Tan Kay Hock has trained his guns on Quek Leng Chan, Low Keng Huat, Syed Mokhtar al Bukhary, Francis Yeoh, Lim Kok Thay, Chua Ma Yew, Vincent Tan, Danny Tan, Ta Kim Yan, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, and even the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. He is determined that all these people get sent to pasture so that he remains the last man standing.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Three weeks ago, there was a report concerning Tan Kay Hock’s company, George Kent, getting the RM1.5 billion Ampang-Line Light Railway Transit (LRT) project. He did not say he has already got the project but that he is confident of getting it.

Two days ago, the Minister of Transport announced the RM7 billion 197-kilometre Gemas-JB electrified double-tracking project (EDTP). This project has not been officially awarded to anyone yet but it appears like ‘the market’ already knows who may be getting it. 

You can read both reports below.

According to the Minister, the Gemas-JB stretch is already in the final stage of design. He declined to comment whether the project, which is only due to be tendered out towards the end of this year, would be open to ‘foreign parties’.

Nevertheless, Tan Kay Hock, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s golf buddy, is already telling everyone that his company is going to get the job, most likely in joint venture with China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd (CHEC).

CHEC is the company that is building Penang’s Second Bridge in joint venture with UEM Builders Bhd, an Umno company. The bridge costs RM3 billion, up RM2 billion from the original budget of RM1 billion. (I wonder whose pocket this additional RM2 billion is going into).

Many feathers are being ruffled, not because Tan Kay Hock is getting all the multi-billion projects, but because of his bragging. He is shooting his mouth off to all and sundry about his relationship with the Prime Minister. And he is bragging about how he is sabotaging all his competitors, the other tycoons.

Tan Kay Hock has trained his guns on Quek Leng Chan, Low Keng Huat, Syed Mokhtar al Bukhary, Francis Yeoh, Lim Kok Thay, Chua Ma Yew, Vincent Tan, Danny Tan, Ta Kim Yan, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, and even the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. He is determined that all these people get sent to pasture so that he remains the last man standing.

These people can accept competition. It is, after all, part of business. But what they can’t accept is when you ‘throw sand into their rice bowl’, as what the Chinese would say.

And this is what Tan Kay Hock is doing. And because of that he has made many very powerful enemies. And since they know Tan Kay Hock gets away with murder only because of his relationship with Najib, they will have to hurt Najib to get back at Tan Kay Hock.

Najib already has many enemies of his own. Those enemies alone are a handful. The last thing that Najib needs are more enemies, which Tan Kay Hock is making and who will now become Najib’s enemies as well.

But this is good for Muhyiddin. Now, Tan Kay Hock’s enemies will become Muhyddin’s friends. And with them all backing Muhyiddin, and with billions at their disposal, Muhyiddin would be well poised to challenge Najib for the Umno Presidency.

Sometimes this is how fate works. An enemy of my enemy becomes my friend. And a friend of my enemy becomes my enemy. So we have Najib-Tan Kay Hock versus Muhyiddin and all the rest. And Muhyiddin and all the rest make a more formidable force to take on the Prime Minister.

Najib has to be careful with the friends he chooses. When your friend has too many enemies these become your enemies as well. And Tan Kay Hock will help us prove this theory.

Mere speculation, you might say?

Well, remember a couple of years ago Malaysia Today published Statutory Declarations signed by six police officers who alleged that the ex-IGP, Musa Hassan, had links with the Chinese underworld and that he was behind the drugs, prostitution, loan shark and gambling syndicate?

The six police officers were subsequently charged for ‘lying’, just like I was when I signed my Statutory Declaration in April 2008. And, today, the court acquitted these six police officers.

This would mean what they signed in their SDs was true and not a lie. So, did Malaysia Today lie when we said that the IGP is a crook? Six police officers said the same thing and the court agreed with them.

Yes, what is ‘speculation’ today is proven true later. And what may be considered ‘rumour’ becomes fact some time down the road.

So let us see whether this ‘speculation’ and ‘rumour’ about Tan Kay Hock becomes fact once his company wins the RM7 billion Gemas-JB double-tracking project -- which has not even been tendered out yet but which Tan Kay Hock is already telling everyone is his.

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Gemas-Johor Baharu double-tracking project to be tendered out by year-end, says Minister

(Bernama, 26th July 2011) -- The tender for the 197-kilometre Gemas-Johor Baharu electrified double tracking project (EDTP) will be done before year-end, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said today.

The stretch is already in the final stage of design, he said, but declined to state if the tender would be open to foreign parties.

"The Ipoh-Padang Besar and Seremban-Gemas lines are 70 and 90 per cent complete respectively," he added, after officiating a forum on "Powering the Rails in Malaysia," here.

The Gemas-Johor Baharu sector is the final package for the EDTP. 

It was previously stated that the Gemas-Johor Baharu line is worth RM7 billion because it does not only comprise the building of a double-tracking system but also a transport hub with a capacity to rival the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) in Singapore.

Kong said the rail sector is poised to emerge as a catalyst in the rapidly changing landscape of Malaysia's public transportation system once all the projects comes to a conclusion.

He said the EDTP in the northern section is slated for completion at end-2013 and the line to Johor by 2016.

Asked if the Komuter Service would be extended from Batu Caves to Selayang, he said the government is considering the possibility.

"There has been a request from the public for the extension. At the moment we are still looking at the possibility. There will be a long term need for it and the extension is seen as the most viable," he added. 

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George Kent bullish about LRT job bid

(Business Times, 7th July 2011) - George Kent (Malaysia) Bhd, an engineering group, is confident of winning the Ampang-Line Light Railway Transit (LRT)'s extension mega infrastructure project worth RM1.5 billion.

The chances of getting the project is very good, its Chairman, Tan Sri Tan Kay Hock told reporters after the company's annual general meeting today.

He said the company's bid for the project was strengthened by George Kent's previous experience of handling government contracts and its achievements.

"We are about to hand over the RM97.75 million Kuala Lipis Hospital in Pahang to the Ministry of Health, and I guess this is one of the very few hospitals delivered on time. George Kent only tenders for projects that we think we can do, thus, we don't see any negative points for not winning the tender," he said.

Prasarana Bhd is expected to announce the winner of the Ampang LRT extension project by September this year. Tan also said the company, which also produces water meters and the casing for the meters, has embarked on a RM50 million plan to upgrade its manufacturing facilities in Puchong, Selangor to accommodate higher sales in the meter and Original Equipment Manufacturing businesses.

He said the present plant was already producing at a maximum capacity. With the expansion, George Kent aims to double its production capacity to two million completed meters and two million pieces of non-meter brass parts per annum. 

George Kent's pre-tax profit for the first quarter ended Apr 30, 2011 jumped to RM4.8 million from RM3.9 million in the same quarter last year. Its revenue, however, slipped to RM30.7 million from RM32.5 million previously.

Tan said the demand for meters from Hong Kong, Macau, Middle East, Puerto Rico and Colombia remained strong. "The company has also penetrated Vietnam and Laos, where we expect good returns," he said, adding that the company expects to sustain its growth as the year progresses.