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Boycott of Minister’s Question Time (MQT) debut in protest against Parliamentary charade pretending Malaysia’s international infamy for being “global kleptocracy” does not exist

Today is supposed to be a historic day for the Malaysian Parliament with the debut of the half-hour Minister’s Question Time (MQT), touted as the most significant of the Speaker’s parliamentary reforms.

I have however boycotted the debut of the MQT in protest against the parliamentary charade pretending that Malaysia’s infamy for being a “global kleptocracy” does not exist.

I had submitted a question for the MQT debut today to ask the Prime Minister what action the government was taking to cleanse and purge the national infamy of being regarded world-wide as a “global kleptocracy”.

This question was rejected by the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia for today’s MQT.

After the Speaker’s ruling yesterday barring all questions on the US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit filed on July 20 seeking forfeiture of US$1billion 1MDB-linked assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland from over US$3 billion international embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds on the ground that it is “sub judice”, the rejection of my question for the MQT would appear to be part of a blatant and unashamed attempt to censor and outlaw all debate, discussion or question not only about the DOJ action but anything concerning 1MDB and Malaysia’s infamous and iniquitous appellation as a “global kleptocracy” in the Malaysian Parliament.

I fully agree with former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Hishammuddin Mohd Yunus who asked what “sub judice” was the Speaker talking about, as Ministers should not be “barred” from answering questions in Parliament on the United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) civil suit involving the alleged misappropriation of 1MDB funds for the reason of sub judice. Continue reading “Boycott of Minister’s Question Time (MQT) debut in protest against Parliamentary charade pretending Malaysia’s international infamy for being “global kleptocracy” does not exist”

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History will not look kindly at 13th Parliament as it pretends that the 1MDB financial scandal and infamy of Malaysia as “global kleptocracy” are no issues at all!

History will not look kindly at 13th Parliament as it pretends that the 1MDB financial scandal and infamy of Malaysia as “global kleptocracy” are no issues at all!

We must thank young creative architect Tey Tat Sing for sharing with us his vision of transforming our present living surroundings into a more humane, connected, integrated and holistic living spaces with a “soul”.

I particularly appreciate Tat Sing’s reimagination as I find the very unconventional décor of the Library for Social Democracy very soothing to the nerves and the soul, especially after a very stressful, disconnected and dehumanizing day – attending the first day of the 2017 Budget Parliament and at the end of it, being caught in more than an hour of a totally no-reason traffic jam in Kuala Lumpur, where traffic lights at intersections changed from red to green for close to ten times, but no traffic moved!

I thank REFSA (Research for Social Advancement) Chairman Liew Chin Tong for inviting to launch this Library for Social Democracy.

I am reminded of the great libraries during the golden age of Islamic civilization in the ninth through thirteenth centuries which mark an era of scientific, religious, philosophical and cultural development the scale and depth of which had never been in world history before or since.

There was Abbasids’ House of Wisdom in Baghdad which was at once a university, library, translation institute and research lab, all on one campus.

Baghdad had reached its highest reputation and glorious status during the reigns of the Caliphs Al-Rasheed, Al-Ma’moun, Al-Mu’tadhid and Al-Muktafi.

It was the centre for Islamic (if not the world) culture and civilisation, as well as the headquarters for the Arts, Sciences and Letters. It was crowded with Scientists, Physicians, philosophers, Mathematicians, Astronomers, Men of Letters, Poets, Writers, Translators, Scribes, and Professionals in the various arts and crafts.

Baghdad’s House of Wisdom met its sad, tragic and brutal end in 1,258 with the Mongol invasion of Baghdad and the killing of the last Abbasid Caliph, the slaughter of the Caliph’s entire family and relatives, as well as those in the Caliphate Court – marking the end of the Abbasid Caliphate.

The magnificent collection of books and manuscripts of the House of Wisdom was thrown into the muddy waters of the River Tigris whose brown colour turned black for days as a result of the washing away of the ink used in the writing of these books and manuscripts. Continue reading “History will not look kindly at 13th Parliament as it pretends that the 1MDB financial scandal and infamy of Malaysia as “global kleptocracy” are no issues at all!”

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World’s largest gathering of blind and mute MPs on Monday – when Malaysian Parliament reconvenes pretending the 1MDB financial scandal and infamy of Malaysia as “global kleptocracy” do not exist

The world’s largest gathering of blind and mute Members of Parliament will meet on Monday when the Malaysian Parliament reconvenes with the Barisan Nasional MPs, with the exception of former Finance Minister, Datuk Husni Hanazlah, pretending that the 1MDB global financial scandal and the infamy of Malaysia as “global kleptocracy” do not exist.

All patriotic Malaysians who love the country deeply and passionately must feel ashamed and outraged that since the May meeting of Parliament some five months ago, Malaysia has acquired the international infamy being a “global kleptocracy”, especially after the July 20 lawsuit initiated by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to forfeit over US$1 billion of 1MDB-linked assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland from over US$3 billion international embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds and the recent actions by the Swiss and Singapore financial regulatory authorities to either close down banks or institute criminal proceedings in connection with 1MDB money-laundering crimes.

The 1MDB global scandal and the infamy of Malaysia becoming a “global kleptocracy” should be the first item of parliamentary business when Parliament reconvenes on Monday, but from the Parliamentary Order Paper, it is clear that these two issues are totally absent from the radar of the Malaysian Government and Parliament.

One can in fact use the 1MDB and Malaysia’s infamy as “global kleptocracy” as a yardstick to judge whether a Minister or a Member of Parliament is a Malaysian patriot and nationalist, as no Malaysian can claim to be a patriot, nationalist or love Malaysia if he or she is not ashamed and outraged by the disgraceful appellation of Malaysia as a “global kleptocracy”, as if Malaysians are happy to be ruled by PPP – Pencuri, Perompak dan Penyamun.

It is to the eternal shame of the Malaysian Parliament that no oral question on the 1MDB global financial scandal is slated to be answered in the 90 minute of question time on the first day of Parliament on Monday – although there are seven out of the 56 oral questions listed for Monday’s Question Time, but they are placed so behind the queue that they will not be answered at all. Continue reading “World’s largest gathering of blind and mute MPs on Monday – when Malaysian Parliament reconvenes pretending the 1MDB financial scandal and infamy of Malaysia as “global kleptocracy” do not exist”

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Are MCA Ministers seeking “insurance” to remain in Cabinet as long as possible by equivocating on Hadi’s private member’s bill motion?

MCA Ministers led by the MCA President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai must have thought that they are very smart and clever in finding a way to get “insurance” to remain in the Cabinet for as long as possible by equivocating on PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill motion.

MCA leaders have been going round the country declaring that MCA Ministers will relinquish their Cabinet posts if Hadi’s private member’s bill is passed.

This is begging the question as MCA Ministers are completely avoiding the issue which may come up in the first week of Parliament beginning on Monday as to whether Hadi’s private member’s bill motion will be debated and passed by simple majority vote.

Will MCA Ministers declare that they will relinquish their Cabinet posts if Hadi’s private member’s bill motion is passed in Parliament either next week or the last week of Parliament from Nov. 21 – 24?

And if not, why not?

This applies to the Ministers from Gerakan, MIC and other Sabah/Sarawak Barisan Nasional component parties.

By making an artificial distinction between Hadi’s private member’s bill motion and Hadi’s private member’s bill, MCA Ministers hope to get “insurance” to cowardly and cravenly hang on to the Cabinet for as long as possible – relying on Standing Order 49(3), (4) and (5) to argue that although Hadi’s private member’s bill motion had been passed in Parliament, Hadi’s private member’s bill had not yet been passed. Continue reading “Are MCA Ministers seeking “insurance” to remain in Cabinet as long as possible by equivocating on Hadi’s private member’s bill motion?”

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Six possible scenarios as to what could happen to Hadi’s private member’s bill motion in the 25-day budget Parliament

There are six possible scenarios as to what could happen to the PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill motion in the 25-day Budget Parliament beginning on Monday, viz:

1. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion comes up for debate in the first week of Parliament, whether on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and passed with simple majority support.

2. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion debated in the first week of Parliament and rejected with simple majority vote.

3. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion not debated in the first week of Parliament and deferred until after the 2017 Budget’s debate and passage in the last week of Parliamentary meeting from Nov. 21-24.

4. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion debated in Parliament’s last week and passed by simple majority.

5. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion debated in Parliament’s last week and rejected by simple majority.

6. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion not debated and deferred to next year’s Parliamentary meeting.

I am quite perplexed by the statements which the MCA President and the MCA Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, had been making in the past two days about the possibility of Hadi’s private member’s bill motion coming up for debate and vote in next week’s Parliament. Continue reading “Six possible scenarios as to what could happen to Hadi’s private member’s bill motion in the 25-day budget Parliament”

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Singapore Mustn’t Spare the Rod

By Andy Mukherjee
Bloomberg
Oct 12, 2016

A slap on the wrist of a licensed, regulated intermediary must satisfy three conditions. One, the errant party must feel remorse before relief. Two, all other players ought to be put on notice. Three, society should feel avenged on behalf of its often faceless victims.

The punishment meted out by Singapore to banks as part of its ongoing investigation into the 1MDB scandal looks to have achieved little success in meeting the first aim. It has done better in hitting the second goal, but largely missed the third.

Start with the first objective. A S$1 million ($725,000) fine on homegrown DBS and a S$1.3 million penalty on UBS elicited just the kind of contrition one can expect from organizations brimming with talented public relations professionals. UBS said it was “disappointed” it didn’t do more to detect and report suspicious transactions earlier; DBS said it should have taken more “rigorous action.” Both have promised to go after miscreant bankers, and forgo profit from their lapses. UBS would support industry-wide anti-money-laundering initiatives, while DBS would donate to a worthy cause.

These are all fine words, but peering through them is a palpable sense of relief. While nobody quite expected pragmatic Singapore to score an own goal by aggressively punishing shareholders of lending institutions for egregious behavior by their executives, the fines appear way too small in a city where being in possession of chips outside of a casino attracts a S$150,000 penalty. Continue reading “Singapore Mustn’t Spare the Rod”

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My plea from prison: Malaysia must choose freedom over repression

By Anwar Ibrahim
Washington Post
October 12, 2016

Sungai Buloh Prison, Malaysia — Yesterday, Malaysia’s Federal Court heard my final appeal to reverse the injustice of my politically-motivated detention at the hands of the Malaysian government. It won’t likely issue a final decision on my case for many months. What is really at stake in Malaysia, however, is a catastrophic slide to authoritarian kleptocracy by a country that was set to be the shining example of pluralistic democracy in a multi-religious Muslim majority country. My last appeal could well be the final opportunity for Prime Minister Najib Razak and the judiciary he cynically controls to set Malaysia again on a path of restoring its much tainted reputation on the global stage. But without the support of the international community and President Obama’s help, my fate is pre-determined.

I have struggled my entire life for the betterment of my country and the improvement of the lives of Malaysia’s citizens. I am coming up on having spent 10 years of my adult life over the course multiple imprisonments in jail. I am grateful for the strong support of the United Nations and organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which have concluded I am illegally detained and have urged my immediate release. Although this has been particularly hard on my family, I am most worried about the unprecedented existential threat to Malaysia’s democracy and stability. We are at a crossroads where we can either emerge as a pluralistic democracy in Asia and in the Muslim world or where our nation will implode from grand corruption and different religious and ethnic groups being pitted against each other fighting for limited resources.

Najib’s overreach is even bringing my former political foes from the ruling party, including my political benefactor and later jailer Mahathir Mohamed, to defect to the opposition. But most democracies around the world have remained totally silent, and none have taken concrete measures to censure Najib and his government before the damage done by their corruption and authoritarianism is irreversible. Continue reading “My plea from prison: Malaysia must choose freedom over repression”

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Congrats Hashim Jasin for appointment as new Mursyidul Am PAS but he should not allow others to put words into his mouth

Congratulations to Hashim Jasin for his appointment as the new Mursyidul Am PAS but he should not allow others to put words into his mouth.

I refer to the Bernama report yesterday quoting Hashim as saying that PAS would never co-operate with DAP again and is willing to face three-cornered fights in the coming 14th general election.

He regarded PAS-DAP ties as beyond reconciliation alleging that DAP had “reneged on its agreement to cooperate with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang”.

Hashim said the cooperation with DAP in GE13 was based on a conditional political approach while its cooperation with Umno was on the basis of Islamic unity.

“We do not want to repeat our mistake and be bitten twice in the same spot for resuming ties with DAP,” he told a press conference in Kangar.

The former Perlis PAS commissioner is entitled to his political views but he is not entitled to speak on matters he has no personal knowledge or to try to pass off untruths as truths. Continue reading “Congrats Hashim Jasin for appointment as new Mursyidul Am PAS but he should not allow others to put words into his mouth”

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Malaysian Fund 1MDB Linked to White House Visit

By BRADLEY HOPE and COLLEEN MCCAIN NELSON
Wall Street Journal
Oct. 13, 2016

Investigators look into whether money embezzled from the fund paid for lobbying seeking closer U.S.-Malaysian relations

WASHINGTON — Malaysia’s government-fund scandal, one of the world’s biggest alleged white-collar crimes, has been connected to a Hollywood studio, high-end U.S. real estate — and now, a visit to the White House.

Federal investigators are looking into whether money improperly obtained from the Malaysian fund was paid to a businessman who later arranged an Oval Office visit for relatives of the Malaysian prime minister, according to people familiar with the probe.

The businessman is Frank White Jr., an entrepreneur who helped start an investment firm called DuSable Capital Management LLC, along with partners including a rap star. Mr. White has also raised funds for President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Investigators believe about $10 million allegedly embezzled from 1Malaysia Development Bhd., known as 1MDB, flowed indirectly to Mr. White in a business deal, said people familiar with the probe.

Additionally, 1MDB paid $69 million to buy a DuSable unit out of a deal they had agreed on to build solar-power plants, the firms said last year. Continue reading “Malaysian Fund 1MDB Linked to White House Visit”

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Former Finance Minister Husni Hanadzlah is the only BN MP who had put in a parliamentary question out of the 1,800 oral and written questions in the 25-day budget meeting on the 1MDB scandal

I had several shocks when going through the Parliamentary Order Paper for the 25-day budget meeting of Parliament from Oct. 17 to 24th November.

One is that PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill motion is item No. 4, which means that after the Youth and Sports Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin’s motion to congratulate the Malaysian Olympians and Para-Olympians for their sterling performances in the two recent world sporting events; the Advocates (Sabah) (Amendment) Bill 2016 and a Treasury motion to convert a RM500 million loan to Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) to equity, Hadi’s private member’s motion may come up for debate and voting on Tuesday, or even on Monday!

This will lead to be tectonic shift of the fundamental basis and principles of the Merdeka Constitution 1957 and the Malaysia Agreement 1963, with far-reaching consequences not only the nation-building process but to the very survival and integrity of the Malaysian federation since 1963.

Another surprise and shock is the lowly and irrelevant position given to the one issue which had made Malaysia infamous internationally – the 1MDB global financial scandal which had catapulted the nation into world rank of a “global kleptocracy”.

The 1MDB global scandal should the first item of parliamentary business when Members of Parliament reconvened on Monday 17th October, after a break of five long months, when the country’s reputation was battered all over the world in a tide of negative and adverse international developments about the 1MDB scandal, the worst being the July 20 lawsuit initiated by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to forfeit over US$1 billion of 1MDB-linked assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland from over US$3 billion international embezzlement, misappropriation and money-laundering of 1MDB funds as well as the crackdowns by the Singapore and Swiss financial regulatory authorities.

But from the Order Paper for the forthcoming 25-day meeting of Parliament, it would appear that the 1MDB global scandal is not a major concern or worry for Malaysia at all – and totally absent from the radar of the Malaysian Government.

No Malaysian can claim to be a patriot or love Malaysia if he or she is not ashamed and outraged by the disgraceful appellation of Malaysia as a “global kleptocracy” – as if Malaysians are happy to be ruled by thieves and robbers.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that no Malaysian is fit to be a Member of Parliament or Minister in the country if he or she is not ashamed and outraged by appellation of Malaysia as as a “global kleptocracy”. Continue reading “Former Finance Minister Husni Hanadzlah is the only BN MP who had put in a parliamentary question out of the 1,800 oral and written questions in the 25-day budget meeting on the 1MDB scandal”

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Will there be a tectonic shift of the fundamental basis of the Merdeka Constitution 1957 and Malaysia Agreement 1963 next week in Parliament if Hadi’s private member’s bill is passed?

I visited Parliament to collect the Parliamentary Order Paper for the 25-day budget meeting of Parliament from Oct. 17 to 24th November, and I find the parliamentary business planned most surprising and even shocking.

Firstly, will there be a tectonic shift of the fundamental basis of the Merdeka Constitution 1957 and Malaysia Agreement 1963 next week in Parliament if the PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill is passed?

Hadi’s private member’s is slated as the fourth item of parliamentary business after a motion by the Youth and Sports Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin to congratulate the Malaysian Olympians and Para-Olympians for their sterling performances in the two recent world sporting events; the Advocates (Sabah) (Amendment) Bill 2016 and a Treasury motion to convert a RM500 million loan to Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) to equity.

Under the circumstances, the possibility that Hadi’s private member’s bill motion will come up for debate and voting either on Tuesday, or even on Monday, cannot be ruled out. Continue reading “Will there be a tectonic shift of the fundamental basis of the Merdeka Constitution 1957 and Malaysia Agreement 1963 next week in Parliament if Hadi’s private member’s bill is passed?”

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QuickTake Q&A: Malaysia’s 1MDB Fund Spawns Worldwide Probes

by Shamim Adam and Laurence Arnold
Bloomberg
October 11, 2016

Malaysia’s state-owned investment fund, 1MDB, was supposed to attract foreign investment. Instead, it has spurred criminal and regulatory investigations around the world that have cast an unflattering spotlight on financial deal-making, election spending and political patronage under Prime Minister Najib Razak. A Malaysian parliamentary committee identified at least $4.2 billion in irregular transactions. Singapore on Oct. 11 announced it will revoke the local license for a second bank for breaches of anti-money laundering rules in relation to its 1MDB probe.

1. What is 1MDB?

It’s a government investment company — full name, 1Malaysia Development Berhad — that took shape in 2009 under Najib, who went on to lead its advisory board. Its early initiatives included buying privately owned power plants and planning a new financial district in Kuala Lumpur. The fund proved better at borrowing — it accumulated $12 billion in debt — than at luring large-scale investment. Continue reading “QuickTake Q&A: Malaysia’s 1MDB Fund Spawns Worldwide Probes”

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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?

An UMNO-owned mainstream media reported today that PAS President, Datuk Seri A Abdul Hadi Awang’s hudud-enabling private member’s bill would be tabled and debated in Parliament next week.
In the circumstances, the continued silence of the Presidents of MCA, Gerakan, MIC and Sabah and Sarawak component parties of Barisan Nasional on whether they have agreed on a Barisan Nasional consensus for Hadi’s private member’s bill to be given priority over official business in the budget meeting of Parliament to be debated and voted upon is no more tenable.

The time has come for all the Barisan Nasional component parties to break their silence on Hadi’s private member’s bill.

Early this month, the UMNO and Barisan Nasional secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said that BN has arrived at a consensus regarding Hadi’s private member’s bill. Continue reading “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?”

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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. Continue reading “The law of rule in Malaysia”

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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? Continue reading “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”?”

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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. Continue reading “Criminal Charges Filed Against Two Ex-Bankers in 1MDB Malaysia Fund Case”

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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. Continue reading “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””

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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. Continue reading “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”

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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? Continue reading “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?”

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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. Continue reading “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”