Lingam Tape – Nazri’s lame excuse and test for Cabinet tomorrow

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has admitted that he was wrong and that there is no Witness Protection Act.

He claimed that what he meant was that whistleblowers were already protected under various laws which offered some protection to witnesses, like the Anti-Corruption Act, Criminal Procedure Code, Evidence of Child Witness Act and Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

It is clearly a very lame excuse. But it has not released Nazri from the onus of justifying two outrageous statements he made on Sunday:

Firstly, his ‘No Source, No Case” assertion — that if the maker or makers of the Lingam Tape “don’t co-operate, then the authenticity of the Lingam Tape cannot be determined and this will prevent the (Haider) Panel from discharging its responsibility. As such, it is important for them to reveal the source, failing which, we can only conclude that they are lying.”

Secondly, “The witness will be accorded full protection by the government… a new identity, a new location, even a new face. So what is there to be afraid of?”

Firstly, what right has he to decide how the Haider Panel Inquiry is to operate? Or has the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak passed the buck of the Haidar Panel Inquiry as too hot a potato to Nazri as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department?

An inquiry into the Lingam Tape with its serious allegations of the perversion of the course of justice concerning the fixing of judicial appointments and fixing of court decisions should not be placed under the responsibility of the Prime Minister’s Department, whether Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister or Minister, but completely independent answerable only to the Yang di Pertuan Agong or Parliament.

Secondly, Nazri’s clarification has not explained how the maker or makers of the Lingam Tape will be fully protected when there is no official declaration by the Attorney-General granting full immunity from any prosecution or adverse consequences for fully co-operating with the Haider Panel.

The maker or makers of the Lingam Tape do not need any new identity, new location or even new faces, for they have no use of them as what they need is protection from victimization or persecution from quarters involving the official authorities. This is why what they need is full immunity from any prosecution or any adverse consequences because of their full co-operation in disclosing their identities.

The ball is firmly in the court of the Cabinet tomorrow.

The Cabinet will only confirm its utter irrelevance if Ministers are not prepared to discuss and take a decision on a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Tape and the rot of the judiciary in the past 19 years as the first important step to restore national and international confidence in the independence, integrity and meritocracy of the judiciary.

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56 Replies to “Lingam Tape – Nazri’s lame excuse and test for Cabinet tomorrow”

  1. “a new identity, a new location, even a new face”— why not give a new face and identity resembling Saddam Hoossien to the de facto law minister and send him to a new location (Iraq) so that the Americans can hang him

  2. He did not admit that he was wrong. UMNO ministers don’t admit to any wrongdoing. He clarified what he meant, and he also said that he instructed his secretary to issue a further clarification to the press, which the secretary failed to do. In typical UMNO fashion, someone else is to blame, not the minister.

  3. Do any reasonably competent JUSTICE MINISTER can be wrong on whether there is any Witness Protection Act in the country which he is the justice minister?

    But Nazri THE JUSTICE MINISTER wronged!!!

  4. It’s fairly obvious this man is simply incompetent, simply unsuited for his portfolio inspite of his qualifications. He has made himself and his party a laughing stock of the country and the world. Truly an embarassment of gigantic proportions.

  5. Maybe someone can enlighthen why the PM just keeps quiet whenever those bunch of useless MPs or cabinet ministers under him make such idiotic or dumb comments to the public ?

    Seems like the more the PM keeps quiet…the more these idiots are becoming brave and dare to be talking ‘cork’ without thinking first on the consequences of whatever they say. Maybe they feel whatever they say will be fully supported by the PM and fellow ministers though it can be damaging or sound rubbish totally.

    The PM should be shameful for having such morons in his cabinet and the irony part is they can still claim to be heading towards a first class mentality administration which the opposition can never achieve and can only dream off it seems… what a joke !!

  6. Badawi keeps quiet because he simply doesn’t know. He is being primed by the 4th floor boys as to what to say, where to go because there is a big risk to UMNO that Sleepy Head could really say something stupid to upset voters. Hence most of the time, they suggest he gets on the new aircraft and go overseas for long breaks.

    Do you think he knows the difference between WITNESS PROTECTION legislation vs WITNESS OBLITERATION legislation ?

  7. “The witness will be accorded full protection by the government…a new identity, a new location, even a new face. So what is there to be afraid of?”

    I suspect Nazri used some scripts from Hollywood movie.

  8. If we are willing to ask FBI to identify the kller on the CCTV in Nurin’s case, why not we ask them to do so in this case?
    Osama Bin Laden’s recording on Jazeera is athenticate by establishing the face and voice belonging to him – easy and straight forward.
    here Nazri wants the source of the reording. Even the source comes forward, they would still claim that it is false!!

  9. Imagine if the source is a person of stature with a family. You mean to tell me he has to go into hiding for ever eventhough with a new identity and forsake his life?

    Nazri, Why dont all Msians chip in RM5mil and u go take a hike!@

  10. Hi all check out the latest article in msiakini. An increase of 8463 voters for Ipoh Timur seat. Some are transfered into Pasir Pinji. And about 3,208 postal voters increase.

    What rubbish is this? This is how RealWorld envision BN winning. Taktik murahan yg hanya digunakan oleh org org yg tak bermaruah.Hanya iblis dan setan yg guna taktik taktik kotor ini.

    Patutlah menang

  11. A new face ? A new identity ? What’s going on? Is that a reward for doing your duties as an honest and responsible citizen ? Is that a threat to all potential witnesses and whistle blowers? You tell the truth you will be killed? In a super corrupted environment what assurance have you got that your new identity would not be exposed? With these group of shameless and dirty people working in the government and the various ministries, your new identity would be exposed long before you know anything about it.

    I read this offer by Nazri, the Minister of Law(lessness) as a threat.

  12. With half past six ministers and prime minister leading the country and tolking nonsense with no accountability for the words that they said, people seriously getting irritated and losing respect and confidence with the current administration. We are in such a sorry run down state in the present administration where people has no more confidence with the country jurisdiction, police force even the Prime Minister as there are simply no accountability shown by the respective parties, only tok kok but no action and result.

    How could a sane individual still vote for the ruling party? Malaysians only have themselves to be blamed for their ‘tidak apa’ attitude. Other countries with these type of incompetence ministers on board their would have long long time ago got kicked out of the Cabinet. Not just shameful and incompetence but absolutely irresponsible.

  13. RealWorld Says:

    October 9th, 2007 at 10: 54.21
    Dear cto,

    Malaysia is only 50 years young, while for example US is 231 years old. If we look back, the US after 50 years of independence, a lot of things werent right then. I am sorry, I dont agree with you on the current US government not ‘actively pushing policies that divide’. If you go to Hampton, Virginia you will see the residents there are almost 100% whites. Hampton is a high class neighbourhood. Alternatively, if you go to East LA (and please dont go there alone) or to Queens, you will find most of the residents there are 100% Hispanics and Blacks. Crimes i.e gang related shootings, murder are a normal daily routine there. Why is the average life expectancy of a black male in the inner cities in the US cant go above 35, after 231 years of independence?

    I have said earlier that in Malaysia we are fortunate as we all enjoyed peace and progress.

    The NEP does not prevent the non-bumis from education or whatever. Look at our local universities, there are many non-bumis there. Look at the business sector, non-bumis are thriving. Infact, if we look at the top 50 rich list in Malaysia, I believe more than 80% are non-bumis. Look at those exclusive residential areas like Bangsar, Damansara Heights, Country Heights etc etc, you will see most of the residents there are mainly chinese. The NEP, like I have said is to allow the wealth be spread a little to the other race group so that we can all benefit from our country’s resources.

    This is Malaysia and the reality is that such policies exists. And yes, there will be a few who are unhappy. That is why in a democracy, we go to the polls every 5 years where we vote for the government of our choice. Like it or not, it is us, the rakyat who decide who will govern and administer this country.

    And you may say the polls are rigged and all. But wait, it again comes back to the Opposition. If amongst yourselves you are not organized or in agreement or united or whatever, do you think the rakyat will throw the dice and gamble on a front that is wishy washy?? What about PAS’s Islamic State and DAP’s Msian Malaysia??

    A lot of things about the judiciary is being thrown about. I mean, if it is really true that our judiciary is poor, how come the People’s Parliament are struggling to come up with 5000 online petition? Where is that overwhelming support from the rakyat? Malaysia has less than 5000 net subscribers, is it?

    ———————–

    As the saying goes, a fool never learns from his mistakes, a wise man learns from his mistakes and an even wiser man learns from the mistakes of others. Malaysia being a younger country can do well by learning form the mistakes of that US has made in the past. Yes, US had lots of issues in the first 50 years. Are you suggesting that Malaysia should emulate those mistakes? Or are you suggesting that it is OK for Malaysia to have issues cos’ US had issues back then? I would suggest that Malaysia is better off learning from the mistakes of others and not repeat them.

    I appreciate your concerns for me visiting East LA alone. I am well aware of the bad neighbourhoods in the US cos’ I have travelled extensively across the US. As a matter of fact, I am currently in the US on a short trip. Yes, there are bad neighbourhoods in the US, but are these bad neighbourhood brought about by US Govt policies? Likewise, did the US govt mandate that Hampton be an exclusive white neighbourhood? And yes, there is crime and there is killings in the inner cities. Can you please share with me which US govt policy created this problem?

    And you really think that NEP did not prevent non-bumis student from an equal chance for further education? If yes, then you are badly mistaken. Do you have any hard facts to share? Why is it an annual occurance that the very top non bumi students are being denied from taking the course of their choice? They have to petition to get their admission reviewed.This annual ritual would have been funny if it is not for the fact that people are badly affected. And mind you, we are talking about the very best of the non bumi students being marginalised by the system. Need we go further?

    Sure there are wealthy non bumis in Malaysia. Why are you bringing this up? Are you suggesting that there are no poor non bumis? Or are you suggesting that poor non bumis should not be given any assistance because there are rich non bumis around? Is it even remotely reasonable to make such a suggestion? Likewise are you suggesting that because there are poor bumis so the Govt should help the rich bumis? I beg your pardon but I find the logic here rather convoluted, even warpped.

    Yes, the rakyat will decide who will govern the country. That is absolutely true. No argument here.

    Regarding the judiciary system, you appear to take the position that everyone that did not participate in the petition takes the opposing view. This I would suggest it not true. Even if it is true, is your opinion governed strictly by the majority or is it guided by sound intellectual reasoning?

    Again, I ask the question – can you please share with me some good examples of the ACA and the judicary system successfully convicitng a corrupted Govt official? If there is none and the ACA/judiciary system is really doing a good job as you claimed, then the only logical conclusion that I can draw is that there are very few or no corrupted govt officials. One can’t reasonably blame the police for not catching any thieves cos’ there are no thieves around?

  14. RealWorld RealWorld, how can you be so gullible in believing there is no discrimination in education. Look at how many non Malays vs Malays in engineering, medic and other professional faculties. Just because u saw some non Malays in some lousy courses doesnt mean thats fairness. Plus why dont the govt just scrapped the matriculation system? You study for 1 yr, and we need to study for 2yrs in STPM? Why the difference in treatment?

    U asking poor Chinese and indians to spread the wealth to you. Pigi lah. U go and ask the rich ppl that are affliated to the powers at be. They are the ones you should be looking for. i can personally tell u that my family just can make ends meet only. So why dont you try to work hard just like me and my Dad rather than hoping for some bantuan.

    And just because you saw some Chinese driving big cars, you imply we are all rich. I can say the same thing that I saw many Malays driving posh cars too in KL. Top 50 rich in Msia? Thats where the problem lies. Msia income gap between the rich and poor is getting wider and wider and its one of the worst according to World Bank Report. Thank God we beat Papua New Guinea in terms of ranking.

    Only a few unhappy? You will see this coming GE if only a few are unhappy.

    PAS Islamic state? You must have been reading some papers from the 80s.

    Where did you get your figure that Blacks average in inner city cant go over 35? Overall, life expectancy at birth was 78 years for whites and 72.7 years for blacks according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Where did you get your numbers to back your statement up? I am curious.

  15. So easy go for plastic surgery. How about your family and relative? How are they protected? All going for plastic surgery and identity change? Nazri toking kok.

    Nazri watching too much tv, Face Off I suppose. We are in Bolehland, do we have FBI, CIA type of gadget and technology? Reliability and integrity of our fellow ministers is already A BIG Question Mark??? So what even with latest technology who’s going to believe them. No shame.

  16. yb kit
    why do you always harp along the lines of something coming out from the weekly cabinet meetings(this is not the first time)…..nothing meaningful ever comes out of putrajaya on a wednesday afternoon…at least not over the last four years anyway! come to think of it, nothing meaningful ever comes out of putrajaya these days..period. the news of concern to the rakyat only “leaks out” and in that respect partly thanks to you and your team. other than that, i dunno one…i dunno one…i dunno one

  17. Hoi Nazri, In bulan puasa bulan mulia…Don’t blame others for your tongue waging. Now don’t play tonguefu. That’s all you good for. What an embarrassment to our Cabinet. Oops! on the other hand what can you expect from a cabinet that is run by a sleepy head…who does not seem to know whether he is going or coming.

  18. AS if 11months of lying is not good enough and one has to do it during this month. Way to go! It goes to show that crooks will always be crooks. There is no time-off or time-out in their business. It will be a 24/7 sucking us dry.

  19. For those who are still in the dark how BN continues to win election after election, let me turn on the floodlights: its the boys at the Elections Commission that manipulate the electoral process with their unmistakable “close one eye” system of mutual “kawan abang” partnership with BN. Independent electoral bodies have long called for an overhaul of the EC process, but it has continued to ignore legitimate reports of election fraud, names and party name switches as well as phantom-voter names as irrelevant or ploys to “tarnish” its good name. The name and the fruit of EC is a rotten stench! So ladies and gentlemen kindly refrain from blaming the people of voting BN over and over, it is the corrupt EC and BN that perpetuates this pernicious tradition.

    Concerning Nazri, this mental-midget needs to be awarded a Malaysian “ketua bodoh dan kaki dalam mulut” award. He has put his foot in his mouth more times than we can remember. He Malaysians an apology for lying that parliament has a Whistleblower Protection Bill” while it has none. Such compulsive liars need to be rehabilitated or the nation will reap a harvest of pain. Where are leaders like the late Dr Tan Chee Khoon when we need them? The conscience of our nation is being seared by the likes of Nazri with acute foot and mouth disease.

  20. Consider:

    1) A three panel was set up to determine if the video clip is authentic or not
    2) The panel is a lame duck panel with no authority to investigate on its won or to offer protection to any whistleblower
    3) The “bodoh” man keep harping on the whistleblower to reveal himself knowing full well that would not happen because he knows the toothless panel can not offer any protection to the whistleblower and this would prevent the whistleblower from coming into the open
    4) If the whistleblower refuse to come out into the open because of the lack of protection, it gives a good excuse for the Najib-appointed panel a good reason to reject the video clip and by extension, drop the whole case.

    It is plainly obvious the Govt. does not want a Royal Commission to investigate this openly because the truth will embarass them. So all this maneuvering and posturing by Nazri is actually part of a grand conspiracy scam to discredit the video clip in order to kill off any further exposures of the scandal.

  21. “Again, I ask the question – can you please share with me some good examples of the ACA and the judicary system successfully convicitng a corrupted Govt official? If there is none …” cto

    I believe one big case here is that of Datuk Harun Idris, the then MB of Selangor who was convicted of corruption in the mid 70s. (You can blame the world’s greatest boxer, Muhammad Ali for that!).That was during the watch of Tun Razak, a lawyer by training.

    Tun Razak showed courage in handling the issue of corruption involving one of his own. Harun Idris played a key role in the events leading to the race riots of 1969 – and a highly respected and popular figure among the Malays then. The Sultan of Selangor did not take away his datukship even though he was a convicted felon. That goes to show how immense his popularity was – but the law is the law.

    Are we about to see the return of the rule of law anytime soon?? I don’t think so.

  22. If Nazri is the best Umno Youth and Umno can offer as its representative in the Cabinet, Malaysia is really in a pickle.

    We need no other to make us the laughing stock of the entire world.

    He can actually run amuck. Look at the way he goes into psychological paralysis when he shouted, “Bodoh, Bodoh, Bodoh, Bodoh …”

    He is certainly not anyone’s candidate for our spaceship to the moon. Otherwise, our problems will be over.

  23. The quality of our nation is directly corelated to the quality of those who lead it.

    1) paid higher price for land than if purchased through land acquisition Act – PKFZ
    2) paid 5 plus million ringgit for a crane that sells only 2 million plus in the market.
    3) Treat the bar council like an opposition party when all it wants is a clean & just judicary system for Malaysia.
    4) CJ reporting to de facto law minister
    5) Give package deal including surgery to witnesses if they come forward.
    6) send spaceman to the sky so that he hopes to get closer to God.
    7) fixing electorates all over the place to win election.
    8) treat foreign diplomat’s wife as illegal migrant
    9) PM said he wants to be told the truth even if it is painful.

    We have become a clown nation, a truly international laughing stock!

  24. Undergrad2, you’re quite right about the not so known fact that it was Tun Razak who first took Datuk Harun Idris to task for corruption – it is said that Harun Idris incurred the enmity of the Prime Minister, Tun Razak, in the early 1970s (don’t know the actual reason why) – though the credit for following through with prosecution was widely attributed to Tun Razak’s successor Tun Hussein Onn in 1976.

    Lee Kuan Yew was quoted to have commented, “Sitting at the top of an UMNO machine that was based on money politics, Hussein was completely honest. He tried to clean up corruption…authorised the prosecution in November 1975 against the menteri besar of Selangor, Datuk Harun Idris … But Hussein could not widen his purge in the face of resistance from other UMNO state leaders.”

    You also quite right that these guys have very high tolerance for corruption for Harun Idris won The UMNO Youth Leadership while in jail!

    The resistance by UMNOputras to take action against big wigs is borne out by the record. So far the government’s anti-corruption measures have almost always been directed almost exclusively to combating petty corruption amongst petty bureaucrats and seldom the “big fish” except where the “big fish” had clashed with powerful political enemies within the power structure.

    Without prejudging guilt or innocence but just basing on prosecutions happening, there are so far 3 cases of “big Fish” : Harun Idris (during Tun Razak’s carrying forward to Tun Hussein’s time),Anwar Ibrahim during tenure of Tun Dr Mahathir and for present premier, Land and Cooperative Development Minister Kasitah Gaddam.

  25. Where’s RealWorld, the UMNO poodle, now ? Surprised he hasn’t received any instructions on how to defend one of his heroes who is getting a real bashing right now.

    Maybe he’s out on his Bentley with his dark sunglasses on….

  26. It is hard to address the national scourge of corruption if not enough attention has been focused on the co-relation between it and the NEP’s implementation, which so far the very suggestion of such a connection has been met with complete denial.

    The NEP, which was originally articulated by TDM to level the playing fields between ‘haves not’ Malays and other races, has proceeded on such redistribution of material/financial rewards like a juggernaut without sufficient check and balances based on ethical principles institutionalised in place.

    In pushing for such an agenda – to increase financial rewards – across the board, implementation has blurred the lines between political governance and capitalistic business, neglecting all ethical considerations relating to accountability, avoidance of conflicts of interest, a sense of obligation, responsibility and duty etc which process could then slip easily over the boundary into grey areas implicating corruption.

    This severance of material pursuits leveraged on power from ethical benchmarks will result or has resulted in negative consequences of:

    · instead of encouraging genuine entrepreneurship, people tend towards flip of their largesse to make quick money;

    · instead of helping the target group, broad based, only a select few with access to power, benefit again and again;

    · all these at the same time does little to help national integration but instead widen the schisms and cause discontent of the mass of underprivileged amongst all races;

    · organisations and institutions get subverted when players within get motivated b y considerations of money and positions only;

    · and a group emerges to defend to death the existing order and policies, no matter how wrong and distorted, from which they materially benefit even to the detriment or at expense of the nation;

    · instead of a sense of shame where unfair material gain is procured by unfair means and abuse of power, a sense of righteousness and entitlement for such practices takes over, and soon, although corruption is outwardly and publicly repudiated and condemned, hypocrisy however takes over when it is accepted implicitly as a norm and way of life, and every institution (not just judiciary), in such a process, gets subverted, and the fate of the nation is sealed as the powerful keep supporting such a system, and the powerless masses keep protesting but could not do much more than only that, in hope to change things.

  27. …and the circus goes on and on unchecked because the very institutions designed to protect our rights – the AG’s Chambers, the ACA, the Judiciary – are in cahoots with the powerful.

    We are already in an era where the powerful can do no wrong, and the rich can buy their way out of trouble.

    We say that the future is bleak, but the powerful drive their fast cars in their sunglasses and sing “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone…..”

  28. Uncle LIM,
    why is it we time and time again read in the newspaper of people dying in our police lock up and the army pretending the death of their colleagues an accident? If these two institutions cannot be transparent and condone wrongdoings, how are we going to progress! we shout at guantanamo and how they treat prisoners overthere, we are no different and worst, the truth is kept from us, at least in Guantanamo, people can see the truth on the TVs

  29. We all knew that things are changing from bad to worse now due to individuals or groups that cannot ‘behave’ themselves when given the power to lead.
    As the level of corruption grows each day from all sector of public services, we can call it ‘A Done Day’ .
    The hidden issue here is the level that deprieve certain talented individual to excel at their own time because there are a ruling to assist those weaker ones. The potrait of concerned social economic and wealth balance.
    What are we talking about these areas when those ‘below average’ are not willing to make changes inside themselves for their future.
    Since they have bigger percentage in terms of total population, that shouldn’t be the point that the whole nation must ‘wait’ for them.
    What worst here are ‘smarter’ individuals are exploiting these form of opportunities and churned them to their advantages.
    Now, the whole country went under their ‘control’ which created biased laws.
    We have enjoyed enough growth within this country and our own life style have been on the higher level too. We just need to understand that there is always a ‘price’ to pay for things that we have exchanged for.
    Selfishness and greed have taken over those who are in the political world. They deemed themselves as the leaders for the future. They have seen the blueprint of the country direction and are working with the ‘bosses’ to achieve their objectives.
    The only thing that failed to understand is the cost of all these.
    Yes, it’s for the future as calimed …
    Question is who’s future are we talking about ?

  30. I vote for Nazri’s immediate resignation because of his incapability to function as a proper politician. His work saddens me, thinking that how could a person like him be a politician in the first place. If a person’s ability to shout words like “bodoh, bodoh, bodoh” can be a politician, I believe even a child can do better than him. I certainly have lost confidence in the way we run our politics.

  31. That’s why I hv been asking Nazri to a debate with me in shouting vulgar language. HE sure will lose la. His vocab is just Bodoh Bodoh whereas I know 3 languages. If the likes like him can become Minister then hey every ding dong unemployed graduate can be a Minister also.

  32. ‘Shame, shame, shame’ and ‘bohong, bohong, bohong’! Add too ‘no ball, no ball, no ball’ – Nazri did not even have the guts to admit his ignorance of the law and apologise; as usual, he blamed his mah chai for misleading him. What a lame and crap excuse! Is he a lawyer?

  33. cto Says:

    October 9th, 2007 at 16: 43.22
    RealWorld Says:

    Dear cto,
    “.. Are you suggesting that there are no poor non bumis? Or are you suggesting that poor non bumis should not be given any assistance because there are rich non bumis around? Is it even remotely reasonable to make such a suggestion? Likewise are you suggesting that because there are poor bumis so the Govt should help the rich bumis? I beg your pardon but I find the logic here rather convoluted, even warpped.”

    I think Realworld is in a dream world – having extreme mindset against the reality. Just ponder about..

    1. Why 5% discount on purchase of house not extended to hard core poor non-bumi ? but instead given to all rich Bumi?

    2. Why can’t standardise a U entry evaluation syst. ? Why “must have” 2 syst. – matriculation and STPM ?

    3. Why NEP ‘ must be extended” ? Where is the source of fund ?

    list go on………

  34. UMNO needs to win at all costs….but the Sleepy Head doesn’t know what “all costs” mean. Sure Mahathir had to put Anwar in jail at all costs, but the “cost” there was a total lack of respect from the international community that resulted in the downward spiral of FDI. Mahathir had to sack Salleh Abbas at all costs, but the cost there was a totally compliant judiciary that became beholden to UMNO. Badawi has had to defend all the UMNO crooks at all costs, but the cost there will be a total lack of respect from the rakyat.

    Vote out these thieves, liars and cheats. It is the only way to reduce the “cost” to Bolehland.

  35. “Undergrad2, you’re quite right about the not so known fact that it was Tun Razak who first took Datuk Harun Idris to task for corruption – it is said that Harun Idris incurred the enmity of the Prime Minister, Tun Razak, in the early 1970s (don’t know the actual reason why)…”

    What got Dato Harun Idris finally was his refusal amidst the controversy, to take on what was offered to him – if my memory serves me well, it was a post with the United Nations long regarded as a position reserved for senior members of UMNO who have become a liability and an embarrassment to the UMNO run government. Dato Harun Idris fits the profile perfectly.

    Dato Harun was charged inter alia (again if my memory serves me well) for pledging shares of the bank he sat as chairman/director to CITIBANK as security for Letters of Credit issued in conjunction with the fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner held in KL without Board approval. Had massive financial losses not been incurred this criminal breach of trust would not have surfaced.

    He served four years in jail. The last time I saw him was at Rajoo’s roti canai restaurant in PJ enjoying his normal diet of roti canai and curry fish head – a taste for which he had acquired whilst serving time.

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