Keep flying MAS

Keep flying MAS. Whatever happened to you, I have you in my heart. There are times where you fly high, and there are times you fly low. No matter how much hard times you are facing, you carry our country's name. Every airport you land, you land with the pride of Malaysia, the country and name that we all loved so much.

I thank you for all the great moment you have given us. It is time like this, that we would repay you the love that you have given us. We as Malaysian, we as your family will stand behind you, to rally behind you in steadfast, and to help you through this period of difficulty.

It is our intention to see you ascend high up again, and we are willing to suffer the pain together with you in the course of your healing. You are never alone. You are us and we are you.

To every Malaysian who are serving MAS, or who have served MAS, I take my hats off for you. Even if you are retrenched, it doesn't mean that we will forget all the good time we had with you.

MAS, Keep flying. You have us with you. Malaysia is behind you.

Zee Kin Tai

Little Acts of Kindness that Go a Long Way

We often forget the power of little things and how even the smallest acts of kindness, care, and respect for one another can often leave a lasting impression far larger than the act itself.
Simple meaningful gestures can always brighten someone’s day! It doesn’t take lots of money or extravagant gifts to make someone happy. We often forget how much of an impact a little act of kindness can have, which may not mean much to the person doing them, but may mean the world to the person receiving them.

Here’s our list of the little acts of kindness that can not only make us all feel better but most importantly brighten someone's day…

• Greet someone standing next to you in the elevator
• Take a minute to direct someone who is lost, even though you're rushing
• Write a letter to a child or an elderly who could use some extra attention
• Offer to pick up groceries for an elderly neighbour
• Buy food for a homeless person
• Help an elderly climb the stairs or hold the door open for them
• Each time you get a new item of clothing, give away something old
• Out of the blue, send flowers to a friend
• Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and really mean it
• When you're in a crowded train or bus, offer your seat to an elderly, disabled or pregnant lady
• Don't interrupt when someone is explaining themselves
• Stop jumping queues
• Help a blind person, elderly cross the road
• Stop at the Stop sign and wait for the signal to turn green
• Honk a little less
• Feed a starving stray dog
• Call or write to a teacher/mentor who changed your life
• Bring a box of goodies to share with people at work
• Forgive someone a debt and never bring it up again
• Always listen attentively
• Show appreciation
• Simply say ‘I'm sorry’ when you're wrong
• Leave a generous tip for a pleasant waiter

1MDB : A PERSONAL VIEW

 E. Zari 18 May 2015.

In the past, I have not said much about the controversial issue surrounding 1MDB. Why 1MDB? What are the roles of 1MDB and its contributions to our national economy? I have been keeping this information to myself for sometimes as I feel it may not be the right time to share with my esteemed readers. However, today I was taken by the information transmitted to me by my close friend. This piece of information is similar to the one which I have been keeping all this while.

I am convinced that this is a non-biased piece of information. Being a LNG Consultant and in the course of my works, I have the opportunity to interact with PETRONAS, TNB, TNB Fuel, PEMANDU, Energy Commission and other known organizations for nearly 3 years from 2011. I help to educate the personnel from PEMANDU, TNB, Energy Commission on the new source of energy – Liquefied Natural Gas as a feed for the power plants and city gas.
My area of specialization is energy. I was once a principal specialist in LNG shipping operations in PETRONAS. I have spent 35 years of my career in this field. Energy is the life blood for infrastructures development and this is a major ingredient for our country in achieving economic progress to become a developed nation.

I leave it to my esteemed readers to interpret on what I have outlined. After all we are human and I expect each and every one of us to have their own views.
Back in 1990s, Malaysia introduced the concept of Independent Power Plant (IPP) for electricity generation. This initiative was under our former Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir. The main players who owned the IPPs were Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar, YTL group, Genting and Anand Krishnan. Sime Darby was also one of them but being a Government linked company not much attention was given. These players got the most attractive deal and it was a one sided. The former chairman of TNB, the late Tan Sri Ani Arope, a man of integrity refused to sign the agreements and he voluntarily resigned in protest.

The opposition parties took the Government to task for granting a one sided deal. They argued that it was a “crony’s agreement” and questioned the needs for the Government to grant substantial subsidy to the IPPs. Even in May 2011, one of the opposition members regarded these IPPs as “a major drug factory” that required substantial subsidy from the Government of estimated RM19 billion a year.

In the mid-2011, I was taken as a LNG Consultant to look into the possibility of importing LNG through the Malacca Regas Terminal at Sungei Udang. This terminal is an open gate similar to the one I used to do in United Kingdom - the Dragon LNG Regas Terminal located at Milford Haven in Wales. The Sungei Udang’s LNG Regas Terminal is owned by PETRONAS and the imported LNG is vaporized as gas to flow into the PGU pipelines. This is in view of the insufficient domestic gas from the East Coast of about 950 mmscfd. TNB requires about 1350 mmscfd. The capacity of Sungei Udang is about 500mmscfd or equivalent to about 40 cargoes of imported LNG via the Q Flex LNG ship of capacity 210,000 m3 each.

Actually, I am humble to note that the concept of the floating LNG storage using two of our old LNG ships with an island jetty, the first in the world was mooted by me to the CEO of PETRONAS Gas the ownership of this project. This idea came by while discussing with him in the car on the way to Narita Airport from Tokyo. With this idea, PETRONAS saved for not doing the dredging and a greenfield shore LNG storage which costs would be very substantial.
As a result of the marked disparity between imported LNG and domestic gas price, TNB who earned a thin margin from the IPPs was not able to absorb this disparity in prices and therefore was not able to buy the gas from the imported LNG directly. Ultimately, PETRONAS has to be the importer and therefore a subsidizer.

Under PM Najib, a company, My Power was formed by the Government to initiate renegotiation with the IPPs for a balanced deal. Thereafter, 1MDB purchased the IPP from Ananda in March 2012 and followed by the purchase of Genting in August 2012. Subsequently, in October 2012, Energy Commission announced the decision on the concessionaries agreement with the IPPs. As outlined in this agreement, there is no further extension of concession for the IPP owned by Ananda and also new concessions for the other three IPPs. Only new concessions are to be given to 1MDB and TNB. This new arrangement will ensure that private companies will not earn excessively at the expense of Government’s subsidy.

As a result of the mistake done since 1990s, for the past 20 years an approximate of about RM100 billion was lost by PETRONAS and TNB because of this inferior deal. Actually, credit should be given to PM Najib, Energy Commission and 1MDB for saving our country from this excessive subsidy granted to these favored companies from the earlier regime. To me credit should be given to whom it is due.

Actually, the rates of tariff for consumers for Peninsular Malaysia should be increased by July 2014 and January 2015 under the Fuel Cost Pass Through (FCPT). But it was never increase because the new revised agreement was improved and was more attractive and balanced to TNB, the final purchaser. Instead, the electricity tariff was reduced from March 2015 due to the reduction of coal prices and the reduction of tariff of these IPPs.
Under this new arrangement, TNB started to register substantial profit from 2013, 2014 and the first quarter of 2015. It records a profit of RM2.3 billion in the first 3 months of 2015. Therefore, with this revised arrangement the benefactors are:

1. TNB registers higher profit,
2. The Malaysian consumers benefit from lower tariff partly due to the reduction of oil prices.
3. PETRONAS will not have to incur higher subsidy which in the past benefit only these private companies, and
4. Consumers of electricity are the ultimate winner.
The losers are the original owners of the IPPs. And this may be the reasons why they are not happy with 1MDB and PM Najib even from the senior members of UMNO.

The issue of Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) and the purchase of land by Tabung Haji is insignificant compared with the amount saved by the revision of the agreement initiated by the present Government.

On the other side of the coin, there are allegations by the oppositions for the misused of fund by 1MDB, the role played by Jholow, the disappearance of proceeds from the Petro Saudi investment and latest the controversial sale of a piece of land of about 1.5 acres for RM188 million to Tabung Haji’s subsidiary. These issues started late last year when 1MDB was not able to raise enough fund to pay their loan installment.

The issue is now further twisted and makes it looked as though 1MDB is losing RM44 billion which is not the case. Actually, 1MDB does not lost RM44 billion. What it lost will be the substantial amount of loan repayments which they have to dig from somewhere because of the reversed operating leverage. Temporarily, their current income is not able to cover the loans and other expenses. However, given time they will be able to reverse this situation. Additionally, because of this bad publicity it is feared that Deutsche Bank may request for early settlement as 1MDB is not able to secure additional collateral. We should refrain from speculating further pending the outcome of the Auditor General's findings which will be available the latest by end June 2015.

Other personalities including the prominent lawyer and former minister, Zaid Ibrahim commented that as the Chairman of 1MDB, Najib should stand up and face this by responding to the allegations. The Chairman of CIMB, who is Najib’s younger brother, during the luncheon meeting also asserted that the Chairman of the Board and its members of 1MDB to do the same.
The significant credit due to the Government helmed by Najib to save the nation was downplayed but those temporary difficulties faced by this organisation in this process of helping the nation were exposed and blotted up by the oppositions.

The irony is that during Tun’s tenure, the oppositions were the one who were very vocal when the IPPs owners were given preferential treatment. And now they in turn are equally vocal to discredit the PM and 1MDB who have saved the country from incurring unnecessarily substantial subsidy.

But one thing for sure, the main agenda of the oppositions is to find fault and blotted the mistake or misdeed of the Government or the GLCs in order to earn mileage and swing the voters' sentiments to their side.

That is my fair view and I leave it to my esteemed readers to make their own assessments and judgments on this issue.

Thank you.

To help, or not to help? An assessment on Rationality versus Emotional, and Short term versus Long term.

To help, or not to help? An assessment on Rationality versus Emotional, and Short term versus Long term. 
Zee Kin Tai

Many were perturbed by the sight and thoughts of Rohingyans drifting in international water. 400 males females children and elderly were all cramped in a boat, with limited access to food and other basic amenities.

It is only human that we felt so guilty and upset about this incident : that we abandoned them to suffer the most inhuman sufferings. This guilt later becomes a compelling force that would lead us to do two things : to help, or to get angry and yell at authorities who didn't.

The emotional appeal is very real and strong. We as human develop strong sense of empathy and sympathy as we become more civilized. We put ourselves in their shoes, and we can't imagine the kind of turmoil they are undergoing. Our inner conscience forbade us to ignore their plight for survival, the most basic instinct for mankind.

We then appeal to our authorities to do something that would soothe our discomfort and guilt. We want that immediate feeling of sad, grieve, and sympathy to simply go away. We demand that these people be given the right to land on our soil. We demand that our government provide them all the supplies they needed. Some went on to ask the government to house them in an island while working on placing them in countries that have quotas for refugees placement.

Little did we realize that all these knee jerk demands were the result and consequence our emotional short sightness. Emotional and short sightness are something that would haunt us in time of rationality and in long run.
Now, think rationally why despite their sufferings, countries like Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia did not jump into the decision that many would think is "humane" to make : allow them to land.

In the past, Malaysia has been very accommodating to illegal trespassers from Myanmar. They come in small numbers : 30,40 people at a time. We secretly allow them in, some we deport, some we host them, work on getting them refugees status, so that they can proceed to another countries in the western world which have more resources to host them. This is done at the expenses of few things :-

1) floodgate
Once we decided to accommodate them, we are sending a message to other refugees across the world that as long as they come in big numbers and terrible conditions, we would inevitably host them. This does not just appeal to Rohingyans. We might be "inviting" refugees from countries suffering impoverishment like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Cambodia, or war torn countries like Syria. They know very well that if they come in an "irresistible" condition like the Rohingyans, we have no choice but to host them. This happens to so many western countries including Australia, that they even considered a lopsided refugees "swap" deal with Malaysia just to tell them it's not OK for them to just turn up to their soil like that. Question is, are we readied to host and welcome the next batch? And the batch after, and the batch after? Or we are just going to be "kind" once?

2) from that point of view, put aside your humane emotion and think of this situation :
If we are to host this batch of Rohingyans, we are "inviting" more batches from all around the world. This is a news of international attention. When there are more coming, are we readied to welcome them in our country?
If we allow them to land, does that mean we have to semi-imprison them? If not, should we allow them to roam freely in our country? What would be the implication of that happening?
If we Do allow this batch to land, but then ban subsequent batches to land, aren't we more inhuman? (We subtly invite them to come, but then as they come we stop them from landing?)
If we don't allow this batch to land, even if it's cruel, but it's more humane to the potential future batches of thousands people, who know that they wouldn't be able to achieve what they want, and wouldn't put themselves in such dire situation. Shall we weight our humanity?

3) instead of demanding countries like our with way lesser resources to accommodate, why don't we point our fingers to resources free countries instead, ie Singapore, australia, Japan, Europe or USA? I know they have a quota already but our quota is also filled! If you don't already know that.
It is human for us to be upset by this but we must also think rationally for the long term effect on future potential refuge seekers and also our own country. We mustn't encourage more and more people to put their wives and children and siblings in these kind of situations just to gamble their luck and suffer otherwise.
Think.

The private eyes 1976

Sam Hui: I feel... this world owes me a lot.
Michael Hui: You didn't even bring a diaper, when you were born! What does this world owe you?

Life will find a way. - Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

Quote of the Day

Sometimes the one you need to convince is yourself.

24 Memorable Quotes From Disrupt NY 2015

 The social media team at TechCrunch compiled a gallery of 24 memorable quotes from Disrupt New York 2015. This year’s speaker lineup featured everyone from Tom Wheeler (FCC Charmain) to Ben Rubin of Meerkat. Click through to see them all. Read More Source