On 20th February, 2013, almost a month ago, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak signed the Transparency International Malaysia’s Election Integrity Pledge with much aplomb in the presence of many BN leaders including the Chief Minister of Sarawak and leader of PBB, Taib Mahmud.
Today, international NGO, Global Witness released a shocking video involving a nexus of prominent figures all of whom connected to Taib Mahmud. These individuals included Norlia and Fatima Abdul Rahman, daughters of former Sarawak Chief Minister, Abdul Rahman Ya’akub and cousins of Taib Mahmud. Fatima was caught on camera admitting that she could ‘speak to the CM very easily’ in order to obtain the necessary approvals for a land sale to a Global Witness representative, land which Fatima said was given to them by Taib. This land sale would involve a company, Ample Agro Sdn Bhd, whose first six shareholders are all daughters of former Sarawak CM, Rahman Ya’akub which includes not only Norlia and Fatima but also Tanjong Manis MP Nora Abdul Rahman as well as Najib’s sister in law Khadijah Abdul Rahman.
Norlia is also caught on tape asking the potential ‘buyer’ from Global Witness to undergo an illegal transaction whereby only 10% of the sale price of the land would be booked in Malaysia while the rest would be booked in Singapore in order to avoid Reals Property Gains Tax (RPGT). Norlia also said that these sorts of deals ‘have been done before’ in order to assurance the buyer that this is a standard operating procedure. The lawyer for Ample Agro, Alvin Chong, also confirmed the nature of this transaction in the Global Witness video who also proposed ways for the potential buyer to evade the 49% foreign shareholding limitation by appointing nominees based in Singapore. Alvin was caught on video saying that “I’ve put this to use many a time”.
Another individual who was implicated in this video is Huang Lung Ong, the nephew of Sarawak timber tycoon Hii Yi Peng. Ong implied that his uncle and majority owner of Billion Venture, would pay a percentage of the sale price – ‘probably 10%’ – to Taib Mahmud in order to show his ‘gratitude’ to the CM of Sarawak.
With the release of this video, I call upon Prime Minister Najib to:
(i) Instruct the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to conduct an immediate investigation into the individuals who appeared in the Global Witness video including Ample Agro’s Norlia and Fatima Abdul Rahman and lawyers Alvin Chong and Hii Yi Peng
(ii) Instruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) to conduct an immediate investigation into previous deals carried out by companies owned by Norlia and Fatima and their sisters in order to ascertain if other such previous deals had been carried out with the intention of evading Real Property Gains Tax (RPGT)
(iii) Ask the Singapore government for their cooperation in any commercial activities or transactions involving the named individuals in the Global Witness video to ascertain if these deals were done in order to evade tax and / or to circumvent the 49% foreign shareholding limit.
On the day which Najib is expected to give an account of his ‘report card’ under the Government Transformation Program (GTP) which includes the Corruption National Key Results Area (NKRA), it would indeed be a mockery of the whole process if Najib were to keep an ‘elegant silence’ in regards to the Global Witness video and make a sad mockery of the signing of the Transparency International Malaysia’s Elections Integrity Pledge.
(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 19th March 2013)
#1 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 20 March 2013 - 9:08 am
What is even more ridiculously AMAZING is how cool Taib remain when he flippantly excuse that his cousins don’t act for him WHEN HIS OWN OFFICERS REFERED THE DEAL TO THEM IN THE VIDEO!!
Its amazing how calm and cool Taib was in giving the ridiculous answer showing how COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM REALITY and even further from what is a PROPER SYSTEM they are. Their entitlement of power, more accurately power ABUSE and IRRESPONSIBILITY OF PUBLIC OFFICE is RIDICULOUS. He really think he is SO SMART – not that the system is ridiculous..
Both Taib and Najib should already be locked up and charged by now EVEN in most ASEAN countries by now.. In China, they would have been lined up and shot by now…
#2 by lauksnatlks on Wednesday, 20 March 2013 - 9:14 am
Another entry in the list for further action after PR wins…ABU ABU
#3 by balance88 on Wednesday, 20 March 2013 - 1:46 pm
Malaysia is the ONLY PLACE in the world where black can be talked into becoming white even if the black is supported with hard solid evidence!
The video clip was hard solid evidence, yet Sarawak’s CM has the cheek to try to explain away his innocence. Of course the public know such dealings have been occurring but has no proof. When the public accuses them, the authorities say there is no proof, just hearsay,. Now, with the video as proof, the relevant authorities like Income Tax and MACC have not budged one bit on the matter.
Probably, the next excuse coming out from Sarawak from all those who appeared in the video would be the infamous “it may look like me, it may sound like me but it is not me”. And then the whole matter will be swept under the carpet again just like all the previous high profile cases.
In countries like Japan and Korea, they will be so ashamed that they will commit suicide. In the US and UK, there will be a public outcry and there will be swift investigations and actions and there will be resignations. In Malaysia, there will be ridiculous explanations, inaction, silence then everything will be back to normal and the whole vicious cycle will repeat itself until the next scandal props up.
The rakyat works hard for a living and struggle everyday to make a good living while those in power and their “associates” sits in offices and makes millions and billions at the snap of a finger from the rakyat’s assets. Its a no brainer business.
Folks, time for change?
#4 by Noble House on Thursday, 21 March 2013 - 12:28 am
If any Minister is able to commit crimes with impunity by using the vast powers and perquisites of his office to cover up, then we will have a danger of corruption and abuse of power that can only grow with the passing years and generations. Sadly, this is how the system works here. These people don’t give a dime if this country should go to the dogs.
#5 by john on Thursday, 21 March 2013 - 6:11 pm
“Power Corrupts. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.”
This phrase MUST be hang up in ALL government offices, foremost in the ‘PM’ office ! ( ALL State governments Heads offices in particular Taib, etc.)
Now, after viewing the video ( oh, thank God for internet, You-Tube,,,) must say Lots, Lots, of Our Stolen Billions, companies under nominees ,,, have been stashed just over, our ‘neighhood’
Also, C4-MaMak-Bumno’s all have it stashed THERE ! in Singapore ( if not all, most of it )
Corollary : That would rationalise the MANNER LKYew had played it, sandiwara all the way in meeting ROSmacik at Seri Perdana AND on TV’s particulary for our eyes.
( Is Tacit Affirmation and Assurance that ALL your Billions is safe and in full secrecy AND this ‘meeting’ is a token of our appreciation, Rgds LKYew. )
Also, part of these LOOT after being siphoned offshore find its way back, onshore as foreign direct investments eg. Iskanda ???. Well, it would be ‘all blue sky’ as all regulation, controls, special privileges,,,,, are for them to grant anyway. Also, ‘icing on the cake’ they can monitor their stolen LOOT investment back here directly. And, the most Horny part, they’ll self-rationalise “we bring back investment ! now FDI is at ???, and this is C4,MaMAK TransStolenFunds IN FACT !
#6 by john on Friday, 22 March 2013 - 9:50 am
MaMak,Rosmacik/C4-Bumno must have stashed BILLIONS ! with companies under nominees over our next door neighbour !