9MP reveals its face

The curtain is opening. Come. Come catch a glimpse. Do you like its face, the face of gemilang?

The first list of development projects under the 9MP was released today by Pak Lah – 880 packages worth some RM15 billion.

More will be added “from time to time” as the different ministries complete their homework.

Do scrutinise the list if you can spare the time. It makes for interesting material for those keen on comprehending the priorities of our government. If anything it articulates (or jumbles, depending...) AAB's abstractions of the 9MP announced in April; this exercise will sculpt its form over the next five years.

Draw your own studied conclusions – that's important – but do tie it back to the warm, glowy larger goals of the 9MP. You remember, Pak Lah's noble Five Thrusts:

to move the economy up the value chain;
to raise the capacity for knowledge and innovation and nurture 'first class mentality';
to address persistent socio-economic inequalities constructively and productively;
to improve the standard and sustainability of quality of life; and
to strengthen the institutional and implementation capacity.

Me, I stick to the simpler things. I like observing our neighbourhoods and towns and try locate what's deficient in the urban makeup. What's missing is a lot of heart and soul, I think. After all, 22 years of Mahathir's dust-kicking grand economic march left plenty of dislocation in local communities. Despite my own deep cynicism, I was hoping this compassionate successor would inject something under the 9MP to restore some isotonic balance.

Balance? How about Bah!

Here's compassion and 'first class' mentality for you:

There is not a single public library – new or upgraded – in the list for the entire country.

Of the 71 projects under the Prime Minister's Department, nine are for retail spaces and complexes, seven hotel wakaf (what are these??), but there is not a single project for the so-called revived Rukun Tetangga program which I deem to be a vital element to community development in the urban areas.

So much for the radiant face of gemilang. Let's see what happens “from time to time”; this is an initial list after all. Just that right now, it's plain discordant.

Encore? Spare me.