BERNAS, cutting a lone figure on the global rice trade during peak level crisis time, ultimately boils down to Bernas odditty in the entire eco system during peak crisis, places Malaysia AT A SEVERE DISADVANTAGE .
SURE during the Covid 19 period Bernas managed to get a deal done at a time, when it was more feasible to send your goods to a nearby nation than say fron Vietnam to South America.
BEING placed at the disadvantaged nation list during peak crisis time , is not sorry enough, as our politicians have some how been kind enough ti allocate RM600 million years for us to be placed on the disadvantaged sick list, nine out of ten times.
CONSIDER the following. As early as June this year, Reuters had flashed a piece of advise for the world, but for Malaysia, we should have taken in a code blue level warning oh what is in store for the nation.
REUTERS highlighted READ : U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) ; The Indian rice curbs will lead to government to government deals for supply
TO rub salt into the Bernas wound and to our national pride, READ : a day before Malaysia celebrates Merdeka Day, India says that despite the country imposing restrictions on export of rice to the world, it will make an exemption for its close friend Singapore.
NOW who do you think made that call from the lion city to that big man in New Delhi to get this deal done?
DO you think that the call from the lion City was from a public listed company or worst still an opaque privately held company, who no longer provide 24/7 access to its annual report, whoes name starts with the Alphabet P but is pronounced in writing as B?
NOW we all know, the Indians are very particular on details and would be confused and of course be suspicious, and then be mighty hostile that China was actually trying to pull off the prank of the year in convincing India to get a deal done with a company whoes name starts Alphabet P but is pronounced in writing as B?
NOW how many of us even remotely believe that the CEO of Bernas on even its owner Syed Mokthar can get the Prime Minister, of the first country to land near the south pole of the Moon, a nation with 164 active nuclear war heads capable of destroying almost all life forms on planet Earth , on the phone to get a rice exemption for Malaysia?
I believe, despite who we root for in politics, we silently know the common reaponse to the question above.
CAN Anwar Ibrahim get a deal done for Malaysia with just a call to New Delhi? YES he can .
SO why is it only after 26 days, Singapore got its exemption from India, READ : is our government now preparing to talk with their Indian counter parts.
WILL India grant Malaysia the exemption we might be requesting from them? I am convinced they will if the right Malaysian official request for it, because Malaysia is no lesser or greater friend to India then Singapore.
If had acted in a brisk manner, as how Singapore had proactively acted, so much of the so called rice shortage fear, could have been short circuited.
THE Malaysian Government should not be held responsible on the yet to be forwarded request to India, fie after all Bernas had been collecting RM600 million every year for more than two decades now.
WHEN the shit hits the fan don't expects the Indians nor the President of Chins or its foreign minister to accept a call from Syed Mokthar of Alor Setar, regardless if they know of him or not, because crisis time decision are via direct communication by and with the numero uno of each nations.
THE Malaysian Government must take responsibility for sending BERNAS to get man's job done and now that it is obvious BERNAS cannot get the job done, its time to write the LATE BERNAS OBITUARY
