New Parliament Building - My 2-cent (Updated)

I'm hook to BFM 89.9.

This morning, Noelle Lim talked to 2 conservation architects on Gomen's plan to move our Parliament to under-used PICC and RM800 M plan to construct a new Parliament Building. The lady architect laments the idea to simply move our sacred Parliament to PICC, which is constructed for a different purpose, without due consideration. The gentleman architect shares on the uniqueness of our Old Dame (sounds like it is a green building constructed ahead of time back in 1962), what it symbolises (healthy democracy of this young nation back then), the lushful greens surrounding it (the lungs of KL) and 'wonderment' why we need to spend RM150 M to this Old Dame after we had spent a good RM100 M five years ago. Listen to their podcast here (Thanks my dear friend, Joshua for this heads-up).

I lifted this (as I was ignorant enough to read about it before) from the Grand Dame's website. Like the rest of Parliament Buildings in the world, it is not merely a structure but one with great stature and deep-rooted culture.

Somehow, those 'vultures' - elite Malays close to every single PM we have - are very good at eyeing sinful business opportunities (never job-creating opportunities).

One of these vultures goes by the name of NAZA. Since the founder died in May 2008, his sons have bagged a Gomen contract to build an Expo Centre, somewhere near the new palace compound to the tune of RM628 M and FELDA HQ's RM600 M contract.

Thanks to us - making a lot of houuhaaahs about the proposed new Parliament Building - the vulture in the August House (siapa lagi kalau tak Naz(r)i) told the MPs that they may move them all to PICC, instead. You see, with this idea, Gomen gives NAZA another opportunity (most gomen contractors make at least 20 -30% profit upfront) to make sinful money as all gomen expo/convention/conference would be held in their new Expo Centre.

Now that our MPs will debate in their new 'tangkap muat' building, the Grand Dame and the surrounding area (Oh, did you know what happened to Carcosa Seri Negara?) can be considered as another jewel in the crown for the Gomen. Recently, the Gomen has incorporated mega-jumbo-mumbo-in-limbo land development projects under its RMK10. Big money can be pocketed from this deal alone and if not NAZA, another 'vultures' will grab get this contract and unfortunately, we have a long list of those 'vultures'.

Just another melancholic story of Malaysia Inc. Not only that we may lose our Grand Dame, there will be no more green lungs for us in the city centre. Tasik Perdana won't be free to public. Traffic jam would be beyond horrible from Jalan Duta into the City Centre. As the story goes too often nowadays, we common people, who would have to tighten our belt so that this Ibu Pertiwi won't turn bankrupt by 2019, would also lose another heritage building, a little pocket of Mother Nature in the city centre and to top it all, losing our symbol of true democracy. I am not sure whether I should start crying or migrating.

Do we have options? We definitely do.

Though the flip-flopping tok ketua says that GE13 date would be a surprise, surprise for us (duhhhh) i.e. we could stop all these nonsensical ideas at ballot boxes, we can always create awareness for others within our circle to know why we need to stand united behind PR, with or without froggies, with or without Sodomy charges, with or without PERKASA, PEKIDA, GERTAK and Surat Khabar Lama - to remove this Stage 4-cancerous current Gomen.

Though I am not a member of any political parties, I am a firm believer that Politics Matter. Supporting PR agenda isn't about getting even with this current Gomen and isn't definitely about jealousy of the glitters the vultures and their families enjoy. It is all about putting everything in order, working accordingly, to the benefits of many, especially the underpriviligeds.

I feel like being slapped really hard on my face this morning upon reading Uncle Buffet and Uncle Gates' announcement asking the American Billionaires to pledge at least 50% of their wealth during or after their lifetime to charity. Malaysia is not short of Billionaires but I doubt they have done much good compared to friends and supporters of Uncle Buffet and Uncle Gates. So much about ketuanan melayu and islam by UMNO, what good have they make of such ketuanan to many less fortunate Malays all these years? Gomen for all my foot!

On this bittersweet morning (though bittersweet chocolate is good for our health), I miss Abraham Lincoln. May his soul rest in peace.

"A statesman of the school of sound common sense, and a philanthropist of the most practical type, a patriot without a superior - his monument is a country preserved" ~ C.S. Harrington

"If you look at his portraits they always give you an indelible impression of his great height. So does his life. Height of purpose, height of ideal, height of character, height of intelligence" ~ David Lloyd George