Liow gives up his grandfather's fave no 15: WWW15

The following letter published in Malaysia Today is one man's thoughts on the controversy surrounding the bidding of 'WWW 15':

MCA is goner

Who is Solah’s boss? Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha, the MCA secretary-general. So it is now a damage control exercise to get Liow off the controversy.

Lee Kee

It has been a while since I last penned my thoughts in response to public issues, especially those involving MCA and its leaders.

To me, many issues involving MCA and its leaders have become so stale and idiotic that it is just a waste of time to respond. I stand to be corrected that I get the feeling that many also feel the same about MCA and Barisan Nasional (BN)-Umno and they have already decided who they want to give their ballots to in the next general election which must be held within 60 days after March 8, 2013.

The MCA and its leaders have been harping and harping on stale issues. They also continue to belittle and insult the people’s intelligence with their idiotic statements and responses to public issues.

But, the MCA’s mouthpiece, The Star, on June 9 ran a typical story spun to help get its master, MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai, off the hook on the controversial bid for WWW 15.

“We will give Liow three choices, says JPJ” was the obnoxious news headline to the intelligent public.

The JPJ (Road Transport Department) director-general Solah Mat Hassan said Liow, as Health Minister, was entitled to the choice motor vehicle registration number free of charge.

Well! Is that so? Then why did he put in his RM24,200 bid for the number? Was the MCA No.2 just ignorant or plain stupid?

Solah said: “He (Liow) has three choices. He can get the number plate for free, he can pay the amount he had originally bid, or if he is no longer interested, he can reject the offer.”

That clearly sounds like an attempt to get Liow off the controversial bid. What about the Johor Sultan, other ministers and deputy ministers? Why not free?

Who is Solah’s boss? Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha, the MCA secretary-general. So it is now a damage control exercise to get Liow off the controversy.

Worst still, all sorts of contradicting statements have been made by Liow to paint the matter as a non-issue, thus making him look like a compulsive liar in public, after the Tung Shin Hospital lie.

Now it is Solah who was apparently instructed to try and get Liow off the hook.

Here, I wish to state that there is nothing wrong with the JPJ making money from businessmen and the rich who are so willing and ready to part their money for choice car registration numbers.

After all, they are contributing to the government’s coffers which should rightly then benefit the people, if the earnings are spent rightly.

However, the issue which The Star and every other BN-friendly print media are avoiding is the morality of the bid.

Firstly, why is a first-term minister like Liow flaunting his wealth?

Secondly, the public must seriously question Liow’s integrity as a public servant, after being caught lying over the police attack on Tung Shin Hospital during Bersih 2.0 and now this controversy.

Liow has been reported as saying that:
HE DID not bid for the number;
HE DID not know who is footing the bill for the number;

IT IS for his official car (Why then was it not registered with the ministry, as is the normal practice?); and
THE number meant “nothing special” and was not important to him and then contradicts by saying that the number is that of his grandfather’s car.

All these appear to be afterthought contradictory statements and responses for fear of a backlash on Liow’s political career.

To the people, as far as the MCA is concerned the party is a goner – led by an immoral president Dr Chua Soi Lek and his compulsive lying deputy.

Anak Sungai Derhaka, a blogger, also wrote a post in Malay on this issue. It's entitled: WWW1 Sultan Johor, WWW15 Liow Tiong Lai.. PKR1 siapa pula nak cuba?