The case of the Sabah businessman Michael Chia caught red-handed at the Hong Kong International Airport on August 14, 2008 with RM40 million cash in his luggage before he could board a flight to Kuala Lumpur is bizarre enough but even more weird is the utter indifference and unconcern shown by the authorities to the case purportedly because the RM40 million which Chia was trying to smuggle into Malaysia from Hong Kong were political contributions to the state Umno and not for Chief Minister Musa Aman’s personal use and that “no element of corruption was proven”.
Malaysians could imagine the prolonged nation-wide furore that would have ensued if the RM40 million cash Chia had been caught red-handed at the Hong Kong International Airport trying to smuggle into Malaysia had been meant for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim or anyone of the three Pakatan Rakyat parties!
The leaders at various levels of Barisan Nasional component parties and their mainstream mass media would have competed, day-in-day out for weeks, demanding full accounting and action by the authorities, including throwing the books on corruption or money laundering.
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak would have trotted out his exhortation at the recent International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA) conference in Kuala Lumpur on the critical and crucial importance to instil “a natural abhorrence to corruption” among people in positions of power and authority.
UMNO/BN Ministers and leaders would have issued one warning after another about treachery, traitors and the betrayal of the nation from the dangers and evils of foreign funding, particularly dirty money while dubious organisations and individuals would have crawled all over the country with demonstrations, butt-dances and denunciations.
But now, there is pin-drop silence from all these sectors and no “natural abhorrence to corruption” whatsoever!
The question Sabahans and Malaysians are entitled to ask the Prime Minister is whether the case of the RM40 million dirty cash – whether for Sabah Chief Minister or Sabah UMNO (of which Musa is Chairman) – is now fully closed as far as the Malaysian government is concerned, for this will also signal the end of all credibility of the independence, integrity and professionalism of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Najib’s Government Transformation Programme (GTP) which prioritised “fighting corruption”, including “grand corruption”, as one of the key NKRA programmes.
It is really tragic. Just a week ago, Najib was waxing lyrical, taking the moral high ground at the opening of the IAACA Conference in Kuala Lumpur about the critical role for people and positions of power and authority to exemplify the “right values” to fight corruption, and today, all credibility and reputation of Najib’s anti-corruption campaign and the MACC completely in tatters.
Najib owe the Rakyat a live national TV debate with Anwar on THIS case alone..
What are they going to do ? String Musa Aman out to dry, when he has sensitive information on everything that has gone on in Sabah for the past 15 years or more ? The thieves then hatched a plan beneficial to UMNO. Declare that the money is UMNO’s so that Musa Aman can’t touch it now. Poor Musa, all he is going to lose is RM 40 million, and he gets to keep his money in the UBS account in Hong Kong.
If electoral donations were legit, why would Chia seek to bring in RM40 million cash, which he could easier otherwise do more expediently via the banking system/telegraphic transfers? Unless it is to avoid audit trail and reporting system in banks required under AML (Anti money laundering) laws? Isn’t this a fit case to be investigated under AML?
Why is the money channelled so secretly thru Hongkong? Why is a chinaman who is a timber broker involved as the carrier? Why is it dealt in cash? Does this amount appear any where in the books of UMNO (or whatever investment arm)? $40M is not a small amount – where did it come from?
This is a small amount kept overseas…needed back here.
For years…no one dares to bring stolen money in.
This is just a small amount…testing and got caught!!
Najib needs billions..to keep buying votes.
Time is against him….and Emergency Rule idea…too dangerous for him to try that stunt….after few small testings on race and religion clashes failed….cow heads..pig heads …bullying..BERSIH walkers….was the last straw that will break the camel back…if he goes further.
And so…Father Christmas must go on and on…till the last day of 13th GE.
After deducting RM10 million for Baginda long long oversea studies…there is still RM 490 million.
Deduct the RM40 million…RM450 million left.
Fat cat spent RM 600,00 shopping are interests earned.
Scorpene deal was counted with at least RM700 million unaccounted for.
Mahathir’s billions kept overseas are still there…and only like Philippines….vote Marcos out..and Malaysians vote Umno B out…can we see the billions back to country…all belonging to the People.
The money trial is slowly exposed by Najib.
Nazri said the RM40 million are donations to Umno B ..not for Sabah MB.
Mahathir complained Soros donated millions to help PR….and Nazri could not care less what Mahathir said…with his comment …contradicting M.
And another Umno B lawmakers asked all to stop talking about Soros…..when their chips are down.
That’s sickening Malaysian politics from Umno B.
If the money was for Anwar and Pakatan, they will most probably link it to George Soros one way or another.
But it is ‘for UMNO not Musa Aman’. ‘Where did the money come from then’, everybody asks.
So what does the paper trail backwards look like? Where is the source? I thought someone has already traced it backwards to where it came from.
Let us not have another ‘suicide’ case but I am confident it will not happen in Hong Kong.
Sdr Lim, it is sad right, none from BN has made a whimper. These are same people who cried day and night in Penang as if their parents have just died about lands for low cost housing and about serving the people. These are the same people who talked about Talam endlessly as if one of their hands was chopped off because of hudud. These are same people who talked about corruption is the collective responsibility of the society. It is my belief that corruption has indeed spread long, deep and wide so much so that none of people of power and influence is not involved. They are all linked up like a giant web – no one can ever make a false move; they will share the spoil and keep the good life till it is over. They have no choice left; it is for us the people to make a decisive choice now.
In no time Anwar will find himself in jail!