A government backbencher has defended Putrajaya's decision to lease helicopters instead of buying them.
Chong Zhe Min (PH-Kampar) said Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (PN-Larut) had claimed that buying the helicopters would only cost over RM8bil while leasing them would end up costing RM16.6bil.
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Chong Zhe Min (PH-Kampar) said Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (PN-Larut) had claimed that buying the helicopters would only cost over RM8bil while leasing them would end up costing RM16.6bil.
Read more at https://shorturl.at/qXlim
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
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NewsTranscript
00:00Now I would like to invite the Honourable Kampa.
00:05Thank you, Madam Chairperson, for giving me the opportunity to pay my respects to His Majesty the King.
00:12First of all, I would like to wish a Happy Chinese New Year to all Malaysians,
00:16and also a Happy Thai New Year to Hokkien people,
00:21because today is the 8th day of the Chinese New Year.
00:24Tonight, Hokkien people will celebrate the Thai New Year.
00:27And for Hokkien people, this is a bigger celebration than the Chinese New Year.
00:33First of all, I would like to comment on the issue raised by the Chief of the Coast Guard yesterday.
00:38It was said that the helicopter rental contract was worth 16.6 billion,
00:43and he tried to compare it with the LCS scandal.
00:49It was said that someone wanted to try to take advantage of the helicopter rental.
00:55First of all, this is not a fair comparison.
00:58This is a very bad comparison,
01:00which is to try to do a perception to deteriorate the image of the government.
01:05First of all, the LCS is a contract to build ships.
01:10We buy parts, we build it.
01:12This is a very complicated process.
01:14We have to order parts, we have to hire people, we have to try to build it.
01:19Whereas the contract for this helicopter is straightforward.
01:23We rent it, the helicopter arrives, we pay for the rent.
01:26And he also tried to compare it.
01:28He said that if we buy it straight away, it will only cost 9 billion.
01:33If we rent it, it will cost 16.6 billion.
01:36But I want to say that this is not a fair comparison either.
01:40This is not an apple to apple comparison.
01:42We can't compare buying it straight away with renting it for 15 years.
01:46Because in renting, we pay every year.
01:49Every year we pay for the rent, and we also include cost maintenance.
01:54And not to mention the time value of money.
01:57For 15 years, I paid 1 billion for the rent.
02:011 billion for 15 years is not the same as 1 billion today.
02:05If you don't understand, you don't understand.
02:07Sit down, I don't have time.
02:09If you don't understand, I'll give you an example.
02:12Please sit down, I'll give you an example.
02:14If today we buy a car worth 1 million,
02:17we borrow 900,000 from the bank,
02:20add interest for 15 years, it's 3.5% interest.
02:25For 15 years, we have to pay 1.3 million ringgit.
02:29Which means we pay 50% more in interest.
02:33Which means if we buy it straight away for 9 billion,
02:37which means in 15 years, including interest, it's 13 billion.
02:42And not including cost maintenance.
02:46So if we want to compare, we compare it with the cost of renting a Spanko.
02:51Spanko rents a car.
02:54How much does Spanko rent?
02:56Spanko rents 4.6 billion for 15 years too.
03:00But at that time, there was a company, Bejaya Naza,
03:04which offered a cheaper contract.
03:07How cheap? 600 million ringgit.
03:10But Tago at that time tried not to continue with that contract.
03:17But they gave a more expensive rental contract to Spanko.
03:22So I want to try, I want to try to compare.
03:25If you want to compare, please make a fair comparison.
03:28If you compare today, you can...
03:32If you compare today, you can show that the government
03:36does not rent from a company that offers a cheaper offer.
03:43This is not a true accusation.
03:46If you can show that the government
03:51does not rent from a company that offers a cheaper offer,
03:56I will be the first person to make an MSEC report.
03:59But there is none.
04:00There is no cheaper offer.
04:03It is unfair to compare a rental contract with a direct purchase contract.
04:08Thank you, Kampar.
04:10I am not an expert in analyzing contracts.
04:13Kampar is also not an expert in analyzing contracts.
04:16Our public officials in the AGC, in the military,
04:22they have their own expertise.
04:24My question is simple.
04:26Why is it that up until today,
04:28the Navy, the Air Force, the Army, the KDN,
04:34did not defend this contract at all?
04:37The truth has been proven.
04:39Before this government was established,
04:41there was a similar offer, but it was rejected by our public officials.
04:45The end user.
04:46The SCS scandal happened because we focused on the contractor,
04:50and not on the end user, which is the military.
04:53So when the KDN, the police, and the army rejected it,
04:57why did the Buldos government reject the same offer?
05:02That is all. Thank you.
05:04I am also interested in the Spanko contract.
05:09We have signed the contract with Bajaran Hazard,
05:13but it was rejected.
05:14We signed it with Spanko, which is 600 million more expensive.
05:17Please go ahead.
05:19It is simple, Kampar.
05:20I would like to ask about the cargo ships.
05:22Are the cargo ships either rented or bought?
05:27That is a personal matter.
05:29It is not the same as the government.
05:31The government still rents out the cargo ships.
05:33Secondly,
05:34Pasemas raised the issue of the government making U-turns in the TOW issue.
05:38I would like to tell the opponents,
05:40if the government does a good thing,
05:42we should welcome it.
05:44We should not make U-turns.
05:47In principle,
05:49I agree with the government
05:51that we should not make U-turns during the holiday season.
05:55Because this is in line with the subsidy.
06:00The subsidy means that we should give this subsidy to those in need.
06:05In 2023 and 2024,
06:08the government has spent 356 million U-turns
06:12because we gave free U-turns during the holiday season.
06:15This 356 million U-turns,
06:18should we give it to the owners of vehicles using TOW
06:22or should we give it to the villagers
06:25who do not have a vehicle to use TOW?
06:28This is the principle of the subsidy that we should consider.
06:34So, when the government hears the complaints of TOW users,
06:40we should give a 50% discount.
06:42So, Pasemas, we should welcome it.
06:44One more thing,
06:45if you want to attack the government,
06:49say that this is a U-turn government.
06:51One more thing,
06:52for Lesson 5G U Mobile,
06:55Lesson 5G U Mobile,
06:57the opponents,
06:58have made statements many times,
07:00they did not agree.
07:01But I want to say,
07:02what is the difference between the current government and the previous government?
07:06The previous government only had one Lesson 5G.
07:10No other company got Lesson 5G.
07:13Lesson 5G is a single tier network.
07:17But now, the government has removed this monopoly.
07:20We have given open tenders.
07:23Open tenders,
07:24any company can tender,
07:26we give it to one company.
07:28Maxis entered,
07:29Cellcom Digi entered,
07:30U Mobile entered.
07:32And after the tender was opened,
07:34there was a panel that made it.
07:35The decision was made that Lesson 5G was given to U Mobile.
07:40So I think this is a straightforward decision.
07:43There is nothing that can be disputed.
07:47And,
07:48don't forget,
07:49before this,
07:50we had three big telecommunications companies.
07:53There was Maxis,
07:54Digi,
07:55and Cellcom.
07:56This is an oligopoly,
07:57or a healthy competition.
07:59And it can lower the price of the telephone bill.
08:03So the users can save.
08:04But after the merger,
08:06Cellcom and Digi,
08:07there are only two big companies left.
08:09A duopoly.
08:10So when U Mobile got a Lesson 5G,
08:15I think this is a simple competition.
08:17We can raise U Mobile to compete with Maxis and Cellcom Digi.
08:22And,
08:23don't try to confuse Maxis and Cellcom Digi for not getting a Lesson 5G.
08:27They got it.
08:28In DMB,
08:29they also have a Lesson 5G.
08:31So this is a healthy competition.
08:32We raise the company,
08:34all three of us can compete.
08:35And finally,
08:37the users will enjoy the telephone bill.
08:44Next,
08:45there is a smart person,
08:47who made a video.
08:49I saw him making two videos.
08:52He said,
08:53EPF is losing.
08:55500 million ringgit
08:56due to selling MHW shares.
08:59When I saw that video,
09:01I was surprised.
09:02How can EPF lose
09:04when selling MHW shares?
09:06EPF bought for 2 ringgit,
09:08he said,
09:09when EPF sold for 5 ringgit,
09:11then bought back for 11 ringgit,
09:13he lost.
09:14But I checked,
09:15this is not a short-sell transaction.
09:17This is a long position.
09:18EPF bought for 2 ringgit,
09:21sold for 5 ringgit,
09:22profited for 3 ringgit.
09:23And now,
09:24bought for 11 ringgit,
09:25with an expectation,
09:26when the time comes,
09:27it will go up again.
09:28So how can there be a loss?
09:29Not even a cent loss.
09:31Let me ask you a simple math question.
09:33You can understand it with 6 digits.
09:35If today,
09:36Ali bought a pencil for 1 ringgit,
09:39sold it for 2 ringgit,
09:41bought it for 5 ringgit,
09:43sold it for 6 ringgit,
09:44how much profit did Ali get?
09:462 ringgit.
09:47Bought for 1 ringgit,
09:48sold for 2 ringgit,
09:49profited for 1 ringgit.
09:50Bought for 5 ringgit,
09:51sold for 6 ringgit,
09:52profited for 1 ringgit,
09:53profited for 2 ringgit.
09:54But this smart person said,
09:55Ali sold for 2 ringgit,
09:58bought for 5 ringgit,
09:59lost 3 ringgit.
10:00Idiot!
10:01How can anyone calculate like that?
10:03This is not a short position.
10:05EPF does not short sell.
10:06SHARM MHB.
10:08They closed their position,
10:09bought for 2 ringgit,
10:10sold for 6 ringgit,
10:12bought for 11 ringgit,
10:14with Ramadhan,
10:16when the time comes,
10:17their share will go up.
10:19So I want to ask here,
10:21if EPF really lost 500 million,
10:26I want to ask this person,
10:27show proof.
10:28Show proof.
10:29If you can prove EPF really lost,
10:321 cent.
10:33This is not a paper loss.
10:35There is no paper loss.
10:36What is this loss?
10:38This is called opportunity cost only.
10:41The most expensive,
10:42you call it opportunity cost.
10:43Because we sold for 5 ringgit,
10:44we didn't hold SHARM MHB,
10:46because it went up to 11 ringgit.
10:49This is called opportunity cost.
10:51Okay, bought for 2 ringgit,
10:53why didn't EPF sell
10:54when the price was 11 ringgit?
10:56Why sell for 2 ringgit?
10:58If you can know when it went up to 11 ringgit,
11:00you tell me, I will buy.
11:01No one will know.
11:03This is SHARM,
11:04it goes up and down.
11:05EPF has made it clear,
11:07at that time,
11:08all the equity was owned,
11:10and at that time,
11:11they wanted to pay dividends.
11:12So when they wanted to pay dividends,
11:14they saw which one was profitable,
11:17they will sell,
11:18and have liquidated their SHARM asset
11:20to pay dividends.
11:22This is a normal operation.
11:24This is a normal operation
11:26for fund manager.
11:28So, I hope,
11:29don't play with this issue.
11:32I want to challenge,
11:33if you can really prove
11:35that EPF lost 1 ringgit,
11:38I will announce here,
11:39I will blame the politicians.
11:41Because this person,
11:42he challenged me,
11:43he challenged,
11:44if he can prove,
11:45he ever disturbed the minister,
11:47he will blame the politicians.
11:48I have made it,
11:49I gave proof.
11:50After I gave proof,
11:51he was silent,
11:52he was silent,
11:53so I challenged him,
11:55if you can prove,
11:56EPF lost 1 ringgit,
11:58I will blame the politicians.
12:00Steady or not?
12:01Steady.
12:02Okay,
12:03through here,
12:04through here,
12:05through here.
12:06I am very convinced,
12:07that MPs should be
12:09the agents of unity,
12:10not to be the agents
12:12to divide Malaysian people
12:14for political interests.
12:16Recently,
12:17a party component
12:19from the National Union,
12:20a movement party,
12:21has issued a statement,
12:23in Mandarin only.
12:25He said,
12:26DAP is now silent,
12:28no longer opposes the principles
12:30of prioritizing Malaysian people and Islam
12:32after being in the government.
12:34This is an example.
12:36This is an example that
12:38the politicians
12:39try to divide,
12:41talk one with the Chinese people,
12:43talk another with Malaysian people.
12:44So I ask,
12:45first,
12:46sit in the presence of God today,
12:47please,
12:49show your stand.
12:50What is your stand
12:51against
12:52the statement
12:53made by this movement?
12:54How can we let
12:56party components
12:58to vote,
12:59to get support,
13:00to make such a statement,
13:02which directly,
13:04no,
13:05which tries to divide the people?
13:07And also,
13:09Facebook in MCA Johor,
13:11on 26th January,
13:13has made a posting,
13:14and I know,
13:15MCA Johor has said,
13:17this is an
13:19admin,
13:20who has grown up.
13:21It's not them who made it.
13:22So they have
13:23withdrawn it.
13:24But I want to ask,
13:25why do we have to wait until two days
13:28after this issue has arisen?
13:30And it's the same,
13:31the posting was made
13:32only in Chinese.
13:34So if it was made,
13:35why do we have to wait until two days
13:37before they realize,
13:38oh, this admin has grown up.
13:40Now we have just withdrawn it.
13:42After it became an issue.
13:43So I hope,
13:44if this admin has really grown up,
13:47please show who this admin is.
13:49Please make a police report.
13:51Let the police investigate,
13:53whether he has used
13:55Facebook MCA Johor,
13:56to make a false post.
13:59So that's all
14:00I want to bring to you today.