A-G must still prosecute Tajuddin, says Mat Zain


By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 12, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — A former senior cop has called for charges to be brought against Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramlim saying the withdrawal of civil suits against the former Malaysian Airline (MAS) chairman does not indemnify him against criminal culpability.

Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim told The Malaysian Insider today that Putrajaya’s decision to settle with Tajuddin out of court and directive to government-linked corporations to drop their cases against the latter did not mean that two police reports and another made to anti-graft enforcers were nullified.

“Even if MAS and other GLCs were to drop all civil claims against Tajuddin, they have no or power to indemnify Tajuddin from criminal liabilities. For that matter, no minister or even the Attorney-General has the authority.

“In fact, police have recommended that several criminal charges be preferred against Tajuddin and few others,” the former Kuala Lumpur criminal investigation chief said.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told The Malaysian Insider yesterday that he had written to GLCs earlier this month seeking for them to withdraw their suits, worth at least RM2 billion, to buy time for all concerned parties to reach a “win-win” agreement and put an end to the prolonged financial saga involving Tajuddin.

He said the matter was referred to Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah, who then directed him to pen the letter, noting that Tajuddin’s case was scheduled for case management in court yesterday.

“Since it involved the law and I am the minister in charge of law, Husni told me, why don’t you look into this. It is not a cloak-and-dagger move… we knew this would come out somehow and there is nothing to hide. I wrote that letter using my letterhead,” said Nazri.

Mat Zain added today that MAS has lodged at least three reports against Tajuddin and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has “made it known to public that their investigation on Tajuddin is still ongoing.”

“It is also within public knowledge that sometime in March 2007, the former Director of Commercial Crime Investigation Department Datuk Ramli Yusuf had briefed then prime minister Tun Abdullah Badawi on police investigations based on MAS’s reports.

“The billion ringgit question is why our Attorney-General is still reluctant. I am sure Tan Sri Gani Patail is fully aware that he cannot indemnify Tajuddin’s criminal liabilities despite the fact that they are in some ways connected,” he said.

Mat Zain, who led the police probe into former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s black eye incident in 1998, said that as only the A-G could initiate criminal proceedings, it was up to Datuk Seri Najib Razak to step in and inquire into Gani’s conduct.

He has repeatedly attacked Gani for his failure to prosecute several high profile cases and called for the prime minister to axe the A-G.

The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday that Putrajaya, through Nazri’s letter, had directed all GLCs, including MAS and the national debt restructuring company Danaharta, to cease all civil suits against Tajuddin, the former chairman of the national carrier and protégé of Tun Daim Zainuddin.

Daim is a close friend of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and an ex-finance minister who was the architect of the now-discredited policy of nurturing a class of Malay corporate captains on government largesse.

MAS had first lodged a police report against Tajuddin in 2002 for allegedly causing the flag carrier to suffer losses in excess of RM8 billion. Tajuddin was the executive chairman of the airline from 1994 to 2001.

  1. #1 by Loh on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 10:13 am

    Najib said that the out of court settlement of Tajuddin Ramli case is an ‘off site’ solution and not a settlement. Najib learned English in England, and he said that if the settlement is not on the site, the court, then it is off site. The description is correct, but it just means that the court is sidelined. Hishamuddin also used the off site solution to forgive immigration officers who are bound to be found guilty in court. So the laws are only for those who are not UMNO members and who vote for democratic institutions. For the preferred persons who help to vote UMNO back into power, they are free to violate the laws and they will also have off site solution for them. Malaysia now is not only governed by rule by law, and laws are suspended for the favoured persons who enjoy off site solution.

    Billion ringgit dispute can now go for off site settlement, just like government contracts which need not go through tender, when government funds are treated as the piggy bank of the powerful persons. It confirms that MACC is only the extra weapon for political purposes.

  2. #2 by yhsiew on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 10:17 am

    The AG must not practice double standards where Umno members who committed crimes are easily forgiven, whereas opposition members who committed crimes are severely dealt with and sent to the lock-up.

  3. #3 by Joshua on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 10:18 am

    Who share the loot of TR?

    Those guilty knows how to consume the nation’s wealth and dispose their cases like C4.

  4. #4 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 10:26 am

    Perhaps Tajuddin has now decided it is time to play his ‘Joker’ card.

    If they bring him down, he might bring down a lot of other big fishes with him and they cannot allow him to do that.

    If he can get the government to buy his MAS shares at RM 8 a piece when the market price is less than half that, then something very, very fishy is going on.

    Better to let him off so that everyone can live happily ever after.

  5. #5 by boh-liao on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 11:11 am

    R U sure NR said it’s an off site solution?
    We tot he said it’s a ‘back side‘ solution, coming fr belakang lah
    Macam what he told ful of sai when d latter went 2 C him 4 scholarship

  6. #6 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 11:22 am

    Of all the freaking nonsense from Najib. IF the ‘off-site solution’ is STILL IN DISCUSSION, why are the GLCs told to WITHDRAW their suits now?

  7. #7 by yhsiew on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 11:28 am

    The rakyat are witnessing a big government BAILOUT in action.

  8. #8 by asia on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 12:13 pm

    They don’t care about Malaysia Tax money is lost or not

    They treated the Malaysia Tax money 8 billions equal to 8 hundreds dollar only

    This money not belong to them so no need to answer and bother to take care of it

    If possible steal it only never mind

    When trouble face up they just write a few papers saying these and that then the matter will be bury

    None of them need to answerable the Malaysia Tax money billions missing fund even it had stolen or robbed

    Just a few paper with a signature all matter bury this is what their mindset

  9. #9 by limkamput on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 1:04 pm

    Mat Zain, with due respect to you; if we can’t even carry out the civil suits to its fruitful end, you are definitely too ambitious or even naive to think of criminal action in court.

  10. #10 by dcasey on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 1:22 pm

    Hello Mat Zain, Nazri says you are very confused with one thing, that is, you are a former cop (for law) but he is the present minister (for law), hehehehe…go retire lah and main your cucu. Kacau kacau UMNO from making big money pula!

  11. #11 by Loh on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 2:14 pm

    ///“Even if MAS and other GLCs were to drop all civil claims against Tajuddin, they have no or power to indemnify Tajuddin from criminal liabilities. For that matter, no minister or even the Attorney-General has the authority.

    “In fact, police have recommended that several criminal charges be preferred against Tajuddin and few others,” the former Kuala Lumpur criminal investigation chief said.///

    But the AG has not acted on Police recommendation. RPK provided picture in MalaysiaToday some time ago suggesting that the AG and Tajuddin know each other; it is different from Najib and Atantuja where Najib had a mosque as witness that he did not know Altantjuja! Is AG knowing Tajuddin the cause of nfa on this case?

  12. #12 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 2:49 pm

    If this case is buried and forgotten…the entire legal system…top guns judicial personalities and most judges must be booted out and employ foreigners to replace them…to bring back real justice system to Malaysia.
    Enough is enough with UMNO B nonsense that keep fooling Malaysians like little Napoleons with not one dot of guilt in their minds.
    I just watched a documentary film of South Korea and they are miles ahead of us in everything…when 35 years ago….we were at par if not better than them.
    22 years non stop race and religion politics and encouraging corruptions…Mahathir is the cruelest and most evil minded of all….making his chosen few continue the evil deeds for all are multi millionaires stealing with no fear.
    Tajuddin case must be heard….and only way..is to change the government.
    We don’t care if Mahathir is dead or alive.
    The case must be heard… to bury his crooked party permanently…and bring all crooks to court….especially the big ones.
    One who went further by covering up a murder case…he knows too well….must not be let loose at all…especially the killer’s wife.

  13. #13 by k1980 on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 2:50 pm

    Not only prosecute Tajuddin, but also the AG, The EC and Mr C4 hisself

    http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pas-rejects-ecs-denial-calls-for-royal-intervention/

  14. #14 by boh-liao on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 6:40 pm

    RM8 billion or RM888 billion, ai yah, sap sap sui mah 2 UmnoB/BN gang of thieves
    Had we used our Petronas $$$ wisely over d years, M’sians would b like Norwegians now
    But corrupt UmnoB/BN kaki gasak billions n trillions

  15. #15 by monsterball on Saturday, 13 August 2011 - 11:42 pm

    Prosecute Tajuddin…all UMNO B crooks will come tumbling down ….like Humpty Dumpty…and their hero…Mahathir will be a proven crook with facts exposed…and more Muslims will vote for change.
    Nazri is not protecting his own millions.
    When the going is no good for crooks…they do unite and give one more shot …fooling Malaysians in whatever ways they can.
    For Nazri to say RM500 million…not worth suing and better to negotiate…exposes what kind od a Minister he is.
    Now that Najib’s case is proven to exceed RM630 million stolen….I am sure…Nazri will say..”willing buyer…willing seller”…nothing wrong.

  16. #16 by Peter on Wednesday, 17 August 2011 - 11:37 am

    This bum when he was MAS(MANA ADA SYSTEM) MD, he ran the company like he himself own it. Of course, during that era, a lot of the staff said U_NO call all the shots in MAS staff promotions and appointments. MCA/MIC/PPP/GERAKAN are all too busy enriching themselves.
    If he gets punish, i can guarantee a lot of greedy corrupted rich Um__putras will be shitting in their pants.

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