Najib, Mahathir and the timing of Malaysia’s polls

Ooi Kee Beng

The Straits Times

16.9.2016

According to its Constitution, Malaysia has to hold its next general election by Aug 24, 2018. That is still almost two years away. And yet, rumours of early elections persist, both at the state and federal levels.

This needs some explaining, given how Prime Minister Najib Razak waited until almost the last minute to go to the polls back in 2013.

The exercise to delineate constituency boundaries now being concluded heightens speculation that early polls are coming. Having lost its two-third majority since 2008, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) has not been able to increase the number of parliamentary constituencies; it is now able only to realign the existing ones – or rename them. And that, it is doing.

That in itself is a substantive exercise of power, especially with the independence of the Election Commission that is in charge of the delineation being in serious doubt.

The major argument for those predicting that elections will be held by mid-2017 is that the opposition is in a confused state, if not in disarray. And so, before they can get their act together, the chances of Datuk Seri Najib holding his ground and maintaining at least the same voter support that he had in 2013 are good.

By hook or by crook, his administration has survived the many aspects of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, at least for now. By sacking key dissidents from Umno, especially his former deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, he has consolidated his hold on the leadership of the party.

Victory in the Sarawak state election held in May and in two recent by-elections in June, one in Perak state which it marginally controls and the other in opposition-controlled Selangor state, also brought some comfort for the BN coalition and showed that the Malay ground remains encouragingly loyal.

Also, the anti-BN votes in the by-elections were split down the middle between Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and its recent splinter party, Parti Amanah Negara.

Having this indication that the Malay opposition to Umno is badly split, and convinced that the PAS leadership is now more willing than ever to negotiate with it, BN has all the more reason to dissolve Parliament earlier rather than later.

While the founding of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) in August by Mr Muhyiddin and former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to oppose Umno may look like further fragmentation in Malay politics, the danger that PPBM poses to the ruling party is more real than in the case of Amanah.

PPBM has the clear tactical goal of enticing Umno’s middle rank to defect, and the numbers who jump ship do not have to be big for sufficient parliamentary seats to go to the opposition. There have indeed been some defections at the grassroots level, and it therefore makes good sense for BN not to take chances and instead plan for early elections to pre-empt any momentum that PPBM might be expected to gain.

Umno and its allies cannot count on the opposition staying disunited and confused in the coming months.

But how is the opposition to unite, and quickly? The initiative seems to be with PPBM at the moment. The other opposition parties find themselves paralysed by internal disagreements – many over how they are to relate to Tun Dr Mahathir and PPBM. Furthermore, the fact that they have held power at state level for the last two terms (and more in the case of PAS in Kelantan state) makes them liable to strong criticisms over governance issues, especially as an election campaign approaches. Their moral high ground is definitely not as unassailable as it was one election ago.

Into that leadership vacuum steps Dr Mahathir and PPBM.

Dr Mahathir shaking hands with Anwar Ibrahim in public, and the two former allies and former foes signing a joint statement against the National Security Committee Act stunned many on all sides of the political divide. PPBM has also put forth the idea that the country’s prime minister should not be allowed to stay beyond two terms.

It also proposed that as a tactical move, a common election logo be adopted for all the opposition parties so that the choice for voters would become a simple one between BN and whatever the opposition group calls itself. Dr Mahathir’s son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, has suggested “Barisan Rakyat”, which he claims is a name netizens prefer.

At present, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Amanah group themselves under Pakatan Harapan (PH). If the electoral pact were expanded to include PPBM – and more unlikely, PAS – a new name may be needed. So, it could be BN versus BR, or BN versus PH.

Whichever strategy they choose, and whatever forms of coalition building they may come up with, the opposition parties will have to avoid three-cornered fights if they are to convince fence-sitters to buy into their ambition of toppling BN and Umno.

The major argument for those predicting that elections will be held by mid-2017 is that the opposition is in a confused state, if not in disarray. And so, before they can get their act together, the chances of Datuk Seri Najib holding his ground and maintaining at least the same voter support that he had in 2013 are good.

Supposing that Mr Najib is convinced that he will be returned to power, the next target for BN’s electoral strategy – and that is always on as broad and deep a front as one can imagine – will be to regain the rich state of Selangor. Already, pundits are detecting in dismay that, all else being equal, the delineation exercise will in itself push seven seats into BN’s hands.

The DAP’s hold on Penang is also not as strong as it was after 2008, and gaining any ground at all in that rebel state will be a breakthrough for the BN.

The national economy is not doing well either, and before it gets worse, it would be strategic of Mr Najib to go to the polls. The Budget that will be announced next month will provide clear signs as to whether elections will be called in the first half of next year, or if Mr Najib will once again wait as long as he can.

Pressure from within and from outside the country is building up, and the longer he waits, the less the options open to him become.

•The writer is the deputy director of Iseas – Yusof Ishak Institute. His recent books include Merdeka For The Mind: Essays On Malaysian Struggles In The 21st Century.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 26 September 2016, 1:20 pm and is filed under
Constitution
,
DAP
,
Elections
,
Mahathir
,
Najib Razak
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Najib should seek parliamentary support through a motion when Parliament reconvenes on  Oct 17 to refute allegation that Malaysia has become a global kleptocracy

Together with three DAP MPs, Teresa Kok (Seputeh), Zairil Khir Johari (Bukit Bendera) and Steven Sim (Bukit Mertajam), we made a five-day visit to Jakarta and Jogjarkata to meet with leaders of political parties and Islamic organisations as well as public intellectuals to understand the development of  Islam and democracy, and the dangers of Islamic extremism, in a country with the largest Muslim population of some 220 million out of a national population of 250 million people.

One thing that struck us during the discussions we had during our visit in Jakarta and Jogjarkarta was the central place of  Pancasila among the major Indonesian political and intellectual leaders in the nation-building process in the country, as compared to Malaysia, where the “establishment” political and intellectual leaders have virtually forgotten about the Malaysian counterpart to Pancasila, the Rukun Negara!

Leaders of the two largest Muslim organisations in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, have no qualms in publicly stating, whether in private discussions or public forums, that their commitment to Pancasila was an important reason why the Islamic State concept was not suitable or appropriate for Indonesia, although it has the largest number of Muslims for any country in the world!

How many Malaysian political and intellectual leaders in the country are still committed to the five principles of Rukunegara, viz:

•	Belief in God.

•	Loyalty to King and Country.

•	Upholding the Constitution.

•	Rule of Law.

•	Good Behaviour and morality.

Even the  Barisan Nasional Supreme Council, which had its rare meeting on Friday, had forgotten about the Constitution and Rukunegara, and betrayed the principles entrenched and enunciated in the  Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and Rukunegara by failing to reaffirm  the Barisan Nasional’s consensus and commitment to the Constitution, Malaysia Agreement and Rukunegara principles of not  supporting the private member’s bill motion of the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang which would enabled hudud implementation in the country.

Although Sarawak BN secretary-general Dr. Stephen Rundi had declared that all BN MPs in Sarawak would vote against Hadi’s bill, and the Foreign Minister, Anifah Seri Aman from Sabah had declared that he would oppose Hadi’s private member’s bill motion, why are the MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders unable to get the BN Supreme Council to come out with a clear-cut stand to reaffirm the Barisan Nasional consensus and commitment to uphold Constitution, the Malaysian Agreement and Rukunegara and guarantee no  repetition of what happened in Parliament in May with the undertaking that  Barisan Nasional would not provide any support to Hadi’s private member’s bill?

When the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council, which is the highest decision-making body of BN, remained undecided on whether to uphold its consensus and commitment to remain true to  the Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement and Rukunegara, it was tantamount to a betrayal of earlier BN consensus and commitment to uphold the Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement and Rukunegara

In fact, if the all the five principles of the Rukunegara are strictly adhered to by political and intellectual leaders in Malaysia, the country would have been spared the worst problems of racial and religious extremism and polarization in Malaysia, as well as being looked askance in international society as a global kleptocracy!

If all the five Rukunegara principles of Belief in God, Loyalty to King and Country, Upholding the Constitution, Rule of Law and Good Behaviour and Morality  had directed, guided and informed the decisions and actions of the country’s political leaders, there is no way for  Malaysia to degenerate in the esteem of the international society as to become a “global kleptocracy”, or for Malaysians to take in lightly or indifferently when stained with such  a “global kleptocracy” appellation without taking immediate action to purge the country of such a shameful and humiliating reputation.

This is why I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to seek parliamentary support through a motion when Parliament reconvenes on  Oct 17 to refute the damning allegation that Malaysia has become a global kleptocracy.

Dare Najib move such a motion in the first week of Parliament starting on Oct. 17, or does he feel no shame, remorse or responsibility for the nation to be stained with the infamy of  being known as a “global kleptocracy”?

Or is the real reason that Najib has no confidence that he could get unanimous parliamentary support for a motion refuting the Malaysia is a global kleptocracy?

DAP and Pakatan Harapan MPs are open minded, and we are prepared to be convinced by Najib to refute the allegation that Malaysia is a “global kleptocracy” based on facts and figures.

Is Najib capable of persuading Parliament to secure unanimous parliamentary support for a motion to refute the allegation that Malaysia is a global kleptocracy?

(Speech at the joint DAP Sibu Mooncake Festival-cum-Support/Sympathy/Solidarity with Lim Guan Eng Thousand-People Dinner in Sibu on Sunday, 25th September 2016 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 26 September 2016, 3:42 pm and is filed under
Constitution
,
Najib Razak
,
Parliament
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Najib’s statement on co-operation with US and other international authorities on 1MDB embezzlement and money-laundering – too little,  too late and of no credibility

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak made a very surprising statement during his visit to Germany when asked about international investigations on multibillion dollar 1MDB embezzlement and money-laundering.

He said that Malaysia would cooperate with US and other international authorities investigating the embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of funds from the  Malaysian state-owned 1MDB that he founded.

Najib said: “We are equally concerned about good governance in Malaysia and the rule of law.

“So within the bounds of good governance and the rule of law, Malaysia will do its best to cooperate and to do whatever is necessary.”

Isn’t such a statement by Najib not only too little and too late, but totally lacking in credibility?

Why only  make such a statement in Germany more than two months after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuits on July 20  on the forfeiture of over US$1billion of assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland, from over US$3billion embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds, (implicating the Prime Minister himself as identified by a Cabinet Minister that the “MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL 1” mentioned in the US DOJ indictment is none other than Najib himself) and months after several countries like Singapore and Switzerland had taken action against banks,  financial institutions and their staff in their countries for being involved in the international conspiracy on money-laundering of 1MDB funds?

It is not that Najib or the Malaysian authorities were unaware of international investigations into the 1MDB financial scandal, which is the chief cause why Malaysian has catapulted into the infamous ranks as a “global kleptocracy”.

Investigations by US authorities under the US Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative resulting in the DOJ lawsuits on July 20 would have been initiated more than 18 months ago, and it is not a state secret, as New York Times reported on Sept. 22 last year that a US federal grand jury is examining allegations of corruption involving Najib and people close to him in connection with the 1MDB financial scandal.

Many Malaysian leaders, including Najib and Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had visited the United States from Sept. 22 to July 20 this year.

Did they inquire about these investigations into the 1MDB financial scandal by the US authorities under the US Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, and offered co-operation in such investigations, and if not, why not?

Parliament is reconvening on Oct. 17, and undoubtedly, the 1MDB financial scandal will cast a long shadow over the budget parliamentary meeting as well as the 2017 Budget as it has single-handedly catapulted Malaysia into the international infamy for being a “global kleptocracy”.

Pakatan Harapan Members of Parliament are prepared to give Najib the benefit of the doubt that he must singly bear the greatest responsibility for the 1MDB scandal, provided he seeks parliamentary support through a motion when Parliament reconvenes on  Oct 17 to refute the damning allegation that Malaysia has become a global kleptocracy.

Dare Najib move such a motion in the first week of Parliament starting on Oct. 17, or does he feel no shame, remorse or responsibility for the nation to be stained with the infamy of  being known as a “global kleptocracy”?

Or has  Najib  no confidence that he could get unanimous parliamentary support for a motion refuting the Malaysia as a global kleptocracy?

The question whether Najib is capable of persuading Parliament to give unanimous parliamentary support for a motion to refute the allegation that Malaysia is a global kleptocracy depends on his ability to present  a full and comprehensive case not only to establish that 1MDB is not a global multi-billion dollar scandal of  embezzlement and money-laundering but further, that he as Prime Minister is not a key player in the 1MDB global scandal.

I suggest that three days be set aside for a debate on Najib’s motion if the Prime Minister is brave enough and  prepared to come to Parliament to clear Malaysia’s name as a global kleptocracy as well as his role in the 1MDB scandal.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 28 September 2016, 1:48 pm and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Three questions for Najib on 1MDB global financial scandal, including whether he is MO1?

I have given notice to ask the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak three questions on the 1MDB global financial scandal in next month’s Parliament, viz:

1.    To ask the Prime Minister whether he is “MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL 1” mentioned in the US Department of Justice lawsuit seeking forfeiture of US$1 billion 1MDB-linked assets and what action he had taken as a result.

 2.    To ask the Prime Minister when the government learnt that the United States authorities were carrying out investigations into the embezzlement and money-laundering of 1MDB funds under the US Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative and what actions the government had taken.

3.    To ask the Prime Minister what co-operation Malaysian government  has given to various governments and international institutions investigating various aspects of the 1MDB financial scandal.

These questions on the 1MDB global scandal have increasingly snowballed in magnitude and will  cast a great shadow over the budget parliamentary meeting in the next two months as well as the 2017 Budget to be presented by Najib as Finance Minister on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016.

Najib said in Germany during his visit to the European country that Malaysia  would cooperate with US and other international authorities investigating into the multi-billion ringgit embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds and assets acquired by them in foreign countries.

Isn’t such a statement by Najib not only too little and too late, but totally lacking in credibility?

Why only make such a statement in Germany more than two months after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuits on July 20 on the forfeiture of over US$1billion of assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland, from over US$3billion embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds, and months after several countries like Singapore and Switzerland had taken action against banks, financial institutions and their staff in their countries for being involved in the international conspiracy on money-laundering of 1MDB funds, when such a statement should be made at least two months ago and inside the country?

It is unthinkable that  Najib or the Malaysian authorities were unaware of the investigations by the US authorities into 1MDB global financial scandal until the US DOJ action on July 20 as the US probe would have been started at least 18 months ago.

In fact, the  New York Times reported on Sept. 22 last year that a US federal grand jury was examining allegations of corruption involving Najib and people close to him in connection with the 1MDB financial scandal.

Many Malaysian leaders, including Najib and Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had visited the United States from Sept. 22 to July 20 this year.

Did they inquire about these investigations into the 1MDB financial scandal by the US authorities under the US Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, and offered co-operation in such investigations, and if not, why not?

As the 1MDB global scandal is the chief cause why Malaysia has acquired the international infamy of a global kleptocracy, is Najib prepared to reserve the first three days of Parliament beginning on Oct. 17 on a Prime Ministerial motion to refute the damning allegation that Malaysia has become a global kleptocracy?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 29 September 2016, 3:55 pm and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Great regret that Ku Li is playing the racial card of reducing Malaysian politics into Malay versus Chinese when it should be a battle between integrity, good governance and democracy versus corruption, bad governance and authoritarian rule

The launch of the  seven-week Bersih 5 convoy in Johor, which is held simultaneously today in five other locations in the country, is a historic occasion for patriotic  Malaysians regardless of race, religion, region or politics to reclaim the country from undemocratic, corrupt and opportunistic forces in the country which are prepared to see the country hurtle down the slippery slope towards a failed state provided they can achieve their  selfish and greedy objectives.

The Election Commission’s most undemocratic redelineation of electoral constituencies in the nation’s history, even more unfair and undemocratic than the four previous redelineation exercises, has only highlighted the importance, relevance and urgency of the Bersih’s  cause and primary objective to have clean, free and fair elections.

Nov. 19 should be a rendevous with history for all Malaysians concerned not only about the future of democracy  but also the future of the plural Malaysian nation – why a country with so much promise for greatness in various fields of human endeavour and which  could be a showcase of successful multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation to the world  has overnight becoming a “basket-case” of nation-building?

Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics, must shame the Malaysian Government for adopting an indifferent,  nonchalant and unashamed attitude to the nation acquiring the international infamy of becoming a “global kleptocracy”!

Yesterday, the country saw the fiasco of  the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Paul Low,  announcing proposals for political financing when he  dared not take a stand on Malaysia becoming a “global kleptocracy” after he was appointed Minister with  specific charge of integrity and good governance, or on  the issues of 1MDB financial scandal, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuits for forfeiture of US$1 billion 1MDB-linked assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland from over US$3 billion embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds under the US Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative or the “mystery” of who is “MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL 1” (MO1)!

On top of these “corruption” woes for Malaysia, I find it a great regret that Ku Li (Tengku Razaleigh) is playing the racial card of reducing Malaysian politics into Malay versus Chinese when it should be a battle between integrity, good governance and democracy versus corruption, bad governance and authoritarian rule.

Bersih 5 marks another historic milestone of political awakening of the Malaysian people, regardless of race, religion, region or politics to save Malaysia from global kleptocracy, disunity and ruin.

It deserves the support of all patriotic Malaysians who are prepared to put the national interests  to Save Malaysia above all other subordinate or sectional interests.

[Media  Statement after the launch of  the second stop in Gelang Patah of Bersih 5 Convoy (Johor) on Saturday, 1st October 2016 at 11 am]

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 1 October 2016, 2:08 pm and is filed under
DAP
,
Politics
,
Razaleigh Hamzah
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Ku Li’s DAP Bashing: A Cynical Play for UMNO Leadership

Koon Yew Yin

1.10.2016

All sorts of developments have taken place in our political arena this past fortnight which have tempted me to write about.  The most prominent is the attempt by the Election Commission to steal the next election for the BN. However many other analysts have commented and written about it so there is no need for me to say anything much except to urge our Malaysian electorate to vote in the next election – wherever their constituency and the outcome of the re-delineation exercise  – so as to finish off once and for all, UMNO’s and BN’s monopoly of power.

Assuming the next election is in 2018, I propose that one of the key electoral slogans for the opposition parties is

“Malaysians Have Had More Than Enough of 59 Years of BN Misrule and Power Abuse”.

KU LI and Bid for UMNO Leadership

What was personally more surprising to me was the news that Tengku Razaleigh has now raised the issue whether the DAP will now dominate the Malaysian political landscape with the establishment of the two new Malay parties – Amanah and PPBM.

Surprising is too mild a word. “Shocking and disgusting” is the better description to give especially since these comments were made to a Malay daily, Sinar Harian, and clearly targeted at a Malay audience.

Personally, I am terribly disappointed and, yes also “disgusted”.

I have for a long time been an admirer of Ku Li and have written on several occasions during the past few years on his leadership qualities, his political principles and his decency and good sense. I have argued that these qualities are the ones needed at the helm of the nation to guide us through this difficult time of racial and religious extremism, and unquenched opportunism and power craze.

To help him get his message across, I invited him to provide the forward to my book ‘Road Map for achieving Vision 2020’ as well as had him as the keynote speaker at the book launch.

Now given his latest comments, I am wondering if I need to eat my words. I am not the only one. Many readers in the English language internet have written in even more harsh terms about how upset they are.

Perhaps Ku Li was misquoted or the news report did not reflect clearly what he actually said. But if the report is accurate, what it shows is that Ku Li is no different from other UMNO politicians in playing racial politics through demonizing the DAP and the Chinese.

Not long ago Ku li wrote about 10 Golden Political Principles for the country which I helped to disseminate widely through my writings. Among them were these two:

1. It shall be the duty of all parties to ensure that all political dialogues and statements will not create racial or religious animosity.

2. All parties undertake not to use racial and communal agitation as political policies.

It is clear that rather than live up to these principles, he has abandoned them at the slightest opportunity of building up Malay support for his ambitions of leading UMNO and the country.

It is also clear that Ku Li has no moral qualms about fanning Malay insecurities of loss of power even though there is absolutely no basis to it. How many seats after all can the DAP win at most in the coming election?

We can assume that Ku Li can count as well as analyse. He must know that there is no way a Chinese party can ever establish political dominance in the country. Not even if there is no electoral gerrymandering. Chinese or DAP political dominance can never happen – not in his lifetime, not even in the lifetime of young Malaysians.

Everyone knows this so the question to ask is: why is Ku Li trying to frighten the Malays?

Everyone also knows that Ku Li’s life long ambition is to be the Prime Minister of the country. This explains why he has consistently refused to leave UMNO.

But he should also realize that he has virtually no chance of becoming the replacement Prime Minister, should the present one, Najib Razak, vacate his position voluntarily or involuntarily. So why is he still trying so hard to get into the good books of UMNO members is a puzzle to me.

Finally, he is doing an injustice to all the young Malay DAP leaders and supporters by his opportunistic and patently dishonest and deceitful claim of the possible loss of Malay political dominance.

I am sure all right thinking and fair minded Malaysians will join me in demanding a retraction or minimally a clarification from Ku Li on his comments to Sinar Harian.

Should he fail to do so, we can cross him off the list of decent and honorable politicians. And his list of golden political principles can be seen to be just opportunistic empty tin political principles.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 1 October 2016, 2:16 am and is filed under
1Malaysia
,
Razaleigh Hamzah
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


The Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework can be the basis of the Grand Opposition  Coalition to bring about fundamental political changes in Malaysia in 14GE

AMANAH Deputy President, Sallehudin Ayub reported that AMANAH has 85,000 members on its first anniversary.

I congratulate Parti AMANAH on its success, for DAP can only boast of having 85,000 members after  a decade of political struggle.

Today is a special day for BERSIH 5 launched off its Nov. 19 campaign with publicity convoys from six places in Malaysia – Johor Baru, Lumut, Kangar, Kota Baru, Sandakan and Miri.

The BERSIH 5 campaign for clean, free and fair elections is even more pertinent than in the four previous four BERSIH campaigns, as the proposed redelineation of electoral constituencies have demonstrated that we have an electoral  system which is utterly rotten and corrupt to the core.

The Election Commission had violated the constitutional mandate as laid down in the Thirteenth Schedule of the Constitution which stipulates that in any constituency redelineation, “the number of electors within each constituency in a State ought to be approximately equal except that, having regard to the greater difficulty of reaching electors in the country districts and the other disadvantages facing rural constituencies, a measure of weightage for area ought to be given to such constituencies”, but have instead  done the exact opposite – widening the disparity  between the largest and smallest electorates in both parliamentary and state assembly constituencies.

The Election Commission was not  only acting against the Thirteenth Schedule of the Constitution, but was working with a political agenda to gerrymander the constit uency redelineation so that in Parliament, it an achieve the twin objectives of returning UMNO-BN to power in Putrajaya and with a two-thirds parliamentary majority; while at the State Assembly level, ensure that UMNO-BN can win back Selangor state power and ensure that UMNO-BN maintain the state government in both Perak and Kedah, and even secure a two-thirds state assembly majority in Perak.

In any country with a modicum of regard for the rule of law and constitutional integrity, the Election Commission’s proposed redelineation of electoral constituencies would have been declared null and void as being unlawful and unconstitutional – but it is to be seen whether the Election Commission’s proposed redelineation of electoral constituencies can withstand a legal and constitutional challenge in the courts in  Malaysia.

There is  recently a major diversion campaign to create a smokescreen  to camouflage the biggest financial and political scandal in the nation’s history – the 1MDB  financial scandal which had gained for Malaysia the international infamy of a “global kleptocracy”, after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit on July 20 for the forfeiture of US$1 billion of 1MDB-linked assets in the United States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland as a result of over US$3 billion  international embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds and the “mystery” over “MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL 1” (MO1).

Instead of demonstrating that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is head of a government which is serious about  integrity, accountability and transparency by giving a satisfactory account of the 1MDB scandal in Parliament and to the country, there is an attempt to divert public attention with talk about proposals to control political funding.

I fully agree with the many Malaysians organisations and individuals, like the Bar Coucil, which had declared that there is little credibility about proposals on political funding when the current focus should be on investigations into the RM2.6 billion (in actual fact, RM4.2 billion) found in Najib’s personal banking accounts.

There has ben  increasing calls for a Grand Opposition  Coalition to clean the Augean Stables of corruption in Putrajaya.

The Pakatan Harapan parties of DAP, PKR and Amanah are  in support of such an idea of a Grand Opposition Coalition now that  BERSATU, a new political party of UMNO leaders and members,  had been formed.

The Common Policy Framework of Pakatan Rakyat, which was inspired by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, can be the basis of the Grand Opposition Coalition to bring about fundamental political changes in Putrajaya in the 14th General Election, as this will demonstrate that the concept of a Grand Opposition Coalition to defeat UMNO-BN in the next general elections is not based on political opportunism or personal self-interests but grounded on institutional and electoral reforms in the national interests.

(Speech at the KL Federal Territory Parti AMANAH  first anniversary ceramah at Kampong  Baru, KL on Saturday, 1st October 2016 at 10 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 2 October 2016, 3:26 pm and is filed under
Constitution
,
Corruption
,
Elections
,
Najib Razak
,
Pakatan Harapan
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


48-hour silence of top MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders on Tengku Adnan’s claim that BN has arrived at a consensus on Hadi’s private member’s bill is more eloquent than any statement by them

The 48-hour silence of the top MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders who are also Cabinet Ministers to the claim by the UMNO and Barisan Nasional secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor that the Barisan Nasional has arrived at a consensus regarding PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill is more eloquent than any statement anyone of them  could make.

As usual, the top MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders allow their low-level underlings to cast doubt on Adnan’s claim, but they dare not  personally contradict Adnan’s statement and  their silence are louder than the protestations by the MCA, Gerakan and MIC underlings.

Before the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting two Fridays ago, I had said that the BN Supreme Council had degenerated from the Barisan Nasional Federal coalition government’s highest decision-making body into a superfluous and even superannuated creature without any bite, role, authority or purpose whatsoever.

What UMNO leadership decides is the order of the day, and this is what happened to Hadi’s private member’s bill in the May meeting of Parliament.

Hadi’s private member’s bill is in fact a classic example of the degeneration of the role and place of the BN Supreme Council.

MCA and Gerakan leaders had not dared to even requisition for an emergency meeting of the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council when UMNO Ministers unilaterally fast-tracked the PAS President’s private member’s bill in Parliament in May which violated the 43-year Barisan Nasional stand and consensus that PAS’ hudud proposal was not appropriate for Malaysia’s plural society and against the fundamental provisions of the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

Although MCA and Gerakan leaders have promised in the recent Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections that the Barisan Nasional “consensus” will be restored, the top MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders have disappeared to their respective “holes” and dare not clarify or contradict what Adnan meant when the UMNO/BN Secretary-General claimed that BN had arrived at a consensus regarding Hadi’s private member’s bill for the Parliament meeting starting on Oct. 17.

Voices of opposition to Hadi’s private member’s bill  have  been raised from BN Ministers and MPs from  Sabah and Sarawak, and it  is undoubtedly  a great let-down that the top MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders are not as forthright and principled like the Sabah and Sarawak Ministers, like Anifah Musa (Foreign Minister) and Nancy Shukri who have  publicly declared their opposition to Hadi’s private member’s bill.

The mystery is how Adnan can  claim that there is a BN consensus on Hadi’s private member’s bill if MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders had spoken up at their BN Supreme Council to declare their opposition?

 Lim Kit Siang

                This entry was posted on Monday, 3 October 2016, 12:09 pm and is filed under
Gerakan
,
Islam
,
MCA
,
Parliament
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


What would have happened if Bersih 5 supporters had been as unruly, provocative and violent  as the Red Shirts in Teluk Intan on Saturday?

What would have happened if the Bersih 5 supporters had been as unruly, provocative and violentn as the Red Shirts in Teluk Intan on Saturday?

Undoubtedly, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar would have tweeted for the whole world to know about  the Bersih 5 supporters’ provocative and violent conduct, how they  had deliberately defied the law and order in the country as well as  tweeted his “instant” directive  to the relevant police officers to bring the offending persons to book or to hunt them down if they do not surrender themselves to the authorities within 24 hours!

More than 72 hours have passed since the hooliganism and thuggery exhibited by the Red Shirts in Teluk Intan, but there is not a squeak either from the Inspector-General of Police or the top police authorities!

What is even more ignominious and infamous is that the Barisan Nasional political leaders are using the Red Shirts hooliganism and thuggery in Teluk Intan as an excuse to issue seemingly even-handed calls to organisers of the Berish 5  and Red Shirt rallies to call off their demonstrations, publicly exhibiting the continuing loss of the UMNO/BN leaders of their moral compass to be unable to distinguish right from wrong.

As human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen has aptly said, it is absurd to compare the peaceful Bersih 5 convoy and gathering with the hooliganism and thuggery of the Red Shirts in Teluk Intan.

How can the UMNO/BN Secretary-General and Federal Territories Minister, Tengku Adnan, give respectability to the Red Shirts hooliganism and thuggery by urging Bersih 5 and Red Shirts to be “sensible and work things out as Malaysians to preserve the harmony and unity within the country” when the Red Shirts had crossed the bounds of decency, propriety and even legality by trying to harass and intimidate the Bersih 5 supporters?

Ten civil society organisations, through their spokesman Nobel Laureate Samad Said, had condemned the Red Shirts’ violent attacks on the Bersih 5 convoy team in Teluk Intan, urging the inspector-general of police (IGP) to investigate immediately the incident and to  arrest the perpetrators.

What had the IGP done in the past three days to protect the rights of civil society organisations to assemble peacefully?

Can the IGP explain why the Johor Baru Police could act in full regard of their  law and order responsibilities by  providing the necessary security and protection to the Bersih 5 convoy and participants in the face of provocations and intimidations by Red Shirts hooligans and thugs while  the Police in Teluk Intan had failed dismally in the discharge of their basic police duties?

Would the IGP commend the police in Johor Baru for their exemplary conduct while deploring the failure and dereliction of duties of the police in Teluk Intan?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 4 October 2016, 5:43 pm and is filed under
Bersih
,
Elections
,
Police
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


“Biggest corruption bust ever” more a reflection that MACC has yet to become an  independent and professional anti-corruption agency to combat the scourge of corruption which has become a runaway problem tarring the country as “global kleptocracy”

This is the biggest “corruption bust ever” in the nation’s history – RM114million recovered  from the top two officials of the Sabah Water Department, including RM53.7mil in cold hard cash that took more than 30 officers 15 hours to count.

Also recovered from the homes and offices of the department’s director and his deputy were nine mostly luxury vehicles, expensive watches, jewellery and 94 high-end handbags.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the  cash – RM45mil seized from the director and RM7.5mil from his deputy – was found stashed inside safes, cupboards, drawers and also a car boot.

Also seized was RM1.18mil in over half-a-dozen foreign currencies.

Among the vehicles seized were a BMW 535i (which costs RM500,000), Mercedes-Benz C300 (RM308,000), Range Rover SE V8 (RM1.1mil), Mazda6 (RM195,000), Volvo XC60 (RM270,000), Lexus ES (RM260,000), Audi A1 (RM180,000) and Ford Ranger (RM112,000) – in all, the cars total some RM3mil in value.

The luxury watches comprised brands like Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer, Rolex, Cartier and Guess while the handbags included Chanel, Burberry, Versace, Louis Vuitton and Hermes.

The two senior state civil officers were arrested by MACC  yesterday and remanded for a week for investigations into alleged kickbacks involving RM3.3bil worth of federal infrastructure projects.

The corruption figure may even reach a staggering RM300 million as MACC revealed the amount of money, in cash and from accounts of the suspects, recovered so far did not include the value of properties and possible deposits made overseas.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki said MACC will make an effort to get the money back.

MACC is in the process of trying to open five safes at a bank where they expect to recover more cash.

The MACC team also found 127 land titles worth millions of ringgit.

This is the biggest seizure involving civil servants. The most the anti-corruption agency had confiscated in the past was RM10 million.

The Sabah “bust” should have marked the arrival of the MACC to a position where MACC is fully respected by both Malaysians and the world as a fully independent and professional anti-corruption agency to combat the scourge of corruption, which has become a runaway problem tarring the country as a “global kleptocracy”.

Unfortunately this is not the case.

The country is  agog at the vast fortune seized by the MACC, but highly sceptical that the MACC has untrammelled powers to combat corruption wherever it occurs without fear or favour, for Malaysians and the world are convinced that if MACC is truly independent,  professional and allowed to go after the  ill-gotten gains from corruption from the “sharks” in the country “without fear or favour”, the ill-gotten “fortunes” that would be uncovered would dwarf the Sabah’s “seizure” yesterday into insignificance!

Yes, the seizure in Sabah yesterday  was the biggest ever in the 49-year history of MACC (including the former Anti-Corruption Agency), but it does not even qualify as a “shark” anti-corruption seizure, considering the gravity of the problem of corruption today when compared to the nation’s founding years.

Proof of the selective nature of the anti-corruption mission of MACC could be seen from the selective and discriminative reporting in the mainstream media, which gave the Sabah seizure  front-page headline treatment –
“SABAH GRAFT SHOCKER”
 (New Straits Times);
“RM114 mil seized”
 (The Star);
“Rampasan wang rasuah terbesar dalam sejarah – LUAR BIASA”
(Utusan Malaysia);
“Rampasan terbesar dalam sejarah SPRM”
 (Berita Harian) – but all four mainstream  media totally blacked out  the news that the Swiss Attorney-General Office (OAG) was requesting assistance from the Malaysian authorities in its investigations which revealed that US$800 million had been misappropriated from former 1MDB subsidiary SRC International and that fraud was committed on a form of “Ponzi” scheme to cover it up.

Even more shocking was the revelation from the Swiss Attorney-General Office that its January request for mutual assistance in its investigations into the 1MDB scandal is still pending and had not been met after nine long months!

On Monday, the Indonesian press reported that the Indonesian anti-graft agency KPK would follow up on initial reports from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation that power plant builder MAXpower had allegedly paid bribes to Indonesian officials to secure government contracts.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Alexander Marwata told the press in Jakarta: “We will look at the FBI investigation. If we find the alleged flow of cash to government officials in Indonesia, we will follow up the case”.

What was the response of the MACC when the US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed civil actions under the US Kleptocracy Assets Recovery Initiative for the forfeiture of US$1 billion of assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland from over US$3 billion international conspiracy of embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds – the colossal nature of the ill-gotten gains in the 1MDB scandal would have put the MACC seizure in Sabah to shame?

Or is this because the MACC agreed with the UMNO information chief Annuar Musa who had likened the 1MDB  financial scandal to problem with “one single  branch or fruit” as contrast to the UMNO “tree”, asking “Why should we discuss about one branch or fruit? We are concerned if the tree (UMNO) is dying?”

Does MACC agree that Annuar is gravely mistaken, for the 1MDB crime, which catapulted Malaysia into a “global kleptocracy”, is not problem with one branch or one fruit  but the problem of the UMNO tree trunk which is rotten to the core and there is no alternative to chopping down the whole tree unless UMNO is capable of purging and cleansing Malaysia of the international infamy of being a “global kleptocracy” over the 1MDB scandal?

Is Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the entire Cabinet prepared to make this the first item of business when Parliament reconvenes on Oct. 17 by getting the support of all MPs, regardless of party affiliation, to purge and cleanse Malaysia of the infamy of being dubbed a “global kleptocracy”?

Is the Sabah corruption case a problem of a branch, a fruit or a tree?

Similarly, is the problem of Annuar (as MARA Chairman) with regard to the MARA commercial property scandal in Melbourne, where A$31 million was paid for it when the market price was A$22 million, a problem of a branch, fruit or tree?

MACC should declare its stand and explain why after more than a year, no one had been charged in court in connection with the MARA Melbourne property scandal?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 6 October 2016, 2:34 pm and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
,
Parliament
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Biggest MACC seizure in history

Elton Gomes

Borneo Post

October 6, 2016

KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) has made their biggest cash seizure in its history following the arrest of two senior government officers here on Tuesday.

About RM112 million in cash was seized from four individuals, namely a 54-year-old director and his 51-year-old deputy, the deputy director’s 55-year-old businessman brother with a Datuk title, and his 50-year-old accountant.

The director and deputy director were arrested at their office on Tuesday while the  businessman and the accountant were picked up by MACC yesterday.

The director and deputy director were suspected to have handled infrastructure construction projects valued at over RM3.3 billion since 2010 and had given all of them to their siblings.

MACC deputy commissioner of operations Datuk Azam Baki said about RM52 million in cash were seized from the office and houses of the director and deputy director during a 15-hour raid beginning on Tuesday.

“MACC seized about RM45 million from the director and RM7.2 million from the deputy director. We have also seized cash from the officers’ bank accounts and family members which amounted to RM23 million.

“Today, MACC again seized about RM37 million from a company that we believe is connected with one of the suspects,” he told a packed press conference at the MACC office here yesterday.

Also present were MACC operational director Datuk Sri Yahaya Ahmad Khusairi, and Special Operations Division director Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim.

Commenting on the case, Azam said the raids were made following a year of surveillance of the officers’ activities after they received complaints of corrupt practice within the department.

“Investigation shows both officers were involved in numerous infrastructure construction projects worth RM3.3 billion since 2010.

“Since the anti-corruption agency was set up 49 years ago, we have never seized so much money from individuals, particularly civil servants,” he said.

Apart from the seized cash, MACC has also frozen the accounts of the four individuals and seized nine luxury vehicles, 94 high-end handbags, jewellery, luxury watches, and RM8.3 million worth of foreign currencies.

The luxury vehicles seized were a Range Rover, Audi, Ford Ranger, Mercedes Benz, Mazda, Lexus, Volvo and two BMWs.

Azam said the MACC had also seized RM2.5 million from a bank safe deposit box belonging to the deputy director and that it was seeking the bank’s assistance to open five more safe deposit boxes soon.

Azam said MACC also believed more money were kept in several foreign bank accounts, but declined to comment further pending investigation.

He also said MACC had identified several individuals who were believed involved in the case and would call them for their statements to be recorded.

Yesterday the four people detained by MACC were remanded for a week to facilitate investigations into corruption involving RM3.3bil worth of federal projects.

The case would be investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act, Section 165 of the Penal Code and for money laundering.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 6 October 2016, 9:41 am and is filed under
Corruption
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Swiss investigators seek Malaysia’s help in 1MDB probe

Nikkei Asian Review

October 5, 2016

BANGKOK — Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General, looking into allegations that a Malaysian state investment fund was involved in money laundering, said Wednesday it has determined that a Ponzi scheme was used to misappropriate $800 million from the fund and requested further information from authorities in Malaysia.

As part of the Swiss criminal investigation into 1Malaysia Developer Berhad that began in August 2015, the Attorney General’s office said it had uncovered a “Ponzi scheme fraud” that it said was used to launder $800 million belonging to SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary.

Ponzi schemes involve paying returns to initial investors from sources other than income generated from the investments, often the funds of those who invest later.

The Attorney General’s office said its initial request in January for legal assistance from the Malaysian authorities to examine funds passing through Swiss financial institutions is still pending.

The latest request is aimed at corroborating new findings so that the “presumed companies or persons suffering harm can assert their rights in the Swiss criminal proceedings,” the office said in a press release.

Four people, including two former officials of the United Arab Emirates and a bank, have been investigated so far, in relation to the alleged misappropriation of funds in 1MDB. The Swiss said the funds were originally meant for a joint-venture investment in PetroSaudi International and the purchase of assets that belonged to Malaysian gaming group Genting and Tanjong Energy.

In addition to the Swiss, authorities in Singapore and the U.S. are probing 1MDB, a sovereign wealth fund set up by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2009 to invest in development projects. Following several technical default on debts, the fund was reduced to a shell company. All its assets have been transferred to the Malaysian Finance Ministry in June.

In July, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit to recover over $1 billion it says was stolen from 1MDB and used for lavish spending in the country, including the purchase of luxury apartments and artworks.

The Swiss OAG said it is confident that Malaysia will respond to the two requests, adding that authorities in Singapore have already cooperated on a similar request for evidence.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 6 October 2016, 8:27 am and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Najib-Mugabe meeting very troubling: a get-together of one of world’s oldest surviving kleptocrats and the new kleptocrat on the block?

The news today that President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe is on a working visit to Malaysia and will have a meeting with the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is very troubling to Malaysians deeply concerned about democracy and human rights as well as integrity and good governance.

Will the Najib-Mugabe meeting be a get-together and note-exchanging between one the world’s oldest surviving kleptocrats and the latest new kleptocrat on the block?

The term “kleptocrat”  was only coined in the late 1990s to describe African dictators like Joseph Mobutu, Sani Abacha and Robert Mugabe plundering their own countries.

Wikipedia defines “kleptocracy” as “power, rule by thieves” and is  applied to a government seen as having a particularly severe and systemic problem with officials or a ruling class (collectively, kleptocrats) taking advantage of corruption to extend their personal wealth and political power. Typically this system involves the embezzlement of state funds at the expense of the wider population, sometimes without even the pretense of honest service.

Kleptocracies are generally associated with dictatorships, oligarchies, military juntas, or other forms of autocratic and nepotist governments in which external oversight is impossible or does not exist. Many kleptocratic rulers secretly transfer public funds into hidden personal numbered bank accounts in foreign countries to provide for themselves if removed from power.

Mugabe has been described by a Zimbabwean Member of Parliament as being responsible for Zimbabwe, once a promising middle income developing state, sliding into a kleptocracy and became  the second poorest country in the world in a decade –  one of the only countries to experience such a decline without being engaged in a war.

A tiny (no more than 2000 people) criminal cabal became some of the wealthiest individuals in the world as  Zimbabwe abandoned any pretext of being a law abiding State and the theft of State and individual assets became the order of the day.

Malaysia is the latest nation to gain the infamous epithet of a “global kleptocracy” – after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuits on July 20 on the forfeiture of over US$1billion of assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland from over US$3billion embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds, and after several countries like Singapore and Switzerland had taken action against banks, financial institutions and their staff in their countries for being implicated in the international conspiracy on money-laundering of 1MDB funds.

Is Najib trying to learn a few lessons from Mugabe how to be a global kleptocrat and still enjoy international immunity and impunity?

I do not think so as no patriotic Malaysians would feel proud at Malaysia being known as a “global kleptocracy”.

This is why I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to seek parliamentary support through a motion when Parliament reconvenes on  Oct 17 to refute the damning allegation that Malaysia has become a global kleptocracy. Three days should be set aside for such a debate.

Dare Najib move such a motion in the first week of Parliament starting on Oct. 17, or does he feel no shame, remorse or responsibility for the nation to be stained with the epithet of a  “global kleptocracy”?

DAP and Pakatan Harapan MPs are open minded, and we are prepared to be convinced by Najib to refute the allegation that Malaysia is a “global kleptocracy” based on facts and figure on the 1MDB global scandal.

The ball is in Najib’s court.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 7 October 2016, 4:14 pm and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


MACC’s biggest anti-corruption “haul” in nation’s history unlikely to  save Malaysia from continuing to slip down  in TI CPI unless Malaysia is prepared to purge the newly acquired infamy of being an  “global kleptocracy” as a result of 1MDB scandal

Congratulations are in order to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for the “biggest corruption bust ever” in the nation’s history with  the success of its “Op Water” with the seizure of  RM114million from the top two officials of the Sabah Water Department, including RM53.7mil in cold hard cash that took more than 30 officers 15 hours to count and frozen RM60 million in bank accounts, seized 19.3 kg of gold jewellery worth about RM3.64 million,  some 97 designer ladies handbags worth RM500,000, nine luxury vehicles and some 127 land titles.

This is the biggest seizure involving civil servants as the most the anti-corruption agency had confiscated in the past was RM10 million.

While Malaysians are agog at the scale and magnitude of the ill-gotten gains seized by the MACC in Sabah, there is no real surprise and no elation among Malaysians that MACC’s Op Water marked its coming of age as a fully independent and professional anti-corruption agency able to combat the scourge of corruption in Malaysia without fear or favour, whether against ikan bilis or the sharks.

In fact, MACC’s Op Water had deepened public skepticism and cynicism about the battle against corruption in Malaysia, as Malaysians are convinced that if there is a full-fledged and no-holds-barred anti-corruption war in Malaysia, Op Water seizure would pale into insignificance in scale and magnitude with regard to the ill-gotten gains involved, as they  would not just be in  tens or hundreds of   millions of ringgit, but in tens or a hundred times in billions and tens of billions of ringgit!

I fully agree with former MACC advisory panel member, Tan Sri Robert Phang, who want the MACC to probe the higher ups involved, as the two high-ranking civil servants in the Sabah Water Department could be frontmen for certain politicians, as it is difficult to believe that the duo had by themselves managed to amass the millions of ringgit seized from them.

Phang said: “They are only ordinary officers. Therefore, one is inclined to think these two officers are the frontmen of the politicians, because nobody would give such a big amount to these ordinary officers.

“Normally only politicians or for the matter, ministers of that level, will have the possibility and authority to approve any form of application within the state.”

While MACC is to be commended for the biggest anti-corruption haul in the nation’s history, nobody believes that it would save Malaysia from continuing to slip down in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index unless the government is prepared to combat the newly acquired infamy of being an  “global kleptocracy” as a result of  the  colossal 1MDB financial scandal.

What the spectacle  would be like if MACC is allowed free and untrammeled hand  to seize all the varieties of assets involved in the RM55 billion 1MDB  scandal which had catapulted Malaysia into a “global kleptocracy”, putting our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the same exclusive  circle with Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe?

In the past year, Malaysia had topped the global charts as among the most corrupt nations in the world like the third place in international website, foreignpolicy.com’s ranking of the world’s “worst corruption scandal in 2015” at the end of last year, TIME magazine’s second ranking of “global corruption” in March and  the Economist’s second placing in its second index of crony capitalism in May.

In July, Malaysia formally joined the exclusive club of “global kleptocracy” when the US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed civil actions under the US Kleptocracy Assets Recovery Initiative for the forfeiture of US$1 billion of assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland from over US$3 billion international conspiracy of embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds – the colossal nature of the ill-gotten gains in the 1MDB scandal had  put the MACC seizure in Sabah to shame.

Malaysia was ranked 50th among 175 countries in 2014 Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI)  but dropped to 54th among 168 countries in 2015 with a CPI score of 50/100.

Malaysia’s ranking in the TI CPI 2015 could have been lower, as five countries, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Puerto Rico and St Vincent – which had been ranked higher than Malaysia – were excluded due to technical reasons like not meeting three minimum secondary sources for research.

At the rate the UMNO/BN government is abandoning its National Transformation Programme objectives to fight corruption and uphold the principles of accountability, integrity and good governance, Najib is notching up a great shame and infamy for Malaysia when we are overtaken by China and even Indonesia in both TI CPI ranking and score within a decade.

The Najib government had been boasting about its target for Malaysia to be in the top 30 countries in the TI CPI by 2020, but this is nothing but a pipe-dream.

Studying the TI CPI ranking and score for the 177 countries and the 21-year series of TI CPI from 1995-2015, there is no reason or ground for anyone to believe that the target of Malaysia being ranked in the top 30 of TI CPI in 2020 is a realistic or achievable one.

In fact, within a decade, Malaysia faces the risk of being overtaken by China and even Indonesia in both TI CPI ranking and score, when in the first TI CPI in 1995, Malaysia was ranked No. 23 out of 41 countries with a score of 5.28 out of 10, while China and Indonesia were ranked as the last two bottom countries with CPI score of 2.16 and 1.94 out of 10 respectively (i.e. hovering in the lowest 90 percentile of the CPI score).

However, in the last 21 years, Malaysia achieved the dubious distinction as one of the few countries which had been downgraded both in TI CPI ranking and score, but had lost out to countries which had lower CPI ranking and score in 1995 and is also now at risk of being overtaken by countries including China and Indonesia which had been at the bottom of TI CPI in 1995.

For instance, Malaysia ranked No. 23 with CPI score of 5.28/10 in 1995, was ahead of Taiwan (Rank 25 Score 5.08), Spain (R 26 Sc 4.35), South Korea (R 27 Score 4.29) and Hungary (R 28 Score 4.12) but in the 2015 TI CPI have lost out to Taiwan (R 30 Score 62), Spain (R 36 Score 58), South Korea (R 37 Score 56) and Hungary (R 50 Sc 51).

Unlike Malaysia, which has achieved a lower percentile score in the past 21 years, i.e. 5.28/10 in 1995 to 50/100 in 2015, all other countries in Asia have improved on their percentile score in the past 21 years from 1995 to 2015, eg. Thailand from 2.79/10 to 38/100; India from 2.78/10 to 38/100; Philippines from 2.77/10 to 35/100; Pakistan from 2.25/10 to 30/100; China from 2.16/10 to 37/100 and Indonesia from 1.94/10 to 36/100.

What should concern all Malaysians and the MACC is that from these trends, Malaysia runs the risk of being overtaken by both Indonesia and China within a decade in the annual TI CPI both in ranking and score unless Malaysia quickly bucks up and show its seriousness on the anti-corruption front.

MACC’s “biggest anti-corruption bust” in Sabah is not enough to start the reversal of the trend of Malaysia being overtaken by other countries particularly in Asia unless the government is prepared to grapple with the problem of the 1MDB global scandal which had catapulted Malaysia into a “global kleptocracy”.

UMNO information chief Annuar Musa  had likened the 1MDB  financial scandal to problem with “one single  branch or fruit” as contrast to the UMNO “tree”, asking “Why should we discuss about one branch or fruit? We are concerned if the tree (UMNO) is dying?”

Does MACC agree that Annuar is gravely mistaken, for the 1MDB crime, which catapulted Malaysia into a “global kleptocracy”, is not problem with one branch or one fruit  but the problem of the UMNO tree trunk which is rotten to the core and there is no alternative to chopping down the whole tree unless UMNO is capable of purging and cleansing Malaysia of the international infamy of being a “global kleptocracy” over the 1MDB scandal?

Let me again ask the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the entire Cabinet whether they are prepared to make as  the first item of business when Parliament reconvenes on Oct. 17 the purging  and cleansing of Malaysia of the infamy of Malaysia’s new international epithet of  a “global kleptocracy”?

Are the UMNO/Barisan Nasional MPs prepared to show the world that they are patriots and are prepared to unite with patriotic  Pakatan Rakyat MPs to take a common stand to purge and cleanse Malaysia of the infamy of the epithet of a “global kleptocracy”?

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 October 2016, 12:28 pm and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Swiss Authorities Repeat Call for Malaysia’s Help in 1MDB Probe

By JOHN LETZING

Wall Street Journal

Oct. 6, 2016

The Swiss attorney general’s office made an initial request for assistance last January

ZURICH—Swiss authorities said they are trying to advance a probe into the alleged misappropriation of billions of dollars from a Malaysian state investment fund but haven’t yet received anticipated help from Malaysian counterparts.

Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General said in a statement on Wednesday that its probe, begun in August last year, had uncovered an alleged “Ponzi scheme” at the fund, 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB.

Malaysia’s attorney general said Thursday that it had not yet received the additional request for assistance from Switzerland. It didn’t mention an earlier request from January, which Swiss officials say is pending but said it was committed to international cooperation.

A spokesman for Malaysia’s attorney general couldn’t be reached Wednesday.

The 1MDB scandal is the focus of investigations in a number of countries, but Prime Minister Najib Razak, who set up the fund in 2009, has shut down probes into the matter at home.

In July, the U.S. Justice Department filed civil lawsuits to seize assets, including property in Los Angeles and New York, that it said was purchased with some of the $3.5 billion allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB. Swiss prosecutors have been cooperating with the U.S. authorities, as well as investigators in Singapore, Luxembourg and other jurisdictions where money allegedly flowed.

But Malaysia hasn’t cooperated, Swiss authorities say. Last summer, Mr. Najib fired Malaysia’s previous attorney general, who was leading an investigation into 1MDB. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the new attorney general subsequently declined to act on advice from the country’s central bank to open a criminal case against the fund’s management over missing investments, citing insufficient evidence.

Global investigators believe that more than $1 billion originating from 1MDB landed in Mr. Najib’s bank accounts, the Journal has reported. Mr. Najib has denied any wrongdoing. 1MDB has denied wrongdoing and has said it is cooperating with authorities. The Malaysian attorney general said part of the money that entered the prime minister’s accounts was a legal donation from Saudi Arabia, and that most of the money was returned.

The Swiss authorities said Wednesday it appears that $800 million has been misappropriated from investments made by SRC International, a unit of Malaysia’s finance ministry that formerly was part of 1MDB, and that a “Ponzi scheme” may have helped to conceal the misappropriation of funds from both SRC and 1MDB.

The Wall Street Journal previously has reported that SRC International allegedly sent about $14 million to Mr. Najib’s bank accounts in 2014 and 2015, via a company that did corporate social-responsibility work for 1MDB, according to a Malaysia government investigation. Malaysia’s attorney general earlier this year said Mr. Najib wasn’t aware of, and had not approved, the transfer of money from SRC to his accounts.

The aim of the latest Swiss request of Malaysia is to “obtain further evidence in corroboration of the latest findings,” the Swiss attorney general’s office said. One bank and four individuals are under investigation as part of the 1MDB probe, the office said, without giving details.

The Swiss attorney general’s office has previously disclosed that it opened a criminal probe of Switzerland-based bank BSI SA, which allegedly handled scores of transactions involving 1MDB funds. Last January, the office said it had found that billions of dollars may have been misappropriated from state-owned companies in Malaysia, with some of it transferred to Swiss bank accounts.

Singapore’s central bank ordered the local arm of BSI to shut down operations last May, and fined it nearly $10 million for breaching money-laundering regulations.

The Wall Street Journal has reported previously that investigators believe much of the money allegedly siphoned from 1MDB was funneled through BSI in Singapore. Switzerland’s financial regulator, Finma, has said BSI failed to adequately monitor its relationships with clients who had ties to 1MDB, though BSI has appealed that ruling.

BSI has acknowledged “internal shortcomings in the past” but has said all of its client relationships related to 1MDB were closed early last year. EFG International, a Zurich-based bank, is in the process of acquiring BSI.

—Tom Wright contributed to this article.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 October 2016, 8:18 am and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Has Barisan Nasional consensus degenerated from the original meaning of agreement by all 13 BN component parties into a perverted and corrupt version of what is unilaterally and arbitrarily decided by UMNO even in the face of objection by the other 12 BN component parties?

What is most significant about the “policy” statements the MCA and Gerakan Presidents at their respective MCA Johor State Convention and the Gerakan national delegates’ conference today is not what they said but what they did not say.

MCA President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai brushed off the possibility of a “one to one” fight between the Opposition and the Barisan Nasional in the next national general elections as “empty talk” although this is a prospect MCA leaders  fear most – not that they are comfortable with other  political scenarios in the 14GE to make MCA more than a “7/11” political party.

Gerakan President Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong struck a “holier than thou” stance and railed against former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad for “dabbling in unhealthy politics” with the statement that the Barisan Nasional government in three states of Perak, Terengganu and Johor could fall before the general election  as a small change in state assemblymen could topple the BN state governments.

Mah suffered from an early case of amnesia when he said that a change in the top leadership and administration of a state could only be determined by a process of democracy via an election, and not by getting elected representatives to switch camp or entice them to defect – forgetting how Barisan Nasional toppled the Pakatan Rakyat state government in Perak under Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin as Mentri Besar in February 2009 by engineering a defection PR   State Assembly members.

But what is more important is not their verbal gymnastics but their silence on the claim by the UMNO and Barisan Nasional secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor that BN has arrived at a consensus regarding PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang’s private members bill.

What is this Barisan Nasional “consensus” on Hadi’s private member’s bill?

Low-level MCA and Gerakan underlings cast doubts that such a Barisan Nasional “consensus” on Hadi’s private member’s bill had been reached at the BN Supreme Council meeting three Fridays ago, but the MCA and Gerakan Presidents have studiously and wisely held their tongue.

Even when Adnan subsequently made the nonsensical clarification that  what he meant by the BN “consensus” was that whatever the decision the coalition made “must be on the basis of consensus of all parties”, both MCA and Gerakan Presidents continued to keep their silence and dared not repeat the  promises  made by MCA and Gerakan in the recent Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections that the BN “consensus” will be restored!

It is still fresh in everyone’s mind that the Barisan Nasional “consensus” was violated and vitiated in the May meeting of Parliament when UMNO Ministers unilaterally and arbitrarily fast-tracked the PAS President’s private member’s bill in Parliament without consultation or reference to the other BN component parties – in reckless disregard of the 43-year BN stand and consensus that PAS’ hudud proposal was not appropriate for Malaysia’s plural society, and against the fundamental provisions of the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

Is there now a new Barisan Nasional consensus to agree to the fast-tracking of Hadi’s private member’s bill in the October/November budget meeting of Parliament, with MCA and Gerakan even agreeing to it, or is this the stand only of UMNO – one of the 13 BN component parties?

If there is no new Barisan Nasional “consensus” among the 13 BN component parties to fast-track Hadi’s private member’s bill in the October/November Parliament, then Hadi’s private member’s bill can only be given priority if UMNO ride rough-shod over the objections of the other 12 BN component parties.

Did the other 12 other BN component parties, including MCA and Gerakan, make it clear to UMNO at the BN Supreme Council meeting three Fridays ago that the Barisan Nasional Federal  government would  collapse and disintegrate  if UMNO unilaterally and arbitrarily goes ahead to fast-track Hadi’s private member’s bill in the October/November meeting of Parliament, when there is no BN “consensus” for such a parliamentary action by UMNO Ministers?

Or has Barisan Nasional consensus degenerated from the original meaning of agreement by all 13 BN component parties into a perverted and corrupt version of what is unilaterally and arbitrarily decided by UMNO even in the face of objection by the other 12 BN component parties?

Lets us hear from the leaders of of all the 13 component BN parties!

(Speech at the Kluang DAP 50th Anniversary Dinner in Kluang on Saturday, 8th October 2016 at 8 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 9 October 2016, 2:02 pm and is filed under
Constitution
,
Gerakan
,
MCA
,
Parliament
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Malaysians should vote  in next general election to purge and cleanse the country of infamy of global kleptocracy if Cabinet and Parliament are not prepared to defend national dignity and reputation by getting rid of such an epithet

Parliament will reconvene on 17th October for a 25-sitting budget session till Nov. 24.

The question is whether Parliament will give priority and importance at this meeting to purge and cleanse the country of the infamy of a global kleptocracy, an epithet which Malaysia acquired after  the May meeting of Parliament –  after the  US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed lawsuits   under the US Kleptocracy Assets Recovery Initiative on July 20  for the forfeiture of US$1 billion of assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland from over US$3 billion international conspiracy of embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds.

Even at the May meeting of Parliament, Malaysia had already acquired a seedy reputation as far as public integrity, accountability, transparency and good governance are concerned, as Malaysia had suffered the ill-repute of being placed third in the international website,foreignpolicy.com’s ranking of the world’s “worst corruption scandal in 2015”, TIME magazine’s second ranking of “global corruption” in March, the Economist’s second placing in its second index of crony capitalism in May apart from falling four places and ranked No. 54 among 168 countries in the 2015 Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) – a far cry from the National Transformation Programme (NTP) target for Malaysia to be in the top 30 countries in the TI CPI in five years’ time in 2020.

The question is whether there is a great sense of outrage and shame among our Ministers and Members of Parliament at the  infamy of the epithet of a global kleptocracy for Malaysia or whether our Ministers and Members of Parliament take an indifferent, nonchalant and “tidak apa” attitude to such an epithet for Malaysia.

This is in fact a test of patriotism for a Malaysian – a person who is indifferent, unconcerned and nonchalant about the infamy of the epithet of a “global kleptocracy”  for the country cannot  be a Malaysian patriot.

The year 2016 is a year of shame and infamy for Malaysia, for it is during this year that Malaysia joined the ranks of “global kleptocracy” and is looked askance in the world as a nation where public integrity, accountability, transparency and good governance principles are only  given lip-service respect and honour with no  national commitment or  system of public integrity and good governance.

If  the Cabinet and  Parliament are not prepared or unable to purge and cleanse the country of the infamy of global kleptocracy to defend the national dignity and honour,  then ordinary Malaysians in the next general elections should step forward as patriots to vote to purge and cleanse the country of the infamy of Malaysia as a global kleptocracy.

(Speech at the Paloh  DAP 50th Anniversary Dinner in Paloh on Saturday, 8th October 2016 at 10 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 9 October 2016, 5:00 pm and is filed under
Corruption
,
Parliament
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Question on everyone’s lips  after the Ops Water in Sabah  is why there is no Ops 1MDB by the MACC when it is the 1MDB scandal which had catapulted Malaysia to the infamous ranks of a “global kleptocracy”

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was quite mischievous when he sent a message to the Gerakan annual general assembly asking Gerakan to have the courage of its convictions, knowing that Gerakan has neither.

This was  illustrated in yesterday’s Gerakan annual general assembly, which caught headlines for a  very Trumpish speech by one of the delegates, making headlines for its sexist and misogynist imagery.

But what transfixed Malaysians and on everyone’s lips in the past few days were never raised at the neither-courage-nor-conviction Gerakan general assembly – why the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had no Ops 1MDB when it had an Ops Water in Sabah, which seized among other things, more than RM114 million in cash and accounts,  19.3 kg of gold jewellery worth about RM3.64 million, some 97 designer ladies handbags worth RM500,000, nine luxury vehicles and some 127 land titles from the Director and Deputy Director of Sabah Water Department for alleged abuse of power and corruption involving infrastructure projects worth RM3.3 billion.

The RM3.3 billion Ops Water scandal pale into insignificance when compared to the RM55 billion 1MDB scandal, and it is the latter which catapulted Malaysia into the infamous ranks of “global kleptocracy”, especially after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuits on July 20 on the forfeiture of over US$1billion of assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland from over US$3 billion embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds, and after several countries like Singapore and Switzerland had taken action against banks, financial institutions and their staff in their countries for being implicated in the international conspiracy on embezzlement and money-laundering of 1MDB funds.

More and more  Malaysians have voiced their concern that the country is taking a wrong  trajectory which is headed towards a failed state – a worry which was shared even by a leading Johoreian,  former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam recently.

In this context, last Friday’s meeting between the leader of a “failed state” in Africa, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe  and one of the oldest kleptocrats in the world with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib,  is pregnant with negative symbolisms.

What did Najib and Mugabe  talk about – about the trajectory towards a failed state and global kleptocracy?

There is more and more speculation about early general elections.

The next general elections should have two national objectives – to save Malaysia from continuing on its trajectory of hurtling towards a failed state, and to purge and cleanse Malaysia of the infamy of the epithet of a global kleptocracy.

Just ten years ago, if the people were  asked two questions: Whether it was possible to change the government in Johore State and whether it was possible to change the Federal government in Putrajaya, the answers to both would be a decisive and resounding “No”.

A lot of political changes have occurred in the past decade, and the answers for both questions are now  not so certain and categorical.

In the 2008 general elections, Johore UMNO/Barisan Nasional were so cocky and arrogant that they proclaimed the objective of achieving a zero-Opposition state in Johor.

A few days ago, something unthinkable happened in Johore when Johore UMNO/Barisan Nasional state government  lost its two-thirds majority in the Johor State Assembly.

UMNO/BN had already lost two-thirds parliamentary majority in the last two general elections, and in the 2013 general elections, UMNO/BN even lost majority popular support and Najib became the first minority Prime Minister with minority popular vote support but majority parliamentary seats as a result of unfair redelineation of electoral constituencies and utter disregard of the democratic principle of “one man, one vote, one value”.

Johor, which for 56 years was the bastion and invincible “fixed deposit state” of UMNO/BN, will be a weather-vane for the 14th general elections.

If it is possible to change the UMNO/BN government in Johor in the next polls, then a change of Federal government in Putrajaya would be within reach.

There is no doubt that  in Peninsular Malaysia today, Johore holds the key to unlocking the gates to Putrajaya to replace the kleptocratic UMNO/BN government.

To achieve the two objectives of saving Malaysia from becoming a failed state as well as to purge and cleanse Malaysia of the ignominy of the epithet of a “global kleptocracy”, DAP is prepared to work with all political forces in the country as this national mission can only be accomplished if there is a national awakening involving all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or even political affiliation, to the formidable challenges faced by the nation.

One way to promote the twin objectives of saving Malaysia from becoming a failed state and purging and cleansing Malaysia of the infamy of a global kleptocracy is to give full support to the Bersih 5 campaign.

In this context, all right-thinking and peace-loving Malaysians must condemn UMNO’s Red Shirts movement, which had acted in a most thuggish, lawless  and violent manner, trying to block and frustrate  the Bersih 5 nation-wide mobilisation campaign by  provoking ugly  incidents and breaches of the law.

The Police have announce that it will investigate Red Shirts leader and  Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos over a posting vowing that the Nov 19 Bersih 5 rally will see a repeat of the May 13, 1969 race riots.

Jamal is alleged to have posted on his FaceBook the following incitement and threat:

“Saya berjanji Tragedi 13 MAY akan berulang dan PARANG TERBANG akan terjadi jika BERSIh 5 dibuat pada masa, tarikh dan tempat yang sama dengan perhimpunan #BERSIH5 yang dijadualkan pada 19 November ini.

“Hidup Melayu!”

Jamal has now said that this was a “fake” account, the work of agent provocateurs.

I first knew about this seditious Facebook posting yesterday when I read the online news, but I am mystified by three aspects which call for clarification by the relevant authorities and persons.

First, it is most shocking that this FaceBook posting was dated Sept. 21, some three weeks ago.  If Bersih 5 organisers or Pakatan Harapan leaders had made such a FaceBook posting, regardless of whether it was fake or otherwise, would the Police and the authorities be so inactive or tardy for almost three weeks before waking up to take action?

Secondly, why Jamal did not complain about the Facebook posting for the past three weeks? Was he unaware for the past 18 days about  the “May 13 and PARANG TERBANG” seditious FaceBook posting in his name?

Thirdly, why did he make the completely baseless and reckless charge that the seditious FaceBook posting was put up by DAP – is this a guilty conscience at work to distract attention?

Be that as it may, Police credibility and professionalism is at stake.

Can the Police redeem its professional reputation by acting swiftly to stop the thuggery and lawlessness of UMNO’s Red Shirts?

(Speech at the Stulang DAP Kopitiam ceramah in Johor Baru on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016 at 9 am)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 10 October 2016, 4:47 pm and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
,
Johore
,
Najib Razak
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Criminal Charges Filed Against Two Ex-Bankers in 1MDB Malaysia Fund Case

By SAURABH CHATURVEDI and  JAKE MAXWELL WATTS

Wall Street Journal

Oct. 10, 2016

Charges include forgery and failing to report a suspicious transaction

SINGAPORE—Prosecutors charged two former private bankers Monday with forgery and other criminal charges in the latest legal salvo related to the alleged misappropriation of billions of dollars from Malaysian state development fund 1MDB.

Yak Yew Chee, 57 years old, and Yvonne Seah, 45, were charged in Singapore’s state courts with three counts each of forgery and four counts each of failing to report suspicious transactions between 2012 and 2014, during their employment by the Singapore branch of Swiss private bank BSI SA.

Mr. Yak was the relationship manager for accounts held at BSI by subsidiaries of 1MDB, according to investigators and people familiar with the bank’s operations. Ms. Seah, whose full Chinese name is Seah Yew Foong, was a senior private banker at the firm.

No pleas were entered. Both defendants were released on bail after the hearing and couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Lawyers for the two declined to comment on the charges outside the courthouse, saying they needed to review them first.

The forgery charge, upon conviction, carries a maximum jail term of up to four years. Failing to report a suspicious transaction is punishable upon conviction by a fine of not more than 20,000 Singapore dollars (about $14,500).

Authorities in Singapore, Switzerland and at least four other countries are investigating 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, which was founded in 2009 by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Swiss investigators say they believe as much as $6 billion has gone missing from 1MDB. The Wall Street Journal has reported that investigators believe a large chunk of it passed through BSI in Singapore, starting around 2011.

The Journal also has reported global investigators believe that more than $1 billion originating from 1MDB landed Mr. Najib’s private bank accounts.

The prime minister has denied wrongdoing or taking money for personal gain. Mr. Najib and Malaysia’s attorney general have said the money in his bank accounts was a gift from the Saudi royal family. The attorney general cleared Mr. Najib of wrongdoing and said most of the money was returned. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry acknowledged a donation to Malaysia but declined to comment further. The fund has also denied any wrongdoing and said it would cooperate with any lawful investigation.

BSI acknowledged internal shortcomings in June and said it has taken appropriate action. It also said it had appealed actions taken against it by Switzerland’s financial market regulator.

Earlier this year authorities in Switzerland and Singapore said their investigations had found BSI had failed to prevent suspected money laundering and bribery related to its dealings with 1MDB. Switzerland has opened a criminal investigation into the bank and Singapore in May ordered BSI’s local arm to shut down, fining it S$9.7 million after finding it had breached money-laundering regulations.

Singapore is at the center of legal proceedings against individuals allegedly connected to 1MDB funds.

Yeo Jiawei, a former wealth manager at BSI in Singapore, faces 11 charges ranging from cheating to attempting to pervert the course of justice. His lawyer says Mr. Yeo is contesting the charges.

Another individual was charged in April with bribing a research analyst to prepare a favorable valuation report for an asset. The person couldn’t be reached and a lawyer couldn’t be identified.

Prosecutors in Singapore have said the investigation into alleged money-laundering is the largest and most complex of its kind they have ever undertaken.

Mr. Yak’s formal role at BSI was to find new clients for the bank and act as liaison between them and the bank’s wealth management staff, which implemented instructions on a client’s behalf.

He earned as much as S$27 million in salary and bonuses between 2011 and 2014 in that role, according to court documents relating to a request by Mr. Yak for Singapore police to unfreeze some of his assets.

Mr. Yak became something of a celebrity at BSI for his ability to bring in large amounts of new money for it to manage, according to several former employees of the bank. He was known for his discretion, they said.

By far the largest customer of BSI Singapore—and Mr. Yak—was 1MDB, according to several people familiar with the bank’s operations.

In July, the U.S. Justice Department filed civil lawsuits to seize assets, including property in Los Angeles and New York, that it said was purchased with some of the allegedly misappropriated 1MDB funds.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 October 2016, 8:55 am and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


The law of rule in Malaysia

JAMES GIGGACHER

New Mandala

08 OCT, 2016

1MDB shows that an already fragile rule of law is being stretched to the limits, writes James Giggacher.

Malaysia’s rule of law may have reigned supreme in this week’s case of the Budgie Nine – saving the Southeast Asian state from gross national insult at the hands of some silly young Australians.

Too bad the same thing can’t be said about another national disgrace, the 1MDB financial scandal.

In the face of investigations into the country’s failing sovereign wealth fund, and Prime Minister Najib Razak’s alleged links to millions of missing dollars, the rule of law has in fact gone missing in action.

This was certainly the case when Najib sacked attorney general, Abdul Gani Patail, who planned to bring charges relating to 1MDB against the PM in July 2015.

The plan was leaked, and Abdul Ghani stepped down, officially for ‘health reasons’. Perhaps he’d heard about what happened to former Mongolian model and Najib’s inner circle mainstay, Altantuya Shaarribuu.

At the same time, Najib removed his deputy and one of his most vocal critics — Muhyiddin Yassin.

The former AG’s replacement, Mohamed Apandi Ali, almost immediately cleared his embattled PM of any wrongdoing.

Apandi said that the royal family of Saudi Arabia had gifted Najib $US 681 million, of which $US 600 million had been returned. He also said no criminal offence had been committed. However, several countries, including the US, Switzerland, Singapore and the Seychelles, are still investigating the case.

Reports on the scandal by Malaysia’s central bank and anti-corruption commission have also been dismissed by Apandi; according to him the PM has no case to answer.

And in June, Najib filed court documents that denied graf, misuse of power, and interference in 1MDB investigations in response to a lawsuit brought by former PM and mentor, and now key adversary, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Meanwhile, the almost 700 million dollar question of how 2.6 billion ringgit managed to find its way into Najib’s personal bank accounts has yet to be satisfactorily answered.

So much for due process, democratic safeguards, transparency, and holding those in power to account. But can we expect anything better from a Malaysia still under the sway of long-ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) and its leading party, Najib’s UMNO?

The dismantling of and disdain for judicial and state institutions is not a recent phenomenon. As Jayson Browder notes, BN has long had a poor record of abiding by the rule of law.

It has consistently leveraged several national laws – including The Peaceful Assembly Act of 2012, the Sedition Act of 1948, and the Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1948 – to curtail freedoms, assembly, political expression as well as intimate activists, opponents, civil society and the media, and ensure its power.

These tactics guarantee the ruling coalition’s stranglehold over Malaysia’s political system “in direct violation of Article 10 of the Federal Constitution in Malaysia.” Article 10 is meant to guarantee Malaysian citizens the right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association.

An embattled Najib has only sharpened the teeth of a legal system already heavily stacked in his party’s favour. In August he brought in an unprecedented law that allows him to designate ‘security areas’ and deploy forces to search people, places and vehicles without a warrant.

Draconian would be an understatement.

Laurent Meillan, from the UN Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia, said that they were “gravely concerned” about human rights violations as a consequence of the act. The act could further restrict already highly limited rights of free speech and free assembly.

And in March this year, the independent news site The Malaysian Insider, went offline. Owners cited poor financial returns and high costs. The then editor, Jahabar Sadiq, said it was because the threat of being charged with sedition that could lead to jail time had become all too real.

The decision to pull the plug came almost three weeks after Malaysia’s Internet regulator — the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission – issued a gag order on the site because of a report alleging the country’s anti-corruption commission had sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Najib in the 1MDB case – even though he had already been cleared by Apandi.

The lesson? Smuggling budgies and smearing the flag is a clear no-no. Smuggling billions and smearing the nation’s sovereign wealth fund is a-ok.

It all goes to show that in Malaysia there is the rule of law – but most of the time there’s the law that lets BN rule.

James Giggacher is an associate lecturer in the ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs and editor of New Mandala.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 October 2016, 7:19 pm and is filed under
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Why is Attorney-General Apandi so worked up over Bilquis Hijjas’ innocuous yellow balloons but utterly numb and insensitive to Malaysia’s international infamy from the epithet of being a “global kleptocracy”?

A former top civil servant who had previously  helmed a  key ministry and subsequently several important strategic government agencies whom I met today lamented at the deplorable state of affairs in the country where the Attorney-General could be so worked up as to  appeal against the acquittal of dancer Bilquis Hijjas for insulting behavior by dropping yellow balloons during an official event attended by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife in a mall last August, yet  could be so numb and  insensitive as to be  completely unconcerned about the shame felt by Malaysians at the nation’s new infamy as a “global kleptocracy”.

What indeed has happened to Malaysia?

The last few days were bad days for Malaysian pride, for they were full of the  latest negative news on  the 1MDB scandal  swirling all over the world – in Singapore,  the prosecution of two former private bankers with forgery and other criminal charges and the closure of a second Swiss bank in the island republic, both related to misappropriation of billion of dollars from 1MDB and in Switzerland, revelations from the Swiss authorities that the Malaysian Attorney-General had not been forthcoming or co-operative to Swiss requests for assistance in investigations into the  international financial conspiracy surrounding the 1MDB scandal.

Yet the Prime Minister and his retinue of Cabinet Ministers and key officers, including the Attorney-General, keep up the charade of  ignoring Malaysia’s latest epithet as a “global kleptocracy”, when any self-respecting and patriotic  Malaysian must be ashamed and outraged at such an epithet and must regard it  as their first task and duty to purge and cleanse Malaysia of such an  international infamy!

The  Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi should explain why he is so worked up over Bilquis Hijjas’ innocuous yellow balloons but utterly numb and insensitive to Malaysia’s international infamy from the epithet of being a “global kleptocracy”?

Under these circumstances, could the Attorney-General be trusted to protect and uphold the integrity,  reputation and dignity of Malaysia?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 11 October 2016, 4:59 pm and is filed under
Corruption
,
Financial Scandals
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.