By Xavier Kong
Tiger finds it shocking that, even towards the closing days of 2015, there are still entities and persons that intend to squeeze their way onto Tiger’s “darndest things said” list. However, this Tiger believes that there are just some things that should not be said.
Wow. Just wow. Tiger had thought that, at the very least, the closing days of 2015 would be devoid of someone saying something silly making the papers. Well, apparently this is just too much to ask for. But really, some of these things threw Tiger for a loop, considering just how incredibly inane they are.
First of all, Tiger would like to point out that in the world of business, there is no such thing as an asset that is “too good an investment to sell”. In the world of business, all assets have their price, and it is just a matter of the buyer meeting that price. Furthermore, it would actually be based upon a value attached to the asset by an independent third party, which would set the basis for the negotiations.
Of course, Tiger is referring to Jamil Khir Baharom, a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, who had said that “the land purchased by Tabung Haji at the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) is too good an investment to sell”.
Deciding that “Tabung Haji had paid a good price for the land, and stands to earn a sizeable profit developing it” does not mean that there is not a price that can be met should there be a developer who wishes to acquire that land. Considering the good minister’s background is in the military religious corps, rather than economics, finance, or business, Tiger suggests that the good minister stick to what he knows best.
At the same time, just to show that it is not just politicians who say things that should not be said, Tiger would like to marvel at the sheer confidence (and, dare Tiger say, courage) of the board of directors of Parkson Holdings Bhd. Despite the group’s Hong Kong subsidiary losing its final appeal to revoke an arbitral award made in favour of its former landlord, and having to pay out about RM93.2 million, the board has stated that the payout does not have a material impact on the earnings of the group for the financial year ending June 30, 2016. At the same time, the court ruling will also not have any impact on the group’s nett assets as of June 30, 2015.
Upon hearing this, Tiger could only sit for a moment in disbelief and think about the statement. This seems a very confident statement for the board of directors to be making, considering this is a promise to their shareholders! Furthermore, Tiger was also reminded of the board’s statement that the group’s earnings would dip by about RM45 million, or about 4 sen per share, back on April 1, 2015. Well now, which is it, Parkson? Will there be a dip in earnings or not? A clarification is required, and Tiger, for one, is quite interested to know what they might have to say for themselves.
And really, how else should Tiger cap things off, than with advice to do the illegal by a minister? Of course, Tiger is referring to Ahmad Maslan, Malaysia’s own deputy minister of international trade and industry, with his call for the rakyat to work two jobs to make ends meet, with his hashtag of #2Kerja, which has drawn ridicule and scorn yet again.
What the good minister seems to have ignored in his call for the people to work two jobs is that this is actually going against regulations, as pointed out, among others, by Shamsuddin Bardan, executive director of the Malaysian Employers Federation, who warned the rakyat to check their contracts before even thinking of doing what the good minister suggested, as many employers do not allow their employees to work a second job.
Of course, the good minister has responded, noting that of course there are regulations, and those have to be followed. Still, this Tiger wonders if the good minister has been dropped on the head more than a few times as a child, considering how he still does not seem able to grasp that he is not only mixing up “post” and “job”, he is also making the same gaffe that reminds this Tiger of a French queen who allegedly said “let them eat cake!”
It should really stick as common sense, as well as basic survival instinct, for any person or entity to consider their words before uttering them. However, this seems to Tiger to be asking too much. Can this Tiger ever go a week without hearing something silly being put out on the headlines? Alas, this Tiger can only wish. Though this Tiger has the sneaking suspicion that this wish will go the way of that saying about wishes and spit!
GRRRRR!!!
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