Poor concept, bad plan

The above is my description of PNB’s 100-storey building project.

Why is it a poor concept? First, one must get real and understand that KL cannot take more and more high-rise buildings at its heart, to really become a livable city. Packing more and more offices into the centre of KL is the fastest way to drive out and empty the heart of KL and make it a slum by night.

According to blogger and businessman Syed Akbar Ali’s calculations, this mega building would put another 10,000 people into the heart of KL.

Where is the parking for all the office blocks coming from? Is this going to be another KLCC-type project where millions of public funds will be used for approach tunnels and exit ramps? Are these potential crony contractors the real drivers of the ego-inflating project? Why is this “private project” announced in the Budget?

Moreover, it is also being labelled as a green building. The green philosophy is not and never will be a materialistic agenda. It fundamentally focuses on the issue of sustainability.

For those not familiar with it, the most comprehensive and complete global argument for this philosophy of life was first made by Islamic philosopher and scientist SH Nasr. His book is called ‘ Man and Nature: The spiritual crisis of modern man ’. Nasr argues that modern man has lost his moorings with the Almighty and therefore seeks to make monuments in his own image to have an alternate sense of greatness and majesty.

Why else would anyone in his right mind seek to build such a huge complex without adequate thought about its negative impact on the livelihood of the local neighborhood? As someone else pointed out, there are four premier schools in the vicinity; what is the real impact on the air quality with the release of all the additional carbon monoxide into the vicinity, on their lungs and breathing? After all these class rooms are not air-conditioned.

So, rather than falsely and wrongly labelling the building as a green one, can someone read and understand the arguments of this great Islamic scholar first?

Foundational questions

Now, before I make the argument for the bad plan, allow me to ask some more foundational questions about how the government of Malaysia governs this nation in terms of our natural resources and properties that belong to the people? After all, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak always screams ‘People First, Performance Now’.

My questions below are people-first-related on how this project will serve the public interest. My first question therefore is: Whose land is this in the first place?

If I am not mistaken, this piece of property originally belonged to the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry. Can someone correct me if I am wrong? It was hijacked during the Mahathir era and given in exchange to some cronies for the building of some other projects elsewhere for the Commonwealth Games complex in Bukit Jalil.

Citizen Nades says, even 18 years after Malaysia hosted the Commonwealth Games, the full accounting is not yet complete. Even the Auditor-General closes one eye now.

This particular piece of land was, I believe, exchanged for the development of the Matrade Complex off Jalan Duta; and in lieu of that space lost, the Matrade building was to have compensated one floor to the Science Ministry for the loss of this S&T Exposition site. In fact, I even remember having visited this Expo Centre to view some exhibitions in the early 70s.

If therefore this land is still under the stewardship of the Federal Commissioner of Lands, why was the announcement of the project made under the Budget speech, another back-door way of hijacking this public purpose for yet other not-so-public purposes?

How can we then also use the argument that this is a PNB project when the PM is the chairman of the PNB board? Did the cabinet fully understand the nuances of the “hijacking of this public land for a PNB agenda?”

For that matter, if PNB is in fact a national public assets trustee organisation as originally envisioned during the Tun Abdul Razak era, why are the board of directors made up only of Umno-linked individuals? Why is there no Sarawakian, Sabahan and Orang Asli representatives on the board? Why are there no independent non-Malay board members, if we are truly 1Malaysian and people first to boot?

In short, the argument I am making is why does the 100-storey building, if entirely funded by PNB, become a subject of the Budget speech unless there are government funds to be used under the 10th Malaysian Plan? For that matter is this project even listed under the 10th Plan; and if so, where?

Around 200,000 supporters mark

Such attempts to further bastardise the NEP must stop; the piratisation of public lands for private and sectarian interests must also stop. That is why I believe that 1 million Malaysians will in fact join the campaign on Facebook to stop this project. The campaign now has around 200,000 supporters. In fact, most have identified themselves without any fear or favour. That is also a clear signal of a maturing Malaysia.

Now, after the Umno AGM, even their members are fully aware that Article 153 cannot be amended without the Rulers’ consent; and therefore their only role is to ensure that the Rulers as an institution stays. It will also always remain hereditary and non-family members or local non-included chieftains’ families cannot simply creep into the succession lineage; even if there is intrigue and stealth in the management of such succession processes.

Can I therefore, invite the PM to host a serious and honest people first and a public interest dialogue with all his favourite young people from his fan club and ask them if his agenda for the 100-storey building will get their support?

Otherwise, whatever little support he has gained through the housing ownership initiative in the budget will also be lost because the young are even more concerned about the sustainability of their environment than people of my generation. Very often, we are pro-development and think that this is a kind of development we can afford; but it is far from the truth.

Maybe another much neglected book worth rereading now is the FF Schumacher’s thesis that ‘ Small is Beautiful! ’ If the PM is therefore open to my suggestion, we at UCSI University’s Faculty of Economics and Policy Science are ready, open and fully prepared to host such an open dialogue and will be prepared to make all the necessary arrangements.

The most fundamental and basic question remains – whether this 100-storey building is in the public interest? May God bless Malaysia.