Penang Second Bridge. What’s going on?

Source

Penang Second Bridge

"Length of Bridge : 24 km (17 km oversea) Location : Bridging from Batu Kawan to Batu Maung Overall Capacity : Dual 2 traffic lanes plus motorcycle lane in each direction Cost : RM 2.6 billion (estimate) Last updated: 04/07/2007"

The above is what the previous Penang state government had put on the Penang state government web site, note the RM2.6 billion estimated cost, and the massive 'island' lay-bys! Note the lovely blue sky and azure blue waters, a real dreamy artist's impression!

Wait and see, most likely the fanciful R&R circular 'fantasy islands' will not materialise, but the price will certainly go up and up, and the bridge will probably be 'downgraded' and 'up-priced' step by step!

Or, maybe even the bridge itself will never materialise, as there seem to be serious fundamental differences, and problems brewing between United Engineers Malaysia, the company which was given the project, and China Harbour Engineering Company, the bridge contractor.

UEM themselves could certainly not build the bridge or probably much of anything else for that matter, as third party contractors together with their own equipment, can invariably be seen doing the work for UEM projects; of course UEM supplies the decals and banners with the 'open hand' UEM logo and name!

Local News from the THE SUN WEB EDITION

"Phee: What second bridge land issue?
Opalyn Mok"

EXTRACT BELOW, to see the SUN Local News click the link above.

GEORGE TOWN, PENANG (April 28, 2008):

The Second Penang Bridge's full plan and design have yet to be confirmed and neither have land parcels have been identified for acquisition, the state government revealed today.

"That being the case, it is puzzling for the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government to say land acquisition was one problem delaying the project," said Penang Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh.

Phee, who also sits in the state's newly formed Second Bridge Implementation Committee, said there were no land matter issues to resolve because no land was earmarked for the project.

"They (federal government) have not even drawn up the plans for the bridge, what more talk about land acquisition. They have also not contacted us about land acquisition," he added."

PM Abdullah had claimed the delays were due to land acquisition problems, design and rising costs.

Earlier, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had said that the state government was left in the dark over the progress of the project, the only news was what was reported in the media.

The proposed Second Penang Bridge 24km long bridge will link the island at Batu Maung to the mainland [Seberang Prai] at Batu Kawan. The plot thickens:-

Second Penang Bridge:
Penang perhaps would be better off without the second bridge, just upgrade the ferry service, after all the existing bridge is presently being widened.

The Penang Global City Centre (PGCC):
Would it not be better for the PGCC to be either drastically scaled down, or even better, not implemented at all, thus leaving the Penang Turf Club where it is, and scraping the proposal to relocate it the the mainland at Batu Kawan. The goal now should be to save Penang from unsustainable development which will only benefit the non-Penang based developers, and make Penangites worse off than they already are.

Obscurum per obscurius -

The obscure by means of the more obscure

Food prices are out of control

THE WORLD FOOD CRISIS AFFECTS US ALL

Sierra Leone's foreign minister and human rights campaigner Zainab Bangura.

Having signed up to a petition urging world leaders to tackle the food crisis which is now gripping the world, I want to pass this on, since this is very very a important issue, you might like to sign the petition too, please click: HERE

Have you noticed that all types of food cost more each time you shop?

Here’s why, we are plunging headlong into a world food crisis.

Rocketing prices are squeezing to death billions of people and have the potential to trigger food riots around the world.

For example, in Sierra Leone, and elsewhere in the world, the price of a bag of rice has doubled, so rice now unaffordable for 90% of her citizens.

Fears of inflation stalk the whole world, and the worst could be yet to come.

Act now -- before it's too late.

AVAAZ has launched an urgent campaign together with Sierra Leone's foreign minister and human rights campaigner Zainab Bangura.

Please add your name to the food crisis petition -- AVAAZ wants to raise 200,000 signatures by the end of this week to deliver a massive global outcry to leaders at the UN, G8 and EU:

Ex nihilo nihil fit

-From nothing, nothing can be made

UniSam Space Science University.

PIE IN THE SKY

&

PIGS MIGHT FLY!

BERNAMA reported that a local Malaysia private limited company, *Next Systems Sdn Bhd, and its un-named overseas partner planned to set up Space Science University of Malaysia (UniSam) costing RM6.1 billion, to be established on 2,500-acre site in Kota Tinggi, in the southernmost state of Peninsular Malaysia, Johor.

NOTE: *A search at the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) web site, did not produce any records for a company, or business, named "Next Systems Sdn. Bhd." HOW STRANGE!

| ROC | ROB |

Result for

company Name

: Next Systems Sdn Bhd

No Records Found

| keep Searching |

The university, to be called UniSam, would, according to the news report, be equipped with modern and international-standard space science laboratories, located within eight faculties:

1.Space Engineering and Aeronautics;

2.Mechanical Engineering;

3.Bioengineering encompassing Biomolecular Engineering and Medicine, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering;

4.Computer, Robotic and Software Engineering;

5.Electrical Engineering and Electronics; Geological, Atmospheric and Planetary Engineering;

6.Mathematical Engineering;

7.Physics;

8.Astronomy.

These faculties would house 29 research laboratories.

Among the technologies planned to be brought to UniSam were:

• Fusion Reactor or Thermonuclear Reactor, [WOW!!!!!]
• & a
• Linear Collider, [WOW!!!!!]

• Large Binocular Telescope-Neural Network Telescope,

• High Performance Computing,

• Supersonic Wind Tunnel and three-dimension simulation laboratory.
  

UniSam would evidently recruit renowned experts.

That’s for sure, it would have to; BUT,the question is, are there any spare ones shaking their legs somewhere, and are they willing to come to Malaysia?

Furthermore, who in their right mind wants to live and work in Kota Tinggi, and set up a second grade university which is doomed to failure

"If the proposal is accepted, Malaysia will emerge as the third country in the world to have a space science university after Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, United States, and International Space University in Strasbourg, France," a company employee named as Noor Faizal Abdul Samad reportedly reportedly told BERNAMA recently.

Perhaps the professors from Florida and Strasbourg are underpaid, bored, fed up, and want to spend a paid vacation in Truly Asian Malaysia!

He said the setting up of a space science university in Malaysia was also aimed at bringing back the glory of Muslims in the field by drawing well-known Muslim space scientists like Prof Ahmed Zemail and Prof Ibrahim Semiz.

Can't find a Prof. Ahmed Zemail, but maybe it is this chap, [source Wikipedia:]

Ahmed Hassan Zewail (Arabic: أحمد حسن زويل) (born on 26th February 1946 in Damanhur, Egypt.

He is an Egyptian / American scientist, and was the winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1999, for his work on femtochemistry.

Femtochemistry is the science that studies chemical reactions on extremely short timescales, approximately 10^–15 seconds (this is one femosecond, hence the name).

Zewail’s technique uses flashes of laser light that last for a few femtoseconds. Femtochemistry is the area of physical chemistry that addresses the short time period in which chemical reactions take place and investigates why some reactions occur but not others. Zewail’s picture-taking technique made possible these investigations. One of the first major discoveries of femtochemistry was to reveal details about the intermediate products that form during chemical reactions, which cannot be deduced from observing the starting and end products. Many publications have discussed the possibility of controlling chemical reactions by this method, but this remains controversial.

The simplest approach and still one of the most common techniques is known as pump-probe spectroscopy. In this method, two or more optical pulses with variable time delay between them are used to investigate the processes happening during a chemical reaction. The first pulse (pump) initiates the reaction, by breaking a bond or exciting one of the reactants. The second pulse (probe) is then used to interrogate the progress of the reaction a certain period of time after initiation. As the reaction progresses, the response of the reacting system to the probe pulse will change. By continually scanning the time delay between pump and probe pulses and observing the response, workers can follow the progress of the reaction in real time.

The other person mentioned above must be:

Ibrahim Semiz (Assistant Professor), Turkish
Advisor for 7th and 8th term students

Degrees received: University Department Year

BS Bogaziçi Univ. Physics 1986

Ph.D. Yale Univ. Physics 1992

Areas of interest Ongoing Projects

• General Relativity and Gravitation
• Black Holes
• Cosmology
• Mathematical Physics
• The ÖSYM System

• Algorithms for fast approximate solutions of the Steiner Problem

with Can Kiliç

• An investigation of separability properties of the Klein-Gordon equation on the Schwarzschild metric

with Kaan Atak and Mustafa Eginligil

• An investigation of some consequences of ÖSYM's formula for weighting high-school GPA's

with Engin Akca

Selected Publications "Black Hole as the ultimate energy source" Am.J.Phys. v63, 151 (1995)

As the technologies were expensive, UniSam planned to share the cost with others by renting them out, he said.

"All these will make Malaysia as a reference centre for space science studies," he said.

A university college was also planned for lower secondary students before they enrol into UniSam, he added.

A Joke?

PIE IN THE SKY, PIGS MIGHT FLY

GREED INDEED, WILL IT EVER SUCCEED

UNISAM IN HIGH TOWN, THE ONLY WAY IS DOWN

SPACE SCIENCE AT UNISAM, IS MADNESS BE DAMNED

If it has been the first of April it may have been a funny 'April Fool', but this must be nothing more than a really fanciful far fetched fantasy, or ‘get rich quick’ scheme.

Surely it cannot be a serious, viable commercial venture, can it?

There are too many questions, which certainly cannot be satisfactorily answered!

Perhaps some Middle Eastern personage, or company, must have too much money to spend and has been duped into thinking that this harebrained scheme will be a glorious project from the Islamic and financial aspects.

Who wants to wager that it will be a total failure?

Ad astra per alia porci

-To the stars on the wings of a pig

The federal government backed MRCB consortium Penang Monorail, may be scrapped.

Call my Bluff
Penang Monorail, federal or state?

This is very good news, especially for the people of Penang in general and for elderly and the disabled in particular

Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop threatened on Saturday 26^th April 2008, that the federal government will not proceed with the monorail project in Penang if the state authority does not give its cooperation.

He blamed the Penang state government for not cooperating, whist the state government has said that it has been kept in the dark about all the proposed Penang mega projects, including the Second Penang Bridge, which is a federal government project which was given to United Engineers Malaysia (UEM), you know the one, it has an open palm 'begging' hand as a logo, the construction work however has been contracted to a Peoples Republic of China company, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) . This UEM project is reportedly well over budget and about one year behind schedule. The state government, has, however according to media reports, not been updated about the progress of the new bridge.

"So far, we have not received any approvals from the state government. If the state government has other plans with regard to the monorail, we are not doing it. The project is scrapped," the Second finance minister reportedly said.

The proposed 51.2 kilometre monorail# project which may cost RM 2 billion is among several mega projects which are proposed for implementation under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) they are supposed to complement the present unsatisfactory public transport system network in Penang.

Nor Mohamed said it required full cooperation and approval from the state government because it involved the development of land and under the constitution, land matters were under state jurisdiction.

"If there is no cooperation, how are we to proceed?" he went on the say that the Penang state government had not given its approval because several issues relating to land acquisition and tender had not been finalised.

Other mega projects under the 9MP would also be shelved if the state government disagreed with them or if there was lack of understanding, he said.

#On January 10, 2008, the federal government announced the winner of the tender, which is a consortium led by Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd. (MRCB) The members of the consortium includes Scomi Engineering Bhd and Penang Port Commission. According to ‘The Edge’, a Malaysian business newspaper, MRCB will build the monorail infrastructure, while Scomi Engineering will provide consultant expertise in building the infrastructure and Penang Port Commission have the land on to which the main hub will operate. The tender cost is expected to be around RM 2 Billion.

It is also understood that the MRCB monorail will not be universally accessible, following on from the dreadful universally-inaccessible KL Monorail.

MRCB also operates a joint venture with Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputera Bhd which is expected to build an inter-modal transportation hub called Penang Sentral.

A Letter of Intent was signed between the MRCB consortuim and Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd. (SPNB) [which is an arm of the ministry of finance], on 15^th January 2008.

SPNB also run the controversial 'Rapid' buses which ply routes in and around Kuala Lumpur and Penang, most of which are not accessible to the disabled.

In my opinion the state government of Penang should call the bluff, and effectively scupper the proposed federal government monorail project, then Penang should go ahead with a state government initiated monorail project, which, if it is the one which has recently been proposed by Melewar [see news article below], will be a much more user-friendly, practical and accessible system, and which is it is understood to be properly designed so as to facilitate access by the disabled and elderly.

"Melewar submits RM2.2b monorail plan [source]
MELEWAR Industrial Group (MIG) Bhd has presented to the Penang state government a proposal for a RM2.2 billion monorail system for George Town.

The proposed ultra-light loop monorail system covering a 52km track is set to operate on a single line and run on three different loops from locations like Gelugor, Farlim in Air Itam and Gurney Drive into the city.

“The focus of the main link will be the centre of George Town and we strongly believe that the federal government and state government will work together in bringing a monorail system to Penang,” Melewar Industrial Group’s managing director and chief executive officer Tunku Datuk Yaacob Tunku Abdullah told reporters after presenting the proposal to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and members of the state executive council yesterday at Lim’s office.

He said the proposed system, which is aimed at moving people from point-to-point into the city, will boast a 12-car train of monorail and can move 17,600 passengers per hour.

Tunku Yaacob said the company can take 28 months to complete the system which would feature steel structures.

“Land acquisition can also be kept to a minimum because the monorail will be running on road dividers,” he added.

When asked to comment on concerns from Penangites that a monorail would mar the charm of George Town’s historic inner city which is vying for a listing on the World Heritage List, Tunku Yaacob said:

“We will not bring the monorail to heritage buildings ... we will not run it in front of the buildings but behind them.”

However, an artist’s impression of the proposed monorail system for Penang provided by Melewar showed the system running alongside historic structures in the city.

On postings in blogs that Penang should bring back its tram system instead of introducing a monorail, he described the tram concept as an interesting one but pointed out that the trams had not been successful.

Last November, Melewar Industrial Group Bhd unit Melewar Metro Sdn Bhd (MMSB), which is vying for the estimated RM1.2 billion monorail project in Penang, announced that it had formed a consortium with Putera Capital Bhd to cooperate to jointly secure the project.

Melewar Group had said in a statement that the consortium was formalised with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between MMSB’s wholly-owned subsidiary Melewar Metro (Penang) Sdn Bhd (MMP) and Putera Capital. MMSB made the proposal for the monorail project to the government via its subsidiary.

Melewar is one of several parties which participated in a tender exercise for the development of a monorail system for Penang on November 14 last year which was called by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (SPNB).

In January this year, SPNB awarded a letter of intent for the project to Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB), which has formed a consortium with Penang Port Sdn Bhd and Scomi Engineering Bhd."


Nec temere nec timide

-Neither reckless nor timid

Azalina grasps some of the problems and exposes them

The Wau Bulan (Moon Kite) of Kelantan


The China made plastic toys of Malacca!

This was reported in the Star,

(Emphasis is mine)

QUOTE: MALACCA: Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said wants the nation’s cultural heritage preserved and more handicraft and souvenirs produced.

She said this after her first official visit of Malacca, touring several tourist sites at Bukit Cina, Portuguese Settlement and Jonker Street.

Azalina said the respective state governments and related agencies must be proactive and maintain a balance between modernisation and preservation of heritage.

She cited Malacca as an example where over-emphasis on development and modernisation would only result in the city losing its historical authenticity.

“Malacca is situated between two large cities. Those visiting the historic city come to see its heritage and not because it’s a modern city. They can go to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore for that,” she added.

She also lamented the lack of locally produced handicraft and souvenirs for sale, as almost all the products came from countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and China.

“I suppose we are living up to our slogan of being Truly Asia as one can find handicraft from all other countries being sold here as souvenirs but none of our own,” she added.

She also said that promotion of a particular tourist site must go beyond providing basic facts.

“For example, many foreign tourist use the Web prior to their trips to find out more about their intended destination. Our websites must go beyond just stating the basics but include interesting stories behind its history,” she said.

Azalina also wants tourism campaigns re-evaluated to ensure tourists were not disappointed when they got here.

“When tourists come to Malaysia, they find certain aspects are still lacking. It’s like inviting someone over to your house but certain things in your home such as the toilets or lighting are not working properly,” she said.UNQUOTE

It was also reported that Azalina had observed that work still needed to be done before Malacca city could be a top tourist destination.

She said, according to the NST, that a more balanced approach towards the city's development was needed before it could be successfully chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This was in reference to the upcoming visit of 40 UNESCO delegates who will assess the city for eligibility as a World Heritage Site, next month

Azalina also outlined her suggestions towards improving Malacca:

"The first thing I noticed were the many traffic lights I passed before reaching the city centre on my way to the Portuguese Square’.

"I also did not see any relevant sign boards that led to the settlement. I would be lost if I was alone," she said.

"I strongly feel that the city's planning should have a more logical concept behind it."

"Incommensurate development will result in Malacca losing its identity. Tourists should not feel as if they are in any other city."

She urged the state government to come up with more preservation plans to achieve the 'Destination Malacca' goal.

"Heritage sites and buildings in Malacca should be well depicted and a fund for tourism should be set up."

Malaysia should produce more handicraft, Azalina said, and I have to fully agree with her remarks, Malaysian handicrafts are indeed as rare as hens' teeth in most tourist areas throughout Malaysia, except for those in Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak where traditional good quailty handicraft and other wares are produced and promoted well.

Azalina has, for once, spoken some sense and has hit the nail squarely on the head and, especially as far as Malacca is concerned, she has spotted that a " Tacky Theme Park and Shopping Paradise" is not what the tourists want.

The night market in Jonker Street, Malacca, which is held from 6pm until late on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, is enjoyable and worth a visit, but it could be very much better and much more enjoyable and meaningful if all, or most of the goods on sale were made in Malaysia. The only redeeming feature of the Jonker Street weekend Night Market is the tasty food and other quality refreshments which are available.

As it is, it is sad to say, that there is hardly anything, apart from the food and drink, on sale which originates from Malaysia.

This is a disgraceful situation, the state governments and other relevant authorities apparently have no policy, about giving priority to locally made goods in tourist spots, especially hand crafted wares, fabrics, other handicraft as well as other traditional goods and toys.

Since there is a plethora of junk toys and other cheap and nasty rubbish from China and elsewhere, and handicrafts from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and other South East Asian countries on sale everywhere, this must be the preferred option.

Compare this to the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok Thailand, this enormous Saturday and Sunday Market sells almost anything and almost everything on sale is manufactured in Thailand. The abundant and varied local food and other refreshments available are excellent too. It is well worth a visit.

The Thailand made handicrafts and other local goods on sale are varied, of high quality and are also reasonably priced.

Why does Malaysia not have such a varied range of reasonably priced, high quality handicrafts available offered for sale in places such as the Jonker Street weekend night market?

Perhaps the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia) can explain what their role really is, if it is not to promote and encourage the production of local handicraft?

They certainly, based on what is on sale, seem to be resting on their laurels, as they are far less than efficient and much less effective than is required.

The Tourism Minister also correctly pointed out that places of interest are not well signposted, and that there are no proper explanations and information regarding the historic significance of the various historic landmarks and buildings.

In my earlier posts HERE , HERE and HERE I stated that Malacca was not taking the correct path to becoming an approved UNESCO World Heritage Site, now it seems that the Tourism Minister has serious doubts too.

I wonder if this will be the point at which Azalina Othman Said becomes a more logical, sensible and practical politician who works for all Malaysians, instead of continuing to be her usual UMNO-centric self, who seems hell-bent on creating national disunity?

Luceat lux vestra

-Let your light shine

Mahathir wants Western Leaders to be Charged with Iraq War Crimes.

NO MORE WAR!

image source

In a speech at Imperial College in London, organised by The Ramadhan Foundation, (which is a leading British Muslim youth organisation working for peaceful coexistence and dialogue between communities) on Friday 25^th April 2008, Mahathir Mohamad, who was Malaysian PM from 1981 until 2003, called for an international tribunal to try Western leaders regarding alleged war crimes arising from the war in Iraq.

Mahathir chose not speak about or answer questions from students (they must have been Malaysian students?) on the political situation in Malaysia, where the current PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is facing strong demands to resign, and where there is a lot of political infighting, elements of fifth columnists, and much behind the scenes political manoeuvring in UMNO following the unprecedented setbacks for UMNO and the National Front Coalition it leads, in the March general elections.

The speech was reported to have been attended by some 450 people and about 200 more were turned away.

Mahathir had reportedly visited Cuba earlier in the week and had taken part in the inaugural International Conference of the Cuban Centre for Studies on Defence Information.

Meanwhile he has been out of the news in Malaysia

See the full news report about this in the Straits Times of Singapore HERE

Quid novi ex Malaysia

-What of the new out of Malaysia?

Rice plans plucked, from the sky

Manna from Heaven?

Manna (sometimes or archaically spelt mana), (Hebrew language מָ‏ן) is the name of a food which, according to the Scriptures, was eaten by the Isrealites during their travels in the desert; until they reached Canaan, the Israelites according to some passages in the Bible ate only manna during their desert sojourn.

The Government has come up with plans to increase the country’s rice production to meet a possible shortage as world demand appears to be outstripping current supply and net rice exporting countries cut back on exports, prompting prices to rise.

The Minister for Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, Mustapa Mohamed said, on the 24^th April 2008, the ministry had identified short, medium and long-term plans which would be announced later.

Is Rice in Crisis!

Pray tell us, what these plans are? Knee jerk reactions are unhelpful.

Making such a sweeping statement is tantamount to saying nothing at all!

Better to keep silent if you have nothing concrete to say.

“The ministry has also set up a Food Production Permanent Park in every state to counter food problems,” he said in Kuala Lumpur also on the 24^th April 2008.

Here he goes again, empty talk, does anyone know what a ‘Food Production Permanent Park” is?

Perhaps it is some futuristic food production enterprise which can magically manufacture all our food needs effortlessly.

Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur

-What is asserted without reason may be denied without reason

Keep off the Grass!

A nurse was on duty in A&E, when a female punk rocker entered.

This young woman had green hair styled into a mohican, a variety of tattoos and strange clothing.

It was determined that the patient had an acute appendicitis, and so she was scheduled for immediate surgery.

When she was completely undressed, gowned, and lying on the operating table, the staff found that her pubic hair had been dyed green and above it was a tattoo reading:

"Keep off the grass."

After the pre-op and the surgery, the surgeon added a small note to the dressing which said:

"Sorry, I had to mow the lawn."

Grass cuttings

Saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas

- Often the prickly thorn produces tender roses.

What's up?

Ringgit UP? YES.
Retail prices UP? YES!

but what's down?

US $ DOWN? YES.

Will the 'greenback' ever be so valueless that it ends up like this?

"New 10 year high for the Malaysia Ringgit (MYR) against the US Dollar (USD)"
"RM3.13 = US 1.00"

True, but the US$ is at its lowest level for 20 years!!

So this headline is also true:

"New 10 year low for the US Dollar (USD) against the Malaysia Ringgit (MYR)
US$ 1.00 = RM3.13"

BERNAMA reported on 23^rd April 2008, that

“The Malaysia Ringgit climbed to 3.1310 against the U.S. dollar in early trading Wednesday, a fresh 10-year high on continued brisk demand for the local unit in view of strong economic fundamental, dealers said.

At 9.00am, the ringgit was traded higher at 3.1310/1340 against the greenback compared with Tuesday’s closing of 3.1370/1400.

A dealer said that the ringgit appreciation was also spurred by dollar- selling pressure amid concerns over the United States economic outlook.

Forex players had started to sell the dollars ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee meeting this April 31 on expectations of another cut in the interest rate, he said.”

The truth of the matter is:

The United States Dollar is at its lowest level in 20 years.

For example:

Over the last 12 months the exchange rate between Euro and USD changed from 1.35 to almost 1.60 which translated into a devaluation of the USD of more than 15 percent.

The USD also lost value against most other currencies, including the MYR.

So the truth is that the value of the USD has declined over the past 20 years, and naturally, after the pegging of the MYR to the USD at a rate of 3.8 was loosened, the rate between the MYR and the USD has similarly changed!

So the apparent strength of the Malaysian Ringgit is something of an illusion, and this is being milked to the full by the BN in their attempt to get back some popular support.

Suggestio falsi

- Suggestion of something false