Rejal, Malaysian journalism's straight arrow

Rejal

When Tokoh Wartawan Negara 2015 Rejal Arbee came over from Bernama to take over from Henry Chang as Editor of the  Business Times in the late 80s, his reputation preceded him. As editor, Rejal was known to be uninterested in office or political intrigues, he stood by his journalists even if he had to stand in the dock, and defended his profession as if his life depended on it. 

Judging by the way he's condemning the Edge's owner over the bribery scandal involving the infamous Justo Andre Xavier, the man hasn't changed a bit.

Justo tainted The Edge’s owner, says national journalism laureate 

BY YISWAREE PALANSAMY

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 ― Media owner Datuk Tong Kooi Ong lost the legitimacy to accuse the government of corruption as the basis of his claims was stolen information he obtained by misleading Swiss national Justo Andre Xavier, new national journalism laureate Datuk Ahmad Rejal Arbee (pic) said. 

Ahmad Rejal also dismissed Tong's claim in July this year that he had to misled former PetroSaudi Internationl executive to expose corruption involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). 

“The press always talk about corruption but once you join in, what legitimacy is there for you to question? What rights have you got? You yourself do it. 

“Once you try to bribe the people, you flout the law. And for me, for The Edge to do that, I think it was right for the government to pull them out… actually the government should charge them in court,” Ahmad Rejal told Malay Mail Online in an exclusive interview.

On July 27, Tong and Ho Kay Tat, the publisher of The Edge Media Group publicly confessed to cheating Justo over a promised US$2 million (RM7.6 million) payment in return for documents the Swiss man stole from his former employer PetroSaudi. 

Both Tong and Ho insisted they had not tampered with the documents provided by Justo as alleged, and said they have handed an exact copy of the data they obtained to Bank Negara Malaysia, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police as evidence in the ongoing investigation. 

Shortly after their admission, the Home Ministry suspended printing permits of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily on grounds their 1MDB reports are in breach of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984. 

On September 21,  the Kuala Lumpur High Court quashed the Home Ministry’s three-month suspension order on The Edge Financial Daily and The Edge Weekly over the said reports. 

Yesterday, national news agency Bernama reported that Justo will sue Tong, Ho and Sarawak Report found Clare Rewcastle-Brown to seek the return of the stolen PetroSaudi data. 

A Thai court sentenced Justo to three years in jail on August 17 after he pled guilty to blackmailing his former employer.

p.s. Wonder if the other two living Tokoh Wartawan Negara recipients agree with Rejal ... Read Not all willing to openly agree with Kay Tat's way, The Mole,  22 July 2015

Why I won't thump Noh Omar for "defending" Tony Pua

Updated: Just as Noh Omar may have feared, Pua is trying to wriggle out of the live debate that he had asked for in the first place [see article below, h e r e]. I hope Arul will be kind enough to let him keep his PAC post so that Pua will have no more excuses but to let the debate happen. 

 

Original article:

At first I felt like thumping Noh Omar for speaking "for" YB Tony Pua h e r e. Because I happen to agree with the majority view that if Pua wanted a debate with Arul Kanda, he should stop wearing the PAC hat and take on the 1MDB man on a level playing field. Otherwise, Pua should wait for the PAC to formally interrogate Arul. He can't have his cake and eat it too.

But then a pal pointed out to me that Noh had made that "no conditions" statement because the UMNO man feared that Pua would just use that as an excuse to get out of the debate. "Noh Omar tak mahu Tony cabut lari, bro," he said.  

Ball in his court now 

The debate has turned out to be a trap Pua had laid for himself, so it seems. The DAP man had challenged Arul to the debate thinking that the 1MDB chief would cower in fear. But Arul, who had said he'd face anyone on 1MDB, didn't even blink an eyelid (Arul to Pua: Challenge accepted). Arul only asked that Pua quits his PAC post (by virtue that PAC is investigating 1MDB) so that Malaysians get a good, clean fight. 

RTM has said it will broadcast debate live. Even the staunchest 1MDB-Arul critics are looking at Arul in a slightly different light after he'd accepted Pua's duel wihout flinching: I sense a bit more regards for the underdog here. 

Those who know Arul know that the man is no chicken. He's not just bald, he's bold and brave. And he's got the credentials. The RMC boy has dealt with the most powerful men in the world, men whose wealth will make Ananda Krishnan look like a crony. Pua is 1MDB's longest critic (since 2011, at least) but not the most effective. The 1MDB issue only gained traction after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad picked it up early this year to lead his campaign to oust Prime Minister Najib Razak.  

Arul didn't join the 1MDB until 2015 so he doesn't give a hoot to what happened before his time. He's said that he will not try and defend any wrong doing if there was any between 2009 and 2014. It is going to be very difficult for Pua to try and pin this guy down in an open debate, especially with millions watching 

In other words, I think Pua had made a mistake in challenging Arul to the debate. But since the challenge has been accepted, Pua would be forever seen as a coward if he backs out now. For party and comrades, Pua has to get into the ring. Only this time, and for once, he doesn't get to play judge, jury and executioner. 

Read also:
PAC colleague condemns Pua's challenge to Arul as an insult to Parliament
Arul hottest topic on Twitter after debate dare with Pua
Pua may seek revenge if Arul thrashes him in debate
Resign first, says Nazri Aziz

Blue skies over Kuala Lumpur!

A blue TTDI - Pic by Nuraina A. Samad

I know the Ringgit is taking a beating, the Rafizi-led Opposition strikers are trying to take away the credit from Najib Razak for having introduced the life-saving GST, that Muhyiddin Yasin may not be in the Umno Supreme Council for long, and that we need to thrash out the TPPA issue, the question of Myanmar's membership for a genocide-free Asean, and consider how life would be when PAS and UMNO hug each other, etc etc... BUT all that can wait because, bros and sis, the sun is shining and for the first time in many months the sky over us is blue again! 

I'm taking a break to enjoy today, for the haze may come back tomorrow. I advise you do the same.

Should Muhyiddin quit UMNO?

Updated:

 Anonymous said...
Hoho. Actually title should be: SHOULDN'T MUHYIDDIN QUIT UMNO?
7:58 a.m.

Original article:

Reluctant wannabe no more. What former DPM Muhyiddin Yassin said, about Dr Mahathir Mohamad's offer to him to be Prime Minister after Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was true. He turned Mahathir down - not once but at least twice. Muhyiddin wouldn't double cross his tag-team mate, Najib Razak. He wouldn't take the post of PM for himself. But I wouldn't call him the king maker. They were a tag team. 

This was after the March 2008 general elections and Dr M had already openly called his predecessor to step down and take responsibility for the BN's extremely poor showing at the polls. Very few people knew that Najib and Muhyiddin had been working together within the party to effect change, even as Mahathir was screaming for blood from the outside. Together, the two - Najib was Umno deputy president and Muhyiddin the most senior vice president -  were starting the moves to get Umno members to put the pressure on Pak Lah to make way for Najib to become the new Umno president and Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Muhyiddin as the deputy, of course. They played the good cop, bad cop game very well. 

I wasn't in Najib or Muhyiddin's "inner circle" but I was privy to some of the things done and said by the two during this period. The impression I got was, yes, Muhyiddin did not want the No 1 job. Or did not need it. "It should be Najib," he kept telling us. He may have other reasons (some said he didn't relish the idea of being a Mahathir balachi at all) but he was certainly loyal to Najib and he displayed it. But it wasn't a one-way traffic: as much as Muhyiddin was loyal to Najib, Najib was faithful to Muhyiddin, too, and remained so until Muhyiddin had made it absolutely clear that he was not backing him anymore.  

When Mahathir started calling for Najib to quit, we asked the good doctor who he wanted as PM this time. Anyone but Najib, was the answer. Get rid of Najib first, worry about the successor later. So now anyone can be Umno president and PM. 

At that point of time, I was quite sure Muhyiddin was not an option (updated: even though Mahathir conceded that Muhyiddin, by convention, should take Najib's place). Why? He had turned down Mahathir not once but twice (at least) so I didn't think the Tun liked that and would ever make him another offer. 

But here we are: Muhyiddin has finally accepted the offer by Tun Mahathir to make him the next Prime Minister of Malaysia and president of Umno. He seems unsure and uncomfortable in his new role as Umno rebel, but he's made his choice. He's reluctant no more. 

Question is, should he leave Umno if he no longer supports Najib? The real king maker will decide for him and this time I don't think Abang Din can say no.

Read also: 

What's got into Zam and Muhyiddin? - Bujai

Don't be nostalgic over past loyalty, Zahid tells Muhyiddin, TMI
An Unholy alliance? - The Unspinners
You must earn, not demand, respect - MMOnlione

Kit's suspension: Well, I'm sad, too

“I am sad that MPs don’t realise how shallow they are, how ignorant they are. People are chocking, struggling with rising costs, charges for sedition 1MDB, typhoid, and the Speaker is more interested in suspending the MP of Gelang Patah." - Lim Kit Siang

Read Lim Kit Siang received 6-month Parliament suspension, The Rakyat Post Oct 22

WHY was Kit Siang suspended? 

Because he won't apologize for calling the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat a dictator. 

MPs who voted on Kit's suspension

For           107

Against      77

Abstain        1

Well, I am sad too. Not because Kit Siang was suspended but because he could have easily avoided it. Because of his refusal to apologise. Name calling is shallow. Anybody can call you, me or the Speaker names but it takes a real man (and woman) to say sorry afterwards. 

Yessir, people are chocking, struggling with rising costs, charges for sedition, 1MDB, typhoid but the DAP strongman is more interested in making selfish political statements, saving his own face, and then blamed other MPs for not bailing him out.

That's why I'm sad.

p.s. If there's a Vote of NO Confidence against Najib Razak, that's more or less how the voting is going to look like, you reckon?

Confidence, no confidence ..

"... any time, when a government bill or government motion is defeated, particularly when on a substantive issue, then it would tantamount to a no confidence motion!" - Lim Kit Siang, All Eyes on Parliament: Everyone asking, confidence or not? 23 June 2008

This no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister and the Government of the day is a game often played, maybe too often. Lim KIt Siang & Co has been playing it over and over again. In fact, back when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's fall was imminent in the hands of repeat rebel king Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Kit Siang even initiated a move to table a motion of Vote of Confidence for Pak Lah in Parliament! Yes, vote of confidence, just to spite Dr Mahathir and Umno! 

For the years of experience in playing such games, you'd think they'd be good at it by now. No, the Opposition led (effectively) by Kit Siang are as incompetent as ever! They couldn't even decide who should table the motion this time! (Wan Azizah to table new motion of no-confidence, Awani, 19 Oct)

But bungle or not, the impact of their game is great.

One of the consequences of their action:

The Opposition know and everybody knows that the no-confidence vote is most unlikely to work. They don't have the numbers and, look, they can't (or won't) even come up with the simple Anti-Najib List that the Parliament Speaker Pandikar Amin had asked them to.

So what do they do now? 

As Kit Siang suggested in 2008, defeat a government bill or motion on a substantive issue for that will be tantamount to a no-confidence vote against Najib and the Governmnet. 

And what can be more substantive thatn the Budget 2016!?

Bersih suggests blocking Budget 2016 as proxy no-confidence vote 

“Bersih 2.0 urges both Pakatan Harapan and PAS to instruct all of their parliamentarians to attend the Parliament during the budget debate and vote against the budget in every opportunity.

“Bersih 2.0 also urges all Barisan Nasional backbenchers to cross the floor and vote down the budget. At the very least, all BN parliamentarians should abstain from voting in favour of the budget,” it said in a statement.

I don't really care if they want to table a motion of no-confidence against Najib or a motion of confidence for Muhyiddin Yassin or anyone else they think should be their Prime Minister of Choice. But the intenion of blocking the Budget 2016 is malicious, even dangerous. It is tantamount to not just economic sabotage but it will seriously underine the well-being of the people these politicians are supposed to represent.

PM Najib Razak tables Budget 2016 - one of the hardest budgets to table - tomorrow.

Please read The Mole's Barisan Nasional WILL lose power without Budget 2016

“It is akin to a vote of no confidence. The only difference is that a vote of no confidence affects the Prime Minister while disapproval of the country’s budget affects the entire federal government.

“In other words, it means that the present government has failed to command the trust of the majority and this will eventually lead to a snap poll."

After sedition, PKR man now accused of thuggery and cronyism

Sivarasa reportedly said that by jailing Anwar Ibrahim, the judiciary failed Malaysians 

Already faced with a sedition charge, PKR MP for Subang, Sivarasa Rasiah now faces accusations of cronyism and thuggery from so-called comrades in the DAP.  This name-calling in a yesterday's twitter spat, involving PKR lawyer Lateefa Koya and DAP's Lim Lip Eng, followed YB Sivarasa's "friendly advice" to DAP hotshot YB Tony Pua to pick on low-hanging fruits like 1MDB and getting rid of PM Najib Razak instead of meddling in the Sungei Way Deepavali bazzaar petty traders' issue. 

p.s. YB Sivarasa shouldn't let these name-calling get him down, though. Dr Mahathir Mohamad was accused of cronyism by Anwar Ibrahim. Look where they are today!



Read also:

Pua rubbishes Sivarasa's advice - The Malaysian Insider

Pua said that the Sivarasa’s statement was “a figment of his imagination, or of whoever who sold him the story”, adding that the new site was approved unanimously during the full board meeting on 27 March 2015.
Pua said that neither he, Ganabathirao, or Lau were in any way challenging the MBPJ decision, but it was in fact “the group of thugs” who he said did not even trade in the area.
“The council should not negotiate with and bow to thugs who use force and intimidation to get their way,” he said.
“We can forget about ever replacing Barisan Nasional if we practise the same cronyism and thuggish politics,” Pua said in reference to Sivarasa’s comment that the “thugs” were members of PKR.

Pua shocked at MBPJ's "U-turn" - Malaysiakini

I would like to express my complete shock and disappointment that Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Mayor Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain announced the reversal of the council’s decision to relocate the Deepavali Bazaar at Sungai Way village (SS9A).
This comes after the mayor himself issued statements on Oct 1 and 8, 2015 where he stated that the new location was better as it was more spacious and has been the site of other markets including the Ramadan bazaar and pasar malam.
In effect, MBPJ succumbed to the display of thuggery led by several PKR grassroot leaders, Kelana Jaya deputy chief, Saminathan Kitchan, the division secretary Murali Subramaniam, and several PKR councillors from other districts.

Bursa's bull(s)

This is NOT an advertisement :-)

Alive and making money. Not sure if it wasn't my former passion the dart board that drew me to their posting yesterday but after a quick surf, gotta say these guys at mybursa.news are on the ball with some of the hot business news and stock tips unhappily buried under tonnes of political/politicised mud sleaze and rubbish that pass off as news and analyses these days. In other words, quite refeshing. And if you are a player looking to make a few quick bucks a day, can't hurt, can it?

Tenaga Nasional shares to shoot up to RM15.50 after its 1MDB's Edra bid? That's what they are saying: Tenaga Nasional is low risk, says RHB 19/10

And I have a feeling these guys at mybursa.news are hopeless patriotic, too:

Malaysia Keeps The Lid On Government Debt, As Singapore Emerges At The World’s 11th Most Indebted Nation

POSTED BY: FRANCIS 16/10/2015

Kuala Lumpur : READ this Malaysia, the grass is NEVER greener on the other side of the fence.

Throughout 2015, in newspapers, on the web, what we have read about Malaysia has been, how indebted the country is, how poor the Ringgit has become and that if things remain how it is, there can never be a bright tomorrow.

Well think again!!!. Because here comes the numbers, and the numbers don’t lie.

The World Economic Forum’s recently-released Global Competitiveness Survey looks at the financial health and risks of countries around the world.

One of the most interesting and important rankings is actually the level of government debt.

For all the bad publicity Malaysia has got, it is not listed among the top 15 most indebted countries.

The top 10 are Japan, Greece, Lebanon, Jamaica, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Cyprus, Buthan and the USA.

Number 11 is Singapore, with government debt as per centage to GDP standing at 103 per cent.

p.s. From today, mybursa.news joins the Bru's roll of Blogs That Rock. I've also taken down a couple of blogs from the roll, something I do from time to time.

Sivarasa's friendly warning to Tony Pua

After his own little fiasco involving the recent toll increase fiasco (Toll hike for SPRINT not referred to Board, says Subang MP,  The Rakyat Post, Oct 15) it's understandable if YB Sivarasa Rasiah must go looking for an issue that can help him regain some political points.

The Sungei Way Deepavali bazaar petty traders' issue looks ideal for such: it is a super sensitive issue that has angered the Indian-Hindu community even more after YB Tony Pua got involved in a ruckus there the other day, which may or may not have started after the DAP man accused some present company for budaya samseng (PKR men lodge police report against DAP's Pua, FMT, Oct 16). 

So Sivarasa wrote this lengthy, friendly advice to the DAP leader on what they shouldn't have done and should be doing. Except that it doesn't sound that friendly to me and some even see as a warning  (Sivarasa accuses Pua of making unfounded allegations, FMT Oct 18). And I don't think there's such a thing as a friendly warning ...

"Having watched the videos of the incident (in particular the Kinibiz video ) and read the Malaysiakini accounts dated 15.10.2015 and talked to some of those present, it seems to me quite clear that the heckling started after the crowd present which  included  traders understood that Tony had just said to the media present that ... the move to Easwary Temples area  was necessary to stop certain persons from committing extortion of the traders in the original site." 

"However making unsubstantiated serious allegations that extortion is taking place without specifics ( as was discernible in the video ) does not assist at all. Name calling aggravates the accused persons further. The video shows some of those present demanding evidence from Tony and for which there seemed to be no immediate response." - Sivarasa's blog: Some friendly advice for my friend YB Tony Pua, Oct 18

What I find amusing is that while Sivarasa clearly thinks the DAP man messed up with the Deepavali petty traders' issue, he seems to want us to believe that his friend Tony is better poised to deal with bigger national issues like the 1MDB and removing the PM and ending UMNO's "corrupt, oppressive and inefficient" rule.

Wow. To quote my prolific friend Johan's prolific son, "I cannot brain."

"My friend YB Pua has done sterling work ( and continues to do ) on critical national issues such as IMDB.  He should concentrate on those issues and leave more mundane  issues, like as in this case,  about  where a Deepavali bazaar should be located,  to the appropriate authorities to decide. 

"We have far bigger battles to fight.  We need to remove Prime Minister Najib and end the corrupt oppressive and inefficient rule of UNMO and BN.  Let us remain united and focused on that."

So, walk away, Tony, take on someone your size. Is that it?

Evidence wanted, 1MDB

Malaysiakini clip via Unspinners' "Tun M ngaku bukti tak cukup untuk laporan polis, dakwa 1MDB"

"I don't have enough evidence." - Dr Mahathir Mohamad, when asked why he's not lodging a police report against PM Najib Razak "not even after what he's done".  (in my days, reporters would insert the word "allegedly" somewhere in that sentence!). A kurang asam reporter would have asked: Not enough evidence or no evidence, Sir? But he/she would be without a job the very next day.

But there's all the evidence that while we try to tear apart the 1MDB in the hope that it will help us bring Najib down, the interest in 1MDB's assets remain keen even if it's a bit cautious. It's two foreign investors vs a lone local hopeful.

The full story H E R E 

Meanwhile TNB’s president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Azman Mohd said: 

“As the sole off-taker of all power generated in Malaysia, TNB is the best and most logical buyer for these assets. The acquisition of these power facilities, which will add a significant contribution to our power generation capacity in Malaysia, will be an important addition to our business as it will further enhance TNB’s earnings and cash flows. Broadening our domestic and overseas power generation base gives us more opportunities for revenue growth and for adding significant shareholder value”.  

TNB added that if it decided to pursue this acquisition, it would have to have an opinion from an independent adviser stating that the transaction is fair and reasonable and secure the approval of shareholders at an EGM. 1MDB said that the three bids for its power assets marked a significant milestone in its rationalisation plan, first announced by the Finance Ministry on May 29, 2015. 

“Over the next few weeks, 1MDB will be conducting an evaluation of the offers received, including reviewing the terms and conditions of the definitive agreements that the parties have proposed, and seek clarification where required.  

“As previously highlighted, our board of directors will be guided by, among other things, value maximisation to 1MDB’s shareholder, deal certainty and terms that are fair and reasonable in assessing these offers. We expect to enter into a definitive agreement with the chosen party shortly after the evaluation and negotiation process has been completed, before the end of 2015,” 1MDB said.

Can the Mahathir-Anwar-Ku Li trinity ever happen?

UPDATED


Clip taken from A horse to be named Mahathir
Whatever you want to think of the old man, this video clip is vintage him. Nobody can put down a man the way Dr M can. Watch and learn (and laugh!).



Original posting
Ex-Minister proposes Mahathir-Anwar-Ku Li alliance to unseat PM, TMI on 17 April

17 Oct 2015: Any book by Zaid Ibrahim is bound to be controversial and therefore will make an interesting read, but the launch of his latest book on 26 Oct will be an event unto itself. Mahathir and Zaid - who'd thought that would be possible at such a late stage, right? But that's Malaysian politics for you: no permanent friends, no permanent enemies. Sleaze has no place in the politician's vocabulary, the end always justifies the means. 

It'd be interesting to see if Zaid would test the boundaries further by pushing for his personal agenda to get Mahathir, Anwar Ibrahim and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and - not forgetting himself, of course - to combine efforts and bring down Najib Razak! Zaid can be very convincing if he wants to. Getting Mahathir to launch the book itself is a mega, mega scoop! 

Sehati sejiwa, if you go by the shirts they're wearing

Before we slipped away

Friday intermission.

AG: What Bank Negara should have done in the 1MDB case

"Before you accuse me, take a look at yourself". - Bo Diddley

NO, the Attorney-General did not sing this legendary blues number to Bank Negara Governor but he might as well have. In his first ever press conference since replacing Gani Patail on July 28, Apandi Ali explained why the AG Chamber could not heed to Zeti Akhtar Aziz's recommendation last month for criminal proceedings to be filed against 1MDB over some inaccurate declarations made in 2009-2011. Because the only crime back then, if there was one, had not been committed by 1MDB.

p.s I think Apandi is a, er, very brave man. And he probably doesn't know Zeti that well.

"If Bank Negara does not request for certain or specific information, how could 1MDB be faulted as it has filled up the form as required and responded to the queries made?" - Apandi Ali

Bank Negara did not seek clarification on 1MDB remittances, says A-G

BY JENNIFER GOMEZ 

Published: 13 October 2015 3:41 PM | Updated: 13 October 2015 4:25 PM 

Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) today explained its decision to clear 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) of making inaccurate declarations related to overseas investments, saying that Bank Negara Malaysia had not sought enough information from the firm to show that it had broken the law. 

Neither did Bank Negara direct Deutsche Bank Malaysia Bhd to advise 1MDB to revert to the central bank for a review of the remittance permission granted, Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said today. 

Speaking at a press conference, the A-G said this clearly showed that there was no further information requested by Bank Negara at the material time. 

"1MDB rightfully furnished the information required for the purpose of the remittance," he said. 

Apandi was referring to three permissions obtained by 1MDB from Bank Negara to make remittances on September 29, 2009, September 6, 2010 and May 20, 2011. 

Bank Negara did not take more than three days to grant the said permissions on all three occasions, he said, reading from a press statement. 

He added that the relevant forms for the remittances in this case had not required the applicant to state the bank account number and beneficiary. 

As far as 1MDB was concerned, it needed to fill up the relevant forms and respond to the queries by the central bank. 

"If Bank Negara does not request for certain or specific information, how could 1MDB be faulted as it has filled up the form as required and responded to the queries made," Apandi said. 

He added that the 1MDB officials at the material time during the process of obtaining the permissions had complied with the directions given, and so the central bank's approvals were granted. 

Apandi said that until and unless it could be shown that the officials had deliberately or recklessly provided false information in material particulars, they had committed no offence under the Exchange Control Act. 

"Since there is no requirement, the omission on 1MDB's officials' part to disclose is not an offence under the Exchange Control Act. 

"It is further noted that the relevant ECM forms, namely 09A and 06B do not require the applicant to supply the names of the beneficiary owners, or the bank accounts numbers of the recipients, or the manner as to how the funds were to be channelled." 

He said that when 1MDB requested Deutsche Bank to make the remittances to a different account, the bank had sought clarification from Bank Negara. 

The central bank then told Deutsche Bank that the remittances were a business decision and there was no deviation from the purpose intended, Apandi said. 

The central bank did not make any further query at that particular time, he added.

"In this respect and the fact that there is no new evidence made available, we do not see the necessity to review (our decision)," said Apandi, who did not take any questions from the press. 

Last Thursday, Apandi announced the AGC's decision not to take further action against 1MDB with regards to making inaccurate disclosures to obtain permissions. 

He said the decision was made despite the central bank's appeal for a review, because there had been no additional evidence. 

Bank Negara the following day revealed that it had revoked three permissions granted to 1MDB between 2009 and 2011 because of inaccurate disclosures. 

Apandi's announcement last week drew criticism, with chief 1MDB critic Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad even accusing the A-G of now behaving like a judge.– October 13, 2015. 

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/bank-negara-did-not-seek-clarification-on-1mdb-remittances-says-a-g#sthash.LPNRC8M8.dpuf

For context, read my Oct 11 posting,
Is Zeti just doing her job or was she that scorned by the AG?  
or Malaysiakini's Now the main event: Bank Negara vs AG's Chamber, 11 Oct
Zeti continuously slept on the job - A Voice, 11 Oct

Ye lah, where was Daim? (And will it be Ku Li or Muhyiddin?)

5) The smartest person here who did not attend appears to be long-time Mahathir supporter Tun Daim who refuses to appear in public with this bunch of frustrated leaders since he knows that Tun M can no longer defend him from harm. Tun Daim is smart enough to stay away and not put his rumoured billions of ringgit wealth in jeopardy.

In the beginning, just as Dr Mahathir Mohamad was launching his all-out attack on Prime Minister Najib Razak, former Finance Minister and one of the richest men in this country, Daim Zainuddin, was featured prominently in the equation, not by himself but by some of the pro-Tun bloggers. Photographs of Daim having power breakfast were proudly published in these blogs, giving the impression, intended or otherwise, that Dr M and Daim were a tag team. Well, maybe they still are; the two have gone back a long, long time, in party and government; both are from Kedah and even their villages are close to each other. They have parted ways in the past, even tried to kill each other politically, but they've never burnt their bridges. 

The fact remains that Daim was sorely missing from yesterday's picture-perfect Press conference to gang up against Najib and his Administration. 

Thank you, Seademon aka Capt Rahmat, for pointing it out - the bit about Daim missing, I mean. I don't necessarily agree with the first four points in your Historia de los Cojones, though. 

And I certainly disagree with the use of doctored pictures without cautioning the readers that they are doctored pictures because SOME Malaysians are bound to believe that they are real!

A picture form Seademon's latest, for a shining example:

Doctored: Some of the jokers were not really there but elsewhere

Still on the subject of yesterday's Press conference, I can safely say that it is clear now that in the unlikely event that Najib steps down or is sacked or gets arrested by the CIA, MI5 or Mossad for stealing 1MDBs' money or accepting a donation from Israel's enemies, the next Prime Minister will not be Zahid Hamidi but someone from this photograph.

But who?

Will it be Ku Li-Muhyiddin (Ku Li as PM and Abang Din as DPM).

Or could it be Muhyiddin as PM and Shafie Afdal as Deputy Prime Minister?

Can't be Dr M-Ku Li.

Or could it?

Resident Evil

OPPOSITION in residence, the phrase used by the Facebooker* above to describe Dr Mahathir & The Rebels after this morning's press conference, reminds me of The Resident Evil. This science fiction action-horror series has seen five parts en route to the ultimate, The Resident Evil: Final Chapter, set for release Jan 2017. Like the movie, Dr M has starred in a series of upheavals and crises. Their latest alliance, forged formally during a hastily organised Press conference in Putrajaya at 10 this morning after months of, can be seen as a preview to Mahathir's Final Chapter.  

Shafie, Abang Din, Dr M, Ku Li, Sanusi, Ong Tee Keat

How will this chapter end? Your guess is as good as mine.

But one good thing did come out of this morning's Press conference, and that is both Muhyiddin Yassin and Shafie Afdal, dropped by Najib Razak in his last Cabinet reshuffle, have finally, after months of quiet suffering, come out in the open to oppose their former boss.

Najib himself told an aide this afternoon that he saw today's event at the Perdana Leadership Foundation as a blessing in disguise. For the first time Muhyiddin and Shafie Afdal (deputy president and vice president of UMNO, respectively) have officially broken ranks with the President. At least they are not hiding anymore, we know now who they're for and where they stand, he told the aide.

And that knowledge, Najib was said to have added, will guide him to do what we need to needs do next.

* Read also
Zakhir Mohamad's latest posting Political-Economic Terrorists ll.
Salleh Said Keruak's Response to Dr Mahathir's Press Conference
Muhyiddin-Shafie boost for the Mahathir Rebellion by Life of Annie

Double R set to rock this week!

Our neighbours seem confident. Pagi-pagi Isnin mereka udah speculate yang bagus-bagus untuk Rupiah dan stock market mereka. We should be as confident, if not more, given our fundamentals (No Indonesian detour for our economy: AWO). But true to Malaysian form, we will see the usual suspects doing their damnest to tell the world that all is NOT well in Malaysia, that something's rotten here. Although we've seen them do that many times before, especially in recent weeks and months, there are always Malaysians who will fall for it.

Now, if the analysts are right, and they are not always right, the Ringgit will be testing the 3.90 level from today (the local currency weakened past that level on Aug 6!)

Is Zeti just doing her job or was she so scorned by the AG?

With updates at posting's end

First real test after 15 years?

"As an investigative authority, the Bank is duty bound to conduct its investigations with the highest professional care and diligence. The Bank at all times expects full and accurate disclosure of information by applicants in considering any application under the ECA. On its part, the Bank concluded that permissions required under the ECA for 1MDB’s investments abroad were obtained based on INACCURATE OR WITHOUT COMPLETE DISCLOSURE of material information relevant to the Bank’s assessment of 1MDB’s applications."

 http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php…

If you ask A Voice, an ex-banker himself, Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the Governor of Bank Negara since May 2000, is not tested and hasn't been doing her job. In fact, she has been sleeping on the job, has failed to do anything effective to do right by the ringgit, and is now playing the blame game, the blogger writes in Royal rebuke exposed more of Zety's incompetence, Oct 9. 

More important, the chart tells us that the country's foreign exchange ringgit market is not stable and not conducive for the sustainable growth of the Malaysian economy. Does it indicate Zeti doing anything?  

If still defensive, we can only repeat this quote, "We must not let other people's limited perceptions to define us." At least you should appreciate as to why we are adamant to say Zeti is a smart academics but crumbles under pressure. 

There are more indicators of her incompetence ... 

If you ask me, the timing of the Bank Negara Malaysia's statement sucked as it was telling. 

It sucked because it was issued just as the ringgit was enjoying its best weekly rally since 1998.  It was as if the central bank had gone out of its way to dampen that spirit! 

And it was telling in the sense that the statement was issued immediately after the Attorney-General's Chamber, exercising transparency as demanded by a rather curious Conference of Rulers' "pre-council" communique last week, disclosed that the AG had thrown out Zety's recommendation for action against 1MDB not once but twice! 

As for the Central Bank of Malaysia (CBM), the investigation was conducted into 1MDB for an offence under paragraph (4)(b) of Part 1 of the  Fifth Schedule to the Exchange Control Act 1953 namely, knowingly or recklessly making a statement which is false in a material particular. The investigation paper (IP) was submitted to the AGC on 21 August 2015. 

Having studied the IP, the Deputy Solicitor General 1, Datuk Tun Abd Majid bin Tun Hamzah, decided that there was no offence committed by the 1MDB officials and directed that no further action should be taken. The IP was returned to CBM on 11 September 2015. Hence the decision had been communicated to CBM on the same day. 

However, on 1 October 2015 CBM transmitted a letter of request to AGC to have the decision reviewed. Having considered the request and the fact that there was no new evidence made available, the Attorney General decided to maintain the decision made earlier. 

Was the multi award-winning Zeti offended by this? Apparently, she was. 

Seasoned journo Bujai said the Bank Negara statement shows "how bad relations between the two entities are. The picture given was that both did not cooperate in the ongoing investigation". - Nothing peculiar, Oct 10. 

Fortunately, the market was too busy counting their profits to be distraught by the central bank's statement. As of yesterday, the ringgit consolidated the week's gains and some analysts expect the local currency to test the 3.90 level this coming week. Sounds unreal, right, especially when you recall Zeti herself saying that the ringgit may only recover  once the 1MDB issue has been resolved - TMI, Sept 21.

Updates:

Zeti continuously slept on the job, A Voice, 12 Oct:-

Meanwhile, Ringgit enjoys best weekly spirit since 1998

THE prophets of doom, who have been wishing for the worst for ringgit and the economy partly to make a killing for themselves and partly to justify calls to get rid of PM Najib Razak, aren't too happy. But who cares, right? We all love the Ringgit, especially when it buys a little bit more ...

The Malaysian Reserve front page Oct 8

Bloomberg, Oct 9

Ex financial journalist Bujai explains why the ringgit is useless to some when it's doing well against the USD:

"When the local currency took a dive since early August, critics blamed it on Prime Minister Najib Razak's 'scandal' and 1MDB. They didn't believe in other dominating factors such as the oil price slump and weaker market sentiment worldwide.

Some blogs even predicted the ringgit would 'burst' at RM5 per dollar, and worst still, Najib and his government were blamed for the haze!

And now that the ringgit is appreciating steadily against the dollar, they attributed to the weakening greenback and increasing oil prices.

No credit whatsoever to Putrajaya, our economist and Bank Negara for standing up for the ringgit and the decision not to peg it to dollar."

Read his Ringgit Up. 

Why Guan Eng should come out and defend/commend this law enforcer

Updated:
Ah, he did not disappoint! :-) 
But, aiyah, why so soft on the two goons, YAB?!
Read: Council officers commended for keeping a cool head in the face of abuse, TMI

You may also have liked: My driver was in the parked car, says Guan Eng

Original Posting:

Only in Penang? Fortunately, or unfortunately, no. Malaysians from all walks of life are double-parking their cars everywhere and breaking all kinds of traffics laws these days. Why? Because they have been allowed to for too long. And when enforcement officers try to do their job, they get abused like this lady officer got abused not just in front of passers by (who did nothing to back her up) but by millions on the the Internet. 

The two goons in this clip happen to be Chinese. Lim Sian See, a social media personality, has openly expressed shame over their behaviour but blame Lim Guan Eng and Co for having encouraged the culture of kurangajarness towards authority.

Screenshots of Lim Sian See's posting on the shameful behaviour of the two in Penang:

The Chief Minsiter of Penang has been uncharacteristically quiet over the incident but Lim's not going to let Lim get away with that, I'm quite sure about it ...

 Imagine if it was a yellow umbrella