INCONSISTENCY vs CONSISTENCY

Inconsistent Policy

According to Telekom Malaysia Bhd new CEO, Datuk Wahid Omar, "Foreign investors will shun countries with a history of inconsistency in policies." Wahid was echoing former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's remark that government policies should not change with changes in leadership, he said this was something that investors could not tolerate. “Factors that determine a country's risk include change in government policies. This is certainly a risk investors can't afford,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the Langkawi International Dialogue (LID). “A country may offer great opportunities but if the risks are not acceptable, investors will generally be hesitant to invest in that country.”

To foreign investors, the concerned is largely based on commercial terms - Profit, Stability & Risk-Free! Consistency in Government's Policy will provide confidence to investors BUT it must be about good policies, not cronistic policies that only benefit a selected few as was clearly seen in the last 20 years. Investors are not blinded by the way a few selected cronies had been raping the government coffers and if actions to stop this is construed as inconsistency, then be it - GOD help us!

Ironically, it was on the 23rd. October 2003, one week before Mahathir was to step down that he awarded the Double-Track Railway project to MMC-Gamuda of which the Government had earlier given a Letter of Intent to Indian Railway Construction Co (IRCON) & China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC). Isn't this inconsistency?

Is the Government inconsistent on the water privatization project which was suppose to be awarded to SYABAS/Puncak Niaga, when the terms and conditions was absolutely one-sided of which the taxpayer will have to bear the excessive cost?

I believe the current government should be brave enough to review all those privatization projects which is a burden to the taxpayers and which creates a small group of ultra-rich cronies associated with the past leaders.