Does Dr.M have a motive to undermine Anwar’s unity govt?

 

Former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who laid the groundwork for the infamous Sheraton Move contributed to the collapse of his own Pakatan Harapan (PH) government after a mere 22 months in power. If he had no qualms of bringing down his own government, then what do you expect him to do with governments that he is not part of it?

“Proklamasi Melayu” was just another attempt from a frustrated leader to undermine the government headed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He labelled Anwar as the dictator and the person responsible for the alleged cancellation of the two events organised for the “Malay Proclamation” gathering. Dr Mahathir was expected to be the keynote speaker. A man who used the infamous internal security act (ISA) to detain hundreds of political opponents has the temerity to label Anwar as the dictator.

Even the former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak has weighed in on the matter by saying that Mahathir should be the last person who should be calling others dictators and oppressors. He went on to describe Dr Mahathir’s condemnation of Anwar as a case of the pot calling the kettle black. It is not whether there is proof or not that Anwar ordered the cancellation of events marked for the declaration on Malays but there is something more sinister behind the move.

Tun M’s worries heightened?

Anwar’s crackdown on corruption relating to the Jana Wibawa stimulus financial package has resulted in the arrest and charging of three Bersatu leaders, including the head honcho Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Since there is no let up on the part of Anwar, there is concern that more corrupted leaders might be charged by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). There is lingering fear among those who were the recipients of the ill-begotten wealth that Anwar might cast his net wider to bring in those who enriched themselves and their families in the name of assisting the poor Malays.

In this respect, Anwar might even be contemplating about going after earlier leaders who had hand in robbing the country of billions. Dr Mahathir who has often being accused of assisting his cronies and relatives might have reason to be concerned. Perhaps this is the reason why he wants to destabilise the unity government in the name of “Proklamasi Melayu”.

Anwar might have oscillated on some matters earlier but he is taking on the bull by its horns. He has made it clear that there would be no compromise on corruption and other forms of malfeasance.

He has instructed the security agencies to monitor and take the appropriate measures to nab those using race and religion. No right-thinking Malaysians would want to disagree with Anwar. Ethnic and religious extremism must be curbed before they flare up to engulf the nation as a whole.

When Dr Mahathir was in power, he lambasted the Malays for not taking advantages of the economic opportunities that presented themselves. However, when he is not in power, he harps continuously on how the Malays have lost out to the non-Malays.

My question is simple: Why did he do to address the plight of the ordinary Malays for he was PM on two separate occasions – first, for a 22-year period and second, for 22 months. One thing is for sure: his cronies and family members amassed considerable wealth.

His contradictory politics has no traction in the Malaysian political arena. The fact that he and many others lost their deposits in the 15th General Elections (GE15) should be stark reminder that hate politics is no place in Malaysia. I think Anwar is doing the right thing. – Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy

Meanwhile, after two cancellations of his bookings to hold a “Proklamasi Melayu” gathering, the frustrated former prime minister told a press conference that Anwar was complicit in the matter, though he offered no proof.

Authorities at the venues who did not give reasons for their cancellations obviously preferred silence to saying something that would only give the spiral of expostulation and reply a nudge.This would open the floodgates to a back-and-forth that would lead to nowhere.Instead of taking their circumspection as a cue, Mahathir came out swinging at Anwar. He branded Anwar a “dictator”, saying the current PM is more oppressive towards the Malays than the British colonials had been.

Anwar’s defence against Mahathir’s brickbats gained support from an unexpected quarter. Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak weighed in with a Facebook posting that pointed out the irony in Mahathir’s branding of Anwar as a dictator. Najib’s criticism was of the “see who is calling the kettle black” variety. “Mr ISA calling others a dictator” chimed in the now-jailed former PM from his eyrie in Kajang Prison.

Najib was reminding the public that someone like Mahathir. who had used the now-rescinded colonial-era law, the Internal Security Act, to detain more than a hundred politicians and social activists during his time as prime minister, has to have much gall to accuse Anwar of being a dictator.

Mahathir cannot hope to win his battle of one-upmanship with Anwar, given the range of critics of him and what he had done during his two stints as PM. They say the reason Mahathir has long feared Anwar’s rise to the premiership is precisely because he expects this scrutiny once Anwar reaches the top post. - Anil Netto

The battle for Penang: 

PH will hold the citadel...

The latest possible election date for Penang is October 1, although it maybe held before then. Perikatan Nasional (PN) is approaching the coming six state elections aggressively. PN will hold Kelantan and Terengganu. It will consolidate Kedah even further, and have some show in Negeri Sembilan.

Selangor will be a battle royale, with Pakatan Harapan and Umno expected to win with a reduced majority. PN is hoping that the “green wave” will prevail in the coming state elections. However, Penang will be a very different case, with a number of other factors that will influence the results.

Back in the 2008 electoral tsunami, the then Pakatan Rakyat opposition swept to power by winning 29 out of 40 seats in the Penang legislative assembly. The Lim Guan Eng-led opposition routed the Barisan Nasional which lost 27 seats. Gerakan, MCA and MIC were completely wiped out. Umno was left with 11 seats to become the opposition.

In 2018, Pakatan Harapan consolidated its hold by winning 37 seats in the legislative assembly, losing four after the Sheraton Putsch in February 2020. PH goes into the coming election with 35 seats (including two from Umno). PAS has just one seat (Kepala Batas) in the current legislative assembly. There are also four vacant seats (Bertam, Seberang Jaya, Sungai Acheh and Telok Bahang) with the Speaker exercising his power under the Penang anti-hoping law.

Penang is a DAP citadel...

Penang’s 1.7 million inhabitants are both ageing and shrinking.Penang was traditionally thought of as a Chinese-dominated state, but now the Malay and Chinese populations are fairly even at 40 percent each, with the Indian community contributing 10 percent.

On Penang Island, there are 18 seats which are primarily Chinese-dominated with the exceptions of Bayan Lepas, Pulau Betong, Telok Bahang and Batu Muang. Most of the Chinese-dominated seats are held by DAP or PKR with massive majorities and are extremely safe. Seats like Bagan Jermal, Bukit Tengah and Perai have high Indian populations, and could be swayed by any changing trends in the Indian vote. On the mainland, there are 22 seats which are Malay-dominated, except Bagan Jermal, Bagan Dalam, Perai, Padang Lalang, Berapit and Jawi.

Thus, it can be expected that DAP and PKR will almost certainly hold onto 26 seats at a minimum. PAS will hold onto Penaga in the northern part of the mainland, and PN should pick up Permatang Pasir, Beragan, Sungai Acheh and have a very good chance in Bayan Lepas and Telok Bahang, giving the PN six seats.

That leaves eight seats which are too hard to call. These include Bertam, Pinang Tunggal, Sungai Dua, Telok Ayer Tawar, Seberang Jaya, Peranti, Sungai Bakap and Pulau Betong. Even if PH doesn’t win any of these tight seats, they can still form a government with a simple majority. However, if PN can win them, that would give it an opposition of up to 14 seats in the new legislative assembly.

Potential surprises...

The recent arrest of Muhyiddin Yassin on corruption charges could create an “Abah effect,” something similar to what was seen with Najib Razak in the Johor state election last year. If this effect eventuates, then PN may perform much better in the tight seats.

If the Indian vote either turns against PH or fails to turn out to vote, this could disadvantage PH. Gerakan is planning to contest three seats they held up to the 2008 state election, including Pantai Jerejak, Batu Uban and Batu Muang. With a moderate percentage of Chinese voters in each seat, Gerakan is likely to be punished for collaborating with PN, (the opposite side to the “Abah effect”).

Voters are sophisticated in Penang and have a clear understanding of state verses federal issues. Penang has been run reasonably, but there is some grassroots pushback against what is sometimes perceived as arrogance by the state administration. We will only know how strong these feelings are with the results on election night.

In this state election, it’s DAP that will prop-up PKR, which is going through a patch of unpopularity at this time. This will be a strong message to prime minister Anwar Ibrahim as to the importance of DAP in supporting his administration.

34 seats will be a massive win for PH in Penang. 26 seats will be a disappointment. Likewise, six seats for PN should be expected, but 14 seats should give credence to the “green wave” factor. Penang will be an interesting state to watch. - Murray Hunter

Dulu kafirkan UMNO,

kini PKR lawan koran pula...

Hadi Awang kata dia sedang saksi pesta kezaliman kerajaan Perpaduan dengan menganggap pendakwaan terhadap Mahiaddian sebagai zalim. Alasan digunakan pendakwaan terhadap Mahiaddin dibuat selepas burukkan Mahiaddin di media massa?

Pesepsi Hadi itu langsung tak hormat badan siasatan dan kehakiman. Beliau tidak meletakkan kepercayaan langsung kepada kehakiman dan SPRM. Suatu sikap sungguh melampau.

Kan bible tu terpesong dpd ajaran Kitab Injil, 

pi ambil pula & jadikan dalil... 

Anehnya Hadi sedar dan becoh menuduh kezaliman orang tetapi lupa kezaliman yang sedang dilakukan oleh puaknya sendiri. Puak² Hadi jadikan Quran sebagai perca kertas sahaja bila dibaca sekerat untuk fitnah orang dan ayat kebenaran menimpanya disembunyikan. Dia lupa perbuatan terkutuk itu mencemari agama.

Presiden Pas itu nampak pesta kezaliman dari sudut mata nafsu politiknya semata² namun lupa perbuatannya menunggang ayat² Quran secara murahan. Hadi sudah hilang nilai ulama yang memperjuangkan haq. - mso.

cheers.

Anwar - You picked the wrong PM to threaten...

 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he will not be cowed into silence by threats made by certain quarters aimed at toppling him from federal power. 

Addressing thousands of delegates at PKR’s special congress today, the party president said he will no longer allow the previous practice by past leaders, protecting the corrupt and enriching a few to go on. 

He said although he was accused of political persecution against the opposition, Anwar vowed that his government would continue to protect the rakyat and take on those guilty of graft. 

“You want to threaten me by (conducting) an assembly? You want to threaten me from acting against corruption? You chose the wrong prime minister!  “I will not be influenced by these threats. If we have power, we will act. If you want to try to attempt a coup, by all means. But it will not be easy,” he told PKR delegates.

Anwar’s remark today comes ahead of a planned “Malay proclamation” gathering, which has since been cancelled. It was supposed to be held tomorrow and led by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

It is also in light of recent statements and actions by opposition members attempting to stir up racial and religious sentiments, which threaten to harm the fabric of the country’s harmony. 

This follows recent corruption charges against several opposition leaders, including Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. 

Fearing possible unrest stemming from this, Anwar had yesterday instructed security forces in the country to be on alert, adding that he would not tolerate any action that is aimed at increasing the racial and religious temperature. 

In his speech today, Anwar again urged Malaysians to be alert of certain quarters who have lost power and fearing criminal action against them for graft and tax evasion, have resorted to religious bigotry, playing up issues of patriotism and racism to gain support. 

“They asked me to be the prime minister, but then what? I should just play dumb and allow this (corruption and tax evasion) to happen and only collect taxes from the rakyat? 

“Yes, I will collect taxes from the rakyat, but I will not let go of the tycoons and super-rich from evading payment. And this is why we are investigating.” 

Anwar, who is Pakatan Harapan chairman, also took a dig at a certain former prime minister over his recent hypocritical statements claiming to champion the rights of the Malays, when he had syphoned public funds himself. 

“There is someone who was in power for 22 years and later another 22 months, complaining that the Malays have lost everything. They lost because you squandered everything for yourself and your children. 

“Yet you talk about the rakyat. Don’t think the rakyat are stupid. They must rise to defend their rights.” – The Vibes

‘Jangan bodohkan rakyat’...

Setelah hilang tampuk kuasa, barulah sedar dan mengeluh tentang nasib orang Melayu. Demikian sindiran Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim terhadap pihak yang mendakwa kononnya orang Melayu semakin ditindas dan hilang kuasa bawah pentadbiran kerajaan perpaduan.

Tanpa menamakan pihak itu, Anwar dipercayai merujuk kepada Dr Mahathir Mohamad yang menurutnya, tidak memperjuangkan nasib orang Melayu ketika menjadi perdana menteri, sebaliknya hanya mengayakan diri dan keluarganya.

“Ada orang dulu, 22 tahun campur 22 bulan pegang kuasa, sekarang mengeluh Melayu hilang segala-galanya, hilang harta, hilang saham,” kata Anwar, yang juga presiden PKR semasa ucap tama di Kongres Nasional Khas PKR 2023 di Stadium Malawati. “Bagaimana tak hilang kalau kamu bolot untuk kamu, untuk keluarga kamu dan anak-anak kamu. Sekarang bila hilang kuasa, bicara soal rakyat.”

Anwar mengingatkan individu tersebut supaya berhenti memperbodohkan rakyat, mereka cerita kononnya kuasa dan hak Melayu semakin lemah bawah kerajaan hari ini. “Jangan perbodohkan rakyat, rakyat harus bangkit pertahan hak mereka,” katanya.

Mahathir sebelum ini memberi amaran bahawa kaum Melayu akan hilang kuasa sepenuhnya di negara ini selepas dua kali PRU akan datang. Bekas perdana menteri itu menyuarakan perkara itu ekoran suasana politik ketika ini di mana menurutnya kekuatan dominan bangsa itu semakin teruk terhakis sejak PRU15 lepas.

Anwar dalam ucapannya juga membidas gabungan terdahulu yang kononnya mahu memperjuangkan hak orang Melayu Islam, namun gagal membawa sebarang perubahan untuk masyarakat itu selepas tiga tahun mentadbir negara susulan Langkah Sheraton.

“Kamu pegang tampuk kuasa, termasuk 3 tahun menjadi kerajaan. Mana dia RUU355? Mana projek meningkatkan dana untuk (negeri majoriti Melayu Islam) Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis dan Kedah?

“Belanjawan 2023 tahun ini yang meningkatkan (dana) untuk Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis dan Kedah, lebih sikit untuk Sabah dan Sarawak, kerana mereka ketinggalan dalam banyak perkara,” katanya.

Anwar juga mengulangi beliau tidak gentar dengar sebarang ugutan pihak pembangkang yang mahu menumbangkan kerajaan pimpinannya kerana yakin beliau akan kekal menerajui negara sehingga habis penggal Parlimen. “Mereka mahu ugut kita dengan perhimpunan, saya tak makan ugutan itu. Ada kuasa kita laksanakan,” katanya. 

“Kamu cuba nak rampas kuasa, silakan, tetapi (kita) tidak kisah, kita siap dengan keris..membujur lalu melintang patah.” - fmt

Why PM Anwar should consider “Operasi Lalang 2” to neutralize all religious extremists...

Operation Lalang (Operasi Lalang in Malay), which means “Operation Weeding” was a major crackdown launched by the Royal Malaysian Police in 1987 to prevent the repeat of racial riots in the country. It was the biggest operation of its kind under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad after racial tensions had reached a dangerous level, forcing the government to act.

The operation saw the arrest of 119 people, including opposition politicians, activists, students, intellectuals and others. News media like The Star, Sin Chew Jit Poh and Watan were among four newspapers that had their publishing licenses revoked. However, many believed it was an excuse by Mahathir to silence critics through draconian measures, whose 22 years iron-fist rule began in 1981 and ended in 2003.

In truth, the crackdown was engineered after a split within the dominant ruling party – United Malays National Organization (UMNO) – as a result of party election in 1986-1987. Team-A, led by Mahathir was challenged by Team-B led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Even though Mahathir won narrowly, the party was declared illegal and dissolved, leading to the formation of today’s UMNO Baru .

The political drama also saw the deputy president of MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association), Lee Kim Sai, raising the issue of vernacular Chinese school personnel where 100 non-Chinese educated staffs were deployed to Chinese-medium primary schools. The protest eventually involved a call to boycott in Chinese schools for 3 days, only to be called off at the eleventh hour.

Orchestrated by Mahathir, UMNO Youth Chief Najib Razak retaliated with a Malay rally in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, where Najib had threatened to soak a “Keris (Malay dagger)” in Chinese blood, evoking the fear of a repeat of the May 13, 1969 racial riots. To make matters worse, a Malay soldier known as “Prebet Adam” ran amok with an M16 rifle, killing a Malay and injured two others in Chow Kit.

On October 27, 1987, PM Mahathir, who was also the Minister of Home Affairs, launched the Operation Lalang under the pretext of defusing racial tension. He argued the country was facing an economic recession and high unemployment, hence could not afford racial riots. His loyalist, Inspector General of Police Haniff Omar, said the operation was for the sake of national security.

Lim Kit Siang - Ops Lalang detainee

Opposition leaders like Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh were among those arrested and locked up without trial under the now-defunct Internal Security Act (ISA). Interestingly, MCA Lee Kim Sai, having been tipped off, left for Australia for a few months before the crackdown began. Of course, Najib was never arrested, even though IGP Haniff said the UMNO rally was the reason the crackdown was launched.

Fast forward 36 years later, Malaysia is again facing the prospect of a repeat of bloody racial riots today. Anwar Ibrahim, the education minister responsible for the appointment of non-Mandarin educated principals and senior assistants to vernacular schools in 1987, is now the 10th Prime Minister. Najib Razak, the 6th Prime Minister, is currently serving 12 years’ jail for corruption related to 1MDB scandal.

Mahathir, now 98 years old, continues stirring up racial and religion sentiments among the Malays that they have lost power to the “Chinese, Christians and Communists”. Joining him are religious extremist Hadi Awang, president of Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS – Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) and racist bigot Muhyiddin Yassin, president of Bersatu (Malaysian United Indigenous Party).

Unlike 1987, when Operation Lalang was designed by Mahathir to get rid of all critics and opposition to stay in power, Anwar is today facing the real danger of losing power due to racial riots being inflamed by opposition Perikatan Nasional, comprising PAS and Bersatu. While the actors are playing different roles, the storyline remains the same – use racial and religious cards to get power.

And unlike 1987, when Mahathir instructed MCA and UMNO to start a political drama to divert attention from a divided UMNO, Anwar is today leading a Unity Government comprising multi-racial Perikatan Nasional and UMNO-dominated Barisan Nasional coalitions. In fact, unlike 1987, it’s the opposition who attacks non-Malays almost on a daily basis today.

In 1987, Mahathir controlled the narrative and created the perception that Malays were being threatened by ethnic Chinese. Today, Anwar is being controlled by the narrative and the perception cooked up by PAS and Bersatu that Malays are being threatened by the Chinese. The question is whether Anwar has the balls to decisively and boldly launch “Operasi Lalang 2” to save the country from disaster.

Dr.M - 1987 - Operation Lalang

Yes, the time has come for the Anwar-led Unity Government to make some tough decisions after relentless provocations and threats by radicals to seize power. What premier Mahathir and police chief Haniff said 36 years ago, which were arguably excuses to justify Operation Lalang, has today become so real that a crackdown on the Opposition should be seriously considered.

Malaysia is facing high inflation due to geopolitical reason, with upcoming economic recession and high unemployment on the table. The national security is under threat – for real – as racial riots being drummed by Perikatan Nasional will see investors, both domestic and foreign, fleeing and never returned for a very long time. This is not the time for pussyfooting.

Ordering security forces to be on alert for possible unrest stemming from irresponsible parties playing up racial and religious sentiments, PM Anwar has today said his government would not allow any statements that could threaten harmony. He said – “Any attempt made by anyone to pit one race against another, or to increase the racial and religious temperature in this country will not be permitted.”

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, in response to the premier’s warning, claims that the security level is under control. Hilariously, the police chief urged any individual with information on those committing such offences to report the matter immediately to police. What grass has he been smoking lately? Has he just woken up from slumberland?

Anwar can talk till the kingdom comes, but it will be nothing but empty rhetoric if his own lieutenant, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution, is sleeping on the job and cannot control the security forces. Where was IGP Acryl Sani when former backdoor PM Muhyiddin spread fake news that Christians were working with “Jews to Christianise” Malaysia during the Nov 2022 election campaign?

And where was the police chief, an errand boy promoted by Bersatu during Muhyiddin regime, when Abdul Hadi Awang falsely accused non-Muslim and non-Malays as being the root of corruption, only to keep his silence after Muhyiddin was arrested and charged for corruption involving RM92.5 billion in the Covid-19 Stimulus Programme?

What type of information that the clueless and incompetent IGP Acryl Sani needs when every Tom, Dick and hamster knew how PAS president Hadi deliberately challenged and ridiculed multiple royal decrees, including Sultan Terengganu’s latest order prohibiting politicians from using mosques to deliver religious lectures or “ceramahs” – which are actually political propaganda?

It’s a matter of time before PAS extremists, already testing the water with an army of fanatics proudly flashing swords, spears and shields as if they were on a Jihad crusade against Islam enemies during the ancient Medieval Age, launch a violent “Iranian Revolution” to topple the Malay Sultans and the democratically-elected multi-racial government. So, what has the police done to protect the Malay Rulers?

PAS Armies Of Spears and Swords - Hadi Awang

Heck, power-hungry Hadi has even perverted his right to “overthrow” Anwar government, claiming that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s (King) decree for a unity government cannot stop a coup d’etat. Isn’t this a national security threat, as proven when a local group involved with the ISIS terrorist group was spreading propaganda on the social media to take over the country?

Perhaps the police force can explain why there has been no arrest despite overwhelming “death threats” on the director and screenwriter of the film “Mentega Terbang”, as well as threats on his family members. Even Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has been accused by Perikatan Nasional of proselytising Christianity to Muslim youth.

Mahathir, desperate to protect his legacy and families’ interest, could use this Sunday’s “Malay Proclamation” rally to spark the flame of Malay anger, the same way he used “Malay Dignity Congress” in Oct 2019 to provoke the Malays. This could be followed by PAS and Bersatu’s rally to incite racial riots in the coming days – a plot to destabilize and eventually topple Anwar government.

The Star newspaper, owned by MCA, along with other news media has already started undermining the unity government with dubious polls and news. Social media like TikTok, Facebook and Twitter were being weaponised by Perikatan Nasional to spread disinformation and fake news. The goal is to get rid of Anwar so that the corrupt politicians can return to power.

Muhyiddin has been slapped with 7 charges of corruption and money laundering. His party accounts have been frozen. Wolf in sheep’s clothing Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, struggling without free flow of funds as opposition, could see the party’s account frozen too for money laundering. And Mahathir wants to piggyback on both Muhyiddin and Hadi to revive his appeal among the Malay community.

Like it or not, the prime minister cannot play nice forever in his effort to win praise. He should realize that he can never win the contest to become more Islamic than the PAS Islamist party. He should show who’s the boss and his willingness to use the power in his possession to guarantee national security. He has to send shivers down the spine of extremists determined to destroy the country.

Obviously, there were concerns that any action against the untouchable PAS leaders like snake oil salesman Hadi could turn him into a martyr. But it won’t matter if Anwar loses power and the unity government collapses because the indecisive government could not decide how to best handle the radicals, who keep pushing the buttons to start racial riots. -FT

cheers.

Din is scared, Bersatu is rattled...

 Dia tau pulak takut,masa dok gagau dulu berani sakan...

Mahiaddin Yassin, Malaysia’s second shortest-serving prime minister, had good mentors in the form of former prime ministers.These former Malay PMs liked to boast about their Malay credentials, and that their leadership will successfully protect the Malays, and defend Islam.

Ironically, the Malaysian rakyat, in particular the Malays, must be protected against these types of Malay leaders.They have brought shame to their race and country, besides giving the nation a bad name and saddling us with a huge debt, a loss of trust in politicians and numerous trials concerning their criminal breach of trust (CBT) and alleged corruption.

The convicted felon Najib Abdul Razak is now in jail after he was found guilty of CBT and money laundering involving RM42 million of SRC funds. He is also implicated in stealing around RM2.67 billion from 1MDB. His crime is like child’s play when we compare the allegations about Mahiaddin’s corruption involving  two money laundering charges of RM232.5 million.

In addition, Najib’s theft of RM2.67 billion seems like loose change compared to Mahiaddin’s alleged misappropriation of RM92.5 billion in government funds meant for the COVID-19 stimulus packages during the Perikatan Nasional-led government.

Take note of this political ploy. For six decades Umno and Umno-Baru (the new Umno which emerged a year after the original party was deregistered in 1987) used fear to control and manipulate the rakyat. Today, that same fear has gripped Mahiaddin Yassin and Bersatu. So, what else is new? Nothing. It’s the same man wearing different clothes. It’s the same political tactics, just a different party logo.

Bersatu is just a clone of Umno-Baru. Even Muhyiddin is an Umno-Baru reject. Ever the opportunist, Muhyiddin could sense the rakyat’s anger  in 2015, and so he spoke up against his boss, then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak. The evidence against Najib was mounting, especially in the overseas media. Only a fool could not see that Najib would lose in GE14 despite his best efforts to silence his critics.

With defeat on the horizon, Mahiaddin weighed up  his chances and planned his long-term political career. He’d seen Najib manipulating the system. He was aware of the corruption and excesses of Najib’s wife, the self-proclaimed First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM). Together with his former boss Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, they formed Bersatu and worked fast to prepare themselves for GE14 in two years’ time.

When Mahathir resigned, Abdullah Badawai was named his successor, followed by Najib. Mahiaddin never made the shortlist. Whilst he was seething at not being considered for PM, he wrongly thought that by saying he was “Malay first, Malaysian second” would get him to the top of the queue. Instead, that foolish move attracted more criticism and must have upset BN’s coalition partners.

The ambitious and power-hungry Mahiaddin was often overlooked, and for years he lived in the shadow of politicians with more public “appeal” like Najib and Mahathir. After Harapan’s win in GE14, Muhyiddin was probably aware that at some point, Mahathir once again the PM would renege on his pact with Harapan about Anwar taking over.

Mahiaddin saw his golden opportunity, and together with the other opportunist, PAS president Hadi Awang, engineered the Sheraton Move. The rest, as they say, is history. Ironically, having appointed himself as PM, Mahiaddin decided to play it safe, using the cover of Emergency rule and the coronavirus pandemic to avoid scrutiny of his policies by parliament.

However, the past finally caught up with him. The MACC saw it fit to freeze Bersatu’s accounts pending investigations. The party is only a few years old and has not proven itself. So how did a newly formed political party end up with RM300 million in its bank accounts?

Utusan Malaysia reported that the MACC’s investigations showed Bersatu’s  political donors were in reality contractors who had allegedly offered bribes in return for projects during Mahiaddin’s previous PN administration. This is corruption.

When Wan Saiful Wan Jan, one of Mahiaddin’s trusted right hand men, was arrested last week, and Mahiaddin himself was charged, the Bersatu publicity department went into overdrive. The party was rattled. Mahiaddin’s chief lieutenants like Wan Saiful, Azmin Ali and Hamzah Zainuddin, shouted out “political persecution.” They would say that, wouldn’t they?

Bersatu supreme council member Azmin said the MACC probe was to cripple the party. Bersatu information chief Razali Idris said Mahiaddin’s treatment was “inhumane.” Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin issued a veiled threat against the authorities. He claimed to possess files on government party leaders from his time as home minister, hinting he could use them. Isn’t it illegal to hang on to official files and issue threats?

Sensing the loss of PN’s credibility, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the MACC investigations were an attempt to distract the public away from Umno-Baru’s many issues. Meanwhile, PAS president Hadi Awang predicted the fall of Anwar Ibrahim and his unity government soon.

The silver lining in all this is that the Malay leaders, Mahiaddin and Hadi, have been exposed as shams. Instead of protecting the Malays, they have lied to and cheated on their fellow Malays. They are not observers of the faith as they went against its teachings. With six state elections coming up, Malaysians have the best chance for better governance, and should by now know whom to vote for. - Mariam Mokhtar

Is Tun M afraid that Anwar 

may dig into his corrupt past?...

I have always wondered why there is such a strong and firm resistance in appointing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister (PM). He was once the second most important person in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. However, Dr Mahathir has always found ways and means to prevent Anwar from becoming PM.

Furthermore, Anwar was jailed on certain false accusations. Dr Mahathir had once insisted that Anwar will not become PM as long as he is there. Another former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak may not be as evil as Dr Mahathir but still assured that Anwar will not become PM. As before, Anwar was prosecuted and jailed.

In 2018, Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over political power on the understanding that Anwar would be appointed PM in the near future. However, due to Anwar being jailed in the Sungai Buloh Prison back then, Dr Mahathir was appointed the interim PM until Anwar’s pardon and eventual return to the political arena.

But despite giving the impression that he is a changed person, Dr Mahathir still refused to hand over his PM post to Anwar. He resisted stepping down from his position after two years. Anwar was impatiently waiting on the sidelines to take over the position, hence his hopes were sunk.

Meanwhile, Mahathir was busy degrading Anwar in PKR by supporting Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and other senior leaders. The main cause of Sheraton Move might be different, but Dr Mahathir was also involved. Without his grace, the move would not have happened. However, he resigned because he wanted to be the PM for life by choosing the minister of his choice. It was this selfish initiative that was the main driver of Sheraton Move.

Animosity towards Anwar

When Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Ismail became PMs, Anwar did not have a strong figure supporting him to become PM. He finally succeeded after the 15th General Election (GE15) despite not having numbers, but the inclusion of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) brought majority numbers to form the unity government.

Muhyiddin tried his best to prevent Anwar from becoming PM by using a dubious affidavit submission. But it was filtered by His Highness the Yang si-Pertuan Agong as unimportant. 

Previously, the Agong had an unpleasant experience in connection with affidavit – a kind of magical formula for Muhyiddin to achieve his desired PM post.

Turning to the bigger question, one wonders why was there so much resistance to Anwar becoming PM? The answers that Anwar has provided in the last few days pointed to his actions in rooting out corruption which led to the arrest of three Bersatu leaders, including its president Muhyiddin on six charges of abuse of power and money laundering. More arrests are expected to be made, including those who secretly bribed and amassed their wealth in the previous period.

Anwar a staunch graft buster

Dr Mahathir opposed Anwar not because he was seen as his competitor or because he is a populist. Anwar is seen as someone who will root out corruption and abuse of power. Dr Mahathir knows that an empowered Anwar will not stop running after those corrupt politicians.

Anwar will not hesitate to include hauling Dr Mahathir to court for being involved in cronyism and nepotism. This is why Dr Mahathir had to prevent Anwar from becoming the PM by making false accusations against him. Ultimately, Anwar was punched in the jail before being taken to court in a bizarre process to imprison Anwar. Najib like Dr Mahathir sees the danger risk in Anwar.

There is a constant concern that Anwar if given power will pursue their non-material political positions. In Muhyiddin’s case, he may have fought the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) scandal but whether he fought corruption is doubtful.

In two examples of submission of affidavits – during the GE14 and GE15 respectively – Muhyiddin succeeded in the first attempt to refrain Anwar from his dream of becoming the PM but failed in the second attempt.

In just a few months following his ascension to power – and despite some swings on his side – Anwar is already seriously chasing down the corrupt and misuse of power. The Malaysian Anri-Corruption Commission (MACC) is already working in hectic overtime by casting a net far and wide to arrest guilty parties.

Three key Bersatu leaders have been arrested and charged including Muhyiddin. Corruption charges thrown by them against the other parties are now hitting Bersatu leaders like boomerang.

Only Anwar can fight corruption

Corruption is not a new phenomenon in Malaysia; it is rooted during the notorious Dr Mahathir administration. Dr Mahathir’s cronies have earned huge amounts of money through policies reek of prejudice and nepotism.

Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin who is still around is one of the main beneficiaries of Dr Mahathir’s pro-Malay policy. In fact, there are a few more. Anwar has no choice but to act against corruption. He needs to make changes now.

Malaysia’s vast foreign debt that amounts to RM1.5 tril is caused by certain factors, primarily financial embezzlement due to corruption and other misconduct. Those who previously talked about corruption did nothing to eradicate it.

I think Anwar is leading and making changes. The fight against symptoms of corruption, abuse of power and other defiance must begin now.

If Anwar fails to move despite having profound stakes, I don’t think any other PM after him will have the political will and open-mindedness to eliminate the threat. – Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy 

Kalu lebai2 perintah semua ni halal belaka...

Tahniah warga Kepala Batas dapat MP yang blur ni...

cheers.

Ex-PM Din charged with another count of money laundering...

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin today claimed trial to one count of money laundering involving RM5 million linked to the Jana Wibawa programme. The Perikatan Nasional chairperson, clad in a black suit, was charged this morning in the proceedings before Shah Alam Sessions Court judge Rozilah Salleh.

The money laundering charge laid out under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, read with Section 87(1) of the same act, accused the 76-year-old of receiving RM5 million in proceeds from the illegal activities from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, and into Bersatu's account ending with “041” - on Jan 7, 2022.

He was accused of committing the offence, in his capacity as Bersatu president, at an AmBank branch at Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya. The Pagoh MP may be jailed for up to 15 years and fined five times the amount involved or RM5 million, whichever is higher.

On Friday last week before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, Muhyiddin pleaded not guilty to four counts of abuse of power and two counts of money laundering involving RM232.5 million linked to the same programme.

Seeking transfer to KL court

During open-court proceedings before Rozilah today, deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib applied for the case to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. The DPP said this was because the present money laundering charge is related to the six charges filed at the Kuala Lumpur lower court.

The prosecutor also applied for the same bail amount of RM2 million with two sureties, previously imposed by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, to apply in the present case as well. Defence counsel K Kumaraendran then informed the judge they have no objections to the transfer and for the present case to utilise the RM2 million bail at the other court.

Following the transfer, the matter would come up for mention with the other six criminal charges before the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court on May 26. - mk

Din might have solicited bribes 

from S.Mokhtar in return for 5G...

Anwar Ibrahim’s pledge to crack down on corruption has sent shivers down the spine of many corrupt politicians, including three former Prime Ministers – Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri. But they are not the only sharks identified. Powerful politicians like Daim Zainuddin and super-rich cronies like Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary too are in trouble.

In July 2022, a few months before the 15th General Election, then-Opposition leader Anwar warned if he becomes prime minister, former finance minister Daim would have sleepless nights. When Anwar finally became the 10th Prime Minister, the anti-corruption agency started investigations on the 84-year-old Daim in relation to his secret offshore accounts exposed in the Pandora Papers.

Syed Mokhtar, the billionaire and a crony of Mahathir, quickly agreed to share 30% of net profit from his cash cow, Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) – with paddy farmers, on top of RM60 million to rice smallholders. PM Anwar was targeting his Bernas’ monopoly of the rice industry, which made a whopping revenue of RM4.67 billion and RM182.25 million in net profit in 2021 alone.

Turtle-egg Ismail Sabri should think twice about plotting with religious extremist PAS president Hadi Awang and racist bigot Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin to overthrow Anwar administration. Sabri could be next to be charged for possible corruptions during his administration in the second phase of RM5.7 billion Jana Wibawa scandal, which has seen Muhyiddin being implicated.

Mahathir, whose 22 years iron-fist rule (from 1981 to 2003) saw corruption, nepotism and cronyism flourished, has every reason to worry that his protégé-turn-nemesis Anwar is now targeting all his cronies besides Syed Mokhtar. It’s not a coincidence that Berjaya Corp founder Vincent Tan, another Mahathir’s crony, has suddenly stepped down as its chairman and assumes the role of adviser.

However, it would take many months to dig and build profiles of corruptions involving dirty politicians like Mahathir and Daim as they were between 20 and 40 years ago. But it doesn’t mean the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) cannot skin the fat cats beginning with their sons and cronies. This is why 97-year-old Mahathir cannot retire peacefully. His legacy and sons are in jeopardy.

Dr.Mahathir and Billionaire Syed Mokhtar

While Muhyiddin and his loyalists scream until blue in the face that the corruption charges slapped on the former prime minister was a selective political prosecution, in truth, he is the low-hanging fruit ready to be picked by the anti-corruption agency as all evidences are still fresh and available. If Muhyiddin is clean and incorruptible, then Joe Biden and Rosmah Mansor are still a virgin and we should believe in the tooth fairy.

On Friday (March 10), Muhyiddin was slapped with 6 counts of corruption and power abuse charges involving RM427.5 million. The 76-year-old Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president was charged with 4 counts of using his position as the Prime Minister and Bersatu president to solicit RM200 million as a bribe from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd from February 8 to February 25, 2021.

He has similarly been charged for abusing his position to solicit RM32.5 million from Nepturis Sdn Bhd (RM1 million), Mamfor Sdn Bhd (RM19.5 million) and Azman Yusoff (RM12 million) for kickbacks for Bersatu between March 1 to August, 2020. If convicted, Muhyiddin faces imprisonment of up to 20 years, and a fine of no less than 5 times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Additionally, he is also facing two counts money laundering involving RM195 million. The former backdoor PM who ruled for just 17 months, whose actual registered name is Mahiaddin Md Yasin, apparently received kickbacks from illegal activities – RM120 million and RM75 million – from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, which is 99% owned by tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary.

Even if he could escape the 4 charges of abuse of power involving RM232.5 million linked to Jana Wibawa, it’s hard for him to get away with 2 charges of money laundering involving RM195 million. Money trails showed the RM195 million was deposited into Bersatu’s CIMB bank account between February 25 and July 16, 2021, during which Muhyiddin was the Prime Minister and Bersatu’s president.

But that’s not the end of the story. The crook will be slapped with another corruption charge on Monday (March 13), and more could be coming. The best part is the RM5.7 billion Jana Wibawa scandal is just a small part of the RM92.5 billion Covid-19 Stimulus Programme. What is most interesting is that the RM195 million kickbacks were not entirely related to the pandemic recovery scheme.

Story kat SINI dan SINI

So, why did Bukhary Equity pay the jaw-dropping RM195 million for Muhyiddin’s political party? Hilariously, Mahiaddin has blamed Lim Guan Eng for revoking the tax exemption on Yayasan Al-Bukhary in 2018. Mahiaddin said after he became the new backdoor prime minister in 2018, Syed Mokhtar appealed to him to be exempt from taxes for works related to Islamic charities.

Even if it’s true that former finance minister Lim was responsible for revoking the 45% tax exemption, which he has denied, Muhyiddin is not able to explain why Syed Mokhtar paid RM195 million to reverse Lim’s decision. First, obviously the billionaire stands to gain more than RM195 million through the tax exemption, hence gladly paid the money to whomever Muhyiddin ordered him to.

Second, it screams kickbacks because Muhyiddin had demanded RM195 million in what appeared to be approval to Syed Mokhtar’s appeal. Exactly what type of Malay-Muslim is Muhyiddin for soliciting bribes to help Islamic charities? And if indeed Yayasan Al-Bukhary is a genuine charity house, why didn’t Syed Mokhtar sue Lim or the previous Pakatan Harapan government for revoking the tax exemption.

This is not the first time Muhyiddin was involved in corruption. He had done worse when he was the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Johor from 1986 to 1995. Stamford Holdings Sdn Bhd, a plantation company owned by the Seet family (Singapore) and Gan family and the Wang family (Malaysia), applied to the state government in 1984 for permission to develop a parcel of land belonging to the company.

When Muhyiddin noticed the application, he sent Syed Mokhtar and Yahaya Talib, who introduced themselves as business associates and friends of the Johor Chief Minister, to meet Stamford directors. Muhyiddin’s cronies proposed to develop 714.7-hectare of the land in a joint venture (JV) agreement where Syed Mokhtar-led firm took a 30% stake, with the remaining held by Stamford.

The initial venture was a success, never mind Samford was forced to accept the parasites as business partners. In 1992, Muhyiddin, Syed Mokhtar and Yahaya approached Stamford with plan to develop the remaining 2,638.5-hectare. Unlike the first agreement, they greedily demanded 70% equity stake but was willing to pay only RM30,000 per acre for Stamford (in the first venture, they paid RM3,397.50 per acre).

Muhyiddin Yassin - ex-Johor Menteri Besar 

Stamford rejected the preposterous proposal (when the Muhyiddin’s group sold their stake in 1994, their initial investment of RM1.8 million had soared to RM83.2 million – 4,522% profit). When Stamford insisted on retaining the original JV conditions, and told them to pay fairly RM70,000 per acre for the 30% equity stake, Muhyiddin threatened Stamford.

Muhyiddin warned – “Look, I have this piece of paper in front of me on my desk. All I have to do is sign it and Stamford Holdings will no longer own the 4,000 acres of land. Now, do you agree or not to develop the land and I take 70%?” Several threats followed, but Stamford remained adamant, refusing to be robbed. In July 1994, the Johor government forcefully and unlawfully acquired the land.

Stamford Holdings sued Muhyiddin, Syed Mokhtar and Yahaya in Feb 1995. After a lengthy court battle, the scandal reached the Federal Court in 1998 where all parties agreed to settle the dispute out of court. Stamford was paid compensation of RM405 million. The scandal was so massive that Asiaweek did a comprehensive investigative report and exposed Muhyiddin’s phone call threatening Stamford directors.

So, you see, Mahiaddin and Syed Mokhtar friendship goes back a long way. Therefore, it’s hard to believe the former premier would solicit money from his crony the same way he had threatened and robbed the Stamford Chinese businessmen. Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin was trying to hoodwink gullible Malays when he said Syed Mokhtar can donate to whoever he wants.

We are talking about RM195 million, not RM1.9 million or RM19 million. Despite being a so-called philanthropist, this is the same billionaire who systematically killing millers and paddy farmers, who happen to be ethnic Malay. In 2018, it was revealed that 300,000 farmers in Kedah were drowning in debt due to shrinking incomes and increasing operating costs thanks to rice monopoly.

On May 15, 2020, a few months before Bukhary Equity generously “donated” the mind-boggling RM195 million to Bersatu, the backdoor government of Muhyiddin quietly awarded the highly sought after 5G telecommunication spectrum to several players without open tender. One of them was a little-known Altel Communications – a firm controlled by Syed Mokhtar.

Altel Telecommunication - SIM Card

It’s not rocket science that something was fishy when the sign-off by Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah went unannounced to the public, with no media statements issued. The hastily deal was bulldozed by the illegitimate backdoor government of Muhyiddin, so much so that even mobile service providers awarded the 5G spectrum were not aware of it.

As a result, the public listed companies did not have enough time to announce it to the stock exchange. Leading mobile service providers Maxis, Celcom and DiGi were awarded two bands of 10 megahertz (2x10MHz). State telecommunications firm Telekom Malaysia was allocated 2x5MHz. However, Altel, despite being a minor player, was given 2x5MHz.

Worse, Altel, which was awarded the most amount of spectrum in the 2.6GHz band to deploy 4G services by the government in late 2012, made easy money by leasing the spectrum to other telcos and piggybacked on Celcom to offer services as a mobile virtual network operator. To date, 11 years later, Altel has yet to build and deploy its own 4G LTE network for the public.

The RM195 million were most likely kickbacks for Muhyiddin in exchange for Altel’s 5G spectrum. But Syed Mokhtar cannot use Altel or his business empire to send the huge amounts of money to Bersatu as it will raise red flags. Therefore, the cover story is to use Bukhary Equity under the pretext of charity works to “donate” money to Muhyiddin’s political party.

The burning question is will the tycoon testifying in the court that he had willingly donated to Muhyiddin? If Syed Mokhtar agrees to protect Muhyiddin, the anti-graft agency would not have had arrested and charged the ex-PM, and the crook would not be crying, whining and bitching that the MACC and the Attorney General’s Chambers were working with PM Anwar to nail him.

Muhyiddin Extramarital Affair Scandal - Nika Gee Siew Yee

Someone should remind crooked Muhyiddin that both MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki and Attorney General Idrus Harun were previously appointed by him. It’s laughable to accuse the authorities of practicing selective prosecution or political persecution only when Muhyiddin is being charged now, but was praised by Muhyiddin as incredibly professional when he was the prime minister.

In the same breath, it was brilliant that PM Anwar had decided to extend A.G.’s term for another six months effective March 6. While the new prime minister has the power to replace both Azam and Idrus, the Opposition will certainly twist and spin it as proof that the new MACC and A.G. chiefs are appointed to selectively prosecute Perikatan Nasional leaders.

Despicable Muhyiddin should stop insulting people’s intelligence over his lame excuse that he is innocent because it was former finance minister Tengku Zafrul who had approved the restoration of tax exemption for Yayasan Al-Bukhary. Zafrul took instruction from him, leading to RM195 million deposited directly into Bersatu’s account, not Zafrul’s account.

It’s also a lame defence to say Muhyiddin is clean based on the argument that he personally didn’t receive a penny from the donation. There are many kinds of gratification, including money, sex favours, properties, services, and the list goes on. In the case of him, Syed Mokhtar’s RM195 million donations could help Bersatu wins election or buys votes, which in turn would allow Muhyiddin to return to power.

Stealing people’s money and stealing government was not Muhyiddin’s only forte. He was quite experienced in stealing wife too. In 2017, UMNO supporter Azwanddin Hamzah submitted a statutory declaration as proof about Muhyiddin’s disgraced extramarital affair with Nika Gee Siew Yee, wife of former deputy public prosecutor Stanley Clement Augustin.- FT

How Jana Wibawa unravels to be 

an extreme Ali Baba business venture...

By common street definition, a typical Ali Baba business is one when a Chinese listed corporation appoints a Malay/Bumiputera to helm the company as its ‘figure-head’ chairman. Or that definition can be stretched to mean a business practice whereby a “Malay company obtains a contract from the government-sponsored affirmative action system for the Bumiputera and subcontracts it to an ethnically Chinese-owned company” to borrow an observation from a 2011 BBC article entitled “Malaysia’s ‘Ali Baba’ system causes ethnic tension”.

But obviously not in the case of the scandalous Jana Wibawa programme whereby there were numerous procedural abuses which culminated in the ‘Bumiputera-fied’ of friendly local Chinese-owned companies in Johor to obtain a piece of the pie from soon-to-be rolled our construction projects.

This has left Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with little choice but to re-negotiate the Jana Ekonomi Pemerkasaan Kontraktor Bumiputera Berwibawa (Jana Wibawa) programme instead of scrapping it per se.

While he is not against awarding projects to another race, Anwar maintained that given the Jana Wibawa programme was specifically meant to lift financial burden of Bumiputera contractors in the post-pandemic period, there is the issue of financial irregularity that needs to be looked into.

“If we want to award projects to another race, I am not against it, but (Jana Wibawa) is specifically meant for Bumiputera, hence we cannot be confused about that,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in his winding-up speech for the policy stage debate of the revised Budget 2023.

“Critics say it is specially meant for Bumiputera, that’s fine. I let it continue. I did not cancel it but I re-negotiated it because of breach of financial regulations.” - focusmalaysia

Meanwhile,the MACC has picked up one of its own officers and three other individuals including a woman on Thursday for alleged soliciting and taking bribes amounting to RM400,000 to avoid investigation involving the Jana Wibawa programme.

According to a source, the woman was however released on MACC bail while the three other suspects were remanded until tommorow. The source also said MACC is now tracking down a man known as “Datuk Roy” who is believed to be the key planner in the corruption case.

“The man in his 50s had previously been charged in court and was sentenced to jail on a corruption offence,” the source told Bernama. - mk

PMX relax saja kena jail berbelas2 tahun,ada kau kisah? 

Mintalah ilmu sikit daripadanya...

cheers.

Ex-PM Din charged with abuse of power & money laundering...

Former premier Muhyiddin Yassin has claimed trial to four counts of abuse of power and two money laundering charges involving RM232.5 million.The Perikatan Nasional chairperson, clad in a black suit, was charged during proceedings before Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi this morning.

The four abuse of power charges, framed under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009, accused Muhyiddin of using his position as then-premier and Bersatu president for an inducement of RM232.5 million from three companies and an individual, between March 1, 2020, and Aug 20, 2021.

The three companies are Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, Nepturis Sdn Bhd, and Mamfor Sdn Bhd, while the individual in question is Azman Yusoff.

The two money laundering charges were laid out under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 read with Section 87(1) of the same Act.

The 76-year-old is accused of receiving RM120 million of proceeds from an illegal activity from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd between Feb 25, 2021, and July 8, 2022. The money laundering was allegedly committed by receiving money banked into Bersatu’s account.

According to Companies Commission records, billionaire Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary and his wife Sharifah Zarah Syed Kechik own Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd, with the former having a 99 percent stake. They are both listed as company directors.

The firm is described as an investment holding company. In the financial year 2021, it generated RM2.7 million in revenue and suffered RM72.1 million in losses. The company had RM363.2 million in assets and RM426.4 million in liabilities.

The Pagoh MP faces 20 years in jail and a fine five times the amount of gratification involved or RM10,000 whichever is higher for the abuse of power charges. For the money laundering case, he may be sentenced to imprisonment of 15 years and fined five times the amount involved or RM5 million, whichever is higher.

During the proceedings, Solicitor-General Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh applied for bail to be set at RM2 million in two local sureties and for the accused’s passport to be surrendered to the court as part of bail conditions.

Muhyiddin’s counsel K Kumaraendran informed the court the defence team is agreeable with the proposed bail and its terms. Azura then granted bail at RM2 million with two local sureties and ordered the accused’s passport be surrendered to the court. The judge also set May 26 for mention. - mk

Guan Eng denies nixing Albukhary Foundation tax break

Story kat SINI

Belum habis jawab wartawan Din cabut lari...

How the crook fled to London 

and almost never returned...

No amount of praying can help Muhyiddin Yassin if indeed he had received bribes or abused his power to help families or cronies enriched themselves. Praying to the God cannot erase money trails that would implicate him of corruption and money laundering, even though it is a good tactic to trick his gullible supporters into thinking that he is a good Muslim who would never steal money.

However, when the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) detained the former prime minister after he was questioned on Thursday (March 9), it simply means the anti-graft agency has sufficient evidence to put him behind bars. Otherwise, the Attorney General’s Chambers would not have given the green light for the prosecution to charge a former premier.

Of course, the 75-year-old disgraced 8th Prime Minister of Malaysia said he was not guilty of corruption and that the allegations against him were politically motivated. Hilariously, that was exactly what his former boss – former PM Najib Razak – said too when he was arrested and charged in 2018 for stealing billions of dollars in the infamous 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

In fact, Najib had done more than just praying as part of his scheme to hoodwink loyalists. His political drama included taking dozens of “sumpah laknat” or Islamic oath swearing his innocence on the holy Quran / Koran in mosques. Yet, the God refused to exonerate him of corruption charges. Like Muhyiddin, Najib had lied too often that even the God avoided him with a 10-foot pole

To be charged tomorrow (March 10), Muhyiddin, whose given name is Mahiaddin, will be the country’s second leader to be indicted after leaving office. Like Najib, he will be slapped with multiple corruption charges. Mr Najib began a 12-year jail term in August 2022 after losing his final appeal in the first of several corruption trials. And Muhyiddin could join him in prison.

Muhyiddin, the traitor who betrayed his friends in the democratically-elected Pakatan Harapan government, snatched power via a political coup in March 2020 by working with defeated Barisan Nasional and religious extremist PAS Islamist party. However, his fragile backdoor government collapsed in August 2021 – just 17 months – after ally UMNO withdrew support for him.

Facing at least 7 charges related to corruption, abuse of power and money laundering, Mr Muhyiddin has a bigger problem than Najib. The MACC started questioning Najib in May 2018, and took 4 months (September 2018) later before it could officially arrest and charge him. In comparison, Muhyiddin was grilled only last month (Feb 16), and took only 3 weeks to charge him.

This means Muhyiddin’s case is either straight forward or is overwhelmed with evidence, so much so that the anti-corruption agency could not find any excuse to drag anymore. But he has no one to blame but himself. He thought he was clever when pre-emptively published the account statement after rumours spread that his political party’s account has been frozen.

The plan to show that Bersatu or Malaysian United Indigenous Party did not receive RM4 billion from the RM92.5 billion Economic Stimulus Package fund, however, has raised more questions than answers. It was a public admission that the party had received kickbacks in exchange for projects during the dark era of emergency rule when Muhyiddin ruled like a dictator.

The party’s account shows a balance RM28.4 million in 2020 and RM64.6 million in 2021. Interestingly, in 2020, Bersatu received RM109 million in so-called donations. The next year, it received RM148 million in yet another round of dubious donations. In total, it had received RM257 million in donations in just two years. Exactly who would be so generous to donate so much money to Bersatu?

So far, more than 15 individuals, including Bersatu leaders and contractors, had been interrogated by the anti-graft agency. This came after the MACC raided 8 government agencies and 9 companies in Dec 2022, leading to discovery that at least 5 middlemen of several companies were involved in obtaining projects worth between RM50 million and RM500 million through direct negotiations.

The contractors who had been grilled by the anti-graft agency admitted that they agreed to pay a commission of 3% to 5% to secure projects from those middlemen. After it was established that 10 contractors had paid more than RM300 million in kickbacks disguised as donations to Muhyiddin’s party, Bersatu’s accounts were frozen under MACC Act 2009 and anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing law.

The MACC has not even completed the investigations on the entire RM92.5 billion Economic Stimulus Package, but just a fraction involving the RM5.7 billion Jana Wibawa – only about 6%. Even then, it’s unclear if more Bersatu crooks would be charged in the Jana Wibawa programme. And it has already found compelling evidence to charge Muhyiddin.

Despite Muhyiddin’s cries that he is a victim of selective prosecution, he cannot explain how the ill-gotten money went directly to Bersatu accounts masked as donations. The MACC has at least 10 suspects (contractors who might have become witnesses) and more than RM300 million money trails as evidence. His argument so far has been weak – every political party receives donation.

No matter how Bersatu leaders twist and spin, they have to explain how the party, founded in 2016 and was only in power for 17 months (less than 2 years) under Muhyiddin, could accumulate a jaw-dropping RM300 million in cash. The United Malays National Organization (UMNO) only had RM194 million despite being in power for 61 years (or 76 years since its inception in 1946).

Wan Saiful - Prison

In truth, in their hunger for projects and greed to enrich themselves, Muhyiddin-led Perikatan Nasional government had recklessly awarded pre-approval projects without properly wiping their fingerprints. That’s why Wan Saiful Wan Jan credited RM6.96 million kickbacks into his own company’s bank account, creating money trails for the MACC to charge the former Bersatu information chief.

Like Najib, the arrogant Muhyiddin was over-confident of winning the 15th General Election on Nov 2022. In the worst case scenario, he and his buddy Hadi Awang thought they could get former ally UMNO to form another “Malay-Muslim” government again, and live happily ever. It was too late when they discovered UMNO president Zahid Hamidi refused to play ball and had another game plan.

Immediately after Pakatan Harapan and its traditional rival Barisan Nasional agreed to form a Unity Government, there was a complete panic within Perikatan Nasional. From “Jakarta Move” to “London Move”, Bersatu and PAS top leadership (along with 10 UMNO traitors) hatched plans to snatch power similar to the “Sheraton Move” which toppled the Pakatan Harapan government back in March 2020.

But UMNO was more interested for revenge than working with the same untrustworthy Bersatu who had backstabbed them during Muhyiddin’s 17-month stint. The Malay nationalist party leaders began pushing for investigations over Perikatan Nasional’s lavish spending during the election campaign. UMNO was mad and furious that their traditional Malay seats had been stolen through vote-buying.

During his so-called vacations in London, Muhyiddin was incredibly worried that he might suffer the same fate as Najib. After weeks in the U.K., there were fears that the ex-premier might have fled to London to avoid prosecution and never returned to face the music. The crook needed assurance that he was not a suspect in the anti-corruption investigations.

The MACC arrested a chief executive officer of a private company on the night of January 5. The 42-year-old man was detained over his role as “middleman” in brokering government projects related to Covid-19 stimulus packages worth RM92.5 billion (US$21 billion) in exchange for bribes. The suspect – Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad – turns out to be Muhyiddin’s right-hand man.

A former chief executive of Maju Assets Sdn Bhd, Adam is also Segambut divisional leader of Muhyiddin’s political party – Bersatu (Malaysian United Indigenous Party). The best part is Adam is the cousin of Muhyiddin’s son-in-law, Muhamad Adlan Berhan, who in turn was involved in several scandals. The graft buster wanted to interview the former prime minister.

On Feb 16, when the MACC finally questioned Muhyiddin, he publicly announced that he has given his statement to the anti-graft authorities as a witness and not a suspect over the Jana Wibawa scheme. Heck, he has even thrown his political appointee former finance minister Tengku Zafrul under the bus, telling the MACC that Jana Wibawa was a scheme proposed by Zafrul.

Stunningly, MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki rubbished Muhyiddin’s claim that he was not a suspect. In fact, the former premier was the prime suspect in the shady Jana Wibawa programme. It takes a thief to catch a thief. Like it or not, without UMNO’s 60 years in “handling” the anti-graft agency, Mahiaddin might not be convinced that he was not a suspect and returned home.

Now, not only Bersatu accounts have been frozen, Mahiaddin Yassin’s passport has been confiscated to prevent him from fleeing. That’s why the Perikatan Nasional chairman has condemned – furiously – the confiscation of his passport and has challenged the travel ban in a judicial review application filed in the High Court. He has swallowed the hook, line and sinker. - FT

 

Ostad, takut kepada undang2 atau Tuhan???

cheers.