Archive for category Mahathir
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 »
If Apandi is so God-fearing, he should not be Attorney-General of a global kleptocracy
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 19 July 2017
Replying to the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who said at the Pakatan Harapan Ceramah “Sayangi Malaysia, Hapus Kleptokrasi” in Shah Alam on Monday night that if Pakatan Harapan forms the government after the next general election, it would summon the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali over the allegation that he used the Official Secrets Act (OSA) to hide evidence in the 1MDB scandal, Apandi replied:
“I do not fear anyone, including Mahathir. I don’t fear human beings, but I fear Allah.”
If Apandi is so God-fearing, he should not be Attorney-General of a global kleptocracy.
Let me remind Apandi of the following Quranic injunctions:
“Do not act wickedly in the land spreading corruption, disorder or mischief. [Quran 2.60]”;
“Do not confound the truth with falsehood, nor knowingly hide the truth [Quran 2.42]”. Read the rest of this entry »
Mahathir effect threatens Umno vote bank
Posted by Kit in DAP, Elections, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Tuesday, 18 July 2017
Shannon Teoh
Straits Times Singapore
JULY 18, 2017
Umno ratcheted up the racial rhetoric last weekend, highlighting concerns within the ruling party that its grip on the crucial Malay vote bank could slip after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad formally took charge of the opposition last Friday.
The former prime minister led the dominant Malay party for 22 years before retiring in 2003 and, despite misgivings from civil society, the opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance aims to use the 92-year-old’s influence to break Umno’s stranglehold on the Malay community that makes up the majority in more than half of the parliamentary districts.
With a general election due in a year’s time, politicians and analysts expect to see increased pandering to Malay-Muslim insecurities in the coming months. Read the rest of this entry »
Window for Najib to hold 14GE this year closing as UMNO/BN leaders panic over serious challenge by Pakatan Harapan, after finalizing new structure and leadership line-up, to topple Najib and UMNO/BN in Putrajaya
It was panic stations for UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers for the last three days.
They just did not believe that it was possible for Pakatan Harapan leaders to resolve their differences and for the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council to conclude its Thursday night meeting fruitfully and productively, with a midnight media conference and announcement of the new Pakatan Harapan structure, logo and leadership line-up.
UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers never believed that a reconciliation between Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim was at all possible!
This was why in the initial panic responses, UMNO/BN leaders and propagandists forgot their false but carefully contrived “black ops” demonization campaign of lies, fake news and concocted stories to picture DAP has the evil force dominating and running the Pakatan Harapan with me as the “dictator of dictators” who had made the leaders of PKR, Amanah and Pribumi Bersatu, namely Mohamad Sabu, Azmin Ali, Rafizi Ramli, Nurul Izzah, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad into my stooges and puppets, completely at my “beck and call” and obedient to my every directive and wish.
The Minister for Communications and Multimedia, Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak, was so shocked that he shot off an immediate statement demanding an explanation for the absence of the DAP leaders in the top three positions in the Pakatan Harapan, asking whether the DAP had been sidelined.
How can the DAP be sidelined, when according to the “black ops” propaganda campaign of the UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers for the past few years, the DAP was the mastermind of every action and step among the Opposition parties – presumably including every action taken by PAS leaders when PAS was in Pakatan Rakyat before the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang buried Pakatan Rakyat at the June 2015 PAS Muktamar? Read the rest of this entry »
UMNO/BN at sixes and sevens over Pakatan Harapan’s structure and leadership line-up last Thursday
Posted by Kit in DAP, Mahathir, Pakatan Harapan on Sunday, 16 July 2017
It is quite hilarious to see the UMNO/Barisan Nasional leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers at sixes and sevens in the past two days over Pakatan Harapan’s structure and leadership line-up announced on Thursday midnight after a meeting of the Pakatan Harapan Presidential council.
The first to react was the Minister for Communications and Multimedia, Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak who seemed to be in a state of shock, complaining about the absence of the DAP leaders in the top three positions in the Pakatan Harapan line-up, for two reasons:
*Firstly, this is completely inconsistent and contrary to the UMNO/BN “black ops” media campaign of lies, fake news and false information with one overpowering theme – that DAP leaders dominate Pakatan Harapan and that the Malay leaders in PKR, Amanah and Pribumi Bersatu, whether Mohamad Sabu, Azmin Ali, Rafizi Ramli, Nurul Izzah, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and even Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad were just my stooges and puppets, completely at my “beck and call” and obedient to my directives and wishes.
*Secondly, which is the fate of most propagandists, Salleh and many UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers have come to believe in these lies, fake news and false information, and they must be genuinely shocked at the Pakatan Harapan structure and leadership line-up which is out of line with their propaganda.
I was quite flattered, as for the first time in many months and years, the UMNO/BN propagandists forgot their script that I am the “dictator of dictators” not only in DAP but also in Pakatan Harapan, and we have the rare spectacle of UMNO/BN leaders championing me for being conspicuously absent from the Pakatan Harapan leadership line-up.
I thank Salleh and the other UMNO/BN leaders for their solicitious concern for my political future and the crocodile’s tears in asking whether DAP had been sidelined in Pakatan Harapan structure. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysian opposition to release Anwar ‘within a week’ if it takes power – Dr Mahathir
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir, Pakatan Harapan on Saturday, 15 July 2017
By A. Azim Idris | 15th July 2017
Asian Correspondent
MALAYSIA’S former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Friday said opposition alliance Pakatan Harapan (Hope’s Pact) is committing to the process of releasing imprisoned de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim within one week if it assumes power in the next general elections.
The former premier, who was recently appointed Pakatan Harapan chairman, said the opposition pact would seek a royal pardon for Anwar who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for his second sodomy conviction.
“We will wait for the law to take its course, not immediately because the prime minister who takes over will have a lot to do,” the statesman, who ruled the country for 22 years, told reporters after attending the pact’s presidential council meeting early Friday morning. Read the rest of this entry »
Is there not a single one from the 36 Ministers who realized that establishing an RCI into Bank Negara forex earnings losses a quarter of a century ago without a RCI into 1MDB is the dumbest thing the Cabinet can do?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Mahathir, Najib Razak, Pakatan Harapan on Friday, 14 July 2017
Newly-appointed Pakatan Harapan Chairman and former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, in his blog yesterday, wrote:
“On the other hand, no RCI is being set up to investigate the proven losses of tons of money by 1MDB and Najib despite the enormous evidence of wrongdoings which are available to the world and the Malaysian public.
“The RCI on currency trading by Bank Negara more than thirty years ago is not about seeking justice but is clearly a desperate effort by Najib to silence his detractors. It will not work.”
I fully agree with Mahathir.
In fact, I want to ask if there was not a single one from the 36 Ministers who did not realize that establishing a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Bank Negara forex earnings losses a quarter of a century ago without a RCI into 1MDB is the dumbest thing the Cabinet can do and that the Malaysian Cabinet has become the laughing stock in the world in the past three weeks?
Where is the conscience of Barisan Nasional in the Cabinet? Gerakan had forsaken that self-appointed role as “conscience” of Barisan Nasional long time ago, and has the Barisan Nasional Cabinet and government become conscienceless all these years? Read the rest of this entry »
Father of modern Malaysia backs jailed former deputy in attempt to oust PM
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Thursday, 6 July 2017
Randeep Ramesh
Guardian
6 July 2017
Mahathir Mohamad says former deputy Anwar Ibrahimm, jailed on charges of sodomy, should be freed to contest election against scandal-ridden Najib
Mahathir Mohamad, the father of modern Malaysia, is backing the man he sacked as his deputy and saw imprisoned on charges of sodomy to be prime minister, in an attempt to unseat the scandal-ridden incumbent.
In a remarkable political U-turn ahead of a general election next year, Mahathir now says that his former protege Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s most famous political prisoner and its most charismatic public figure, ought to be released from jail and allowed to contest parliamentary elections.
Human rights groups have long said the allegations against Anwar are politically motivated attempts by his opponents, including Mahathir and the current prime minister Najib Razak, to silence him.
Speaking to the Guardian on a visit to London, Mahathir, who in power was accused of being an autocrat, said Anwar is a victim of a political vendetta and that a new administration would seek a royal pardon to allow him to re-enter politics.
Anwar’s lawyers are currently seeking to get him released after evidence emerged that suggested an impartial government-appointed prosecutor was paid a sum equivalent to £2m from a bank account controlled by the prime minister. Read the rest of this entry »
Why no RCI into 1MDB scandal which has made Malaysia into “global kleptocracy” or even RCI into FGV scandal? Will there be RCI into Scorpene scandal?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Thursday, 22 June 2017
The reaction of everyone in Malaysia and the world to the news that the Najib government is establishing a Royal Commission of Inquiry on the 1980s/1990s Bank Negara foreign exchange scandal is: “Why no RCI on 1MDB scandal? Not even a RCI on FGV scandal? Is there going to be RCI into Scorpene scandal?”
Last Saturday, I said that no loyal and patriotic Malaysian can read the updated 251-page US Department of Justice (DOJ) kleptocratic suit to forfeit US$1.7 billion MDB-linked assets arising from US$4.5 billion 1MDB money-laundering without shame, mortification, consternation and horror and only those who are prepared to commit treason will be unaffected, unmoved and untouched by the US DOJ action.
I called on the entire Cabinet yesterday to take a principled stand at its first meeting after the DOJ’s latest kleptocratic action to cleanse and purge Malaysia of the infamy and ignominy of being regarded world-wide as a “global kleptocracy” or to collectively if the 36 Ministers are unable to defend Malaysia’s good name and reputation in the world.
The various statements by Ministers, like Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan and the Minister for Communications and Multimedia, Datuk Seri Salleh Syed Keruak have not dispelled any queries about the latest DOJ action, but only reinforced shame, mortification, consternation and horror at the monstrosity of the 1MDB scandal.
The Malaysian Cabinet would have gained world recognition and admiration, as well as salvaged Malaysia’s good name in the world and for posterity, if the Ministers had collectively resigned to pave the way for a national cartharsis to restore the country’s reputation and international standing as a moral and upright country where public integrity and good governance are not meaningless lip-service phrases but living principles and values in the government and country.
Instead, the Cabinet chose the path of moral cowardice – attracting world attention not for their courage and conviction, but for their unbelievable incapacity to differentiate right and wrong and to feel shame by burying their heads in the sand, ignoring the colossal elephant in the Cabinet room and embarking on a caper into the past. Read the rest of this entry »
Why Malaysians could walk tall all over the world during Mahathir’s premiership but shy to admit they are Malaysians when abroad under Najib’s premiership?
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Najib Razak, nation building on Sunday, 4 June 2017
Malaysia’s continued decline in international competitiveness was again highlighted a few days ago when it slipped another five notches to 24th place in latest World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) – after falling to 19th spot last year from 14th in 2015.
It is Malaysia’s lowest ranking in five years and the country cannot take comfort that it remained the second most competitive ASEAN country behind Singapore.
Malaysia is losing out in the race of nations for development and progress, and the recent spate of incidents which signaled the rise of racial and religious extremism in the country would aggravate this national decline and fall into a failed state.
Malaysia must stop the present trajectory towards the politics of lies, hatred and fear to exploit racial and religious divisions by fanning intolerance, distrust and extremism in the country.
Malaysians must unite and stop fighting among ourselves, but must leverage on the best qualities and values from the diversity of races, religions and cultures in Malaysia so that we are not left behind in the international race of nations for development and progress. Read the rest of this entry »
Fight your own battle Abdul Rahman, why you have to run SOS to “MO1” to direct other UMNO Ministers and Deputy Ministers to come to your rescue?
Let me tell the Barisan Nasional Director of Strategic Communications, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan: Fight your own battle, why have you to run SOS to “MO1” to direct other UMNO Ministers and Deputy Ministers to come to your rescue?
Suddenly, in the last 24 hours, four UMNO Ministers and one UMNO Deputy Ministers have come to the rescue of Abdul Rahman, shoring support for the BN Director of Strategic Communications and opening fire on me as part of the latest UMNO/BN demonization campaign. Read the rest of this entry »
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