Archive for category Financial Scandals
Scandal in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Wall Street Journal
July 5, 2015
Evidence that a state-owned fund diverted money to the Prime Minister.
The Journal broke the news Friday that Malaysian government investigators have discovered evidence of potential corruption involving Prime Minister Najib Razak. Almost $700 million linked to the state-owned investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, was allegedly transferred into his personal accounts. Neither the original source or ultimate destination of the money is clear.
Mr. Najib’s office put out a statement that “there have been concerted efforts by certain individuals to undermine confidence in our economy, tarnish the government and remove a democratically-elected prime minister.” It called the Journal article a “continuation of this political sabotage.”
The size of the alleged diversion is shocking, but the abuse of public entities for private gain is politics as usual in Malaysia. The scandal is a case study in the effects of one-party rule by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) on the country’s institutions. Read the rest of this entry »
With demand for Najib to go on leave as Prime Minister pending investigations becoming increasingly more urgent and insistent, it is Najib’s loss if he does not use the ideal platform of the meeting of progressive MPs in Parliament tomorrow to categorically clear himself WSJ allegation of embezzlement
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Monday, 6 July 2015
The demand for Datuk Seri Najib Razak to go on leave as Prime Minister, and even to be prosecuted for criminal offences under the law have grown more urgent and insistent.
Divisions and relations in UMNO ranks are also becoming increasingly brittle, confrontational and even hostile.
Yesterday, another UMNO Minister who is also UMNO Vice President had broken ranks with Najib, joining the Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy UMNO President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in expressing concern and calling for investigations into the Wall Street Journal allegations that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) were routed to the prime minister’s personal bank accounts.
Datuk Shafie Apdal, the Minister for Rural and Regional Development, agreed that the WSJ allegations must be given “serious attention” as it involved Najib’s “image and credibility as prime minister”.
He even joined the Home Minister, another UMNO Vice President, in urging Najib to take legal action if the accusation and claim is untrue to clear the government of negative perception not only among the rakyat but also the international community.
Yesterday, even former Malacca Chief Minister, Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik called on Najib to temporarily vacate the Prime Minister’s post while the authorities investigate the WSJ allegations – until he is cleared in the investigations.
But the most serious development is the call by Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIA) students in rallying behind Muhyiddin, urging him to take temporary control of the government. Read the rest of this entry »
Can Najib Razak Survive 1MDB Scandal?
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Monday, 6 July 2015
Chris Wright | Contributor
7/05/2015 @ 5:28PM
Forbes
Najib Razak, Malaysia’s Prime Minister since 2009, is facing the greatest challenge of his leadership – and even the risk of criminal charges.
As we reported last week, Najib has been embroiled in the scandal surrounding the state investment fund 1MDB. The fund was already an embarrassment to him – not only has it run up $US11.6 billion in debts and attracted inquiries by four different institutions, from the auditor-general to the police, but Najib himself chairs the fund’s advisory board. But on top of that, last week he was alleged by the Wall Street Journal to have received almost $700 million of transfers from the fund into his personal bank accounts, much of it during an election campaign.
Read the rest of this entry »
Meeting of progressive MPs in Parliament at noon tomorrow provides ideal platform for Najib to clear himself of WSJ allegation of embezzlement – and the Prime Minister is most welcome
Posted by Kit in Crime, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak, Parliament on Monday, 6 July 2015
The meeting of progressive Members of Parliament in Parliament at noon tomorrow provides an ideal platform for the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to clear himself of the Wall Street Journal allegation of embezzlement – and Najib is most welcome to make use of the platform.
Progressive MPs are meeting in Parliament tomorrow on the theme “Quo Vadis Malaysia with a Prime Minister accused of embezzlement” because responsible and patriotic MPs are most disturbed and shocked by the Wall Street Journal report last Friday that Malaysian investigators have found almost US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) of 1MDB’s funds have been deposited into Najib’s personal bank accounts.
The Wall Street Journal allegation has shaken Malaysian body politics to its very core for two reasons:
• No categorical denial by the Prime Minister of the existence of such personal bank accounts or the deposit of some US$700 million (RM2.6 million) funds into the personal bank accounts in the past three days in an information era which operates on 24/7 basis;
• Confirmation by the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail that he has viewed documents collected by a government special task force quartet comprising Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) relating to the alleged transfer of 1MDB funds into Najib’s bank accounts.
Citizen Nades – We don’t assume anything
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Media, Zahid on Monday, 6 July 2015
R. Nadeswaran
Sun
5 July 2015
ON the outset, a qualification has to be made. I have worked with the owner of The Edge, Tong Kooi Ong, when he was briefly the executive vice-chairman of the Sun Media Group. Ho Kay Tat, the publisher of The Edge, and I honed our skills as journalists in Balai Berita in the eighties.
Both these men were involved in the transition of this publication from a subscription-based one to a free newspaper in 2004. Both men had news sense and the business acumen to go with it. They were professional and took a hands-on approach but never micro-managed. They gave journalists the freedom to write with one caveat – get your facts before even attempting to write the story.
Over the years, the many big stories that theSun broke including the PKFZ fiasco, Zakaria’s Palace and Paya Indah Wetlands went through several layers of scrutiny before they were published.
But today’s column is not on them or personalities. It is on an issue close to the hearts of all who identify themselves as media people – reporters, journalists, columnists, editors and above all – owners and publishers.
To one who has been following the 1MDB saga over the past few months and occasionally commenting on it in passing, so many facts and figures have emerged. Read the rest of this entry »
Has Gani Patail joined Mahathir’s camp in the “political sabotage” of Najib when the AG confirmed that government probe on 1MDB had found documentary evidence on the RM2.6 billion deposit into Najib’s private account?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Crime, Financial Scandals, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Monday, 6 July 2015
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak blamed his predecessor and one-time patron, Tun Dr. Mahathir of being the “mastermind” for the latest allegation of him siphoning money from 1MDB.
Najib said he believe that Mahathir, “working hand in glove with foreign nationals, including the now discredited political attack blog Sarawak Report, is behind the latest lie”.
The Prime Minister made this accusation in reference to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report on Friday which alleged that US$700 million (RM2.6 million) of 1MDB’s fund was deposited into the Prime Minister’s private account.
Najib declared that he had never taken the government’s money for personal gain.
He said the latest allegation is part of a series of “unsubstantiated and many simply outrageous” claims made against him and his family when he refused to implement Mahathir’s personal demands.
Najib said: “I refused, because I do not believe it is right for Malaysia to be ruled by proxy.”
Nobody knows what Najib is actually referring to with regard to Mahathir’s personal agenda, as it is for him to spell out Mahathir’s “personal demands” for the public to judge whether to believe the Prime Minister or the former Prime Minister.
However, I am not the only one in Malaysia who, in the last five years, had been bamboozled and bewildered by one of the longest and elaborate “smoke and mirrors” displays in the nation’s history – the RM42 billion MDB financial scandal. Read the rest of this entry »
Progresive MPs to meet in Parliament on Tuesday on “Quo Vadis Malaysia with a Prime Minister accused of embezzlement not only by Wall Street Journal but by government probe”
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Najib Razak, Parliament on Sunday, 5 July 2015
For the past two days, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report yesterday that Malaysian investigators have found almost US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) of 1MDB’s funds have been deposited into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts have shaken the Malaysian body politics to its very core.
Overnight, Malaysian politics underwent a sea-change and Malaysian politics will never be the same again, before and after the WSJ Report “Investigators Believe Money Flowed to Malaysian Leaders’ Accounts Amid 1MDB Probe” on Friday.
Everyone is back to the drawing board, to compute anew what are the political possibilities of the country.
Three events of such a sea-change in Malaysian politics in the last 24 hours are: Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia Probe Says It Has Found Documents Tied to Alleged Transfers to Premier
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Sunday, 5 July 2015
Wall Street Journal
July 4, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Malaysia’s attorney general said an official investigation into a troubled state investment fund has uncovered documents related to allegations that money was transferred into the personal bank accounts of Prime Minister Najib Razak.
A task force comprising the central bank, the national police and the nation’s anticorruption agency uncovered the documents during a probe of 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, Abdul Gani Patail, the attorney general, said Saturday.
Mr. Abdul Gani said that on Friday the task force had raided the offices of three Malaysian companies linked to 1MDB that allegedly were involved in the transfer of funds to Mr. Najib’s accounts.
“I confirm that I have received documents from the special task force related to 1MDB, including documents related to the allegations of channeling of funds to accounts owned by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak,” Mr. Abdul Gani said. Read the rest of this entry »
Why can’t Najib just say “yes” or “no” to the grave WSJ allegation that almost US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) were deposited into Najib’s personal accounts before the 13th General Election
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Najib Razak, Parliament on Saturday, 4 July 2015
All mainstream media blared that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has vehemently “denied” the report by Wall Street Journal, entitled “Investigators Believe Money Flowed to Malaysian Leader’s Accounts Amid 1MDB Probe”.
But Najib deny the WSJ report?
What Najib said last night was “I have never taken funds for personal gain as alleged by my political opponents – whether from 1MDB, SRC International or other entities, as these companies have confirmed.”
Why can’t Najib just say “yes” or “no” to the grave WSJ allegation that almost US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) were deposited into Najib’s personal accounts before the 13th General Election.
WSJ had reported that documents show that “By far the largest transactions were two deposits of US$620 million and US$61 million in March 2013, during a heated election campaign in Malaysia”.
Is Najib denying that the two deposits of US$620 million and US$61 million were deposited into his personal bank accounts in March 2013, or he is admitting that there were such deposits but he had never taken the funds for personal gain – whatever Najib’s definition of “personal gain”? Read the rest of this entry »
More heads in MARA, including that of Annuar Musa, should roll as the MARA INC property corruption scandal probably cost MARA over RM100 million or more than ten times the total sum and magnitude as initially exposed by The Age
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Good Governance on Saturday, 4 July 2015
For nine days national attention was transfixed by the roiling MARA property corruption scandal which was blown open by the Australian daily, The Age, on June 23, 2015 with its report “Corrupt Malaysia money distorts Melbourne market”, on the outcome of an eight-month Fairfax Media investigation tracing suspicious money flows, court files and corporate records across three continents as part of a global money laundering and bribery scheme turning Australia into an “investment hot spot for the crooked and corrupt”.
The Fairfax Media investigation had zeroed in on MARA Inc’s purchase of the Dudley House property, and found that “greedy local developers and powerful officials overseas” pocketted A$4.75 million (RM13.8 million) in bribes on this single deal.
But this was only the “tip of an iceberg” of the MARA INC property scams in Melbourne, with the Australian Federal Police swinging into action with Operation Carambola after The Age report, raiding houses and seizing computers and files, while the Malaysian authorities continued its Operation Tidak Apa and Business as Usual, with even the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar declaring that there is no element of criminal breach of trust in the MARA property scams in Australia.
Over the next nine days, Malaysians were in turned troubled and shocked by a series of revelations, including:
*Dudley House was only one of four Melbourne properties purchased by MARA Inc where there was gross improprieties involving corruption, money laundering and tax evasion crimes;
*MARA Chairman Annuar Musa, who visited Melbourne in May last year to be briefed about the MARA Inc purchase of the four Melbourne properties, was remiss and negligent in his duties as MARA Chairman in not taking immediate corrective action to stop the hanky-panky in the MARA Inc property purchase corruption scandal; Read the rest of this entry »
Investigators Believe Money Flowed to Malaysian Leader’s Accounts Amid 1MDB Probe
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Saturday, 4 July 2015
By Tom Wright And Simon Clark
Wall Street Journal
July 2, 2015
Prime Minister Najib’s bank accounts are scrutinized in probe of investment fund 1MDB
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Malaysian investigators scrutinizing a controversial government investment fund have traced nearly $700 million of deposits into what investigators believe are the personal bank accounts of Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, according to documents from a government probe.
The investigation documents mark the first time Mr. Najib has been directly connected to the probes into state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB.
Mr. Najib, who founded 1MDB and heads its board of advisors, has been under growing political pressure over the fund, which amassed $11 billion in debt it is struggling to repay.
The government probe documents what investigators believe to be the movement of cash among government agencies, banks and companies linked to 1MDB before it ended up in Mr. Najib’s personal accounts. Documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal include bank transfer forms and flow charts put together by government investigators that reflect their understanding of the path of the cash.
The original source of the money is unclear and the government investigation doesn’t detail what happened to the money that went into Mr. Najib’s personal accounts. Read the rest of this entry »
Could this be the Smoking Gun for Malaysia’s PM?
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Saturday, 4 July 2015
By John Berthelsen
Asia Sentinel
July 3, 2015
Najib said by Wall Street Journal and Sarawak Report to divert US$700 million in 1MDB funds into his own accounts
The publication today, Friday July 3, of devastating articles in the Wall Street Journal and the Sarawak Report tying Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to the diversion of nearly US$700 million from the state-backed 1Malaysia Development Bhd into his own accounts could be the final blow to bring down a leader who has been bullet proof from years of charges against his integrity.
The danger is that there have been so many smoking guns in the past, including detailed evidence by French investigators of bribes to buy French submarines when Najib was defense minister, that yet another won’t matter. Nonetheless, according to the two publications, government investigators in Malaysia have traced the money in deposits from 1MDB into Najib’s personal bank accounts. The investigators’ findings apparently were leaked, possibly through former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has been on a two-year crusade to drive Najib from office and put him in jail.
Given the considerable details of the information now in print, he may well succeed. Indeed sources in Kuala Lumpur have told Asia Sentinel that Mahathir has considerably more information. Attempts to reach the former premier in the past have been uniformly unsuccessful.
“If this is true, it’s a TKO for Najib,” said a Kuala Lumpur-based lawyer. “Go to jail, do not pass go. It looks like the Tun [Mahathir] has dropped the nuke.” Read the rest of this entry »
Najib: Dr M behind WSJ report
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Saturday, 4 July 2015
The Malay Mail Online
Friday July 3, 2015 11:49 PM GMT+8
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak accused Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of working with foreigners to produce the Wall Street Journal report accusing the former of receiving funds from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
In arguably the most direct attack against his most vocal critic, Najib said the latest allegation against him was just another in the series of claims made by Dr Mahathir in his campaign to oust the prime minister.
“The latest allegation is that I have taken state-linked funds for personal gain. I believe Tun, working hand in glove with foreign nationals, including the now discredited political attack blog Sarawak Report, is behind this latest lie,” Najib wrote on Facebook today.
“These attacks began when I refused to implement Tun Mahathir’s personal demands. I refused, because I do not believe it is right for Malaysia to be ruled by proxy.”
Pointing out that all the attacks against him and 1MDB were not been backed by evidence, Najib said it was clear that they were part of a concerted campaign to sabotage and remove him as the democratically-elected prime minister of Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Muhyiddin should ask Najib to go on leave and to let a three-man committee of national elders comprising Tuns Mahathir, Abdullah and Musa to decide whether, and the conditions, for Najib to resume duties as PM before resolution of WSJ allegations
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Friday, 3 July 2015
Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should ask for a meeting with Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak not only behalf of the Cabinet, but also of Parliament and the country to ask him to go on leave as Prime Minister following the sensational allegations of the Wall Street Journal against Najib.
The WSJ allegations that Malaysian investigators have traced nearly US$700 million of deposits into what they believe are personal bank accounts of Najib, marking the first time Najib has been directly connected to investigation into the troubled state investment fund, 1MDB.
“The government probe documents what investigators believe to be the movement of cash among government agencies, banks and companies linked to 1MDB before it ended up in Mr Najib’s personal accounts,” WSJ reports.
“Documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal include bank transfer forms and flow charts put together by government investigators that reflect their understanding of the path of the cash.”
These allegations are most far-reaching in scope and implication, in particular on good governance and public integrity and accountability, plunging the country into an unprecedented crisis which had never been experienced in Malaysia, as no Prime Minister in Malaysia had ever been singled out in the fashion like Najib for Prime Ministerial misconduct. Read the rest of this entry »
Can Najib start by being fair to Malaysians and answer all the questions about the RM42billion 1MDB scandal?
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Media, Najib Razak on Friday, 3 July 2015
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is depressed, complaining that the media had not been fair to him, giving as an example the news reports about Tabung Haji’s purchase of Tun Razak Exchange land from 1MDB on the last day of campaigning for the Permatang Pauh by-election which affected votes.
Either Najib has a short memory or he has again allowed his highly-paid “P.R. consultants” to mislead him, for the news story of Tabung Haji’s purchase of Tun Razak Exchange land broke too late on the social media on the last day of the Permatang Pauh by-election to have significant impact.
This is why all the post-Permatang Pauh by-election result analysis unanimously omitted reference to the impact of the story of the Tabung Haji purchase of TRX land, or Umno/Barisan Nasional would have lost by a shattering margin, with the PKR candidate Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Ismail winning with a majority ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 votes and not just 8,841 votes in the by-election.
I agree that Najib is entitled to fair treatment by the media but what is he doing to ensure that the Barisan Nasional-owned and controlled media, both print and online, are fair to Opposition leaders? Read the rest of this entry »
Cabinet Ministers must individually and collectively explain when and why they had approved a further US$4.71 billion (RM17.8 billion) government guarantee for IPIC loans as latest bailout for 1MDB
Posted by Kit in Finance, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Thursday, 2 July 2015
1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) has lost out in the public argument with DAP MP for PJ Utara, Tony Pua over whether there is a government guarantee amounting to US$4.71 billion (RM17.8 billion) to Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC) with regard to IPIC loans in the latest bailout of IMDB.
This is also the judgment of the founding editor of KiniBiz, P. Gunasegaram who, in his article “A new RM17.8 bil twist in 1MDB ‘guarantee’” on Monday, concluded:
“On all accounts, Pua is right and 1MDB is wrong – it is 1MDB which is misleading the people, not Pua.”
Gunasegaram fully agreed with Pua that IPIC’s statement to London Stock Exchange on 10th June meant that the Ministry of Finance now also assumes the obligation together with 1MDB to transfer assets totalling US$4.71 billion, which means “the MOF is effectively undertaking to fulfil the obligation, not just 1MDB”.
Even Gunasegaram asked: “Why was such an important point not disclosed?” Read the rest of this entry »
Is it the Prime Minister’s idea to direct the Auditor-General to audit the 1MDB accounts accompanied by a secret directive to the AG not to make the interim report public?
Posted by Kit in Auditor-General Report, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak, Parliament on Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Is it the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s idea to direct the Auditor-General to audit the debt-laden 1MDB accounts, accompanied by a secret directive to the Auditor-General not to make the report public?
Such an arrangement defeats the very purpose and principles of an open, accountable and transparent governance which have “Nothing2Hide” as far the controversial 1MDB’s affairs are concerned as well as destroys the original rationale of asking the Auditor-General to vet 1MDB’s finances to demonstrate that the Prime Minister and his Government are prepared to withstand the most intense scrutiny.
Earlier Auditor General, Tan Sri Ambrin Buang has said that the interim report of the audit of the 1MDB would be ready in June.
This is 1st July and the interim report of the Auditor-General on the 1MDB is still being awaited.
The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee Chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamad has said that the Auditor-General’s interim report on the 1MDB would not be made public, but only to be distributed to the PAC members.
This is unsatisfactory and unacceptable. Read the rest of this entry »
Annuar Musa should be sacked as MARA Chairman as he had failed the MARA Vision for MARA to be “an outstanding organization of trust, upholding the nation’s pride” and spearhead new breakthroughs for Bumiputeras
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Good Governance on Wednesday, 1 July 2015
The AGE report last Tuesday (23 June) on the MARA Inc. property scams, particularly over the Dudley International House apartment block in Melbourne, which was acquired with A$22.5 million (RM65.4 million) MARA funds, but involving a bribe of A$4.75 million (RM13.8 million), as well as investigations into MARA Inc’s other Australian properties, has opened up a can of worms of abuses of power, criminal breach of trust and corruption in MARA.
I had earlier asked whether Datuk Seri Annuar Musa would resign as MARA Chairman to take responsibility for MARA’s international corruption scandal and to pioneer a culture of responsibility for government leaders and captains of statutory boards and corporations.
In his response on Saturday, Annuar said there was no need for him to quit over the allegations of corruption of MARA’s property purchases in Australia, as his term as MARA chairperson would expire in two weeks’ time.
True, Annuar’s tenure as MARA Chairman ends on July 18, but the events of the past eight days since The Age expose last Tuesday seem to point inexorably to one conclusion: that Annuar should be sacked as MARA Chairman as he has failed the mission entrusted to him to fulfil the MARA Vision to ensure that under his chairmanship, MARA is an “outstanding organization of trust, upholding the nation’s pride” and spearhead new breakthroughs for bumiputeras in the fields of entrepreneurship, education and investment.
The abuses, malpractices and criminal offences in the MARA property scams in Australia are gross violations of the MARA Vision to be “an outstanding organization of trust, upholding the nation’s pride” – as under Annuar‘s chairmanship, MARA has degenerated into a “disgraceful organisation in criminal breach of trust, representing the nation’s shame” not only in Malaysia but in the international arena!
Even worse, the MARA property corruption scandal has dragged into the international mud not only the reputation of MARA, but also the good name of Malaysia and the Federal Government, as well as the professionalism and integrity of the nation’s anti-corruption agency, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Read the rest of this entry »
What WILL break the camel’s back?
Posted by Kit in DAP, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat on Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Hussein Hamid
30/06/2015
Scandal after scandal but still the ruling party and its leaders continue to hold control over us. What make Malaysians wake up to the rot that is now all around them?
Last week saw the Mara Dudley House corruption story break in Melbourne and the arrest of Xavier Justo Andre in Bangkok. As in all things Malaysian, however tenuous and fragile the link, all things lead back to the Prime Minister Najib Razak – and rightly so.
The troubles that beset Najib’s administration are self inflicted. They are not caused by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar Ibrahim, not by Lim Kit Siang or by Hadi Awang. Nor were the Chinese or the Christians responsible.
The state of the global economy can be labelled a contributing factor only because in good times corruption and bad governance by inept politicians can be ignored or simply papered over as the rakyat’s attention can be distracted by the feel good spending by the government on projects that seemingly benefit the public.
But at a time when money is a premium and the lack of it is already being felt by those most in need of it – the millions being lost through capers such as the Mara Dudley House purchase and the 1MDB stretches the ability of the rakyat to tolerate anymore what Barisan Nasional is doing in the name of government.
The question is without doubt more pressing when the ailing opposition Pakatan Rakyat is in no position to offer a credible alternative. Read the rest of this entry »
Is Shabery prepared to have a debate with Tony Pua on TV on 1MDB to gauge whether Pua has popular support for his sterling role in demanding accountability and transparency in the 1MDB scandal?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak, Parliament on Tuesday, 30 June 2015
The UMNO/Barisan Nasional agenda to remove DAP MP for PJ Utara, Tony Pua from Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearings on the 1MDB scandal is still on stream and seeking to gather greater support, enlisting Ministerial endorsement after the campaign opener by Prime Minister’s choice lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and former Cabinet Minister and PAC Chairman Datuk Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad.
This is why the Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Shabery Cheek has waded into the 1MDB/PAC controversy to spearhead the UMNO/BN guerrilla campaign and tactics demanding that Pua be removed from the PAC hearings on the 1MDB scandal.
Shabery claimed that by his outspokenness on the 1MDB scandal, Pua had “not only shamed the PAC, but also the parliamentary system itself and was no longer qualified to sit in the PAC”.
Shabery was quite hysterical when he charged: “He (Pua) makes biased statements, he should be ashamed, his party should be ashamed, his supporters and those associated with him should also feel ashamed.”
Shabery has indeed made a sorry spectacle of himself.
It is Shabery who should be thoroughly ashamed, and UMNO/BN and the Cabinet who should feel ashamed, for his hysteria and spearheading the UMNO/BN guerrilla campaign and tactics to remove Pua from PAC hearings on 1MDB scandal. Read the rest of this entry »
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