YOURSAY | Explain cabotage issue now, no need to wait for debate

YOURSAY | By delaying, Wee is suggesting that he does not have an answer...

Speaker instructs Wee to explain alleged misleading statement in Parliament

Cabotage policy: Wee sends explanation letter to Dewan Rakyat speaker

Dr Raman Letchumanan: Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong, by saying you will clarify the cabotage issue later makes it seems like you are admitting you don’t currently have an answer or, most likely, you were wrong.

This was a matter raised in Parliament. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun has instructed you to respond and clarify, and you owe us a duty to do so. Don’t just say you are waiting for a debate with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to clarify the issue.

This matter is serious because your fellow minister has disputed what you said. Now you cannot hide behind the cabinet’s collective responsibility.

By your logic, when any MP cannot respond in Parliament, they can call for a debate outside of Parliament?

As I see it, only you and the shipping cronies who stand to gain directly are backing the cabotage policy. Please don't sabotage national interest.

I hope you have read that the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) has stressed that enhancing connectivity and digitalisation is one of the four catalytic policy enablers.

OceanMaster: Almost every maritime nation has its cabotage policies to protect local shipping, which is quite an acceptable trade practice the world over.

But in the case of Google and Facebook, they are new economy giants with billions of customers. Thus, they look at their reliability level as one of their top deliverables to their customers.

The process of applying for a domestic shipping licence (DSL) before cable-laying or maintenance by foreign vessels - which are not available in Malaysia’s registry - can come into Malaysian waters to operate is far from efficient for them.

So, as the biggest companies in the world, they have no time for people like Wee telling them grandfather stories.

Wee, as the transport minister, is bestowed the authority by the law to make a call on this, but he is sticking to his grandfather story.

RedKiwi9134: It is sad that foreign investors are bypassing Malaysia because of the acts of a minister to seemingly sabotage the decisions made by the previous administration.

Is all this simply because the current minister wants to show off his power? But he is doing it at a huge expense to the country.

Return To The Rakyat What We Voted For: This Apricot sea cable project is such a significant milestone to connect our country to the world and the transport minister’s actions has caused Malaysia to be bypassed.

And all for what? The crony companies? Well, we are now bypassed on the sea cable project and the consequences for Malaysia's hope as a future high-tech economy is dealt another blow.

Anonymous_3f4b: Why is Guan Eng picking on Wee? He has nothing better to do than pick on MCA and belittle them to look like a Chinese hero in front of the Chinese voters.

Guan Eng does not dare to offend Umno or Bersatu for fear of losing the Malay votes. He only knows how to pander and lick the feet of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He also signed the deal with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government under the pretext of a confidence and supply agreement (CSA) just to consolidate and protect his own vulnerable position and that of his party.

V S: @Anonymous_3f4b, Guan Eng is not picking on Wee. He is condemning Wee for not getting a good opportunity to improve tele-connectivity by large IT companies. The transport minister requires to be taken to task.

Wee is more interested in the railway projects for fast-speed trains. Meanwhile, we are still struggling to get a basic train service past Gemas in Negeri Sembilan for quite some time now.

Everyone has to get down at Gemas if you want to proceed to Johor Bahru. This issue has been going on for years now.

Mcgreen: Please Wee, this is not just an issue between you and Guan Eng.

It is not only Guan Eng but the rest of the citizens who are keen to know the why and what of the matter, and whether this cabotage issue will impact our efforts to attract much-needed investments into the country.

Even the prime minister said we have to become an investment hub. With confusion around this issue, how are we going to convince investors?

Wee, a comprehensive reply on the true situation of the matter is what we ordinary people want to know.

BR: The debate challenge that Wee issued was immediately accepted two months ago. After several weeks, Guan Eng kept asking him when the debate will be. Wee quickly hid behind the speaker’s sarong.

The speaker then tried some delay tactics but Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa spoilt the game for them (Annuar said that the unresolved cabotage policy had caused Facebook and Google to shy away from Malaysia).

So now Wee has to again ask the speaker for help. He appears useless for someone who is a party leader.

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