Archive for category Defence
Who’s taking responsibility for Lahad Datu standoff?
Posted by Kit in Defence, Foreign, Hishammuddin, Najib Razak, Police, Sabah on Saturday, 23 February 2013
By Mat Zain Ibrahim | 11:29AM Feb 23, 2013
Malaysiakini
COMMENT Until today, there is not one honourable person who is prepared to take the responsibility for the lapse of security that resulted in the Lahad Datu standoff. Surely there must have been someone put in charge of the area, but has neglected his responsibilities.
If Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is serious about protecting the sovereignty, security and safety of our country and the citizens, he would have caught hold of one or two of the ground commanders and relieved them of their command.
Only then will the rakyat believe that the PM is not only in control but that he is on top of the situation and has his priorities right.
Since nothing of that sort is happening, we can only expect that, eventually, the blame will go to the lowest ranking soldiers, who will be accused of sleeping on the job and for failing to wake up their superiors. And also the constables who have failed to gather the intelligence before the intrusion for actions to be taken before the invaders landed.
This was the position taken by our Najib himself, when he was interviewed at length by reporters from on July 9, 2000, after the Sauk incident.
Read the rest of this entry »
Has the Defence Minister Gone AWOL?
Posted by Kit in Defence, Foreign, Hishammuddin, Najib Razak, Sabah on Friday, 22 February 2013
By Martin Jalleh
When is Najib going to put aside his daily campaigning for 13GE and pay regular visits to meet with people in Lahad Datu to ensure quick resolution of the stand-off with Sulu intruders entering its third week
Posted by Kit in Defence, Foreign, Hishammuddin, Law & Order, Najib Razak, Police on Friday, 22 February 2013
I welcome the visit of the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and his Cabinet entourage to Felda Sahabat 16 in Lahad Datu yesterday to get first-hand view of the stand-off between the Malaysian security forces and the self-proclaimed Royal Army of Sulu.
This is one of the objectives of my visit to Felda Sahabat 16 in Lahat Datuk two days ago, together with the Sabah DAP elected representatives, including DAP Sabah State Chairman and Sabah State Assemblyman for Sri Tanjong, Jimmy Wong Sze Phing, State Vice Chairman Frederick Fung, State Secretary Dr. Edwin Bosi, State Publicity Secretary Chan Foong Hin, MP for Kota Kinabalu Hiew King Cheu, DAP National Assistant Organising Secretary, Vincent Wu.
Our visit to Lahad Datu on Feb. 20 has the following objectives:
- fact-finding mission to ascertain the actual situation on the ground with regard to the standoff;
- to understand the concerns and anxieties of the local population;
- show solidarity with the people in Lahad Datuk affected by the stand-off; and
- send clear and categorical message to the Federal and Sabah state governments, in particular the Prime Minister and the Sabah Chief Minister, to give priority to the stand-off to ensure a speedy resolution because of the manifold problems it has created for the Sabah people.
I am glad that we have achieved this objective as far as the Sabah state government is concerned, for immediately on the following day of our visit, the Sabah Chief Minister and his Cabinet entourage had visited Felda Sahabat 16 to get a briefing at the General Operations Force (GOF) security post there. Read the rest of this entry »
Tweets from the government’s standoff with 150 Sulu intruders in Lahad Datu
Posted by Kit in Defence, Hishammuddin, Law & Order, Najib Razak, Sabah, Twitter on Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Tweets from @limkitsiang
On fact-finding mission on 12day standoff w some 100 intruders claiming 2b Royal Sulu Army w JimmyWong Edwin HiewKC FredFung ChanHK Wu etc
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 12:43
Not only Sabahans Msians v concerned abt standoff in Kg Tanduo (13km away but sealed off by police) LahatDatu n Bandar Cenderawasih ppl too
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 12:57
This is bcos nation’s sovereignty n security undermined by intrusion/standoff – not what Hishammuddin said yesterday, yet 2b threatened!
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 13:16
Y has Najib not visited LahadDatu 2highlight Fed govt’s seriousness 2resolve issue speedily? Shd even convene emergency Parliament on issue!
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 13:20
Also convene urgent Sabah State Assembly. Najib shd direct Home/Defence Ministers 2give regular briefings 2update MPs/Sabah SAs on updates
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 14:25
Intrusion/standoff poor reflection on security capabilities when every year MPs approved tens of billions of RM 4 Home/Defence ministries
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 14:32
How did the ragtag Suluk militants get past Msian marines, Navy Army n Police? What for 2 multi billion-RM Scorpene Submarines in Sepanggar?
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 14:38
Back 2Lahat Datu – 6hrs on road 2day n another 2hrs back 2Tawau. Then flight 2KL. LahadDatu/Sabah right 2demand Najib give top attn 2them
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 15:01
Bcos of info blackout on standoff, all sorts of rumours in Sabah incl baseless 1am riot 2day in KK LahadD n Keningau reported by BorneoPost
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 15:21
1Q – Govt acted immediately 2deport Aussie senator Xenophon as enemy of state yet helpless w 150 Sulu intruders who r x friends of state. Y?
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 15:43
With intrusion/12day standoff another reason why Msia has become int laughing stock, can Hisham continue 2 claim Msia safest country in SEA?
Wednesday, 20 February, 2013 15:59
Full weight of law must fall on Lahad Datu intruders
by Mat Zain Ibrahim
Malaysiakini
Feb 18, 2013
COMMENT
‘The Sulu Sultanate invasion of Lahad Datu.’ This is the term I consider most appropriate to define the standoff between some 100 heavily armed intruders from the now defunct Sultanate of Sulu and the Malaysian security forces in Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu.
The intruders have made clear that they are there to stay for as long as necessary and more of their kind will be joining them to claim a piece of Sabah that they perceive to belong to their ancestors.
They have also made it clear they are not going to budge, even when threatened with deportation.
If the first batch of 100 or more can infiltrate into our territories without being detected by our security forces, then their back-up forces can row their boats across easily, without any resistance as well.
There was, without any doubt, a security lapse in Sabah waters.
There wouldn’t have been an intrusion of such magnitude otherwise. Read the rest of this entry »
Lahad Datu 400 stay put
The Sun Daily
Posted on 18 February 2013 – 09:08pm
MANILA (Feb 18, 2013): Followers of a Philippine sultan who crossed to Sabah this month will not leave and are reclaiming the area as their ancestral territory amid a tense standoff, the sultan said.
Sultan Jamalul Kiram said his followers – some 400 people including 20 gunmen – were resolute in staying despite being cornered by security forces, with the Malaysian government insisting the group return to the Philippines.
“Why should we leave our own home? In fact, they (the Malaysians) are paying rent (to us),” he told reporters in Manila.
“Our followers will stay in (the Sabah town of) Lahad Datu. Nobody will be sent to the Philippines. Sabah is our home,” he said.
The sultan did not directly threaten violence but said, “there will be no turning back for us”. Read the rest of this entry »
The two faces of Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Defence, Elections, Hishammuddin, Mariam Mokhtar, Najib Razak, Sabah on Tuesday, 19 February 2013
by Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
Feb 18, 2013
Like a coin, Malaysia has two sides; the tourist experiences a tropical idyll, a shopping paradise and gastronomic delights, but the man in the street sees the obverse.
azlanIn the markets, housewives moan about the increasing prices of everyday food items, but at any Malaysian Airlines check-in counter in London, New York, Dubai or Sydney, one can see Malaysian officials and their spouses deposit box after box of shopping. It is alleged that they seldom pay excess baggage charges.
To say that Malaysia is a nation in chaos is an understatement. Minister after minister shows levels of incompetency that any half-decent company would never permit. Who runs the country? Who is in charge? Is Malaysia like an air plane cruising on auto-pilot until it crashes when it runs out of fuel?
While ministers are busy playing politics, the country is going to ruin. In Sabah, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s ‘Project M’, made illegal immigrants instant citizens of Malaysia. Last week, more than 100 armed foreigners breezed in and occupied a village, without any resistance.
Elsewhere in Malaysia, people of distinction, whose only weapons are truth and the tenets of justice and democracy, are harassed and discouraged from entering Malaysia, or are deported. These people include a French lawyer acting on behalf of Suaram, a British lawyer acting on behalf of Hindraf, Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand and Australian Senator Nick Xenophon. Read the rest of this entry »
RM160m to solve Najib’s problem?
Posted by Kit in Defence, Good Governance, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | January 8, 2013
Free Malaysia Today
The object of the whole LTAT exercise seems to be to save Raja Ropiah, people from Mindef and even LTAT – players who may all have a hand in the exercise.
COMMENT
You know how government-linked companies (GLCs) screws us? In order to deceive people, they build themselves a byzantine maze with sister companies, brother companies, son-companies, grandson-companies and great-great grandson companies.
It will take a financial sleuth some time to trace the trail of deception and corruption.
Take the maze of companies involved in the Deepak Jaikishan-Raja Ropiaah Abdullah scam.
LTAT (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera) is the parent company. Boustead Holdings Bhd is the son-company. Baktiwira is the grandson company. And Jendela Hikmat is the great-great grandson company. Then there is Guppyunit
Umno has a system already in place. At every level, an Umno GLC infuses the culture of deception and corruption. Every level it skims off the milk.
The question is, why is LTAT so friendly with Raja Ropiaah? Why is Raja Ropiaah so special to Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and its minister then?
One thing is known. The object of the whole LTAT exercise seems to be to save Raja Ropiaah, the people from Mindef and even LTAT – players who may all have a hand in the exercise. Read the rest of this entry »
Suaram, Scorpene, Altantuya dan dana asing
Posted by Kit in civil society/NGOs, Corruption, Defence on Tuesday, 25 September 2012
— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 24, 2012
24 SEPT — Isu Suaram dengan tuduhan terhadapnya mendapat bantuan dana asing hebat dimainkan oleh pihak BN. Selepas ini tidak tahu apa pula yang akan dihadapi oleh Suaram dan NGO-NGO yang lain yang tidak sebulu dengan pihak yang berkuasa. Najib berkata biarkan pihak yang berkuasa melakukan penyiasatan. Katanya, lagi kurang kita bercakap lagi baik.
Tindakan berkuasa terhadap Suaram bukanlah satu isu mengejutkan kerana Suaram membuatkan ada pihak yang “mandi tak basah dan tidur tidak lena” dibuatnya. Suaram ada isu yang besar yang diketengahkannya dan ia melibatkan pemimpin-pemimpin dan kroninya dalam isu komisyen pembelian Scorpene yang besar itu. Isu komisyen itu menghasilkan pembunuhan Altantuya Shaariibuu, seorang wanita jelita yang dikatakan berkaitan dengan pemimpin besar negara kita.
Isu Altantuya tidak dapat tidak terpaksa dibongkar. Isu pembayaran komisyen Scorpene dan Altantuya itu kait mengait dan kedua-dua isu itu tidak dapat dipisahkan jika kita mahu menyiasat salah satu darinya. Siasat satu akan melibatkan lagi satu isu dan kedua-dua isu itu merupakan isu yang akan membabitkan tindakan jenayah pihak-pihak tertentu yang berada di atas persada kuasa negara kita. Read the rest of this entry »
Scopene Submarines Purchase and Murder Scandal
Posted by Kit in Crime, Defence, Financial Scandals on Monday, 24 September 2012
A brief summary
by Koon Yew Yin
September 24, 2012
Pakatan Rakyat has invited Suaram to talk about the Scopene Submarines Purchase and the Murder scandal at 8PM at Hotel Excelsior , Ipoh on Sunday, 30th Sept 2012. My purpose of writing this summary is to help the attendees understand the talk better. As you know Suaram needs money to do the work for us in exposing the corruption and murder involved. We are expected to donate whatever we like at the admission.
In November of 2009, Suaram, the Kuala Lumpur-based human rights NGO, asked a French investigative law firm to look into what appeared to be huge bribes and kickbacks paid to Malaysian politicians by the French state-owned defence company DCN and its subsidiaries for the 2002 purchase of two submarines and the lease of a third.
The story was complicated by the sensational 2006 death of a Mongolian translator and party girl, Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was shot by two of then-Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak’s bodyguards and her body was blown up with military explosives. While the bodyguards were convicted of her killing, the court appeared to have actively suppressed any mention of who allegedly paid the two to kill her, raising Suaram’s concerns that there would be no justice delivered. Read the rest of this entry »
Amnesty sees link between SUARAM shakedown, Scorpene scandal
Posted by Kit in civil society/NGOs, Defence on Sunday, 23 September 2012
By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 22, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 ― Global rights watchdog Amnesty International raised suspicion today over the timing of Putrajaya’s sudden interest in SUARAM’s operations, noting that authorities began probing the group soon after it revealed that a close associate of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had sold Malaysian naval secrets to France.
The revelation was made by French lawyer Joseph Breham, who is acting for Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) in the ongoing inquiry on the Scorpene submarine scandal in Paris, during a May 30 press conference in Bangkok.
“Amnesty is concerned that the recent government actions against SUARAM appear to be linked to the organisation’s legitimate work, in particular a corruption case which it has brought before the French courts.
“The government began these actions against SUARAM four weeks after the organisation disclosed new information from documents made available by the French public prosecutor’s office, which implicate Malaysian officials in the corruption allegations,” AI said in a statement here. Read the rest of this entry »
MACC must break its silence on the corruption-cum-treason case of selling Navy secrets to foreigners in connection with the purchase of the Scorpene submarines
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Defence, Parliament on Friday, 1 June 2012
Yesterday, public confidence in the professionalism, independence, impartiality and integrity of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) reached a new low 41 months after it was elevated from its former form as Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) with greatly expanded powers, budget and staffing.
Members of Parliament and Malaysians were promised when the MACC Bill was debated in Parliament in December 2008 that the MACC was going to become another ICAC (Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption) respected world-wide for its uncompromising and no-nonsense commitment against corruption without fear or favour for position, status or influence.
Instead, MACC continues to be a standing joke as it has not been able to
to shake off its early image as a tool of the Barisan Nasional to hound and persecute Pakatan Rakyat leaders and establish its reputation as a fearless, uncompromising and dedicated graft-fighter, whether against ikan bilis or ikan yu.
MACC harvested many media headlines yesterday, including:
“MACC clears Shahrizat of NFC contract, loan award”;
“Anti-graft panel wants Azmin probe re-opened”; and
“Probes against Taib, Musa yet to be resolved”. Read the rest of this entry »
RELA – PM Najib’s final line of defence?
Posted by Kit in Defence, Najib Razak on Sunday, 29 January 2012
Mohd Arshad Raji
Retirerd army officer
PM Najib says that there are 2.8 million RELA (Paramilitary People’s Volunteer Corps) in the country (Malaysia Chronicles, Saturday 28 Jan). That is a much bloated figure that far outmatched the collective strength of the Armed Forces and the Police put together. From my reading, there are only 500,000 odd Rela members.
Now, how and where did PM Najib pluck this number from? Does he not know what it takes to maintain such a large force? I think this figure even doubles that of the Indian Army. If indeed there are 2.8 million RELA members, then we don’t really need the Armed Forces and the Police…….. Just disband them and let the RELA take over the defence and security of the country. And with that kind of number, there wouldn’t be any more thieves, murderers and illegals in this country. Everything will be safe and sound, and it may cause some concern to all the neighbouring regional states.
And what really scares me was when PM Najib said that “when the chips are down, RELA will be with this government to defend the country”. What ‘chips’ is he referring to, and what is the threat that the government is trying to defend……external or internal security threat or a political threat from the opposition. Read the rest of this entry »
Manglish or Bahasa rojak. How can?
Posted by Kit in Defence, English, Mariam Mokhtar on Friday, 27 January 2012
Mariam Mokhtar | January 27, 2012
Free Malaysia Today
The inexcusable translation in our government departments is not just a question of lack of professionalism and education but, more importantly, of attitude, especially of those at the top.
Throughout Malaysia’s arms spending history, the government has forked out billions on defence procurement while millions more have allegedly been used for commissions and backhanders.
And yet the defence ministry does not see fit to apportion a tiny fraction of its massive budget on the services of a translator.
It cannot be a lack of funds or a scarcity of translators. Is it an aversion which started after one high-profile translator connected to a particular defence purchase met an untimely end?
When the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) posted its error-riddled translation on its English website to describe the dress code appropriate for staff, it received extraordinary attention on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
The translations ranged from the painful sounding “Clothes that poke eye” to the more serious safety connotation of the “Malaysian Government take drastic measures to increase the level of any national security threat”.
Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi admitted that his ministry had utilised the free Google online translator. He subsequently ordered the site to be removed temporarily. It is easy to blame Google. Read the rest of this entry »
Politicians demand Putrajaya explain RM9b nod for six patrol ships
Posted by Kit in Defence, Good Governance, Najib Razak on Sunday, 18 December 2011
By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 18, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak must justify his government’s purchase of six patrol ships for a whopping RM9 billion, an increase of RM3 billion from the original RM6 billion approved earlier this year, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang demanded.
The opposition politician rang the alarm after a local shipbuilder said it won a RM9 billion “letter of award” from the Defence Ministry late last Friday.
Lim said the PM had promised full transparency in government procurement projects and must now take responsibility and explain the price hike. — file pic“Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd had received the Letter of Award dated 16 December 2011 from the Ministry of Defence Malaysia for the Contract to design, construct, equip, install, commission, integrate, test and trials, and deliver six units of ‘Second Generation Patrol Vessels Littoral Combat Ships (Frigate Class)’.
“The Contract carries a ceiling of RM9.0 billion, to be implemented over three Malaysia Plans, 10, 11 and 12. The delivery of the First of Class ship is estimated in 2017 with follow on ships every six months thereafter,” Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Bhd (BHIC) said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia.
Lim said the prime minister had promised full transparency in government procurement projects and must now take responsibility and explain the price hike.
“Justify the increase. Was the contract open to tender? The basic rules of integrity and accountability should be followed,” the Ipoh Timur MP told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysian procurement system riddled with corruption, says US cable
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Defence, Good Governance on Friday, 9 September 2011
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 09, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 — The seedy and allegedly corrupt side of Malaysia’s defence procurement has been laid bare in a US embassy cable, with startling revelations on how Umno politicians, agents, civil servants and military officials receive 30 per cent “commission” on deals.
In a note on the opaque procurement system here revealed by whistleblower site Wikileaks, the US embassy noted that American companies operating here had three main complaints about the system: the lack of transparency, outright corruption, and Bumiputera requirements.
The undated cable sent during the Abdullah administration between 2004 and 2009 also noted that many government tenders do not follow procurement rules.
A US aerospace executive told the US embassy here defence deals were done through shadowy agreements with no tendering process. For example, the then-Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s (picture) sister-in-law arranged a US$400 million (RM1.2 billion) contract to buy military cargo aircraft from Airbus.
The deal was announced following Abdullah’s return from a trip to France. Read the rest of this entry »
The making of a hero out of our own stupidity
By Mohd Arshad Raji
September 5, 2011
I received this distressing email from a colleague regarding the death of Bernama’s cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor who was shot while on UMNO Putra’s humanitarian mission in famine stricken Somalia. For those Malaysian soldiers that had served Somalia during the troubled period of the early 90’s would know the dangers fronting them, and UMNO Putra’s humanitarian mission in that god forsaken failed state is to my mind a total waste of time and effort. Noramfaizul’s death was in vain and there is no denying this, and to declare Noramfaizul’s a hero now is the making of UMNO Putra’s own stupidity. Read the rest of this entry »
Lest we forget
By Masterwordsmith |August 14, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
AUG 14 — While Malaysians express outrage about the RM8-RM9 billion MAS scandal and the ‘reverse takeover’ of the national airline company through Air Asia — which is another multi-billion ‘backdoor asset stripping’ exercise — lets us not forget the RM6-RM7 billion patrol boat fiasco. As Dr Mahathir said: Melayu mudah lupa. Well, let us not lupa this.
In February ‘11, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced via a Bernama statement that the government has agreed to allocate RM6bil to build six second generation patrol vessels for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The rationale given for the expenditure was to “boost the economy while benefiting 632 vendor companies”. The Defence Minister clarified that they would ensure that “at least RM2bil of the allocation will benefit these vendor companies which are strategic partners of Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd”. Then, many Malaysians were up in arms after that disclosure.
In October last year, The Star reported that the construction of six patrol vessels by Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC), a maritime engineering and defence-related services provider, may only begin as early as the fourth quarter of this year. Analysts estimated it would take another year before BHIC’s letter of intent (LOI) is firmed up and construction of the patrol vessels begin.
Read the rest of this entry »
Resign Or Snap Election For Najib, Here’re The Reasons
Posted by Kit in Bersih, Corruption, Crime, Defence, Mahathir, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak, Razaleigh Hamzah, UMNO on Thursday, 28 July 2011
As much as I would like to stop writing about PM Najib administration, the plot just got interesting and I think he may just hit the bull’s eye as far as my prediction that his downfall may be faster than his predecessor, Abdullah Badawi, is concerned. Compared with Najib, Badawi now seems like a cute adorable little kitten, who merely likes to sleep (on the job). Malaysians tend to be more forgiving on lazy prime minister but not a prime minister who lies, cheats, brutal, dirty (allegation on Mongolian Altantuya’s murder), hypocrite but above all stupid yet arrogant.
One cannot help but fell off the chair laughing after read that Najib said he cancels a family vacation because he wants to spend more time with Malaysians. This was perhaps the best joke ever by premier Najib since he took over from Abdullah Badawi. This joke actually worth a thousand “Like” on his facebook page. Forget about Bersih 2.0 because this guy may quit under pressure – not from opposition parties or Bersih 2.0 but from his internal UMNO party. Boy, if it was true that the US$24 million controversial diamond ring indeed belongs to his wife Rosmah Mansor, that ring is cursed.
Read the rest of this entry »
Public sees Najib as guilty in Scorpene deal, says Pakatan
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Defence, Najib Razak on Saturday, 23 July 2011
By Clara Chooi
July 23, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders today warned Datuk Seri Najib Razak that the move to deport French lawyer William Bourdon last night has only confirmed his guilt in the eyes of the public.
They told the prime minister that chasing Bourdon out of Malaysia would not absolve him of blame but, instead, would resurrect the ghost of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaaribuu.
Altantuya, who was killed in 2006 and blown up with C4 explosives, has been linked to the government’s controversial RM7 billion Scorpene submarines purchase from French defence company DCNS which is now under probe in France. The purchase was made while Najib headed the Defence Ministry.
Bourdon, who is handling the case in France, was held by immigration officers yesterday morning upon landing at the KLIA in Sepang from Penang where he had briefed an audience on the progress of the probe. Read the rest of this entry »
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