PERSPECTIVE: ABDULLAH BADAWI

Syed Putra

Actually Badawi was most underated PM.

The reform he made was unprecedented. Visa-free travel for visitors from China and India. A Schengen-type border between Johore and Singapore. JB boomed under Badawi. Singaporeans actually lived in Johore and work in Singapore. Many theme parks just to accommodate day trips by China and India visitors from Singapore to visit jb, eat sea food, shopping and spend time in theme parks.

Our press became free. Our hotels boomed as arabs too flocked here due to 9/11 repercussions. No visa required either. 2nd penang bridge (which i thought was badly located and tunnel first proposed by sammy vellu and later DAP should be more suitable.)

Then the first wife died. Badawi got another and everything changed.

Only possible negatives of Badawi was he cancelled the crooked bridge and the ktm double tracking from north to south. The southern part still under construction till this day and causing inconveniences. Who knows, if double tracking had not been cancelled, najib would not have easily surrendered our ktm land in singapore. And there will be no need for hsr. Just extend double tracking to tg pagar right in the fringe of singapore's cbd. And students were taught science and maths in english. The najib came in, and all became doom and gloom. JB turned into ghost town, theme parks closed. And mamak eateries and supermarkets started shutting down one by one. I have to add that badawi had that chance to abolish petrol and diesel subsidy but petronas income was so huge, he gifted our civil servants and glc bosses with humongous pay rise without any increase in efficiency which afflict us till today whereby taxes collected is barely sufficient to pay for gomen operational cost. If he had abolished the subsidy, there would not be a need for pay rise as our currency would strengthen automatically. And things would become cheaper.

And i think he cut car taxes too as a brand new volvo xc90 was sold at RM275k. And those who bought cars previously complained about hefty depreciation as newer cars were sold at 20% cheaper and those bumi AP guys complained as their toyota harrier was about same price as xc90 and he succumbed. Sooo many things Badawi could have done if only he had the right advisor. KJ and friends were only there to loot and collect hefty consultancy fees. Plus under Badawi we had several non-malay CEO in the glc. I think. Or at least first Sarawakian to lead MAS.

Yes sir! Badawi did more reforms than our current hp 6 PM.