The honoured title of “Bapa Malaysia” was conferred by a grateful nation on our beloved and revered founding father, Tunku Abdul Rahman. Will Abdullah become known as “Bapa Corridor”, wonders Tota.
The honoured title of Bapa Malaysia was conferred by a grateful nation on our beloved and revered founding father, Tunku Abdul Rahman. At one time a very angry but probably a very envious Dr M, because of the nation’s adulation of Tunku, made a very rude and insulting comment that people call themselves Bapa this and Bapa that meaning that Tunku bestowed the title on himself. Later Dr M had no objection when his admirers called him Bapa this and Bapa that — Bapa Modernisation, Bapa Progress, Bapa Development, Bapa Sharia etc. etc. His detractors called him Bapa Authoritarian, Bapa Crooked Bridge, etc.
Not very long ago, with great fanfare and at great cost, the Northern Triangle was launched to bring about economic progress and development to the northern state and Medan. Obviously, the Northern Triangle became a square! This happens time and time again when square heads sit at a round table to do development planning.
Now it has become fashionable to launch economic corridors — the Northern Economic Corridor, Southern Economic Corridor, Eastern Economic Corridor for Trengganu and Kelantan as well as in East Malaysia. Economic Corridor as expected and not to be outdone, Abdullah’s admirers have bestowed the title Bapa Corridor on him.
One wonders how many of these “Corridors” are going to be successful. Given the corrupt practice of awarding “negotiated contracts” — aka indecently overpriced projects awarded to political cronies, political leeches, sons, daughters and sons-in-law, family members or proxies for politicians with huge kickbacks for you know whom — will ensure that those who stride the corridors of power will be bloated by ill-gotten gains. Many with vested interests will be on the gravy train.
