What would have happened to me if I had RM2.6 billion in my bank account deposited from foreign sources?

The Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali has rejected the investigations and recommendations of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and exonerated Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak of any wrongdoing or crime in the RM2.6 billion donation and RM42 million SRC International scandals, deciding that no charges would be brought against Najib and even instructing MACC to close all investigations on the matters with regard to Najib.

The immediate reaction of shock and outrage by the MACC special operations director Bahri Mohd Zin to the Attorney-General’s decisions and his comment that the MACC would “most likely” to appeal against the AG decision as the cases were so “straightforward” was a mere understatement considering the firestorm the AG’s decision sparked both inside the country and world-wide.

For the past six days, Malaysia was the “bad boy” of the international media, flayed as a country where the Rule of Law is treated as a joke because of the AG’s decision – a sober reminder to the Najib government that Malaysia operates in an open international society and borderless world where everyone of its decisions and actions must be able to stand up to international scrutiny.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamid did his image as the No. 2 in the country no favours when he tried to stop the conflagration of the the firestorm over the Attorney-General’s decision when he said a few hours after the AG’s announcement that “no one should question the competence or independence of Malaysia’s institutions or our legal process” – for Zahid was acting like Canute trying to stop the tide.

What would have happened to me if I had RM2.6 billion in my bank account deposited from foreign sources? Continue reading “What would have happened to me if I had RM2.6 billion in my bank account deposited from foreign sources?”

Swiss wreck efforts by Malaysia to contain 1MDB scandal

Michael Peel in Bangkok and Jeevan Vasagar in Singapore
Financial Times
January 31, 2016

Malaysia’s leaders are battling the most severe international pressure yet over alleged large-scale corruption after Switzerland torpedoed efforts to contain the growing scandal around the 1MDB investment fund.

Kuala Lumpur’s attempts to play down an affair that has rocked the country and embroiled Najib Razak, the prime minister, have been derailed by a Swiss criminal investigation that said on Friday it found “serious indications“ that about $4bn was misappropriated. Continue reading “Swiss wreck efforts by Malaysia to contain 1MDB scandal”

Najib is notching up a great shame and infamy for Malaysia when we are overtaken by China and even Indonesia in both TI CPI ranking and score within a decade

Durian Tunggal is in the Alor Gajah parliamentary seat, which is the fourth parliamentary constituency I am visiting Malacca today and the 79th parliamentary constituency I am visiting since my six-month suspension from Parliament on Oct. 22. The other parliamentary constituencies I visited today are Masjid Tanah, Tangga Batu and Bukit Katil.

I have been suspended from Parliament not because I had committed any crime or wrongdoing like theft, robbery, murder or corruption, but because I wanted the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to give full and satisfactory accountability for the world-class RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM55 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals.

It is because of the refusal of the Najib administration to live up to the principles and precepts of accountability, integrity and good governance that Malaysia had been named third in the world’s “worst corruption scandals in 2015” by the Foreign Policy website and the reason why Malaysia fell four places in the latest Transparency International (TI) 2015 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking released on Wednesday compared to the previous year – now ranked No. 54 with a CPI score of 50/100.

Malaysia was ranked 50th among 175 countries in 2014 but dropped to 54th among 168 countries in 2015.

Malaysia’s ranking in the TI CPI 2015 could have been lower, as five countries, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Puerto Rico and St Vincent – which had been ranked higher than Malaysia – were excluded due to technical reasons like not meeting three minimum secondary sources for research.

In the TI CPI 2004, Bahamas was ranked No. 24, Barbados No. 17, Dominica No. 39, Puerto Rico No. 31 and St Vincent No. 29.

If these five countries which rank higher than Malaysia had been included, Malaysia’s ranking in 2015 would be between 59 to 60 instead of 54.

Furthermore, if the TI CPI 2015 ranking had taken into consideration the shocking announcement by the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali rejecting the recommendations of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and exonerating Najib from any wrongdoing or crime for the RM2.6 billion donation scandal, Malaysia would have fallen to an even lower ranking in the TI CPI, probably Malaysia’s lowest ranking in TI CPI history since 1995 and be consigned to between No. 65 – 70 in the TI CPI ranking!

This why I had demanded for full accountability in Parliament for Najib’s world-class twin mega scandals, but instead I have been suspended for six months from Parliament. Continue reading “Najib is notching up a great shame and infamy for Malaysia when we are overtaken by China and even Indonesia in both TI CPI ranking and score within a decade”

Najib proven wrong that his twin mega scandals are no more issues as they have become even bigger than in the past and gone fully international

The Sembrong Parliamentary constituency which covers the two State Assembly seats of Kahang and Paloh is the 75th parliamentary constituency I am visiting since my six-month suspension from Parliament on 22nd October last year because the Najib administration refused to give full and satisfactory accountability for his two world-class mega scandals – the RM2.6 billion donation and the RM55 billion 1MDB scandals.

Wherever I went, regardless of whether they are Chinese, Malays, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, Malaysians are united in their demand that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should come full and clean on his two world-class mega scandals.

Ever since the beginning of the new year, Najib had been declaring that his twin mega-scandals were no more issues as they had been resolved, but the opposite was the case – as Najib’s twin mega scandals have become even bigger than in the past and gone fully international.

Najib’s RM2.6 billion and RM55 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals were the reasons why Malaysia was placed as the No. 3 in the world in the “worst corruption scandals in 2015”.

They were also the chief reason why Malaysia had dropped another four notches in the latest Transparency International 2015 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking compared to the previous year, announced a few days ago. Continue reading “Najib proven wrong that his twin mega scandals are no more issues as they have become even bigger than in the past and gone fully international”

The Companies Switzerland Says Are Linked to Malaysia’s 1MDB Scandal

By TOM WRIGHT and BRADLEY HOPE
Wall Street Journal
Jan. 30, 2016

Swiss attorney general’s office is examining allegations of criminal activity from 2009 to 2013

The Swiss attorney general’s announcement that $4 billion may have been misappropriated from Malaysian state-owned companies opened a new front in the troubles facing 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, the state-investment fund set up by Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2009.

Switzerland’s top prosecutor on Friday named a number of firms in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in relation to the matter, but gave no details of their roles, if any.

The attorney general’s office said it is examining allegations of criminal activity from 2009 to 2013 relating to PetroSaudi International Ltd., a Saudi oil company; SRC International Sdn Bhd, a unit of Malaysia’s Finance Ministry; Malaysian companies Genting Group and Tanjong PLC; and a joint venture between 1MDB and an Abu Dhabi sovereign-wealth fund called the Abu Dhabi Malaysia Investment Company.

The investigation is one of a series of global probes into 1MDB. A Malaysian government investigation last year found that almost $700 million entered Mr. Najib’s alleged bank accounts via agencies, companies and banks linked to 1MDB ahead of a close election in 2013. Continue reading “The Companies Switzerland Says Are Linked to Malaysia’s 1MDB Scandal”

“It never rains but it pours” best describes Najib’s world-class twin mega-scandals and the serious multi-faceted Malaysian crisis today

Ever since the beginning of the new year, the Prime Minister and his advisers-propagandists have been hard at work to manufacture a mirage for Malaysians, that all is fine in Malaysia and the multitude of political, economic, good governance and nation-building crisis converging in the country are the mere publicity creations of Opposition politicians and anti-Barisan Nasional NGOs and electronic media which have no grounding in reality.

Hence the up-beat 2016 New Year Message by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that his world-class twin mega scandals have been resolved and no more issues in the country, which is supposed to be solidified by the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali’s exoneration of Najib earlier this week of any crime or wrongdoing in the RM2.6 billion donation and RM42 million SRC International scandals.

But Najib’s “house of cards” that everything is fine in Malaysia started to tumble down immediately when the response to the Attorney-General’s exoneration of Najib, both locally and internationally, was one of shock, outrage and rejection resulting in an ongoing controversy as to whether Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy and constitution permitted an Attorney-General to act like a dictator with no regard to the fundamental precept of the Rule of Law that “every legal power must have legal limits”.

In the past 24 hours, the saying “It never rains but it pours” seems to best describe Najib’s world-class twin mega scandals and the serious multi-faceted Malaysian crisis today. Continue reading ““It never rains but it pours” best describes Najib’s world-class twin mega-scandals and the serious multi-faceted Malaysian crisis today”

Why Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal is denting growth

Leslie Shaffer
CNBC
29th January 2016

Thought the long-running political scandal over Malaysia’s deeply indebted sovereign fund was over?

It isn’t and the festering scandal is likely to weigh on the economy and may eventually spur a ratings downgrade, Oxford Economics says.

That’s bad news for Malaysia, which is already suffering from a slide in the price of commodities, an important chunk of the economy and a key source of revenue for the government. The currency has tumbled and the government’s debt levels have climbed, fueling investor concerns.

“Just as it appeared that the long-running scandal over state investment company 1MDB had been satisfactorily resolved, the issue has reignited with an appeal against the ruling exonerating the prime minister,” Christine Shields, lead economist at Oxford Economics, said in a note Friday. “The issue is a real worry as it is eroding confidence and contributing to risk aversion about the country.” Continue reading “Why Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal is denting growth”

The threat Najib poses to Malaysia’s reputation

Financial Times
January 27, 2016

Opaque payments to the PM raise fears over the nation’s body politic

Events this week have done nothing to dispel a growing sense that Najib Razak has been a disastrous prime minister for Malaysia. Just 24 hours after the country’sattorney-general found that Mr Najib had no case to answer over a $680m sum paid into his personal bank account, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission announced it would seek a review of this ruling.

Separately, it emerged that Tim Leissner, a senior Goldman Sachs banker and the driving force behind deals with a troubled Malaysian state investment fund, had taken “personal leave” and returned to the US.

Mr Najib and 1MDB, the state fund with which Goldman Sachs worked, deny they are guilty of any crimes.

But the web of allegations and investigations swirling around the prime minister and his affairs are damaging Malaysia’s international reputation and deepening a public trust deficit at home. Continue reading “The threat Najib poses to Malaysia’s reputation”

Is AG Apandi guilty of conflict of interest when he decided that Najib will not be charged for the RM2.6 billion “donation” and SRC scandals?

Is the Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali guilty of conflict of interest when he decided that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had committed no criminal offence in the RM2.6 billion “donation” and SRC scandals?

Apandi should have withdrawn from the decision-making process on what actions should be taken on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) investigation papers on Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” and SRC scandals, and left the decisions to be taken by the Solicitor-General.

It is open history that Apandi was appointed by Najib in the most extraordinary of circumstances, when the former Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail was suddenly and shockingly sacked on July 28 purportedly on “health” reasons, which even took Gani by total surprise.

Up to now, the real reason for Gani’s sacking as Attorney-General had not been given to the Malaysian public, as he appeared very healthy and is even now starting on a new career as a legal consultant after having retired from the public service three months after he was sacked as Attorney-General – three months before his compulsory retirement.

It has been speculated in the public domain that the reason for Gani’s sacking was because the Attorney-General’s Chambers under Gani was preparing to charge the Prime Minister for corruption in connection with Najib’s world-class twin mega scandals.

Up to now, there has been no satisfactory answer on this issue, whether involving Najib as Prime Minister, Apandi as the current Attorney-General or Gani as the sacked Attorney-General.

These extraordinary circumstances of Apandi’s appointment as Attorney-General by Najib in place of Gani are additional reasons why Apandi should have avoided any conflict of interest situation and withdrawn from any decision-making on MACC’s investigation papers relating to Najib in its investigations into the RM2.6 billion donation and SRC scandals.

Apandi’s announcement that there will no charges against Najib also runs contrary to what MACC officials had said on public record. Continue reading “Is AG Apandi guilty of conflict of interest when he decided that Najib will not be charged for the RM2.6 billion “donation” and SRC scandals?”

Call on Najib to present White Paper on his twin world-class mega scandals before the Special Parliament on TPPA tomorrow

The Najib government has a totally perverted sense of national priorities when it holds a two-day Special Parliament for Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) but not for Najib’s world-class twin mega scandals or the recalibration of the 2016 Budget – with the coming of the “perfect storm” with the convergence of a multitude of economic, political, good governance and nation-building crisis in Malaysia.

Another perverted sense of national priorities of the Najib government is my six-month suspension from Parliament for basically demanding that the Prime Minister should not avoid the question “Mana RM2.6 billion?”, with the string of broken promises about accountability and good governance on the RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal, like the undertaking that all the questions about the RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal would be answered on the last day of the 25-day budget meeting on Dec. 3 last year, the Prime Minister’s public stance that his twin mega scandals had been resolved and are no more issues in the country and the latest signal from the Public Accounts Committee Chairman, Datuk Hasan Arifin, that there is no light at the end of the tunnel as far as the PAC investigations into the RM55 billion 1MDB scandal is concerned.

It is sad that Parliament has again proven its utter irrelevance and impotence with regard to demanding full and satisfactory accountability from Najib for his twin mega scandals – which had infamously given Malaysia the third place in the world’s “worst corruption scandals in 2015”.

Would the second Prime Minister Tun Razak ever imagined that his legacy will be corrupted by his son as the sixth Prime Minister in causing the nation to be placed third in the world’s “worst corruption scandals in 2015”? Continue reading “Call on Najib to present White Paper on his twin world-class mega scandals before the Special Parliament on TPPA tomorrow”

Hasan Arifin should resign as PAC Chairman if he is not prepared to be a second “Nur Jazlan” who will delve into the bottom of Najib’s twin mega scandals without fear or favour

The Hasan Arifin Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is a far cry and a pale shadow of the Nur Jazlan PAC.

Nur Jazlan Mohamad as Chairman of the PAC created parliamentary history in raising credibility and public respect for PAC to such a high pedestal that it became the only hope for Malaysians that there would be an independent, professional and non-holds barred investigation into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s twin mega scandals – the RM55 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal.

In Nur Jazlan’s own words, for the first time, Malaysians harboured high hopes that there was still someone in UMNO who wanted to do the right thing.

All these hopes were dashed when Najib purged his government at the end of July last year, sacking the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the Senior Minister for Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail, followed by a campaign of fear and intimidation at high levels of government with the arrest or immediate transfer of recalcitrant officers in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Bank Negara, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Police and the dissolution of the high-powered multi-agency “Four Tan Sri’s” Special Task Force on 1MDB.

PAC, which was launching into a full-scale probe into 1MDB led by PAC Chairman Nur Jazlan, was sabotaged and derailed for four months from continuing with 1MDB investigations with Najib’s power-play of appointing Nur Jazlan as Deputy Home Minister as well as the promotion of three other Barisan Nasional members of PAC into executive branch of government. Continue reading “Hasan Arifin should resign as PAC Chairman if he is not prepared to be a second “Nur Jazlan” who will delve into the bottom of Najib’s twin mega scandals without fear or favour”

PAC should table the Auditor-General’s interim report on 1MDB at the Special Parliament next Tuesday or Wednesday as part of the PAC Interim Report on 1MDB so that the AG’s interim 1MDB report could be made public and studied by Malaysians

Malaysians must make clear their protest and opposition to the shocking though expected announcement by the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Datuk Hasan Arifin two days ago that the PAC report into its investigations into the RM55 billion 1MDB scandal will not be ready for tabling in the Dewan Rakyat in the March/April meeting.

This is because Hasan’s announcement will open the way for an indefinite postponement of PAC report on its investigations into the 1MDB scandal, which had already stained Malaysia’s international reputation by giving the nation the third ranking in the world’s “worst corruption scandals in 2015”.

In fact, I will not be surprised if the “cari makan” PAC Chairman will find some reason to further postpone submission of the PAC Report into 1MDB in the May meeting of Parliament – kicking the ball to the end of the year for the 25-day budget meeting from 17th October to 24th November 2016.

Just as “justice delayed is justice denied”, the “cari makan” PAC Chairman must also understand that “accountability delayed is accountability denied”! Continue reading “PAC should table the Auditor-General’s interim report on 1MDB at the Special Parliament next Tuesday or Wednesday as part of the PAC Interim Report on 1MDB so that the AG’s interim 1MDB report could be made public and studied by Malaysians”

Anyone surprised by Hasan Arifin’s announcement that PAC report on 1MDB will not be ready in time for the March meeting of Parliament?

Anyone surprised by the announcement yesterday by the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Datuk Hasan Arifin that the PAC report into its investigations into the RM55 billion 1MDB scandal will not be ready for tabling in the Dewan Rakyat in the March/April meeting?
I believe the majority of Malaysians share my feeling of not in any way being surprised at all.

In fact, I will expect the PAC under the “cari makan” chairman will even miss the following Parliamentary meeting from May 16 to 26, which will mean that the PAC report on the 1MDB will be kicked to the end of the year, when Parliament meets for 25 days from 17th Oct to 24th Nov, 2016.

Again, nobody will be very surprised if the net result demanding full accountability for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Raza’s twin mega scandals by the end of this year will conclude not very much differently from that of last year – where the Prime Minister disappeared from Parliamentary chamber on the last day of the 25-day budget meeting although Ministers have proclaimed to the world that all the answers about the Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal would be answered on Dec. 3, 2015, the last day of the Parliamentary meeting, but there was absolutely no answer to the teeming questions about the scandal!

There is no sense of urgency in the PAC investigations into the 1MDB scandal since the appointment of Hasan as PAC Chairman, after the derailment of the PAC investigations for more than three months after the “purge” in the government of personalities in favour of full and satisfactory accountability of the 1MDB scandal, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muyhyiddin Yassin, Minister for Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail, officers in the AG’s Chambers, Bank Negara, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Malaysian Police. Continue reading “Anyone surprised by Hasan Arifin’s announcement that PAC report on 1MDB will not be ready in time for the March meeting of Parliament?”

Who is to bell the cat?

While Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will get the national thumbs down when he claimed in his 2016 New Year Message that his RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM55 billion 1MDB scandal had been resolved and were no more issues for the new year, the Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz received unanimous national applause and support for her statement that Malaysians wish to see the investigation into 1MDB concluded so that they can move on.

When can Malaysians shake off the adverse political, economic and good governance effects of Najib’s twin mega scandals?

This question had been posed again and again in the past six months since the Wall Street Journal revelation of RM2.6 billion deposits in Najib’s personal bank accounts on July 2, 2015, and Najib’s failure to sue Wall Street Journal despite the American newspaper’s reiteration of the veracity of its allegation.

The Malay Rulers, in a historic and unprecedented joint statement on Oct. 6 last year, expressed their worry that if the issues confronting the nation, especially Najib’s twin mega scandals, were not handled wisely and allowed to drag on, not only Malaysia’s economy and the livelihood of the people could be jeopardized, public order and national security could also be threatened.

Will Malaysia be haunted and hounded by Najib’s twin mega scandals so long as Najib remains as Prime Minister of Malaysia? Continue reading “Who is to bell the cat?”

Now that I have made an outright denial of the RM1.2 billion allegation against DAP, will MyKMU ask Najib to fully explain or make an outright denial of the RM2.6 billion (or RM4 billion) donation allegations?

Pro-UMNO portal MyKMU.net has challenged me to explain allegations that the party had received RM1.2 billion “donations” from an Israeli source to fund its 13th general election campaign.

In a posting late evening yesterday, the portal said it was putting the pressure on me as I had similarly pressured the BN government to explain RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal implicating Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

I would not go to the extent of calling the MyKMU bloggers “blank heads”, an epithet in one of the MyKMU comments, but this post has only confirmed that people with high IQ and with a modicum of integrity will never condescend to become UMNO cybertroopers (or anyone’s cybertroopers) as to post such garbage like this posting on MyKMU.

My explanation of the RM1.2 billion allegation from an Israeli source against the DAP is a flat and outright denial as this is the concoction of the fevered imagination of two persons, one Razali Abd Rahman, who had the temerity to describe himself as Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng’s “former special officer” when he was never in such or any other capacity connected to the Penang Chief Minister, and one Dr. Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki, purportedly PAS Research Center’s Chief Operating Officer, raising questions as to how doctorates could be indiscriminately given out in Malaysia that it could be conferred on someone who could be so gullible and undiscerning as to fall prey, willingly or willingly, to a character like Razali.

I wonder whether the MyKMU bloggers have the intellectual capacity to realise that by re-hashing Razali and Zuhdi’s allegations, they are in fact questioning the competence, efficiency and professionalism of important government agencies like Bank Negara, the Police in particular the Special Branch and even the Prime Minister himself as RM1.2 billion is not a small sum which could wrapped in old newspapers and hidden under the mat.

Is MyKMU questioning the competence, efficiency and professionalism of Bank Negara, the Inspector-General of Police and the Prime Minister as they do not seem to know anything about the serious allegation of RM1.2 billion to DAP from an Israeli source to fund the 13th General Election campaign (made some four years ago), and if there even one iota of evidence in such allegations, all of three should be sacked immediately for gross incompetence and inefficiency.

Now that I have given a flat and outright denial of the allegation of RM1.2 billion to DAP from an Israeli source, will MyKMU publish a fulsome apology for retailing such baseless lies? Continue reading “Now that I have made an outright denial of the RM1.2 billion allegation against DAP, will MyKMU ask Najib to fully explain or make an outright denial of the RM2.6 billion (or RM4 billion) donation allegations?”

If the MACC investigation papers propose the prosecution of the Prime Minister on corruption charges or other offences under the law, will AG Apandi have the gumption and guts to approve such prosecutions?

The speech by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the monthly assembly of the Prime Minister’s Department on Monday is probably the best proof that the country has a Prime Minister who is living in a world of his own make-belief, completely divorced from reality.

Otherwise, how could Najib repeat what he said in his 2016 New Year Message that his RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM55 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals are no more issues in the country as they had been fully resolved, as he had promised in June last year?

The first ten days of the year should prove to Najib that he could not be more wrong when he said in his 2016 New Year message on 31st December 2015 that his twin mega scandals are no more issues in the new year, as they are still very much “alive and kicking”, not only catapulting Malaysia to the third placing among the world’s “worst corruption scandals in 2015”, but continue to haunt and hound Malaysians in the public domain every day with new angles, developments, perspectives and revelations.

Lenggong is the 62nd parliamentary constituency I am visiting after my six-month suspension from Parliament on Oct. 22 for basically demanding an answer from the Prime Minister to the question “Mana RM2.6 billion?”

Wherever I went in these 62 parliamentary constituencies, whether the MP is from UMNO/Barisan Nasional or the Opposition, the people regardless of race and religion are totally dissatisfied with Najib’s failure to come clean on his twin mega scandals. Continue reading “If the MACC investigation papers propose the prosecution of the Prime Minister on corruption charges or other offences under the law, will AG Apandi have the gumption and guts to approve such prosecutions?”

MACC’s “name and shame” website should be closed down as it only shames Malaysia when the person responsible for Malaysia to be ranked third in world’s “worst corruption scandals in 2015” is not mentioned

I thank the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for its quick response to my speech at the “Mana RM2.6 billion?” kopitiam ceramah in Kulai on Sunday, explaining that only those who are convicted of corruption are placed on the MACC’s “name and shame list” on its website and not those being investigated.

This is exactly the point I was making, that the MACC’s “name and shame” data base does not make any significant contribution to the battle against corruption, especially against grand corruption, when the person responsible for Malaysia to be ranked third in the world’s “worst corruption scandal in 2015” is not even mentioned.

Can MACC point out any “shark” in its “name and shame” database of over 700 names or explain how it could claim to have any successful anti-corruption campaign when it had not been able to nab, prosecute and convict any “shark” apart from “ikan bilis” with the MACC entering its eighth year of operation after taking over from its predecessor, the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) with more powers, funds and personnel than ACA?

Three months have passed since the Malay Rulers made their unprecedented Oct. 4 statement expressing concern about three national issues causing the grave crisis of confidence battering Malaysia for several months – the 1MDB scandal, the rule of law and national unity in the country. Continue reading “MACC’s “name and shame” website should be closed down as it only shames Malaysia when the person responsible for Malaysia to be ranked third in world’s “worst corruption scandals in 2015” is not mentioned”

Two questions for Najib on his twin mega scandals – what were 1MDB’s total debts before “rationalization” and why no one charged court for 1MDB’s multi-billion ringgit losses?

I have resumed my tour of parliamentary constituencies as part of the “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” nation-wide campaign, following my suspension from Parliament for six months on Oct. 22, in pursuit of the question “Mana RM2.6 billion?”.

Kluang yesterday was the 56th and Pulai today the 57th Parliamentary constituency I am visiting in the new year of 2016, and both visits have shown that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak could not be more wrong when he claimed in his New Year message that his RM2.6 billion donation and RM55 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals have been resolved and are no more issues in the country.

In fact, the opposite is the case, as both scandals remain foremost issues among Malaysians, especially as they had been responsible for the most shameful episode in the 58-year history of the nation – Malaysia’s third placing in the world’s “worst corruption scandal in 2015”!

Although it will not be possible for me to visit all the 222 Parliamentary constituencies in the country during the period of my 180-day six-month suspension from Parliament, I will try to visit more than 150 Parliamentary constituencies in the country by the time I am allowed to return to Parliament – with a strong and unmistakable mandate from Malaysians from all over the country, embracing all races, religions and regions in the country, to demand that Najib must fully account for his twin mega scandals.

Najib had tried to bury “once and for all” his twin mega scandals in his New Year message, but his effort could not survive 24 hours.

He claimed that he had honoured his promise in June last year to resolve the 1MDB problem, alleging that with the latest agreement announced on 31st December for the sale of 60 per cent equity in Bandar Malaysia to a joint local and international consortium – composed of Iskandar Waterfront Holdings at 60 per cent and China Railway Engineering Corporation at 40 per cent – 1MDB will see its debts reduced by approximately RM40.4 billion, which represents the overwhelming majority of 1MDB’s debt.

Leaving aside for the moment the details of the 1MDB “rationalization programme” to reduce 1MDB debts, as they are indirect bailouts by the Federal Government, there are two questions which Najib needs to answer. Continue reading “Two questions for Najib on his twin mega scandals – what were 1MDB’s total debts before “rationalization” and why no one charged court for 1MDB’s multi-billion ringgit losses?”

DAP and Pakatan Harapan prepared to work and co-operate with disaffected UMNO leaders, branches and members in a new political realignment to “Save Malaysia” from rampant corruption, widespread socio-economic injustices and nation-building failures

The start of the new year 2016 has not been an auspicious one – with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s most disappointing New Year message claiming that his RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM55 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals are no more issues in the country, as if by a magician’s wand, they have disappeared into thin air!

This is the worst example of denial syndrome in the nation’s history, where the Prime Minister is openly denying the existence of a problem and scandal which he himself could not possibly believe in.

In fact, just three days ago, Malaysia was catapulted into the stratosphere when we won the international dishonour of being named the world’s third most corrupt nation in 2015 thanks to Najib’s twin mega scandals.

Just now, we made history for Malaysia when the people of Kluang displayed the placard “Mana RM2.6 billion?” as a reply to Najib’s New Year Message, not only on behalf of Kluang but of Malaysia, that the RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM55 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals remain very alive and are the leading issues of the nation for this year, and that Malaysians expect Najib to address them and not to continue to run and hide. Continue reading “DAP and Pakatan Harapan prepared to work and co-operate with disaffected UMNO leaders, branches and members in a new political realignment to “Save Malaysia” from rampant corruption, widespread socio-economic injustices and nation-building failures”