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First five months of Najib’s “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” slogan ends with MACC and Malaysian Police neck-to-neck as to which key national institution has lower public confidence and esteem

Yesterday morning, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Deputy Chief Commissioner Datuk Abu Kassim Mohammad was the special guest of the Star online live chat.

During Abu Kassim online chat, the newspaper carried an online opinion poll which produced the following results at 12.30 noon before it was taken off line:

1. How would rate the MACC’s performance so far in fighting corruption? (image)
Good – 3%
Fair – 0%
Poor – 98%

2. Should MACC only ‘interview’ suspects during office hours? (image)
Yes – 79%
No – 6%
Depends on the situation – 15%

3. How would rate the MACC’s handling of Teoh Beng Hock’s case? (image)
Good – 0%
Fair – 4% Continue reading “First five months of Najib’s “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” slogan ends with MACC and Malaysian Police neck-to-neck as to which key national institution has lower public confidence and esteem”

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The 42 MACC Panel members should meet in emergency session on whether Ahmad Said is fit and competent to continue as MACC Chief Commissioner or they should call for his dismissal

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Said Ahmad Hamdan has shown himself to be completely callous and heartless over the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock who went to the 14th floor MACC headquarters on July 16 to co-operate with its investigations but ended up as a corpse on the fifth floor.

Ahmad Said told Sin Chew that he had been informed that there had been ten cases of people investigated by Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) who threw themselves off from high-rise buildings since the establishment of ICAC and there was nothing he could do if people investigated cannot withstand the pressure.

The implication of Ahmad Said’s statement is crystal clear – he is blaming Teoh’s death on suicide for being unable to withstand the pressure of investigation by the MACC, seeking justification in the alleged ten cases in Hong Kong of people “throwing themselves off high-rise buildings” following ICAC investigations.

Continue reading “The 42 MACC Panel members should meet in emergency session on whether Ahmad Said is fit and competent to continue as MACC Chief Commissioner or they should call for his dismissal”

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Call on Police and MACC to make public the number of reports which had been lodged against MACC (previously ACA) officers for abuse of power and use of physical force for past 12 months

At the Teoh Beng Hock Inquest at the Shah Alam Court this morning, the counsel for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Datuk Abdul Razak Musa asked the Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas to issue a gag order to stop me from making unfair criticisms of the MACC arising from inquest proceedings.

He pointed out that I was present at the inquest and that I had criticized the MACC over what transpired at the inquest.

This was objected by the Gobind Singh Deo, counsel for Teoh’s family members and Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, counsel for the Selangor State Government who argued that the inquest does not have such unbridled powers.

The Coroner declined to issue such a gag order. Continue reading “Call on Police and MACC to make public the number of reports which had been lodged against MACC (previously ACA) officers for abuse of power and use of physical force for past 12 months”

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MACC should produce proof that Teoh Beng Hock had received RM112 “kickback” or it should withdraw and apologise for the allegation defaming the dead

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) bias and prejudice towards DAP and Pakatan rakyat must be deplored in the strongest possible terms.

The most recent evidence of such bias and prejudice was evident from the testimony of MACC investigator DSP Mohd Anuar Ismail at the Teoh Beng Hock inquest yesterday.

Although the coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas had ordered Anuar’s unfair and prejudicial testimony yesterday to be expunged, the damage had been done.

The Star online for instance carried the report with the heading “Officer claims Teoh was on the take” which is still accessible just minutes ago. The Sun headline today is: ”Testimony on alleged kickbacks expunged”.

Yes, the details of Anuar’s allegations have been alleged but the allegation proper remains, viz: Teoh was corrupt and guilty of “kickbacks”!

In alleging that Beng Hock was “on the take” and had received “kickbacks” MACC had not only defamed the dead but posthumously elevated Teoh’s role from being a witness to a suspect or even a person accused of corruption!
Continue reading “MACC should produce proof that Teoh Beng Hock had received RM112 “kickback” or it should withdraw and apologise for the allegation defaming the dead”

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Will Najib order all Umno/BN leaders to stop dragging MACC into political games?

The call by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should not be dragged into political games makes history as one which have unanimous support of ordinary Malaysians – except that the targets in the minds of the overwhelming majority of Malaysians are completely different from those intended by Najib.

I have no doubt that if a opinion poll is conducted among Malaysians, almost 100 per cent would agree with Najib’s call, except that such an opinion poll would show that the overwhelming majority of easily over 90 per cent regard the Umno/BN government as the culprits responsible for dragging MACC into “political games” and undermining public confidence in the independence, professionalism and integrity of MACC while only a very small percentage would think like Najib in targeting the Pakatan Rakyat.

Najib said MACC’s credibility must be intact and it must be allowed to carry out its role in fighting graft so the country could be administered efficiently and effectively.
Continue reading “Will Najib order all Umno/BN leaders to stop dragging MACC into political games?”

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Don’t twist and turn – MACC Chief Commissioner Ahmad Said should state whether MACC has interrogated Muhyiddin for his corrupt practice of using RMAF Nuri helicopter

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner, Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan should stop twisting and turning and give a straight and simple answer whether the MACC has interrogated Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for his corrupt practice of using RMAF Nuri helicopter to officiate Umno division meetings in Sabah totally unrelated to his official duties as Deputy Prime Minister.

Both Sin Chew and Nanyang Siang today reported the MACC’s response to my earlier query whether it had started investigations into the allegation of Muhyiddin abusing his powers as DPM in using RMAF Nuri helicopter to officiate Umno division meetings in Sabah two weekends ago.

However, I was surprised to be contact by a reporter of another newspaper who asked for my reaction to Ahmad Said’s statement today that I should lodge a report on the Muhyiddin case if I have any evidence for the MACC on this case.

This is a most ridiculous statement from Ahmad Said. Hasn’t Ahmad Said read the reports in all the mainstream media about Muhyiddin abusing his powers in flying the RMAF Nuri helicopter to officiate Sabah Umno divisions two Sundays ago which were totally unrelated to his official duties?

If Ahmad Said does not have these media reports, I am prepared to send them to him!
Continue reading “Don’t twist and turn – MACC Chief Commissioner Ahmad Said should state whether MACC has interrogated Muhyiddin for his corrupt practice of using RMAF Nuri helicopter”

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Five reasons why voters of Permatang Pasir must vote for PAS/PR candidate Hassan Man and reject Umno/BN candidate Rohaizat Othman

There are five important reasons why the 20,290 voters of Permatang Pasir, regardless of race or religion, should vote for the Pas/Pakatan Rakyat candidate Mohd Salleh Man and reject the Umno/Barisan Nasional candidate Rohaizat Othman in the by-election polling tomorrow.

They are:

• Firstly, declare what all Malaysians know but no Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC or Barisan Nasional component party Minister or leader dare to say – that Rohaizat is not fit to be candidate for any elective office because of his being struck off the lawyers’ rolls under the Legal Profession Act for breach of trust, dishonesty and unprofessional conduct “unbefitting” a lawyer which “brings the legal profession into disrepute”. The media conference statement by his former law firm partner, Yusri Isahak, in Kuala Lumpur yesterday has done nothing to cleanse his “tainted” reputation or made academic the question: “How can a person not honest enough to be a lawyer be trusted to be a candidate for elective office, let alone to be elected as a State Assemblyman. Continue reading “Five reasons why voters of Permatang Pasir must vote for PAS/PR candidate Hassan Man and reject Umno/BN candidate Rohaizat Othman”

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The 42 MACC Panel members should hold emergency meetings to find solution to the MACC’s crisis of confidence

The newly-created Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) could not have a more disastrous beginning.

Instead of fulfilling its promise to be even better than Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), in just a matter of months of its operation MACC s is now regarded by Malaysians as even worse than the previous Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) it replaced.

The 42 MACC Panel members of the five oversight committees are all distinguished and honourable Malaysians, but they seem to have forgotten why they have been appointed as custodians of public confidence in the MACC.

Before MACC deviate even further from its statutory objectives and the 42 MACC members stray away from the raison d’etre for their existence and appointments, they should recall the injunction bestowed on them at the official launching of the MACC and the five MACC oversight committees by the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at a glittering ceremony at the Putra World Trade Centre on February 24, 2009 attended by about 2,000 guests including ministers, chief ministers, mentris besar, ambassadors as well as representatives from MACC counterparts from Fiji, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.
Continue reading “The 42 MACC Panel members should hold emergency meetings to find solution to the MACC’s crisis of confidence”

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First thing Najib should do on his return from his first 8-day leave after become PM is to save the soul of his premiership and do what no Umno leader dare to contemplate – withdraw Rohaizat as Umno candidate in by-election

The first thing Datuk Seri Najib Razak should do on his return from his first eight-day leave after becoming Prime Minister is to save the soul of his premiership and do what no Umno leader had dared to contemplate – withdraw Rohaizat Othman as their candidate in the Permatang Pasir by-election.

There can be no dispute that Rohaizat had not been honest and truthful with the Umno and Barisan Nasional leaderships and the 20,290 voters of Permatang Pasir about his being struck off the lawyers’ rolls.

How can a government which claims to give top priority to integrity and the fight against corruption and all forms of misuse of power put up as candidate a lawyer who had been struck off the lawyers’ rolls by the Bar Council for “breach of trust, dishonesty, shown gross disregard of client’s interests” which was “tantamount to a conduct unbefitting that of an advocate and solicitor which conduct as such brings the legal profession into disrepute”?
Continue reading “First thing Najib should do on his return from his first 8-day leave after become PM is to save the soul of his premiership and do what no Umno leader dare to contemplate – withdraw Rohaizat as Umno candidate in by-election”

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MACC should explain why it has not started investigations into the corrupt practice of DPM Muhyiddin using RMAF Nuri helicopter to officiate Umno division meetings in Sabah

On Monday, July 27 last month, the former third-highest ranking policeman in the nation, former Commercial Crime Investigation Department Director Datuk Ramli Yussoff was acquitted by the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court on a charge of corruptly misusing his position in having used a police Cessna Caravan aircraft in June 2007 to survey two plots of land in Lahad Datuk unrelated to his official duties.

If convicted, Ramli is liable to be jailed between 14 days and 20 years and fined a minimum of RM10,000.

The very next day, officials from the Deputy Public Prosecutors office in Kota Kinabalu filed notice of appeal in the High Court against the ruling of the Sessions Court judge Supang Lian that Ramli had no case to answer as the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

I want to ask the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) why it is practicing double standards as it has not even started investigations into the allegation that Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin had corruptly misused his position in having used RMAF Nuri helicopter to officiate Umno division meetings in Sabah last weekend totally unrelated to his official duties.
Continue reading “MACC should explain why it has not started investigations into the corrupt practice of DPM Muhyiddin using RMAF Nuri helicopter to officiate Umno division meetings in Sabah”

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DAP condemns arson attack on MACC vehicle and advises Nazri against making baseless insinuations of DAP involvement

DAP condemns the arson attack on a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) vehicle today.

As reported by Malaysiakini, four Molotov cocktails were thrown at the Klang MACC office at around midnight, destroying a four-wheel drive vehicle belonging to Selangor MACC.

MACC officers only realized the damage to the vehicle, a Nissan X-Trail, when they reported to work this morning.

There must be a full and thorough investigation to bring to book the culprits from whatever quarter responsible for the arson as no rational Malaysian regardless of race, religion or political affiliation wants to see any degeneration of Malaysia into growing lawlessness. Continue reading “DAP condemns arson attack on MACC vehicle and advises Nazri against making baseless insinuations of DAP involvement”

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Azmi Anshar…syok sendiri

By Hussein Hamid

I am a nice person. I normally mind my own business and it does take quite a lot to rattle me or to get me up tight over anything. I prefer to walk away from any confrontational situation because life is to short to get aggravated over things that do not concern my family or me. Unfortunately this Azmi Anshar, one of those reporter ‘who is almost a writer’ working with NSTP has managed to upset me again. The first time was a couple of weeks ago when I ‘ter’ – that’s Bahasa for accidentally – when I terbaca what he wrote about TBH and MACC. I read only the first paragraph of what he wrote because even that much made me wonder what sort of a pretentious prick would write like that. In the first paragraph I had to reach for the dictionary four times! He has done it again today.

Again I am not going to read more then the first paragraph – that I have done and now I will say my piece. This was his headline:

DAILY DISPATCHES: Pakatan politicians want MACC to operate without element of surprise
2009/08/19
Azmi Anshar
Continue reading “Azmi Anshar…syok sendiri”

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Ahmad Said’s claim “No one accorded special treatment by MACC” – Tell it to the Marines!

Bernama today headlined “No one accorded special treatment by MACC” on its report quoting the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan as saying that everybody who is investigated by the MACC for corruption is treated the same regardless of whether the individual is an ordinary person or a politician.

Ahmad Said said politicians, whether they were from the opposition parties or the government, were also treated the same.

He said: “Everybody is the same and no one is accorded special treatment.”

My response and the response of overwhelming majority of Malaysians to Ahmad Said’s statement is – Tell it to the Marines!

Ahmad Said’s claim that “no one is accorded special treatment in MACC” qualifies for the champion trophy for the year for any “Believe it or not?” competition for the category of a statement made by a public officer with the least public credibility!
Continue reading “Ahmad Said’s claim “No one accorded special treatment by MACC” – Tell it to the Marines!”

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Why Rohaizat should honourably withdraw as a candidate in the Permatang Pasir by-election

The first question that must be asked right from the beginning of the Permatang Pasir by-election is whether the voters can trust a candidate who could even mislead his own political party about his disbarment by the Bar Council from practicing as a lawyer?

Various explanations have been given by Umno and Barisan Nasional leaders about the Umno/BN candidate Rohaizat Othman being struck off the rolls by the Bar Council and the revocation of his practicing licence as a lawyer.

Umno vice president and Penang Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said Rohaizat’s licence was revoked in 2003 following problems incurred by the former partner in the legal firm.

Zahid said:
“The Bar Council’s decision must be respected by the lawyers registered under it. Legally, Rohaizat is probably innocent, but morally, it can be questioned by his opponents.” (The Sun 17.8.09)

The New Straits Times of the same day also reported Zahid’s defence of Rohaizat as follows:
Continue reading “Why Rohaizat should honourably withdraw as a candidate in the Permatang Pasir by-election”

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Would Ong Tee Keat’s Deeds Reveal The Collective Behavior of The Barisan Government

By Bosco Anthony

It is pointless for the Malaysian Chinese Association members to openly display their full support for their embattled leader Ong Tee Keat. It is further a fealty display by the Star Publication to make such news hit the front page of its publication on 17.08.2009.

Why is it so? It is clearly apparent with the announcement made by Mohd Shukri Abdull of the MACC that all political investigations will be suspended, with immediate effect, that is as of 15.08.2009.

The civil society is capable of reading in between the lines, of what that statement means. Do not doubt or insult our intelligence.

On 16.07.2009 a life was stamped out over an investigation of a paltry sum of some 2000 or so Ringgit. Now we have before us unexplained expenditure which runs into the hundreds of millions as stated by Azmi Khalid the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

So as Reinhold Niebuhr stated: “ EVIL IS NOT TO BE TRACKED BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL BUT TO THE COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR OF HUMANITY”.
Continue reading “Would Ong Tee Keat’s Deeds Reveal The Collective Behavior of The Barisan Government”

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Will MACC investigate whether Muhyiddin abuse his powers in using RMAF Nuri heli for Umno purposes?

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz asked what is DAP afraid of, saying:

“Don’t be afraid of the preventive measures and investigations carried out by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) if you want corruption to be tackled more seriously.”

DAP is not afraid of MACC anti-corruption investigations but who is not afraid of going to MACC as a healthy person but come out as a corpse like Teoh Beng Hock?

This is not fighting corruption but setting up a Gestapo in Malaysia.

Dare Nazri, who boasted of his previous brush with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), say with all sincerity, truth and honesty that he would not be afraid of co-operating with MACC in any anti-corruption investigation in MACC premises if he is not confident that he would not be a victim of the MACC’s Gestapo tactics and would not end up as another Teoh Beng Hock as a corpse?

Nazri is right when he said that DAP want corruption to be eradicated and I stand by every word that I have said in Parliament and outside that there must be an all-out war against corruption.

But MACC in its past seven months had not launched any all-out war against corruption but an all-out war against the Pakatan Rakyat to be catspaw of Umno and Barisan Nasional in their larger political game-plan to wrest back power in the states lost to Pakatan Rakyat in the political tsunami of the March 8 general election last year, using all means whether fair or foul.
Continue reading “Will MACC investigate whether Muhyiddin abuse his powers in using RMAF Nuri heli for Umno purposes?”

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Tee Keat can depend on my full support to oppose attempts by Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd to put the lid to block accountability and exposure of causes of the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal

It has been reported that Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd (KDSB), the turnkey contractor for Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) has challenged the legality and legitimacy of the appointment of Datuk Lee Hwa Beng as the Port Klang Authority (PKA) Chairman.

The deputy CEO of KDSB Datuk Faizal Abdullah has issued an ultimatum to the Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to produce Lee’s appointment letter as PKA Chairman by 4.30 pm tomorrow (Monday) or face the legal consequences.

According to Faizal, the statutory power or prerogative to appoint the Chairman of PKA is vested with the Yang di Pertuan Agong as provided under the Port Klang Authority Act 1960 and the Minister of Transport has no power to personally decide to extend Lee’s tenure as PKA Chairman at the end of April.

Faizal contended that if Lee’s appointment as PKA Chairman was unlawfully renewed by the Transport Minister and not by the Yang di Pertuan Agong, then Lee’s appointment is null and void and all “tasks and responsibilities” handled by Lee after March 31 this year, when his first appointment expired, would be null and void, including: Continue reading “Tee Keat can depend on my full support to oppose attempts by Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd to put the lid to block accountability and exposure of causes of the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal”

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Death, Tragedy, Profits and Corruption

By Hussein Hamid

ON July 13th 2007 an RMAF Nuri helicopter crashed into a deep ravine in the dense forest 5km to the west of the Genting Sempah Tunnel. Six Air Force crewmembers were killed in that crash. I remember images of the ambulance lined up on the grounds of the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital as the first of the helicopters carrying the bodies of these Crew Members came into sight. Silent crowd watch with all eyes on the families of those waiting for the arrival of their love one now dead. As you hear the instantly recognizable sound of the helicopter when it came to land you can feel the sorrow touching everyone there. There was not much to say as they carried the first body of the aircrew from the helicopter to the waiting ambulance. I remember too that there was no anger in me that day. Only sadness.

Today when I think about that moment and knowing what I know now – that just on that Razak Baginda case Ringgit $500 million was paid out as commission on the purchase of the three submarines – I asked myself if those six aircrews should have died? I remember Najib hastily announcing Cabinet’s decision to phase out the Nuri. Again the Government reacting after the fact. The billions of Ringgit spent on Mindef tenders were really simply an excuse for cronies of politicians to make Continue reading “Death, Tragedy, Profits and Corruption”

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All 5 MACC advisory panels should convene emergency meetings to halt the MACC abuses of power in declaring war against Pakatan Rakyat instead of declaring war against corruption or they should resign collectively

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) director of investigations Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdul announced yesterday that the MACC will stop indefinitely investigating politicians across the political divide for corruption and money politics, including the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

He said his men felt that they could not carry out their duties effectively in cases involving politicians as they were being slammed no matter what they did.

Shukri has evaded the burning crisis of confidence confronting the MACC – why in a matter of seven months, public confidence in the MACC has plummeted to a level never plumbed by its predecessor the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in 41 years from 1967 – 2008 although MACC was established on 1.1.2009 with unprecedented powers to be Malaysia’s version of Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong?

The answer is obvious to all Malaysians except the MACC – it has failed to act as an efficient, independent and professional anti-corruption body declaring an all-out war against corruption but instead declared an all-out war against the Pakatan Rakyat, being the catspaw of Umno and Barisan Nasional in the various states under Pakatan Rakyat, whether in the unethical, undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional power grab in Perak or most recently, in trying to topple the Pakatan Rakyat state government in Selangor. Continue reading “All 5 MACC advisory panels should convene emergency meetings to halt the MACC abuses of power in declaring war against Pakatan Rakyat instead of declaring war against corruption or they should resign collectively”

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Is Muhyiddin not interested in the truth as to whether the Transport Minister or the BNBBC Chairman is lying or whether both are lying?

The Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin seems to be totally unconcerned and uninterested as to the truth in the Ong Tee Keat-Tiong King Sing expose, whether the Transport Minister or the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers’ Club (BNBBC) is lying or whether both are lying?

Muhyiddin is more concerned about the “image of the government and the Barisan Nasional” and want both Ong and Tiong to stop “washing dirty linen in public” rather than promote the cause of the commitment of the Najib premiership to integrity and good governance.

Does Muhyiddin want the Ong-Tiong “dirty linen” to be buried again and for both Ong and Tiong just to shut up, pretend nothing had happened in the past few days of shocking exposes, so that everything can get back to “normal” as before?
Continue reading “Is Muhyiddin not interested in the truth as to whether the Transport Minister or the BNBBC Chairman is lying or whether both are lying?”