Johor

How I wish I had the liberty of a few hours of free time, to sit here at my pc, and hammer away my thoughts on this state and country of mine. The trend amongst some bloggers is to say...how they cry for the country. Well, I have yet to reach that stage I guess.

In every aspect of our lives here, there are substantial shortcomings. I read somewhere, my memory fails me yet again, that live life not thinking of all the problems one faces and all the negativities in our midst. Just look ahead, look at the little good stuff, and live it. To ponder on things beyond one's control could be merely a mechanism to hold you back. Or something to that effect.

Desaru International Resort in the early 90s. Numerous proposed billion dollar investments or projects. Numerous world trade centres and mega-projects, some of which were privatization projects. We've been swamped with such grandiose proposals over the past 15 years or more.

The mind has become numb. There is one thing in common in all the above proposals. Nothing came out of it. Well, hardly anything.

The thing is, our administrators have that knack of announcing to gain whatever milleage when things are not even signed and sealed.

We have the South Johor Economic Region. First, we needed to be reinforced by the PM himself that this was a project that he and he himself came out with, not some other person. (I sensed hidden uncalled for tone there)

The 9thMP has been announced many weeks back, and theyre still talking about proposals. Proposed billions to be invested. On-going discussions with numerous foreign entities quequing to dump their cash here. And then we have the bombshell today, that the masterplan would only be ready at the end of this year. Huh??

In the meantime, billions of dollars continue to pour into our little red dot of an island neighbour in the form of FDIs. And, we continue to talk of proposals.

Time doesnt permit me to write a comprehensive take on the SJER at the moment.

I would end with this short story, which sort of says it all about our government and the people within it.

Recently, a foreign investor set up a museum in Melaka town. Spent millions, supposedly, within a row of 3 old shops. He had the MB come for its opening late last year when it was completed. Now, its revealed, he cant even get the CFO for one of the units as the building doesnt conform to standars or some other excuse. And the guy threatens to pull out his investments and move his museum to Indonesia.

Now. How did a building that hadnt secured the CFO, get to have an MB to come and do the opening ceremony?