Curi-curi Malaysia (2017)
Stories behind the stories
Author: R Nadeswaran
We had the first taste of the product of years of national neglect in critical thinking after the MH370 debacle. We cringed every time a local journalist asked questions during the daily press conference. Their questions appeared so scripted. It looked as if they were told to ask questions that the politicians wanted to tell the world. The difficult questions were asked by the foreign correspondents, to which, the powers-that-be chose not to answer under the cloak of not wanting to jeopardise the then on-going investigations. Sadly, investigations have ended but we are still felt in the dark about the whereabouts of the plane and the passengers of the ill-fated flight. Citizen Nades (@R Nadeswaran) belongs to that type of reporters who ask the incisive questions that get leaders hot under their collars.
This book is a collection of the many expose' carried out by this favourite Malaysian journalist extraordinaire. It is a very depressing account of all the monies from the national coffers that have been going the gutter over the years, carried out under the very noses of the people who were given the mandate to lead the nation. Looking at the various mishandling of funds, it can only be concluded that we are indeed a very rich country.
The feverish spending by the tourism ministry with nothing to show but lavish entertainment bills, failed restaurant businesses with unaccounted expenses, failed centralised taxi venture, the elusive Sport Training facility in Brickendonberry, a shady flower show in Chelsea that did nothing to showcase our national flora and flora are some of the unanswered questions put forward by the author. The modus operandi in most cases is the same. There would be big plans to built or buy something. On paper, everything would look just dandy. National pride and need to showcase what we have to the world would be the persuasive rhetoric. Then the big built up to the launch. Soon everything would turn pear shaped and fingers would start waggling. Things would be swept under carpet, and soon the whole enterprise would be sold again at an exorbitant loss to the national treasury, no skin off the perpetrators. It works all the time and we, as a nation, like what an ex-PM said, 'easily forget!'
Over at the local front, again, a front is put forward with an ambitious plan to educate our future generations about the local fauna and flora via the Paya Indah Wetlands. After so many years, nothing came of it and the companies entrusted to develop it have gone bust.
Citizen Nades is also credited for discrediting the Selangor State Government on the extravagance of the then Chief Minister, Dr Khir Toyo, and a local 'taiko' turned assemblyman who misused his powers to obtain approvals for businesses and land permits.
In some cases, Nades can be self-assured that justice was meted but in most, the jury is still out. Perhaps, the works done by civic-minded people like him would eventually pay off in the long run. Only time will tell. Anyway, that is the hallmark of a civil society - to tell one's shortcomings, rectify the system, insert check and balances and hope that it would bring the whole nation to greater heights in the future.
