Huang's Petaling Street faux pas

How some Malaysians reacted to news that
China is against terrorism, discrimination and extremism 

.

I spent 25 days last year riding in China and I loved every minute of it. I was treated well by the people, Ughyurs and Hans alike, even though the machine guns at the numerous sentries along the way served as a constant reminder to the visitor that all was (and still is) not well. Because of that, the last thing I'd want to do is to make fun of China. But the Chinese envoy to Malaysia really ought to be more diplomatic and less Guanengish and not be so judgemental of others, least of all his own kind and patient hosts, when making statements about race relations in Malaysia. 

We are well aware of China's own track record when it comes to its own minorities and the use of violence, so let us not go there.

Envoy in the news: Good intentions, wrong headlines!

Dr Huang Huikong can rest assured though that our police and authorities sans machine guns are more than capable of handling a few thousand red or yellow shirts who threatened to disrupt racial harmony in Malaysia, be it at Masjid India or Petaling Street. 

Not helping with matters

Over a million tourists from China visit Malaysia annually because we are beautiful, peaceful and cheap. Our Tourism Minister is even prepared to make a fool of himself as long as more Chinese come to our country, especially now that the Ringgit is so weak. ,You see, we don't even blame China for our currency's predicament when other countries in the same boat are claiming (not without justification) that it's Beijing's doing.

So please, Dr Huang, give us more credit lah. Promote Petaling Street and peace but no need to make any more claim about China's sterling race relations and all that crap or how Beining would not sit idly in the face of discrimination blah blah blah because all that's not helping. 

p.s. The picture above is just a gambar hiasan, a file pic. The blogger Big Dog had posted it on his FB and asked friends to add a caption to it, just for fun. Neither YB Hishammuddin Hussein, our Defence Minister, nor Big Dog reacted that way to Huang's claim. As a matter of fact, Big Dog seems more irritated by Nazri Aziz, the Tourism Minister in Anifah: Nazri is out of line!

Huang has also brought out the best of Helen Ang's sarcasm in Ambassador settles the question: We ARE Chinese -- Hooray!

How? How is Malaysia anti-Chinese?

My beloved Malaysia oppresses her Chinese?

How, if so, does anyone explain so many very rich Chinese in this country under the rule of this "racist" Umno?

The non-Chinese rich are in red, red being the so-called racist colour:

1, Robert Kuok, 91, $11.3B, diversified

2, Ananda Krishnan, 77, $9.7B, telecom

3, Quek Leng Chan, 74, $5.6B, banking & real estate

4, Lim Kok Thay, 64, $5.5B, casinos

5, Teh Hong Piow, 85, $5.4B, banking

6, Lee Shin Cheng, 76, $4.6B, palm oil & real estate

7, Yeoh Tiong Lay, 85, $3B, construction & real estate

8, Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary, 63, $2.9B, diversified

9, Goh Peng Ooi, 60, $1.6B, software

10, Lee Oi Hian & Lee Hau Hian, -, $1.5B, palm oil/chemicals/real estate

11, Tiong Hiew King, 80, $1.4B, timber/media

12, Surin Upatkoon (aka K.K Lau), 66, $1.3B, telecoms/lotteries/insurance

13, Danny Tan Chee Sing, 60, $1.3B, real estate

14, Vincent Tan, 63, $1.2B, diversified

15, Lau Cho Kun, 80, $1.1B, palm oil/real estate

16, Tan Heng Chew, 68, $1B, motor vehicles

17, G. Gnanalingam, 71, $985M, ports

18, Kuan Kam Hon, 67, $980M, synthetic gloves

19, Jeffrey Cheah, 70, $950M, real estate

20, Azman Hashim, 76, $865M, banking

21, Shahril & Shahriman Shamsuddin, -, $860M, oil & gas

22, Yaw Teck Seng & Yaw Chee Ming, -, $820M, forestry

23, Desmond Lim Siew Choon, 54, $780M, real estate

24, Chen Lip Keong, 68, $750M, casinos

25, Syed Azman Ibrahim, 55, $740M, transport/motor vehicles

26, Mokhzani Mahathir, 54, $700M, oil & gas services

27, Lim Kang Hoo, 61, $650M, real estate

28, Ahmayuddin bin Ahmad, 59, $600M, ports

29, Chia Song Kun, 65, $560M, food production

30, Ninian Mogan Lourdenadin, 61, $550M, real estate/retail

31, Kamarudin Meranun, 54, $540M, airlines

32, Ngau Boon Keat, 67, $535M, oil & gas

33, Anthony Fernandes, 51, $530M, airlines

34, Lim Kuang Sia, 63, $510M, rubber gloves

35, Ong Leong Huat, 71, $435M, finance/real estate

36, Chong Chook Yew, 92, $380M, real estate

37, Ling Chiong Ho, 64, $350M, palm oil/ships

38, Lim Han Weng, 63, $340M, oil & gas

39, Loh Kian Chong, 39, $325M, motor vehicles/palm oil

40, Leong Hoy Kum, 58, $320M, real estate

41, Lim Wee Chai, 57, $315M, rubber gloves

42, Gooi Seong Lim, 65, $310M, property/construction

43, Kua Sian Kooi, 63, $305M, insurance

44, Khoo Kay Peng, 76, $300M, retail/hotels

45, Khoo Cheng Hai, 74, $285M, real estate

46, Lim Teck Meng, 78, $280M, Manufacturing

47, Ng Chin Heng, 66, $275M, real estate

48, Tan Chin Nam, 89, $270M, real estate

49, Abdul Hamed Sepawi, 66, $255M, timber

50. Kong Chong Soon, 74, $240M, real estate

Thanks to Helen Ang for reminding us who, really, are the racists in this country.Some Malaysians are perpetuating the idea that the Malays and Umno are pursuing a racist agenda. Nothing is further from the truth. But why is Najib so tidak papa? Why isn't he taking action? 

I don't remember Helen asking so many questions in a single posting as she is in her latest one, How did racist Umno allow so many Chinese to become so rich?

Read also:
What does racist DAP really want? - Bujai
Duta China akan lawat kubur Chin Peng - Zam
Lessons from Paracells XXIII: China envoy should be summoned for Beting Patinggi Ali -Zakhir Mohd

What has happened to my beloved Statesman?

"He's done it again," my ex-corporate player friend alerted me this morning. I slowly got up, opened up the Mac, and read NAJIB (Sept 25), Dr Mahahtir Mohamad's latest blog entry, in which the former Prime Minister explained yet again why he wanted Najib ousted. "It is nothing personal," Dr M writes, "It is because he has failed terribly as Prime Minister".

"The posting is nothing but personal," I told the retired corporate player. It's not even new.

My friend said he agreed with me but asked me to read again the couple of paragraphs Tun M inserted on Altantuya's murder. "Can you stomach that?"

I read the said paragraphs:

33. Then came a bombshell. Al Jazeera screened the story of the murder of the Mongolian girl Altantuya. It was clear from the story that Najib has something to do with the murder.
34. Many Malaysians refuse to believe it. But people all over the world believe the story. It has become an international scandal. It has brought shame to Malaysia. Everywhere one goes, one is asked, “What has happened to Malaysia”.

"I beg your pardon, bro, but the question one must ask is, 'What has happened to Mahathir?'"

To be cont'd ...


27 Sept: So what has happened to Mahathir?

The Minister Salleh Said Keruak, on his blog, suggests that the Tun is delusional (The fallacy of who made Najib the PM, Sept 26).

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he had worked hard to make Najib Tun Razak the Prime Minister of Malaysia. So, since he made Najib the Prime Minister, then he has a right to remove him. This sounds like what they say in the US: if I can hire then I can fire. Actually this is not true and is a fallacy. Dr Mahathir is not Najib’s boss or employer who can just sack him as he pleases. Some may even call it delusional that one man can think he decides who should or should not lead the country, as if the democratic system in how we choose leaders and governments no longer exists.

The 1MDB, one of Dr Mahathir's favourite punching bags, thinks Dr M has dementia. (1MDB regrets Dr M easily forgets)

Tun Mahathir continues to reuse and recycle stale and unproven allegations, which have repeatedly been proven wrong. For example; Tun Mahathir previously claimed that RM42 billion was missing from 1MDB. Now, he claims that "over RM 20 billion cannot be traced or accounted for". For Tun Mahathir's benefit, a comprehensive breakdown of how 1MDB utilised its RM42 billion of debt – based on the company's audited financial statements – can be found here: http://1mdb.com.my/press-release/rm42-billion-all-accounted-for

Me, I think Dr Mahathir is neither delusional nor forgetful. But if his concern is "What has happened to Malaysia?", he certainly hasn't been helping either. Repeating over and over again the allegations against 1MDB and Najib is not due to dementia or takde modal. What he's doing is to make sure the issues against the PM and his pet project 1MDB alive and kick-able. To be fair, except for the US$700 million "donation" into the PM's account in 2013, all questions and issues raised by Dr M have been addressed. The idea is to make the people think that they haven't.

I am, therefore, inclined to agree wholeheartedly with seasoned journalist Jailani Haron when he suggested that 1MDB "stop entertaining Dr Mahathir". (Answer the rakyat, not Dr Mahathir, 26 Sept).

It goes on and on. Dr Mahathir and Najib, the former premier with 1 Malaysia Development Berhad.
No sign it will ever come to an end. The world is watching Malaysia, some of those who once envied our progress would love seeing us crawling. And the rakyat are well-divided.
I think 1MDB should stop 'entertaining' Dr Mahathir. If they wanna issue statement, its because of the rakyat. They deserve it more than Dr Mahathir.

I think the time has come for 1MDB to stop reacting and responding to those so-called recycled claims and allegations. It must have issued hundreds of press statements to just to that in the last half a year or so. It will be more useful to tell us, the rakyat, about its future plans - how 1MDB is going to make money, create jobs, and improve the quality of our lives.

Rally against ALL rallies: Why we should stand by Liow on this one

It needed to be said, and am I glad it's been said. YB Liow Tiong Lai, the Transport Minister and MCA President, is proving to be a man of few(er) words these days but with soundbites like this one he's making, I am sure rational Malaysians won't complain. Personally, I think such maturity is needed. It is certainly not politically right to say NO to ALL public rallies but, look, all those rallies from Yellow to Red have brought nothing but a growing distrust among the major races, especially between the Malays and the Chinese, so who cares? I don't. 

I hope Liow will stay the course and urge Prime Minsiter Najib Razak "to put a stop to all further rallies". 

"Clearly, they are threatening to tear the fabric of our nation apart. MCA is adamant that all mass rallies must be stopped. The way forward is to return to the values of our founding fathers.” - Stop all future rallies, MCA tells Najib, TMI 24/9/15

Najib's Qurbani

Despite a widely-publicized travel warning, Malaysian PM Najib Razak is in the US. As far as I know, he's still a free man. Najib will be celebrating the Hari Raya Korban (also known as Aidil Adha and Hari Raya Haji) in New York, where he's on a working visit and will be addressing the UN General Assembly, an annual gathering of leaders from around the globe. He had flown to the US from London, where he was not arrested. (see more at the end of this posting).

Masjid Sultan, Singapore

Meanwhile, my eve of AidilAdha was spent riding Singapore with Singaporeans Jamal, Yahya, Lim, Dann, Faizly, Hir Shuffi, Dinnie, a couple of Triumphs but mostly BMWs. Their country may just be a tiny dot but Singaporeans have big hearts, oversized even. Their hospitality first class, their generosity second to none, their humour just like us. The sacrificed much of the day to ride with the Asean Solidarity Xpedition to Kranji Memorial, the Mandai Zoo, Orchard Boulevard, Padang (where the F1 people were packing up and winding down), Makam Habib Noh, Chinatown, the Merlion, Mt Faber (where we could barely see Pulau Sentosa in a haze worse than KL's), and Kg Gelam, where the Malay Heritage Centre, Masjid Sultan and the excellent Mamanda restaurant are. They made it a most pleasant experience for the crew. 

Selamat Hari Raya Korban to my Dear Readers, especially those in Singapore. Moga pengorbanan kita direstuiNya.

Related:
“We welcome the Honourable Najib Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia to New York city,” says a billboard at the Times Square, in New York. - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-gets-times-square-billboard-welcome-in-new-york-bernama#sthash.bn9Ipwmw.dpuf

It's SABOTAGE! IGP, in Makkah, explains why Khairuddin had to be arrested

"INI JELAS MERUPAKAN SATU TINDAKAN YANG BERTUJUAN MENCABAR SISTEM PERUNDANGAN MALAYSIA, MENCALAR KREDIBILITI AGENSI PENGUATKUASA TEMPATAN DAN MENGUNDANG CAMPUR TANGAN ASING DALAM SISTEM DEMOKRASI NEGARA INI. TINDAKAN BELIAU INI MERUPAKAN SATU BENTUK SABOTAJ YANG BOLEH MENJEJASKAN KESTABILAN EKONOMI DAN KEDAULATAN NEGARA INI." - Khalid Abu Bakar, Inspector-General of Police, via Facebook

"This is clearly and act to challenge the Malaysian legal system, taint the credibility of local enforcement agencies, and open Malaysia's democratic system to foreign interference. His action is a form of sabotage that can destabilise this country's economy and sovereignty."

If there's one thing I will not stand for, it's Malaysians who go running to foreign authorities to undermine their own  people back home, claiming that they'd exhausted all avenues for recourse locally. That was why I could not support Hindraf, Bersih, and MCLM, to name a few, or when the Opposition went overseas purportedly to get anti-graft authorities there to arrest their political foes government instead of putting thier trust in our own MACC. I'm all for Malaysians abroad like Bakri Musa and (more recently) RPK who make it their part time job to criticize the country and her leaders in their writings and speeches when they could have enjoyed their haze-free days and Umnoless lives. Theirs, no matter how harsh and blunt, are constructive criticisms and not acts of sabotage. 

But Khairuddin, he's never known for being critical of anything. Until his police report against the 1MDB late last year, he was an obscure local Umno leader in Opposition-ruled Penang remembered for his notorious role as the publisher of the 50 Dalil book that helped bring down Anwar Ibrahim, then the Deputy Prime Minister, for abuse of power and sodomy. In the past weeks, Khairuddin has lodged reports against PM Najib Razak in the UK, Switzerland, France and Hong Kong. 

This week he was supposed to have flown to the US to get the FBI to investigate Najib and 1MDB for money laundering or stuff like that.

Stuff which, accoridng to Dr M, could lead to Najib's arrest once he leaves Malaysia. 

The Rise and Bias of Corporate Journalism

WSJ and the Malaysian PM: Clearly, no love lost

"Unfortunately The Wall Street Journal's analysis of Bernie's proposals isn't just another routine example of shoddy corporate journalism. It's an example of how the corporate media tries to discredit and discard anyone who they can't control. And that's not just bad news for our political process. It's also bad news for the Fourth Estate, which really should at least try to be honest in its critique of policy issues." - The Wall Street Journal's Attempt to Take Down Bernie Sanders Backfired, Truthout, 18/9/2-15

Wrong again, WSJ

A good Sunday read for students and practitioners of journalism. Not just because the WSJ, accused of promoting corporate journalism in America, seems of late to be quite infatuated with Malaysia, its Prime Minister and 1MDB but also because journalism as we know it is a dying profession.

Re WSJ, Bernie the US prospective presidential candidate isn't the only one fighting a battlle against the powerful media. Najib Razak faces the same predicament, for different reasons.

The PM's keeping his options open to sue the American media giant while the 1MDB, previously meek in dealing with unfair reporting, has openly slammed the WSJ and challenged it to have some decency and name its sources.

Oh dear, look at how Malaysia fares in money laundering!

17/9/2015: Just for your post-Merah/Marah/Maruah Rally reading pressure, now that the haze is back and since some Malaysians want others to believe that we, Malaysia, are a safe haven for money laundering ...

By By Mark Hosenball 

ZURICH, Sept 16 (Reuters) - While Malaysia's premier faces tough questions over the origin of hundreds of millions of dollars transferred to his bank accounts, the country has tentatively received good grades for its anti-money-laundering efforts from a team of international experts, documents reviewed by Reuters show. 

A draft report by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global body which monitors how countries fight illicit financial flows, said Malaysia had put in place a "robust policy framework" to combat money laundering. 

But it said the Asian country needed to be more effective in targeting high-risk offences and needs to pay more attention to transnational crime. 

The draft, dated Aug. 4 and marked for official use, said the FATF inspection team found the Malaysian government had a "strong political commitment and well functioning coordination structures" to fight money laundering and that "significant resources have been allocated" to investigations in this field. 

The FATF report, which is yet to be made public and could be subject to changes, comes as a high-profile financial scandal is undermining Malaysia's political stability and has hit its currency, the ringgit. 

A spokeswoman for FATF declined to comment. The Malaysian Prime Minister's Office had no immediate comment on the draft report. 

ASPIRING MEMBER 

FATF experts routinely visit member countries and those aspiring to become members to assess their efforts in combating money laundering. 

Malaysia has "privileged observer" status in FATF and is keen to be admitted to full membership, a FATF source told Reuters. 

But countries cannot qualify as full members unless they have put robust checks and balances in place.

FATF circulated a draft of its assessment on Malaysia to members who attended a plenary meeting held in Brisbane, Australia, in late June, according to a participant in the meeting. 

A few days later, the Wall Street Journal reported that investigators looking into suspected financial mismanagement at debt-ridden state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had traced close to $700 million of deposits moving from Singapore into a bank account of Premier Najib Razak. Reuters has not verified the Wall Street Journal report. 

Malaysia's anti-corruption agency has said the funds moved to Najib's accounts were a donation from an unidentified Middle East donor, and did not come from 1MDB. 

Najib, who is also the country's finance minister and chairman of 1MDB's advisory board, has denied taking any money for personal gain, saying corruption allegations are part of a malicious campaign to force him out of office. 

But pressure on him continues to mount after Swiss authorities said on Sept. 2 they had frozen funds in Swiss banks amid investigations into corruption and money laundering related to 1MDB. 

In its report, FATF said Malaysia has up-to-date anti-money-laundering laws and a "well-structured inter-agency cooperation framework", and that it disseminates "good quality financial intelligence" to a range of law enforcement agencies. 

It also said that Malaysia has been very successful in confiscating assets to combat tax evasion and goods smuggling. 

The report does offer some reservations regarding Malaysia's performance, noting that while its apparatus for conducting investigations and prosecutions is generally sound, the country had "produced minimal outcomes" and was "not effectively targeting its high risk offences." 

To date Malaysia had not prosecuted any cases related to the financing of terrorism, the report added. (Additional reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Lisa Jucca and Edmund Klamann)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3236885/Malaysia-gets-good-marks-anti-money-laundering-body.html#ixzz3lxnA4BzY
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People's power, this time in RED

Updated, 17/9

 "I treated people with respect and the respect was reciprocated." - journalist Jia Ning on her Facebook after covering the Marah Rally at Padang Merbok yesterday.


Original article: 

16/9/2015: I did not join the Red Shirt rally but I was hoping that their number wouldn't be too small as to be embarrassing. I certainly did not expect it to be huge. Not this huge. 

I told the Malaysian Digest, where these pictures came from, that "This is people's power, too." And yes, I'm sure Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Ali would have agreed.

What does it prove? 

That with enough dose of provocation, the Malays, who formed the majority of the Red Shirts today, will go out and march, too. If Bersih4, which was predominantly Chinese, can draw 50,000 people, the Red can bring as many if not more. If Yellow wants Najib Razak to quit, some other colour can fill up the streets and demand that the Prime Minister stays.

Now where does it get us? Nowhere.

Peaceful as the Merah rally is, you sense that the people are really marah (angry). Most of the protesters today came by chartered buses from out of Kuala Lumpur and as far as Kelantan, Perlis and Johor. Some of them were paid RM50 in allowance (Bersih4 paid RM300 because they raised funds from their richer, urban supporters) but it wasn't the money, one group of people told me. "It is about maruah (integrity). You don't stomp on pictures of our Malay leaders, that's kurang ajar. I am here to show my displeasure with you."

Rightly or wrongly, the DAP was made the target of the crowd's displeasure. And whether you like it or not, Melayu mudah lupa. They will forget the good that you've done because of the really bad that they think you are doing, even if you had been a hero before.

For me, that's the one sad thing about today's Red Shirt rally ...

So this is 1Malaysia! (And Happy Birthday to a mole!)

Selamat Hari Malaysia to all Malaysians,
regardless of whether you're
yellow or red
or white or blue
for our flag has all those hues - Anonymous

"My dream is to see balanced and fair development in the Government's efforts to close the gap between the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak." - Prime Minister Najib Razak in his Malaysia Day message, 16 Sept 2015 ["Pan-Borneo Highway the catalyst for Sabah and Sarawak's Economic Progress"]

16/9/2015: Some people may not want to admit it, but the fact remains that no Prime Minister has done more for Sabah and Sarawak than Najib Razak. And he's achieved that in such a short time, too. The Pan-Borneo Highway, which is being built more than 30 years after the completion of the North-South Expressway in the peninsula, is just one mega project to prove that Najib is walking the talk when it comes to giving meaning to the real 1Malaysia. May his dream come true. Amiin.

The PM's thoughts on Hari Malaysia, Di Bawah Payung Jalur Gemilang

Sedutan:

"Kita berjaya melakar identiti sebagai sebuah negara yang makmur yang mana terdiri daripada budaya dan adat resam berbeza. Negara manakah yang dapat menyatukan masyarakat yang terdiri daripada berbilang kaum seperti Malaysia?

Kita ada orang-orang Melayu, Cina, India, Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau, Kadazandusun, Bajau, Murut, dan sebagainya. Perbezaan di antara kita tidak menghalang kita hidup secara harmoni malah ia menjadi keunikan yang terserlah.

Dari segi keagamaan pula, kita saling menghormati kepercayaan agama masing-masing iaitu agama Islam, Kristian, Buddha, Sikh, dan Hindu sebagaimana yang termaktub dan terjamin dalam Perlembagaan kita.

Selama ini, kita sehati sejiwa dan berasa bangga dengan identiti kaum masing-masing dan bangsa kita iaitu bangsa Malaysia.

Namun kesemua ini tidak harus mengaibkan penilaian dan pandangan kita dari hakikat yang sebenar.

Tidak ada sesiapa yang boleh menafikan bahawa terdapat jurang perbezaan dari segi kemajuan dan pembangunan yang boleh dikatakan sebagai ketara jika dibandingkan antara Semenanjung Malaysia dengan kedua-dua negeri Sabah dan Sarawak ..."

p.s. Oh, Happy 4th Anniversary to The Mole, too! 

Hsien Loong's lesson for Najib Razak

Full story H E R E 

SAME OLD SHIT AGAIN, a childhood Singaporean friend wrote on his Facebook profile just after midnight. The one-line was clearly left there in reference to the results of the Singapore general election last night and clearly reflected many Singaporeans' frustration that despite the sweeping displeasure of cyber citizens towards the establishment - specifically the PAP that has ruled them since 1959 - the "real world" voted for status quo, more or less.

Lee Hsien Loong's massive victory in yesterday's general election had not been expected. On the cotnrary, many Singaporeans and pundits in Malaysia were confident that the Opposition would win a record number of seats against the ruling PAP.  I would have made a lot of money if I had wagered against the pundits. I had said that Hsien Loong will win big because of two factors:

1. the economic gawat: Singaporeans will vote for the safe and steady hands of the PAP in the hope that they will survive the rough patch that everyone's experiencing; and
2. they will vote with their heart: in respect to the legacy of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father and Hsien Loong's father, who died peacefully in March this year.

Here in Malaysia, a lot of people say Najib Razak and BN will lose if he calls for general election today. In fact, Dr Mahathir Mohamad thinks BN will lose as long as it is led by Najib. And he'd said this even before the US$700 million Arab donation, which is now a monkey on Najib's back, happened!

And just look at the way cyber citizens are attacking the PM and his Administaration (while whining about the death of democracy and freedom of expression!).  If you read nothing else but the comments in Rocky's Bru, for example, you'd think that BN and Umno and their leader Najib Razak will stand no change at all at the 14th GE.

Well, they thought the PAP was in for a drubbing yesterday!

Back in 2008, when the Opposition in Malaysia scored a big "victory" against Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Singapore government quickly invited some of the big bloggers who had ignited the movement against Pak Lah then to learn whatever they could.

Najib should be studying his friend Hsien Loong's remarkable victory intently. There are a lot of similarities between the two countries and peoples. I am sure the DAP is already compiling a report on what they needed to do in order to do better than their counterpart in the Republic.

Sound of Silence, Immortalized!

If you had loved Simon and Garfunkel's evergreen, you might love this too.

in the naked light i saw
10 thousand people maybe more
people talking without speaking
people hearing without listening

The Najib Conundrum: Sack pun salah, tak sack pun salah!

I beg your pardon, I was laughing out loud all night and morning reading some people's analyses on the outcome of yesterday's Umno Supreme Council meeting that I forgot to pen my own thoughts on the non-sacking of Muhyiddin Yassin, Shafie Afdal, Mukhriz Mahathir and several others from the party. The same people who said it would be cowardly for Najib Razak to sack Abang Din are now saying that the PM and Umno President had not the cojones to do it.

Lol!

Okay, okay.

Actually, I did make it known to the blogger Annie before yesterday's meeting that I agreed with what she had written in her Sept 5 posting Removing Muhyiddin:

Logically, Najib should remove Muhyiddin and replaces him with someone else as his deputy.
I can't see how they can work together now.
It will be too difficult for Najib to have Muhyiddin, who openly questions his decisions as prime minister and Umno president to continue being his right hand man over the next two and a half years before the next general election.

But, then again, didn't they say that politics is the art of the possible (or was it politics is the art of the impossible?). What we see as logical may not be so for the master politician. As Ben Okri once told us, "The magician and the politician have much in common; they both have to draw our attention away from what they are really doing".

What Annie was suggesting, effectively, was that for the sake of unity, Najib should do the illogical thing, i.e. to NOT sack Muhyiddin. And Najib did just that. And yes, the Umno grassroots are making their doas and thanking the Lord for the wisdom of their leader in this very trying times.

Actually, I did also convey to some who cared to listen, that sacking Muhyiddin wouldn't have been the worst thing Najib could have done. If Muhyiddin and the others had announced their resignation en masse yesterday, that would have been the worst thing that could happen to Najib.

But Muhyiddin did not quit. Was it because he had not the cojones to resign and stand up for what he was purported to be represent? Of was it because he, too, wants the party - and the Malays - to not disintegrate as a result of his disagreement with how his President deals with certain issues?

In any case, I think all of us were focusing too much on the outcome of the meeting that we forgot the essence of that meeting itself. I'm not sure if Raja Petra Kamaruddin, from his cafe in faraway England, has got it right but that's something for Abang Din (and Tony Pua, too, because he was mentioned in the story) to confirm or deny:

MUHYIDDIN ADMITS THERE IS A CONSPIRACY

What The Star did not report, however, is that Muhyiddin informed the Umno Supreme Council that he is aware of the conspiracy to topple Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak but he is not involved in the conspiracy or is part of it.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Many expected Umno Deputy President and ex-Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and a couple of other Umno leaders to get sacked today. At least that was the rumour that had been flying around and what the media had been playing up over the last few days.

This was what The Star reported:

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal retain their positions in Umno, putting to rest speculation that they would be shown the door following their removal from the Cabinet two months ago.

Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said both deputy president Muhyiddin and vice-president Shafie expressed their full commitment to the party and he appreciated their presence at the Supreme Council meeting Wednesday.

“The meeting took place in a pleasant setting and everyone showed a spirit of camaraderie. Both have also expressed their loyalty to the party and ensure its win in the next general election,” he told a press conference after chairing the meeting.

Najib also said the four-hour meeting also touched on issues pertaining to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, which the Government was doing its best to settle.

“We have requested six months for the 1MDB rationalisation plan to take place, in order for it to reduce its debts. So far we have received encouraging offers, but I cannot mention the details as it is still in the process of due diligence. Once this is done, we will make an official announcement,” he said.

What The Star did not report, however, is that Muhyiddin informed the Umno Supreme Council that he is aware of the conspiracy to topple Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak but he is not involved in the conspiracy or is part of it.

In one sweep Muhyiddin confirmed what was being denied these last few months — that there is a conspiracy to topple the Prime Minister. And this conspiracy involves a few agencies, or key people from a few agencies, such as MACC, AGC, BNM, PDRM, and so on.

Meanwhile, the IGP announced that PDRM has launched an investigation into this allegation of a conspiracy to topple the government. Hence this is being treated not just as a conspiracy to topple the Prime Minister but a conspiracy to topple the whole government.

What is interesting is that while Muhyiddin admitted that he is aware of the conspiracy, he did not explain why he kept quiet and did not bring it to the attention of the Prime Minister considering that the number two should be covering the number one’s back.

It is like a security guard at the bank telling the police that he was aware that a robbery was going to take place but he is not involved in the robbery — he just did nothing to stop the robbery.

What was the reason Muhyiddin kept his mouth shut? Did they threaten him that if he revealed the conspiracy then he, too, would be brought down? Or was he promised that if the conspiracy succeeds then he would become the beneficiary by taking over the job of Prime Minister?

Anyway, if they do go ahead with the plan to table a vote of no confidence against Najib in Parliament next month the answer to those questions would be revealed. If Muhyiddin refuses to join the vote then he is definitely not involved in or is part of that conspiracy. If, however, he joins the no confidence vote, then he is definitely with the anti-Najib group.

The Wall Street Journal has just published another story regarding 1MDB based on information that came from the PAC. That can only mean someone in the PAC sold that information to Wall Street Journal for a sum of money that has not been determined yet.

Of course, top of the list of suspects is DAP’s Tony Pua. No doubt it is still just a suspicion and the police are calling him in again to record his statement. But in Malaysia you are considered guilty until and unless you can prove your innocence. Even the Prime Minister is subjected to this standard of Malaysian justice.

So until and unless Tony Pua can prove that it was not him who sold the confidential PAC information to Wall Street Journal then we have to assume that he is the scoundrel who is using his position in the PAC to make money. That is how the Malaysian justice system works, even for Prime Ministers.

Who in PAC leaked confidental info to WSJ? And who the hell is Kamal Siddiqi?

Updated 10/9/15

Siapa KAMAL SIDDIQI nih?
"Kamal nampaknya kenal baik dengan kedua-dua belah pihak Tun Mahathir dan Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim." - The Unspinners

Original article 9/9/15:

We are further concerned as to who involved in the PAC hearings may have leaked this transcript, which is clearly an attempt to prejudice the PAC investigations and deny 1MDB its right to due process as provided for by the laws of Malaysia." - Arul Kanda, 1MDB

 1MDB Stands by Its Audited Accounts 

We refer to a biased article by the Wall Street Journal today relating to US$1.4 billion of payments made by 1MDB. We note that the Wall Street Journal does not name its source or provide any proof of the unproven allegations it is making, thereby seriously discrediting its sensationalist story. 

1MDB cannot speak on behalf of Aabar or IPIC nor can we comment on the accounting arrangements of third parties. 

What we can confirm is that the 1MDB audited financial statements clearly describe the amount and purpose of the payments, which for the avoidance of doubt, is structured as a deposit (i.e. a financial asset belonging to 1MDB and not an expense to 1MDB). 

Secondly, based on those payments, we can confirm that IPIC did provide and continues to provide, guarantees for the principal and interest of 2 x US$1.75 billion bonds issued by 1MDB, with a total principal and interest amount of approximately US$5.5 billion. 

Thirdly, we can confirm that 1MDB auditors, Deloitte, made specific and detailed enquiries on these payments prior to signing off on the 1MDB audited accounts. 

Fourthly, Deloitte has strongly defended its methodology and audit process of 1MDB at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearings, a bipartisan select committee of the Malaysian Parliament. Accordingly, the Wall Street Journal is wrong to state “it isn’t clear what happened to the funds”, at least not from a 1MDB perspective. 

More importantly, we are shocked that a hitherto reputable publisher such as the Wall Street Journal would make use of clearly confidential information in its reporting. We refer specifically to the WSJ confirming it has reviewed a “transcript of the proceedings”, from a parliamentary committee probing 1MDB, of which the only possible source is the PAC hearings on 1MDB. 

The Standing Orders of the Malaysian Parliament very clearly states that “the evidence taken before any Select Committee and any documents presented to such Committee shall not be published by any member of such Committee, or by any other person, before the Committee has presented its Report to the House”. 

The actions by Wall Street Journal are a potential breach of Malaysian law by a supposedly respectable foreign publication. We are further concerned as to who involved in the PAC hearings may have leaked this transcript, which is clearly an attempt to prejudice the PAC investigations and deny 1MDB its right to due process as provided for by the laws of Malaysia. 

1MDB strongly urges the relevant authorities to investigate this matter thoroughly and take all requisite action to preserve the process integrity and Standing Orders of the Malaysian Parliament.

Arul Kanda

President and Group Executive Director

1`MDB

p.s. The WSJ Report, see h e r e

Who the hell is Kamal Siddiqi? Read the Malay Mail's exclusive H E R E. 

Me, I heard it was Mr Kamal Siddiqi who arranged for the meeting between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Claire Brown and another between the former PM and Azmin Ali, the Selangor MB, in London recently. Wallahualam.