The Making of China Monopoly in Malaysia

The Making of China Monopoly in Malaysia

A Kadir Jasin

WHEN Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned of the dangers of being too dependent on China economically and militarily, the pro-Najib propaganda machines pounded on him.

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But the proofs to his warning are everywhere. China treats every nation that owes it money as its slave and subordinate. It’s a harsh indictment but it’s true.

China’s way of doing business in monopolistic and is founded on the concept of “China first” – a throwback of ancient times when the Chinese believed they were the centre of the earth.

Dr Mahathir’s fear that China companies and workers would monopolize China-funded projects in our country is not unfounded.

See what I found in Penang as I went hunting for “teh tarik” in the vicinity of Jalan Pengkalan Weld a few days ago?

Look at the picture below.

Bank of China signboard in Penang

What do you see?

You see a very tastefully done signboard announcing the rehabilitation work of a heritage building that will soon become the Penang branch of the Malaysian incorporated Bank of China (BoC).

Except for the bank’s Chinese name, the signboard uses bahasa Melayu and English.

But look carefully at the companies involved in the “pemuliharaan” (rehabilitation) project. Remember, this in a small, everyday construction project.

Who is the principal architect? Lo and behold it’s none other than the Pei Partnership Architects of Park Avenue, New York. The principal of Pei Partnership is none other than the China-born Ieoh Ming Pei of the Le Grand Louvre fame.

Had it been a lesser known foreign architect of Chinese origin, I would have suspected that the BoC is subtly engaging in racial chauvinism of global proportion.

China born Pei and his Le Grand Louvre

But with Pei as the principal architect, I salute the BoC instead. Those of us who know who I.M. Pei and his world famous structures, cannot fault BoC for the choice.

I cannot say much about the rest of the professional groups contracted by BoC for the project. They sound Malaysian enough.

Now look carefully at the last column that says “contractor”. Remember this is not a billion ringgit job; maybe at the most RM15 million. But who is the contractor?

It’s the China State Construction Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd.

This Malaysian incorporated company is the subsidiary of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation, which according to Wikipedia, is the 3rd largest construction company in the world and the 20th largest general contractor in terms of overseas sales.

It was founded in 1957 (the year we became independent), has its headquarters in Beijing and its parent organization is the Asset Supervision and Administration of the State Council.

State Council is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China.

So if the contract for a sundry, everyday project like the rehabilitation and conversion of a heritage building into a bank premise is given to a China company, would China award the RM50-billion East Coast Railway Line (ECRL) and other billion-ringgit projects it has secured in Malaysia to local companies?

Unless we are fools or are commission agents to China companies, we surely know that doing business with China is not the same as doing business with the USA, Europe and Japan. Or for that matter with any country practicing multi-party democracy.

In China there only one party – the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) - and it rules supreme. Everybody is answerable to the it and it owns almost all economic and industrial assets in China.

In recent decades the CCP has become the biggest business conglomerate in the world.

CCP is the biggest business conglomerate in the world

It does business with the rest of the world very much like the way it controls the government and the military in China.

Remember again, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the armed forces of the Communist Party of China. It owes its loyalty to the party.

Wallahuaklam. I am not sure if the Prime Minister,Datuk Seri I Mappadulung Daeng Mattimung Karaeng Sandrobone Sultan Abdul Jalil, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak, and his henchmen and women understand this very simple truth about the real China.