In the zestful quest to pin down political personalities and/or purposely incorporated new creatures undertaking newly created tasks, its best to ensure the validity of information provided.
We reproduce the e mail from the office of the CEO of PEMANDU:
Dear Big Dog,
I was highlighted to the blog posting by Syed Akbar aka Outsyed the Box below:
KJ Tells Idris To Give Con-sultan RM6.0M To Confirm Toll Hike??
I wish to clarify on behalf of PEMANDU and the Malaysia Government that the article which states that we will be paying consultancy fee amounting RM6million is absolutely false.
The workshop which is planned to be held at the end of this year will be facilitated by PEMANDU and assisted by the main government stakeholders namely MoF and KBS amongst others.
We hope that this matter can be rectified by stating the correct facts. Thank you in advance for your kind assistance.
Best regards,
Izhar Moslim
SUSK to Dato’ Sri Idris Jala*************
It is refreshing that agencies under Prime Minister’s Department are very quick nowadays to respond at media writings, which include practitioners of bloggosphere. In this case, a respond was published in the blogs within three hours of the original posting.
These media sensitive officials able to quash rumours or inaccurate stories, especially when facts are spun. Pro-government bloggers who wish to be critical towards and against the Government are also be kept checked and their posting credible.
Hopefully, they in PEMANDU react towards the Opposition and pro-Opposition media channels in the same attitude and speed. It is tough enough that pro-government bloggers are doing these work on the own, on their own initiatives.
If PEMANDU could keep this up, it is something Federal Government strategic communications could co-ordinate directly or on behalf of all Ministries, agencies and bodies should emulate and continue to improve. It drains resources when perception is casted based on fallacy and half truths being manipulated.
*Updated midnight
The "thirteen million plus Ringgit" guy rambles.... 
Not my intention to be a smart Alec or a wet blanket, but I don’t understand the PEMANDU message –
1. Did the writer mean his “attention was drawn to” rather than he was “highlighted”?
2. What workshop was planned at the end of the year? Don’t Government Officers use headings for their letters, memos and messages any more? Where they state the subject, like in this case, the name of or a few words about the workshop in that message?
3. Does he expect readers to read the OutsidetheBox blog to know what that workshop is all about, instead of saying a few words in his memo or message or email? Why is that? No wonder people get confused – PEMANDU, even in explaining like this one, is also not clear.
4. Isn’t PEMANDU’S role to guide, in this case, to explain? Why make people take the trouble to go to another blog to get the explanation? It’s flabbergasting.
5. What is “SUSK to Dato’ Sri Idris Jala”? Why doesn’t he write his title in full? Is he not proud of it? Does he expect the public to know his title or post? Is that a usual post? I don’t think so. SU = Setia Usaha, SK = what? People need to know so that we can attach the right weightage to the information – believable (credibility) etc.
6. If he is a Personal Assistant, has the BM title “Setua Usaha Peribadi” been changed now?
7. Why is it “SUSK to Dato Seri Idris Jala”, not to his title e.g SUSK to Menteri or whatever his title is? What is Dato Idris Jala’s title, anyway? I know he has Ministerial rank but is his title Minister or Adviser or what?
No wonder so many things are not clear under Najib – including his transformation policy itself. The above message is a very clear example of not making things clear. Isn’t the Chief Secretary to the Government involved in PEMANDU’S activities? Are the personnel employed by PEMANDU not Pegawai Tadbir and Diplomatik? If not, why?
There you go, more questions arise as I go on. I better stop and hope can find some answers here to-morrow. Me go to OutsideTheBox blog? Why should I? The PEMANDU chap was trying to explain – why didn’t he explain such things in his message? To me, it looks like a shoddy message.
This SUSK (Setia Usaha Sulit Kepada Idris Jala) realizes that increasingly PEMANDU is being blamed for everything, increasingly becoming liability to the ruling party.
All the great ideas about increasing the cost of living of Malaysians came from these traitors.
They are more concerned about making the investment bankers & rating agencies happy rather than us the average Malaysians.
These BCG- or McK-wannabes are really a bunch of monkeys with zero knowledge of what the people truly want. If PEMANDU continues to exist until the next election, I can bet my entire EPF savings that Barisan Nasional will be thrown out of Parliament.
Stop talking rubbish, Pemandu, you guys are not that clever. Any idiot can suggest introduction of GST, removal of subsidies and implementation of cost-cutting drives to improve the balance sheet of the government. They don’t have to go to Oxbridge to know this.
So-called ‘intelligent’ people like yourselves are expected to come up with a solution that will make everybody happy, especially the rakyat – not conventional solution (increase GST, abolish subsidies, opex cuts) that a standard-one school boy can suggest to a janitor.
So Pemandu, do something that is worth the money you are being paid from the rakyat’s money. Start using your brain, ok?
Still doesn’t answer the question:
How much will this lab cost Pemandu?
What is their budget for it?
That was the objective of OSB’s article. Instead of RM6million, how much will Pemandu waste money for this lab over something that is already certain?
That statement from Pemandu is just an equivocation.
The Gentleman’s “Clarification” appears to create more questions than Clarifying the Situation…This looks more like a tinplated reply from any government agency to not have to be responsible in providing further information which would have assisted in providing information so as to “clarify”. Smart or Stupid?
I unhesitatingly declare that I am a pro-Government blogger though not owning a blog, merely tumpang airing my views here and there.
I also declare that, although I’m not a member of any political party, I support UMNO/BN, but I disagree a lot with Najib and wish him out of UMNO and government leadership.
I hope the many questions I raised earlier and hereafter would be constructive towards that. There’s no alternative to UMNO and BN for a comparatively good management of the country (note my qualifying my opinion), but if Najib continues as PM, UMNO and BN may be out of the government by default at PRU14, and may God help us all under the chaotic leadership of PR. Imagine, they can’t even agree on a PM candidate and have been unable to produce even a shadow cabinet.
More on PEMANDU in the following comment(s).
Thanks Ex-BCG consultant, ain’t wanna-be, for the clarification on the title SUSK being Setia Usaha Sulit Kepada Idris Jala. But if so, why the fellow types his title as “SUSK to Dato’ Sri Idris Jala” – with the word “to” making it redundant. Is Izhar Moslem not a Malay and Muslim to know “Kapada” = “to”?
You and I think alike about the fate of UMNO/BN under Najib at PRU14.
I don’t know the composition, the method of recruitment or selection, the qualifications and experience of PEMANDU staff, and I’d talk about other concerns first before Googling them, but perhaps in the meanwhile, those familiar about them may say something here. Looks like they play an important role in creating an image for Najib – adverse,as far as I’m concerned, and those who think otherwise are welcome to prove us wrong in here.
If “All the great ideas about increasing the cost of living of Malaysians came from these traitors”, they should then be shot. Figuratively speaking, of course.
If “They are more concerned about making the investment bankers & rating agencies happy rather than us the average Malaysians”, are people like CIMB boss Nazir, the PM’s brother just awarded the best CEO in town and such the other day, not helping with such functions after having got lucrative consultancies from Khazanah etc, Najib being the Finance Minister?
Here’s from PEMANDU official site:
PEMANDU was established on 16th September, 2009 and is a unit under the Prime Minister’s Department. PEMANDU’s main role and objective is to oversee the implementation, assess the progress, facilitate as well as support the delivery and drive the progress of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).
Chairman is PM, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, YB Senator Dato’ Sri Idris Jala.
While the responsibility for end-to-end delivery of National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) and Ministerial Key Results Areas (MKRAs) outcomes ultimately rests with the respective ministries, and the success of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) rests with the private sector, PEMANDU has been mandated to catalyse bold changes in public and private sector delivery, support the ministries in the delivery planning process and provide an independent view of performance and progress to the PM and ministers.
In relation to the ETP, PEMANDU has been tasked with facilitating the implementation of the Entry Point Projects (EPPs) and Business Opportunities (BOs) that have been identified to ensure that Malaysia is transformed into a high-income nation by 2020. To allow PEMANDU to carry out its responsibilities effectively, it combines the best talent from both the civil service and private sector.
—
“The best talent from both the civil service and private sector”? The SUSK Menteri above doesn’t reflect that at all. In fact, the opposite.
“provide an independent view of performance and progress to the PM and ministers” – What happened to Economic Planning Unit and the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) – discarded or still there? Redundant?
The Ministries are still responsible for NKRAs and MKRAs but PEMANDU “mandated to catalyse bold changes in public and private sector delivery .. provide an independent view of performance and progress to the PM and ministers.” You think the PTD not jealous, or envious at least?
With the kind of action by the SUSK Menteri above, you think the PTD has much respect and would give full co-operation? I doubt so. Maybe the PTD would just let PEMANDU do or don’t do what they like or don’t like. Hence the public perception of the “kucar kacir” PEMANDU.
Read the journals on the Malayan Civil Service etc, the MCS (now PTD) have for ages been proud of themselves as being the elite service in the country since British times. They don’t strike, they just “do the necessary”.
Why does the SUSK Idris Jala have to do the job of responding to criticisms from the public? Why can’t Idris or a top PEMANDU Officer call a press conference, explain and address the misconceptions, the poor understanding the public have about their set up, their purpose of existence, their functions and their actions all this while?
At worst, why can’t they call Bernama, the national news agency, or an Officer of the Information Department and hand over the facts to them and ask them to put out to the mass media in an organized and concerted fashion? Isn’t PEMANDU an arm of the Government, like the Information Department also is? And isn’t Bernama supposed to be the vehicle for the dissemination of news and information about the Government?
I’m not accusing yet on these, just asking questions. I’d be happy if PEMANDU react – perhaps through the experts in Jabatan Penerangan or Bernama.
Thank you.
Izhar as the officer-in-charge in the office of PEMANDU CEO deployed his own initiatives to channel a respond through the same group of SOPO bloggers of where the initial story was posted.
It is a recognition that this blog would carry their immediate respond to the posting, into public domain.
It is the speed of respond is commended. We thank them for their swift action to dispel an information which is false.
May I chip in a bit, BD.
Good that you all respond to the attempt to point out the wrongs of the blogger concerned. Wrong facts must be corrected/ pointed out.
But perhaps PEMANDU should have done it in other ways than the email (?) that appeared not well thought out and issued by his Private Secretary – SUS is just that, isn’t it.. .
Have a good day, folks.
Thank you Jitu.
When it was first highlighted to us personally by Izhar Moslim about the story that appeared on OTB was false, we summarily told him to whip up a quick response and we shall publish it unedited here in BigDogDotCom.
He immediately did just that. Izhar e mailed to BigDog. Hence, the ‘Dear Big Dog’.
Later we learned that same e mail was sent to likeminded SOPO bloggers, for their attention and if they are willing, carry the story in their respective blogs.
In all, Izhar acting on behalf of PEMANDU did provide and exercised their ‘right to reply’. The speed of the response is commendable.
Who send what to who should not be the point of contention.
Let me tell you the fundamental flaw of Pemandu. These idiots like to employ ‘labs’ and ‘focused groups’ methods that were used by Shell in the 90s (yes there are many ex-Shell employees in Pemandu), an approach which is outdated and obsolete like the dinasorous Shell itself.
The problem with ‘labs’ and ‘focused groups’ is that you are confining yourselves in a cocoon and thinking you are solving world’s problem, whereas in reality you should be going out there and engage the masses (not selected and privileged ‘stakeholders’ and claiming to have the support of the people) to know what the masses want.
Why am I saying this? Because I used to work for Shell and I know how these bullcrap works.
Perhaps credible bloggers could be the “middlemen” between Kerajaan and Rakyat, which should have been in place many moons, stars, planet and suns ago …
We take the opportunity to record our heartfelt appreciation to bloggers-with-integrity such as yourself, JMD, Rocky, OSTB … and many others, for enlightening the rakyat.
And of course Che Det, our beloved statesman.
Big Dog,
You are absolutely spot on.PEMANDU responded in double quick time,after that tete-a-tete between the subject PEMANDU Officer and you.Those who suggest why can`t PEMANDU resort to the traditional means of communication like calling for a PC, or to respond via BERNAMA and what have you.These are the jokers who are caught in a time warp.By the time a response is elicited, a gap of at least 24-hours via these archaic means is definitely assured.
And for those who think that PEMANDU resorts to using expensive Consultants each and everytime they are tasked with some assignment,I say this…research your facts first, before you make such fallacious claims.
I am not from PEMANDU, but a recently retired CEO of a multinational`s Malaysian office(I am still on their Board).I say this..kudos to PEMANDU.At least, the Government is approaching things the professional way.EPU?Whatever?Please honestly assess our achievements in terms of economic transformation when everything had to come from the EPU before.And objectively view the situation now.
Finally, PEMANDU do not decide policies.They implement and monitor,and make remedial suggestions direct to the numero uno.Who then decide on the policies?The Executive,which, in simple language, means the Cabinet,including the PM.
You would earn my respect as a “recently retired CEO of a multinational`s Malaysian office” if you provide facts rather than just opinions in your comments. Since you didn’t, after accusing others as jokers, you are a bigger joker, right? And your opinions may be as good as others’ in here.
For example: what facts do you have to show that “PEMANDU does not resort to using expensive Consultants”, what standard is in use for determining fees for consultants, what kind of fees are being paid by PEMANDU.
Or state what facts you use in assessing our achievements in terms of economic transformation – during EPU’s time and during PEMANDU’S time. Give some examples of the achievements.
In view of the above, what do you mean when saying “objectively view the situation now.”
Dear Zen,
I suggest you visit PEMANDU and if there is an opportunity also,
participate in one of their labs.And after so doing , do come back to this site and report back how many so-called foreign Consultants are working in their set-up, or are utilised by them.Just for the record, I have done both,several times over.
It is indeed regretful that some of us seem to belittle the capability of our own homegrown talent,and for everything that outfits like PEMANDU do, there is an accusing finger that such output must surely be with the help of foreign Consultants.
Those labs conducted by PEMANDU..Cabinet members, top ranking civil servants and related individuals from society,relevant groups or representatives of the private sector, are called in and they do brain-storm the issue at hand.
Anyway, I sincerely suggest you visit the outfit.They are not “closed-doors” or “hands-off”as many of us would like to think.
Dear azman,
The problem with human beings is always communication, isn’t it? Politicians, business people, the ordinary fellows. You are “a “recently retired CEO of a multinational`s Malaysian office” and I’m a .. well never mind about me. You must have been exposed to all sorts of ideas about communicating.
Here we are, in an excellent, responsible and well participated blog. One person writes, another person comments, and you accuse some of us here as jokers. When countered, you ask that we visit PEMANDU. That’s the least I’d expect coming from a “recently retired CEO of a multinational`s Malaysian office”, amigo. Now you are implying there’s not much use we having access to this excellent blog where sane people freely express their views.
I don’t know how you communicate in your job(s) in the past. But I’d answer in writing when I am asked to do so, not ask those writing to me to go and see the subject of contention. I’ve seen enough of the Opposition people doing that. But you are a supporter of the Government, PEMANDU and all – well, maybe not EPU. So, I’m quite perplexed.
Well, it’s up to you. I have disputed what you said (more accurately – I asked you for clarifications, to give facts etc) and I’ll leave it to you whether to provide those or not. I must say I’m not a fan of PEMANDU, even Najib, myself. Though, like said by some other, above, I support BN and think of PR as a dangerous grouping to be allowed to run this country.
No one expects Pemandu to decide on policies because that is the purview of the Cabinet. The bigger question is who formulate these policies? Formulation of policies especially for a still developing country like Malaysia requires inputs not only from experts with economic background but also from which economic school of thoughts? Capitalist free market Neoliberals, social market economy ( Freiburg School) , Keynesian? Just to name a few. Policy formulators must also include sociologists, environmentalists and expert from other relevant fields so as to produce a wholesome, and well thought out proposals for the Cabinet to decide. The economic related policies churned out to address Msia’s deby problem thus far are disliked by many. They are too IMF and too neoliberalist.
Correction: debt problem
[…] least almost two weeks ago, when Special Officer to the CEO of PEMANDU wanted to correct an erroneous story by another blog, it was e mailed to us. We posted the e mail. It was also e mailed to the said […]