Is Myanmar really a good place to invest in? Think again.

She warns that, far from liberalizing life in Burma, foreign investment and tourism can further entrench the military regime.

15 years after Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in Myanmar first-ever election, she is still unable to form a government.

Is Myanmar really a good place to invest in? Think harder now.

Last month, together with Telekom Malaysia (TM), Khazanah Nasional bought a stake in Singapore’s MobileOne Limited (M1).

Yesterday, Khazanah took another step forward into Indonesia’s telecommunication market by buying a 16.8% of stake in PT Excelcomindo Pratama, at 2,000 rupiah (RM 0.738) each with US $234million cash, furthermore confirmed its interest in Indonesia on earlier of September.

The part worth mentioning is that, TM already owned 27.3% of Excelcomindo in a US$314 million deal last December.

So, what is this all about? Head-to-head fight with Maxis?

Hmmm …

Two days ago, Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BN BBC) head Shahrir Samad and a few MPs were at Sri Petaling to visit the affected residential area due to the construction of propose elevated Kuala Lumpur - Putrajaya Expressway. He then called for the City Hall to issue a stop-work order for the construction.

Let’s re-quote what he said again. "I believe that if the local authority should have a proactive attitude, they must listen to the views from the residents here because these are people who pay their assessment and land tax.Today, The Star reported Works Minister S. Samy Vellu as saying that the project will go ahead and it’s impossible for the Government to stop the project now. Quote:

"If there are objections each time we build highways and roads, let’s stop building them."

"Let’s go back to using bullock carts.

"It’s easier that way and it does not cause any problem, except that you will need one-and-a half months to reach Penang."

I would like to suggest to Samy Vellu that as a rakyat elected representative cum one of the longest serving minister in Malaysia history, if you don’t bother to concern on the residential plight, by all means, please resign.

TV Smith managed to catch up with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and had a chat with him.

He was saying that he is planning to blog like his father, albeit different approach.

Merely two months ago, The Sun’s Ng Kee Seng interviewed Guan Eng and asked him over his father influence towards his role in DAP. He replied:

I am proud of my father’s achievements and his selfless sacrifice, compassion and service for the nation. But my detractors need not fear for I am no Lim Kit Siang. There can be only one Lim Kit Siang. They threw away the mould after him.

I merely ask to be judged as a person on my own merits. If I do not perform, criticise me. If I falter, pan me. But do not judge me merely on the basis of Kit Siang’s son. That’s not fair to Lim Kit Siang and definitely not fair to me.

Nobody asked me whether I was Lim Kit Siang’s son when they detained me without trial under the ISA. No one asked the same questions when I was imprisoned in Kajang for 18 months, sleeping on a cement floor without beds. And no one mentioned that I was Kit Siang’s son when I was disqualified from Parliament and lost my pension.

And neither was this raised when Eric Chia sued me for defamation over my ACA report on the Perwaja scandal.

For all what Guan Eng and his father Kit Siang have done, I salute them for their past decades of contribution towards the growth of Malaysia.

Read Mack too.

Via Bernama:

"I come here for work, as you can see I’m doing my work. I’m worried if they are not able to make any decision here. It could affect the Asean Summit in December and affect our image as a host." [...]

"Lim Kit Siang (is of the) opposition … he does not understand the interests of the nation … attending (the Dewan Rakyat) and then answering questions for two minutes … and the meeting here is left to (ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd) Sidek (Hassan) and (deputy secretary-general Datuk) Ooi (Say Chuan)."

"Come on, it’s not that I do not trust my officers but this is a ministerial meeting. If the minister is not present, they cannot make decisions." [...]

First, she explained that she was working. Next, she told off Kit that he didn’t understand the interest of the nation. Then, bla bla bla …

OK, now get back to the reality and hows reality sounds like? …

Dear Minister,

Please attend the parliament session to answer your so-called two minutes questions, as soon as you reach Malaysia, ok?

Yours Sincerely,
The Cabinet.

Yang Razali Kassim, a Senior Fellow at Nanyang Technological University has some interesting thoughts to share about ex-premier Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

He has three questions to ask:

• What is Mahathir trying to protect, Proton or his legacy?
• Will we see a more interventionist Mahathir?
• Whether we are now also witnessing signs of a comeback of the Mahathir persona or influence, if not a return of his era?

Whether you agree or not, he still wield a certain degree of  influence towards the current administration of Pak Lah.

For good? For bad? It’s only a matter of choice, I guess.

What you think?

Starting from Oct 1, its compulsory for new prepaid users to register their identification when they buy a new prepaid pack in Penang and Melaka.

However, registration for existing users is not a must until January 2006.

I’ll subscribe to a few prepaid numbers of each operators, for collection purpose.

Weird? Yeh ..

Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BN BBC) head Shahrir Samad, who is the also the Johor Baru MP visited the residential area in Sri Petaling, which is affected by the proposed elevated Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya Expressway. Quote:

"I believe that if the local authority should have a proactive attitude, they must listen to the views from the residents here because these are people who pay their assessment and land tax.

One of the responsibilities as local authorities is to ensure the protection of their rate payers."

While Shahrir and five other MPs show concern towards the residents, Samy Vellu proposed to build safety and noise barrier walls as fire-fighting measure.

Another menteri kononnya.

[UPDATED VERSION] At first, I thought that she will escape all the allegations on her.

However, this time around, I’m wrong, given that not only Kit went after her, even the ruling coalition members too.

Also, bear in mind that, there is no Wanita senior member that comes to her defense so far.

Can I say that, she is now in her very own and real political hot soup?

You think about it.

* * *

Maxis SMS alert at 4:10pm.

Cabinet has directed Rafidah Aziz to attend Parliament as soon as possible to answer questions form MPs on the approved permite issue, Nazri Aziz said.

Not long ago, she was instructed to attend Cabinet meeting. Now, being instructed to attend Parliament.

Menteri kononnya.

* * *

Related Link:
- Malaysiakini | Kabinet mahu Rafidah hadir di Parlimen jelaskan isu AP

Starting from next month, AirAsia will fly daily to Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Chiang Mai, Thailand from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

"AirAsia would be the first and only airline to offer direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Chiang Mai," said AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes who is now a Datuk.

Hmm …