Palace of Tears

A new RM400 million palace complex project which will be built on 96.52 ha site on top of Jalan Duta hill will commence next June and is expected to complete in 2009. The project was directly awarded to Kumpulan Seni Reka Sdn Bhd and Maya Maju Sdn Bhd. Rumours said that the latter company is directly linked to the 'Malaysia's First In-law' with joint-partnership with 'Malaysia's Most Beautiful Actress - Lady Vampire Nice Smelling Prostitute of The Night'. Whether it's true or simply rumours, I'm not going to touch on that subject.

As long as Malaysia being Malaysia, I'm pretty much confident that the palace complex will be the most technological advanced palace in the world, if not the entire universe, spotting the very latest and greatest gadgets people including Bill Gates can ever dream of.

Just couple of hours after the launching ceremony, the Oppositions have started swirls. Swirls that include the need of having another palace and how the project was tendered. Backbenchers responded by saying no one can question the project as that is part of showing loyalty to the Royals as stated in the second 'Rukun Negara'.

Being a proud-non partisan-law abiding-tax paying citizen who upholds the Rukun Negara at the highest level, I do agree that the Royal Institutions have full rights over building new palaces especially if the existing ones pre-dated Independence Day. If you compare the Jabatan Perdana Menteri complex with the current Istana Negara complex, you can see the vast difference between the new and old architectures. While I do agree it is time for the Royals to move to a new home, I DONT think NOW is the right time. At the time when the economy is at bust, inflation is on the rise and the government keeps telling us of their inability to give subsidies and make us pay steep premiums on everything such as petrols, groceries, tolls, electricity, water, etc.., now they decide to use the extra funds to fund another palace??

I think it is about time the government pay close attention to our best interest. As the government is feeling the heat of the economic slowdown, we The People too are feeling exactly the same. If the government feels that they can no longer give us subsidies coz of lack of fund, we too can't afford ourselves to pay the extra premium. I dont think it is fair to use that reason simply to choke us, forcing us and at the same time, tells us the increase "dijamin tak membebankan". On top of that, is the government aware that the so-called government funds are really PUBLIC FUNDS?? They come from income tax, road tax, etc. That means, we too have the rights to give out our opinions on projects or activties that may involve us. I agree with the government's noble intention to reduce the nation's deficit, however, to pass the sufferings to the people, that act in itself is not noble.

In conclusion, i do hope the present government cut back on unnecessarily spending that will not bring benefits to the people and make the economic situation from existing bad to worse. We want to be proud of the "National Palace". And at the same time, we do not want a "National Palace of Tears". I'm sure the King would understand.