Dah tau taik tu busuk pasai apa lobai masih ciumnya...

Baru hangpa tahu,UMNO tu sapa...

Takkan lobai nak menipu...

Treated like a beggar, Hadi now accuses 

UMNO of being ungrateful and immoral...

Once upon a time, former PM Mahathir Mohamad had warned Muhyiddin Yassin against working together with UMNO, predicting that the two parties would face problems in the future. Mahathir warned his trusted lieutenant – “You’re going to have trouble with UMNO because UMNO is the bigger party. You are the smaller party and you’ll depend on them. If they pull back, you are finished.”

However, the arrogant and power-crazy Muhyiddin rubbished the warning. Mahathir revealed – “But Muhyiddin said he could handle the problem. I am going to see how he handles it”. Mr Muhyiddin eventually betrayed his allies in the democratically-elected Pakatan Harapan government, and formed a backdoor government with UMNO and Islamic party PAS in March 2020.

The United Malays National Organization (UMNO), defeated in the 2018 General Election, was returned to power as one of governing partners in Muhyiddin’s fragile Perikatan Nasional government. But as predicted by Mahathir, Muhyiddin only survived for 17 months when a group of 15 UMNO rebels, led by former PM Najib Razak and UMNO president Zahid Hamidi, withdrew their support.

Once upon a time, Nik Abdul Aziz, former spiritual leader of Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), warned against working together with UMNO, rejecting any form of unity talks with UMNO because UMNO cannot be trusted. His distrust for UMNO leaders began in the 1970s, when PAS was part of Barisan Nasional coalition. UMNO had betrayed PAS, making the Islamic party a junior partner before dumping it.

However, after his death, arrogant and corrupt PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang ignored all the warnings. All it took for then-PM Najib Razak to break-up the rising star opposition Pakatan Rakyat was RM90 million to bribe Mr Hadi. Using “Hudud Law” as an excuse, PAS announced its decision to sever ties with DAP, accusing the Democratic Action Party of being anti-Islam.

PAS won only 18 parliamentary seats in the 2018 election, but became one of the governing partners in Muhyiddin’s backdoor government. But as predicted by Nik Abdul Aziz, after having toppled Muhyiddin in August 2021, UMNO under Najib and Zahid has already made their moves to not only make PAS an irrelevant junior partner, but is preparing to dump the Islamic party.

Ex-PM Muhyiddin... 

Today, both Muhyiddin Yassin and Hadi Awang pay the price for sleeping with the devil. Traitor Muhyiddin, who thought he could control UMNO, had lost his “Iron Throne” in a matter of just 17 months, becoming the shortest serving prime minister in the history. Extremist Hadi, who thought he could piggyback on both UMNO and Bersatu, is about to lose his power very soon.

The best part is, Hadi did not even see it coming when Najib and Zahid strategically dissolved the Johor State Assembly, paving the way for state polls in a game plan to eventually pressure lame duck Prime Minister Ismail Sabri to call for a nationwide snap election. After winning two-thirds majority in the Melaka state election, UMNO is confident of doing the same in Johor.

Before the Johor legislative assembly was dissolved, the previously un-elected Barisan Nasional-led government held 28 seats (UMNO – 14 seats, MIC – 2 seats, Bersatu – 11 seats, PAS – 1 seat) while opposition Pakatan Harapan had 27 seats – DAP (14), PKR (7) and Amanah (6). UMNO Johor believes not only it can grab all of Bersatu and PAS’ seats, but also to capture a significant of the Opposition’s seats.

Mr Hadi was particularly upset and mad because not only he was not consulted before the Johor state assembly was dissolved, UMNO has no intention of sharing seats with PAS, let alone Bersatu. UMNO’s reluctance to forge any electoral pact or alliance with its allies in the state election means it does not have any respect for Hadi or PAS, supposedly its ally in the Muafakat Nasional alliance.

To the Islamic party’s horror, the “greedy” UMNO offered only four state assembly seats to it. Incredibly confidence, UMNO is ready to fly solo in the Johor state election. If UMNO can win big in Melaka, it can certainly win bigger in the friendlier terrain Johor. PAS president Hadi can either take UMNO’s offer or go fly kite with Bersatu president Muhyiddin. After all, beggars can’t be choosers.

Amusingly, Hadi has slammed UMNO for being ungrateful, complaining – “We save a lame duck. it broke its leg during the 14th General Election. Unfortunately, when it was healed, it wanted to swim on its own. It left us. This is immoral and not correct”. He was referring to UMNO being rejected by the people in 2018, and riding on PAS in winning multiple by-elections as the opposition.

 UMNO/PAS Alliance - Zahid Hamidi and Hadi Awang

In September 2019, a national cooperation between oppositions UMNO and PAS, glorified as Muafakat Nasional under the pretext of Malay-unity, was announced in their desperate attempt to grab power by hook or by crook – including stirring up racial and religion sentiments among the Malays that the Muslims and Malay Rulers have lost power to the “Chinese, Christians and Communists”.

Exactly why is “Goblok” Hadi whining, moaning and bitching now about being played and tricked by UMNO, when former spiritual leader Nik Aziz had already warned against working together with UMNO years ago? What is so immoral about UMNO dumping PAS when Hadi happily worked with Muhyiddin, Najib and Zahid in 2020, snatching power and forming an un-elected backdoor regime?

Heck, both Hadi and Zahid were even kissing and hugging each other when they announced the Muafakat Nasional. What has happened to the so-called Malay dignity and Muslim brotherhood? In truth, Hadi saved the lame duck UMNO primarily because he wanted to ride on UMNO to gain power, the same way PAS rides on Islam religion to hoodwink gullible supporters.

Hadi was also furious when UMNO treated his party like a beggar. He complained to reporters till foaming at the mouth that the Islamic party was not a “beggar” seeking scraps. He actually should be grateful that UMNO was willing to give him 4 seats in the upcoming Johor state election. During the 2018 election, PAS only won 1 out of 40 seats it contested.

Hilariously, the PAS president, in what appears to be a declaration of war, has openly hit the UMNO Court Cluster for triggering the Johor state election. He condemned the tactic as an attempt by some UMNO crooks to escape criminal charges. He said – “We know that the ones responsible for this strategy are the court cluster, those who lost the 14th general election, those who have no positions.”

The Court Cluster refers to a group of UMNO leaders including ex-PM Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. But in July 2020, it was Mr Hadi who led several top PAS leaders to visit Najib at his home, the same day Najib was found guilty by the High Court of corruption in relation to RM42 million belonging to SRC International (a subsidiary of 1MDB).

UMNO-PAS berpecah...

In fact, Najib, the world’s biggest crook, was so touched by Hadi’s visit and support that he said true friends would stick together in good and bad times. Hadi had brought along PAS heavyweights like deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and Syura council member Khairuddin Aman Razali to Najib’s home as a sign of unwavering support.

It’s both entertaining and flabbergasting that only when Najib and Zahid are dumping PAS that Hadi calls the Court Cluster ungrateful, arrogant and whatnot. Actually, the corrupt PAS president should be extremely grateful to Najib, who gave him RM90 million bribes, enabling him to marry young wives and buy Mercedes Benz. Of course, after tasting money, Hadi cannot afford to lose power.

Without UMNO, PAS cannot be part of the federal government after the next 15th General Election because Najib and Zahid will kick Hadi’s party out of the equation. That’s the real reason Hadi is throwing a tantrum and playing the victim card. The snake oil salesman thought he was clever in riding both Bersatu and UMNO, only to be dumped by UMNO unexpected.

Instead of crying over spilt milk, PAS and Bersatu should withdraw their support for the current un-elected UMNO government. The trumpeted Malay-Muslim unity and government has been a scam from the beginning. And the biggest scammer is UMNO, who used PAS to win multiple by-elections and used Bersatu to return to power. Both PAS and Bersatu had been warned, but greed clouded their judgement.

Like it or not, PAS deserves it. There’s a reason why UMNO veteran Tengku Razaleigh called PAS a prostitute. The PAS Talibans will do anything for money. Hadi still hasn’t a clue that UMNO just needed PAS for a few seconds of pleasure, never for a lifetime marriage. It’s not personal, but using each other for the Iron Throne. If it would make Hadi feels better, it’s karma.

Not many moons ago, DAP and PKR also saved a lame duck called PAS. Unable to get out of Kelantan after decades of trying, DAP and PKR nursed and brought PAS to be part of Selangor state government. Unfortunately, when it was offered RM90 million, it bit the hand that feed it and wanted to swim on its own. It left Pakatan Harapan. Now, that is truly immoral, ungrateful, arrogant and incorrect. - FT

Why the QC should not defend Najib...

Why would a Queen's Counsel (QC), a member of Britain's legal professional elite, take up convicted felon Najib Abdul Razak's case? There can be only one reason. MONEY!.

Conversely, for many Malaysians, there is only one reason why the QC should not defend Najib. The answer is the moral viewpoint.The QC should not associate himself with the most corrupt prime minister in the world, who brought a nation to its knees. He will damage his reputation and risk becoming a political pariah.

Najib excels at intimidation. He hopes that the presence of the QC will intimidate the prosecution lawyers and judges. However, there is one small consolation if the QC were to take up Najib's case. The world will once again be reminded of the evil deeds of this kleptocrat, and these prompts will strengthen our resolve to throw Najib in prison.

Who can forget the highlights of his abuse of power to keep the 1MDB scandal hidden? The sacking of members of his cabinet and the attorney-general who dared to question him. The complicity of various financial institutions around the world. The threats. The cover-ups. The denials.

Most shameful is the role played by the United Kingdom. There was relatively little press coverage about Najib's 1MDB scandal and even less criticism of Najib during his tenure as PM. It was only after the US Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) had written extensively about 1MDB and fully exposed Najib, did the British picked up the slack.

The Brits must have valued their favourable trading arrangement with Najib and his Battersea rejuvenation project, amongst other things. No one can stop the QC from accepting Najib's proposal if there is a legal issue to fight over and, in all probability, the Malaysian court will approve the QC's appointment.

The Malaysian judiciary has been very careful in the past to give Najib as much leeway as possible so that he cannot claim that his trial was not fair. Remember the various delay tactics, the alleged illnesses, and how he kept the judges waiting because he was late? We thought the judiciary was weak, but as we now realise, they had their reasons. Nevertheless, both the High Court and the Court of Appeal have tried and sentenced Najib after finding him guilty.

Real reason

The QC is an expert in constitutional law. No one disputes that. It is only in very rare cases when a QC will act for others as a matter of principle; meaning, there is no talk of money involved. The QC is at liberty to pick up Najib's case on the basis that there is a legal issue to be fought over. He may consider Najib's case an interesting challenge.

Whether he wins or not is another matter. He is aware that what he embarks on is not a re-trial of the facts because his focus will be on the issues of law.

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Najib's lawyer, may argue that the QC has the experience and expertise to deal with complex issues and legal questions pertaining to Najib's case; but Malaysians know that both Shafee and Najib are being disingenuous.

It is not true that Shafee does not know his legal 'stuff' because the important thing is that both he and Najib have run out of road.The real reason Najib appointed the QC to quash his conviction in the RM42 million SRC International (SRC) corruption case is simply to BUY time. Najib is desperate. He wants to delay his appeal and his imprisonment.

On Dec 7 last year, Najib failed in his bid to adduce fresh evidence in his appeal against the RM42 million SRC graft case. On Dec 8, he also failed to overturn the guilty verdict and sentencing in the SRC case. The desperate duo of Najib and Shafee were merely being creative with their request to appoint a QC.

Malaysians are sick to the teeth with Najib's delay tactics. They want justice to be seen and not postponed. They want Najib jailed. They want him to be made an example of to halt the endemic corruption amongst politicians and civil servants.

What of the Malaysian judiciary? They are probably equally frustrated by Najib's delay manoeuvres. After all, their integrity is also at stake. This matter has dragged on and on, and the rakyat will wonder if this delay is another ruse to free Najib. Najib has no end of plots and subplots taking place alongside his appeal and the QC's appointment.

If Umno triumphs in the Johor snap election, will they demand that GE15 be called early? Najib hopes to return to power with a win. He can then engineer a royal pardon and hey presto, Najib and his allegedly equally corrupt peers, like his former deputy, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is awaiting trial for corruption, can rejoice and wipe all their slates clean.

Najib put the nation through a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from apathy, to angst, to anger, to atrophy. Together with Shafee, they managed to delay his trials with illness, with being late and keeping the judge waiting. He wandered off mid-trial and failed to inform the court officials. Even Shafee's son's wedding, and dog, were used as excuses to further delay Najib's trial.

If prostitution is the world's oldest profession, then the legal profession comes a close second. Do lawyers care if the client is a Bugis prince or a political pariah? Absolutely not, because what matters to most lawyers is that the cheque does not bounce. So, will the QC take the path of morality or the money route? - Mariam Mokhtar

cheers.

Last2 PAS kena kencing sama UMNO...

King maker dah jadi king joker...

Dah bankrap!!! Hutang tanpa 

cagaran bagaimana pula?

Finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz should explain how failed Genting Hong Kong got RM2.5 billion in unsecured loans from three local banks, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said today. 

The cruise operator filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, and Singapore’s Straits Times reported on Sunday that Maybank, CIMB and RHB Bank were among some of the company’s chief unsecured creditors, with a combined exposure of US$600 million (RM2.5 billion).

“I urge the finance minister to immediately answer why these banks were allowed to give Genting Hong Kong unsecured loans?” Anwar said in a Facebook post.

“The government, through Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Khazanah, and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), are the largest shareholders of these three banks. 

“How could this gambling company get an unsecured loan so easily?” - fmt

Muhyiddin cowardly runs away from Johor election – 

Bersatu could disintegrate before GE15...

Muhyiddin appears not only trapped by his past acts of treachery and betrayal, but also humiliated by his big mouth when he decided not to defend his Gambir seat in the upcoming Johor state election. As the president of Bersatu (PPBM) or Malaysian United Indigenous Party, the former prime minister’s stunning decision will demoralize his own party for obvious reason.

 

In fact, it’s a “kemaluan besar” that the ex-backdoor premier, born as Mahiaddin Yasin, is running away from contesting in his own stronghold. He should at least show that he is a braver “Bugis Warrior” than his bitter nemesis ex-PM Najib Razak. Exactly what type of leader is Mahiaddin when he chickened out from defending his seat in the same state he was born?

 

After days of struggling, Muhyiddin has finally cooked up a half-baked excuse not to defend Gambir (the seat that he won in Malaysia’s 14th General Election in 2018) for fear of suffering a humiliating loss. He conveniently claimed his refusal to contest would enable him to fully focus on matters at the parliamentary and federal levels, as well as to manage party affairs.

If his justification has an ounce of truth to begin with, how could be manage to focus on the state seat during his short 17-month as the prime minister then? Not only was Muhyiddin born in Johor, he is also a Member of Parliament for the Johor constituency of Pagoh, not to mention he was Chief Minister of the state from 1986 to 1995. Crucially, he is also Johor Bersatu chairman.

Was it not Muhyiddin, who bragged that he could easily bring down the Johor UMNO state government if he decides to “press a button” in retaliation to UMNO veteran Shahrir Abdul Samad’s challenge to Bersatu to withdraw support for the Johor UMNO state government? Muhyiddin had even called Shahrir stupid. Who’s the stupid man now who dares not defend his own seat?

Thanks to his big mouth, Muhyiddin is being laughed and ridiculed for not contesting after UMNO pressed the button. In reality, the former PM knew he would lose spectacularly his own Gambir seat, hence the only way out is not to contest. To save face, he hides under some hilarious excuses. It’s not hard to understand why he is so freaking afraid to defend the seat.

Pakatan Harapan Flag

In 2018, he won Gambir state seat by a majority of only 3,088 votes. Gambir has 20,975 registered voters comprising Malay (58%), Chinese (40%) and Indians (1.5%). However, Muhyiddin grabbed the seat when Bersatu was part of the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition. With Malay votes split and Muhyiddin’s infamous betrayal, he will lose almost all the 40% Chinese votes.

The Chinese voters still remember clearly how power-crazy Muhyiddin pulled Bersatu out of the democratically-elected multiracial Pakatan Harapan coalition, leading to the collapse of the ruling government. They have been waiting since March 2020 to teach him a lesson after he joined forces with Barisan Nasional and Islamic party PAS to form a backdoor government called Perikatan Nasional.

However, karma is a bitch and within 17 months, the traitor was forced to resign by none other than Najib and UMNO president Zahid Hamidi – known as the Court Cluster – who led a group of 15 UMNO rebels to withdraw their support for Mahiaddin regime. Not only UMNO-Malays wanted to finish Muhyiddin, the Chinese voters wanted to punish him over his unforgivable betrayal.

But his biggest humiliation has yet to begin. His political party is expected to suffer heavy losses. Before the Johor legislative assembly was dissolved, the previous unelected Barisan Nasional-led government held 28 seats (UMNO – 14 seats, MIC – 2 seats, Bersatu – 11 seats, PAS – 1 seat) while opposition Pakatan Harapan had 27 seats – DAP (14), PKR (7) and Amanah (6).

As the leader of Perikatan Nasional coalition, his cowardice could see not only Bersatu’s 11 seats wiped out, but his party could disintegrate before the next 15th General Election. It will lead to a lost of confidence in both his leadership and the party. If Mahiaddin was a good leader, he should take the bull by the horns and lead his party by courageously contest Gambir seat – even if it means a defeat.

It was already bad that Bersatu had lost all but 2 seats it contested in the recent Melaka state election. It would become worse if it were to lose all its 11 seats in Johor. Even if the party, which is weakening, could win one or two of its seats as a consolation prize, the writing is already on the wall that both Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional are game over.

 

UMNO and Bersatu PPBM Flags

Laughable, despite having betrayed his own allies and comrades, the disgraced Muhyiddin has shamelessly sent his representative, Johor Bahru division’s deputy chief Razrul Anwar Rusli, to talk about another grand coalition with Pakatan Harapan and other opposition parties. Perhaps he thought the opposition was dumb enough to work with him again.

The untrustworthy Muhyiddin understood very well that it would be a suicide mission to go to the poll without support from either (governing partner) Barisan Nasional or (enemy) Pakatan Harapan. Bersatu does not have extensive grassroots or machineries in Johor. Even its partners in Perikatan Nasional coalition – PAS and Gerakan – are too weak to rally for support in Johor.

Adding salt to injury, Muhyiddin’s most loyal partner – PAS – has started sucking up to UMNO. Playing the Muafakat Nasional card, the Islamic party desperately wanted to piggyback on UMNO this round after betting the wrong horse (Muhyiddin) in the Melaka state election. However, to the Islamic party’s horror, the “greedy” UMNO offered only four state assembly seats to them.

Armed with confidence after winning two-thirds majority in the Melaka state election, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) is ready to fly solo in the Johor state election. If UMNO can win big in Melaka, it can certainly win bigger in friendlier terrain Johor. PAS can either take UMNO’s offer or go fly kite with Bersatu. After all, beggars can’t be choosers.

Muhyiddin’s trusted lieutenants, International Trade & Industry Minister Azmin Ali and Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin, have been keeping a low profile since the disastrous Melaka results. When Bersatu, arguable the most hated political party in the country, is slaughtered again in Johor, all the opportunists and traitors like Azmin and Hamzah will have to think about their future.

Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), a new political party set up as a backup by Azmin Ali and his loyalist Zuraida Kamaruddin, will see the entrance of the two traitors when they quit Bersatu. What will happen to Muhyiddin after the next national election is open to speculation. In the eventuality Bersatu closes shop, Muhyiddin will most likely go into retirement – a loser and the most hated man. - FT

cheers.

Bang Ramlee dah kasi warning awai2 lagi...

Najib hires new lawyer,England mari...

Najib is getting a new lawyer to argue his case. This is for his final appeal in the Federal Court over the 12 year jail and RM210 million fine in the RM42 Million SRC case. 

Najib is seeking to appoint a QC to handle his appeal to quash his conviction as well as 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine over one count of abuse of power, three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT), and three counts of money laundering involving RM42 million from SRC.  The title of QC is awarded by the Queen of the UK to those who have demonstrated particular skill and expertise in conducting advocacy in court.

Well first of all Mat Salleh lawyers will be super expensive. He will ask to be paid in British pounds. And since this is a criminal case and a final appeal, he will likely ask to be paid up front, in advance. 

Siri just said that one British pound is equal to RM5.65. 

So 100k pounds = RM565,000, 1million pounds = RM5.65 million etc.

Here is a question that is obviously rhetorical : are lawyers fees affected by whether the case is winnable or lose-able? A win adds prestige to the lawyer. Losing a case goes the other way. Also the case is high profile. The Mat Salleh lawyer will appear for a few days only.

Why the need for a Mat Salleh lawyer? How does this appear politically and from the public perspective? The Bar Council should say something. This is the 21st century. Not the 19th century. Malaysia is no more a British colony. There must be other Made in Malaysia lawyers who are cleverer who can argue the appeal.

This case is no different from a curi ayam case in the kampong.  There was the thief who has been caught, there was opportunity, there was motive, tons of evidence have been recovered and presented in court. What is so complicated?

Two courts and FOUR judges have found Najib guilty. The decisions against Najib have been unanimous. There were no dissenting opinions among the judges. Obviously the whole defense strategy was a mistake. Najib has been found guilty TWICE already. I have been saying this since this trial began. Najib basically admitted to everything. His defense was "I dont know". 

"I dont know" cannot be a defense. Just like ignorance of the law is not a defense. Ignorance of the crime is certainly also not a defense. But Najib's defense strategy admitted to the evidence presented. 

DPP: 'The money was found in your personal bank account?' 

Najib: Yes it was but I did not know. 

I am not a lawyer but I did study some law. In the trial (the first case) the lawyers argue the facts of the case.

The witness will say the snake he saw under the coconut tree was white in colour. That is supposed to be a fact. The defense lawyer will start to create doubt about this fact. He will say no the snake was not white, it was black. Because it was about 8pm and there was a full moon that night. So the snake appeared shining white. It was actually a shiny black snake and its name was Pambu - a personal friend of the lawyer (joking only). Things like that. To create doubt about the facts of the case.

In an appeals court the lawyers do not argue the facts of the case anymore. They argue over points of law with reference to the decision of the trial judge. For example the trial judge sentenced the policeman to death for the murder of the Mongolian woman. All the facts of the case had been presented during the trial. The accused even admitted to the facts of the case. 

In an appeal, they cannot argue the facts of the case anymore. They could (or should) question the trial judge's failure to determine the motive for the murder (as an example). According to the law motive is critical especially for murder cases. Why did the policeman kill a Mongolian woman? What was the motive? What personal grudge did the policeman have to kill someone he had never met before in his life?  Policemen are trained to obey orders. Did the trial judge fully determine the motive for the murder?

It may not affect the guilty verdict but it could deter from a death sentence. Maybe a life sentence or a term sentence? So lets see what points of law the Mat Salleh lawyer will argue in front of the Federal Court. Ignorance of the law is no excuse to commit crime. Ignorance of a crime does not absolve guilt.  Possession of stolen assets is a crime. Stealing is a crime. - Syed Akbar Ali 

Why the UMNO court cluster 

“crooks” triggered Johor State Election...

Johor Sultan Ibrahim has dissolved the state assembly, after he met with Chief Minister Hasni Mohammad and agreed to pave the way for an election for the state of Johor. Mr Hasni has argued that an election was essential so that some investors and businesses can expand their operations in the southern state of Malaysia.

 

The state, which was being rule by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), a corrupt political party that lost the state for the first time in the 2018 General Election, has also argued that an election was needed because the Johor state government was in a “precarious position” due to its razor-thin one-seat majority, despite Opposition’s MOU to support Sabri administration.

Johor UMNO has insisted that the state election was not due to internal power struggle between Minister Cluster (Prime Minister Ismail Sabri faction) and Court Cluster (former PM Najib Razak and UMNO president Zahid Hamidi). Instead, the Johor UMNO claimed that it is a democratic process, not to mention a new mandate from the people was necessary to establish a stable government.

Hilariously, Sultan Ibrahim, who consented to dissolve the Johor State Legislative Assembly on Saturday (Jan 22), had previously warned the Opposition not to destabilize the same razor-thin UMNO state government – threatening to dissolve the state assembly. Even though Johor was having a high number of Covid-19 cases back in August 2021, the Omicron variant is spreading now.

At the same time, it’s interesting that the Opposition Pakatan Harapan is rejecting a state election now when they were eager for a poll last August. It’s not rocket science that Johor UMNO and the pro-UMNO monarch have agreed to a state election now because UMNO has emerged stronger, while the opposition disagreed because it has become weaker.

However, there are at least 10 top reasons why the UMNO Court Cluster had been fighting tooth and nail to trigger the Johor state election. And the crooks like Najib and Zahid have again proven that UMNO is miles more cunning than not only the Opposition, but power-crazy traitors like former PM Muhyiddin, in politicking and scheming.

1. To Humiliate and Terminate Rival Muhyiddin

Even though Muhyiddin, president of Bersatu and leader of Perikatan Nasional coalition, is the biggest governing partner in the federal government that UMNO is leading (out of a marriage of convenience), the bad blood between two former prime ministers – Muhyiddin and Najib – has reached the boiling point. In fact, Bersatu (PPBM), a splinter party of UMNO, is seen as the biggest threat to UMNO.

While it’s true that the fragile Perikatan Nasional (PN) is fast losing its influence, the coalition is still a threat to UMNO’s dominance, especially when it still managed to grab 2 seats out of 15 that it contested in the Melaka state election about 3 months ago (Nov 2021). The best way to kill PN is to defeat and humiliate “Malay first” Muhyiddin in his own southern state – Johor.

Not only is Mahiaddin alias Muhyiddin Member of Parliament for the Johor constituency of Pagoh, he was Chief Minister of the state from 1986 to 1995. Crucially, his party PPBM projected itself as a party that champions the Malay agenda – a position traditionally dominated by UMNO. In essence, Johor will serve as the battleground to determine which party the Malays will choose.

2. To Increase Discontent Within PAS

Since PAS was wiped out in the Melaka state election, losing all the 8 seats it contested, its president – Hadi Awang – is caught in “Catch-22” situation. If Hadi abandons PN now, he would be mocked as ungrateful and laughed for foolishly betting the wrong horse. But if Hadi stubbornly insists that PAS remains in PN, the party would definitely lose power in the next 15th national election.

The fact that Khairuddin Aman Razali, a PAS central committee member, was sacked by Hadi due to the former’s preference to align PAS with UMNO instead suggests that not only the Islamist party is divided into two factions, but the existence of a growing dissatisfaction with Hadi’s leadership. This round, UMNO wanted PAS to quit Perikatan, failing which will further split the Islamist party.

 

3. To Test 18-Year-Old Voters For The First Time

The Johor state election will see a whopping 749,731 new voters following the amendment of Article 119 to lower the voting age from 21 to 18. That constitutes almost 30% more voters comprising young voters. While UMNO had won big in the Melaka state election, grabbing 21 out of a total 28 seats and effectively won two-thirds majority, it was not tested for young voters support.

A vote for UMNO-led Barisan Nasional (BN) in Melaka does not necessarily mean a vote for it at the federal level. There are 11 seats where BN won with a majority of less than 1,000 votes. Worse, the turnout was only 65.85%. Therefore, Johor is being used as a testing ground or barometer to determine the young voters’ acceptance of UMNO in the next nationwide election.

4. To Confirm Melaka’s Victory Can Be Repeated

Sure, UMNO had won big in Melaka. But what is unsure is whether the past glory has indeed returned to the political party plagued with 1MDB scandal and tainted with corruption. Can UMNO under Zahid Hamidi leadership and former PM Najib’s popularity offer another victory in Johor? There were warlords who were unconvinced that the Melaka’s victory could be repeated elsewhere.

The voter turnout, Covid-19 pandemic, Johor battered economy, rising prices of goods and the recent massive flood crisis were some of the factors that could affect the state’s political landscape. It’s also unknown if the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA), a new political party set up specifically for youths, will join forces with Pakatan Harapan or split the Opposition vote bank.

 

5. To Redeem UMNO’s Dignity In Stronghold Johor

Johor was the birthplace of UMNO, hence the defeat of the Malay nationalist party in its traditional fortress in 2018 has been extremely humiliating. To redeem itself, UMNO has to recapture Johor, a state that had been the party’s bastion since 1946 (till its stunning loss in 2018). Johor is also the third largest Malaysian state in terms of population size, after Selangor and Sabah.

 

Crucially, Johor is the state with the second highest number of parliamentary seats, after Sarawak. If UMNO could win two-thirds majority in the upcoming state election, chances are it could also win the lion’s share of the 26 parliamentary seats in the next poll. Out of 3.6 million Johoreans, 54% are ethnic Malay while 33% are Chinese and 6% are Indian – a good yardstick to determine its acceptance.

6. To Return Court Cluster To Power

Despite what UMNO Johor says and claims, the Johor state election is due to power struggle between Najib-Zahid and Sabri-Muhyiddin teams. While Najib-Zahid desperately wanted the Johor state election, which would lead to a nationwide election and return both crooks to power, the weak Sabri-Muhyiddin wanted to prolong it to July 2023.

Najib might not be able to contest after he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for abuse of power, money laundering and breach of trust (CBT). But Zahid, bogged down with corruption trials, can still contest and potentially become the next prime minister if Barisan Nasional wins the 15th General Election. He could also orchestrate a royal pardon for Najib to leverage on the former PM’s popularity.

7. To Pressure PM Ismail Sabri To Call A Snap Election – Or Quit

The prime minister will be in trouble if Johor UMNO could pull a stunning performance like the Melaka state election. Unable to control the Court Cluster, Ismail Sabri has said the Johor UMNO had been given the mandate to decide the state election. This is the same face-saving drama when the weak and incompetent PM could not stop the Melaka state election in November last year.

With limited participation from Sabri in both Melaka and Johor state elections, Najib and Zahid’s next step is to force the PM, who is only ranked third in UMNO’s hierarchy, to dissolve the Parliament for a snap election this year – before an upcoming UMNO election that may see Ismail mount a challenge for the party’s presidency from Zahid. If the turtle-egg man refuses, the Court Cluster could withdraw their support.

8. Opposition In Disarray and Its Leadership Is Weak

Under the weak leadership of Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition – Pakatan Harapan – is running around like a headless chicken. And the proof is in the pudding. The Opposition has suffered a spectacular defeats in both Melaka and Sarawak state election. Anwar’s own party PKR or People’s Justice Party was practically wiped out, unable to win even a single seat.

 

It’s not rocket science that the best time to win an election is when the opponent is at its weakest. And you know the opposition would lose big when they prefer to maintain the status quo rather than recapture the state through an election. The more Pakatan Harapan, and even Muhyiddin’s boys, disagrees with the state election, the more confident UMNO is about their chances to win big.

 

9. Chinese Voters Are Disillusioned Or Angry At DAP

Like it or not, the Chinese voters, of whom up to 95% had voted for the Democratic Action Party (DAP) during the 2018 General Election, had chosen to stay at home as a sign of protest during the Melaka state election. Worse, the ethnic Chinese in Sarawak had decided to abandon DAP in droves during the December state election, leaving the party with only 2 seats, down from 7 (2016 state election).

The Chinese were particularly mad with the Opposition, especially when DAP bends over to be screwed by UMNO, agreeing to sign an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri on September 13. They simply could not understand why DAP keeps barking at Sabri unelected government’s double standards and incompetence, yet dumb enough to support the PM.

10. Capitalizing On Current Covid Pandemic

The dirty tricks of working hand-in-glove with the Election Commission in disallowing face-to-face campaigning and banning political gatherings had worked like a charm for Melaka  UMNO. A low voter turnout is normally favourable to Barisan Nasional. There’s nothing to suggest that Johor will see a high turnout of 80% and above, which would spell trouble for UMNO.

 

It was already bad that opposition supporters were highly demoralized and tired due to political fatigue. It becomes worse when most of the outstation opposition supporters, spooked by Omicron variant, will most likely skip the Johor state election. The people’s priority is bread and butter issue, not politicians who are seen as untrustworthy. - FT

cheers.

47 pertuduhan,semuanya sangkut...

High court judge Collin Sequerah ruled that prima facie case has been established on all 47 charges. Zahid ordered to enter his defence. Three  options he has : 

1. to give sworn evidence, 

2. to give unsworn statement from the dock or 

3. to remain silent. Zahid has chosen 1. - MelGoh

Bekas TPM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi akan mengetahui sama ada dia akan bebas atau perlu membela diri terhadap 47 pertuduhan penyelewengan, rasuah dan pengubahan wang haram melibatkan dana Yayasan Akalbudi bernilai puluhan juta. Pada Isnin, hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur Collin Lawrence Sequerah akan memaklumkan keputusannya sama ada pihak pendakwaan berjaya mewujudkan kes prima facie terhadap Zahid.

Ia melibatkan 12 pertuduhan jenayah pecah amanah (CBT), lapan pertuduhan rasuah dan 27 pertuduhan pengubahan wang haram. Zahid mengaku tidak bersalah atas semua pertuduhan itu. Di bawah undang-undang jenayah, prima facie bermaksud pertuduhan yang, secara zahirnya, telah dibuktikan oleh pihak pendakwaan melainkan tertuduh kemudiannya berjaya menimbulkan keraguan munasabah dalam kes itu. - mk

Why is Johor having a snap election?...

As soon as the dust settled after the Malacca state election, I could sense that Umno would push for a snap poll in Johor. On Nov 22 last year, I wrote: “The Malacca election result is unlikely to bring Umno and Bersatu closer. The Umno troika (former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and deputy president Mohamad Hasan) is pushing for an early election, as indicated by Mohamad’s statement.

“They will continue to pressure Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to dissolve Parliament as soon as the first quarter of 2022.

“Ismail Sabri, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa, and a few other Umno leaders are among those seen not to be in sync with the troika-led Umno core leadership. Ismail Sabri would certainly not want to dissolve Parliament so early into his tenure.

“If the Umno troika doesn’t get their way at the federal level, will they push for state-level elections in states they control, such as Johor or Perak?”

Essentially, there are two camps in Umno, “kluster mahkamah vs kluster menteri”, a popular phrase among party leaders and members.

The faction associated with former Najib and Zahid, both accused of corruption - hence “court cluster” - has been strategising since May 2018 to place Umno in a dominant position to ensure that both of them walk free from their crimes.

Different strategy

In Johor, the Najib-Zahid-Mohamad troika is assisted by Umno vice-president and former menteri besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin, and Johor Umno deputy chairperson and former deputy home minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed. During the Sheraton coup, Umno brought down the Pakatan Harapan government with Muhyiddin Yassin’s Bersatu and Mohamed Azmin Ali’s faction of PKR.

After gaining power, Umno’s core leadership, which is aligned with the “court cluster”, embarked on a disinformation campaign and sabotaged the Muhyiddin government until it fell in August 2021.

They won’t stop there. The Court of Appeal’s judgment on Najib’s case on Dec 8 last year further hastened the urgency of the Umno troika to push for a snap general election by using Johor as a launchpad.

The “kluster menteri” (cluster of ministers) has an entirely different strategy for Umno. They want Umno to contest alongside Bersatu and PAS, thus agreeing to have a far smaller share of seats than Umno used to have. Their argument is that it would be too risky for Umno to go alone, and the party has accepted the fact that coexisting with Bersatu dan PAS would bring benefit to all.

The split in Umno is real. A month before Muhyiddin fell, in July, among Umno’s 39 MPs, 15 of them agreed with the Umno troika/court cluster’s “go it alone” strategy. They pulled out from Muhyiddin’s government thus triggering the collapse, which eventually resulted in Ismail Sabri’s rise as prime minister.

Of all Umno’s 191 divisions, the troika probably has about slightly more than one-third of the support. But for now, the group nominally controls key positions in the Umno Supreme Council, especially the presidency, which is endowed with all powers including to decide on election candidates.

This means the troika needs to force for a general election to be held before the Umno party election. Only in such circumstances can they decide on all the candidates to be fielded, thus replacing their “kluster menteri” rivals with members of their team.

The Johor snap election is the product of the power struggle within Umno. The snap poll has no benefits at all for the people.

To put it in the simplest terms, the Johor snap poll is just the first salvo for a snap general election, which will be Najib and Zahid’s “get-out-of-jail” pass. The nation hangs in the balance as we head towards these disasters. - Liew Chin Tong

cheers.

Operasi Menyelamat Bos SPRM...

 

Penganjur perhimpunan #TangkapAzamBaki memaklumkan, himpunan itu tetap diteruskan di lokasi baru, selepas polis mengumumkan penutupan semua jalan utama dan sejumlah stesen tren menuju ke kompleks beli-belah Sogo.

Dalam satu kenyataan, jawatankuasa bertindak himpunan itu berkata penganjur perhimpunan - yang disokong 33 NGO dan 11 entiti politik - akan berkumpul di sepanjang Jalan Bangsar berhampiran stesen LRT Bangsar mulai 11 pagi ini.

"Kami ambil maklum dan amat kagum dengan kerahan seramai 1,010 pegawai dan anggota PDRM bagi tujuan 'Operasi Menyelamat Azam Baki' yang menyebabkan sebahagian besar bandaraya Kuala Lumpur dalam keadaan ‘lockdown’ untuk hanya satu individu.

"Tindakan keterlaluan ini menimbulkan gambaran seolah-olah ada rahsia yang melibatkan watak2 berprofil tinggi ingin ditutup, terutamanya berkaitan isu rasuah dan salah guna kuasa," kata kumpulan itu. - mk

The crowd stops briefly for a brief skit where a man dressed in a mock MACC uniform is booed by the crowd.Following this, the man in the mock uniform is symbolically "detained" by the crowd. - mk

Perhimpunan #tangkapAzamBaki: 6 jalan utama ditutup

The Securities Commission blinked first...

When the going gets tough, the weak find that it's easier to make a U-turn. On Jan 18 this year, the Securities Commission (SC) said that its investigation into the 'Azamgate' scandal was inconclusive.

Its investigation was shoddy, sloppy and slapdash. It resembled a botched attempt by a pupil who failed to revise, but who simply scribbled unintelligent answers on the examination paper. No explanations were given. No recommendations had been made. It was pathetic. My neighbour's daughter, a Standard Six pupil, can do a better job of investigating 'Azamgate'.

We wanted a decent and transparent investigation, but the SC treated Malaysians as fools. The public was incandescent with rage and made their feelings known on social media.

The following day, Jan 19, the SC concluded that MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki had done nothing wrong. It contradicted Azam's earlier statement about his share dealings and his brother's involvement. Why the U-turn?

The government realises the severity of Azamgate. The heart of the matter is the civil service code of conduct. It is about the core of government - the integrity of the civil service. The unelected Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his bloated cabinet had discussed the Azamgate affair and it would be naïve to think that they did not influence the SC's decision. If Ismail thought that the SC's conclusion would be the end of the matter, then he is sorely mistaken.

The intimidation started and Adam Adli, who is organising a march to protest Azamgate, was questioned by the police. Opposition MPs had to be stopped, and the government's hatchet man was detailed to reject the motion of the opposition MPs to discuss Azamgate in Parliament. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun specialises in throwing spanners into the works.

Azamgate is also damaging because it involves cover-ups, insider trading and how family allegiances enable corporate and institutional wrongdoings to be hidden away from the public eye. What's in a family name? In Malaysia, it is everything. Power, position and wealth. Or, to put it differently, you have cronyism, corruption, commission and cover-ups.

Azamgate is no fairy-tale. Just pluck one prime minister, or minister, and trace his family connections. In a scandal, just follow the muddy trail which will lead to at least one family member, sibling, uncle or his own children who are married to cronies, corrupt politicians, or VVIPs. These are Malaysia's "untouchables". Ismail has urged us to respect the SC's results. Why should we?

Azam is the chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Someone in his position must be cleaner than clean and whiter than white. He compromised himself with the allegedly dodgy purchase of shares in 2015 and 2016. A basic set of rules governs company employee behaviour, whilst civil servants have a code of conduct, but Azam chose to ignore them. He should set a good example.

The Azamgate scandal raises many more questions. As the Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri said that he would take care of the welfare of the rakyat, as in "Keluarga Malaysia". After the investigations were conducted, were our interests upheld? No!

SC's press statement on Jan 18 made the rakyat angrier. The SC said that "based on the evidence gathered, the SC is not able to conclusively establish that a breach under Section 25(4) of the Securities Industry (Central Depositories) Act 1991 (Sicda) has occurred."

Is the Securities Commission sitting on the fence? Why is the SC non-committal and its investigators sitting on the fence? The outcome is a version of "You help me, I help you". In other words, "You don't investigate me, and I will not investigate you".

On Jan 18, Azam seized upon the inconclusive SC report and claimed victory by saying that his file was closed and he could get back to work. He thanked the SC and expressed relief that his nightmare was over.

He claimed that the SC had found that he had not committed any offence. This is not true because the SC clearly stated that its findings were inconclusive. We now know that the SC probably had its arms twisted later that day.

Azam 'closed' the inquiry file and vowed to continue to fight corruption without fear or favour; but who said anything about closing the case? As far as the public is concerned, the Azamgate scandal is far from over.

The rakyat would like to know why the investigating officials of the SC declined to elaborate on their findings on Jan 18. They didn't even attempt to make any recommendations. Why not?

Who are the people on the SC panel who made the ludicrous decision? Do they not realise the consequences of their actions? Are the people on the SC panel qualified and experienced to undertake this investigation? It now looks like one does not need special skills. The only qualification needed is to say, "Yes, sir".

So, why was the result inconclusive on Jan 18? Was it because of a lack of evidence? Were official procedures not strictly adhered to? Were records missing, removed or deleted from the files or database? Or did they think that the public is not discerning and would happily accept the "inconclusive" findings?

After the U-turn on Jan 19, we thought that perhaps the SC needed more time to conduct a thorough investigation. Were there loopholes that Azam had been able to circumvent when purchasing the shares? Will these loopholes be plugged?

Overnight, the SC managed to overturn an "inconclusive" finding into something more concrete. Miraculously, Azam had done nothing wrong. Don't Malaysians want to know if heads would roll? Does the SC realise that they have trashed whatever integrity it may have once had? More importantly, had Nasir Baki been called to give evidence? What did he say?

The SC is allegedly being investigated by the MACC for insider trading. This corrupt practice has allegedly been happening for decades. If Azam is declared "clear of wrongdoing", will the individuals whom the SC penalised for proxy trading be refunded and receive an apology for wrongful prosecution?

Azamgate was poorly handled, and Ismail Sabri has only made us more determined to get rid of his unelected monster cabinet that has put Malaysia on a path of self-destruction. Azamgate needs an independent investigation.- Mariam Mokhtar

Najib sought my help to remove 

Sri Ram as DPP - Muhyiddin...

Muhyiddin Yassin claimed that Najib Abdul Razak had sought his help to remove Gopal Sri Ram as a prosecutor in the latter’s ongoing criminal court case. Former prime minister Muhyiddin made this claim in a letter issued by his lawyers dated Sept 17 last year, in response to also former premier Najib’s letter of demand against him.

On Sept 9 last year in a Facebook posting, Najib said that he sent the letter of demand to Muhyiddin. The legal letter wanted Muhyiddin to answer whether he was responsible for spreading a rumour - where Najib was alleged to have made a request for the then premier to interfere in Najib’s court cases.

Earlier on Aug 4 last year during a televised speech, then embattled premier Muhyiddin claimed that some people wanted him to interfere in court proceedings, alleging that his critics were "uncomfortable" with him because he refused to accede to their demands.

He alleged that there were appeals for him to interfere in court matters to free several individuals who were being charged with criminal acts. However, he did not name these individuals. 

On Jan 14 this year in response to Muhyiddin’s allegation, Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat denied that any party tried to approach her or other top judges to try to interfere in court cases. In the Sept 17 letter issued by law firm Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership, Muhyiddin’s lawyers reiterated that their client would not entertain any attempt at judicial interference.

Muhyiddin’s legal team claimed that in a meeting between him and Najib - whose location and date and time were not specified - that Najib allegedly complained about Sri Ram’s appointment as DPP in criminal cases against Najib, and allegedly sought for Muhyiddin’s intervention.

Formerly a federal court judge and now in private practice, Sri Ram was appointed as senior DPP by the attorney-general to conduct 1MDB-linked criminal court cases against Najib.

Muhyiddin’s lawyers reiterated that he reserves the right to disclose full particulars in regards to the allegation.

Muhyiddin’s legal team also stated that he would not be acceding to Najib’s letter of demand, and that in the event that Najib files a lawsuit, they are instructed to receive the cause papers and vigorously defend against it in court. - Hidir Reduan Abdul Rashid,mk

cheers.