BLAMING RAIS AGAIN.....

By Bujai

Looks like Rais Yatim is so vulnerable to attacks by blogger (including those of the pro-BN) and anti-government media, so much so everything that he or his ministry does will not get a good spin. In fact, all is wrong to them.

I am not sure what is the motive behind this 'knive sharpening' on the minister. If it has something to do with cronyism and nepotism of politics, then Rais shouldnt have been the prime target.

I wonder why didnt any 'pro-BN' or 'pro-Umno' blogger lash out at a senior minister for letting his son-in-law to monopolise the bio-matrix card project with the Home Ministry - which is valued at RM1 billion - or the RM70 million allocation to refurbish Seri Perdana, and other matters of 'political irregularities'?

When Rais launched the Hari Seniman on May 29, the anti-govt media and blogger were fast to attack him, accusing the minister of spending RM100 million in a single day. These writers, apart from not doing their homework to establish the details of the expenditure, were happy enough to ride on sentiments.

They couldnt care less whether their allegations were founded or not. What's important to them is to jump onto the 'anti-Rais' or 'anti-wheover' bandwagon. Just because their mentor blogger write nasty, they will just write nastier.

I have nothing against Rais. And I believe he doesnt know me that well as I have been avoiding 'invitations' to luncheons and dinners. But he is an Umno veteran. Najib needs him, and so is the Cabinet. We dont have the likes of Ghafar Baba anymore to play arbitrator to domestic issues.

I was shown the proof that the tag for Hari Seniman is only RM97,665 and not RM100 million as alleged by this website. One may ask what prompted the writer to sum up the exaggerated figure when the event was not so grand at all.

And then, the dissent showed by PBS deputy president Yee Moh Chai against Rais, whom he accused of 'breaking his promise' to find solutions to the low-penetration Internet broadband rate in Sabah.

I am not surprise by such statements, especially when it came from a BN component party leader in Sabah (here). PBS used to leave Barisan Nasional over the '20 issues' during the 1980s and then made a comeback. Its leaders were known to be 'bigger frogs' in jumping from one party to another.

And so, their words too contain no merit.

I have been in Sabah a couple of times with a telco provider. The problem with Sabah, apart from logistic, is the attitude of some of its politicians and local leaders. They government cannot just be seen as introducing something new to the State without being imposed some 'tolls'.

Yes, a year has passed since the ministry pledged to achieve a minimum 30 per cent penetration of broadband by the year 2010 but the government was not getting enough cooperation from local leaders to facilitate the efforts.

I wonder whether Yee is aware of the bureaucratic problems in the State. As Rais is not a Sabahan either, his ministry officials, including from the MCMC found it difficult to work there without being hassled. As the nation gets into more sophistication, such problems get more complex, it seems.

And Yee himself is so fond of avowing 'Sabah is for Sabahans', a maxim used by his party a long time ago to champion the '20 issues'. This mentality still remains domain among most Sabahans.

It is easy to criticise but when your yourself is given the mandate to carry out projects for the people, you will see it for yourself. As politics of individuals and race still thrive in the country, such problems may take a longer time to subside, even beyond the year 2020.

Lips service is so common among politicians. I believe that Yee himself is also good at it, and so are other leaders, be it in the government or Opposition. But to blatantly accuse someone of wrongdoing without realising the actual situation, is uncalled for. And for others to hitchhike on the issue, too is very unprofessional.

Rais doesnt give me anything, neither had I asked anything from him. He is still a BN minister. If he fumbles, it will also spell disaster for the BN in the next general election. Its the Opposition job to find faults in the government but if our pro-BN writers too are taking the cue from them, something is probably not right there...

also read Dunia Tiger and Jebat Berkokok..