to replace the old plane with a new one since the old one cost more to maintain.
 
Anyway this new plane is not solely use by PM, but other VVIPs such as the Agong, who is also entitled to use it for official visits overseas.  
 
J Ng: For whatever reasons, replacing the existing jet reflects poor and irresponsible leadership in using public funds.
 
If jetting around the globe is such a necessity, surely our VVIPs can make some sacrifices by switching to cheaper travel mode.
 
Rupert16: The country and all Malaysians are truly screwed by this kind of extravagant spending by the PM, when he was the one who should be leading by example following his recent call for the rakyat to tighten their belts.
 
Anonymous #44199885: An insensitive government, that is what we are saddled with. We are faced with rising cost of living and an uncertain economic scenario.
 
The marginalised face serious challenges to survive financially. We have a ballooning government debt and the yet unresolved 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal casting further economic gloom.
Yet despite all this, the government wastes money by purchasing a new plane. Surely this could have been deferred.
 
What is the harm in having only five planes rather than six? Why can’t the government show that it has the people’s interest in its heart?
 
Why can’t they follow His Majesty, who is concerned both for people and country?
 
Anonymous#007: The title of the news report is misleading. It should read ‘New jet to cost taxpayers half a billion ringgit’.

1BestariNet on despite failure of first phase

Odin: The slow Internet speed in Malaysia was a known fact a long time ago. In addition, Malaysians have been paying much more than those elsewhere in East Asia for Internet connectivity.
 
Why then even think of the school e-learning project 1Bestari Net? Or why wasn't anything done to increase the Internet speed?
 
And it isn't hard to figure out why the project would continue despite the fact that it has proved to be a failure - if it is terminated, there will be no more kopi-O for the Umno Baru politicians involved.
 
Abdul Hilmie: For over a year, I have raised a myriad of concerns about the 1BestariNet project that encompasses the installation of 4G high-speed broadband across all 10,000 schools throughout the country, as well as a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) e-learning system to be used by 5.5 million students and 500,000 teachers nationwide.
 
Can you give some explanation, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua?
 
Ultras Malaya: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) should investigate the failure of the YTL to implement this project.
 
The amount of RM4.077 billion is huge sum. Moreover, the first phase has already failed to achieve what the government has planned.
 
Or is YTL also requesting a ‘bailout’ from the Finance Ministry?
 
Mushiro: Indeed, another failed project by the BN government. This affected 10,000 schools and hundreds of thousands of students and teachers.
 
The first phase is the most important phase and it may affect all the remaining phases. The education minister did not complain and instead he paid RM633 million to YTL.
 
This is good money meant for education going down the drain. 

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