Launched — Pak Lah’s political journey in pictures
“pristine and well kept photographs” ? Does Rais Yatim’s book have this pristine picture :
or this pristine picture :
or this :
Abdullah Badawi was an aberration, an embarrasment in the history and the memory of the Prime Minister's Office. He was also many other things. Mosman Park , Perth
He was not entirely a village idiot. His explanations on Scomi and the high handedness against the media under his watch show a darker side. He was a nightmare who inhabited the PM’s office. And just for the record, he did not quit but he was told to leave. That story is yet to fully unfold.
I happened to meet with two very senior public officials recently in their office, both of them Datos. They had plenty to say about Abdullah Badawi, all of which was unflattering. Some of the things they said and the words they used best not be repeated.
They said that they were totally embarrased to serve under Badawi as Prime Minister. They mentioned an incident where Badawi gave a boring speech. After the speech, he got off the podium to sit down. Then suddenly he went back on the podium and said a few more things which he said he had forgotten to mention. Well at least his speech was more complete but it shows the kind of dodo we had in the PM’s office for five years.
We are still a developing nation. This means that things like the Prime Minister’s office can still make or break the nation. Do not take the PM’s office lightly.
So I dont know why a Cabinet Minister like Rais Yatim would spend time writing a book about Abdullah Badawi. Takde kerja lain ke Dato? You must be having a lot of free time in your office, maybe twiddling your thumbs, not knowing what else to do and stuff.
But what caught my attention was this.
- “..mainly photos taken by the National News Agency (Bernama) and a few others from the personal collection of Information, Comm-unication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim”
- Rais, when launching the book
- Rais said the book would be distributed to all libraries in the country, including the 1,089 in rural areas
So Rais’ own personal pictures went into the book, he then launched the book (as a Cabinet Minister) and then (as a Cabinet Minister) he said that the book is going to be distributed to all libraries in the country including 1,089 in the rural areas.
Isnt there some conflict of interest involved here? As a citizen I must ask if Rais will be enriched (commission, royalties?) from the “sales” of this book to the 1089 libraries? Because surely someone has to pay for the 1089 books at least.
Its a coffee table book. They are usually very expensive, nothing less than RM100 each.
So the 1089 copies for the rural libraries alone could cost at least RM109,000. If the book is priced at RM200 (not impossible), then double the figure.
Is taxpayers’ money going to be wasted to buy a book about a non performer who is best forgotten? Or is there going to be a rich donor who will pay for these books?
If there is a rich donor, why would anyone want to buy a book about an ex-PM who was kicked out of office? Sounds like chicken sh*t to me.- OutSyed The Box
