Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
The farcical RM9b LCS defence project By Mariam Mokhtar
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Malaysiakini : In Malaysia, they sign first, then quibble over the specifications later. That is probably how the project costs balloon later.
We don't learn from our mistakes because politicians have no intention of improving themselves.
Why
should they and their crony business associates put a stop to these
proven money spinners? Why should they care? It's not their money.
As
for the ministries, our Defence Ministry is quite infamous. Over the
decades, there have been several allegations of bribery and corruption,
where foreign officials (for example in Scorpene) have allegedly been bribed, equipment has been lost, or gone missing during an audit, or they simply fell off the back of a lorry.
But has anyone or any company been found guilty and punished for their crimes?
Despite
knowing the identity of the rogue or corrupt company, did the Finance
Ministry exclude them in the bidding for new contracts?
Or will the government claim that it involved direct negotiation in the interest of national security?
Yesterday, Navy chief, Admiral Abdul Rahman Ayob announced that the project for the construction of the littoral combat ships (LCS) was imminent.
Navy Chief Admiral Abdul Rahman Ayob
Why not update us on the progress of the investigation into the missing RM6 billion, and the non-delivery of the six littoral combat ship (LCS) vessels?
Rahman
also mentioned the delivery of sub-standard equipment for the littoral
mission ship (LMS) project. Was an investigation conducted?
Last December, the newly appointed Defence Minister, Mohamad Hasan,
told reporters that he wanted to study the background of the delays
surrounding the LCS project, and have a better understanding of the
issues.
Defence Minister Mohamad Hasan
Then he dropped the clanger. He said, "We will ensure that the ships are built; no point talking about history."
The
study of history is lost on Mohamad Hasan. Without history, how will we
learn from other peoples' and or our own past mistakes?
We study
history to act properly now to create a better society for the future.
Mohamad Hasan needs to question his own grip on reality.
If
ministers and senior officials in the Defence Ministry had been
investigated and charged for bribery, and corruption, for the numerous
scandals over the decades, then we would not be haemorrhaging billions
of ringgits to corrupt vendors, fake companies, former officers and
politicians.
The LCS project involves huge sums of taxpayers'
money. RM6 billion has already been forked out to the contractors for
five out of six LCS vessels. The money has disappeared, and none of the
ships are ready.
We then learn that the main contractor paid off his debtors. So, is the Malaysian taxpayer going to be reimbursed?
Why
were previous defence ministers, (and former prime minister Najib Abdul
Razak) under whose watch the LCS vessels were procured in a long,
drawn-out process, careless with how they spent our money?
Why didn't they check the financial health of the main contractor, who spent some of the RM6 billion, settling its debts?
Why was former defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi allowed to change the specifications of the LCS vessels without consulting the end user?
With his abysmal track record, why should any Malaysian have to tolerate him in government?
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Hishammuddin Hussein, another of the lacklustre defence ministers, has gone into hiding. He claimed the first of the vessels had been delivered a few years ago.
The
due date came and went. He has not been made accountable for his
non-performance. The LCS is not the only scandal under his watch.
Some
Malaysians may argue that there are other more important issues to
consider and the LCS scandal is not that important in the hierarchy of
things.
Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein
Perhaps,
they too need a lesson in history. We had allowed the big sharks, who
were also corrupt decision-makers, to escape justice.
When others
see how easy it is to manipulate the system, more crimes and scandals
proliferate. That is why we must see the LCS scandal to completion.
There
is little point in spending time, resources, money and manpower
investigating, but then allowing the corrupt to get off scot-free.
Politicians
cut deals with their peers, cronies and some retired armed forces
officers, in their new roles as defence contractors. Taxpayers’ money
seems to be passed around, among this “private club”.
Mohamad Hasan should stop being obtuse, or try to pull the wool over our eyes in this LCS scandal.
If
he can't bring himself to punish the wrongdoers, then it is time the
finance minister (also the prime minister), pulled his finger out.
The unity government is on borrowed time. Reforms are important, and so is accountability.
