Archive for category Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
PM and DPM – time to have new advisers after another round of savage but avoidable battering to their credibility with delayed denials
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Parliament on Wednesday, 25 June 2008
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, have finally broken their silence on blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s statutory declaration with the “mind-boggling” accusation that Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was among three individuals who were also present when Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered on Oct 19, 2006.
Raja Petra also alleged that the Prime Minister “has received a written report from the Military Intelligence” confirming his allegations and this report was subsequently handed over to his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin for safekeeping”.
Raja Petra also claimed that “one of the Rulers has been briefed about this matter” and “is fully aware” of the allegations.
Abdullah and Najib should have broken their silence and made their denials five days ago when Raja Petra’s allegations in his statutory declaration dated 18th June 2008 first surfaced on the Internet, reported by Malaysiakini and picked up by the blogs.
This was why I had issued a media statement four days ago on Saturday calling for public responses from Abdullah, Najib and Rosmah to Raja Petra’s statutory declaration, warning that “the credibility and legitimacy of the Abdullah premiership and government will suffer a mortal blow if Abdullah, Najib and Rosmah remain silent on Raja Petra’s bombshell allegations”. Read the rest of this entry »
Emergency debate in Parliament on Raja Petra’s allegations on Altantuya murder
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Crime, Parliament on Monday, 23 June 2008
I have given notice for an emergency debate tomorrow on Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s allegations on the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case.
My notice for an adjournment of Parliament tomorrow reads:
“That the House gives leave to MP for Ipoh Timor YB Lim Kit Siang to adjourn the House under S.O. 18 (1) to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance – the statutory declaration dated June 18, 2008 by blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin implicating the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister’s wife over the case of murder of Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaariibuu.
“Raja Petra alleged that he had been reliably informed that between about 10pm on October 19, 2006 and early hours of the following day, the night Altantuya was murdered, three other people were also present at the scene of crime, viz:
(a) Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the DPM;
(b) Acting Colonel Aziz Buyong (then Lt. Col) a C4 expert;
(c) Aziz’s wife, Norhayati, described as ‘one of Rosmah’s ADC’.
“Raja Petra alleged that Aziz was the person who placed the C4 on various parts of Altantuya’s body witnessed by Rosmah and Norhayati. Read the rest of this entry »
RPK’s bombshell allegation on Altantuya murder – Abdullah, Najib, Rosmah cannot remain silent
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Crime on Saturday, 21 June 2008
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor cannot remain silent on the latest bombshell of blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin.
In a statutory declaration on June 18, 2008, Raja Petra accused Rosmah as among three individuals who were present when Altantuya was murdered on Oct 19, 2006.
Raja Petra alleged in his statutory declaration: “I have been reliably informed that between about 10pm on October 19, 2006 and early hours of the following day, the night Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered, three other people were also present at the scene of crime.”
He named the two other individuals as one acting colonel Aziz Buyong, who is described as ‘a C4 expert’ and the latter’s wife, known only as Norhayati, who is also said to be Rosmah’s aide de camp.
Raja Petra further alleged:
“My informer states that Aziz was the person who placed the C4 on various parts of Altantuya’s body witnessed by Rosmah and Norhayati.
“I make this statutory declaration because I have been reliably informed about the involvement of these three people who have thus far not been implicated in the murder nor called as witnesses by the prosecution in the ongoing trial at the Shah Alam High Court.
“I also make this statutory declaration because I am aware that it is a crime not to reveal evidence that may help the police in its investigation of the crime.”
No confidence motion – will incipient revolt by BN MPs in support of Yong Teck Lee be crushed by BN SC emergency meeting?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Parliament, Sabah on Thursday, 19 June 2008
Following the bombshell by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Yong Teck Lee yesterday announcing that its two MPs Dr. Chua Soon Bui (Tawau) and Eric Enchin Majimbun (Sepanggar) would move a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, many questions are swirling for answer, including whether it is possible for a no confidence motion to be moved in Parliament on Monday when it looks procedurally impossible as up to yesterday no such notice of motion had been submitted to Parliament.
In fact, although a proper motion of no confidence has not been submitted to date to Parliament, it is not impossible to duplicate a no confidence vote in Parliament on the Barisan Nasional government on Monday.
Whether a no confidence motion could be moved, debated and voted upon in Parliament on Monday, however academic it appears, is however not the foremost question created by Yong Teck Lee’s announcement yesterday.
The most important question from the SAPP action, which has dealt another mortal blow on the Barisan Nasional government after the March 8 “political tsunami”, is:
Will the declaration by the two SAPP MPs of no-confidence in Abdullah as Prime Minister trigger support from other BN MPs in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia or will the incipient revolt by disaffected BN MPs be crushed with SAPP expelled by BN today with the engineering of a SAPP Baru?
SAPP bombshell – a second political tsunami in next few days?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Parliament, Sabah on Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has dropped a bombshell when its president Yong Teck Lee announced that its two MPs, Dr. Chua Soon Bui (Tawau) and Eric Majimbun (Sepanggar) would move a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when Parliament resumes on Monday.
But will the bombshell land in Parliament on Monday?
With the ruling coalition commanding unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority in the 11 general elections since Merdeka in 1957 until the recent political tsunami of the March 2008 general election, there had never been any no confidence motion against the Prime Minister in Malaysian parliamentary history. Read the rest of this entry »
Sanusi sacked as UIA President – Abdullah not ready for “1st-world infrastructure, 1st-world mentality”
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Education, UMNO on Wednesday, 11 June 2008
The sacking of Sanusi Junid, who was formerly Cabinet Minister, Kedah Mentri Besar and Umno secretary-general, as International Islamic University (UIA) president because he had left Umno together with former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, is most shocking, deplorable and testimony that the Abdullah administration is not ready for a “first-world infrastructure, first-world mentality” culture to catapult Malaysia into the ranks of fully developed nations.
The UIA termination letter dated June 2 but which Sanusi received only yesterday (eight days later) did not give any reason for the abrupt sacking although his contract is not due to expire for another two years.
It would appear that quitting Umno has become a proper reason for the sacking of administrators and academicians in Malaysian universities. Read the rest of this entry »
UMNO’s Tuah-Jebat Dilemma
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Bakri Musa, UMNO on Monday, 26 May 2008
by M. Bakri Musa
The furor over Tun Mahathir’s quitting UMNO cannot hide an increasingly obvious and ugly reality: Abdullah’s incompetence as Prime Minister. Ranting and raving against Mahathir will not alter this singular fact.
Only an ardent few – his family members, closest advisors, and those beholden to him – believe that Abdullah has executed the duties of his office diligently. These individuals will forever remain faithful to him even if he were to drive the country to ruins. Consider that Saddam Hussein and Shah Pahlavi still have their ardent admirers today.
For others, their only excuse for wanting Abdullah to stay is for “party unity.”
Mahathir’s poser to Abdullah’s putative successor Najib Razak on whether he is loyal to UMNO or to Abdullah is a dilemma shared by all party members. Najib as well as all UMNO members would do well to re-read our classic Hang Tuah-Hang Jebat legend, and in particular ponder the fate of not only the two protagonists but also the sultan and the Melaka sultanate.
In 1987 when UMNO was split, a consequence of the Mahathir-Razaleigh rivalry, the party was weakened but it survived because it had a strong leader. Early in its history when its first president Datuk Onn left the party, the impact was minimal as the party was strong and it had a cadre of capable young leaders like Datuk Razak. This time however, both the party and its leader are weak.
If party members were to shy away from doing the dirty but necessary job of removing Abdullah from the leadership of UMNO, and thus the Prime Minister’s office, then others would by default remove that office from him, and from UMNO. With every delay, Abdullah (and UMNO) gets weaker while Anwar Ibrahim (and his Pakatan Rakyat) becomes stronger. Read the rest of this entry »
Mahathir ups the ante
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, UMNO on Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Three immediate questions on Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s shock decision to quit Umno:
1. Was it the direct result of the Cabinet decision on the Lingam Video Clip Royal Commission of Inquiry report directing the Attorney-General to investigate Mahathir and five others for any offences committed by them?
2. Was it part of a larger grand plan to escalate pressure both inside and outside Umno to force Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down as Prime Minister and Umno President?
3. Was it an act of desperation at his failure to influence events in Umno so far?
Time will soon tell.
Mahathir’s challenge – dare Abdullah pick up the gauntlet?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Judiciary on Saturday, 17 May 2008
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has challenged the government to charge him following the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video Clip scandal.
Dare the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, pick up the gauntlet?
This is the AFP report of Mahathir’s cdare:
Malaysia’s Mahathir challenges govt to charge him
JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday challenged the government to charge him for his alleged involvement in a judge-fixing scandal during his rule.
The government on Friday released a report that found evidence of an “insidious” conspiracy to influence the appointment of judges and had listed Mahathir, along with other top figures, as being involved.
Following the release of the report, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s cabinet agreed for the attorney-general’s chambers to immediately investigate the allegations against those identified in the report, including Mahathir.
“I welcome it,” the 82-year-old influential leader said at a meeting in southern Johor state.
“I want them to charge me in court. Only then will I have the opportunity to expose more conflicts faced by the judges, including those who have implicated me,” he told reporters. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah putting pressure on AG to prosecute Karpal – bad and dangerous precedent
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, DAP on Saturday, 10 May 2008
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is setting a bad and dangerous precedent in publicly pressurizing the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Gani Patail to charge DAP National Chairman and MP for Bukit Gelugor, Karpal Singh for sedition and turn a legal issue into a political and racial one.
This is the first time in 50 years that a Prime Minister had so flagrantly and blatantly put public pressure on the Attorney-General to prosecute an Opposition leader, making a total mockery of the absolute discretion of the Attorney-General as entrenched in Article 145(3) of the Constitution “to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for an offence, other than proceedings before a Syariah Court, a native court or a court-martial”.
On Thursday, Abdullah said he had instructed Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to lodge a police report against Karpal for making allegedly seditious remarks about the Sultan of Perak when Karpal had reiterated publicly that he had not questioned Sultan Azlan Shah’s prerogatives as the state’s head of religion of Islam.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister has upped the ante by publicly demanding that the Attorney-General speed up the probe against Karpal. Read the rest of this entry »
Belated genuine reforms or just sloganeering?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election, Parliament on Wednesday, 7 May 2008
It is almost two months since the March 8 political tsunami of the 2008 general election which saw the end of Barisan Nasional’s unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority and the loss of state government in five states – Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan.
More than two weeks after the March 8 political tsunami, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi admitted that the result of the elections was a strong message that he “had not moved fast enough in pushing through with the reforms that he had promised to undertake’ when he was given an unprecedented mandate in the 2004 general election winning 91% of the parliamentary seats.
Abdullah said: “I thank the Malaysian people for the message. Point made and point taken.”
It was a sign of the Prime Minister grappling with the serious problem of denial but it was not assuring enough as he had missed the whole point of the March 8 electoral verdict – not that he “had not moved fast enough” in reforms he had pledged more than four years ago, but that he had hardly moved at all apart from reform sloganeering and periodically paying lip service to them.
Have Abdullah and his Cabinet now got the full message of Malaysians in the March 8 political tsunami? Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah could only think of seven priority reform measures…
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Parliament on Thursday, 1 May 2008
Yesterday, my parliamentary question (No. 5 on the Order Paper) asking the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi “to outline the top ten priority reform measures which his government will implement in the next 12 months to demonstrate that he has heard the voices of the people in the March 8, 2008 ‘political tsunami'” was not answered as only three got replied.
From the answer Abdullah would have given (reproduced below), the Prime Minister could only think of seven priority reform measures (many of which are quite unsatisfactory) although he had promised Malaysians wide-ranging reforms since he took over from Tun Dr. Mahathir Mahathir more than four years ago.
May be you can outline more reform measures which deserve Abdullah’s top priority in the next 12 months.
Abdullah’s answer: Read the rest of this entry »
Apportioning The Blame
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Bakri Musa on Monday, 21 April 2008
by M. Bakri Musa
It is tempting – and comforting – to blame everyone for the failure of Prime Minister Abdullah’s leadership, or to take the other extreme and heap the blame entirely on the hapless man.
Both approaches would be inadequate if not wrong. The corollary to “everyone is at fault” is that no one is. That would be a collective “cop out,” an abrogation of personal responsibility. Even if it were that rare instance where everyone is indeed responsible, there would still be the different degrees of culpability that would have to be acknowledged.
Blaming Abdullah entirely would also be inadequate. If nothing else, that would reveal the glaring inadequacies of the system, like its lack of checks and balances.
When a Turkish Airline jet crashed over Paris in 1974 because its cargo door blew out, the blame was not put entirely on the sloppy mechanic – although his negligence was clearly the triggering event – rather on the design flaws that would not indicate when doors were not properly secured. Firing the poor mechanic (though that was done) would not prevent future similar accidents, but improving the design with better indicator lights did.
An insight of modern “failure analysis” is that catastrophes are often not the result of a single major error, rather the cumulative effects of a series of minor mistakes each compounding the other until a critical stress point is reached when the whole thing would blow up. We are all familiar with the story of losing the war for the want of a nut. Read the rest of this entry »
PM’s judicial reform speech – disappointing
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Judiciary on Friday, 18 April 2008
I was disappointed by the speech of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on “Delivering Justice, Renewing Trust” hosted by the Bar Council last night.
I had expected more, much more, than what was announced by Abdullah, viz:
• Ex-gratia payment for “the pain and loss” suffered by the late Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdoolcader and Tan Sri Wan Suleiman Pawanteh and their families, Tun Salleh Abas, Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin, Tan Sri Wan Hamzah Mohamed Salleh and Datuk George Seah in the 1988 Judicial Crisis. .
• A Judicial Appointments Commission;
• Review of the judiciary’s terms of service and remuneration to ensure that the Bench can attract and retain the very best of the nation’s talent.
The thunderous and prolonged applause which greeted Abdullah’s recognition of the “contributions of these six judges to the nation, their commitment towards upholding justice” and acknowledgement of “ the pain and loss they have endured” in the 1988 judicial crisis cannot hide the general disappointment that the Prime Minister had fallen far short of expectations to ensure a fair and just closure to the Mother of Judicial Crisis in 1988.
It is precisely because the “contributions, pain and loss” of the six wronged judges cannot be equated with mere currency that the ex gratia payment is grossly inadequate. The six wronged judges deserve a full and proper recompense.
Furthermore, the victims of the 1988 “Mother of Judiclal Crisis” and the series of one judicial crisis after another which rocked the nation for two decades were not just the six wronged judges, but the Malaysian people and nation for 20 years because of the ravages to the system of justice which became a laughing stock to Malaysians and the world. Read the rest of this entry »
DAP welcomes signs of imminent judicial reforms
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Judiciary on Wednesday, 16 April 2008
DAP welcomes developments indicating that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is finally prepared to carry out long-overdue reforms to take the first step to restore national and international confidence in the independence, impartiality, integrity and quality of the judiciary.
I have been calling for judicial reforms both in and outside Parliament in the past two decades when the country reeled from one judiciary crisis to another since the “Mother of Judicial Crisis” in 1988 with the arbitrary sacking of Tun Salleh Abas as Lord President and two Supreme Court Judges, the late Tan Sri Wan Suleiman Pawanteh and Datuk George Seah as Supreme Court judges, and the victimization of independent-minded judges.
Abdullah should not take half-hearted measures but must initiate far-reaching judicial reforms to restore the Malaysian judiciary to its world-class pedestal which it had enjoyed since Independence in 1957 until two decades ago. Read the rest of this entry »
Targeting The Biggest Ass
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Bakri Musa, UMNO on Monday, 14 April 2008
by Bakri Musa
Johore UMNO leaders had apparently told Prime Minister Abdullah that he must have a succession plan that is “structured, smooth and speedy.” This three “S” strategy missed targeting the biggest ass of all, Abdullah himself. The initiative had more to do with saving Abdullah’s “face” than with solving the grave problems confronting the party.
If UMNO members and leaders were serious, they would focus on getting this harsh and unadulterated message straight to Abdullah: He is unfit to lead the party and country. He has clearly demonstrated this through his deeds (or lack of them) and words. The man is a habitual liar; he cannot separate fact from fiction and distinguish reality from fantasy.
Abdullah’s idea of taking responsibility for his party’s electoral debacle is merely to utter that statement. He has no inkling of what it means to accept responsibility.
Abdullah’s pleading that he is needed to “revive” the party is laughable and self serving. If he could not pilot his ship of state competently when it was calm, there is no hope that he would be any more capable when it is now stormy, and threatening to get even more so every day. Abdullah is the problem, and a very huge one at that. Consequently his moving out would be a big part of the solution. It would not solve everything of course, but it would remove a major impediment.
His “leadership” has been nothing more than endless sloganeering (Work with me, not for me!”), like the leader caricatured in Shahnon Ahmad’s short story, “Ungkapan” (Sloganeering).
Having grown accustomed to the perks and trappings of his office, Abdullah will not leave voluntarily, much less gracefully. He has to be literally dragged out. Subtleties and hints will not work on this man. He is too dumb to read the signals. He is also insulated, surrounded by courtiers ever willing to spin bad news. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah found belated political will or just “reform sloganeering” against Mahathir?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Judiciary, Police on Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in Kota Kinabalu yesterday that the reforms promised by Barisan Nasional in its election manifesto will be aggressively pursued.
He said it should be noted that the reforms in the judiciary and police began when he was appointed prime minister and there had been no let up since.
Abdullah said he would not run away from his responsibility of continuing with the reforms despite BN not securing a two-thirds majority in the recent general election and that the effort to fight corruption would also be continued.
He said: “I have implemented many things since I became prime minister but I recognize that people are still not happy.”
Malaysians react with mixed feelings to Abdullah’s promise that there will be no let-up on reforms.
The question Malaysians are asking is whether the Prime Minister will go full steam in reforms to make up for the lost four years or he is just “reform sloganeering” in his open war with his nemesis, Tun Dr. Mahathir. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah fires back at his nemeses
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, UMNO on Monday, 7 April 2008
Pak Lah has finally retaliated – firing back at his chief and unexpected nemesis, his predecessor Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on all fours.
In his broadsides, the Prime Minister and Umno President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also did not spare his other nemeses – Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
However, one snippet of news about yesterday’s “open war” by Abdullah deserves greater attention.
Abdullah announced that Datuk Seri Najib Razak is the natural successor to the Umno presidency, saying: “ I assure you there are no problems between us, and he is the one who will be succeeding me.”
What should pique interest is not the omission by Abdullah as to when such handing over of power will take place, but Najib’s uncharacteristic silence in declining any comment on Abdullah’s assurance when approached by the media after the closed-door briefing for Umno grassroots leaders yesterday.
Does this connote another shifting of power equation in Umno?
Abdullah Badawi As “Practise Prime Minister”
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Bakri Musa on Thursday, 3 April 2008
by Bakri Musa
In his novel Gadis Pantai (“The Girl From The Coast”), Pramoedya Ananta Toer revealed a quaint custom in ancient Malay culture. That is where the lord of the kampong upon reaching adulthood would grab the prettiest village virgin to be his “practise wife.” Then when he becomes sufficiently well honed in his “husbandly” skills or when he gets bored with her, he would toss her out like a piece of soiled rag. He with his now enhanced skills would go on to marry a lady of “proper” background.
I believe that Fate has gifted Malaysians with a “practise prime minister” in the person of Abdullah Badawi. He is so inept, so spineless, and so lacking in ability to make decisions that he practically invites scorn and contempt. Or in Tengku Razaleigh’s words, Abdullah showed a “stunning ineptness in managing … straightforward functions of government.” Today, in the kedai kopi (coffeehouses) even taxi drivers are not hesitant in ridiculing Abdullah.
Granted, some of the criticisms leveled at Abdullah are crude and clumsy, but then so would the village nobleman’s initial experiences with his “practise wife.” The concern is less with finesse and artistry, more with getting it done! With time and practice, rest assured things would only get better!
Once Malaysians have become accustomed to being critical of Abdullah and are unafraid to criticize or even challenge him, then we would toss Abdullah out, as the village nobleman would of his “practise wife.” Malaysians would then be ready for a proper leader. Read the rest of this entry »
Public inquiry into several billions of ringgit of Wang Ehsan “black gold” expenditures in Terengganu
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Good Governance, Judiciary on Friday, 28 March 2008
The constitutional crisis in Terengganu over the appointment of Datuk Ahmad Said as the new Mentri Besar has come to an end with the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi backing off from his original nominee of the former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.
As a result, the front-page article of former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in The Sun on “Role of rulers in picking mentri besar” has been overtaken by events.
However, Mahathir’s views on two ongoing controversies – Wang Ehsan and the judicial crisis – are very pertinent.
On the Wang Ehsan issue, Mahathir wrote:
Terengganu is blessed with petroleum deposits. It should get 5% of the total earning from oil production. The Federal Government; fearing the previous PAS government might use this money wrongly had withheld payment.
But when the Barisan Nasional (BN) regained Terengganu the money, now called “Wang Ehsan”, was lavishly spent by the Federal Government on Terengganu. It is not a small sum. Over these years “Wang Ehsan” totalled several billion.
We know that since the BN regained Terengganu in 2004, all kinds of projects have been developed in Terengganu. This includes The Monsoon Cup, luxury housing for sale to foreigners, Crystal Mosque and theme park, university, etc. Some of these projects are very good but many are totally unnecessary and wasteful.
But what the Terengganu people are saying is that all these mega projects costing billions of Ringgit have been contracted out to people outside Terengganu. Terengganu contractors got practically nothing.
But additionally, they say the contracts all went to one person and they are suspicious that behind this person are members of the first family.The rumours also say that the previous Mentri Besar was responsible for these things happening and of course, they think that he might have benefited financially.
The rumours went on to say that the Prime Minister might have influenced the Mentri Besar into doing wrong things. These are all rumours. It will be quite impossible to prove anything as the perpetrators are skilled in hiding themselves.
This is not good for a Government keen to abolish corruption and be transparent. To clear its name, an investigation should be made.
With former Prime Minister Mahathir coming round to the view that there should be an investigation into the expenditures of Wang Ehsan, Abdullah should take up the challenge to institute a public inquiry on accountability and integrity of expenditures of several billions of ringgit of “black gold” through Wang Ehsan in Terengganu in the past seven years since 2000. Read the rest of this entry »
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