Auditor-General: Tourism Ministry overpaid RM270m for ads

by
Debra Chong

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 24, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — The Tourism Ministry overpaid nearly RM270 million for advertisements when it chose to use direct bookings instead of open tenders, the Auditor-General reported today.

The report noted that in doing so, the ministry had also breached the Treasury’s regulations as laid down in a circular in 2007.

The ministry also spent a whopping RM1.95 million to buy 1,000 racks — RM1,950 per rack — to hold its tourism pamphlets for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign, the report said, again pointing out the move was done without the treasury’s approval.

Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang said the ministry must hold an open tender “so the price offered will be more competitive, transparent and provide better value for money”.

“In addition, this method would have avoided power abuse as well as created internal controls and good governance in booking advertisement space,” he said in the report.

He noted further that if the ministry had held an open tender, its advertising spending would have cost RM75.38 million.

The Auditor-General said it was also unable to confirm the distribution of 22 of the 1,000 racks as the ministry could not supply the note of delivery as proof of claim, while another 127 racks were also not accounted for.

It noted the ministry’s explanation that 622 racks had been distributed to hotels, 127 were “expired” by the contracted company, Leo Communications Sdn Bhd, due to “financial complications” and lack of storage space, and as many as 85 racks were locked in the company’s storage hold.

Ambrin urged the ministry to plan its yearly budget with greater care and detail to support its overall operational spending.

“This is so the advertising and promotional support activities planned can be implemented to increase the number of tourists to Malaysia and grow domestic tourism,” he said in the report.

He noted there were a total of 24.58 million foreign tourists to Malaysia in December 2010, a slight increase from the projected 24 million target and 2009’s 23.65 million visitors.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 10:48 pm and is filed under
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Bonus bonanza at GLCs despite losses, says Auditor-General report

By
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 24, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) and Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd were among six government-linked companies (GLCs) that paid employees up to two months’ bonus despite suffering an accumulated RM354.91 million in losses in 2009, the Auditor-General’s report said today.

The report also said that sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional was among ten government companies that have not paid Putrajaya any dividends despite making net profits in 2009.

IWK, which suffered losses amounting to RM33.35 million in 2009, made between one-and-a-half to two month’s bonus payments to its staff during the year.

Prasarana, which lost RM188.03 million in the same year, gave out one-and-a-half months’ bonus to its staff.

Companies such as Halal Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (HIDC), Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB), and Mimos Bhd recorded RM14.57 million, RM92.59 million and RM5.3 million losses respectively in 2009. These companies paid out two to three months’ worth of bonuses to staff.

“Among the justification for approval for bonus payments are to lessen the financial burden of employees… higher KPI (key performance index) standards which reaches desired targets and companies which are not profit-oriented,” said the report.

The report also found that 10 GLCs have not made paid Putrajaya any form of dividends despite making profits last year.

It also said two companies — Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation Sdn Bhd (BiotechCorp) and UDA Holdings Bhd — recorded after-tax profits  for three years in a row, but have not paid any dividends to the government or stated reasons for not doing so.

Eight other companies — Pembinaan BLT Sdn Bhd, Water Asset Management Company (PAAB), Hotel Seri Malaysia network chain (RHSM), Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd, Sepang International Circuit Sdn Bhd, Cyberview Sdn Bhd, Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn Bhd — also did not pay dividends to the government despite being profitable in 2009.

“The Auditor-General is of the view that to ensure the best form of administration, all companies need to have a dividend policy which is fitted in the company’s corporate plans.

“This is needed to safeguard the company’s image and the interest of the government which has investments in these companies,” the report said.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 10:58 pm and is filed under
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DAP wants MCMC to probe websites

By
Yow Hong Chieh
 | October 24, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 — The DAP wants the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to act against websites spreading allegations that Lim Guan Eng’s son molested a girl.

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said the party will submit to the MCMC a list of 34 offending websites and 200 pages of printouts compiled over the past three days for the regulator’s immediate action.

They include blogs by Papagomo and Bukit Gelugor Umno division chief Dr Novandri Hasan Basri, Pisau.net and Utusan Malaysia.

“Frankly speaking… they (MCMC) don’t need a report from us. Once they see something happening they can take the necessary action.

“But we know the way our MCMC works. Unless we file something, maybe they will work,” Pua (picture) told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.

Pro-Umno bloggers had claimed that Lim’s son had assaulted a 16-year-old schoolmate and tried to escape punishment by using his father’s name.

Penang Chief Minister Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, denied the allegations, saying he was furious with the “barbaric lies” made about his teenage son by “pro-Umno ferocious beasts”.

The DAP later said the picture of the purported victim used by pro-Umno bloggers was that of 21-year-old chess grandmaster Anya Sun Corke, who is studying at Wellesley College in the US.

On Friday, Corke denied ever having met or heard of Lim’s son.

Lim’s colleagues in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) also came out strongly in support of the DAP secretary-general against what they call “the lowest gutter politics” seen in decades.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday called on Lim to let the police to investigate the claims if he had nothing to hide.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 2:20 pm and is filed under
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Johor highway land cost doubled from original, says audit report

By
G. Manimaran

The Malaysian Insider

Bahasa Malaysia Editor

Oct 24, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Land acquisition costs for the Senai-Desaru Expressway project exceeded estimates by nearly 103 per cent or RM375.6 million more than originally stated, according to the 2010 Auditor-General’s report.

Following this development, the Auditor-General is suggesting for the government to adopt a new approach by “capping” expenditure for future projects.

Land acquisition for Senai-Desaru Expressway Bhd (SDEB) was initially estimated to cost RM365 million but the final cost weighed in at RM740.6 million.

The expressway is part of the Iskandar Malaysia development, connecting Senai in west Johor to Desaru in east Johor.

Construction for the expressway began in July 2004. Its first phase was completed in August 2009, and the second in June 2011.

In his report, Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang said he believed the Malaysia Highway Authority (LLM) did not examine the highway construction thoroughly, leading to its significant increase.

“This caused the government to bear the cost of land acquisition amounting to RM740.6 million, that is an increase of RM375.5 million of 102.9 per cent,” he said.

“In this aspect, the concession company did not make realistic and accurate land acquisition estimates on the highway project,” he added.

Amrin said that although initial planning had been done carefully, the conversion of land status and title deed by state authorities had contributed to additional cost.

“This is because the government has to pay higher compensation on completed buildings,” he said, adding that the estimate was made in 2002.

“Based on LLM records, the Land Acquisition Plan under Section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 was gazetted on November 4, 2004 for the Kota Tinggi district and on November 18, 2004 for the Johor Baru district,” the report said.

“The land valuation by the department of valuation and property services was based on the current price in November 2004, which was higher than in 2002 and this caused a significant increase in costs,” it added.

Amrin said the cost of land acquisition for the privatisation of highway projects should be fixed to prevent future repeats of the incident.

“If cost of acquisition exceeds the ‘capping’ that is set, then the additional costs will be borne by the concessionaires.”

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 10:42 pm and is filed under
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Let Muhyiddin lodge an official complaint against my grandson and I will then advise Guan Eng to lodge a police report against the DPM

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has flunked the opportunity in Parliament today to demonstrate he is a model Education Minister giving top priority to the educational welfare and interests of students in the country.

I had given him the chance to undo the damage of his statement yesterday dismissing as “inadequate” Lim Guan Eng’s denial of baseless and untruthful allegation of his 16-year-old son (my grandson) about modesty violation of a girl who was his classmates by seeking clarification from the Education Minister when he was winding up debate on the 2012 budget debate.

Although Muhyiddin claimed that he was “misquoted”, Muhyiddin went on to repeat what he said yesterday – that Guan Eng should lodge a police report to clear the boy’s name.

Muhyiddin did not explain why a police report should be lodged by Guan Eng to clear the boy’s name when there is no basis whatsoever to the allegation – as the school principal concerned  and the Penang State Education director have said investigations produced no evidence while the alleged victim Anya Corke is a Woman Chess Grandmaster in third year in Wellesley College in United States who does not know my grandson or my family at all.

This irresponsible charge and lie by Umno bloggers and cyber troopers has become an international incident as Anya’s mother Mei Sun has told South China Morning Post that she is is considering all options to protect her daughter.

There are two schools of thought as to whether Guan Eng should lodge a police report. Muhyiddin, supported by Umno blogs and cyber troopers as well as the MCA leadership, leads the school of thought demanding that Guan Eng should lodge a police report.

I am not in favor as the denials by the school principal, the Penang Education Director Ahmad Tarmizi Kamaruddin and Anya Corke have destroyed the downright lie of the molestation allegation to utter smithereens. As responsible and decent Education Minister, Muhyiddin  should have laid the allegation to rest in Parliament once and for all by declaring his full support and confidence in the denials of the school principal concerned and that of the Penang State Education Director.

If Muhyiddin does not trust the school principal concerned and the Penang State Education Director, let him lodge an official complaint against my son and I will advise Guan Eng to lodge a police report against the Deputy Prime Minister.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 4:18 pm and is filed under
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Mara ticked off for high-priced purchases

Hafiz Yatim | 2:18PM Oct 24, 2011

Malaysiakini

Instead of fully utilising a RM54 million allocation to provide training courses for the hardcore poor, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) spent money on related items – at 100 percent more than the market price.

The 2010 Auditor-General’s Report, tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today, states that the funds were provided under the second Economic Stimulus programme to help the poor boost their income

Some of the purchases highlighted in the report:

•An oven at RM1,200 compared to the market price of RM419, for baking and pastry-making courses in Kelantan

•Folding beds at RM500, against the market price of RM100

•Two-burner gas cookers at RM200 each, rather than RM59.90

•Hair clippers supplied at RM250 each, instead of RM79

•A blender at RM140 instead of RM60

The folding beds were used to train masseuses in traditional post-maternity massage; and the hair clippers were for grooming courses.

The report  notes that most of the purchases were done through direct negotiations, not open tender, and without the Finance Ministry’s approval.

Standard operating procedures were not tabled before the Mara board of directors for approval either, reads the report.

Giatmara, which conducts the courses, ‘should provide detailed and complete standard operating procedures for the programme to be uniformly conducted nationwide’.

The report further notes that some decisions to buy equipment did not consider the conditions in which these would be operated.

For example, in Kapit, Sarawak, an oven and sewing machines were provided for a course, even when training centre had no electricity supply.

In other cases, cake mixers and blenders were not useful because these did not have the capacity required for cake mixtures.

Giatmara also bought a grinder with lower specifications to mix fish food, when participants could easily get fish feed in Perak.

The auditor-general has proposed that Giatmara should evaluate the capacity and suitability of each piece of equipment to meet needs.

‘Well-off participants’

Among the courses conducted are baking cakes and pastries, making layer cakes, tailoring and making nasi kandar.

However, some courses were deemed not relevant – such as making layer cakes in Sarawak, baking cakes and pastries in Kelantan, and rearing catfish in Perak.

Participants are to be drawn from those whose income is below RM720 in Peninsular Malaysia, RM830 in Sarawak and RM960 in Sabah.

Yet, the auditor-general’s team found that some of those who attended the courses are well-off and live in bungalows.

“Giatmara has determined that the participants should be registered under e-kasih system under the Prime Minister’s Department.

“However, we found that 72.9 percent of the participants are not registered with e-kasih, under which those classified as ‘hardcore poor’ are registered by the village head, district officers or assistant district officers.

“Worse, some participants are well-off individuals and not the intended target group.”

The auditor-general has proposed that Giatmara checks the background of participants to ensure they are from the e-kasih group.

Even if they are not registered, Giatmara must verify their background in order to achieve targets.

The report adds, worryingly, that 61 participants or 47.3 percent of those interviewed had failed to generate income following the courses.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 11:26 pm and is filed under
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Ministry still owes RM110m farmers’ incentives, says audit report

By
Melissa Chi

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 24, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry has yet to pay RM110.67 million it owed to more than 70,000 farmers under a scheme to encourage a higher rice production, according to the Auditor-General’s report today.

Citing Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas), Malaysia’s rice industry regulator, the report said the farmers were eligible to receive RM341.29 million between January 2007 and January 2010. However, Bernas only managed to pay incentives worth RM230.62 million as at end 2010, citing lack of funds.

This resulted in 73,291 farmers not receiving incentives totalling RM110.67 million.

Bernas currently controls about 24 per cent of the paddy market and 45 per cent of the local rice demand.

The company is also Malaysia’s sole importer and exporter, currently importing about 20 per cent of the country’s rice supply, mainly from Thailand and Vietnam.

Under the incentive programme to increase rice production (IPH), RM650 is given for each metric tonne per hectare to farmers who have more than two hectares of paddy fields. Farmers with fields smaller than two hectares would receive a minimum of RM200.

The initial estimated budget for the scheme was RM29 million a year.

The report found that Bernas had only informed the ministry of a lack of funds in 2010 during the audit process. The ministry subsequently sought for an additional RM205 million from the Finance Ministry on June 2010.

However, the application was rejected and the ministry was asked instead to review the priority of current programmes and budget accordingly.

The Cabinet has also approved RM80 million for the IPH programme in 2011.

“The ministry should have an effective monitoring mechanism to complete and expedite the investigations so that the objective of the incentive programme can be attained,” the report said.

The report also found that most farmers do not know the rate of the incentive they are eligible for if their rice production increases and that they do not know that they are eligible to receive incentive if they work harder to increase rice production.

The report also recommended the ministry take immediate action to re-evaluate the programme’s priority to ensure adequate funding to pay for the promised incentives.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 10:31 pm and is filed under
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Mum considering all options to protect Anya

Malaysiakini
 | Oct 24, 2011

The mother of a young woman whose photograph had been used to implicate the son of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in an alleged molestation case said she will consider all options in the interest of protecting her daughter.

This may even include taking legal action against those parties propagating rumours about 21-year-old Anya Ann Corke, said her mother, Mei Sun.

“As Anya’s parent, I will check on the options to protect her from this kind of nuisance,” she was quoted in the South China Morning Post today.

Anya, a one-time Hong Kong chess champion who is now studying in the US, was alleged by pro-Umno bloggers to have been molested by Guan Eng’s teenage son, and was the reason for his transfer from the SMK Heng Ee school.

Guan Eng had also paid Anya’s parents some RM200,000 to cover up the purported scandal, they alleged.

Anya, Guan Eng and the principal of SMK Heng Ee have all denied the incident ever happened, with the DAP secretary-general last Wednesday lashing out at those trying to destroy him politically by wrecking his teenage son’s life with “morally despicable and barbaric” lies.

A third-year student at Wellesley College in the US, Anya (left) said she had not been in Malaysia for the past seven years, had never gone to school in Penang, and had never met her alleged molestor.

In the South China Morning Post report, Anya said: “A Malaysian friend of mine texted me one morning and said that I was somehow part of a political conspiracy and I was completely surprised. It was out of the blue.”

Prime Minister and BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak yesterday called for politicians to leave the family members of their rivals out of gutter politics and free from exploitation for political gain.

Najib added, however, that the principle of keeping family members out of politics must apply both to the opposition and ruling coalition.

Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, has been severely accused of a number of allegations, from alleged extravagant spending to imposing herself on official as well as unofficial prerogatives.

Najib’s deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, on the other hand, has shown no let up in applying pressure on Guan Eng (right).

Muhyiddin on Saturday said Lim’s denial that his son had done anything wrong was “not enough” and that Lim should ask the police to investigate.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 2:25 pm and is filed under
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PAC to haul up seven ministries, agencies for weak finances

By
Yow Hong Chieh

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 24, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will probe seven ministries and agencies for weak financial management.

They are the Health Ministry; Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry; Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry; Transport Ministry; Internal Revenue Board; Customs Department and the Malaysia Stadiums Corporation.

“These are the seven… recommended in the Auditor-General’s Report but we will decide next week if we will increase the number,” PAC chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid told reporters after the Auditor-General briefed the committee.

Also present was Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang and other PAC members.

But Azmi stressed that federal ministries and agencies had shown improvement in managing their finances, with 43 scoring the highest four-star rating.

Sixty ministries and agencies also scored three stars, while only two received two-star ratings.

“Not one… received a (single) red-star which indicates (a performance of) below 49 per cent,” Azmi said.

He added that, out of the 172 cases of weak financial management highlighted in the 2008 Auditor-General’s Report, 98 per cent had been resolved, while 88 per cent of those highlighted in 2009 had been dealt with.

Nine federal ministries and departments overspent last year’s overall operational allocation by a total of RM3.73 billion, according to the 2010 Auditor-General’s Report released today.

They include the Education Ministry, Health Ministry, Home Ministry, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry, Public Service Department, Attorney-General’s Department, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Public Services Commission.

The report stated that the overspending was unavoidable due to additional activities and unscheduled payments.

“According to financial rules, an expenditure can only be carried out if the approved financial allocation was enough. The audit checks found that this rule was not fully abided by several ministries who have overspent beyond what has been allocated.

“This shows that there is still weakness in the planning and management of expenditures even though this issue has been frequently raised,” said the report.

The report also found 75 cases of over-expenditure in 14 different ministries in terms of service payments and supplies amounting to RM306.01 million.

There were also 17 cases within eight ministries last year where a total of RM98.8 million in allocations went unspent.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 11:11 pm and is filed under
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Parliamentary body to probe feedlot project

by
Hazlan Zakaria

Malaysiakini

6:45PM Oct 24, 2011

The fate of a failed government-linked company and its RM250 million government soft loan that was made debate fodder by the Opposition in Parliament recently is in the sight of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

“This matter has been made much of in Parliament. The PAC will look into National Feedlot Corporation, which is under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries,” its chairperson Azmi Khalid told reporters after chairing the financial oversight body’s maiden meeting for this session at Parliament House today.

The opposition raised red flags on the corporation, not just because of its non-performance but more so because of National Feedlot’s link to the son and husband of a federal minister.

The opposition MPs are claiming that the government’s granting of RM250 million to the National Feedlot project presents a conflict in interest, if not direct competition, because of the family links with the cabinet minister.

The quarter of a billion Ringgit was from a RM1.2 billion national fund set up to ensure that Malaysia becomes self-sufficient in food and livestock production, the project supposed to ensure Malaysia becomes self-sufficient in beef production by this year, but as the opposition claimed, with nothing to show thus far.

However, despite the issue being raised repeated times in Parliament by the Opposition, the only replies from the government have been weak denials of any conflict of interest or any complicity.

This statement from the PAC is the first assurance of an investigation into the matter.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 11:32 pm and is filed under
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Price of binoculars zooms 29 times

Nigel Aw | 5:45PM Oct 24, 2011

Malaysiakini

The Malaysian Marine Parks Department (JTLM) spent a whopping RM56,350 for a pair of night vision Marine binoculars, 29 times more than its market value of RM1,940, the 2010 Auditor-General’s report reveals.

The department paid the same amount for another pair of night vision Bushnell binoculars, or 1,893 percent more than its actual price of RM2,827.

It similarly overpaid RM38,470 and RM13,918 for a Colour Marine radar set costing RM8,255 and a LCD TV with DVD player costing RM16,100 and RM2,182 respectively.

Other items include:

•Laptop and colour printer at RM11,845, instead of RM3,428 (246 percent more)

•Hand-held portable VHF Transceiver at RM4,324, instead of RM1,561 (177 percent more)

“An audit found no evidence that JTLM performed the required market research. However, JTLM had a price estimation which the department is unable to verify its basis of calculation,” it said.

The department did not even receive these items as intended in the agreement for its newly-built boat, which was contracted to Kejuruteraan Kapal Masai Sdn Bhd for designing, building, outfitting and testing at RM7.51 million.

For example, the LCD TV with DVD player was replaced with a RM195 Philips DVP3560K, while the night vision Marine binoculars were replaced with Marine 137507 binoculars without night vision, that cost RM1,069.

The outboard engine that was delivered was a two-stroke 15 horsepower engine costing RM6,549, when the contract had specified a four-stroke 15 horsepower engine which the report estimates to cost RM11,553.

Other ‘downgraded’ items were:

•Refrigerator: Mitsubishi MR-18BA (RM629) instead of Panasonic NR B261M (RM1,299)

•Stove: Taiyo (RM2,110) instead of Electrolux 60cm induction stove (RM6,955)

•Global Positioning System: Furuno GP320GPS WAAS Sensor (RM1,066) instead of Samyung Navis-700 (RM5,060)

•CCTV system: Belco (RM640) instead of Paradox (RM5,750)

•Laptop and colour printer: Acer Travel Mate 4740 and Cannon Pixma MP258 (RM2,137) instead of Acer Aspire 3935 and HP CP 1518in (RM11,845)

The department had paid the price stipulated in the contract despite not getting the equipment, leading to an estimated loss of RM114,912.

‘Lives of crew at risk’

The boat which was delivered also failed to adhere to the desired specifications, with its 1,000 litre water tank being downgraded to 600 litres.

Its emergency doors which should be accessible from both sides can only be opened on one side and the doors are attached with 18 screws.

“From the auditors’ check with the ship’s crew, it was found the time taken for the emergency door to be opened in the deck house is approximately 20 minutes. This increases the risk of loss of life if an emergency occurs,” says the report.

It further notes that the boat was delivered 42 days late, and that the contractor is liable to a penalty of RM1,252.24 a day, which comes up to RM52,594.08.

However, only RM23,792.56 was collected, with the remaining RM28,801.52 being unaccounted for, the report adds.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 11:19 pm and is filed under
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RM142m RazakSAT faulty after just one year, says federal auditor

By
Shannon Teoh

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 24, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Malfunctions barely a year after the RM142 million RazakSat satellite was launched caused it to take 1,328 unusable images that were inaccurate by up 37km, the Auditor General’s report showed today.

The report made available today said state-owned Astronautic Technology Sdn Bhd (ATSB), which operates RazakSAT, lost RM10.89 million in 2009, of which RM7.7 million went towards insurance premiums for the faulty satellite.

“The operational lifespan of RazakSAT is three years. But the RazakSAT satellite failed to function fully on August 30, 2010, a year and sixteen days from launch date,” Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang wrote.

The Auditor General added that the remote sensing satellite was designed to “capture images within 1km accuracy” but “an image of an area in Sungai Buloh and Subang missed by 37km and captured Kuala Selangor.”

As a result, 1,328 high-resolution images could not be used for the project’s stated objective of providing remote information for land development, forestry and fish migration.

ATSB had promised to deliver images from the satellite, touted as the world’s first remote sensing satellite launched into near equatorial orbit (NEqO), last year but have yet to release any pictures.

Its orbit allows RazakSAT to revisit some parts of Malaysia every 90 minutes, instead of once every two weeks as is normal with sun-synchronous optical satellites.

The Auditor-General said that ATSB, which built the satellite with a RM141.8 million government grant, had made corrections to the satellite but only reduced the level of error by between 2.4 and 22km.

The report said efforts to improve RazakSAT’s accuracy were terminated in December 2010 and “the payment to ATSB was settled for a RM650,000 discount from the total project price of RM5.96 million.”

“Based on the feedback from ATSB, the RazakSAT satellite is a research and development project and not a commercial project,” the audit added.

ATSB’s website calls the RazakSAT project a “cost-effective high resolution imaging system for Earth observation specifically for a small satellite (weighing) less than 200kg”.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 10:23 pm and is filed under
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Sports institute ponied up for wrong horses, says Auditor-General

By
Debra Chong

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 24, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — The National Sports Institute (NSI) paid RM3.94 million for 18 horses that were not qualified to race in the 2008 World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Auditor-General said in his report today.

The report noted NSI had failed to get the Treasury’s approval before buying the horses, as required for direct negotiation purchases.

It further noted NSI had failed to adhere to international rules set by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the world governing body for equestrian competitions, which saw the 18 out of 23 horses bought in October 2007 being disqualified from the WEC 2008.

“This was because the horses bought did not undergo adequate training seeing as the purchase was made two months before the championship,” said Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, adding the horses were also found to have suffered from poor health.

The 23 horses cost the NSI RM5.66 million in total.

Malaysia was picked by the FEI in February 2007 to host the WEC 2008, and the NSI was given the task of preparing the horses and athletes using government funds channelled through the National Sports Council (NSC).

The Auditor-General also found the specially-formed WEC 2008 secretariat headed by the NSI director-general to have breached the provisions laid down under the MSC Treasury’s rules.

The report noted the appointment of the secretariat’s chief was not formalised in writing and his powers were also not limited according to any provision.

The selection of horses was conducted by the secretariat, which included the NSI director-general, a veterinarian, a technical and competition officer, and a project manager.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 24 October 2011, 10:53 pm and is filed under
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Call for a Financial Accountability Commission answerable to the Parliament with full powers to take punitive actions

By Tony Pua

Every year Malaysians are treated to a series of “tall tales” in the Auditor-General Report, which are unfortunately true stories.  This year, despite an “upgrade” in ratings for the overall financial management by Government departments and agencies, the tales of financial abuse and degrees of incompetence is no less fantastic than previous years.

In previous years, we had screw drivers worth RM32 was purchased at RM224 or a car jack worth RM50 purchased at RM5,700 making a complete mockery of the Government’s procurement process.  Last year, Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara in Balik Pulau purchased a whole list of products for its computer laboratory at prices well above that of the market, including 2 Acer computer laptops at RM84,640 when it is worth only be a tenth of the price paid.

This year is no different with the Marine Parks Department taking the leading role by purchasing binoculars worth not more than RM1,940 was purchased at RM56,350, more than 28 times the market price.  It was of course not the only offending item – the Department purchased RM192,694 worth of products including common items such as laptops, printers, LCD TV, DVD Player when their total value should not exceed RM20,193.

There were many repeat offenders as well in the current year’s report.  Of note is the construction of computer laboratories by the Ministry of Education throughout the country.  In Sabah, a RM160.7 million project was awarded to equip 300 schools by 2008.  However, as at the end of 2010, only 2 computer laboratories were completed.

Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), an agency tasked to uplift the welfare of bumiputeras is again chastised for making high-priced purchases such as an oven worth RM419 for RM1,200, folding beds worth RM100 for RM500 among other things.

What is perhaps more illuminating is the fact that everyone the Auditor-General only has the necessary resources to audit a small sample of Government procurement and projects.  And despite that, such tales of incompetence and abuse are in abundance.

The logical conclusion from the Auditor-General’s report is that heads must roll, but it rarely or never happens.  The Government’s Chief Secretary Tan Sri Sidek Hassan has the all-important role to take the necessary disciplinary actions against the relevant offenders, including the supervising officers who failed in exercising their responsibility in a diligent fashion.  However, as informed by the Auditor-General during our Public Accounts Committee briefing yesterday, most of these offending officers are only given a letter of reprimand “surat teguran” before the cases were closed.

The natural outcome is, there is little disincentive for government officers to increase its level of competence or reduce the amount of waste, mismanagement and abuse since the “rewards” far outweigh the potential punishment, even if their deeds are hung out to dry in the Auditor-General’s Report.

While the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has the powers to call upon the relevant Ministries and officers to explain their actions and conduct, the PAC has no powers whatsoever to mete out punishment except to make “recommendations” to the Government.  This has proven to be completely ineffective, made worse by the fact that the PAC is only able to focus on a handful of the misdeeds highlighted in the Auditor-General’s report.

Therefore, given the inability of the Chief Secretary of the Government, the absence of powers endowed upon the PAC as well as the lack of political will from the Prime Minister and his Cabinet to mete out effective punishment and deterrence to offending civil servants, we would like to call for a independent Financial Accountability Commission (FAC) set up via an Act of Parliament to be created.

The FAC should not be staffed with any civil servant to avoid conflicts of interest, but instead by headed by leading professionals in the field of audit and integrity such as the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA) and Transparency International (TI) Malaysia.  The proposed Commission should be made answerable only to the Parliament and granted the powers to take punitive and disciplinary actions against officers guilty of misconduct, negligence and sheer incompetence highlighted in the Auditor-General’s Report.

[
Media Statement by Tony Pua, DAP National Publicity Secretary and Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya Utara in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 25 October 2011
]

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 October 2011, 11:38 am and is filed under
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Do we care?

— Ali Kadir

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 25, 2011

OCT 25 — Some of us sing the Negaraku with gusto, we fly the flag and proclaim ourselves patriots. But do we really care about Malaysia, care enough that we will do more than just sit and shake our heads when something so wrong and unjust and corrupt happens before our eyes.

I am referring to the Auditor-General’s report for last year and I am not talking about the sanitised version in the mainstream media. Does it bother us that:

* the RM142 million RazakSAT malfunctioned barely a year after being commissioned, and was woefully inaccurate. Why was it commissioned? Who approved it? Who made a bundle from this project? We will never get answers to this crucial questions and we will never learn? Because the accountability of our politicians and decision makers is zero.

* the Tourism Ministry overpaid RM270 million in advertisements because it chose not to go for open tenders. Guess what, the ministry breached Treasury regulations in doing so. Ng Yen Yen’s ministry also paid RM1,950 for a pamphlet rack.

This from the same ministry which overpaid for Facebook consultancy and everything else. So brazen is their flouting of regulations, they don’t care if they are found out by the Auditor-general or the police or the MACC. Would we tolerate such behaviour in our own companies or families? We would not but yet every year we are informed that the people we put in power are betraying our trust and we reward them with more power.

* Not even 1 per cent of computer labs in Sabah completed. Brilliant and the contract was awarded to TimeCom Holdings. I am not aware of any company which can miss its KPI by an ocean. I guess Sabahans are not aware that despite being a fixed deposit state for BN, it is treated this shabbily.

This is only a few examples from the Auditor-General’s report, there is the usual overspending by ministries and ballooning national debt. But do we care about this mismanagement and misappropriation and corruption and cheating and lying? Or are we just going to say : What can I do?

The fact is that there are many things that ordinary Malaysians can do. For a start, given that the local press will downplay the bad news, those of us who have access to alternative media shouls download or print out copies of these articles and distribute to our friends, relatives and colleagues.

We should pressure our elected representatives to ask pertinent questions in Parliament and we should push for more accountability.

Finally, we have the power of the single vote. I don’t know about others, but I am not willing for my hardearned money to be used to buy Birkin bags or private jets.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 October 2011, 6:10 pm and is filed under
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Election date?

By Zunar

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 October 2011, 10:14 am and is filed under
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Happy Deepavali !

Deepavali celebrates the triumph over evil and light over darkness.

With the 13th General Election just around the corner, let all Malaysians join Malaysian Hindus to mark this auspicious occasion with one single-minded wish –

“Let the light of love, justice and moderation triumph over the darkness of hate, extremism and intolerance to build an united, just and prosperous plural Malaysia.”

Recently, Malaysia’s body politic had been poisoned by an outpouring of hate, extremism and intolerance.  All moderate Malaysians of good sense and goodwill, regardless of race or creed, must unite to reclaim our country from such hate, extremism and intolerance to build a nation all Malaysians can fully belong and feel proud in having an equal place under the Malaysian sun.

Happy Deepavali to all Malaysians.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 October 2011, 4:19 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #86

By
M. Bakri Musa
 | October 23rd, 2011

Chapter 10: Freedom, Justice, and the Law

Personal Liberty in Malaysia – The Abomination That is the ISA

To me the ISA is an abomination. If indeed the Act is for the protection of society, as its supporters suggest, then it has failed miserably. ISA did not prevent the May 1969 tragedy, the 1984 Memali massacre, or more recently, the equally deadly Kampong Medan melee. Surprisingly, the government chose not to use this powerful statute to arrest members of the Al Maunah group involved in the deadly arms heist in 2000 of the army camp in Grik, Perak. Instead the state charged them with waging war against the King. Surely such a crime is the ultimate threat to peace. If there is one situation where the ISA would have been appropriate, this is it. But the government opted for an open trial where its evidence was subjected to cross-examination and public display. There was no indication that the nation’s security and safety were compromised by the subsequent open trial.

     If the Al Maunah members could be apprehended and successfully prosecuted using statutes other than the ISA, I see no compelling reason why those presently detained under the Act could not be treated in a similar manner. If, as has been intimated, the ISA detainees were bent on overthrowing the legally elected government of Malaysia through violent street demonstrations, charge them with inciting a riot. Get the evidences out in the open so the public could scrutinize them. Reveal the evil intent of these perpetrators.

     ISA is not meant to be a substitute for incompetent prosecutors or inept police investigations. Truth is, the ISA is presently being used not to protect the public but as a crude weapon to coerce the government’s increasingly effective critics. Distressingly, the law is also being used to silence political adversaries as well as scholars who dare to voice their dissent.

      Taking away a citizen’s freedom without due process is a serious matter. It is disgraceful to read that in the rounds of arrests in 2001, the honorable home minister (and also deputy prime minister) Abdullah Badawi had delegated such enormous powers to his lowly bureaucrats. I would have thought that as the minister in charge, he would have given such decisions the gravity and solemnity they rightly deserve. To hear him say that he was in effect “out of the loop” is simply unacceptable. Surely he must have had some evidence of the dangers posed by these individuals for him to order their detention. Thus once they were detained, he should be intensely interested in the details of their supposedly treacherous plot. Were there dangerous weapons stashed away, and was this part of a larger conspiracy, possibly with foreign involvement? Had the interrogations revealed a more serious threat, the minister would want that information quickly so appropriate preemptive measures could be taken. By waiting passively for a report from his subordinates, the minister wasted precious time. Besides, to treat such decisions casually goes beyond simple incompetence. It is a flagrant dereliction of ministerial duty, bordering on criminality.

Abdullah Badawi’s remark reflects, at best, a flippancy that is grossly inappropriate; at worse, a callous and sinister mindset. These are our fellow citizens whose freedoms are being violated. He acts as if such important decisions are not worthy of his personal attention and deliberation.

      I would have been comforted had Abdullah said that he was indeed following the situation closely and that jailing someone without trial was a decision he took with a heavy heart, but due to the sensitive nature of the investigations, he was unable to divulge the details. I would still oppose his decision but at least I would know that he had discharged his ministerial duty diligently and that he had not used that immense power arbitrarily and capriciously. Or worse, delegated that awesome authority to his underlings.

      As can be seen with the episode on the senseless beating of Anwar Ibrahim while in police custody, it takes only one overzealous officer to humiliate the entire nation. I expect our government ministers to be chief executives of their agency and be on top of matters under their authority. Abdullah Badawi, if he was truly unaware of the circumstances of the arrests, behaved more like a symbolic sultan rather than as an engaged executive. If this pattern of behavior portends his future performance as prime minister, Malaysians ought to be worried.

      Like the frightened and weakened nobility at the time of the French Revolution, today’s Malaysian political nobles are using the ISA as a carte blanche to browbeat the masses. Malaysians today are in the worst possible position: Having a bad law (ISA) administered by an inept minister.

      The government had another round of arrests under the ISA of suspected extremist Muslims following the 9-11 attacks. Unlike previous roundups, this time the government was spared any criticism from the West. Indeed Law Minister Rais Yatim, on a visit to Washington, DC, in May 2002, crowed that the US Attorney General was highly supportive of Malaysia’s ISA! It took the American embassy in Kuala Lumpur days before it denied such an endorsement. And it was done by a very junior embassy official. Such a low-key response!

       Malaysian officials who were previously so dismissive of American official and public opinions are now suddenly eagerly lapping up any praise from America! I do not know who are being more hypocritical—the Americans or the Malaysians? Obviously to the Americans, flagrant abuses of basic human rights and due process are fine as long as the targets are presumed enemies of the West.

Criticisms of the ISA aside, there are legitimate security issues facing the country that must be addressed. Can this be done adequately without the ISA? Absolutely! The successful prosecution of the Al-Maunah group sans the ISA is one ready example. Granted the police and prosecution had to work hard to prove their case, and well they should.

       Another argument favored by the Act’s apologists is that such laws are needed in a multiracial society to prevent those who would incite racial hatred. This is a valid concern, but it can be addressed using far less draconian measures. America has its “hate crime” laws where if a crime is motivated by racial hatred, it carries a substantially more severe penalty. Further, the victims of such crimes could sue their aggressors for civil damages and or violations of their civil rights, the latter carrying a much stiffer remedy. Similarly there could be “no bail” provision for such crimes. There are several viable options short of the drastic ISA.

       Another defense of the ISA (and also the prohibition against public protests and rallies) is that Malaysians are fed up with unruly demonstrations and the resulting disruptions to traffic and businesses. Again here there could be provisions whereby those who plan such protests must carry adequate insurance in case of accidents or property damages. Such “event insurances” are common and mandatory in America. Having such insurance as a prerequisite would ensure that the organizers take extraordinary precautions to prevent their demonstrations from getting out of control. If they lose control of their followers they would have to foot a significantly higher premium the next time around.

        A more problematic contention is this. The ISA has been a major issue in almost all general elections, with the opposition parties advocating its repeal and the ruling party (Barisan Nasional – BN) defending it. Yet BN keeps wining. But it would be a mistake to read much into this beyond saying that the issue does not resonate with the electorate.

        In truth Malaysians do not support the ISA; they merely tolerate it. Electorates do not consider the ISA reason enough to boot the ruling party out.

        One of the tragic consequences of the ISA is that its victims are not allowed to contact their families or attorneys. Their families are kept in the dark of where their loved ones are being detained and for how long. Nor are their charges and evidences specified. As has been amply demonstrated by Abdullah Badawi, the current minister in charge, such awesome powers are routinely delegated to minor officials.

Apart from its impact on the victims, the Act carries a far greater and deeper chilling effect on all Malaysians. Much like the barbwire fence would be a constant ugly reminder keeping the animals away from the edges for fear from being entangled, Malaysians are forced to behave extra cautiously. Citizens internalize self-censorship and keep to the narrow and safe. Any new initiative is stifled for fear of offending the authorities. New ideas are evaluated not on whether they will work, but how the authorities would perceive them. How many times have one heard officials say, “It’s not government policy!” And with that robotic response, everything is settled. Case closed! Everyone is scared of running afoul of those in power.

Next: Chilling Effects of Repressive Laws like ISA

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 October 2011, 11:01 am and is filed under
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The bottomless pit

— Nawawi Mohamad

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 25, 2011

OCT 25 — The headlines in the news are crying foul over the extravagance, abusive and utter lunacy in the way the government and its machineries have spent our money. Nine ministries and government departments over spent the allocations, 50 per cent failures under poverty eradication projects, procedures were breached, the Bukit Jalil stadium is not save and too many others that need not be mentioned here.

In short the vast preponderance of funds for the ministries, departments and government agencies could become a “bottomless pit” for the taxpayers. Please be aware that in the 2010 budget allocation 73 per cent was for operating and 27 per cent for development expenditures; a skewed proportion.

That is why there was a delay in announcing the audit report done by the PAC. The whole debacle reflects how irresponsible the government is. This is bad governance.

Unfortunately there is no indication that the government is trying to improve its performance. The government still holds back and distort the process of development and will continue to disproportionate the poorer and weaker of society. The government will continue to withhold critical budgetary operational information to the public.

Ministers and other public officials will continue to be unaccountable or not answerable for their actions. The government will continue appointing the wrong people for the job resulting in lack of vision and no clear direction resulting in failures; double handling and wasted effort. The interface between the public and private sectors will be hampers with red tapes.

Contracts are still being awarded through negotiations. The government will continue to spend money on unnecessary expenditures. There will be more money-making schemes. There will be more borrowings and depletion of our funds. There are no “wastage”, “leakage” and “corruption” in the Umno/BN government’s dictionary.

In short the government will continue with what Umno wants, without acknowledging what the rakyat wants. Excuses, justifications and cover ups will still be the norm.

While many have strongly urged the government to practice “good governance” it will never be carried out.

Malaysians please wake up before disaster befalls us.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 October 2011, 6:19 pm and is filed under
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Very lame excuse – why AG not acting against MACC officers for Teoh Beng Hock’s death following James Foong RCI report?

The de facto Law Minister, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has given a very lame excuse why the Attorney-General is not pursuing legal action against Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers on Teoh Beng Hock’s death following the James Foong Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) Report  – telling Parliament yesterday that no police report has been lodged over the matter.

Why didn’t the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail direct that a police report be lodged on Teoh Beng Hock’s death based on the  findings and new leads in the James Foong Royal Commission of Inquiry Report?

The finding of the James Foong RCI into the death of Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) that “TBH was driven to commit suicide by the aggressive, relentless, oppressive and unscrupulous interrogation by certain officers of the MACC”(Para 119) is not acceptable as it is mere speculation and not backed up by evidence.

There are however sufficient reasons from the RCI report why a high-level special investigation squad should be formed to break the conspiracy of “blue wall of silence” (RCI Report) of MACC officers to pinpoint and to bring to book Beng Hock’s killers as well for prosecution for crimes committed in the process, viz:

The TBH RCI was most scathing in its indictment of the character and testimony of the MACC officers especially from Selangor at the RCI. Apart from two brave and truthful souls from Selangor MACC, i.e. Azeem Hafeez Jamaluddin and Azlan (Para 176), the TBH RCI virtually dismissed the rest as a pack of liars led by Hishamuddin Hashim (HH), the “mastermind” of the massive and unjustified operation which resulted in TBH’s death.

This is what the TBH RCI has to say about Hishammuddin, the “mastermind”:

In Para 337, the TBH RCI said: “That HH and others under his command lied in this inquiry is borne home by the testimonies of Azeem and Azian, the two MACC offices who were courageous enough to testify that attempts were made to get them to say that HH was not directly involved in the operation and that it was Hairul Ilham who was in charge”.

In fact, the TBH RCI report is fertile source for the formulation of multiple perjury charges against Hishamuddin and other MACC officers in giving false testimony at the RCI – a judicial proceeding under the definition of Penal Code Section 193 which provides for the maximum sentence of seven years jail and fine on conviction.

With all MACC Selangor officers led by Hishammuddin dismissed as “a pack of liars” (apart from Azeem and Azian), this would mean that they had lied all the way from the initial police investigations into TBH’s death, the TBH inquest and the TBH RCI about what happened to TBH in MACC on the fateful days of July 15/16, 2009.

As the police had been lied to in police criminal investigations into TBH’s death, this means that all the police statements given by Hishammuddin and the MACC Selangor officers (except for Azeem and Azian) about what happened to TBH in his three interrogations in MACC from 6 pm on 15th July to 3.30 am on 16th July were untrue, worthless and must be rejected – justifying a re-opening of police investigations into TBH’s death.

The TBH RCI reported that apart from the three interrogations from 6pm on 15th to 3.30 am on 16th July, there was a hitherto unknown “Fourth Interrogation” of TBH between 3.30 am and 7 am on the 16th “that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, that propelled TBH to commit suicide” (Para 166).

Para 229 said: “By the time, the fourth or final stage of the interrogation was over, TBH would have been almost a mental and physical wreck.”

Police investigations into TBH’s death never knew about this “Fourth Interrogation” between 3.30 am to 7 am on 16th July – a second lead from the TBH RCI report on why police should re-open investigations

Hishammuddin was the “mastermind” in the host of criminalities and breaches of the law in the massive operation resulting in TBH’s death. Though deputy director of MACC Selangor at the time in charge of investigations and intelligence-gathering, Hishammuddin “appeared to have absolute authority to investigate anyone whom he suspected to be involved in any corrupt practice in the state without even informing or obtaining the consent of his superiors in the in the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya (HQ) or his superior on the ground, the director of Selangor of MACC.” (Para 23).

Hishammuddin blatantly abused his powers when he launched the massive 33-officer operation which resulted in TBH’s death “solely on a mere belief and without supporting facts” (Para 184) based on a “mere” telephone call (Para 188).

These are revelations which would justify police re-opening investigations into TBH’s death to find out who gave Hishammuddin the sense of immunity and impunity for breaking laws and committing crimes, going over the head of his superior in Selangor and in national headquarters resulting in TBH’s death?

As pointed out by Marcus van Geyzel in his article “A sham that deceived Malaysia” in loyarburok.com:

“The MACC official line is that Teoh’s body was only found at about 1.35 pm on July 16. But the evidence presented at the RCI TBH showed that MACC officers namely, Azhar, Amin, Fauzi Shadollah had already been speaking about Teoh’s death before or about 1.00 pm! How could MACC Klang officers at the MACC Klang office be talking about a death in another office miles away even before Teoh’s body was found?

“The answer lies here. Amin in particular said that at about 12.45 pm, he overhead a group of officers at the MACC Klang office talking about Teoh’s death. He said that the information about Teoh’s death came from a MACC Klang officer who was at the MACC Selangor office on the morning of July 16 and returned to the MACC Klang office that morning. Zulkefly is as described. By 7 am, he already knew that Teoh fell from the window and died.

“Why did the MACC hide the fact they knew of Teoh’s death by 7 am? The Commission failed to appreciate and deal with this crucial area that nails the MACC coffin of its suicide story.”

A few days after TBH’s tragic death on 16th July 2009, a “black blog” appeared which accused DAP of TBH’s murder to distract public attention from the real cause of TBH’s death – raising the suspicion that the “black blog” was the work of people responsible for killing him.

Furthermore, the “black blog” had the finger prints of MACC or MACC officers as it contained documents related to TBH investigations which were only in the possession of MACC.

One is reminded of the recent complaint by  the family of the  second MACC death victim, Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamad, complained that a piece of evidence seized by MACC from Sarbaini’s handphone during MACC investigations, had been misused in a pro-MACC blog to smear Sarbaini’s name and character.

The RCI ignored the bulk of TBH’s suicide risk assessment in the psychiatric report submitted by Australian Paul Edward Mullen – the emeritus professor of forensic psychiatry from the Monash University engaged by the Bar Council. Mullen found more factors pointing to TBH not having committed suicide than otherwise.

The  above six reasons primarily from the James Foong RCI report  are strong enough for the Attorney-General to direct that a police report against MACC officers should be lodged and vigourous prosecution pursued and that there should be no cover-up in ensuring that Teoh Beng Hock and his family secure justice in the case.

However, if the Attorney-General refuses to lodge  any police report against MACC officers based on the RCI report, then a police report would be lodged so that the Attorney-General would have no excuse for inaction in acting against MACC officers responsible for Teoh Beng Hock’s death.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 October 2011, 1:50 pm and is filed under
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Human rights movement like Communism, says former IGP

By Yow Hong Chieh

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 26, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 – The nation’s former top cop has likened the rise of the human rights movement in Malaysia to Communism, and said this would lead to the questioning of “accepted truths” like the social contract.

“Every century has its wave… and we cannot avoid being hit by this wave.

“Now, it’s the human rights wave… Before that, it was the wave of Marxism, Socialism,” former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor said today.

He was speaking at the 2nd Perkasa general assembly at Dewan Centrum here today after officiating the event.

Calling the human rights movement a new religion, Rahim warned that civil liberties activists saw the US and UK as their spiritual home and drew parallels to how the Comintern had engineered the global spread of Communism from its Moscow base.

“Now we see many things being questioned because of the human rights wave,” he said.

“They question the self-evident [social contract], as though they’re trivialising what was agreed upon.”

He added that many leftist Malay leaders during the post-World War II period had been tricked into thinking the Communists had their interests at heart but realised later that they were being used by “wolves in sheep’s clothing”.

Rahim is best remembered for giving former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim a black eye following the latter’s arrest under sodomy charges in 1998.

Also present at the general assembly today was businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, who was fined in June together with two others for screening an alleged sex video of Anwar.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 26 October 2011, 5:10 pm and is filed under
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Perverse logic, baffling statement

— P. Ramakrishnan

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 26, 2011

OCT 26 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had amazingly stated that if Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng “thinks it is important to correct the information, then he has to come up with a strong statement…Mere denial is not enough”.

The Penang chief minister had rubbished this fraudulent allegation in the strongest possible terms. He had not minced his words in condemning this false allegation. In castigating the pro-Umno blogs that spread this false allegation, he had strongly condemned their nefarious conduct as “morally despicable and barbaric lies”.

The chief minister also challenged Umno to act against those guilty of this to prove that the party does not employ “desperate, dangerous and dirty tactics.” He also condemned several Umno leaders for highlighting “this shameful episode” in their blogs. He had referred to these characters as “pro-Umno ferocious beasts”.

Aren’t these strong words that had taken to task these unsavoury characters, dear DPM? Frankly, are these words mere denial, Mr DPM? Ask anyone and you will be told that these words are uttered with disgust and they convey a terrible outrage of a person overcome with grief and anger. These are certainly strong words that show utter contempt for these lies.

For the DPM not to know of the chief minister’s ferocious reactions to this false and malicious lie is unbelievable! For him not to know the truth when he made his astounding statement is also baffling.

The principal of the school concerned — SMK Heng Ee — Goh Boon Poh, had publically stated that he was shocked by the allegation against Lim Guan Eng’s son and had dismissed it as “completely untrue”.

Further, the alleged victim had categorically stated in a statement to all the press that she has not been to Malaysia for the last seven years and that the only way in which her “modesty was outraged has been the publication of my picture in connection with these scurrilous and unfounded rumours”.

In spite of all this evidence to refute and rebut these malicious and baseless allegations, the DPM doesn’t seem to know what the truth is. His logic is perverse and his statement is baffling.

When rumours were swirling around linking our prime minister to Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu, which the PM had denied, would the DPM now dare to remark, “Mere denial is not enough”?

Just to be consistent! — aliran.com

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 26 October 2011, 12:14 pm and is filed under
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‘Monument of Corruption’ still gets flak

by
M Jegathesan, AFP
 | October 27, 2011

Free Malaysia Today

BAKUN DAM: The first turbine is spinning, electricity is pulsing out, and the water level is climbing in the Borneo jungle behind Malaysia’s huge US$2.2 billion Bakun hydroelectric dam.

But questions continue to swirl around the viability of a project described by critics as a graft-plagued human and ecological disaster – and as opposition mounts against a dozen other planned dams in Sarawak.

The first turbine from French giant Alstom began producing electricity in August and the dam’s reservoir has swelled to the size of Singapore since impoundment began a year ago.

After years of warnings about the impact on Sarawak’s pristine jungles and the forced removal of thousands of local tribespeople, the dam’s head Zulkifle Osman sees light at the end of the tunnel.

During a tour of the facility, the managing director of Sarawak Hidro, who has overseen construction since 2000, defended the dam despite an electricity surplus in the state and the lack of a market for its power.

“It is a chicken-and-egg game,” Zulkifle told AFP.

“I am confident there will be a lot of demand for electricity in Sarawak.”

But dam opponents say the situation confirms warnings about Bakun as an ill-planned and unnecessary boondoggle.

The facility is located on the Balui River, a mighty waterway that drains a vast rainforested area of northern Borneo – home to orangutan, spotted leopards, rare plants, and a renowned biodiversity.

White elephant

The project was first approved in 1986 under then-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a cheap electricity source for more-developed peninsular Malaysia even though the country is a net oil and natural gas exporter.

But in a 2005 report, anti-graft watchdog Transparency International termed the dam one of the world’s “Monuments of Corruption,” citing years of delays, ownership changes, and overall costs that more than doubled.

“No users have made any legal written commitment for the usage of the energy,” said Elli Luhat, a former Sarawak forestry official, now an environmental activist.

“I have a real fear that Bakun dam will one day become a white elephant.”

Tribal residents say warnings about the dam’s ecological and human impact are coming true.

Residents living in the shadow of the dam, one of the world’s highest at 205 metres (673 ft), say the river’s biodiversity has degenerated, fish catches have plunged, and once-clean waters smell foul and are unsafe to drink.

Silting has occurred, inhibiting navigation in the river, natives say.

Climbing into his boat in Uma Nyaving village about 10 kilometres (six miles) from Bakun, Kayan tribesman Richard Let complained of the thinning fish numbers.

“Now there is not enough for my family and the fish are small. The river is choking under silt and is making it difficult to fish with our boats,” said Let, 31.

Rampant poverty

Downstream from the dam, nearly 12,000 indigenous Kayan, Kenyah, Ukit and Penan people live in traditional wooden longhouses in a resettlement area in the town of Sungai Asap. Their ancestal homes are now underwater.

They enjoy amenities unknown when they dwelt in the forest – piped water, electricity, schools, Internet access and health services.

But Bulan Merang, 43, who moved to Sungai Asap 12 years ago, struggles to feed her eight children amid high food prices and new social strains.

“Children no longer respect their elders. Even my 21-year-old son says I am a useless woman whenever he gets drunk,” she said.

The tribes, who previously grew rice and bananas and hunted wild boar, say their new land is infertile. Age-old hunting grounds are submerged and they must purchase staple foods.

“We were not dependent on money (before). Here everything is money,” Bulan added.

Ironically, Sungai Asap’s electricity comes not from Bakun but from a huge diesel-powered generator – the dam’s electricity is sent away on power lines criss-crossing the green terrain, headed to a state grid already at capacity.

Sarawak is rich in natural resources but poverty is rampant. Its leaders are keen to diversify from mining, agriculture and forestry and into high-tech industries and say ample power sources are needed to lure foreign investment.

“I am confident the power from Bakun will be taken up. MITI (the Ministry of International Trade and Industry) is working hard to get investors,” Zulkifle said.

Grandiose projects

Zulkifle brushed aside concerns over the safety of Bakun, one of the world’s largest rock-filled embankment dams, calling it “sound.”

He said released water was treated to ensure it was clean and denied corruption allegations.

“All the money that is paid is audited. We are scrutinised,” he said.

The dam was meant to help cut Malaysia’s dependence on oil and gas for electricity generation. Up to 90 percent of output was to be sent to more industrialised peninsular Malaysia via undersea cables.

But economic downturns over the years forced protracted construction delays and shuffling of contractors, and the cable plan was shelved on cost concerns.

The Malaysian chapter of Friends of the Earth says nearly a quarter of electricity capacity in Sarawak already is unused, noting that the country as whole also has an electricity surplus.

The planned eight turbines will have a capacity of 2,400 megawatts when installed by 2014. Current Sarawak demand is 1,000 MW.

Then-finance minister Anwar Ibrahim suspended the Bakun dam and other big schemes in 1998 amid a regional financial crisis, angering Mahathir, who was known for backing grandiose projects.

It was revived in 1999 after Anwar was ousted in a falling-out with Mahathir, with Sarawak Hidro acquiring the project from original private Malaysian developer Ekran.

The dam’s capacity remains far too much for Sarawak and only the undersea cable could salvage its viability, said Anwar, now opposition leader.

“Otherwise we will have a white elephant. Sarawak does not need all that power,” he told AFP.

Despite the Bakun controversy, the state has plans for a dozen more dams, angering local tribes.

There are about 200 cases in Malaysian courts brought by indigenous people fighting state acquisition of their land for dams, timber concessions, or other developments.

-AFP

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 27 October 2011, 2:01 pm and is filed under
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A Police Report Will Be Lodged Against UMNO Online Within 48 Hours If No Withdrawal And Apology Is Made By UMNO Online

By Lim Guan Eng

Both my wife and I are outraged at the continued attacks by BN leaders on the lies about my young son outraging the modesty of his girl classmate, causing him to be transferred to another school and that I had even paid RM200,000 to the girl’s family to hush up the matter. I had wanted to let the matter rest after my young son, who is not even 16, was proven innocent.

My son was clearly a victim of morally despicable and barbaric lies when proven that: –

my son had transferred to St Xavier Institution in January 2011 and not in May 2011 as alleged;

the picture of the alleged girl classmate victim was “faked”, as she is a 21 year old woman from Hong Kong and not even a Malaysian

the alleged victim, Anya Corke, had issued a statement denying the allegation. She said that she had not been victimized by my son and she had never met me or my son. Anya added  that she had never been assaulted and that the only way in which her ‘modesty was outraged’ has been by the publication of her picture by the pro-UMNO blogs in connection with these lies.

my son’s former school, SMJK Heng Ee principal Mr Goh Boon Poh has also publicly denied that such an incident had happened; and

Penang Education Director Encik Ahmad Tarmizi Kamaruddin had told the Star on 22.10.2011 that his department found no evidence to back the claims of sexual misconduct against my son in the pro-UMNO blogs.

I wanted to put the matter to rest so as not to affect my young son. He had skipped school for two days when the lies first surfaced. I had no wish for him to go through with this again or deal with police investigations which involves ninja character assassins operating behind shadowy pro-BN blogs.

However MCA and UMNO’s have continued unrelenting hate-filled attacks in their blogs such as UMNO Online, despite the above irrefutable denials. Even Bernama reported the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as joining in the controversy against my son, by saying that a denial was not enough and challenged for a police report to be lodged.

It is cowardly for BN and UMNO politicians to pick on and make fun of a young boy, especially UMNO Youth President Khairy Jamaluddin shameful lewd remarks. Khairy must be the biggest bully in Malaysia to pick on a young boy who can not defend himself. What type of father is Khairy to his two young sons when Khairy does not feel any remorse at his shameful lewd remarks?

I had urged BN and UMNO not to behave cowardly and that if you want to finish me off politically by any means, do your worst but please leave my young child alone. Unfortunately UMNO has refused and continued to imply that there must be something wrong if no police report is lodged.

UMNO Online even quoted a fictitious report from Guang Ming(immediately denied by Guang Ming) that I had said my young son was transferred out to another school because of drug problems in his former school. Lately pro-MCA blogs have also joined in politicizing the issue by agreeing with Muhyiddin and hinted that I am not a good father for refusing to lodge a police report.

My family and I are touched by the support shown by many Malaysians disgusted by BN and UMNO’s gutter politics. We are also deeply appreciative of Anya Corke for coming out publicly to clear my young son’s name and testify his innocence. We are encouraged by Anya mother’s statement that she is considering legal action to protect her daughter.

After discussions with my family and my son, we have decided with some reluctance that we have no choice but to act. Not to act will allow these bullies to continue to stain my young son’s image. My young son says that he will try to find the courage to face these bullies and cowards who refuse to apologise for their morally despicable and barbaric lies.

We will give UMNO Online 48 hours to withdraw and apologise for their dirty politics and lies against my son that he outraged a modesty of a girl classmate or else a police report will be lodged and other action taken.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 27 October 2011, 2:09 pm and is filed under
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Docile academics and the case of Prof. Aziz Bari

Written by
Dr Lim Teck Ghee

CPI

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Minister of Higher Education Khaled Nordin, in his speech announcing the establishment of the National Council of Professors, reminded Malaysian professors to not only be “super gurus” in focusing on their respective careers but to contribute their expertise and participate in national life.

The recently established professors’ council comprising over 1,500 professors in the public universities did indeed weigh in on a national debate not too long ago, namely, ‘Was Mat Indera a communist or a patriot?’

Academics such as professors and professor emeritus Ridhuan Tee, Ramlah Adam, Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, Khoo Kay Kim, and their ilk enjoy the academic rights and freedom of expression through their comments appearing regularly in the mass media.

Having themselves taken advantage of these rights – in my view, correctly so, and one further assumes they would want to continue to enjoy such freedom – their silence therefore on the action taken by International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) don, Prof. Abdul Aziz Bari, is somewhat of an anomaly.

Prof. Aziz Bari has the responsibility to use his expertise to enlighten the public on matters related to his field of interest and scholarship, which extends to commenting on Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s recent decree in relation to the raid on a Methodist church in Damansara Utama by the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor.

Over 140 academics signed a petition supporting Prof Aziz Bari in this and condemning the authorities for coming down on his academic rights and freedom.

In addition to the petition signed by academics in their individual capacity, there have been statements from five academic organizations condemning the actions by the authorities against Prof. Aziz.

The five organizations are the academic staff associations of IIUM, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia;  Ikatan Ilmuan Nasional (Ilmuan); and the Malaysian Academic Movement (Move), with the last being the earliest to come out with a press statement on Oct 19 decrying the actions taken by the authorities.

But where is the voice of the National Council of Professors on this developing controversy? Or for that matter other prominent academic organizations such as the Malaysian Social Science Association.

And what about the rest of the numerous academic staff associations as well as other professional organizations spawned by and working in the burgeoning number of public and private universities in the country?

Prof. Aziz Bari presents an important test case of academic freedom. Yet the majority of staff associations and many thousands of individual academics have not put their names to the petition or voiced their support for Prof. Aziz Bari and in defence of the cause of academic freedom.

The silence of the great majority of the country’s academia – individually and collectively – can be attributed to various reasons including:

*They are not aware of the case of Prof Aziz Bari.

*They could not care less about what is happening in the case.

*They are concerned but either cannot be bothered to voice their concerns or are too afraid of what they feel may be adverse repercussions to their careers.

What is especially noticeable is the silence from some of the most vocal academics whose views on race, religion, history and politics, etc. are much sought after by the mainstream media.

One assumes that they should want to provide feedback in their own areas of expertise without fear of being victimised by the authorities or being hauled up under the Universities and University Colleges Act; Aku Janji; or other regulations. One also assumes that they would be in sympathy with Prof. Aziz Bari and should be among the first to protest against the harsh and unacceptable actions taken.

But perhaps their silence is because they think Prof. Aziz Bari deserves being punished whilst they themselves have special immunity from the treatment meted out to other academics that dare to speak out against the status quo.

However now is not the time for the rest of the traditional ‘silent majority’ (over 35,000 academics in the public universities and possibly similar numbers in the private universities) to become deaf and mute.

If they have not done so, it is not too late for them to declare their support for academic freedom by adding their names to the signature campaign which can be found
here.

Prof. Aziz Bari was doing exactly what the Minister of Higher Education was calling for, that is, for academics to descend from the ivory tower and contribute their knowledge to national issues.

All academics should stand by and with Prof. Aziz Bari.

We should also all be aware of the truism: ‘If you don’t exercise your rights, if you don’t show the government that you value those rights, eventually you will lose them.’

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 27 October 2011, 6:03 pm and is filed under
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Ex-cop: Why is the gov’t afraid to act on Gani Patail?

Malaysiakini

Oct 27, 2011

A former senior police officer alleges that the Najib Abdul Razak administration is not willing to take action to form a tribunal against attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail for his alleged wrong-doings, following fears that it (the government) could also be similarly implicated in such crimes.

Mat Zain Ibrahim, in his open letter sent to Najib last week and made available to Malaysiakini today, claims that he briefed Najib in 2008 when he was still the deputy premier about Gani’s alleged misconduct.

In the open letter titled ‘Rule of Law government breaks its promises’, Mat Zain stated there is a public perception that Najib refuses to take action against Gani (right) because the premier feared the AG may expose some so-called secrets with regard to Altantuya Sharibuu or the Scorpene submarines purchase.

“I am of the opinion that YAB Datuk Seri and the government will do everything possible to avoid any criminal charges being preferred against Gani. The government is worried that should Gani be proven to have abused his powers for cheating or falsification/corruption, then simultaneously the government would then be guilty of having done the same thing since 1990.”

Mat Zain revealed that his investigations found three letters of undertaking dated April and May 1990 signed by three well-known entrepreneurs (Abdul Halim Saad, Wan Azmi Hamzah and Tajudin Ramli) which confirmed they held several hundred million ringgit of assets for Daim Zainuddin.

Daim was finance minister from 1984 to 1991, and again from 1999 to 2001.

Mat Zain noted that he had investigated the allegations that the three entrepreneurs had held the assets in trust for Daim when an official complaint was made in 1999 by Anwar Ibrahim.

In the three letters concerned:-

•Abdul Halim  confirmed he held 52,208,500 Faber Merlin (M) Bhd shares and 130,000,000 Renong Berhad shares for and on behalf of Daim based on a letter dated April 30, 1990.

•Wan Azmi also affirmed he held RM150 million in cash in trust on behalf of Daim.

•Tajudin, in his letter dated May 24, 1990, confirmed he held RM70 million cash in trust on behalf of Daim.

‘Letters are material evidence’

Those three letters, Mat Zain said, are material evidence to implicate the entire cabinet at that point of time.

“Most people still remember when even a little letter from the Johor state secretary’s office in 1953 could cause not only the loss of Pulau Batu Putih to Singapore, but most importantly resulted in “loss of face”, our dignity and the sovereignty of our country.

“If such a brief letter from the Johor office can be accepted as material evidence by the International Court of Justice, then, I believe, the 1990 letters and the three fabricated expert reports prepared on Gani’s instructions could overcome any attempts to twist the facts.

“Personally, I am of the view that the documents are enough to destroy the credibility of the government since the 1990s. They can be used as proof that the abuse of powers,  corruption, cheating and falsifications that have occurred all this while, were never done for the sake of the country, nor the rulers nor for any particular race or religion,” he said.

Mat Zain claims that Gani knew of the three letters as he had personally dealt with him (Gani) and extended all the documents pertaining to this case to the then-Anti-Corruption Agency in July and August 1999.

“Perhaps YAB Datuk Seri is fully aware of the facts from the very outset, being a full minister and a member of the cabinet since 1986,” he said.

“Even though YAB may not be in a position to order a full-scale investigation on Daim (right), at the very least YAB should assume the responsibility to clarify the dubious relationship between Gani and Tajudin in the context of the investigation into the Malaysia Airlines scandal.

At the very least, Mat Zain said, Najib as the Finance Minister should explain to the people whether the RM 70 million held by Tajuddin on Daim’s behalf had been returned to its original owners or otherwise.

That is why, Mat Zain said, he would be not be surprised if Gani had a role to play in the much talked about multi-million suit settlement between several government linked corporations and Tajudin.

He also said that the recent allegation that Gani performed the haj trip together with Tajudin’s proxy, and followed by another that he received gratifications from Ho Hup Berhad, are not therefore unusual or surprising.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 27 October 2011, 8:08 pm and is filed under
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Mat Zain claims Najib knew of AG’s alleged wrongdoings

By
Shannon Teoh

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 27, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail should not have been involved in falsifying evidence in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s 1998 “black eye” probe, a former senior policeman said today of his private meeting in October 2008 with the prime minister.

Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim, who has led a one-man campaign to remove the Attorney-General (AG), said he had met Najib, who was then the deputy prime minister, to discuss his allegations against Abdul Gani (picture) and the then Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

“Even though Gani’s intention might been to help the IGP (Tan Sri Rahim Noor), falsifying evidence is still wrong which he should not have done,” Mat Zain quoted Najib as telling him.

The former city criminal investigation chief also quoted Najib as saying “I got to know that (former IGP Tan Sri) Musa (Hassan)’s role was not as bad as Gani’s and I think he can get away with it.”

Excerpts from the conversation between Mat Zain and Najib are contained in a letter to the prime minister which the former policeman made available to the media today.

Mat Zain was the man responsible for investigations into former IGP Tan Sri Rahim Noor’s role in the assault of Anwar while he was in custody in 1998.

Rahim eventually confessed to assaulting Anwar, resulting in a black eye that Anwar sported during his court appearances then to face charges of sodomy and abuse of power.

Mat Zain has claimed that Abdul Gani, who had led the sodomy and corruption prosecutions against Anwar, and Musa fabricated evidence in the black-eye case.

In his latest letter to the PM, Mat Zain also accused the administration of “doing everything possible to avoid criminal charges” against Abdul Gani as the government would also be guilty of abusing its power in the last two decades.

“YAB Datuk Seri and the government will do everything possible to avoid any criminal charges against Gani.

“The government is worried that should Gani be proven to have abused his powers … then simultaneously the government would be guilty of having done the same thing since 1990,” he wrote.

In the letter, Mat Zain accused Abdul Gani of “screening criminal wrongdoings, abuse of power and corrupt practices, linked to VVIPs, prominent corporate figures and senior government officials, involving property and cash to the tune of several hundred of millions of ringgit … traceable to the early 90s.”

Putrajaya said earlier this month it will not take action against the A-G despite renewed allegations of corruption and the fabrication of evidence against the country’s top lawyer.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said that last year’s decision to close the door on the AG’s alleged involvement in Anwar’s black-eye case still stands.

Mat Zain has repeatedly attacked Abdul Gani in recent months, calling on Najib to sack the AG for failing to initiate charges in high-profile cases such as the death of DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock while being held overnight for questioning by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

He has also pressed the PM to form a royal commission of inquiry or tribunal to investigate Abdul Gani’s role in destroying public confidence in the police.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 27 October 2011, 1:02 pm and is filed under
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Teoh kin rue Putrajaya’s reluctance to charge MACC trio

By
Debra Chong

The Malaysian Insider

Oct 27, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Teoh Beng Hock’s family accused the Najib administration of “taking grieving family members for a ride” by not pushing for criminal charges against three national graftbusters despite a royal investigation panel finding the trio contributed to the political aide’s death two years ago.

The Teohs said the government’s inaction casts serious doubt not only on the credibility of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) the prime minister foisted on the family, but its chairman, Federal Court judge Tan Sri Datuk Seri James Foong Cheng Yuen.

“What we do not understand is until today, why the government still thinks the RCI report does not carry enough evidence for commencing action against these officers who have abused their power, but spends more public funds to conduct another round of investigation?” the dead DAP aide’s family questioned in an email statement to The Malaysian Insider.

“We want to know then, on what basis that we, the grieving family members of the deceased, were asked to accept the findings stated in the RCI report, that Beng Hock died of forced suicide?” they asked.

The still-grieving family was responding to de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s statement three days ago that the government would not be prosecuting the three officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) despite being named in the RCI report released three months ago because no one had filed a police report to do so.

The Teohs said they found it incredulous the government remained suspicious and sceptical of the RCI report and left it to the MACC to head another “special task force investigating their own officers”.

They pointed out the RCI had incriminated the MACC trio in its report for using inappropriate violence to draw information out of Beng Hock who was only a witness.

The family further noted the RCI had named the MACC men as investigation officer Mohd Anuar Isamil (“the bully”); assistant investigation officer Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus (“the abuser”); and former deputy director of its Selangor branch Hishammuddin Hashim (“the arrogant leader”).

“If Nazri himself does not accept the findings of this report, why are we requested to accept the conclusion of this report then?

“Why impose such soul-destroying double standards upon us? Why the government can choose not to believe but we are not allowed to refute the conclusion of that report?” the family said.

“If this is really being played out, isn’t then the creation of the RCI merely a waste of time and public funds as well as taking the grieving family members for a ride?” they added.

Beng Hock was political secretary to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, and he was found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth-floor external corridor of Selangor MACC’s office in Shah Alam after a marathon questioning overnight.

The government set up the RCI in January this year after the coroner delivered an “open verdict” ruling out both suicide and homicide.

The royal panel found that Teoh had been driven to suicide after harsh, relentless questioning by MACC officers.

But while the RCI was in session, a second person fell to his death while under the MACC’s care.

Senior Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed was found dead on a badminton court on the first floor of the MACC building in Cheras on April 6, after purportedly returning to amend his previous testimony as a witness.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 27 October 2011, 10:56 am and is filed under
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