FOX Communications, the public relations firm preferred by the government when Pak Lah was the prime minister, is closing down its Johor Baru office after less than two years of operations. The firm's signboard at Danga Bay is still visible but there's hardly any activity at the office, my sources told me. Come Dec 21, that signboard will be taken down.
It's inevitable, if you ask me. Fox raised eyebrows 3 years ago when it started getting plum government-related jobs worth millions of ringgit despite its lack of track record, starting with the massive merger exercise of the three plantation giants. It went on to snap up many choice accounts, including the various economic corridors, the Monsoon Cup,the National Service, the Economic Planning Unit and even the Polis DiRaja Malaysia. The JB office was opened after Fox was given the Iskandar contract. The former journalist who quit NST's JB office to head Fox over there has started his own PR agency recently.
What it lacked in track record, Fox more than made up with its powerful connections. The two former editors who founded/headed Fox were close to the then 4th Floor, the MoF 2, one Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan, who was Pak Lah's media adviser then, and Khairy Jamaluddin, the PM's son-in-law.
Some people suspected Fox was set up by some insiders to cash in on the various projects which these insiders knew were coming on-stream, but this theory was never proven.
p.s. I hear there's a Fox copy-cat/wannabe out there as you read this. Najib, watch out!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Who killed Fox down south?
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APO?
ReplyDeleteRocky,
ReplyDeleteForget about FOX, the real issue down south is Iskandar Malaysia. Things are extremely bad in JB, IRDA is not moving due to poor business model and management issue, MB is not happy with the progress so far, the locals are not benefiting despite those big investment figure announced, and worst, lot of public money has been spent unnecessarily - hiring too many consultants, overpaid salary of IRDA staff, inflated projects cost for RMK9, and the list goes on. I hope PM and DPM will do something about it asap, before things exploded out of proposition.
Rocky,
ReplyDeleteForget about FOX, the real issue down south is Iskandar Malaysia. Things are extremely bad in JB, IRDA is not moving due to poor business model and management issue, MB is not happy with the progress so far, the locals are not benefiting despite those big investment figure announced, and worst, lot of public money has been spent unnecessarily - hiring too many consultants, overpaid salary of IRDA staff, inflated projects cost for RMK9, and the list goes on. I hope PM and DPM will do something about it asap, before things exploded out of propotion.
Foxy Lady
hahaha,good news indeed,I wonder,what happen to them?
ReplyDeletefoxy lady(mmm,foxy?),
is that true?what a huge shit pak lah left behind!!!
the only progress I saw is little signboard of koridors here and there..
Rocky and Foxy Lady,
ReplyDeleteHeard from reliable sources that MB of Johor is extremely unhappy with the current CEO of IRDA, Harun Johari, given the slow progress so far. He mentioned it to Tan Sri Azman of Khazanah about his plan to replace Harun back in June/July 09 and Azman requested Ghani to give Harun 3 more months. And 3 months later, which is now, MB Johor went again to see Tan Sri Azman FEW DAYS AGO, and they have agreed to replace Harun by end of the year. But the big question is do we really need IRDA in the first place to lure all those investments into Johor. Traditionally Johor has always been the top 3 states in Msia, in term of FDI, even before the establishment of Iskandar Msia, thanks to the hard work of MIDA and other promotional agencies in Johor.
And the next question is do we need Iskandar Msia when we already have JB? Why waste so much people's money on branding and concept and promotion when we can spend it other projects. Perhaps, the Government should use it to build the crooked bridge that will benefit Msia more in the long-term.
Purple Haze
BAB menghabiskan duit Negara,,,KHAIRY boleh menguruskan!!!
ReplyDeleteDi Persidangan Pemuda UMNO,,,Khairy SIAL proposed that the Goverment set up a YOUTH BANK to provide loans to help YOUNG entrepreneurs to venture into business,,,!!!!!!!
Elo Brother SIAL,,,Melayu mana reti business,,Always mengharapkan kerajaan bantu,,,,"BANGSAT"
Apa guna melalak 1 Malaysia,,,everybody equal,,,be fair to other races,,,,BODOH,,!!!!
Its better to change UMNO name to PERTUBUHAN KEBAJIKAN MASYARAKAT MELAYU,,,!!!!
-BODOLAGI-
On the contrary my dear Rocky. The FOX is still alive.
ReplyDeleteA FOX is a sly and cunning animal.
THEY named their outfit FOX to reflect the nature of their business and manipulative self.
So i googled what other animal has this same nature and i found a Racoon is also sly and cunning, also a Mongoose even a Rat for that matter.
And if it's a person, it would be (of course) KJ Khairy Jamaluddin and the king, the master of manipulation... you guessed it, Anwar Ibrahim!
So i think Najib should be wary of any outfit calling themselves either Racoon Communications or
Mongoose Sdn Bhd or
Rat-a-tatouile Enterprise or
KJ R U OK Public Relations or
A.I & Co. or something like that.
Of course if it's called FOXY ANWAR Communications it would mean something else then.
@#*!!!
Musang berbulu ayam ada di mana-mana...berhati-hati.
ReplyDeletebro,
ReplyDeleteinfos gathered were pointing to a group in putrajaya, trying to be another fox.
cant reveal it, not just yet until all infos are strong and tangible.
hopefully there wont be anymore of such an org. their main objective is to lucre where others cant.
Dear Foxy lady
ReplyDeleteI am 100% agreed with you. When you have so much up scale to offer and locals are not ready & no preparation for the local. We are sidelining. IRDA is suck esp Harun
Who killed Fox? Naw man, Fox just disbanded and will probably resurface in the form of another organization(s). But with the same people.
ReplyDeleteYep, what a game plan these guys have... setup a company, get juicy contracts and cash, transfer the money to who knows where, then... disband. Leaving only empty office space behind.
These guys don't even have a website...
Rocky,
ReplyDeleteIf u go around JB, u'll be surprised, most of the locals don't really know that they are in Iskandar Msia. They thought that Iskandar Msia refers to Nusajaya only, whereelse it actually covers the whole of JB district from PTP up to Pasir Gudang and Tg Langsat and Senai to the north. Now, if the locals also are not cleared about Iskandar Msia after 3 years since the launch of Ithe project by Pak Lah end of 2006, what does that mean? Obviously Iskandar Msia is not about/for the locals, but more for Khazanah, the Singaporeans, and foreign investors.
Its the biggest scam by Khazanah and KJ so far to take control of Johor's investment offerings. They even created IRDA to do dirty job for them, to lobby from the Federal/MoF for more budgets, incentives, etc in assuring their landbanks esp in Danga Bay and Nusajaya will give good returns to them.
If PM and DPM want to get back people's trust, scrapping this idiotic project called IsCuntThe Msia is definitely one of the answers. And dont forget to sack Amokh as well. What has Khazanah achieved since this joker became the CEO in 2004 (thanks to Pak Lah & KJ)?
Foxy Lady
If you boys from KL knows that after a period of time , nothing great coming out from your IRDA Wilayah whatever planning , which translate YOU GUYS ARE BUNCH OF IDIOTS wearing ties living life sucking tax money , please get out of my beloved state.
ReplyDeleteWe were doing so fine before you all came,transfering Gov admin to Nusajaya.Fine , you want to be another Putrajaya , but hell where is the transportation there ?? In the jin bertendang area you bulid classy cafe row. For who ? You dont even build government servants housing yet ? Sapa nak makan ?
No wonder crime rate is so bad , maybe all the IRDA taking most budget of our police force.You boys in KL maybe do not understand the need for us to have a safe environment to attract ultra crazy shoppers from Singapore.We need their money understand?But we cant have their money if JB is crime ridden , Singaporean are Kiasi.Their fear of death is real .
Please let Johorean handle ours matters,just send the fund down.You will pay the price dearly with numbers of votes.Didnt the loses of DUN seats in Johor suprised you all anyway?
Jamal JB
To: -BODOLAGI-
ReplyDeleteYou better watch your mouth (life and limbs as well)!
If you really hate KJ that much, why implicate the rest of the Malays as BANGSAT!
Gonna get you these days, watch out!
HatiHitam
No doubt, KJ si anak omak is obviously liability to Najib's government.
ReplyDeleteMuhyiddin mentioned clearly that UMNO should clear and free from all kaki cucuk, gunting dalam liputan etc, ..KJ is one of them !
Najib's government will be facing tremandous pressure and unnecessary problem in NEXT ELECTION for keeping si KJ in UMNO.
KJ is obviously..liability.
Count me in, HatiHitam
ReplyDeleteTerlanjur perahu boleh ditarik
Terlanjur kata buruk padahnya.
Jai Dam
Another kawan baik KJ yang masih berkuasa is Datuk Ismee, CEO of Tabung Haji - dulu dia nie direktor ECM Libra. KJ and Kali la yg letak dia kat situ (LTH) - to do the dirty job for them from inside. Dengar cerita contract Datuk Ismee akan expire hujung tahun nie; plis letak la org yg bersih sikit. Malu la, sampai Tabung Haji pun diaorg nak rompak? Tak sekolah ugama punya budak!
ReplyDeleteBudak Sekolah Agama Maahad
psst, rocky bro,
ReplyDeleteis the fox wannabe ALPHA something....chairman is Dato Johan Jaafar.
I see a clear conflict of interest there. shouldn't dato johan resign from ALpha (platform ,isn't it?).
he is in media prima. don't surprise me none if SUDDENLY Alpha whats-its-name gets plum jobs, just like FOX in its heyday did.
Jeez...what's good for the fox....
Rocky,
ReplyDeleteSo who got the job for 1Malaysia crap?
niaseng
KJ asked Malay to shed siege mentality, the reason for it - KJ is actually under siege.
ReplyDeleteDear Son-out-law, Please Read The Signal
Same shit lah Bru. The FOX asked for RM1.8 million retainer. Mana boleh...that's daylight robbery man
ReplyDeleteMUSANG BERBULU
Badawi needed a Fox to spin his crap but Najib only needed 1Rocky to do his bidding.
ReplyDeleteniaseng
ROCKY, who is this chairman of Fox shaik akmal haaytuddin. I dengar ada kena-mengena dengan Tan Sri Mohd Noor Yakcop. Why dont you investigate?
ReplyDeleterocky, sorry lambat sikit komen ni.
ReplyDeletei dont give a shit about fox, but i m concerned about the shit stirring on iskandar malaysia. the project is actually the only good thing left behind by Pak lah. implementation by irda however is not up to mark. nonetheless a good thing is a good thing. it only need to be improved. the singaporeans are really scared of this project. i think u got lots of singaporean trolls, stupid johorean contractors who didnt get contract in the project as well as disgruntled irda staff commenting here.
To Bodolagi.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of ars*hole are you? You hate Khairy but calling all Malays 'bangsat'.....wtf, if you really have balls, then show yourself up so that we know who is the coward bodopig behind your stupid nic. Moron!!
- JohnSleepyButAwakenDoe
Foxy Lady said "If u go around JB, u'll be surprised, most of the locals don't really know that they are in Iskandar Msia. They thought that Iskandar Msia refers to Nusajaya only, whereas it actually covers the whole of JB district from PTP up to Pasir Gudang and Tg Langsat and Senai to the north". How very true, Foxy Lady, I am a JB resident too and I only thought of Iskandar Malaysia as the Nusajaya Area between Bukit Indah and the CIQ.
ReplyDeleteI do not know what the heck IRDA is doing besides being famous among JB folks as aloof and overly paid bankers and accountants from KL running a cloak and dagger show but alas nothing to show in terms of solid investments coming from overseas. Our Menteri Besar has every right to complain about IRDA's non performance.
With the bilions already poured and much more planned to be piped into Iskandar Malaysia, the Ministry handling it (don't know really, does anybody know?) should really be setting a task force to check on IRDA's progress and performance. The PM and his Cabinet must immediately take LESSONS learnt from the PKFZ Billion Dollar Fiasco which started as a good project but was convoluted and turned into a financial scandal by grossly irresponsible Management and Supervision who reports to god knows who in the Government.
PM Najib should immediately look at the enlarging financial leakage at IRDA and appoint the KSN to Chair a task force of senior Civil Servants and Economist to oversee IRDA's BOD and Management.
Let's not have another PKFZ to happen in Johor the bastion of UMNO and BN. Any scandal of the magnitude of PKFZ in IRDA will let to BN losing a lot of loyal votes.
Thnks JAI DAM for the support.
ReplyDeleteHatiHitam
Pls swap all PLah project...koridor blablabla, iskandar, ecr, edp ,eee or watever e. we should never mention PLah is one of our PM and it should teach at the school.
ReplyDeletemangkuk-ayun
Big Cat,
ReplyDeleteKepala hotak kau la iskandar malaysia bagus untuk malaysia. "the singaporeans are really scared of this project". Apa kau merepek nie? Orang singapore la yang paling benefit dari projek nie. Yang beli rumah banyak2 kat nusajaya itu orang malaysia ka atau orang singapore? Kau ni orang KJ ka?
Kucing Siam
Eddy
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with u 100% bro. Why risk BN in Johor for some shit like Iskandar Malaysia? MB Johor must act fast!
Rakyat Johor
this drama is worst than tamil movie.
ReplyDeletebodolagi..
ReplyDeleteAGAIN!!!!!!
hoi retard, if you hate KJ so much,leave us alone then!!why condemned the rest of us as bangsat?bangsat means a bunch of immigrant like you.came here as a slaves to serves the brits.hahaha.bangsat!!!
full with hatred and vile,but i wonder why you here? you should join the throng and spend the of your life washing dishes.
Foxy Lady,
ReplyDeleteIsCuntThe Malaysia?
I like that.
Purple Haze,
No point of finding new CEO for IRDA, if the business model sucks, u put Warren Buffett or Donald Trump to run IRDA, im sure they will also fail. Just bite the bullet, close shop, and move on. Why waste people's money and time and more importantly trust?
RockyBru, minta izin...
ReplyDeletebig cat...iskandar malaysia IS NOT the only good thing left behind by Pak lah...
Iskandar Malaysia was a big rebranding con job. IRDA actually comprised of areas in South Johor earmarked for redevelopment during Dr Mahathir's time as PM and these included the Senai Airport, Pasir Gudang Port, Port of Tanjung Pelepas, the stalled bridge to replace Tambak Johor and ultimately the double track rail project running the length of the Peninsular.
It wasn't as Pak Lah had proclaimed as "my idea". His spinmasters convinced him to re-brand the project and it earned them hefty income through advertising and promotions of which Fox was said to have played a major role. Fox also made tonnes of money when Iskandar Malaysia was formally launched by HRH the Sultan.
The project under any other name is good as it would spur economic activity. But I agree that IRDA as project managers, not really up to mark...
FLANKER
The wana be FOX copy cat is Alpha Platform... a supposedly Malay firm, which is actually run by a Chinese lady...
ReplyDeleteKang Kang TEU Li.
Siapa lagi kalau bukan Alpha Platform - kaki bodek. Pasti angkara THAM bu THAM bi.
ReplyDeleteRaja Musa.
big cat,
ReplyDeletekau nie tahu ka apa yg kau cakap tu? kau tahu tak developer kat jb sekarang nie mintak kat irda supaya kurangkan bumi-quota untuk projek2 baru? konon2nya sbb orang melayu tak mampu. dan ditinggikan foreign limit supaya lebih ramai lagi singaporean boleh beli rumah kat jb. kalau perkara2 seperti ini tak dikawal, 20 tahun lagi, org2 melayu kat jb terpaksa la duduk sekat kulai ka, machap ka. rumah2 yg di jual kpd sporean tuh bukannya leasehold, tapi freehold. in fact, tananh yg jual kat pak arab kat nusajaya tuh pun freehold. yg aku takut, irda dan khazanah syok sendiri bagitau satu dunia ramai pelabur masuk, org melayu kat jb terlopong tak benefit apa2. iskandar msia mcm extension of spore la kalau tak betul2.
Samsul Majidee
big cat kalau bukan org kj, dia org harun irda. bodoh mcm buah pelir!
ReplyDeleteDear Rocky,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that KJ is involved as can be seen by the many comments.
Lets not cook the goose unless one has all the ingredients read substantiation.
Can anybody enlighten us?
To Eddy,
ReplyDeleteWell said and well done.
How about Ong Tee Kiat chairing a select cabinet committee to oversee the project?
Tutup aje la IRDA, buang duit rakyat aje. Aku duduk kat JB nie tak nampak pun bandar nie makin maju sejak kecoh pasal projek Iskandar Msia.
ReplyDeleteAzam Larkin
Pemuda2 UMNO JB dan orang2 UPEN Johor memang dah lama meluat dgn perangai budak2 IRDA yang berlagak pandai dan tak sedar diri. Terimakasih kepada Harun dan rakan2 MCKK nya dan mangkuk2 ayun dari POS Malaysia (Ikmal punya gang la nie).
ReplyDeleteUPIN & IPIN
Dear Freddie Kevin,
ReplyDeleteOng Tee Keat? no,no, no definitely no as this conniving lone ranger will try to turn IRDA into a political issue for MCA like he tried to do for the PKFZ and use it to prolong his unholy presidentship of the MCA. TQ.
Ghani Othman????
ReplyDeleteThe biggest joker of the century. Hopefully Johor will have new leader in the next election. Mr Ghani ... we had enufff ...
Bugis Johor
Dear Seri Mersing,
ReplyDeleteUnlike Fox, Alpha Platform has been around for a while. About a decade, I think. Tambu, the guy who heads Alpha, also co-founded Asia PR in the early 90s, which is still around. Johan Jaafar joined Alpha long before he was made chairman of Media Prima and well after he'd left Utusan Malaysia as its Editor in Chief, so there's little in the way of conflict of interest there, at least from how I view these things.
Thanks.
MACC kena la buat investigation ke atas IRDA dgn segera. Aku ada banyak dengar cerita tak sedap pasal IRDA dan IIB bagi projek RMK9 yang berbillion billion tuh. Ada banyak hanky panky dan undertable. Tangkap aje lahanat2 yang menjahanamkan org2 melayu untuk kepentingan peribadi.
ReplyDeleteGhani Othman terlampau sibuk dengan Iskandar Malaysia sampai org Johor panggil dia MB Iskandar Msia, bukan MB Johor lagi. Cuba tanya la penduduk2 di Kluang, Mersing, Batu Pahat, Kota Tinggi, Muar, Ledang, berapa kali la dia turun padang. Dia terlampau sibuk dengan projek2 kat Iskandar Msia la, terutamanya dgn kawan baik dia Dato' Lim Kang Hoo. Hmm...mcm ada yg tak kena kat sini. DPM, tukar aje la MB Iskandar Msia tu dgn org lain.
ReplyDeleteBatu Pahat mari
Dear Eddy,
ReplyDeleteRe:ONG TEE KIAT, you may be right again. But in his desperation, will do the job well, being under the microscope and all.
Regards
Freddie
I tot we have upraded. INstead of Fox upstart, the PR job is given to a plump US company for RM20 million.
ReplyDeleteGuess who came out with the 1Malaysia copycat?
Iskandar Malaysia is like a long term Jewish planning ideology in South East Asia region just like creating a Jewish State on Palestine after the WW2. In along run say 30 to 40 years we will struggle for the land with the investors who had dump their money claiming their bloody rights. Can we assure that this will not to happen? Singapore being close ally with Israel have the chance to expand with Iskandar Malaysia. Please save our land for our usage and for our people.
ReplyDelete"ROCKY, who is this chairman of Fox shaik akmal haaytuddin. I dengar ada kena-mengena dengan Tan Sri Mohd Noor Yakcop. Why dont you investigate?"
ReplyDeletetu pak menakan dia, vpi's boss aka 'alibaba' to efficient. both funded/own by glad tiding