3/10/11 A CORPORATE PENANG....

This morning I chaired a JVC BOD meeting, which about 5-6 years ago was really a pain in my neck. This was among the JVC that always get my attention then. The development done, but maintenance was very poor to a such that, the whole Project almost have to be redo. About five years ago, I screamed at the major shareholder, sort of telling him off:"You better do the Project properly or you back off". With such, a new partner was brought in to take over the majority of his stake.

(2) Now this Project is considered among those that could give the Organiztion a handsome dividend. In the meeting, I reminded the BOD about the scream, and I'm happy that today, my scream worth tens of millions of Ringgit.

(3) After the meeting, we chat about how things going on in Penang. It was very interesting to know that despite the Penang State Government having not enough fund to do the development as when its was under the Barisan National, but the creative thinking of the Chinese Tycoons, whom seem to garner behind Lim Guan Eng, are now working hard to bring in the corporate way of doing things.

(4) As the inland land almost all are committed, more waterfront reclamation are underway. All these will be the future major tourism destinations. The future of Penang, rest very much on the Chinese Tycoons concerted effort to revive and enhance the tourism and thus properties development on the Island. Such a strategy, though sound generating economic impact, but I'm sure, mere urban development wouldn't sustain a nation healty state. What is happening in Greece now is the manifestation of the matter. That the very reason why Singapore, despite the success of the Casino Projects, they still want to invest into the mainland China and Indochinese. This is what I would term as Enclave Economic Development Strategy.

(5) To me, a combination of Tun Abdul Razak's and Tun Mahathir's economic strategies would work well for this Country. Taib Mahmud seem to capture such strategies well. Surely a modified corporate approach need to be designed to smoothen and accelerate greater nationwide socio-economic outreach.

(5) The Penang Second Bridge is being implemented smoothly. The third link is coming up, but taking the form of an under sea tunnel. All these development in fact would be very interesting to be analysed and see how the majority of the citizen could benefit later.

(6) Would Kelantan and Selangor follow the same footstep as Lim Guan Eng? I doubt, since Nik Aziz is more busy about the Hudud, and Khalid is busy in learning on how to be a corporate politician. What about Kedah then? I hope all these political games would one day able to generate a better political science and economic model that could drive Malaysia into a better nation.

Sibu, Sarawak
5 Oct., 2011