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No more Mr Nice Guy

Economist
Aug 29th 2015 | KUALA LUMPUR

Beset by scandal, Malaysia’s prime minister cracks down on dissent

DOWN a quiet lane in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, campaigners at trestle tables are doing a roaring trade in yellow T-shirts. The volunteers have already flogged more than 30,000 of the garments, which are becoming de rigueur for Malaysians planning to attend protests on August 29th-30th to demand the resignation of the country’s prime minister, Najib Razak. The protests are being organised by Bersih (meaning “clean” in Malay), a loose union of non-government groups calling for electoral reform. In 2012 police dispersed thousands of Bersih protesters with tear gas and water cannons and arrested about 500. This weekend’s rally in Kuala Lumpur, which authorities say is illegal, could yet go the same way. Maria Chin Abdullah of Bersih hopes that at least 200,000 Malaysians will protest in three cities. Malaysia’s political system, she says, “has really become quite rotten”.

The planned protests are the latest turn in a wild saga which has gathered pace since early July, when the Wall Street Journal reported that nearly $700m had found its way into bank accounts owned by Mr Najib shortly before a close-fought general election in 2013. Much has been made of the suggestion that the money is somehow linked to 1MDB, a state investment firm struggling to service debts of around $11 billion. Its dealings are now the subject of an investigation in Switzerland, through which some of its cash may have passed. Continue reading “No more Mr Nice Guy”

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Malaysia: Why 1MDB Scandal Won’t Topple Najib

By Shuli Ren
Barron’s Asia
August 26, 2015

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak turned to the 1998 currency peg “old guards” to stabilize the sliding ringgit, while thousands are expected to turn up in a rally this coming weekend to protest against his role in the 1MDB scandal.

The Malaysian ringgit stabilized this morning after Bill Dudley, the New York Fed president, said overnight that a September rate hike was looking less likely. The ringgit has fallen from 3.60 in May to 4.23 recently.

Najib seems to be taking a page out of former premier Mahathir Mohamad‘s playbook. He appointed former Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop, who helped Mahathir design Malaysia’s now-abandoned capital controls and currency peg.

Meanwhile, large “Bersih 4.0″ rallies in Kuala Lumpur, Kinabalu and Kuching will likely hit global headlines this weekend. Continue reading “Malaysia: Why 1MDB Scandal Won’t Topple Najib”

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Malaysia PM Najib Razak ‘has to go’, says ex-leader Mahathir

David Pilling in Kuala Lumpur
Financial Times
August 26, 2015

Behind the political crisis engulfing Najib Razak, prime minister of Malaysia, lies nearly $700m that somehow made its way into his personal bank account. Behind that, according to leaked documents, lies a state development fund with $11bn in debts. Behind everything, however, sits a 90-year-old, for two decades the unassailable leader of this erstwhile Southeast Asian success story, who is doing all in his power to topple the present prime minister.

That at least is the claim of those around Mr Najib, who accuse Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s forceful former prime minister, of mounting what they describe as a coup d’état. “He has abused his position and done everything he can to undermine his successors just because his list of personal demands is not being met,” says a person close to government.

Mr Najib strenuously denies any wrongdoing or accepting money for personal gain. The funds in his account, he says, came from an unnamed Middle Eastern benefactor — an explanation endorsed by the country’s anti-corruption commission. Continue reading “Malaysia PM Najib Razak ‘has to go’, says ex-leader Mahathir”

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Salleh should not only ensure no jamming of phone signals but ensure that the telcos expand their capacity by at least 20-fold in anticipation of at least half-a-million people with cell phones for the Bersih 4 rally

The Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Datuk Seri Said Keruak has said Putrajaya will not jam telecommunication towers during the Bersih 4 rally in order to block communication amongst the participants.

The Malaysian public will hold him to his promise as in the previous Bersih 3 rally, the public have found their cellphone signals jammed which could only happen as a result of the directives from the powers-that-be to the telecommunication providers (telcos).

In an Internet and information era, Malaysians expect Salleh not only to ensure that cellphone signals during the Bersih 4 rally are not jammed and rendered unserviceable, but for the telecos to greatly increase their capacities many fold to cope with the increased traffic caused by hundreds of thousands Malaysians pouring into the Federal capital, likely to be larger crowds than Bersih 1, 2 and 3.

In this connection, it is most regrettable that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is already violating his public pledge that there will no interference or interruption of the free flow of information in connection with the 34-hour long Bersih 4 overnight rally. Continue reading “Salleh should not only ensure no jamming of phone signals but ensure that the telcos expand their capacity by at least 20-fold in anticipation of at least half-a-million people with cell phones for the Bersih 4 rally”

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Malaysia will be condemned as an instant rogue and failed state if police authorities allow agent-provocateurs to sabotage Bersih 4 and create chaos

I welcome and applaud the stern warning from the Inspector-general of police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to all quarters not to promote violence, including the red-shirts – the anti-Bersih group.

Khalid said the police would not tolerate acts of criminal intimidation by anyone against those who participate in Bersih 4 rally, although the police regard it as illegal.

Referring to news reports that the anti-Bersih group would be training with machetes and swords as preparation to counter the overnight rally slated for Aug 29-30, Khalid said: “Nobody should take the law into their own hands.”

Khalid said such acts could be construed as criminal intimidation, and the police would not hesitate to take action against those who gather on the streets with weapons.

I particularly welcome prompt police action, with Dang Wangi district police asking the leaders of the Red-Shirt group to record their statements later today.

The Inspector-General of Police, the Home Minister and the Prime Minister should be forewarned that the whole world is watching Malaysia on August 29 and 30.

Malaysia will be condemned as an instant rogue and failed state if the police authorities allow agent provocateurs and anti-national elements to sabotage the peaceful holding of Bersih 4 rally by creating chaos and mayhem. Continue reading “Malaysia will be condemned as an instant rogue and failed state if police authorities allow agent-provocateurs to sabotage Bersih 4 and create chaos”

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In spirit of putting aside political differences to celebrate Merdeka, call on three million UMNO members and all members of BN parties to participate in Bersih 4 as an expression of patriotism and commitment to freedom, justice and national unity

I have just read on the news portals of the call by the Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak on Malaysians to set aside their political differences and celebrate Merdeka.

He said Malaysians claim they are loyal Malaysians but we seem to have lost the spirit of nationalism.

He lamented that unlike in sports, where Malaysians have discarded ethnicity in favour of nationalism and the Malaysian spirit, this is sadly not the case with Merdeka celebrations.

He said the impression being given is that there are going to be two Merdeka celebrations, one for those who support the government and another for the opposition.

Salleh cannot be more wrong. Continue reading “In spirit of putting aside political differences to celebrate Merdeka, call on three million UMNO members and all members of BN parties to participate in Bersih 4 as an expression of patriotism and commitment to freedom, justice and national unity”

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Call for emergency Parliament in first week of September on three issues: (I) Economic, Political and Governance Crisis; (ii) fill PAC vacancies; and (iii) whether nation needs new PM and new Government

More and more voices are being raised expressing grave concern about the state of Malaysian economy, governance and democracy.

Today, among those who have spoken range from the Sultan of Johor; the nation’s top banker and brother of the Prime Minister, CIMB group chairman Datuk Nazir Razak and former Cabinet Minster who was Minister for Trade and Industry for more than two decades from 1987-2008, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.

Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Iskandar of Johor called on the federal government to resolve the instability facing the country as well as the falling ringgit.

He said that the “unstable political and economic situation“ the country is in now is a major issue which has to be dealt with immediately.
He said Putrajaya should not fool the rakyat by whitewashing the problems faced by the country.

Nazir voiced concern over the economy due to the ringgit freefall and said “people in power should stop saying ‘stupid things’ in order to help the economy”.

Rafidah questioned whether Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s acceptance of RM2.6 billion, said to be from a Middle Eastern donor, has opened Umno to being manipulated by foreigners. Continue reading “Call for emergency Parliament in first week of September on three issues: (I) Economic, Political and Governance Crisis; (ii) fill PAC vacancies; and (iii) whether nation needs new PM and new Government”

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The Unfortunate Case of Malaysia’s Prime Minister

Greg Lopez
Forbes
Aug 25, 2015

The feeling that Malaysia is now in an abyss is real. Malaysians fear terrible things are happening to them and their country because of poor leadership. The man who – rightly or wrongly – will be blamed for all of Malaysia’s woes will unfortunately be the current prime minister.

In June this year, the minister responsible for transforming the Malaysian economy – Idris Jala – in an open letter to Bloomberg , complained that he hardly recognised the country that Bloomberg columnist William Pesek was writing about. In the open letter, Idris Jala provided a robust rebuttal to William Pesek’s derisive commentary on Malaysia.

Last week, Prime Minister Najib Razak was compelled to assert that Malaysia is not a failed state as public outrage reached a crescendo. Some even suggested that Malaysia is heading towards both a dictatorship and a failed state. Najib Razak countered with statistics and examples. Continue reading “The Unfortunate Case of Malaysia’s Prime Minister”

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Acknowledgement by IGP Khalid that “no confidence” move against Najib is neither criminal nor police concern will allow a proper and less inhibited discussion of alternatives to the present Najib administration

The country is sick and in crisis.

Today sees the rout of the Malaysian ringgit which fell to a record 17-year low of 4.26 to a US dollar and another record low of 3.08 against the Singapore dollar.

Malaysia’s foreign exchange reserves fell 19% since the start of the year, dipping below the US$100 billion for the first time last month since 2010, fueling speculation that Bank Negara is digging into the reserves to shore up the currency.

It has fallen to US$94.5 billion on August 14 from US$96.7 billion on July 31.

The lower a country’s forex reserves, the less it is able to do to shore up a sinking currency.

Meanwhile, capital outflows from the country are accelerating, to three times the size of capital investments in the country in Q1.

The reserves slid four times as fast as Indonesia, whose rupiah is the second worst-performing currency in the region. Continue reading “Acknowledgement by IGP Khalid that “no confidence” move against Najib is neither criminal nor police concern will allow a proper and less inhibited discussion of alternatives to the present Najib administration”

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Time for Najib to prove his patriotism – that the twin scandals of 1MBD and RM2.6 billion in his personal accounts can cause his personal political undoing, but they must not be allowed to cause the undoing of Malaysia with unmitigated political and economic catastrophes

On Sunday, I made the most unusual and unorthodox proposition of issuing an Open Invitation to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to make a joint appearance at Bersih 4 rally where the Prime Minister can hold face-to-face dialogue with Bersih 4 organisers and principal supporters on the state of democracy in Malaysia.

This was a follow up to my suggestion on Saturday that the Prime Minister should co-operate with the Bersih 4 organisers to turn the Bersih 4 overnight rally on August 29/30 into a Human Rights Carnival or Festival, where the human rights of freedom of expression and assembly of Malaysians are celebrated rather than suppressed, which will make it an unique event and milestone in the 58th Merdeka Day Celebrations – not only in Malaysia but globally.

I said the Prime Minister can be assured of full security and courtesy, as the police as well Bersih 4 organisers and principal supporters will ensure that the Prime Minister is not only safe but accorded the full courtesies and politeness which Malaysians show to their leaders and officials.

The Prime Minister’s dialogue with Bersih 4 organisers and principal supporters can be an historic occasion for Najib to do what he had failed to do in almost two months to “tell all” about the twin scandals which have not only haunted the Malaysian body politic but causing grave crisis of confidence as witnessed by the triple freefall of the Malaysian ringgit, the Malaysian stock market and the country’s international reserves – the 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal accounts in AmBank in March 2013 just before the dissolution of Parliament and the holding of the 13th General Election.

In response, the Prime Minister said that he would rather discuss the RM2.6 billion donation controversy privately with UMNO members instead of issuing public statements.

He said: “I can explain. No problem, but not openly because it can affect the party.”

But obviously, Najib finds great “problem” in explaining the two scandals not only to the three million UMNO members, but even to the UMNO chieftains – which was why UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had vehemently protested that he did not know anything about both the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion scandals up to his summary sacking as Deputy Prime Minister on July 28. Continue reading “Time for Najib to prove his patriotism – that the twin scandals of 1MBD and RM2.6 billion in his personal accounts can cause his personal political undoing, but they must not be allowed to cause the undoing of Malaysia with unmitigated political and economic catastrophes”

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Strong fundamentals are weakening, we’re failing

Ramon Navaratnam
Malaysiakini
Aug 24th, 2015

Our leaders keep saying that our fundamentals are strong. This is comforting and consoling.

But actually our apparently strong fundamentals are weakening and we are failing. But we still have hope as we approach our 58th Merdeka anniversary.

Whether we like it or not the falling value of our ringgit is a fair reflection of the state of our nation. Our gradual socio-economic and political decline does not indicate confidence in our strength or success, but sadly our weak fundamentals and prospects.

The performance of the ringgit is like a thermometer that measures our economic fever. Indeed the economic temperature is rising, while our socio-economic and political health is failing.

If we do not arrest our ringgit decline, our economy, like our health, can deteriorate rapidly. Then we could become a ‘failing state’. But if we still adopt an apparently complacent and cavalier attitude towards the falling ringgit and our current slackening socio-economic system, then there would be the rising risk of becoming a failed state. Continue reading “Strong fundamentals are weakening, we’re failing”

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IGP Khalid’s admission that issues of no-confidence motion are neither police nor criminal matters most welcome as country faces various political possibilities before the 14th GE

I welcome the belated admission by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar that the police should not interfere in any no-confidence vote in Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as in the absence of criminal elements, such matters are for the political parties themselves to resolve.

Specifically, the IGP said the police will not interfere in the allegation against a senior UMNO politician that he is attempting to unseat Prime Minister Najib through a vote of no confidence in Parliament.

Khalid told Malaysiakini: “This does not involve the police. We are only concerned with attempts to topple the government or prime minister through undemocratic means.”

I had earlier in the day asked Khalid to declare whether the police have found any plot to topple the elected government by violent or unconstitutional means as it is now ten days since the new Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had launched a rampage with his tall tale of a heinous and treacherous plot to topple the elected government in Malaysia.

I said the Police should not allow Zahid to send them on a “wild goose’s chase” under Section 124B of the Penal Code on “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” when changing the Prime Minister or government is a legitimate process of parliamentary democracy – provided this is carried out in a peaceful, democratic and constitutional manner without resort to violent or unconstitutional means.

In fact, the very persons who should be investigated and even prosecuted under Section 124B of the Penal Code should include people like Zahid who are illegally and unconstitutionally abusing the legal process to deny the parliamentary democratic process from carrying out one of its functions – to change the Prime Minister or government of the day through the democratic process! Continue reading “IGP Khalid’s admission that issues of no-confidence motion are neither police nor criminal matters most welcome as country faces various political possibilities before the 14th GE”

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Ten days have passed, IGP Khalid should declare whether the police have found any plot to topple the elected government by violent or unconstitutional means

For ten days, the new Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had been on a rampage with his tall tale of a heinous and treacherous plot to topple the elected government in Malaysia, aimed at sending the country into a frenzy with two objectives:

• to distract the nation from the twin scandals of 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s personal bank accounts; and

• to neutralise and flush out potential challengers to his new-found position as the heir-apparent to the highest office of the land.

He even got the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to play second fiddle by getting the police to go on a “wild goose’s chase” to investigate police reports based on Zahid’s claim of a plot by an Umno leader to topple the government under Section 124B of the Penal Code on “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy”. Continue reading “Ten days have passed, IGP Khalid should declare whether the police have found any plot to topple the elected government by violent or unconstitutional means”

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Zahid challenged to produce evidence to substantiate his allegation of a plot to topple the government by unconstitutional or violent means

The new Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi has talked enough nonsense about a plot to topple the Government by unconstitutional or violent means

In Kota Belud this morning, Zahid told the Kota Belud Umno division that the Government could have been toppled by undemocratic means if no steps had been taken to prevent it from happening.

He said he was compelled to reveal the plot involving the opposition and some “retired” leaders to put a stop to their plans. Continue reading “Zahid challenged to produce evidence to substantiate his allegation of a plot to topple the government by unconstitutional or violent means”

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Open Invitation to Najib to make a joint appearance at Bersih 4 rally where the Prime Minister can hold face-to-face dialogue with Bersih 4 organisers and principal supporters on the state of democracy in Malaysia

I will like to follow up on my suggestion yesterday that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should take the unusual and unorthodox initiative of co-operating with the Bersih 4 organisers to turn the Bersih 4 overnight rally on August 29/30 into a Human Rights Carnival or Festival, where the human rights of freedom of expression and assembly of Malaysians are celebrated rather than suppressed, which will make it an unique event and milestone in the 58th Merdeka Day Celebrations – not only in Malaysia but globally.

I wish to issue an Open Invitation to Najib to make a joint appearance at Bersih 4 rally where the Prime Minister can hold face-to-face dialogue with Bersih 4 organisers and principal supporters on the state of democracy in Malaysia.

The Prime Minister can be assured of full security and courtesy, as the police as well Bersih 4 organisers and principal supporters will ensure that the Prime Minister is not only safe but accorded the full courtesies and politeness which Malaysians show to their leaders and officials. Continue reading “Open Invitation to Najib to make a joint appearance at Bersih 4 rally where the Prime Minister can hold face-to-face dialogue with Bersih 4 organisers and principal supporters on the state of democracy in Malaysia”

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Najib is a liability to Umno, say party grassroots

By MD IZWAN
The Malaysian Insider
23 August 2015

Some Umno grassroots members, who now feel uneasy facing the public, are saying that scandal-tainted Datuk Seri Najib Razak is a liability to the party.

Trust among the rank and file towards the party president has been affected by ongoing controversies, from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) to the RM2.6 billion put in his personal accounts, allegedly as a donation, with members finding it hard to swallow the explanations given.

“The people want Najib to step down. Even if we talk nicely they do not want to hear, so what more to say?

“Umno members still love Umno, but Umno members no longer love Najib,” said former Tenggara Umno youth committee member Asrul Esreen Mohd Salleh to The Malaysian Insider. Continue reading “Najib is a liability to Umno, say party grassroots”

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I believe three million UMNO members want UMNO to “Save Malaysia” to become United Malaysians National Organisation instead of degenerating to become Abdul Aziz Kaprawi’s United Morons National Organisation

I do not know whether to laugh or to cry when I read that the Sri Gading UMNO chief and deputy transport minister, Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi told his division’s meeting in Parit Raja, Johore yesterday that the Arabs donated RM2.6 billion to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to fight off “Jewish backed” DAP because DAP was a threat to Islam in the country.

Does Abdul Aziz think that UMNO has degenerated to become United Morons National Organisation and no more United Malays National Organisation as to believe in such trash by a power-hungry UMNO neophyte who has no political principles or scruples to concoct bald-faced lies and falsehoods?

It is shocking that Abdul Aziz’s moronic speech was made in the presence of the new Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, as if Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi has become the new chieftain of the United Morons National Organisation in Malaysia!

What a contrast between Parit Sulong and Parit Raja UMNO Divisional meetings although they are just adjacent UMNO divisions.

So near and yet so far! Continue reading “I believe three million UMNO members want UMNO to “Save Malaysia” to become United Malaysians National Organisation instead of degenerating to become Abdul Aziz Kaprawi’s United Morons National Organisation”

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Is there a reprieve in sight for the ringgit?

G. Sharmila
KiniBiz
August 21, 2015

TigerTalk

The ringgit has taken more than its fair share of beatings this month, weakening past the 4.0 level against the greenback and some analysts are predicting that it will hit the 4.2 level. Tiger thinks that the currency desperately needs a reprieve and believes that it may happen, though not as soon as she would like.

“Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention.” – Douglas Horton

A special trait that all Tigers have is the ability to sniff out desperation kilometres away from the source, which is usually an unfit kijang struggling to get away or a human being desperately climbing a tree to avoid being eaten by yours truly and the rest of her kind.

But the desperation of the worst kind is when it comes from panicking investors – in this case, those heedlessly fleeing from the weak ringgit. Tiger thinks in some ways they are unjustified and believes that there could be a reprieve in sight for the ringgit, if a confluence of factors take place sooner rather than later. Continue reading “Is there a reprieve in sight for the ringgit?”

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Are there at least 35 UMNO/BN MPs who are prepared to join with Opposition MPs in October Parliament on a “Save Malaysia” agenda including a no-confidence motion on Najib?

The universe seems to be conspiring against Malaysia, as there is no surcease of daily bad news for the country.

Yesterday’s, it was disclosed that Bank Negara’s international reserves have declined further to US$94.5 billion (RM356.4 billion) as at Aug 14 compared to US$96.7 billion (RM364.7 billion) on July 31.

At this rate of shrinking international reserves to stem the ringgit slide against the US dollar which yesterday stood at RM4.17 to a US dollar, the BN international reserves could fall to some US$92 billion on Merdeka Day on August 31 and by Malaysia Day on Sept. 16, might be struggling not to fall below the US$90 billion level.

The news yesterday of the flip-flop by the new Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, forming a new task force to investigate the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal, after disbanding the earlier multi-agency Special Task Force to investigate into the twin scandals of 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts, but now excluding the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), is only calculated to further undermine and not restore a very shaken public confidence in the key national institutions in the country.

In this context, the “interesting proposition” by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir that the Opposition support a no-confidence vote in Parliament against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak while still retaining Barisan Nasional as government has opened up a Pandora’s Box about the directions Malaysia should be heading in the coming years. Continue reading “Are there at least 35 UMNO/BN MPs who are prepared to join with Opposition MPs in October Parliament on a “Save Malaysia” agenda including a no-confidence motion on Najib?”

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2015, year that never was for Malaysia

– Rizal Rozhan
The Malaysian Insider
21 August 2015

To be honest, as a student of international relations, and a fan of international affairs, 2015 was supposed to be a benchmark year for Malaysia. A year to prove that Malaysia can strut her stuff in the global plane.

Once more, like 2014 (we were anticipating Visit Malaysia year to boost our tourism, yet we were marred with a series of unfortunate events), this year is turning out to be a disaster as well.

Even worse than 2014.

Because this time, the problems which beset Malaysia are not those caused externally. This time, we brought ourselves to the chopping board. Continue reading “2015, year that never was for Malaysia”