Archive for category Mahathir
Malaysia’s unlikely alliance
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir, Najib Razak, Pakatan Harapan on Thursday, 11 January 2018
Editorial
The Australian
January 10, 2018
Amid the $US4 billion 1MDB corruption scandal surrounding Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government, the need for a strong opposition to contest the next general election, which could take place as soon as March, is incontrovertible. It remains to be seen, however, whether that can be achieved by the previously inconceivable alliance formed between 92-year-old former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and his one-time deputy Anwar Ibrahim, who is serving a second prison term on trumped up sodomy charges.
Dr Mahathir stepped down in 2003 after 22 years of authoritarian rule as leader of the United Malays National Organisation, which has ruled Malaysia exclusively since 1957. UMNO is now led by Mr Najib. Mr Anwar was Dr Mahathir’s deputy when they fell out 20 years ago. Mr Anwar was then targeted ruthlessly with the dubious allegations that saw him jailed.
Yet the two men — Dr Mahathir at the same age Robert Mugabe was when he was deposed, and Mr Anwar from his prison cell — have cobbled together an unlikely arrangement aimed at prising UMNO from its 60-year domination of Malaysia. That nation’s stability is of immense importance to our region, which is why Australia has close defence and security ties with it. Dr Mahathir will lead the campaign of the fractious Pakatan Harapan, Malaysia’s main opposition coalition. Should he win, he will seek a royal pardon to allow Mr Anwar to take over as prime minister. Read the rest of this entry »
Pakatan Harapan will form Royal Commission of Inquiry into 1MDB scandal in the first 100 days and seek international co-operation to clear and cleanse Malaysia of the ignominy and infamy of a global kleptocracy
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Corruption, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Friday, 1 December 2017
Today is the last day of the 2018 Budget meeting of Parliament, where MPs were surprised with the tabling of the 830-page Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Forex Losses by Bank Negara in the 1990s but no debate was allowed in Parliament.
The RCI Report was dated 13th October 2017, when it was presented to the Yang di Pertuan Agong.
Can the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak explain why the RCI Report on the Bank Negara Forex Losses in the 1990s was not presented in Parliament earlier in the intervening seven weeks and why there was no debate in Parliament?
It is obvious that the purpose of the RCI into the Bank Negara Forex Losses in the 1990s was not so much to find out the truth as to the forex losses about a quarter of a century ago, but to distract national attention from the greatest financial scandal in Malaysian and even global history, the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal which for the past few years had continued to make international headlines about its monstrous corruption and criminality involving top Malaysian leaders, including “MALAYSIANN OFFICIAL 1” (MO1)!
The RCI into the Bank Negara Forex Losses in the 1990s had a second objective, to persecute and harass Pakatan Harapan leaders like Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who posed a serious political challenge to Najib – and this is proven by the police report lodged by the RCI Secretary, Dr. Yunus Ismail based on the RCI findings. Read the rest of this entry »
MCA should requisition a Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting to thrash out once and for all whether the UMNO/BN propaganda attack is going to be Mahathir is Lim Kit Siang’s stooge or Lim Kit Siang is Mahahtir’s stooge!
Posted by Kit in Corruption, DAP, Mahathir, Najib Razak, UMNO on Friday, 13 October 2017
I have just read the report on Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad’s blog suggesting that BN should make a decision regarding him and myself, decide who bought who, whether Mahathir has bought me or I had bought Mahathir.
UMNO leaders like the UMNO information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa keep repeating the claim that DAP dominates Pakatan Harapan, but MCA makes the very opposite allegation, accusing me of selling myself and DAP to Bersatu instead.
This is a most ridiculous scenario, and only those who cannot catch up with the times would make such a colossal blunder. Let me tell the UMNO/Barisan Nasional leaders and propagandists that we are in the information era where information travels at the speed of light and not in the stone age or bullock cart era, where it is possible to restrict access to information.
Furthermore, it also highlights the Machiavellian and treacherous character of those responsible for the propaganda and information war of UMNO/BN that they are prepared to say different things to different audiences.
This is one basic difference between the Pakatan Harapan and the Barisan Nasional Coalitions, where the four component parties in Pakatan Harapan, whether DAP, PKR, Amanah or Pribumi Bersatu say the same thing and deliver the same message regardless of audience or location, while the Barisan Nasional component parties are utterly dishonest and hypocritical, with UMNO saying one thing to Malay audience but the MCA saying a completely different versio to the Chinese audience.
This itself would be a powerful reason why the time has come for the UMNO/BN coalition to be replaced, for Malaysia cannot succeed or progress if its leaders say different and even contradictory things to the people depending on the audience, circumstance and location. Read the rest of this entry »
Annuar and the UMNO stooges are all wrong – DAP will not be the Pakatan Harapan party with the largest bloc of MPs from the 165 parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia
When UMNO Supreme Council member and Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Deputy Minister Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman made a false accusation against Tun Mahathir and tried to claim that Mahathir was “injected with DAP’s blood”, everyone including UMNO leaders must be wondering what blood Tajuddin had been injected with because there is not a more foul-mouthed political leader today than Tajuddin who seemed to have no trace of “adab orang Melayu” at all.
Would UMNO Information Chief, Tan Sri Annuar Musa agree with Tajuddin’s analogy of “blood injection” for the improper conduct of UMNO leaders to the extent that they have become the very personifaction not only of kleptocracy but “global kleptocracy”?
Has Annuar been affected by “injected blood” for his ongoing campaign to demonise me and Mahathir, especially in his speech yesterday alleging that the “formidable” and “invincible” politician had been “tamed” by me and that I deserved the title of “political dictator”?
As there is neither logic nor coherence in Annuar’s speech, it may be a good idea for Annuar to go for a blood test! Read the rest of this entry »
I have great differences with Mahathir – but I never called him “mahazalim” or “mahafiraun” – but this is time for all Malaysian patriots to unite to save Malaysia and get rid of kleptocracy
Posted by Kit in DAP, Elections, Mahathir, Pakatan Harapan on Friday, 29 September 2017
I was in Kuching on Sunday night with former Prime Minister and now Chairman of Pakatan Harapan, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad for the launch of the Sarawak Pakatan Harapan, and the support and fervour at the gathering is proof that the country is on the move involving all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, socio-economic status or region, who want to save Malaysia from the trajectory of a failed and a rogue state.
If we love Malaysia, we must unite as Malaysian patriots to save Malaysia from corruption, kleptocracy, injustices, exploitation and the fate of a third-world nation.
Tun Mahathir will speak after me on why we must unite to save Malaysia.
It is public record that Mahathir and I had many great differences during his 22 years as Prime Minister, and Guan Eng and I became “guests of His Majesty’s Government” during his premiership in Operation Lalang dragnet nearly 30 years ago.
But I had never been personal, vengeful or vindictive – I had never called Mahathir “mahafiraun” or “mahazalim” – as our differences were always on government policies and actions. Read the rest of this entry »
What would Samy Vellu think of his son Vell Pari’s statement yesterday virtually condemning his father’s 29-year political legacy as Federal Minister from 1979-2008
I wonder what Tun Samy Vellu think of his son, Vell Pari’s statement yesterday virtually condemning his father’s 29-year political legacy as Federal Minister from 1979-2008.
In his article, “Poser for Dr M’s ‘cheerleader’ – What did ex-PM do for Indians?”, Vell Pari, who is now MIC Treasurer, defended Datuk Seri Najib Razak as “Father of Indian Development” and castigated Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s 22-year premiership and said that the time has come for the government to “revamp the policies of the yester-year dictator”.
He asked what Tun Mahathir had done for the Indians as Prime Minister of Malaysia and posed three questions:
1. Who caused the reduction of Indians within the civil service?
2. Who caused the systematic displacement of Indians from estates and into downtrodden longhouses and shackles they were forced to live in?
3. Who initiated the unfair intake into universities?
These are valid questions, but the best person to answer these questions is none other than Vell Pari’s father, Tun Samy Vellu, who was Federal Minister representing MIC and the Indian community during the whole period of 22 years when Mahathir was Prime Minister – in fact Samy Vellu was Federal Minister before Mahathir became Prime Minister and long after Mahathir had retired as Prime Minister! Read the rest of this entry »
Was RCI into Bank Negara forex losses three decades ago concluded earlier than scheduled to avoid the issue of Najib having to testify why he had opposed my call for an RCI in 1993?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 19 September 2017
A few hours after I issued a statement describing “the continued hearing on Sept. 18 of the farcical Royal Commission of Inquiry into Bank Negara foreign exchange losses a quarter of a century ago, while there is no RCI on the elephant in the room – the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal which turned Malaysia into a global kleptocracy overnight” as the sixth political disaster of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in a week, the Sidek RCI into the Bank Negara forex losses concluded earlier than scheduled.
Was the Sidek RCI into Bank Negara forex losses three decades ago concluded earlier than scheduled to avoid the issue why Najib is not testifying at the RCI to explain why he had opposed my call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Bank Negara forex losses in 1993?
In his testimony before the RCI yesterday, former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad revealed that Najib was among the ministers in a 1993 cabinet meeting who rejected my proposal at the time to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Bank Negara foreign exchange losses.
I had at the time, some a quarter of a century ago, asked the then Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to refer to the Cabinet to set up a RCI on Bank Negara’s forex losses. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib’s sixth mistake in one week: the continued RCI hearings into Bank Negara forex losses a quarter of a century ago while no RCI on the elephant in the room – 1MDB scandal which turned Malaysia into a global kleptocracy overnight
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 19 September 2017
Two days ago, I spoke about Datuk Seri Najib Razak as a very disaster-prone Prime Minister who made history by committing five political disasters within a week.
But I had under-estimated Najib, as I am today writing about Najib’s sixth political disaster within a week, while tomorrow, I will deal with Najib’s seventh political disaster within a week – from Sept. 12 to 19. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysian Leader, Under Corruption Cloud, Will Meet With Trump
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Najib Razak on Sunday, 10 September 2017
By RICHARD C. PADDOCK
New York Times
SEPT. 9, 2017
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — For more than a year, Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia has been under the cloud of a corruption investigation by the United States Department of Justice. On Tuesday, his scheduled visit to see President Trump at the White House may give him a chance to offset the political damage.
The Justice Department had concentrated for more than a year on seizing $1.7 billion in assets, including jewelry, real estate and Hollywood movie rights, that it says Mr. Najib’s family members and associates acquired with money diverted from a Malaysian government fund that he headed.
But in August, the department indicated it would shift its focus to a criminal investigation into the missing money, which is estimated to total more than $3.5 billion. Officials say much of it was laundered through United States financial institutions.
Now, Mr. Trump’s invitation to visit the White House comes at a perfect time for Mr. Najib and could give him a much-needed dose of legitimacy at home as a general election nears. Read the rest of this entry »
UMNO/BN should stop insulting intelligence of Malaysians thinking Malays can be deceived into believing that Mahathir has become my puppet while the Chinese will believe that I have become Mahathir’s stooge
UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers should stop insulting the intelligence of Malaysians thinking Malays can be deceived into believing that Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has become my puppet while the Chinese will believe that I have become Mahathir’s stooge.
Any primary school student will know that it is not possible Mahathir has become my stooge and I have become Mahathir’s puppet, one at the same time.
Furtheremore, both allegations are lies and falsehoods of the most heinous variety.
Mahathir is not my puppet and I am not Mahathir’s stooge. Read the rest of this entry »
Why is the Bank Negara Forex Losses Cabinet Task Force so keen to question Anwar but the Bank Negara Forex Losses RCI so afraid to summon Anwar, who was Finance Minister at the relevant period, to testify?
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Financial Scandals, Good Governance, Mahathir on Thursday, 24 August 2017
One question swirling in the minds of informed Malaysians is why the Cabinet Task Force on Bank Negara Forex Losses half-a-century ago was so keen to question Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim but the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Bank Negara Forex Losses is so afraid to summon Anwar, although Anwar was Finance Minister during a major part of the relevant period being investigated by the RCI –and especially when the Chairman of both probes is the same person!
Anwar’s statement from Sungai Buloh prison makes sad reading for Malaysians who had expected the RCI into the Bank Negara forex losses to function professionally and operate with full accountability and transparency.
Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s cautionary warning today to the RCI on Bank Negara Forex Losses is particularly pertinent in the light of Anwar’s complaints – that the RCI tasked with investigating foreign exchange losses suffered by Bank Negara over two decades ago must follow proper procedures to ensure it does not “blacken” the image of the monarchy.
Mahathir said the image of the monarchy was at stake, as it gives a certain image that is linked to the position of the rulers, and as such a royal commission must follow the rules and regulations and procedures that will not affect the image of royalty, in particular, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Read the rest of this entry »
Considerable merit in Musa’s proposal that a RCI into Memali tragedy be held but after 14th General Election
There is considerable merit in the proposal by the former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Tun Musa Hitam that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the Memali Tragedy in November 1985 which claimed 18 lives be held but after the 14th General Election.
Musa said the RCI should be established after the next general election to prevent it from being abused by politicians for their interests. There is also no need to rush the RCI since the incident occurred more than three decades ago. Read the rest of this entry »
Unfair of UMNO Youth to dislodge me from the UMNO demonology from the pole position as the “musuh utama” of the Malays in favour of Tun Mahathir
I must protest at the unfairness of UMNO Youth dislodging me from the UMNO demonology from the pole position of “musuh utama” (top enemy) of the Malays in favour Tun Mahathir.
Today, the Umno Youth vice-chief Khairul Azwan Harun announced that Tun Mahathir is the “musuh utama” of the Malays as he is working hard to ruin Umno.
For five decades, I had been demonised as the “musuh utama” of the Malays. How can they snatch this “title” from me without any proper consultation with me and award it to Tun Mahathir?
This shows how ridiculous, unfounded and baseless is the whole UMNO demonology of attacking a person as “mush utama” of the Malays.
This is the worst example of the lies, fake news and false information which UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers are using to mislead the Malaysian people. Read the rest of this entry »
The ruckus and pandemonium at the 1MDB “Nothing to Hide 2.0” forum has served to further highlight Najib’s prevarications and dishonesty on the 1MDB scandal which caused Malaysia to be belittled world-wide as global kleptocracy overnight
The ruckus and pandemonium at the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum at Shah Alam on Sunday has served to further highlight the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s prevarications and dishonesty on the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal which caused Malaysia to be belittled world-wide as a global kleptocracy overnight.
If the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum, where the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dared not turn up although he was invited to share the panel with former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, had not been sabotaged, it would just be a footnote in the long saga of multifarious activities and events by loyal and patriotic Malaysians to ensure full accountability and responsibility for the 1MDB scandal.
Now the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum has been elevated as one of key events to demand full accountability and responsibility for the 1MDB scandal, as it has further highlighted both Najib’s role and his evasion of responsibility and full accountability for the kleptocratic scandal.
I fully share the outrage of decent and rational Malaysians at the sabotage of the 1MDB “Nothing to Hide 2.0” forum, and particularly the planned attacks on the 92-year old former premier.
The news portals and social media conveyed many of these outrages. Read the rest of this entry »
Why the tape recording of the Mahathir-Zahid meeting in 2015 has yet to be publicly played?
With the velocity of the Mahathir-Zahid spat showing no let-up, but increasing in intensity with each passing day in the past week since it was triggered by the Deputy Prime Minister and Acting UMNO Deputy President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, an UMNO Johore State Assemblyman, Tengku Putra Haron Aminurrashid Jumat has warned against playing “strip poker” with Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
I do not know what is this UMNO “strip poker” but as is customary wont in UMNO politics nowadays, the DAP is always accused of either masterminding or capitalizing from these UMNO-related political gymnastics or acrobatics. Read the rest of this entry »
Haris Ibrahim and other political activists invited to work with Pakatan Harapan secretariat to prepare the Pakatan Harapan reform agenda to save Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Elections, Mahathir, Najib Razak, Pakatan Harapan on Sunday, 6 August 2017
Haris Ibrahim, a political activist, told Free Malaysia Today news portal today his concern that the reform agenda of the opposition may be set back if PPBM chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is chosen as prime minister in the event that Pakatan Harapan wins the coming general election.
Haris Ibrahim, a longtime advocate of political reform, said it was becoming more and more likely that Mahathir would be prime minister again should Barisan Nasional be toppled.
He was commenting on a recent assessment of Malaysia’s political situation by Global Risk Insights, a publication for political risk news and analysis founded at the London School of Economics.
According to the assessment, Mahathir’s leadership of Pakatan and the fallout from the 1MDB affair could turn the tide against BN in the 14th general election. Read the rest of this entry »
Will Malaysia have a kleptocratic Prime Minister as well as an unconstitutional Chief Justice next week?
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Thursday, 27 July 2017
International reaction to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s keynote address at the 13th Invest Malaysia Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday came quick and fast – that it does not buy the Prime Minister’s latest PR exercise to trot out the Malaysian government’s handling of the political economy in very upbeat and promising terms while trying, for the first time for any Malaysian Prime Minister, to demonise the Opposition, which includes the longest-serving former Prime Minister and two former Deputy Prime Ministers.
This international reaction came in the form of an Opinion piece in yesterday’s South China Morning Post by William Pesek in his article: “Why Mahathir Mohamad is Malaysia’s best hope, and Najib’s worst nightmare”.
The depth of failure of Najib’s “Punch and Judy” speech at the 13th Invest Malaysia conference could be gauged from the fact that the article by William Pesek, author of “Japanization: What the Wolrd can Learn from Japan’s Lost Decades” and columnist/journalist on Asian and global economics, business markets and politics, came out within 24 hours of Najib’s speech with the following six thrusts: Read the rest of this entry »
Why Mahathir Mohamad is Malaysia’s best hope, and Najib’s worst nightmare
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Thursday, 27 July 2017
William Pesek
South China Morning Post
26 July, 2017
OPINION
William Pesek says the newfound Mahathir-Anwar Ibrahim coalition could lead Malaysia out of economic stagnation and, even if Najib Razak plays tough, the good news is it can no longer be business as usual
Twenty years after the financial crisis that devastated Asian economies, Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad still hates currency traders. But the deputy prime minister he fired, and later jailed, during that chaotic period? Not so much.
Mahathir’s 180-degree turn on Anwar Ibrahim is as disorienting as any bromance Asia has seen. What otherworldly force was enough to reunite the 92-year-old firebrand who ruled Malaysia for 22 years and his nemesis? A shared disgust for current Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose corruption scandals have Malaysia in the global headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Since 2009, Najib hasn’t just tarnished the national brand at every turn – he has pursued an agenda ensuring a lost decade for a resource-rich economy that should be booming. Cronyism isn’t new to Malaysia; there was plenty during Mahathir’s 1981-2003 tenure. When Malaysia hit a wall in 1997 along with Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea, its culture of patronage, political ties over merit, and weak institutions sent currency speculators, including George Soros, pouncing on the ringgit. Read the rest of this entry »
Pribumi Bersatu is more Malaysian than UMNO, as former wants Malays to unite and work with other citizens as Malaysians, while the latter wants Malaysians to remain Malays, Chinese and Indians and is even trying to polarize the next elections as a battle between the Malays and Chinese
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s statement yesterday that his party cannot offer the DAP to use its logo as Bersatu must remain a Malay party if the DAP is de-registered which would render the party’s parliamentary and state assembly candidates unable to use the Rocket logo is being exploited by many quarters against the DAP.
Mahathir defended his stance as necessary in order to appeal to the Malay electorate.
He argued that Harapan’s past approach under its predecessor Pakatan Rakyat in 2013 failed to gain sufficient Malay support.
He said: “Whether we like it or not, the Malays are still very communal, which was why they are supporting Umno.
“If they see a multi-racial party, they will not support it. They (Pakatan Rakyat) got a lot of support from the Chinese but little Malay support and without it, you can’t win.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Sad reflection on Najib not so much on Sarifuddin that the propaganda offensive against Mahathir and Pakatan Harapan leaders have reached a new low, scraping the bottom of the barrel, in personal attacks
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Najib Razak, Pakatan Harapan, Politics, UMNO on Thursday, 20 July 2017
After 52 years in politics, I thought no propaganda offensive and lies, however bizarre or outlandish, would have surprised me but I was wrong.
I refer to the scurrilous attack by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s aide, Tengku Sarifuddin Tengku Ahmad on former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, playing on Mahathir’s description of himself as “top dog” of Pakatan Harapan and claiming that in reality the “top dog’s leash in Kit Siang’s hand”.
In my 52 years in Malaysian politics, I had faced six Prime Ministers – Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein Onn, Tun Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib himself, but I had never descended to the gutter level of making personal attacks on anyone or them, always respecting the highest offices in the land and the personalities involved.
The term “top dog” may not be the most apt and correct term, but it must be regarded as an absolute “No No” in Malaysian politics to have to raid the animal kingdom to lower the bar in personal attacks on political opponents, especially a former Prime Minister who had been the longest-serving premier in the nation’s history!
Read the rest of this entry »
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