Saturday, December 27, 2008

Magic is might?

Which one comes first, The phoenix or the flame? According to Luna Lovegood, the answer is the circle has no beginning. Well reasoned, but it is not exactly an answer.

A while ago, when I first moved back to Terengganu and did not have a car, I took a cab to my client's place. The driver became quite chatty when he found out that the person that I would be meeting was someone he knew. He was quite smart. He used to work with the government until he retired. I remember that the conversation somehow ended up where I was whining about this one building, in the center of the city that has not been open until now. The construction started at 1997 but was ceased when PAS took over in 1999. The rumors was that the funding of the project was stopped because the federal government wanted that it seems as if with PAS ruling the states, there would be no development. I have no idea if that's true but I wouldn't put it past them. 

When BN took over, the construction has been continued and finished sometime in 2001 if I'm not mistaken. It is 2008 now and it is still not being opened. I was told that they couldn't open it because the building cannot get a CF (Certificate of Fitness) due to the faulty design. The funny thing is, McDonald restaurant was allowed to be opened inside the building. 

Anyway, back to my story. I was whining about that when the pakcik told me that it wouldn't even make a difference. He told me that what we lack of is the purchasing power. He said that even if that place is open, there would be no buyer since most of the people who work in Terengganu are either working with the government, teachers or at the bank. At the time, I just nodded faithfully. It make sense to me. That was February 2007.

It is almost 2 years now and I have learned a thing or two more about politics, economy, and a few other unimportant stuffs. I learned that he was right about the purchasing power but I also learned that the purchasing power doesn't just happen by itself. You have to create it. Creating purchasing power is of course making sure that the employment rate is up. One thing to do that is to let that said building to be filled with stores where people would be employed. 

It's kinda like that flame and the phoenix. You don't want to build a store without buyers. At the same time, there would be no buyer if there's no money, hence job opportunites at the store. Which one comes first? How do we create purchasing power? Who would play the role? Actually Datuk Ahmad Said is the one who have to answer it. His job depended on it. The employment rate has to be up or the development of the state would slow down. I would like to know his strategies in making sure everyone in Terengganu has a job. 

He is afterall the Dumbledore of my Hogwarts, so let's see some magic!

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