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Parliament Speaker Pandikar should disclose how many oral questions, particularly on Najib’s twin mega scandals, had been rejected for the current five-week Parliament

Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Mulia Amin has yet to explain why there are such a large number of oral questions by Members of Parliament which had been rejected by him in the current five-week Parliament meeting on the ground of violation of Standing Orders, especially on the vexing subject of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s RM55 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” twin mega scandals.

From random reports, it would appear that the current meeting of Parliament has probably set a new record in the 57-year history of the Malaysian Parliament in the number of oral questions rejected by the Speaker – a dubious record which no Parliament Speaker has reason to feel proud, especially one who is talking the “parliamentary reform” language.

Pandikar should make public the full list of oral questions which had been rejected by him for the current five-week Parliament meeting, for scrutiny not only by MPs but the Malaysian public about the rationale and justification for the rejection of these parliamentary oral questions. Continue reading “Parliament Speaker Pandikar should disclose how many oral questions, particularly on Najib’s twin mega scandals, had been rejected for the current five-week Parliament”

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Goldman Sachs Hire Came as Bank Pitched 1MDB

By TOM WRIGHT in Hong Kong and JUSTIN BAER in New York
Wall Street Journal
March 10, 2016

Wall Street firm hired daughter of close ally to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. hired the daughter of a close ally to Malaysia’s prime minister around the time the firm’s bankers were pitching business to the country’s government investment fund, people familiar with the matter said.

Goldman is looking into the hiring as part of its investigation into the firm’s actions related to the Malaysia fund and into the Wall Street firm’s former Southeast Asia chairman, Tim Leissner, said one of the people.

The probe is also part of its broader investigation into the hiring of relatives of government officials or other well-connected people, the person said. Goldman is among several international banks under investigation by U.S. authorities to determine whether their hiring practices violated antibribery laws, The Wall Street Journal has previously reported. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act bans U.S. companies from giving anything of value to a foreign official to gain an unfair advantage or business favors. Goldman has declined to comment on the U.S. probe.

Neither Goldman nor Mr. Leissner have been accused of wrongdoing. Continue reading “Goldman Sachs Hire Came as Bank Pitched 1MDB”

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Ministry of Defence should not be a ‘black hole’ of information

— Liew Chin Tong
Malay Mail Online
March 10, 2016

MARCH 10 — Yesterday, my parliamentary question on the expenditures of AV-8 (8×8 armored vehicle) and Second Generation Patrol Vessel (SGPV) projects was turned down because it was classified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

I am disappointed by the Speaker’s decision to gag this legitimate question.

Why is the Ministry of Defence refusing to give answers about the financial implications of the two projects?

While I fully understood the sensitivity of defence capability development, the financial aspect of the two projects should still be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. Particularly since these projects are the largest scale defence development programmeme in Malaysia’s history.

The rakyat deserve to know how their money is being spent on defense projects. Continue reading “Ministry of Defence should not be a ‘black hole’ of information”

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Fears Over Malaysia Mecca Fund Test Najib’s Main Support Base

Shamim Adam
Bloomberg
March 10, 2016

For Malaysia’s 18 million Muslims, the ultimate in holy duty is to travel to Mecca, a pilgrimage that can require decades of saving. Now the fund that holds much of their money is under a cloud, a fresh challenge for a scandal-hit government.

Concerns over unpopular and unprofitable investments at the government-linked fund may erode loyalty to Prime Minister Najib Razak among his main supporters — rural-based ethnic Malays — and potentially do more damage than a clutch of political funding probes that have been running for months.

The premier has so far weathered the fallout from a $681 million donation investigation and alleged financial impropriety at state investment company 1Malaysia Development Bhd. But controversy over the Hajj fund known as Lembaga Tabung Haji — a statutory agency under the Prime Minister’s Department — cuts to the heart of religion in the secular Muslim nation, and the fund has almost 9 million depositors. Continue reading “Fears Over Malaysia Mecca Fund Test Najib’s Main Support Base”

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Call on youths and students to make the ban on Asia’s best debater, Syed Saddiq 23, in public universities the cause célèbre in Malaysia to demand academic and democratic freedom for youths and students

Asia’s best debater, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, 23, has been banned from a third public university, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), after he had earlier been banned from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (Usim) and Universiti Tenaga National (Uniten).

The Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh had passed the buck of responsibility for the ban on Syed Saddiq by Usim and Uniten to the public universities concerned, claiming that the ban was because of the autonomy which his Ministry had devolved to the public universities.

Idris cannot wash his hands from responsibility for the ban on Syed Siddiq so easily.

Everybody knows that Idris was evading his responsibility as Higher Education Minister and was trying to pass the buck of the ban by Usim and Uniten to the public universities concerned.

But the third ban on Syed Siddiq by Unimas provides irrefutable proof that there was a directive from the Higher Education Ministry to all public universities to declare Asia’s best debater as persona non grata in the campus of all public universities. Continue reading “Call on youths and students to make the ban on Asia’s best debater, Syed Saddiq 23, in public universities the cause célèbre in Malaysia to demand academic and democratic freedom for youths and students”

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A Chinese view of the Citizens’ Declaration

Rama Ramanathan
The Malaysian Insider
10 March 2016

Last week 45 prominent persons signed “a Citizens’ Declaration”. They signed in their personal capacity. However, when we see many of them, we immediately recall the organisations or histories they represent.

The organisations include Bersih 2.0, the coalition for free and fair elections which has evolved into a movement to restore parliamentary democracy, and C4 (Centre to Combat Cronyism and Corruption).

The histories include victims of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) to silence those who criticised his reign which was characterised by cronyism, corruption and erosion of public institutions. Even, Lim Kit Siang of DAP and Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu (who was formerly of PAS) signed.

They signed the declaration at the invitation of Dr Mahathir. The declaration called for the removal from office of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Some have denounced those who signed. They’ve given many reasons. I’ll list just six: Continue reading “A Chinese view of the Citizens’ Declaration”

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Parliamentary Reform in Malaysia a most peculiar animal when other countries see parliamentary democracy taken to a higher stage of development but in Malaysia we are trying but failing to achieve what had been parliamentary practices in early decades of nation-building

Yesterday, the Speaker of Parliament, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia announced three of his four proposals for parliamentary reforms, viz. Minister’s Question Time on Tuesday and Thursdays, reduction of the period for submission of questions from MPs to 10 days from the existing 14 days and a second Chamber to deal with emergency motions tabled by lawmakers.

The Speaker’s announcement was followed by a statement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said pledging that the government is committed to the successful implementation of Parliament’s transformation, and disclosing that the Cabinet had agreed to three of the four proposals at its meeting on Jan. 20.

She thanked the Speaker for clarifying to the media on any misunderstanding that the executive was interfering into the affairs of the legislature.

What an irony! Azalina did not realise that she had just publicly confessed to the sin of executive interference in parliamentary affairs when the Cabinet had to give the final approval on Jan. 20 to three of the four parliamentary reforms.

This is March 10. Why have the proposed parliamentary reforms not be tabled in the House? This does not bespeak of efficiency of Parliament or the Speaker’s Office.

Parliamentary reforms should be the sole prerogative of Parliament and not contingent on Executive or Cabinet approval. Continue reading “Parliamentary Reform in Malaysia a most peculiar animal when other countries see parliamentary democracy taken to a higher stage of development but in Malaysia we are trying but failing to achieve what had been parliamentary practices in early decades of nation-building”

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The imprisoned Malay mind

– M. Bakri Musa
The Malaysian Insider
9 March 2016

In my first three essays I pointed out that the Malay problem is real and not a mere myth. It is also solvable and not unique unto our community. Thus there is much that we can learn from others.

I posited that the four critical foundations of society – leadership, citizenry, culture, and geography – interact with one another in a feed-back loop mechanism. Where the interaction is positive, that society would advance fast; where negative, it would be in a quick downhill slide.

Of the four, only geography is immutable. Of the remaining three, leadership is the easiest to change; culture, most difficult. Continue reading “The imprisoned Malay mind”

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Mahathir And Anwar Vs Najib: How Will It End? – Analysis

By Yang Razali Kassim
RSIS
MARCH 9, 2016

Malaysia’s rambunctious politics has entered an even more unpredictable phase with political foes Mahathir Mohamad and jailed Anwar Ibrahim joining hands to unseat Prime Minister Najib Razak and push for systemic change. Where will all this lead?

The unthinkable is happening in Malaysian politics. It is triggered by the deepest political crisis the country has ever known, at the centre of which is Prime Minister Najib Razak. Forced by a common desire to end the turmoil by unseating Najib, two bitter foes – former premier Mahathir Mohammad and his jailed former deputy Anwar Ibrahim – have joined hands in what has long been thought an impossible alliance.

Aptly described as a sea-change in Malaysian politics, never before have such sworn enemies buried their hatchets for a common cause – and never before had that been a joint cause celebre to sack a sitting prime minister. By launching his rainbow “core group” of concerned citizens of various political stripes and leanings to “Save Malaysia”, Mahathir has once again thrust himself into the eye of the storm to redefine the political landscape. In the same vein, with Anwar in jail, all the disparate forces that have aligned themselves against Najib over the 1MDB investment fund scandal have finally found someone of stature to rally around in a marriage of convenience. It is ironic that the man who crushed the opposition while in power has remade himself in retirement as the de facto leader of what in essence is a citizens’ revolt. Continue reading “Mahathir And Anwar Vs Najib: How Will It End? – Analysis”

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Ban on Asia’s best debater Syed Saddiq from speaking at universities another sign of panic in the Putrajaya corridors of power over the 304 Citizens’ Declaration for Najib’s removal as PM and democratic and institutional reform

On Sunday, I said that there is an air of panic in Putrajaya as a result of the historic 304 (March 4) Citizens’ Declaration for Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s removal as Prime Minister and call for democratic and institutional reforms to Save Malaysia.

As an example, I cited Najib’s emergency summoning of UMNO/BN Members of Parliament to his official residence 24 hours after the Citizens’ Declaration on Saturday.

While UMNO/BN leaders put up a stoic front, denying that they were in any way bothered by the Citizens’ Declaration, the ban on Asia’s best debater, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, 23, from speaking at the local universities provides another sign of the panic in the Putrajaya corridors of power over the Citizens’ Declaration, signed not only by the longest-serving former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the former Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former Ministers as well as by political and civil society leaders totaling 45 personalities.

Even more important, the Citizens’ Declaration has the effect like clap of thunder in the political landscape giving renewed hope to many Malaysians about the possibility of political changes in the country, although there are also reservations and doubters.

This is captured by one social media poll by Malaysiakini’s English Facebook and Twitter accounts, recording 76.2 per cent of 5,5852 respondents in favour of the declaration, 11.6 per cent rejection and 8.8 per cent skeptical about the entire issue. Continue reading “Ban on Asia’s best debater Syed Saddiq from speaking at universities another sign of panic in the Putrajaya corridors of power over the 304 Citizens’ Declaration for Najib’s removal as PM and democratic and institutional reform”

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United front needed to unseat PM Najib

Tommy Thomas
Malaysiakini
9th March 2016

COMMENT Any prime minister in the 21st century who admits to receiving US$680 million in his personal bank account will immediately resign or be removed because it so offends public morality and good governance.

When multiple versions are given of the source of monies of that scale and magnitude, the reasons for payment to him and what happened to the money, his credibility is so destroyed that it is impossible for him to continue leading. Yet Najib Abdul Razak remains Malaysia’s prime minister nearly one year after the world discovered the unbelievably healthy state of his bank accounts.

Indeed, Najib’s decision last July to sack the deputy prime minister and attorney-general, and to intimidate hundreds of bureaucrats from discharging their duties in various governmental agencies charged with investigating the 1MDB scandal and the receipt of US$ 680 million, has had the effect of temporarily covering up the crimes committed and silencing Malaysians on pain of detention and prosecution.

A climate of fear has succeeded to a large extent, but the scandal is too deep and too huge to simply vanish as the prime minister desires. Continue reading “United front needed to unseat PM Najib”

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Speaker Pandikar must explain the double standards in allowing questions on Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal in last parliamentary meeting but disallowing them in the current session

The Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia must explain the double standards in allowing questions on Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal in the last parliamentary meeting but disallowing them in the current session.

Members of Parliament and the nation were promised last November by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said that the government would answer all questions on Najib’s RM2.6 billion donation scandal on the last day of the budget meeting on Dec. 3.

Right from the beginning of last year’s budget meeting when it started in October, Azalina had been avoiding and evading questions on Najib’s RM55 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” twin mega scandals, first saying on Oct. 20 that Najib will answer all questions on both scandals at a date to be fixed later.

After the Ministerial winding up of the debate on the Budget on 5th November, when again she avoided questions on the twin mega scandals, she told reporters in Parliament that the answer on the RM2.6 billion donation scandal would be given on the last day of Parliament on Dec. 3. Continue reading “Speaker Pandikar must explain the double standards in allowing questions on Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal in last parliamentary meeting but disallowing them in the current session”

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Making our voices heard

Dyana Sofya
The Malay Mail Online
Wednesday March 9, 2016

MARCH 9 ― On March 4, 2016 we saw national leaders from both sides of the political divide, civil society and other influential figures sign the Citizens’ Declaration.

Perhaps Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad put it best when he said it was a meeting of “strange bedfellows.” Be that as it may, it was certainly a historic occasion for our country. Never have we witnessed political arch-nemeses, such as those who were present, coming together for a common political cause.

As I watched the events unfold “live” on my laptop screen, I had mixed feelings of amazement, trepidation and excitement. After all, those who had been jailed, exiled and prosecuted were now sitting together with the man who had caused them all the hardship.

But they did, not because they had suddenly forgotten and forgiven the man for his sins, but because they believed in the greater cause of saving Malaysia and her people.

Not everyone reacted the same way, of course. Some of my comrades, colleagues and friends felt betrayed and disappointed. I don’t blame them. Continue reading “Making our voices heard”

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“Save Malaysia” from mischief makers who lodge false police reports when I said what all law students are taught in universities – that the Royal Address during Parliament’s Opening is the government’s policy speech

The “Save Malaysia” campaign is all the pertinent and relevant when there are mischief makers who lodge false police reports when I said what all law students are taught in universities – that the Royal Address during Parliament’s Opening is the government’s policy speech.

The DAP MP for Segambut, Lim Lip Eng, has lodged a police report against three mischief makers who had lodged a false police report against me for having committed the crime of sedition when I said that the King’s speech at the official opening of Parliament was prepared by the government-of-the-day, and I hope that the police would charge the three for their public mischief.

What really surprise me is that there are UMNO/BN Ministers and Members of Parliament who are so ignorant about basic constitutional and parliamentary principles and practices that their thinking are on the same level of these mischief makers.

I had more than once spoken up in Parliament to belabor this basic constitutional and parliamentary principle, as I had in the past been accused of disloyalty and treason for proposing amendment in Parliament to the motion of thanks to the Yang di Pertuan Agong for the Royal Address.

This is what I said in Parliament in my speech on the Royal Address on 21st March 2007: Continue reading ““Save Malaysia” from mischief makers who lodge false police reports when I said what all law students are taught in universities – that the Royal Address during Parliament’s Opening is the government’s policy speech”

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Ex-Goldman Banker to Malaysia Fund Subpoenaed in U.S. Probe

Greg Farrell & Keri Geiger
Bloomberg
March 7, 2016

A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker has become entangled in a sprawling investigation of the Malaysian state investment fund as U.S. authorities turn to him for information.

Tim Leissner was issued a subpoena about the Malaysia matter in late February, according to three people briefed on the matter, just days after Goldman Sachs confirmed he had left the firm.

Leissner, a German national, was most recently chairman of the firm’s Southeast Asia operations but had taken personal leave and relocated to Los Angeles by early this year, according to people with knowledge of the move.

From Malaysia to Switzerland to the U.S. investigators have been trying to trace whether money might have flowed out of the fund and illegally into personal accounts. Accusations have boomeranged and been called politically motivated even as authorities outside Malaysia press ahead with their inquiries.

Prosecutors in the Justice Department’s kleptocracy asset-recovery unit are investigating whether funds were embezzled from 1Malaysia Development Bhd., known as 1MDB, by politically connected people in Malaysia, the people said. The FBI’s New York office is leading the investigation and is trying to determine if any U.S. laws were broken, according to one of the people briefed on the subpoena issued to Leissner. Continue reading “Ex-Goldman Banker to Malaysia Fund Subpoenaed in U.S. Probe”

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Police should charge the trio for lodging false reports against me alleging that I had committed sedition against Yang di Pertuan Agong

Police should charge the trio for lodging false reports against me alleging that I had committed sedition against the Yang di Pertuan Agong, when I said that the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s speech at the opening of Parliament yesterday was prepared by the government.

According to Malaysiakini today, the trio who had lodged false police reports against me are Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz in Sentul, Mohd Shukry Roslan in Rawang, Mohammad Zahiddin at Wangsa Maju in Wangsa Maju.

The trio had criminal offences, particularly Section 182 of Penal Code which makes it an offence punishable with six months’ jail, or RM 2,000 fine or both, for “false information” in lodging a false report.

The police must act without fear or favour and initiate investigations against the trio for false reporting to demonstrate that the police are independent, impartial, efficient and professional in carrying out their police duties. Continue reading “Police should charge the trio for lodging false reports against me alleging that I had committed sedition against Yang di Pertuan Agong”

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How pathetic – under Malaysian parliamentary system, Auditor-General is giving directive to PAC rather than the other way round

Most pathetic.

It would appear that under the Malaysian system of parliamentary democracy, it is the Auditor General who is giving directive to Parliament and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) rather than the other way round.

After the PAC’s second meeting yesterday on the Auditor-General’s final audit report on 1MDB, the PAC Chairman Datuk Hasan Arifin announced that the Auditor-General’s final audit report on 1MDB will no longer be classified a state secret under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972 once the PAC tables its findings on it in Parliament.

He disclosed that the Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang explained to the PAC that after the PAC report is tabled in Parliament, his final audit report on the 1MDB will no longer be an official secret document under the OSA.

This is most sad, shameful and even pathetic for the PAC Chairman should be telling the Auditor-General and the Executive that the classification of the AG’s final audit report on 1MDB ends when it is presented to the PAC last Friday, and not when the PAC presents its report to Dewan Rakyat in the indefinite future – this Parliament meeting by April 7 or some time at the end of the year?

Instead of the Chairman of a key parliamentary committee jealously safeguarding parliamentary dignity and privileges from intrusion and interference by the Executive, we have a clear example where an occupant of a key parliamentary position is servilely and supinely submitting to Executive trespass with parliamentary dignity and privileges. Continue reading “How pathetic – under Malaysian parliamentary system, Auditor-General is giving directive to PAC rather than the other way round”

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Working with Mahathir: The right thing to do?

— Yu Ren Chung
The Malay Mail Online
March 7, 2016

MARCH 7 — Earlier this week, a group of influential Malaysians signed a “Declaration” calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak to be removed and for institutional reforms.

This is a major escalation in the effort to remove Najib, and an extraordinary development in Malaysian politics. Najib has faced months of exposés, investigations, and rebukes for corruption relating to the 1MDB scandal.

The signing of the Declaration is the first time that Najib’s critics from opposing sides have explicitly united against him. Opposition leaders and civil society figures on the one hand, and disaffected members (and ex-members) of Najib’s own party on the other hand, have put their differences aside to “save Malaysia”.

Opposition and civil society leaders who signed the declaration are still “coming to terms” with working alongside Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the leading figure of the Declaration effort, who they opposed for decades for his authoritarianism during his Premiership. Many supporters of opposition and civil society leaders have been left questioning this cooperation.

Is working with Mahathir the right thing to do? I believe this question consists of two elements. The first element is strategy, and the second element is morality. I will not present a definitive conclusion for either element, but I hope to highlight what I think are the main arguments for both. Continue reading “Working with Mahathir: The right thing to do?”

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A hasty coalition?

Emmanuel Joseph
The Malaysian Insider
8 March 2016

It is often said that in politics, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies. The Malaysian scenario is no different. Alliances, both long term (as is often the case with Barisan Nasional), and short term (as is often the case with the opposition), would often see friend turn foe turn friend again with each passing election.

But I believe, even as recent as a few days ago, no one would have been able to foresee old arch nemeses sitting and smiling at the same table, reaching an agreement to oust a newer “arch nemesis”.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the country’s former prime minister and long-time Umno president; his long-time Parliament duelling partner Lim Kit Siang; Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, whose party was ironically formed mainly to oust Dr Mahathir; his former rival in Kubang Pasu and current Parti Amanah Negara president, Mohamad Sabu; one of his strongest critics, Hishamuddin Rais; and 53 other leaders from Umno, Pakatan Harapan and various NGOs had signed a declaration seeking to remove the current Prime Minister alongside other demands for reforms. Continue reading “A hasty coalition?”