Pembangunan Johor Baru...
Selepas ditegur Sultan Johor sebagai melampaui batas, bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad menulis surat menjawab kenyataan itu.
Melalui surat yang disiarkan hari ini Dr Mahathir berkata beliau tidak pasti sama ada kenyataan dibuat Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar semalam benar-benar mencabarnya atau ia sekadar tafsiran akhbar.
“Namun, kecuali DYMM menafikan baginda mencabar saya, saya menganggap laporan The Star itu adalah benar," katanya sambil mengingatkan keadaan tidak berpihak kepadanya.
"Ketika orang lain boleh bercakap apa yang mereka mahu mengenai saya, dan saya mengalu-alukan kebebasan mereka bercakap begitu, saya berharap dalam maklum balas kepada cabaran DYMM, saya tidak ditangkap dan dipenjarakan tanpa bicara.
"Jika ia dibuat dengan perbicaraan, saya mengalu-alukan penahanan tangkapan," katanya.
Dalam temu bual eksklusif dengan akhbar The Star, Sultan Ibrahim mencabar pengerusi Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) itu menunjukkan kepada Johor pelabur dari Arab, Australia atau AS "daripada mengecam China".
Sultan Johor juga bertitah, baginda "amat tersinggung dan disakiti" oleh beberapa ulasan dibuat Dr Mahathir sejak beberapa minggu lalu.
"Cukuplah cukup. Selama ini ini beta telah mengelak untuk mengulas mengenai kontroversi mengenai City Forest yang diperkatakan oleh Dr Mahathir dan para penyokongnya," titah baginda.
Dr Mahathir yang pernah menjadi perdana menteri selama 22 tahun berkata kenyataan beliau mengenai Forest City di Johor Bahru - yang menimbulkan kemurkaan Sultan Ibrahim - tidak lebih daripada sekadar mengulangi laporan Bloomberg berkaitan projek pembangunan di negeri itu.
"Apa yang dikatakan Bloomberg dalam laporannya pada 22 November tahun lalu?
“Ia mengatakan, sebuah syarikat China akan membina Forest City in Johor Bahru yang akan menempatkan 700,000 orang. Laporan itu kemudian menyatakan ramai orang China diterbangkang (ke Johor) untuk melihat model dan mereka sudah dan akan membeli kebanyakan harta tanah di Forest City.
"Saya tidak yakin ramai Melayu dan Cina Johor membeli atau akan membeli apartmen-aparten itu. Tidak ramai orang Malaysia akan membeli harta tanah ini.
"Bloomberg, dalam laporan sama, menyebut 60 lagi pembangunan seperti Forest City, dan ini juga sedang dijual kepada orang China.
"Lihat kembali ke tahun 1819, apabila Sultan Ali tidak memajak Singapura kepada British, (tetapi) Temenggong menandatangani pemajakan itu. Dan lihat Singapura hari ini. Sebahagian daripada Johor kini negara asing - begitu maju, memang, tetapi sebuah negara asing," katanya.
Dapatkan kemahiran, bukan jual tanah
Beliau juga menyatakan akan ada lebih sejuta orang asing tinggal di Forest City dan 60 projek pembangunan lain di Johor.
Walaupun kawasan petempatan baru itu tidak akan menjadi negara asing, Dr Mahathir mengingatkan, akan wujud peratusan rakyat luar yang tidak seimbang nanti.
"Jika mereka tinggal lebih lama, mereka layak menjadi warga Malaysia," katanya.
Dr Mahathir menegaskan, walaupun beliau pernah mempromosi pelaburang langsung asing (FDI) di negara ini suatu ketika dulu, ia tidak membabitkan penjualan tanah, membangunkannya dan menjual harta itu kepada warga luar.
“FDI ialah mengenai pelaburan dalam industri pembuatan. Syarikat Malaysia membina bangunan dan rakyat Malaysia bekerja dalam industri itu. Mereka akan memperoleh kemahiran dan memulakan perniagaan pembuatan.
"Kontraktor Malaysia benar-benar mampu membina semua jenis bangunan dan memajukan tanah. Kita tidak perlukan orang asing untuk melakukannya.
"Lihat Malaysia hari ini. Sembilan puluh peratus atau lebih bangunan dan pembangunan baru dilakukan syarikat Malaysia. Majoriti pembeli adalah orang Malaysia dan mereka adalah orang yang akan kekal di sini.
"Tetapi apabila orang asing membeli tanah, tidak ada kemasukan modal pun. Kebanyakan modal dipinjam secara tempatan dan mereka boleh menjalankan urusan dengan bank mereka sendiri," katanya.
Apa saja yang diperoleh syarikat asing itu, tambah Dr Mahathir, akan dihantar ke negara asal mereka. Ia, katanya, menyebabkan pengaliran keluar modal dari negara ini.
"Apabila skim diperkenalkan, anda boleh membeli harta tanah di China dan mendapat satu flat atau rumah percuma di Malaysia, tiada keuntungan dibuat di Malaysia. Justeru tiada cukai dibayar kepada kerajaan Malaysia," katanya.
Surat itu juga menggesa supaya semua transaksi dijalankan secara telus.
"Siarkan semua dokumen pelaburan, jumlah pekerja, negara asal mereka. pembeli, bank yang memberi pembiayaan serta semua dana asing. Lakukan dengan jujur. Usah berselindung.
"Biarkan Transparency International memeriksa dokumen rasmi yang didedahkan. Biar rakyat melihat dokumeen itu untuk membuktikan keasliannya," kata beliau lagi.
Mengenai polisi yang pernah digunakan untuk menyanggah kenyataannya sebelum ini, Dr Mahathir berkata, Dasar Pandang Ke Timur diamalkan bukan dengan tujuan meminta negara terbabit membeli tanah di Malaysia, membangunkannya dan menjual kepada orang asing.
"Ya, kita menggalakkan orang luar menjadikan Malaysia rumah kedua mereka. Tetapi jumlahnya sangat kecil. Pandang Ke Timur bukan mengenai perpindahan ratusan ribu orang. Ia mengenai Malaysia belajar bagaimana negara timur membangunkan diri mereka," katanya.
Mengenai tuduhan rasis, Dr Mahathir berkata, memang mudah menuduhnya begitu dan pada masa sama, beliau juga pernah dilabel sebagai pelampau Melayu.
"Memburuk-burukkan dan melabel ini mendedahkan betapa tiada hujah kukuh untuk menyanggah apa yang saya buat atau kata. Ia menggambarkan tiada asas untuk berhujah dengan saya.
"Ini negara berbilang kaum. Rakyat dengan pelbagai etnik, bahasa, agama, budaya, malah ekonomi boleh hidup dengan aman damai.
"Di banyak negara, sedikit perbezaan tafsiran mengenai agama menyebabkan keganasan dan perang. Namun secara relatif, Malaysia adalah stabil dan aman.
"Ia stabil dan aman sebab kita menerima satu sama lain seadanya. Sepanjang 22 tahun saya menjadi perdana menteri, tiada perbalahan kaum yang besar. Berbeza, memang ada, tetapi tiada keganasan. Dan negara membangun.
"Jika saya rasis, tempoh saya menjadi perdana menteri akan menyaksikan kekecohan di negara ini," katanya.
Melalui surat itu juga Dr Mahathir mencabar The Star menyiarkannya tanpa sebarang suntingan.
"Saya akan terima (jika) tulisan ini dipadamkan langsung kerana kita hidup dalam negara kleptokrasi di mana kebenaran dikutuk, ia hanya dibisikkan tetapi tidak pernah dilaungkan.
"Saya warga Malaysia yang dilahirkan di Kedah. Malaysia adalah rumah saya dan tempat saya menumpahkan taat setia. Jika saya dituduh menderhaka atas apa yang saya katakan, biarlah," katanya. - mk
Dr M replies on Forest City issue...
I DON’T know if it is true about HRH the Sultan of Johor throwing a challenge to me over the development of Johor Baru.
Maybe it is only The Star which is interpreting what HRH says as a challenge to me. But unless HRH denies he is challenging me, I will take the report of The Star as the truth.
I admit I am at a disadvantage here. While people can say what they like about me, and I welcome their freedom to say so, I hope that in responding to HRH’s challenge I will not be arrested and jailed without trial.
If it is with trial, I welcome the arrest.
Now, what did I say? Nothing more than repeating a report by Bloomberg in the press. But I appreciate why Bloomberg is not challenged nor denied.
What did Bloomberg say in its report on Nov 22 last year?
It said that a China Chinese company will build Forest City in JB which can accommodate 700,000. It went on to say that planeloads of China Chinese are being flown in to view the man-sized model (with pictures) and they have and will buy most of the properties in Forest City.
I doubt if many Johor Malays and Chinese are buying or going to buy these apartments. There just aren’t that many Malaysians to buy all these properties.
Bloomberg, in the same report, mentioned 60 other developments similar to Forest City, and these are also being sold to mainland Chinese.
Looking back to 1819, when Sultan Ali of Johor did not lease Singapore to the British, the Temenggong signed the lease. And look at Singapore today. A part of Johor is now a foreign country – well developed no doubt, but a foreign country.
There will be in all more than a million foreigners living in JB Forest City and the 60 other developments. These new places will not become a foreign country but they will have an inordinate percentage of foreign people. If they stay long enough, they will be entitled to become citizens of Malaysia.
Yes, I promoted foreign direct investment. But it was not about buying land in Malaysia, developing them and selling them to foreigners who will stay here.
FDI is about investment in the manufacturing industry. Malaysian companies will construct the building and Malaysians will work in the industries. They will acquire skills and start their own manufacturing business.
Malaysian contractors are completely capable of building all kinds of buildings and develop land. We don’t need foreigners to do this. Look at Malaysia today. Ninety per cent or more of these new buildings and development are by Malaysian companies. Majority of the buyers are Malaysians, and they are the people who stay there.
But when foreigners buy land, there is not even an inflow of capital. Much of the money will be borrowed locally. And they can do their business with their own banks.
Whatever foreign companies earn will be expatriated, and will result in outflow of capital. When the scheme is introduced wherein you can buy property in China and get one flat or house free in Malaysia, no profit will be made in Malaysia, therefore no taxes will be paid to the Malaysian Government.
Let all transactions be transparent. Publish all documents about the investments, the number of workers, their home countries, the buyers, the banks which finance and all expatriation of funds. Do this honestly. No hiding.
So let the truly international Transparency International examine the exposed official documents. Let the people see the documents to prove their genuineness.
Looking East is not about asking the countries of the East to buy land in Malaysia, develop and sell to the people from these countries. Yes, we have encouraged foreigners to make Malaysia their second home. But their numbers are very small. Looking East is not about mass immigration of hundreds of thousands. It is about Malaysians learning about how these Eastern countries developed themselves.
It is easy to accuse me of being a racist. I have been called a Malay ultra before.
This labelling, this demonising actually exposes the lack of credible arguments against what I do or say. It reflects a fundamental lack of basis for the arguments against me.
This is a multiracial country. People of different ethnicity, language, religion, culture and even economic wellbeing have lived in this country in peace.
In many countries, even a slight difference in the interpretation of their common religion has resulted in violent conflicts and wars. But relatively speaking, Malaysia is stable and peaceful.
It is stable and peaceful because we accept each other as we are. During my 22 years as PM, there were no significant racial clashes. Differences, yes, but no violence. And the country grew.
Had I been a racist, my period would have seen turmoil and regression in this country.
You can dispute what I say. That is your democratic right.
I dare The Star to publish what I say in full. It is a measure of the Government fear of the truth that the mainstream media is strictly controlled.
I will accept this article being totally blacked-out because we are living in a kleptocratic country where truth is anathema, only to be whispered but never said aloud.
I am a Malaysian born in Kedah. Malaysia is my home and the object of my loyalty. If I have to be accused of lese majeste for what I say, so be it. - Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
Anonymous - I salute you Tun.We need more Malaysians like you, Tun. This small country of ours has been "trampled" by many foreign powers - the Dutch, Portuguese, British, Japanese, Refugees, Illegal Immigrants, idiotic dirty-looking Mullahs from problematic countries and NOW THE CHINESE FROM MAINLAND CHINA...
Malay politicians will never learn from history. To them money speaks and their pockets must be filled with money. Many of them own homes and properties overseas. They are ready to leave anytime when this country of ours is ruined not only by foreigners entering this country but also the rampant corruption, religious fanatics and many other social problems.
Bila lagi kita rakyat Malaysia mahu sedar? BILA? Janganlah terlalu kolot sangat pemikiran kita... Jangan jadi macam Pak Kadok...'Menang sorak kampung tergadai'...
A perfect storm is forming around the Malaysian ringgit, as its value remains at risk from a protracted economic slump aggravated by a domestic political scandal and the prospect of rising US interest...
But the distress does not stop there, as a currency sell-off in Malaysia could have a contagious financial spillover on neighbouring economies, sparking capital outflows and compounding financial volatility.
The value of the ringgit has nosedived dramatically over the past two years, along with investors' confidence in the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak. Mr Najib has been fighting tooth-and-nail to block any serious domestic investigations of the heavily indebted 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which is being investigated in six other countries for dubious investments and opaque financial transactions.
At 4.48 per dollar, the ringgit has touched its lowest level since the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and was Asia's worst-performing currency for emerging markets in 2016. Continue Reading...
Between 1998 to 2016, India's foreign reserves have jumped 12 times. South Korea's have jumped 7 times. Thailand is 6 times. Malaysia is the least, increased 3.7 times only. Finally Bangkok Post says : 'transparency in government is vital in shoring up investment sentiment'
Malaysia is now known as a kleptocracy.The US DOJ said it plainly that MOI is a thief. The US DOJ said, they used public funds like their "personal piggy bank".
The country is led by a person who is recognised as being a thief.
The Ringgit will crash further because this person is still in power. I think that is what the Bangkok Post is saying. - ostb
MH370 underwater search called off...
MULAI 15 FEBRUARI 2017:
Permit Kenderaan: SGD35
Tol 2-hala: SGD6.50
Reciprocal Road Charge: SGD6.40
Jumlah: SGD47.90 (RM149.60)
Selamat datang ke Singapura!
Nanti Menteri UMNO akan kata,
"Kalau dah Mahal Jangan Makan"
Kalu inilah ibu anda,apa perasaan anda...
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