HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Meeting with S.Arunandy

I have been seeing him since 1997 when I started to represent my school and district for athletics. He is the common face for FTAAA officials and also as coach in KL. Only yesterday, I got a chance to meet him and got to understand him closer.


He is currently with Sri Garden School as Sports Coordinator cum teacher. He was in teaching line for 30 years in government schools i.e Miharja, Cheras and Sungai Besi and lead those schools to glory especially in athletics, where he developed the sportsmen & women and also the facilities.

He said” I’m doing this because of the passion and I get the satisfaction. You wont get full satisfaction in whatever you do but you will still do it, if you love it”.

Even his old students in 80s and 90s still calls him for gathering old boys gathering.

He started to notice me during the Inter Accounting Firm Games in 2005, where I beat his trainees (from KPMG) and he was amazed, how come an accountant can be good on track (he didn’t know that I was also in the KL Athletics team then). Then, he kept seeing me for the next 5 years. Yesterday, he asked me and I told him that I’m no longer with accounting firms.

Then I asked few questions:

1. What’s the future of the Malaysian Sports, especially athletics?

Till politicians are in the board, the sports wont develop. Sportsman (ex-athlete) should lead the sports association and also the Sports Council. Too many red tapes to be followed or abide.

2. What happened actually to 4x400M sea games squad?

The boys were selected under category B (which means they can go, under state or MAAU expense) but this boys were under Armed Forces team. So, Armed Forces has to pay. Armed Forces comes under Ministry of Defence and it takes another long process for payment purpose. So it dragged and they were playing ping pong among MAAU, Armed Forces and NSC. Their inefficient decision came to conclusion only 2 days before the event. So tha’s the story for reaching Palembang 48hours before the event.

Then, the organisers changed the medal presentation schedule to later date. MAAU, could not get any ticket during that 5 days as all were fully booked and MAAU didn’t want to pay additional allowance, accommodation fees, should the stay is longer. So, this made the boys to come back earlier that the actual medal presentation date.


3. What’s really happening now in MAAU and Sports Ministry?

There is double/triple standards played in the ministry. Look at Karate, they are performing but no proper fund and they want to sack the coach. But for football, they can even send a special flight to fly back the players to homeground.


When a budget is approved for RM1.2mil, the project will go to some ministers relative. He will eat RM600k. Then, pass it to contractor A, and he will take RM300k and sub-con to contaractor B. Con B will take RM150k and sub con it to Contractor C. So Contractor C will do the job for RM150k, when actual project was worth RM1.2mil. So 90% is eaten by the politicians and top management and job is done for 10%.

RM 20 is BACK!

The RM 20 notes was stopped production on 1995 and now it's back.

The other notes were also improvised as stated above. RM1 will be in polymer just like RM5.

All this notes will be circulated in middle of next year except for RM50. It's due to cash machines i.e ATM, parking machine, ticket machines need to be caliberated with the new scanning/recognition system.

Races that I had to skip

Sometimes when you have overworked / over trained, it's time for you to get rest. Else the universe will ensure you to get that.

This what happened when I got struck with flu n fever which made me to skip yesterday's race. This kind of thing is not new for me, as it has been happening for the past 4 years.

Here are the tournaments which I registered and skipped due to medical reasons:

2011: Larian Kitar Semula
2010: Centro Run
2009: Chin Woon Biathlon
2007: Mizuno Run

Anyway, it's time for me to get proper mental & physical rest and let my torn muscles to get back to normal.

Step Down/Backout if your UNFIT

During my 1st year in university, the road runners team were offered to take part in Penang Road Relay. The team was consist of 15 runners, including 3 reserves.

Of course, I was selected in the team, however, I just recovered from my injury after hectic season. Thus, the coach put me as reserve. I had to admit that I was unfit at that moment compare to the rest. So I decided took a drastic decision to come out from the team, and give another runner a chance to be in the team. The coach saluted my decision.

But I told the whole team and my coach that I will be back next season. As promised I started training and finally got podium finishing in following season for Malaysian University Sports Championship.

What I wanted to say is:

1. If you feel you are unfit for the task, just come out and get more training and exposure, so that you can perform to the expected level.

2. Just admit your weakness and humbly apologise for your downturn, but have courage and promise yourself to improve it in future.

Finally, should you face challenges / problem, try your level best to resolve it or minimise it, rather than putting in more oil to the fire and making the problem bigger. In order to do that, remove your "egoism".

Tony Fernandes and his beer

Arriving in a hotel in KL Sentral he went to the bar and asked for a pint of draught Guinness.

The barman nodded and said, "That will be one Ringgit please, Uncle Tony."

Somewhat taken aback, Uncle Tony replied, "That's very cheap," and handed over his money.

"Well, we try to stay ahead of the competition", said the barman.

"And we are serving free pints every Wednesday evening from 6 until 8.

We have the cheapest draught in Asia"

"That is remarkable value" Uncle Tony comments

"I see you don't seem to have a glass, so you'll probably need one of ours.

That will be 3 Ringgit please."

Uncle Tony scowled, but paid up. He took his drink and walked towards a seat.

"Ah, you want to sit down?" said the barman. "That'll be an extra 2 Ringgit.

You could have pre-book the seat, and it would have only cost you a Ringgit"

"I think you may to be too big for the seat sir, can I ask you to sit in this frame please"

Uncle Tony attempts to sit down but the frame is too small and when he can't squeeze in he complains "Nobody would fit in that little frame".

"I'm afraid if you can't fit in the frame you'll have to pay an extra surcharge of RM 4 for your seat sir"

Tony swore to himself, but paid up. "I see that you have brought your laptop with you" added the barman.

"And since that wasn't pre-booked either, that will be another 3 Ringgit"

Uncle Tony was so annoyed that he walked back to the bar, slammed his drink on the counter, and yelled,

"This is ridiculous, I want to speak to the manager".

"Ah, I see you want to use the counter," says the barman, "that will be 2 Ringgit please."

Uncle's face was red with rage.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Of course I do Mr Fernandes"

"I've had enough, What sort of Hotel is this? I come in for a quiet drink and you treat me like this.

I insist on speaking to a manager!"

"Here is his Email address, or if you wish, you can contact him between 9 and 9.10 every morning, Monday to Tuesday at this free phone number.

Calls are free, until they are answered, then there is a talking charge of only 10 sen per second provided you use Tune Talk

using other mobile carriers would incur our normal charges of 30 Sen per second."

"I will never use this bar again"

"OK Uncle , but remember, we are the only bar in Asia selling pints for one Ringgit... so that Now everyone can drink"

Tibi Run - 10 Dec'11

No training for 2 weeks due to flu/fever and new job settling down. So I just wanted to jog and try to grab a medal. Putting on weight made my run slow. I started from the back as the crowd was lesser. But the quality runners were there like Gunaseelan, S.Ganesan, Ramakrishnan and Klang runners.

The track was chalengging due to hills. I went slow. Even Suresh overtook me at Bkt Tunku. I even slowed down at the killer double hills.

Finally pushed upon reaching parliment and finished the race with a medal and timing of 43:25.

My next race will be next week, "Recycle Race".

Know this Sports Person - SUSI SUSANTI

She wan the 1st women badminton Olympic medal in 1992.

She became the only women player to win Olympic, World Championship and ALL England simultaniously.
She married to another Olympic gold medalist, Alan Budi Kusuma, and became the 1st badminton couples.

Susanti was the most dominant women's singles player in the first half of the 1990s, winning the All-England in 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994, the World Badminton Grand Prix finale five times consecutively from 1990 to 1994 as well as in 1996, and the IBF World Championships in 1993.

 All of this came during a relatively strong period in women's international badminton.

Even the Chinese and Korean players were really scared to play against her.

Upon her retirement, there's no player to replace her standard.

Recently, she was given the honor to light up the torch for Palembang SEA Games. 

Where Did our Tax money Goes?

1. PKFZ RM12bill
2. Submarine commission RM500mil
3. Sime Darby RM964mil
4. Paya Indah Westland RM88mil
5. Posmalaysia (transmile) RM230mil lost

6. Eurocopter deal RM1bil wasted?

7. Terengganu Stadium Collapsed RM292mil

8. MRR2 repair cost RM70mil
9. Maybank Overpaid BII RM4bil
10. Tourism -NYY kickback RM10mil
11. 3 paintings bought by MAS—————– RM 1.5M
12. Overpayment by Sport Ministry————- RM 8.4M
13. London 's white elephant sports complex —- RM 70M
14. MRR2 Repairs—————————— RM 70M ( same & expanded in item 8 )
15. MATRADE repairs ————————– RM 120M
16. Cost of new plane used by PM————– RM 200M
17. InventQ irrecoverable debt —————- RM 228M
18. Compensation for killing crooked bridge —– RM 257M
20. Lost in selling Augusta ——————— RM 510M

21. Worth of AP given out in a year ———— RM 1.8B
22. Submarines (future Muzium Negara artifacts)- RM 4.1B
23. PSC Naval dockyard ———————— RM 6.75B
24. The Bank Bumiputra twin scandals in the early 1980s saw US$1

billion loss (RM3.2 billion in 2008 ringgit)



25. The Maminco attempt to corner the world tin market in the 1980s

is believed to have cost some US$500 million. (RM1.6 billion)


26. Betting in foreign exchange futures cost Bank Negara Malaysia

RM30 billion in the 1990s.


27. Perwaja Steel resulted in losses of US$800 million (RM2.56 billion).
28. Use of RM10 billion public funds in the Valuecap Sdn. Bhd.

operation to shore up the stock market


29. Banking scandal of RM700 million losses in Bank Islam
30. The sale of M.V. Agusta by Proton for one Euro making a loss of

€75.99 million (RM 348 million)

Same as No:20?


31. Wang Ehsan from oil royalty on Terengganu RM7.4 billion from 2004 – 2007


32. For the past 10 years since Philharmonic Orchestra

was established, this orchestra has swallowed a total of RM500

million.Hiring a kwai-lo CEO with salary of more than RM1 M per annum

!!



33. In Advisors Fees, Mahathir was paid RM180,000, Shahrizat

Abdul Jalil (women and social development affairs) RM404,726 and Abdul Hamid Othman (religious) RM549,675 per annum



34. The government has spent a total of RM3.2 billion in teaching

Maths and Science in English over the past five years. Out of the

amount, the government paid a whopping RM2.21 billion for the purchase

of information and computer technology (ICT) equipments which it is

unable to give a breakdown. Govt paid more than RM6k per notebook vs

per market price of less than RM3k through some new consortiums that

setup just to transact the notebook deal. There was no math & science

content for the teachers and the notebooks are all with the teachers'

children now.



35. The commission paid for purchase of jets and submarines to two

private companies Perimeker Sdn Bhd and IMT Defence Sdn Bhd amounted to RM910 million.

Expanding on No 2?

36. RM300 million to compensate Gerbang Perdana for the RM1.1 billion

"Crooked Scenic Half-Bridge"



37.RM1.3 billion have been wasted building the white elephantCustoms,

Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facilities on cancellation ofthe

Malaysia-Singapore scenic bridge



38. RM 100 million on renovation of Parliament building and leaks



39. National Astronaut Programme – RM 40 million



40. National Service Training Programme – yearly an estimate of RM 500 million



41. Eye of Malaysia – RM 30 million and another RM5.7 million of free ticket



42. RM 2.4 million on indelible ink



43. Samy announced in September 2006 that the government paid

compensation amounting to RM 38.5 billion to 20 highway companies.

RM380 million windfalls for 9 toll concessionaires earned solely from

the toll hike in 2008 alone.



44. RM32 million timber export kickbacks involving companies

connected to Sarawak Chief Minister and his family.



45. Two bailouts of Malaysia Airline System RM7.9 billion. At a time when MAS incurring losses every year, RM1.55 million used to buy three paintings to decorate its chairman's (Munir) office.

Expanding on No:11

46. Putra transport system bailout which cost RM4.486 billion.



47. STAR-LRT bailout costing RM3.256 billion.



48. National Sewerage System bailout costing RM192.54 million.



49. Seremban-Port Dickson Highway bailout costing RM142 million.



50. Kuching Prison bailout costing RM135 million.



51. Kajian Makanan dan Gunaan Orang Islam bailout costing RM8.3 million.



52. Le Tour de Langkawi bailout costing RM 3.5 Million.



53. Wholesale distribution of tens of millions of shares in

BursaMalaysia under guise of NEP to cronies, children and relatives of

BN leaders and Ministers worth billions of ringgits.



54. Alienation of tens of thousands of hectares of

commercial lands and forestry concessions to children and relatives

of BN leaders and Ministers worth tens of billions of ringgits.



55. Since 1997, Petronas has handed out a staggering 30 billion

ringgit in natural gas subsidies to IPPs who were making huge

profits.In addition, there were much wastages and forward trading of

Petronas oil in the 1990s based on the low price of oil then. Since

the accounts of Petronas are for the eyes of Prime Minister only, we

have absolutely no idea of the amount.



56. RM5700 for a car jack worth RM50



57. Government-owned vehicle consumed a tank of petrol worth RM113

within a few minutes



58. A pole platform that cost RM990 was bought for RM30,000



59. A thumb drive that cost RM90 was bought for RM480



60. A cabinet that cost RM1,500 was bought for RM13,500



61. A flashlight that cost RM35 was bought for RM143



62. Expenses for 1 Malaysia campaign paid to APCO?



63. RM17 billion subsidy to IPP



64. USD24 million diamond ring for Ro$mah --- cancellation of order

-- how much compensation???

Wisdom Words

1. If time doesn't wait for you, don't worry. Just remove the damn battery from the clock and enjoy life!
2. Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is like expecting the lion not toattack you because you are a vegetarian. Think about it ....!!
3. Beauty isn't measured by outer appearance and what clothes we wear, but what we are inside. So, try going out without clothes tomorrow and see the admiration !
4. Don't walk as if you rule the world. Walk as if you don't care who rules the world ! That's called attitude ! Keep on rocking !
5. Only one percent of boys have brains; the rest have girlfriends! Are you the brainy one ? 
6. All desirable things in life are either illegal, banned, expensive or married to someone else!

 

Big 4 Auditors face break up

LONDON - The world's top four audit firms will have to split up and rename themselves under a far-reaching draft European Union law to crack down on conflicts of interest and shortcomings highlighted by the financial crisis."Investor confidence in audit has been shaken by the crisis and I believe changes in this sector are necessary," Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier said on Wednesday.

The big auditors said the plans would bump up costs and would not improve audit quality, while smaller rivals accused Mr Barnier of a climbdown.Policymakers have questioned why auditors gave a clean bill of health to many banks which shortly afterwards needed rescuing by taxpayers as the financial crisis began unfolding.

Mr Barnier said recent apparent audit failures at AngloIrish and Lehman Brothers banks, BAE Systems and Olympus "would strongly suggest that audit is not working as it should".More robust supervision is needed and "more diversity in what is an overly concentrated market, especially at the top end", he said.Just four audit firms -- Ernst & Young, Deloitte , KPMG, and PwC -- check the books of 85 per cent of blue-chip companies in most EU states, a situation the Commission said was "in essence an oligopoly".

UK data shows the Big Four profit margins are 50 per cent higher than the next four audit firms, the commission said.Under Mr Barnier's plan, the four top firms will have to separate EU based audit activities from non-audit activities, such as tax and other advisory services -- "to avoid all risks of conflict of interest".There would have to be legal separation of audit and non-audit services if over a third of revenues from auditing comes from large listed companies and the network's total annual audit revenues are more than €1.5 billion in the EU.

Ms Claire Bury, one of Barnier's top officials, said these conditions, if approved by EU states and the European Parliament, would alter all the Big Four's business models and even one or two of the next tier down in some member states."They will have to change names as well. I suppose we will have branding issues at the end of the day," Ms Bury told a press briefing.KPMG's European head Rolf Nonnenmacher said: "The capability of firms to provide quality audits will be diminished if auditors are separated from wide-ranging advisory expertise including, crucially, risk management in the financial sector."

PwC's UK chairman Ian Powell said Mr Barnier has not provided "any concrete evidence for any positive impact of these proposals on audit quality or properly assessed the additional cost burdens for business."Deloitte said the plans would create an audit regime in Europe inconsistent with those in other markets while Ernst & Young said they would have minimal impact in preventing future financial crises.

The Commission said it was difficult to quantify the costs.Public tendering of audit work by listed companies would be compulsory and include consideration of second-tier auditors.Commission officials indicated that as the measure dealt with major structural reform of the market, the industry would need time to adapt but they hoped the new rules would be in place within three to five years.

EU states and the European Parliament will have the final say on Mr Barnier's draft law, a process that involves haggling and likely changes.BDO, one of the next tier audit firms, criticised the Commission for ditching mandatory joint audits following "lobbying and extensive influence of the largest firms"."The remaining proposals appear to be worse for the market than no proposals at all," senior BDO audit partner James Roberts said. REUTERS