Saturday, December 28, 2013

Malaysians' Most Expensive Homes, Updated

Scroll right down for Updates and more pics:
I thought the Sarawak Report, which was set up to help Anwar Ibrahim defeat Najib Razak, was dead and buried after the general election was won by BN. Me wrong. Its tale about a RM110 million condo in New York purchased by a 36-year old Malaysian has been picked up in the last 24 hours by not only Malaysiakini but also by influential pro-establishment bloggers like Big Dog (Movie of the Week pick), The Scribe (Kesian Tun Abdul Razak) and Outside The Box (Umno Bloggers, Sekarang Kita Manpus)
The story about Riza Aziz has gone viral because he happens to be Rosmah Mansor's son from an earlier marriage; therefore, Najib Razak's stepson. Potent ingredients for an explosive expose! 
Here's a shot of the New York pad:

Now if the story's true, Riza's property is just the latest in the list of hot homes overseas owned by Malaysians which have been covered in the Malaysian socio-political blogosphere. 
Just last month, Malaysians were reading about a home supposedly owned by Opposition politician Saifuddin Nasution (Bernarkah rumah Saifudin di Australia RM73.3 juta?). 
I read somewhere that the PKR sec-gen had denied the story and purportedly told someone that it belonged to one Rahim Ghouse (Saifudin kata banglo di Australia milik Rahim Ghouse?). Not many of today's young Malaysians know who Mr Ghouse is. Ask Anwar Ibrahim, he'd probably remember who Ghouse is and how/where he got all that money. 
In any case, here's the house that was supposed to belong to Rahim Ghouse after Saifuddin denied it was his. Slightly cheaper than stepson's purported Big Apple pad:


Back in March 2009, this very blog posted From Perth to Ottawa about one of the most expensive homes in Ottawa belonging to a Jamilah, the daughter of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, and her Canadian husband.
You've got to admit, this is one beautiful home: 


And then there's the famous home in Mosman Park overlooking the unforgettable bay in Perth. First thought to belong to former Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, it was later revealed by a close relative that the house, which was said to cost some A$10 million, actually belonged to Kamaluddin Abdullah, the son. 
Never mind the house, one will be mesmerised all day by the view:

PKR's Tian Chua was quick to call on the MACC to investigate Riza's condo in New York. I'm not sure if the MACC could, should or would do that, but a politician half as sleek as Tian Chua would know that the call itself is enough to build the perception that corruption is somehow involved in the purchase of the apartment. Never mind if Riza is not Najib's son; he is Rosmah's and that's more than enough to end 2013 on a juicy note for some people!

Updated, 28 Dec:

Last year's news. Forgot to let Tian Chua know in my original posting that this Big Apple condo "expose" by Sarawak Report had actually been exposed in December last year (twenty twelve) by celebrity photographer Kee Hua Chee, who even explained how Riza Aziz made his money. Nobody paid too much attention back then, for some reason.




Read Kee Hua Chee's Dec 13 last year (2012) posting h e r eEven throws in an interview with Riza and his business partner Joey McFarland on the making of the US$100 million Wolf of Wall Street starring Leonardo DiCaprio and the duo's company Red Granite.

33 comments:

  1. Datuk,

    Minyak naik harga. Ayam naik harga. Gula naik harga. Rokok naik harga. Ni letrik pun akan naik harga. Tol pun akan naik harga.

    Kos hidup bagi majoriti rakyat makin meningkat. Kualiti hidup makin menurun.

    Rosmah dgn bersenang lenang belanja duit kerajaan. Naik jet, pergi lawatan sana & sini. Siap bawak media lagi utk tonjolkan muka.

    Rakyat makin menyampah!

    Sekarang ni cerita anak dia beli condo harga RM110j. Lagi ramai rakyat makin meluat!

    Kalau Najib laki bini makin tak sador diri, nanti rakyat benci. Rasa marah mudah sangat jadi benci!

    BTW, semua address tu kat luor negara. Rakyat biasa nak keluo negara pun tak mampu, ni pulak nak beli harta!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:14 pm

      Kenyang yembolok ko telan fitnah bulat2

      Delete
  2. Anonymous9:36 pm

    Assalamualaikum...
    saya suekew rencana nin...
    alang2 nk mengata..tunjukkan semua perbandingan....jgn sebelah pihak jew.....tabik spring kat dato rocky..u r rock..peace...he he he...siyes..saya sueker cenggini...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12:03 am

    True, not related to Najib.

    Hey, my family bought Marina Bay Suites in Singapore costing over RM17 million each, and I personally had no idea about it. They didn't mention it at breakfast.

    So I'm clean. And don't you all forget that.

    Though I'm quite sad you didn't show the picture, they are such nice suites. Ah well.

    Next time.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous1:25 am

    http://malaysiagazette.com/nasional/pencapaian-riza-hasil-usaha-sendiri#axzz2on7w3lzH

    ReplyDelete
  5. IT.Scheiss7:12 am

    The only issue I can see Riza faces is that a movie he helped finance was rated lower that X, and Rosmah allegedly said that Malaysian school children should see it.

    If not for that,Riza would be hailed as a Bumiputra businessman who made good in the U.S., without the benefit of affirmative action.

    What proof do they have that he was able to buy that house with the proceeds of corruption in Malaysia.

    It's not that such things cannot and do not happen but where's the proof that Riza is guilty of such misdeed.

    So this is the gutter into which Malaysian politics has descended.

    BTW.Remember the fuss Lawyers for Liberty made over the deportation of Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari back to Saudi Arabia for tweeting messages deemed by fellow tweeters to be insulting to the Prophet Mohammad?

    Well, Wikipedia says that Hamza was released in October but I don't see any mention of it on Laywers for Liberty's website.

    "After nearly two years in prison, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday October 29, 2013 freed the young Saudi writer whose tweets on Mohammad sparked a conservative furor and an international manhunt. Kashgari used Twitter to inform his supporters of his release. Kashgari’s lawyer, Abdul Rahman Allahim, confirmed the release in another tweet. He returned home where he was reunited with his mother."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamza_Kashgari

    I searched Lawyers of Liberty's website on "Hamza Kashgari" and found no mention of his release after twoyears of detention without trial.

    http://www.lawyersforliberty.org/

    So it seems that once Hamza Kashgari no longer serves their agenda, they just forgot about him.

    I signed an independent online petition to the Saudi authorities two years ago to spare his life and I'm glad he's now free and unharmed.

    That's why I don't trust these "human rights" NGOs, whatever they claim to stand for.



    ReplyDelete
  6. Seronok jadi pemimpin d Msia ni....ank ank blh hidup mewah..oi Melayu...yg sokong PKR dan PAS..yg sokong BN...hampa kena perbodoh saja...jadi jgn lah dok gadoh sama sendiri...Melayu kot bwh ni..kot tengah x sampai atas...yg dok demo sana sini..yg dok cium tgn cium pungkork pemimpin hampa..bersatu laa..tolak jenis pemimpin yg dok saik bina kekayaan nii...awat Melayu bodoh sngt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alaa hang ni dah orghang kampong, dok meghepek macam orang kampong juga, so hang mcm mana nak jadi kaya.

      Keluaq la darghi kepompong kampong hang tu..jangan dok merghepek tuduh orang tanpa bukti mcm orang utan kampong. Hang dok pakai law of the kampong (jungle) tuduh orghang sembrono, tu yang hang tak jadi kaya, orghang laon dah kaya, hang dok batat tang tu jugak..

      Delete
    2. Alaa hang ni dah orghang kampong, dok meghepek macam orang kampong juga, so hang mcm mana nak jadi kaya.

      Keluaq la darghi kepompong kampong hang tu..jangan dok merghepek tuduh orang tanpa bukti mcm orang utan kampong. Hang dok pakai law of the kampong (jungle) tuduh orghang sembrono, tu yang hang tak jadi kaya, orghang laon dah kaya, hang dok batat tang tu jugak..

      Delete
  7. najib manaukau8:15 am

    Didn't I tell you before that the people you have to worry about are your own kind !

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gracious Greeting,sdr Rocky.I was thinking what is the motive of this article.insunation I guest.While rakyat is feeling the hardship.the childrens of malaysia leaders enjoying cosy living oversea.
    Good to psyhco the malays masses and showed there is a class struggle between the rich and poor.UMNO never change,corruption is prevalent.Proof not importance but as long as we can invoke the emotion,that served our narrow and selfish interest.
    Malaysia Corruption agency,why are you still waiting.Go to New York/L.A and start investigation. Still waiting for police report.come on....We the Malay masses do not know where is New York,Los Angelis .Let us make the Malaysia Nation a clean country and zero tolerance corruption.But ifevery thing is in order,please report back to the Public.Don't just keep quiet.
    Good job sdr Rocky.Happy Ney Year.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous9:54 am

    Yang sebenarnya orang Melayu tak boleh tengok orang Melayu kaya dan berjaya. Riza Aziz berusaha dangan daya usaha sendiri. Filemnya naik bukan kerana Najib dan Rosmah, tetapi diterima oleh masyarakat duniia. Industri filem diAmerika tidak ada ada kenamengena dengan politik Malaysia. Biarlah seorang anak Melayu menempah nama dipersada antarabangsa.

    Kaum nabi Luth terutamanya Anwar tak boleh hidup senang tengok orang Melayu berjaya. Tengoklah hasad dengkinya kepada Syed Mokhtar. Aku cadangkan Anwar dapat anugerah Malaysian of the year kerana fitnahnya, bohongnya, dengkinya, rasuahnya, mencurinya, meliwatnya, menzinanya dll tidak pernah dibuat orang malah jahatnya tidak diinsafi dan saya percaya tuhan telah menutup pintu hatinya yang hitam.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous10:03 am

    Bonga-Bonga.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous10:33 am

    This is a feeble attempt at damage control - a case of four wrongs might make one right.

    I wonder what has become of your journalistic prowess datuk.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous11:34 am

    @ safiai saad

    "Let us make the Malaysia Nation a clean country and zero tolerance corruption."

    Very hard sir.

    The Auditor-Gneral's report shows us massive government corruption every year. This is not khabar angin. This is a fact, it is all documented. It is tens of billions annually.

    Have any Ministers resigned? Has anyone been charged? Do government people want it to stop? No.

    I can tell you that in Malaysia everything is "under table" otherwise you get no Ministry contracts.

    We should not worry too much about this young boy and his RM110 million home. That is nothing. The bigger picture with billions has been happening every year. It is happening right now.

    ReplyDelete
  13. trifling-jester2:06 pm

    Matathirs son - billionaire.
    Badawi's son - billionaire.
    Najib's son - hundred millionaire!

    people like rocky would want you to believe its hard work and intelligence ofcourse

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous2:09 pm

    Anon 1203

    You bought a suit in Singapore? Congrats lah. But so many tailors in Malaysia why you go Singapore to make your suit? Buy ready made like me lah.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous said...
    This is a feeble attempt at damage control - a case of four wrongs might make one right.

    I wonder what has become of your journalistic prowess datuk.

    10:33 am

    xxxxx

    Anon,

    I've added a useful context to the whole Riza Aziz condo story in the form of the original "expose" done a year ago - yes back in Dec 2012, pls revisit the posting.

    I admit I also forgot to mention in the posting the apartment that Kamaluddin Pak Lah allegedly asked the late TS Nasimuddin to buy in exchange for shares in Proton.

    I hope to revisit that transaction soon, not to prove my prowess but because it's newsworthy like hell.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous2:26 pm

    it scheiss you are stupid. you dont know how stupid you are. it is wrong to punish anyone for what they say. that was the wrong that was done. two years jail, two weeks jail, beheading, hanging are all punishments which differ by degree. If you dont understand try to look at it this way. lets say you should be thrown in jail for two years for saying what you have just said. would you agree to that? ok does it make it any better if you are thrown in jail for just two months ? how about two weeks? whats two weeks in jail? its nothing. so can you volunteer to be thrown in jail in saudi arabia for two weeks for making a stupid statement that "insulting people" is a punishable offense?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous2:43 pm

    Thank you for highlighting all the other expensive homes. Is it a coincidence that they were all bought with stolen money, corruption money and money that was ill gotten? Or is that what you are really pointing out here?

    Unless you are suggesting that Anwar's bagman Rahim Ghouse has financial prowess better than Anwar's ass whacking prowess? Or that Taib Mahmud's daughter was a better investment manager in wherever than in Sarawak?

    Or that Kamaluddin Abdullah worked hard and earned his millions thru blood and sweat. You must be joking. We all know that all those homes were bought with ill gotten gains.

    To point out Rosmah's son buying a RM100 million apartment in New York only adds to the list of children and cronies of the powerful who are extraordinarily wealthy.

    Unless you are suggesting that the moment you are a Malay, and the son of a politician or minister or the FLOM etc your underperforming MALAY DNA (which suffers such a huge craving for subsidies, crutchesy and the NEP inside Malaysia) suddenly soars free outside Malaysia and can generate huge wealth? It looks like you have found the solution to the curse of the underperforming Malay. Just send them outside the country.

    Lets get back to earth. There is no such thing. These are "subsidy monies" too that rightly belong to you and others that has been siphoned off by the sons and daughters of the powerful and connected to splurge overseas. Why u should try and defend them is a question that has an easy answer.

    ReplyDelete
  18. never heard of this producer. I hope whatever money being spent is not from the mother's wheeling and dealing.
    Why is it so many of our elites buying properties overseas? Its cheaper to just stay in a hotel unless of course, they will not be coming back.
    If commission for submarine is RM500 mil, what about the f-18 jets, the Mig 29 and the sukhoi 27 we bought previously. What was the commission then when Najib was defence Minister?

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  19. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  20. Anonymous8:34 pm

    Assalamualaikum...
    saya xmarah harga semua naik...tp yg buat saya hangin 2 badan...pemimpin kata 400juta subsidi (maaf klo silap)amat membebankan negara..400juta tok satu malaya termasuk pendatang tanpa izin...7.2 bilien p tok xberapa kerat org..dunia mmg tak pernah adil...tp sebagai pemimpin...cuba2lah belajar berfikir dan mencontohi pemimpin terulung silam bagaimana mereka memimpin negara dan rakyatnya....janji ditepati saper punya cogankata....rakyat dan pemimpin mesti bersama2 berjimat ketika berbelanja....

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous10:05 pm


    @Anon 2:09 pm

    Ha ha bro, you are right. But you see my Marina Bay Suites were bought with money meant for cows. I'm not joking bro. And I still managed to get back into ppowrr in umno, because corruption and umno kind of work hand in hand, y'know?

    Quote:

    "To point out Rosmah's son buying a RM100 million apartment in New York only adds to the list of children and cronies of the powerful who are extraordinarily wealthy."

    Yeah. This "expose" is seriously a dime a dozen. And only RM110 million? What kind of money is that?

    I miss the good old days, when my daddy took about RM1.7 billion out of Petronas to rescue all my sinking ships. That's REAL money, don't jeles OK Riza?


    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous10:24 pm

    Sick kampong gred F mentality...the rich are bad..the poor are noble. Goverment is cruel the opposition is so great....so far never have their accusations been proved...all they live for is to benci..benci..benci..sampai otak naik biol

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous11:44 pm

    I think Kee Hua Chee is giving you hint that Riza is successful because he is welcome by the GAY community in Hollywood. Think about it,look at his photos in other bloggs,he is always with his boyfriends.

    Alfie

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous7:09 am

    Are u getting old rocky? Old rocks the confused and lost blogger. Mind asking what is it u're trying to prove here? Instead of getting to the point how much Riza as producer can earn, u're hinting at corruption is involved. If it is true, how does corruption connects the purchase of the condo?

    Orang melayu paling DENGKI. Are you not? Jealous that others are successful than u meager paid peasant?

    Get a life you old rocks! As neutral reader, I just read your open DENGKI-ness. Pathetic!

    ReplyDelete
  25. IT.Scheiss7:53 am

    My dear Anonymous,

    Thanks for your reply:-

    "it scheiss you are stupid. you dont know how stupid you are. it is wrong to punish anyone for what they say. that was the wrong that was done. two years jail, two weeks jail, beheading, hanging are all punishments which differ by degree. If you dont understand try to look at it this way. lets say you should be thrown in jail for two years for saying what you have just said. would you agree to that? ok does it make it any better if you are thrown in jail for just two months ? how about two weeks? whats two weeks in jail? its nothing. so can you volunteer to be thrown in jail in saudi arabia for two weeks for making a stupid statement that "insulting people" is a punishable offense?"

    Hmmm! I wonder whether you understand English and what I wrote. I guess you are a product of the Malaysian education system, so I can't really blame you. Thankfully, I'm a bant boomer, not Gen Y.

    Where did I say that I agreed with the Saudi's treatment of Hamza Kashgari for merely saying what he said?

    Lawyers of Liberty were criticised the Malaysian government over it allowing the deportation of Hamza Kashgari two year earlier and rightly so, but said nothing more about Hamza's fate in Saudi Arabia after he was deported but instead continued to take issue with the Malaysian government after the proverbial "horse had bolted."

    I had to follow up on Hamza's fate from what little else was available online, and I signed a petition to the Saudi Authorities asking for leniency to be shown towards him and his life spared, which is what eventually happened, petition or otherwise.

    That raises questions as to whether Lawyers for Liberty actually cares about Hamza or whether it just wanted to use him to serve its own agenda, then forgot about him once he was no longer useful to them.

    I expected that it would have at least posted updates on its website about the progress of Hamza's fate IN Saudi Arabia but there were none.

    Why no mention of has release and that thankfully, he's still alive, despite his two year detention without trial. Shouldn't they be celebrating his release?

    I am glad he's still alive and is free now.

    What is your feeling now, that Hamza was not executed, even though he could have been?

    Aren't you glad he's alive or do you prefer that he was executed, so as to provide more fodder for NGOs to bash the Malaysian government with?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous1:23 pm

    Anon 7:09 am

    To be fair to him, "old Rocks" is neither supporting nor denying this Riza story. Read again carefully.

    "...but a politician half as sleek as Tian Chua would know that the call itself is enough to build the perception that corruption is somehow involved in the purchase of the apartment. Never mind if Riza is not Najib's son; he is Rosmah's and that's more than enough to end 2013 on a juicy note for some people."

    OK, more like defending the PM and distancing him from this. Cari makan, lah.

    Also, don't assume all us paid bloggers are "meager paid peasants", OK. Some of us make RM30K a month from taxpayer money, u got that, Mr. Anon 7:09 am?

    One day I will also become a "bapak ayam" for all the umno bloggers, then I hope I will get 15% commission.

    After that, I go New York buy Riza's apartment for RM200 mil. Jangan main main!

    ReplyDelete
  27. trifling-jester1:59 pm

    Anon 7:09 by your stupid warped logic, anyone who is massively rich from corruption cant be questioned - because its DENGKI.

    how frikking stupid is that

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous5:57 pm

    IT you sound like a person who found your place in society without help in the 60s and 70s. I cannot understand how you can say such a thing.

    ReplyDelete
  29. IT.Scheiss10:53 am

    Dear Anonymous,

    "IT you sound like a person who found your place in society without help in the 60s and 70s. I cannot understand how you can say such a thing."

    Yes you are right that I'm an old fart from the 60s and 70s, the first batch to take the MCE (SPM) - i.e in 1970.

    Getting back to your (or another Anonymous') earlier reply,

    "it scheiss you are stupid. you dont know how stupid you are. it is wrong to punish anyone for what they say."

    Either you or that Anonymous apparently did not notice the word "deemed" in my original posting below.

    "BTW.Remember the fuss Lawyers for Liberty made over the deportation of Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari back to Saudi Arabia for tweeting messages deemed by fellow tweeters to be insulting to the Prophet Mohammad?"

    From what I read at the time, Saudis on Twitter demanded that the Saudi government take action against Hamza, which they did.

    If they had not, perhaps his tweet would have passed un-noticed and been forgotten. So it was sort of a "Trial by Twitter."

    As for current education system, why is it that graduates today require retraining to make them employable, when in my time, SPM, certificate, diploma and degree holders applied and got a job after some months?

    Many from my time who had to find work after their SPM because ethey could not afford higher studies, have had successful careers and are well to do today.

    Likewise, those of us with a certificate, diploma or degree made our applications and got a job after several tries, without having to go for re-training.

    The standard reply I get is that we are now in the information age so we need soft skills, practical skills, etc., as if we did not require those skills back then.

    I don't quite buy that, especially not when it comes to technical or scientific jobs.

    Do IT graduates in India have to undergo re-training to find work as IT developers, programmers, etc.? I've not heard of it.

    Are all those engineers and software developers in companies like Samsung, LG, etc. great at English? In fact, not that many South Koreans speak English well. Ditto for the Japanese and Germans too.

    Anyway, one does not need a degree to be a secretary, office administrator or a marketing executive, contact centre agent, journalist, etc. but with a abundance of young degree holders today, companies just want degree holders for positions which don't really need a degree.

    An official report - ICT Human Capital Development Framework of 28 October 2010 by the National ICT Human Resources Task Force, describes deficiencies in Malaysia's IT education, curriculum, qualifications and IT graduate employability at great length.

    The report also points out that the number of students applying to pursue courses in ICT has dropped to a low after an initial peak, as students prefer to pursue "traditional" degrees, such as in law, medicine, engineering and accountancy, and I don't blame them, as such professionals continue to earn a good living.

    So, what else do you expect me to think about our current education system, public and private, when an official task force admits quite frankly to such deficiencies, such as about 80% of ICT graduates from Malaysian universities and colleges not being up to the standard required by the ICT industry?

    The report is (or was) available online.

    Perhaps you may want to download a copy.

    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete