Did Najib okay 1MDB duo’s no-show at PAC hearing...

DAP today questioned the absence of 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) top bosses and asked if the prime minister allowed them to skip the bipartisan committee hearing in Parliament. 

Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang said this was one of the chief questions that the Malaysian public has been asking since it was made known that both 1MDB group executive director and president Arul Kanda Kandasamy and board member Datuk Shahrol Halmi would not be attending the Public Accounts Committee hearing today.

This comes after PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said both had requested to postpone their attendance at the committee’s hearing today.

"Did Najib as finance minister have knowledge that the duo would play truant from the PAC hearing scheduled today and did he give the green light for the duo to play truant from the PAC hearing today?" the DAP veteran leader asked Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"Have Arul and Sharom good reasons for playing truant from the scheduled PAC hearing on the 1MDB scandal today, when the duo had been given more than two weeks’ notice of the hearing?"

Shahrol was 1MDB's first CEO from February 2009 to March 2013, while Arul Kanda was appointed in January this year.

Both are key witnesses in the PAC's inquiry into the Finance Ministry-owned 1MDB, which has incurred RM42 billion in debts in just six years of operation.

Lim also asked why PAC was not informed about Shahrol and Arul Kanda's "important overseas appointments" when notice of the hearing was handed to them two weeks ago.

"PAC was only informed via a letter from the Finance Ministry on May 22 that the duo could not attend," he added.

The DAP parliamentary leader said that with all the scrutiny and public backlash over the state investment vehicle's debts and controversial dealings, it would have been more important for the duo to attend the hearing to put to rest all doubts.

"One would have thought that Najib and the 1MDB board would have welcomed the PAC hearing today to put to rest all doubts and queries about the integrity, transparency and good corporate governance which had been haunting the strategic development company for the past five years.

"This should be the case as Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has stood his ground that the 1MDB scandal is the 'last straw to break the camel’s back' and would cause the downfall of Umno Barisan Nasional.”

On top of severe criticism from former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had called Najib a "liar" in his latest blog posting, 1MDB should, in fact, be urging PAC to hold an earlier hearing to debunk all allegations against it.

"Did Najib or the relevant finance ministry authority ask the duo to reschedule their overseas appointment as their appearance before the PAC is more important so as to put to rest all doubts and queries about the 1MDB scandal as the biggest financial scandal in the country, and if not, why?" Lim asked.

Yesterday, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli said both Shahrol and Arul Kanda should be sacked for skipping the PAC hearing, saying that their actions showed a severe lack of accountability.

A staunch critic of the government's investment arm, Rafizi said the duo’s no-show could be due to directives from Najib, who wanted to prevent more worms from spilling out of the can.

PAC began its own hearings on the matter last Tuesday, after deciding not to wait for an independent probe by the auditor-general to be completed. – tmi

Folks that RM27 billion (+-) from the RM42 billion is gone.   Do not forget that extra RM4.0 billion that was lent to SRC. 

The numbers are so big that RM4 billion looks like peanuts. We should also be focussing on the RM4 billion involving SRC. 

So RM27 billion plus RM4 billion = RM31 billion is gone case. We are not going to see this money again.

Many of us have forgotten the timeline. This did not happen yesterday. The moneys began to fly out over a period of about 18 days in 2009. The 'earth moved' six long years ago already. Six years is a LONG, LONG time for the money to be reinvested, spent, transferred here and there etc. That money is gone.  

Even if the Nambawan boss man is kicked out tomorrow, this country must still pay back that RM42 billion + RM4 Billion = RM46 Billion, not including interest. 

Its really surprising that the MACC has not said much about this case. This is the largest case of funds gone missing ever in the history of the modern world. This is Guinness Book of World Records stuff. Yet the MACC boys are quiet as door mice. - syedsoutsidethebox 

1MDB hina parlimen...

Keengganan pentadbiran 1MDB disiasat Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) adalah penghinaan kepada parlimen kata Ketua Parlimen DAP Lim Kit Siang.

“Setelah lima tahun 1MDB dihantui krisis kecuaian, tiada ketelusan dalam tadbir urus syarikat korporat kerajaan, sepatutnya 1MDB rela hati bertemu PAC.

“Keengganan bertemu PAC yang dijadualkan hari ini menunjukkan mereka cuba sembunyikan sesuatu.

“Ini adalah penghinaan kepada parlimen,” kata Kit Siang.

1MDB dalam kenyataannya semalam menjelaskan tarikh yang ditetapkan untuk memberi keterangan di PAC itu bertembung dengan satu temujanji di luar negara.

“Saya fikir, kita harus tanya di mana Arul sekarang dan apa dia sedang buat sekarang.

“Persoalan yang harus dibangkitkan PAC pada waktu ini,” jelas Kit Siang kepada pemberita di lobi parlimen hari ini.

Sementara itu Ahli Parlimen Segambut, Lim Lip Eng mencadangkan PAC menggunakan peruntukan Akta Majlis Parlimen (Keistimewaan dan Kuasa) 1952 dan mendenda kedua-dua individu RM1,000 setiap hari, selagi gagal hadir ke siasatan jawatankuasa.

Malah melalui peruntukan tersebut, Arul Kanda dan Shahrol Halmi boleh ditangkap.

“Kita hairan membaca laporan CEO 1MDB Arul Kanda Kandasamy ‘mengalu-alukan siasatan PAC ke atas 1MDB’.

“Bunyinya seolah-olah beliaulah yang akan menjemput Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Awam dengan membentang karpet merah ke pejabat 1MDB.

“Tetapi ini tidak pula berlaku. Adakah mereka ini dilindungi Perdana Menteri Najib Razak?

“Adakah itu sebabnya mereka begitu berani dan selepas beberapa bulan masih belum disiasat polis dan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia? soal Lip Eng. – Roketkini.com

Story sepenuhnya...

Dalam pada itu, PAC turut memaklumkan telah menerima surat makluman daripada Kementerian Kewangan pada Jumaat lepas bahawa prosiding 1MDB pada esok hari terpaksa ditangguhkan berikutan Arul Kanda dan Shahrul tidak dapat hadir kerana mempunyai urusan di luar negara pada hari berkenaan. - Astroawani.

Huh ? Kementerian Kewangan yang hantar surat minta penangguhan bagi pihak Arul dan Shahrul ? ? Pelik nih ........ 1MDB dah habis kertas letterhead ke ? 

Ikuti story seterusnya...

Najib lebih rela syarikat telco untung besar...

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak perlu berhenti menjadi hipokrit dengan menyalahkan peniaga kecil kononnya mengeksploitasi cukai barangan dan perkhidmatan (GST) hingga menyebabkan rakyat terbeban akibat sistem percukaian itu.

Najib dalam sebuah program di Gopeng, Perak berkata, pemansuhan 5% dan 10% cukai jualan dan perkhidmatan (SST) sepatutnya mengurangkan harga, namun peniaga yang tidak bertanggungjawab menambah 6% GST yang menjadi punca kenaikan barang dan perkhidmatan.

“Pakatan Rakyat berulang kali memberi amaran kepada BN, iaitu sebelum GST dikuatkuasakan, harga barangan tidak akan turun.

“Namun, pentadbiran Najib percaya bahawa mereka boleh melawan hakikat dan meneruskannya,” kata Tony Pua.

Menurut Setiausaha Publisiti DAP itu, Najib dalam ucapan belanjawan 2015 sendiri berkata, daripada 944 barangan dan perkhidmatan dari indeks harga pengguna, 532 item atau 56% dijangka turun sehingga 4.1%, manakala kira-kira 354 item mengalami kenaikan, namun kurang daripada 5.8 %.

“Tak hairanlah perdana menteri yang juga menteri kewangan kelihatan seperti orang bodoh,” ujar Tony.

Dalam pada itu kata Tony, pentadbiran Najib menutup mata terhadap keuntungan besar dikaut syarikat-syarikat telekomunikasi.

Selasa lalu, Menteri Komunikasi dan Multimedia Datuk Seri Shabery Cheek di Parlimen mengulangi pembelaannya terhadap syarikat tersebut untuk menaikkan tarif sebanyak 6%.

Akibatnya, pengguna kad prabayar tidak lagi menerima RM10 masa siaran bagi pembelian RM10, walaupun SST 6% dikenakan.

Sebaliknya, pengguna hanya mendapat RM9.43 perkhidmatan panggilan untuk setiap RM10, selepas bertukar kepada 6% GST.

Menurut Tony, walaupun menyerap cukai perkhidmatan 6%, Maxis Communications, Digi Telecommunications dan Celcom Axiata masing-masing masih membuat keuntungan sebelum cukai sebanyak RM2.44 bilion, RM2.65 bilion dan RM3.1 bilion pada 2014.

“Secara keseluruhan, mereka mengumpul RM12.8 bilion hasil perkhidmatan kad prabayar bagi tahun ini.

“Mengapa kerajaan BN membantu syarikat-syarikat ini membuat untung tambahan RM770?

“Ini tidak pun termasuk perolehan dan keuntungan dibuat pengendali rangkaian talian mudah alih maya (MVNO) lain seperti U-Mobile, Tune Talk dan XOX.

“Ketika Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri cuba menghukum restoran yang menaikkan harga roti canai sebanyak 30 sen, Najib membiarkan keuntungan RM770 juta kepada syarikat-syarikat telekomunikasi.

“Tidak ada dasar mengaut keuntungan lebih besar dan tidak bertanggungjawab di negara daripada pelaksanaan GST, dan Najib memilih untuk menjadi hipokrit,” tegas Tony. – Roketkini.com

ADUN PAS ikrar pertahan mandat di S'gor...

Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) PAS Hasnul Baharuddin berikrar akan terus mempertahankan kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat di Selangor jika keadaan dewan negeri tergantung benar-benar berlaku.

Katanya rakyat Selangor memberi mandat bukan hanya kepada PAS tetapi juga PKR dan DAP dan ia harus dihormati semua wakil rakyat.

“Saya akan terus pertahankan kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat kerana itu mandat yang diberi oleh rakyat,” katanya.

Hasnul dan seorang lagi ADUN PAS Saari Sungib sebelum ini tampil menyokong Presiden PKR Wan Azizah Ismail sebagai menteri besar baru Selangor ketika parti mereka belum membuat keputusan.

Sultan Selangor bagaimanapun memilih timbalan Azizah dalam PKR, Azmin Ali, sebagai menteri besar baru menggantikan Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

Ketika dihubungi Malaysiakini hari ini Hasnul berkata kenyataannya hari ini tidak bermaksud beliau akan meninggalkan PAS.

“Tapi saya akan lihat bagaimana perkembangan selepas ini,” katanya.

Sekiranya PAS keluar Pakatan, Selangor kemungkinan berdepan dengan situasi DUN tergantung.

Pada masa ini, PAS dan DAP masing-masing mempunyai 15 kerusi manakala PKR mempunyai 13, tidak termasuk Khalid yang kini ADUN bebas.

Terdapat 56 kerusi di Dewan Undangan Negeri, di mana 29 kerusi diperlukan untuk membentuk kerajaan dengan majoriti mudah.

Sekiranya PAS menarik diri, DAP dan PKR akan hanya mempunyai 28 kerusi.

Kebimbangan terhadap masa depan Pakatan semakin diperkatakan berikut kemelut antara DAP dan PAS Presiden, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Pemerhati menjangkakan keadaan akan menjadi lebih teruk pada bulan Jun selepas pemilihan PAS, di mana kumpulan Hadi dijangka menguasai hampir sepenuhnya kepimpinan parti itu.

Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng dan ketua Parlimen DAP Lim Kit Siang hari ini terus membangkitkan kebimbangan sama. - mk

PAS rep vows to defend people's mandate...

The future of the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government will hang in the balance should PAS decide to withdraw from the coalition.

Whether or not Selangor will remain in the hands of Pakatan, albeit with a razor-thin majority, depends on two PAS assemblypersons - Saari Sungib and Hasnul Baharuddin.

The latter indicated that he will not toe the party line should PAS decide to withdraw from Pakatan.

Hasnul (photo) told Malaysiakini that he will defend the Pakatan state government even in the event of a hung legislative assembly.

The Morib elected representative said the people of Selangor have given the mandate not only to PAS, but PKR and DAP as well and the mandate should be respected by all assembypersons.

"I will continue to defend the Pakatan government in Selangor because that is the mandate given by the people," he added.

Won't quit

However, Hasnul insisted that this does not mean he will leave the Islamic party.

At present, he said, PAS is still part of Pakatan and there has been no decision made to sever ties with DAP and PKR.

"Is it not to say I would quit the party.

"We would wait and see the development over this (Selangor) issue," he added.

Saari (photo), on the other hand, could not be reached for comment.

Hasnul and Saari, the Hulu Kelang assemblyperson, locked horns with the PAS leadership when they broke ranks and supported PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as Selangor menteri besar during the state leadership crisis.

After the sultan’s intervention, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali took over the reins following Abdul Khalid Ibrahim's dismissal from the party.

Hung Parliament poser

Currently, PAS and DAP have 15 seats each while PKR has 13, excluding Abdul Khalid, who is now an independent assemblyperson.

There are 56 seats in the state assembly, thus 29 seats are needed to form a government with a simple majority.

Should all PAS assemblypersons withdraw, DAP and PKR will only have 28 seats.

Even DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng appears to be pining his hopes on the two PAS assemblypersons while conceding that a hung assembly and snap polls are possible.

"In Selangor, the two PAS assemblypersons supported Wan Azizah so this doesn't mean that if Pakatan dissolves, the Selangor government will collapse," he said. - mk

Arul Kanda nafi cuba lari...

Story kat SINI dan SINI

cheers.