Kowtow

Late last night, the story broke: Arroyo decides ‘not to continue’ with ZTE deal–Bunye. Today, the story got to be clarified further: GMA explains ZTE fiasco to Hu (as another story put it, Arroyo ‘stops’ deal with ZTE; China prexy accepts decision).

Obviously, that was the main objective of the President, with specific, domestic political considerations on her mind. As her people put it, ‘Political instinct’ made Arroyo scrap ZTE deal — Palace.

Having achieved that, she can then attend to other things.

Contrary to speculations to the contrary, the President has a serious reason for visiting China. She’s there in support of Philippine investments overseas, a legitimate and praiseweworthy thing for any president to do, and which explains why she’d go to China when the Chinese themselves are enjoying one of the major holidays in their culture.

As the news has it, Arroyo inaugurates Razon container terminal in Shandong. After all, Razon now most powerful businessman, says De Venecia son. Those interested in the maritime ports industry might be interested in the blog Maritime Watchkeeper.

The main thing is that prior to the electrifying news arriving late in the evening from China, the Palace faithful had been mobilized to propose the party line: Palace wants Senate to stop NBN deal investigation. This was expressed by the Executive Secretary when the President left; in addition, after the President left, her husband returned: obviously well-briefed on what he, in turn, should be saying: Mike Arroyo: I never said ‘Back off’.

What I found very curious last night was that a couple of hours before the news of the President’s statement was released, the distinct possibility that the scheduled ZTE hearing for Thursday would end up being either canceled outright, or postponed, began to circulate. Obviously, coming at the heels of official Palace expressions of desire -for the hearings to end- this is what made the scuttlebutt take on the Wow factor.

Consider, first, that resuming the hearings would further add scrutiny to an already open can of worms: Probe of PDI, 4 solons sought over leak on secret meeting (for its part, the paper I write for says, PDI stands by story on Joker’s intervention in Neri’s testimony). The Senate, then, having already spent yesterday arguing its case before the Supreme Court (see No TRO on ‘Hello Garci’ probe; SC grills petitioners) and earning a minor victory (no TRO to stop the Hello Garci hearings) and faced with that probe called by an angry Joker Arroyo, and headed for a justifiable confrontation with Romulo Neri on his invocation of executive privilege, seemed poised for, well, a home run.

As the Inquirer editorial for today put it, in The battle resumes:

This returns us to the Senate, which is due to resume its joint committee hearings on the ZTE deal. There will be two issues immediately confronting the chamber. First, allegations concerning the conduct of the executive session last Thursday. This was meant to allow senators the opportunity to understand why Chair Romulo Neri of the Commission on Higher Education invoked executive privilege just as he had tantalizingly came close to revealing that the President had said more about Abalos’ bribe than just advising Neri not to accept the bribe.

Conflicting suggestions of improper behavior, either by senators or members of the Cabinet, in that executive session, have been made. One senator has asked whether these suggestions of improper, even scandalous, conduct justified the unprecedented move of some senators to reveal what took place. We say unprecedented, because the allegations of what happened during that executive session are unparalleled in the history of our Congress and perhaps any legislature in the modern era.

The second issue is whether or not to compel Neri to reveal what he knows but won’t say. Senators must decide if they will detain Neri and trigger, in turn, a case in the Supreme Court to settle, once and for all, whether the Cabinet member is right in invoking executive privilege. This is a confrontation that seems not only inevitable, but necessary. We cannot agree with Sen. Joker Arroyo that the Senate should quit while it is ahead.

It is by settling these two questions, which all hinge on Neri’s possessing information as to what the President knew, and when — and what she did or did not do, knowing what she knew — that checks and balances are asserted and the parameters of democracy are more clearly established. At stake is the ability of Congress to exercise oversight, of witnesses to use legitimate legal shields or hide behind legal barriers erected to cover up official wrongdoing. There is even the possibility that Neri’s value as a witness has been compromised, because he no longer has free will, and has been subjected to official intimidation — whether from the Senate, or the executive branch.

Except, the battle has been… well, to put it charitably, postponed. And this brings me to what got reporters scrambling back into action last night, even prior to the announcement by the Palace, that the President had ordered the ZTE deal “stopped”. Here’s the report by Malaya: Senate freezes probe into broadband deal. As their report puts it,

The freeze was a result of the decision to scrap an all-member caucus last night where a proposed hearing tomorrow was to be taken up.

The caucus was called to discuss how the Senate would pursue the inquiry after the resignation on Monday of Election Chairman Benjamin Abalos, the alleged broker of what was suspected as an overpriced supply contract with the Chinese company ZTE.

Earlier in the day, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the Senate investigation might not be relevant anymore after Abalos’ resignation.

“Ngayong wala na yung object ng kanilang investigation, ano’ng relevance noon?” he asked.

He added that President Arroyo “is very confident that things will somehow simmer down.”

Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the Blue Ribbon, the lead committee, said the failure to hold a caucus only means that no hearing has been scheduled.

He said the inquiry will definitely continue.

He said the committee has subpoenaed the NEDA Investment Coordinating Committee for all documents relating to the ZTE contract. He said the transportation department has already submitted the documents in its hands upon receipt of a similar subpoena duces tecum.

Congress was originally scheduled to start its All Saints’ Day break on Oct. 13. On Monday, it was announced at the Senate that the recess would be advanced by a week.

As of last night, when the buzz about either a cancellation or a postponement began, Senators were contacted and immediately responded vigorously: Senate to continue with ZTE hearings–Cayetano. The rhetoric from all the chairmen was all right: we will continue, never fear, etc., etc., although the views of some colleagues, such as Francis Escudero, was noticeably temperate while other senators complained they never got the memo: Senator puzzled over lull in hearings on broadband deal:

He said no hearings were scheduled this week because his committee needed to assess the status of the investigation, which led to the resignation of Benjamin Abalos Sr. as Elections chief following allegations of bribery.

Before he took the floor, Cayetano told reporters in a press conference that the hearings would be scheduled some 10 to 14 days from now, during the four-week congressional break.

He also gave as reasons the impending absence of senators, who are about to go on a break, and the absence of resource persons willing to speak about the deal.

Actually, the whole country didn’t get the memo.

So I can’t help but wonder at the confluence of events.

A newspaper finishes layout pretty early, and there’s no indication, for example, Malaya held the presses, which makes it reasonable to consider that its story on a cancellation (outright) of the ZTE hearings was, at one point yesterday evening, in the cards. On the same day the Palace expressed the desire the whole thing should be stopped -and knowing, as we do now, that Ermita spoke knowing full well what the President would later on announce, after the formality of her meeting with the Chinese president was concluded.

The Senate had the chance to have two more weeks of hearings, but decided to knock off work early, and all the vows of pursuing the hearings after their vacation, doesn’t explain the thing that puzzles me. Politics is about timing. It requires seizing the initiative, and doggedly refusing to relinquish it. But then, with things going in its favor, the Senate decides to, well, how else can I put it?

Back off.

And just when there were more questions raised, than settled, by the President’s statement from China. As Manuel Buencamino puts it,

Once upon a time Gloria Arroyo rightly laid out clear policy guidelines for the broadband network: build, operate and transfer; no loans; no sovereign guarantees; use and pay, rather than take or pay. Then one day, suddenly and without any explanation, she reversed those guidelines.

Can she tell us why the ZTE deal was so hastily approved that her Cabinet cannot even make up its mind whether it’s a supply contract or an executive agreement?

Can Mrs. Arroyo tell us why she allowed a contract of this magnitude to be signed even if it did not follow the proper sequence of steps as dictated by laws and regulations?

Can she explain why a concessionary loan is better than no loan at all?

Can she explain why it’s better to spend billions of pesos to own and operate an exclusive network that taxpayers will pay for whether the government uses it or not, rather than a network whose services taxpayers will pay for only when the government uses it?

Can she tell us how, and why, the Department of Justice (DOJ) rendered an opinion on a contract it never even saw?

Can she tell us why the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) did not furnish a copy of the contract to the DOJ when DOTC chief Leandro Mendoza admitted to the Senate that his department had finished reconstituting the contract on May 24, weeks before the DOJ rendered its opinion?

Can she tell us why she allowed Mendoza to keep the departments of Justice, Trade, Finance, Budget, the Executive Secretary, the Palace legal counsel and the public in the dark?

Is pushing through with the deal only a legal matter to be settled by the Supreme Court, or more important, is it a taxpayer expense that must be justified?

Meanwhile, the Palace suddenly has the means (and most definitely, the motive) to then pursue its prey (just when it seemed businessmen were beginning to start showing signs of increasing uneasiness about the Palace: see Tongue In. Anew, who has an interesting take on things).

After the primary prey of the opposition, the now ex-Comelec Chairman, has quit (entrusting his fate into the hands of our deeply respected Ombudsman, which, as this report indicates, is overflowing with the milk of human kindness: Ombudsman Gutierrez logs a record of going easy on Abalos, Comelec), taking him out of the game, the Senate takes itself out of the game, too, for a month.

And there’s also wiggle room in the Supreme Court: Motion to junk NBN-ZTE deal not yet moot – Supreme Court, by which I mean, there’s time to further buttress the Palace arguments by means of filing appropriate motions…

As Uniffors puts it,

Anyway, Gloria and Mike are on the ropes, to use a boxing term… The whole nation is waiting for the Senate to go in for the knockout… But what does the Senate do?… It decides to go on its All Saints Day vacation a week early.

Gloria and Mike will now have until Nov 5, at the earliest, to gather their wits, marshall their strength, and work their way back into the fight.

To be fair, the Senate’s decision to suddenly advance their vacation and to postpone the ZTE hearings indefinitely was not entirely Alan Peter Cayetano’s to make. It was a collective decision. (Maybe everyone collected. 200 each maybe?)

But here’s why we take Alan Peter Cayetano to task.

Remember those two impeachment hearings in the House? Remember how he and Chiz Escudero, led the charge for truth and all that against overwhelming odds?

Well, where the fuck is that crusader now? He didn’t even put up a fight.

I don’t know if this is the same Alan Peter Cayetano that we elected to the Senate so we would have someone to look out for us. Maybe the man we think is Alan Pater Cayetano is really Juju Cayetano, the fake candidate who ran for senator last May. That’s the kindest thought I can have for him right now.

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Juju and Alan Peter in a picture together. Maybe because they’re one and the same now. Peke.

With breathing room the Palace, intends to make permanent: Spare First Gentleman, Neri from future NBN hearings–Palace, it now only has to face one: a potentially bruising battle for the first time ever, over the budget. House begins plenary debates on 2008 budget.

We all know that the greatest power of the House, is the power of the purse. A House inclined to be unpleasant to a President can go over the budget with fine-toothed comb, subject cabinet officials and presidential appointees to an inquisition, and unlike the Senate, it can do so without anyone really noticing -or with everyone watching if the House tells reporters to expect fireworks.

But instead of facing a battle on two fronts, the President, knowing Senators are off to attend the Interparliamentary Union gabfest, and so she can instead focus on, well, this story tells it all: ‘I have nothing to fear,’ says De Venecia on ouster rumors.

The antidote to threats of a House with a sudden zest for taking budget-writing seriously, is to say: look, for a whole month, JDV3 is going to get hammered by the Palace. And daddy, too.

Anyway, good news: Senate approves cheaper medicines bill.

And cool news: Super jet to touch down in RP next week.

And I think Sassy Lawyer is spot on why people should cut “Desperate Housewives” some slack.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

253 thoughts on “Kowtow

  1. MLQ3: So what we have is a case of “layers of spins” with different sets of Spin Doctors as well. Don’t they get dizzy and giddy with that set-up? The outcome might be: DEAL or NO DEAL.

  2. Pete,

    Re: What is really almost admirable in such a lil person as Gloria is her ability to react to crisis that involves her hold on power – she’s got built in survival sensors!

  3. MBW The Philippines invading Sabah? Whew! The AFP can’t even do a good job in Mindanao (against only a few hundreds of ASG and MILF breakaway groups) and can’t even solve the INSURGENCY problem and, wow, the nerve to even entertain the idea of “declaring war with Malaysia” is simply “suicidal.” Hahahaha.

    I wonder what would be the Military Strategy of Ermita on this. We don’t even have decent military planes and military choppers. It’s really a pity and yet funny.

  4. Right, Mlq3… Heh! When Najib approved the purchase of the Polish tanks, believe me, there was great consternation among the defence expat community in KL. The only thing they could think of was he got those in preparation over a possible skirmish against Singapore over Johor.

    Najib is one of the most crooked of crooks in Malaysia – his wife I’d say is the equivalent of Mike Arroyo. When Najib comes to power, succeeds Badawi, I see the Philippines having problems with him. He has very lil respect for Philippine politics and politicians.

  5. MB, i’m ashamed to say that what i know of Bro. Athanasius comes only from his wikipedia entry:

    During World War II, Br. Athanasius was interned at Los Baños with the rest of the American Brothers. He would be freed by American troops in 1945 but would refuse to be returned to the United States.

    He stayed in the Philippines to rehabilitate De La Salle College and was appointed its President in 1945. It was also during this time that he was forced to return to the United States due to health reasons. In July 1946, he returned to Manila and formed new Faculty and Brother missionaries…

    He died on May 27, 1950. blockquote>

    I guess his contributions are worth less than 50 million pesos, maybe because there was hyperinflation towards the end of the War.

  6. I guess Bro. Athanasius’ contributions are worth less than 50 million pesos, maybe because there was hyperinflation towards the end of the War.

  7. Pete If we’re talking about conventional measures, the solution is wait until 2010. If we’re talking about drastic measures then bloodshed would be the fastest way. Another impeachment is futile given the fact that the Administration still controls the Lower House. If an Impeachment does not go past the Lower House, it’s useless. A more drastic measure is assassination.

  8. Pete,

    Solve a problem like Gloria by having counter measures against her built-in sensors, i.e., group of think tankers who will study her every move even before she makes it and bam! Hit her with their findings?

    But you can only have effective counter measures if your operators, i.e., the Senate – and the Lower House, are not following command line of sight to shoot in tandem!

    Today, short of having 40 million warm bodies crying in unison and moving towards Malacanan with a perfect battle charge cry, “Attack Malacanang”, doubt she can be dislodged.

  9. karah,

    A drinking buddy at the Nicols Airbase Club,a 15th strike wing pilot, said Malaysian jets can fly over Philippine air space at will unchallenged, the PAF jets are no match to what the Malaysians have.

  10. Oops, “But you can only have effective counter measures if your operators, i.e., the Senate – and the Lower House, ARE FOLLOWING command line of sight to shoot in tandem!”

  11. MBW Are you referring to the PT-91 Twardy tanks? Thinking about it, what were these tanks for? I don’t think Singapore would even think about fighting with Malaysia – the city-state would be crushed like an Ant. But then again, Singapore has the bucks to buy weapons, armaments, and other hardware.

    Re: Najib, does he have the support of their party or he’s a mere puppet in the scheme of things. Does Dr. M still wield political clout in Malaysia up until today? And I mean not some rumors but first hand info.

  12. Pete,

    Reason why they are unchalleged is not only because Pinas doesn’t possess decent fighter jets, also because Pinas IS BLIND! Only radars you’ve got are in airports!

    To see and detect intrusions into Philippine air space, you need to have radars, at least on Mount Salakot in Palawan.

    Even if you have decent fighter aircraft, without proper seeing machines, they’d already be at your doorstep in front of Malacanan before you could get your jet fighters in space to meet the intruders.

  13. Karah,

    One cannot undermine Singapore. True, it’s small but its military is far more professional than Malaysia not to add that their hardware are double that of Malaysia’s.

    They’ve got more submarines, more missiles of all varieties, i.e., very short range, short range, medium range, etc, more battle ships, perfect state of the art weapons systems, fire control systems,command and control systems, C3I, etc. and they’ve got more fighter aircraft and helicopter gun ships than Malaysia!

  14. Pete I think the last breed of the PAF Jets, the F-5 were already retired. The OV-10’s look like “vintage crafts.” The SF260TP’s are I think WW2-era planes. Come to think of it, the PAF does not have any JETS. The Malaysians have MiG29’s, F/A-18 Hornets and some Su-30MK’s in the pipeline. The 15th Strike Wing is in Cavite, right?

  15. Solve a problem like Gloria by having counter measures against her built-in sensors, i.e., group of think tankers who will study her every move even before she makes it and bam! Hit her with their findings?

    I thought her flip-flopping was a sign of indecisiveness. Observing her for the past years, I can presume that it is more of a strategy so that her moves are not predictable.

  16. mbw, karah

    re solving problem Gloria,

    Let’s start with ourselves, specifically, questions we ask ourselves:

    Is GMA “the president few of us like and most of us deserve.”?

    Do YOU deserve GMA as your president?

    Oo o hindi?

    Kung oo, ok, lang let’s move on. Tigilan na yang bangayan at kulitan.

    Kung hindi, ano ang iyong handang gawin?

    Handa ka bang bumangon at kumilos? Kung hindi, ang totoong sagot mo sa unang tanong ay oo, ok si Glo para sa taong tulad mo.

    Or, your answer could be:

    “I’m sick of Gloria, I’m sick over what’s happening to our country, but I just don’t know what to do.”

    Specific Suggestion:

  17. MBW What you’re saying is very true but if we’re talking about “land area” here, a few missiles with warheads could wipe out Singapore in seconds. I just don’t know if Malaysia have Missiles in its Arsenal.

    A highly advanced Military has its own advantages and disadvantages. Even the USA will all their hardware, software, and military experience could not put into order certain territories in Afghanistan (this with the help of NATO) much more Iraq. Not even in Baghdad alone, one could feel secure and Technology is helpless on this matter. Of course there are other considerations like Urban Guerilla Warfare, Hit and Run Tactics, IED’s et cetera. No guarantees in the end.

  18. MBW,

    When I see people like Najib I wonder where malaysia would be without the chinese and indian businessmen.

  19. Karah,
    Najib, does he have the support of their party or he’s a mere puppet in the scheme of things. YES! Absolutely NOT just a puppet!

    Najib IS VERY POWERFUl today and if he UMNO gets its way in the next general elections, he will succeed Badawi. He has been throwing money into Sabah, building infrastructures, investing in the province because Sabah accounts for 40 seats in Parliament – by getting “Christian Sabah” on side, he could fight the fanatics in the more hardline Islamist state in the East in Parliament where UMNO is king and through UMNO he will rule!

    Does Dr. M still wield political clout in Malaysia up until today? YES, not personally on the national level among Malaysian voters but through UMNO and UMNO rules. He virtually handpicked the people in the powerful committees in UMNO and his man in the treasury was his choice. This is happening because Badawi is not one to rock the status quo – Badawi is even surprised that he got to where he is. He’s a decent sort of fellow but not one to go against Mahathir even if the latter is already, in theory, in retirement.

  20. Manuel,

    The Chinese and Indians are given so much leeway anyway! Most of the fixers and brokers in Malaysia are Chinese and Indians so why would they rock the boat? Who holds the treasury portfolio in UMNO, a Chinese?

  21. Pete Simple Answer: Let Gloria finish her term. Now, can the Philippines afford another “change in power” before 2010? There are effects and consequences to certain actions.

  22. karah,

    Malaysia has missiles in its arsenal. Not ICBMs but missiles like what Singapore has. You know those two countries try to keep up with each other, if one buys something you can be sure the other will buy one too.

  23. MBW,

    Yup they are. And Malays because of NEP took the lazy way out and acted as fronts instead of learning the business.

  24. Karah,

    “I just don’t know if Malaysia have Missiles in its Arsenal.” Yes they do. They have more than 50 thousand very short range line of sight missiles dispersed all over the place. The idea when they got the first bunch of them in the late 90s was not so much to defend against Singapore but against possible attack from the Philippines and Indonesia.

    Agree that military victory can no longer be dependent on sophisticated military hardware but the difference between Malaysia and Singapore is that the latter is far far more professional than the generals in Malaysia.

    Besides when that happens, I do believe they will call on the entire Singpore national reserve, which is basically every man male citizen to active duty.

    European defence analysts here believe that there is virtually no comparisson in IQ and ability to react in time of military crisis in record time between Malaysia and Singapore.

    Perhaps, in 10 years but not today. Malaysia’s military can be outgunned by a more sophisticated minded Singapore military.

  25. Karah,

    “Let Gloria finish her term. Now, can the Philippines afford another “change in power” before 2010? ”

    So tell me, which is more affordable, a change in power before 2010 or unabated plunder until 2010?

  26. MBW I guess NAJIB plays the money game in Malaysian Politics. Does Najib have the private or public support of Dr. M? Well, Malaysia is pretty much a stable economy.

    Does Dr. M still have plans to stage a comeback or he’s “retiring for good.” We can attribute the Economic Success of Malaysia to him and if what you’re saying about NAJIB is very true then Malaysia might be in for a big trouble (talking about PLUNDER not unless this Najib guy is also a good performer as a Public Official).

  27. Manuel I’ll stick to my position that a “status quo” would be more beneficial rather than an Administration change before 2010. Political Instability would always be bad for business (business that give jobs, and business that feed people).

    Granting, GMA would be outsted, would Noli be an “acceptable replacement” for you? How would go about with a post-GMA scenario. Enlighten me. 😀

  28. Karah,

    “Does Najib have the private or public support of Dr. M? ”

    Najib IS Mahathir’s boy! He groomed Najib, Mahathir was Najib’s mentor! To Mahathir, Najib can’t do anything wrong!

    “Does Dr. M still have plans to stage a comeback or he’s “retiring for good.” He IS retired I believe most Malaysians, although they like him for bringing Malaysia to where it is today, want him to stay away from active politics. They are happy with that I think because the power flow is good in the sense that successors to Mahathir, i.e., Badawi today and Najib tomorrow, have been groomed by him.

    I think Malaysians wouldn’t like him to come back. As a friend of mine there said, “He’s had his time, time to move on” (very Gloria thing to say… heh!)

  29. Najib to my knowledge, has already plundered SOOOOO much even when he was only holding defence portfolio and not yet Deputy Prime Minister.

    But heck, Malaysia has a lil population, a fourth of ours, they have petrol, they are making every Malaysian happy on the economic front, and are making every Malaysian man and his dog proud because they have an excellent defence and defence industry, could pay their debts on time, so the plunder could almost go unnoticed!

  30. karah,

    Good idea as a starting point, “Let Gloria finish her term.”

    What if by a qwirk of circumstance ‘her political instinct’ tells to resign and she did, what’s the scenario? It’s a Noli presidency, a start of her gracefulexit scenario. For Gloria it removes her from the red hot spot and gives her three years to prepare.

    The point is a viable and reasonable exit scenario could be set as the agenda of a popular movement. Example:

    1)a coalition gov’t – Pres Noli plus a Coalition Cabinet

    other suggestions:

  31. Manuel Would you know what short-range missile models that the Malaysian Armed Forces have? I’m interested to know.

    Pretty much an arms race basing from what you said. It’s the same with the India-Pakistan experience. It’s the same with the China-Taiwan experience. I would think that Singapore-Malaysia arms race is more toned down unlike those countries that I have mentioned.

  32. What could be the NBN controversy of Malaysia in the not so distant future is their undersea cabling that involves 2.5 billion US dollars which is being fought over by the Indians, Chinese, Malay top honchos!

  33. Pete If GMA resigns, Noli takes over. Whether Noli would be acceptable, it remains to be seen. I will not undermine the capability of Noli and I’ll give him the chance if that situation happens.

    The question is: Would bickering stop if Noli becomes President or we’ll be back to the same chaotic “political climate” much like the GMA-era.

  34. karah, i think the Singapore-Malaysia arms race is toned down because it’s driven more by sibling rivalry rather than fight for territory.

  35. Re: “I would think that Singapore-Malaysia arms race is more toned down unlike those countries that I have mentioned.”

    It’s toned down because they have only each other to depend on in case of problems from say China, Indonesia, Philippines. They share the use of Malacca straits to boot.

  36. or maybe a better suggestion:

    2) GMA goes on leave of absence, Noli takes over appoints coalition cabinet. This is what Erap claims he did which could have spared him from the trial. It’s a very reasonable compromise to resolve the impasse, more importantly to keep GMA from undertakings with long-term negative consequences.

  37. MBW I wanna research on them and know how they work, their range, their load, all those details. Any particular country? Western Europe is such a general term. Since you mentioned that the MAF had I assumed you knew the models.

  38. I think cvj is dead on ” i think the Singapore-Malaysia arms race is toned down because it’s driven more by sibling rivalry rather than fight for territory.” not unless the Sultan of Johor starts winding up KL about the silent territorial dispute over his ‘rich’ sultanate.

  39. Pete, the other suggestion (which i’m hesitant to endorse):

    3. JDV impeaches GMA in exchange for the Senate majority’s support for Charter Change to a parliamentary system. Noli becomes transitional president.

  40. Pete,

    I’m prepared to go for a Noli presidency, succeeding Gloria if there’s a coalition cabinet. Noli will need all the help he can get to finish Gloria’s unfinished term in case Gloria does resign before 2010.

    But I doubt very very much that Gloria will step down. Power is the elixir of youth! She ain’t exatcly getting young – power is her reason for continuing to live!

  41. MBW I guess if everything would fall in it’s place, NAJIB would be the next Premier of Malaysia when Badawi steps down. Much like Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, his retirement was for good but you know, he still has political clout knowing that the present PM is his eldest son.

    I am one in mind with your friend that Dr. M should just enjoy his retirement rather than coming back. Besides, he’s held the power for a few decades. Let the new blood run the show as they say.

    I was able to talk with some Malaysian businesspeople way back and from the information I gathered, the Pension/Retirement Agency of Malaysia is filty cash-rich. That friend of mine even told me that it’s this Agency that even run afterh those Retirees and Pensioneers that don’t claim or get their money.

  42. Karah,

    For external defence purposes, missiles will be useless unless you have a better trained military on top of which you must have first and foremost seeing eyes to detect any invader. You need radars first.

    Useless to have missiles if you don’t have the mechanism to spot intruders for which your air defence radars can only be useful.

  43. The Malaysians you talked to about the pension, retirement funds are absolutely dead on! So rich they have invested globally, buying 5 star hotels in Europe, America and even in Pinas.

    True, they even give pensions by continuing to pay salaries to their sports coaches even after one year only in service and the coaches have retired! Heh!

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