"Oh, ya lo hor! The people's opinion not so stupid after all!"

After reading the following piece of news, I feel like I've died and gone to whatever Heaven Salvador Dali must be floating around in now!

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UMNO mengaku silap kerana tidak 'Dengar suara rakyat'
Tuesday, 04 August 2009 14:22

(Buletin Online) - UMNO Terengganu mengakui melakukan kesilapan dalam melaksanakan projek pembangunan kerana tidak mendengar suara rakyat bawahan.

(Wah...I thot 1st step towards reform lo hor? Like the Alcoholics Anonymous' 12 steps recovery program - 1st step is to admit your weakness. I was even willing to overlook the "Rakyat BAWAHAN" remark, in hopes that this was just a hiccup on the road to recovery.)

Setiausaha Perhubungan UMNO Terengganu Datuk Tengku Putera Awang berkata suara rakyat penting dalam memastikan pembangunan yang dijalankan bukan saja mendatangkan hasil kepada ekonomi kerajaan negeri, tetapi dapat dinikmati dan dimanfaatkan rakyat untuk jangka
masa panjang.

(Double WAH...This is a bit like Alcoholics Anonymous' recovery program's Step 4 - take stock of who we are and what we've done. Fuyoh...even further down the road to reform ady!)

Beliau yang juga Yang Dipertua Dewan Undangan Negeri ( Speaker DUN) berkata semua wakil rakyat diingatkan supaya mendengar suara rakyat setempat terutama pandangan mereka terhadap setiap projek pembangunan dirancang kerajaan negeri, bagi memastikan semua perancangan dilaksanakan memberi manfaat dan dapat dinikmati semua golongan.

(Again WAAAAH...Alcoholics Anonymous' Step 8 already wor - make a list of those we've hurt and be willing to make amends. Could it be that UMNO is really reforming! Only 4 more steps to go!!!)

Beliau berkata, pengalaman sebagai bekas Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Exco) banyak memberi pengajaran kerana ada kalanya pendapat disuarakan masyarakat di peringkat akar umbi lebih bernas berbanding pendapat pakar dalam sesuatu bidang.

(WAAAAAAAH...Step 10 wor - continue to take personal inventory and promptly admit if wrong! If they can successfully execute the last 2 steps then UMNO would surely be able to revive and lead the country properly like they did in the '50s & 60's!)

"Saya masih ingat, pembinaan benteng pemecah ombak di Merang, Setiu dulu mendapat bantahan daripada penduduk setempat kerana ia dikhuatiri hanya mampu bertahan beberapa ketika.

(Yes...YES? The people were worried about the workmanship of the breakwall.)

"Bagaimanapun, pembinaan tetap diteruskan...

(YES? What would you like to unload off your chest? Don't worry, the rakyat is forgiving. If you feel sincerely guilty, we will give you a second chance to prove yourselves. Go on, tell us! We're listening...)

dan terbukti walaupun sudah melalui kajian dan nasihat dari pakar berkaitan, ia roboh dan tetap tidak boleh pakai.

(Aaaahhhhhh! You admit to the screw up! You admit it was because you didn't listen to the people! OK...So what actually happened? Poor oversight by JKR? Hyper-inflated costs for sub-standard work by crony contractors? Shoddy survey and consultancy work? Expert recommendations suspiciously ignored? Those stories...old hat la. Even if you tell also it's nothing new la.

What we really want to know now is - is someone going to be held responsible? Whose head is going to roll for this waste of public money? Are you now going to listen to the public to find out what they really need? Are you now gonna follow procedures properly? Are you gonna now function like a proper democracy where the vox populi is respected?

Jeng! Jeng! Jeng! We await with bated breath UMNO's answer in the final paragraph of this report.)

"Daripada pengalaman ini kita boleh lihat bahawa pendapat dan suara rakyat sangat bernilai untuk membantu kerajaan negeri membangunkan negeri seiring dengan pendekatan merakyatkan pembangunan yang dilaungkan kerajaan negeri," katanya kepada pihak media sempena Majlis Sambutan Jubli Emas 50 Tahun DUN Terengganu di sini, semalam.

Waaaaiiit a minute!! After all that nice sounding words, the final conclusion is only a pathetic:

"Oh, ya lo hor! The people's opinion not so stupid after all! Ha ha!"

Where's the admission of guilt? Where's the acceptance of responsibility? Where's the commitment to do things properly from now on? Where's the accountability?

Is this the extent of UMNO's much-trumpeted nationwide "re-education" and "re-calibration"?

At the end of the day, it boils down to the same old, same old.