For years I have wondered what is the reason one of the two protagonists of the 1MDB scandal, described by US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions as “kleptocracy at its worst”, could get superstars to his wild parties.
The answer was provided during the criminal trial in New York of a Malaysian banker, Roger Ng, for corruption in the billion-dollar 1MDB scandal.
These are the two international media reports on the current 1MDB scandal criminal trial in New York:
1. “A quarter of a million dollars for Leonardo DiCaprio. A US$385,773 (about RM1.616 million) bar tab. Five grand for “model wrangling”.These were among the expenses that jurors in the federal conspiracy trial of former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Roger Ng heard about Tuesday, as a government witness described how millions of dollars siphoned off in the 1MDB scandal were frittered away on lavish parties hosted by a high-flying Malaysian financier.”
2 .“Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and more were allegedly paid extravagant sums to party with Malaysian fugitive Jho Low, according to a government witn4ss from the ongoing trial.
‘Earlier this week, the jury in the federal court trial learned of invoices from a Las Vegas party for the now infamous Jho Law that totaled $3.6 million.
“Major items on the include 65 bottles of Cristal Champagne for $100,000, a whopping $39,955 tip and fees for celebrities to participate in the party.”
It is reported that the price list for featuring some of US top celebrities at parties include: Leonard DiCaprio (US$250,000), Paris Hilton (US$100,000), Megan Fox ($US250,000) and Kim Kardashian (US$50,000).
But who have to pay for these exorbitant fees for US celebrities, whether Leonardo DiCaprio, Paris Hilton Megan Fox or Kardashian?
It is the Malaysian taxpayers, current and future ones, who will have to pay for these 1MDB extravagances in these wild parties.
It is all the more shocking that the other protagonist in the 1MDB scandal has absolutely no compunction whatsoever over the 1MDB scandal and is campaigning in the Johore state general elections to eventually return him as the 10th or 11trh Malaysian Prime Minister.
This is why the Johor voters should vote solidly against such 1MDB escapades and squandering in the Johore general election, to tell the world that the people of Malaysia, as represented by the people Johore, could differentiate between what is right and what is wrong.
(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the candidature announcement for the Johor Jaya constituency at the DAP Solidarity Dinner at Restaurant Pekin, Johor Baru on Friday, 18th February 2022)