Well so much for well-laid plans. After enduring an hour long jam just to get in the place, and going round in circles trying to find parking, I find that the auditorium is full. There’s still at least a few hundred people milling around outside as well, Right now, I’m sitting in a hall on the 2nd floor which has a live feed.
2.44 The PM has just arrived, right on time. The program will start at 3.00pm.
2.45 Whoever the DJ is, he’s an 80s junkie – Frankie Goes To Hollywood?
2.47 This 2nd floor hall has seating capacity for over 500 – and it’s almost full as well. Good turnout, but my sense is its more corporate reps, govt types, media, and analysts than ordinary Malaysians.
2.51 Tun Dr Mahathir has just entered the main hall. He’s looking healthy.
2.54 The PM is entering the main hall.
2.57 National Anthem.
2.58 Doa: read in Arabic, Malay, English, Mandarin by an ustaz from Sarawak – nice touch.
3.03 ETP video showing: wonder how much this cost. Ok that comment was snarky. We shouldn’t complain when the govt tries and explain what its trying to do, when communication has been an issue (e.g. Warisan Merdeka).
3.10 PM beginning his speech.
3.16 He’s referencing the achievements under the Government Transformation Program (GTP).
3.21 Mentioning historical achievements – hat tip to TDM?
3.22 Gini coefficient mentioned, but the graph is all wrong. The powerpoint is showing a slight straight line decline, but the official data shows it dipping than rising over the last forty years.
3.32 Arguing the differences between the ETP and previous development plans (it’s a program with specific activities and deadlines, not the vague strategic targets of the previous development efforts).
3.35 about 20% of the EPPs for the rural areas.
3.36 Says ETP will help create jobs for women (thumbs up!).
3.40 Giving some examples from the ETP: aquaculture zones, health tourism, MRT.
3.41 – OK the video’s for the one’s who can’t be bothered to read the program itself: got a good laugh from the crowd for that one.
3.42 PM says: it’s not just mega projects.
3.45 RM6 billion allocated from the budget for ETP next year.
3.47 Programs already started:
- LFoundry (Germany) RM1.9 billion over 5 years
- Mydin RM1 billion over 3 years
- St Regis Hotel (6 star) RM1.2 billion
- Schlumberger RM300 million
- WCT conscession from Malaysia airports ?
- 1MDB and Mubadala RM26 billion
- Premium Renewable Energy RM124 million
- Asia eUniversity RM100 million
- Genting RM150 million
Contracts for all these to be signed directly after this event.
3.55 PM announces open tender to be the basic mode of procurement.
3.56 13,000+ attendance at ETP open days across the country.
3.56 About three-fourths agree that the ETP will help reach the target.
4.00 Speech concluded. Doing the launch gimmick
4.03 And that’s a wrap
I’m going to see if I can’t get a copy or two of the ETP. Once I digest that (which might take a while), I’ll set down my thoughts on the specifics.
Update:
While the event itself ran pretty smoothly, the distribution of the ETP hard copies was a near disaster. There were three different versions of the ETP: the full version, an executive summary, and the video mentioned previously.
With up to 4000 people scrambling for only 2000 (free) copies of the full version, there was a bit of a scrum in front of the distribution counters. Luckily no one was hurt, especially when the facade nearly collapsed on top of the queues:
Hopefully this isn’t an omen for the ETP itself.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment