Talkback

Ooops! Ismail Admits He Runs Justice After All!!

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has directed that immediate investigations for possible wrongdoing be taken against former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas over the latter’s memoirs.

The prime minister said this was based on the report of the special task force investigating the matter, which was presented to the Cabinet today.

In a statement, Ismail Sabri said the investigations will be conducted under Sections 124(I) and 203A of the Penal Code, Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948, Section 8 of the Official Secrets Act 1972, and Section 3 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009.

“The report was prepared by this team within nine months, since December 2021 to August 2022, detailing each of the allegations mentioned by Thomas in his book titled ‘My Story: Justice in the Wilderness’.

“Based on the investigation conducted, the team categorised 19 important issues detected in book the into four main topics,” said Ismail Sabri.

The four topics were allegations against the judiciary; the disclosure of government information and secrets; wrongful acts, abuse, and negligence; as well as seditious statements.

On August 29, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the special task force the appointed last year had met 10 times between December 23, 2021 and April 12.

Our comment

Having piously explained how he could not possibly intervene in the justice system to get his BN leadership rival, Najib Razak, off the hook for his proven crimes, Ismail has just exposed himself completely.

Having commissioned a ‘task force’ to go through and pick holes in a book that in part dealt with Malaysia’s progressive struggles to maintain and establish an independent judiciary, he has now ordered the ‘independent’ prosecution service to go after the venerable writer over a slew of accusations they concocted over several months.

Najib is justified in asking his successor, in which case why not “order” him a pardon? The answer, of course, would be that it is convenient for Ismail to keep Najib right where he belongs for now, which is in jail – as the vast majority of Malaysians would agree.

Let us remind ourselves, the man put in charge of the said task force which has now produced these 19 ‘criminal allegations’ could not possibly have been a more controversial choice in terms of a past tainted by service to gross corruption and abuse of power.  He is none other that the appalling JC Fong who guided the Sarawak kleptocrat Abdul Taib Mahmud through his decades of rape and tyranny, first as the all powerful state attorney general and then in a shadowy advisory position where he continued to flex power amidst concerns over conflicts of interest.

This dubious BN flunkey has come up with a laundry list of sections from the penal code with which to accuse his former federal boss of everything from ‘sedition’ to betraying official secrets and even corruption in response to a book. This was the ex-AG’s well-received memoire of his time in office that shed much understanding on the entrenched problems of weak governance and corruption that had bedevilled the country during the years that JC Fong’s own career had flourished, and which set out guidelines for reform.

So, let’s look at who has really committed crimes. Having toppled the elected government that appointed the author and former AG Tommy Thomas to enforce the law against kleptocrats and power abusers, UMNO/BN – a criminal organisation that masquerades as a political party – has worked hard to reverse the proceedings against almost all their exposed colleagues through the appointment of a new AG who methodically dropped charges, cut deals and mucked up cases as fast as he could to rescue almost the entire band of brigands with a few high profile exceptions, including Najib and his wife.

UMNO president Zahid Hamidi is of course doing everything he can to ensure the government nobbles the prosecutions against himself as well, on the basis that it is perfectly fine for career politicians to accumulate huge and ostentatious signs of wealth, and for cash ‘donations’ to be made to the same politicians in return for licences to cut timber (known as a Musa Aman) or to traffic workers (known as a ‘Zahid’) as long as they are retrospectively described as having been ‘political’ not ‘personal’ kickbacks. (This understanding is NOT laid out in any penal code, naturally, as it is so outrageous).

All this has been attempted under the guise of pretending Malaysia’s prosecution service, headed by an AG nominated by the prime minister, is independent. Meanwhile, the anti-corruption commission head (who quakes in fear at his political masters and has progressed accordingly in his career) has even claimed that to be accountable to parliament would interfere with his own ‘independence’ – working as he does under the prime minister’s office.

By ORDERING all these forces now to go after a highly respected former senior public servant on pretended criminal charges is blatant vengefulness, classic intimidation. abuse of office and a pathetic attempt to toss some compensation to cheer up those who have been rightfully charged and convicted for real crimes (Najib) thanks to the bold decisions of Tommy Thomas.

Malaysia's Global Notoriety As A Hub For Trafficking Endangered Species

The Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis) seized 150kg of processed bird’s nest worth about RM250,000 for export to Vietnam at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Thursday (Sept 22).

Maqis Selangor director Mohd Sobri Md Hashim in a statement today said an inspection at 1pm conducted by officers from Maqis in collaboration with the Malaysia Airports Auxiliary Police, on a Vietnamese national found 15 boxes he was carrying did not have valid documents such as export permits and health certificates.

“Following that, the processed bird’s nest weighing 150kg were detained for further action,” he said.

Export of animal products without a valid permit is an offence. Offenders are liable to be fined not more than RM100,000 or jailed not more than six months or both if convicted.

Our comment

Nostalgia for past delicacies, and the vanity that comes with craving their increasing rarity on the part of ignorant people who know no better how to spend their money, is raping the earth of every living species.

It is now, thanks to the learning of a few civilised people, possible for greedy and ignorant, unthinking people to obtain tools that can destroy any plant or animal on the planet.

Instead of using the tools made by others wisely (or being forced to do so by society and good governance) we see greedy criminals setting to work to extract every last piece of “value” from what they can kill. No thought to conserve life for the next generation, just cash for now.

These simple minded criminals have wreaked the planet and they sell their products to those who know no better: simple minded criminals like themselves who are happy to sit down at smart restaurants to guzzle turtle eggs, birds nest soup or satellite hunted tuna, all on the brink of extinction thanks to their base appetite.

The same sort of pampered idiots then go home to treat themselves with tiger penises, rhino horns and voodoo medicines until carried to hospital for wiser care.

Malaysia’s people and their government, which is presently full of politicians and officials who merely require the accepted backhanders (before eating such products themselves) must stand up for the native people who know how to husband these resources and protect them from such pillage.

They need to wake up fast and far more effectively to this trade in plants and creatures, for which Malaysia is a world famous hub.  It is a trade far far far worse and more catastrophic than drug taking which punishes of itself and yet is treated in Malaysia as if it matters more.

Otherwise, it is Malaysia’s children who will be left with nothing to eat in a boiling desert.

Clean Money? PetroSaudi's Lies Are Unmasked (Again)

The High Court today was told today that no funds from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) were used in an oil exploration project between Petrosaudi International Ltd (PSI) with the Venezuelan government and that none of it ever flowed into the escrow account held by United Kingdom law firm, Clyde & Co LLP.

Counsel Alex Tan described the unspecified sum of monies kept in Clyde & Co as “clean” monies and which came from an oil drilling contract that PSI had entered into with a Venezuelan-based company, Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), which is a lawful economic proceed.

Tan was representing PSI, its subsidiary Petrosaudi Oil Services (Venezuela) Ltd (PSOS-VZ) and Temple Fiduciary Services Limited, who are the second, third and fifth respondents in the government’s application to block PSI director Tarek Obaid, PSI and PSOS-VZ from using the monies kept in the UK law firm.

Figures published by 1MDB/PetroSaudi Whistleblower Xavier Justo disprove the claim by PetroSaudi lawyers that money did not come from 1MDB

Figures published by 1MDB/PetroSaudi Whistleblower Xavier Justo disprove the claim by PetroSaudi lawyers that money did not come from 1MDB

Our comment

The Saudi Mega-thief, Tarek Obaid, has holed himself up in a five star Swiss sanatorium on the proceeds of 1MDB money that the US courts have allowed him to spend on lawyers and ‘his business’ – a staggering one million dollars a month – as he concocts lies to fend of the seizure of profits made in Venezuela.

Let’s be clear. On the eve of his phoney ‘joint venture’ with jailed Najib Razak and 1MDB Tarek was begging his bank manager to forgive his hundred thousand over-draft on his credit card.

Then the backhanders came in – first the $300 MILLION ‘investment’, then more hundreds of millions in loans, all of it stolen from the people of Malaysia.

Tarek’s crooked British financial advisor, Patrick Mahony, and a veritable team of British ‘professional advisors’ then ploughed this cash into another massive dirty deal in Venezuela where officials were bribed to draw up a terrible and exploitative deal whereby PetroSaudi’s clapped out drill ships (bought with the 1MDB ‘loans’) would be paid half a million dollars a day to drill for oil, whether or not any oil was produced.

No oil was produced.

Therefore, the Saudi crook and his criminal side-kick Mahony (who still lords it in fancy homes in London and Gstaad) have managed to screw over the suffering people of a second nation also, namely the public of Venezuela.

However, British judges decided that a deal was a deal when it came to honouring a letter of credit, whether or not it had been fraudulently obtained by bribing officials. The Venezuelan bankers were forced to pay over…. $340 million!!!

Fortunately, the US Department of Justice then stepped in and proved just how the money had been twice stolen from the impoverished populations of two countries. At which point Tarek’s UK lawyers Clyde & Co lost their bottle (having defended Tarek’s right to the money to the hilt till then) and passed the cash to the courts to decide.

It was a crashing blow for the conspirators who looked to be one of the big time winners from 1MDB still ranging free at large. After all, the Swiss prosecutors have pathetically and perhaps predictably faltered to a close on their actions to hold these criminals to account on the numerous crimes they are indicted with in that country (Switzerland lets off people who are rich, by and large, usually by choosing to prosecute too slowly).

However, the bitter pill was sure sweetened by that million dollars a months allowed by the US judges. How else to pay an army of eager lawyers and other ‘upstanding professionals’ who are now queueing to represent Tarek in cases like this one brought by 1MDB in Malaysia who would rather like their money back?

And what is a lie between lawyers? They are entitled to believe their client after all, as opposed to the wealth of evidence of the FBI and now the direct evidence also of Xavier Justo who ran their Venezuelan operations until he learnt the extent of the graft and corruption involved.

This was Justo’s comment yesterday as he posted the figures you see above in response to the KL court reports:

Petrosaudi Lawyers are claiming that no 1MDB money went to the Venezuela deal.
Here you have two print screens showing how the 1MDB money ended up in Venezuela.

First 1MDB sent money to Petrosaudi Cayman in different trenches, later Petrosaudi Cayman sent the money to Petrosaudi Oil Services and from there you have a payment to PDVSA the Venezuelan state oil company!

We know Tarek is a crook and the courts should rule accordingly and remove his cash.

The Swiss should do their duty and put him in jail.

 

Purple Porsche Politicians Are Not What Malaysia Needs

An UMNO Division Chief’s Porsche was involved in an accident around Damansara recently.

According to a video published on social media, the driver of the Porsche escaped unscathed.

Checks online found that the Porsche is a 911 GT3 model with a reported market value of RM1.77 million in Malaysia.

According to sources close to UMNO’s leadership, the driver was UMNO Subang Division’s Chief, Dato’ Armand Azha Abu Hanifah.

The source added, the vehicle is registered under Koperasi Suara Anak Muda Selangor Berhad, of which Armand is the President

Malaysia Sentinel cannot independently verify the revelation, but other sources close to the incident have been reached for comments.

Checks on social media also found that Armand who is also an UMNO Supreme Council member had on 14 May 2022 uploaded a video to TikTok. The video showed a brief view of a Porsche of a similar model, colour and body sticker in the background.

He was appointed a Senator in October 2021.

In December 2021, the Ministry of Health gave Asia Coding Centre Sdn Bhd, a company in which Armand is a Director, the green light to begin a trial run and deployment of Covid-19 screenings at international entry points.

Our comment

RM1.7 million car belonging to UMNO division chief - now a heap of twisted metal

RM1.7 million car belonging to UMNO division chief – now a heap of twisted metal

This is surely a picture and set of circumstances emblematic as to why the jailing of a few top dogs is not going to suffice to purge the rot from UMNO.

Even a division chief feels compelled to drive around in a ludicrous toy vehicle worth nearly two million ringgit, money that plainly ought to have been put to good use by the so-called Koperasi NGO it was bought in the name of and which this ‘political leader’ was in charge of.

Where is the dignity and where is the duty?  None.

And that is before we address the matter of the enormous government Covid contract handed to this gentleman’s business by his pals who seized office by overturning the government that had been elected by the people, thanks to a large degree through plain bribery.

If that contract was awarded to this UMNO playboy via open tender this would definitely be the time to go public with those details.

Malaysians do not deserve to be ‘represented’ by the man-child spivs and crooks who have taken over UMNO. An entire industry of western and Japanese big toy motor vehicles thrives off a club of buyers almost exclusively from places like Malaysia and the Gulf – many of them purporting to be super-religious Muslims, who nonetheless don’t seem to be able to find a better cause for their money.

Vote in serious people with adult minds and an anti-corruption agenda for reform, before all Malaysia’s money ends up with nothing more to show than twisted rust heaps like this embarrassing display.

Prop-Up Bed, TV & Room Service

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has been admitted to the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital (HKL).

This was confirmed by his staff. At the time of writing, the nature of his medical condition is unknown but he is understood to be in stable condition.

“He is still being treated at HKL. I wish to thank the Prison Department and hospital staff for their cooperation,” Najib’s special officer Muhamad Mukhlis Maghribi told Malaysiakini.

The Pekan MP began serving his 12-year sentence for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering on Aug 23.

Our comment

It was always said by those who know him that one night in a lock up would break the pampered Najib. Clearly, it was indeed all too much for him.

So, now he has been transported to doubtless a private wing of the KL General Hospital, where he can return to being looked after hand and foot in the comfort of a prop-up bed. No mere prison hospital wing for him!

Without doubt there will be moves to claim his undescribed condition is permanent and that he should thus remain. Much in the same way that over in Switzerland Tarek Obaid has checked into a 6 star sanatorium where he can play video games from his bed all day on the proceeds of 1MDB’s stolen money.

Produce The Marriage Certificate!

PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli’s move to challenge Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Latiff Ahmad to sue him over statements he made over Latiff’s involvement in the littoral combat ships (LCS) project is a mere ruse in a bid to save face, said Umno leader Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

The Umno supreme council member said it is simple enough for Rafizi to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate of Latiff and the woman said to be involved in the LCS scandal.

“Rafizi is an expert in stealing information. That’s why he was implicated in a Banking and Finance Institutions Act (Bafia) issue,” Puad quipped, referring to the charges against Rafizi following his expose in the National Feedlot Corporation matter.

“As such, it is impossible that he is unable to steal the marriage certificate of Latif and the woman named Zainab Mohd Salleh.

Our comment

How strange that the former defence minister is leaving it to this United Mafia colleague to speak up on his behalf.

Even stranger is the suggestion that respected opposition leader Rafizi Ramli should somehow “steal” his marriage certificate. This, Puad says, would be “easy” in order to prove the name of the ex-defence minister’s wife (maybe for these practiced crooks it would be).

So far, all the actual ex-defence minister has done so far is to make clear that another lady of an identical name is not his wife. Why doesn’t he pull his own marriage certificate out of the family papers in his closet to make the further point that he is married to nobody of that name himself?  Why force Mr Rafizi to prove such a matter by committing a crime?

Do these UMNO folk want to pull everyone into the same boat as them with a list of crimes to their name? Granted, Rafizi has committed acts in the public interest registered as crimes by UMNO e.g. by criticising the United Mafia and revealing their criminal secrets in the past.

But breaking, entering and stealing? That is an UMNO sort of crime, beneath the vast majority of upstanding folk.

Meanwhile, the ex-minister and all concerned ought really to be jumping on to this matter instead of bickering. What Rafizi has revealed and no-one has yet disputed is that SOMEBODY with a female Malaysian name was the owner of two off-shore companies in Labuan and BVI that were masquerading as subsidiaries of a French supplier to the LCS project recommended by Najib’s pals at DCNS.

It certainly looks like a classic Najib/Jho Low scam, a known signature of the 1MDB scandal that went before (except it seems it is more a United Mafia ruse than anything special to Jho Low).  The MO was so simple that the only way it could ever remain covered-up was through a powerful government sitting on the evidence.

The Paris company received RM3 million for its supplies, for which it was doubtless well contented having been set up just weeks before the operation. However, Boustead’s LCS project sent tens of millions of ringgit to this lady in the off-shore islands in pursuit of the same orders!

As for cover-up?  Nothing was done about the scam when it was all found out about, which it must have been by management, the board – until the United Mafia were kicked out of office.  In 2018 a report was produced, which was sat on by the United Mafia when they got back to office.

So, we are for now still left to wonder which sort of lady might have been allowed to get away with such an outrage fully protected by the United Mafia? Jaded Malaysians are unfortunately likely to assume that a wife of the political number two in charge of the contract whom Rafizi has accused would make a very credible candidate for obvious reasons.

If Mr Rafizi has misidentified the lady then the defences of public interest and good reason to believe (he has clearly been informed by people who ought to know that this is who she is) will provide strong shields against any defamation case against him. In clear mitigation he has just revealed to the public exactly how billions have been stolen from the army pension fund, thanks to the United Mafia, in yet another outrageous heist.

This is something the United Mafia chose to cover up instead. No wonder the ex-minister has taken his time to consider his options when it comes to suing Rafizi.

Meanwhile all this fellow needs to do if Rafizi has got it wrong is reach into his cabinet, read out the facts he has to hand and do something positive to assist in the uncovering of this massive crime.

What is stopping him and what is this Puad going on about?

United Mafia Network Organisation Shames Malaysia Once More

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri was booed by thousands of Umno members during party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s special address today…

Members also shouted, “Where is Mail (Ismail)?” as he was the only prominent party leader seemingly absent from today’s special presidential address.

Ahmad Zahid also again called for Parliament to be dissolved soon, to pave the way for a general election (GE15).

“We believe that the government led by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will not let this hope fade away even if the date of the general election is delayed,” he told party members who responded with chants of “Bubar! (Dissolve)”.

Our comment

Desperation is not a pretty sight. It was not pretty to watch Najib’s disgraceful game-playing as he tried to conjure yet more delays to avoid his sentence and nor is it pretty to watch the thinly veiled threats of this party President who has had the bald cheek not to step down from that position whilst facing prosecution.

It seems neither man feared his God sufficiently to resist stuffing their pockets full of cash in the name of charity, but both are as scared as children to face a night behind bars – something they have happily inflicted on others who have crossed their ambitions without a second thought.

But it is a well known truth that criminals are generally cowards as are bullies who seek to turn a crowd against those seeking to uphold democratic principles and the law. As Zahid attempts every possible antic to force what he hopes is an election that he can win (by the usual trickery) he further demonstrates his guilt.

Fellow United Mafia Network Organisation (UMNO) leader Azalina Othman (she who for years vociferously claimed no money had been stolen from 1MDB) explained the strategy to the baying, red uniformed mob.

Put in a new AG who then not only withdraws all prosecution charges against those corrupted UMNO leaders whose cases had not yet got to court, she said, but who is also prepared to withdraw after the verdict has been delivered in the prosecution’s favour!

Simply not to contest any future ridiculous UMNO crook appeal these convicted kleptos seek to bring. That is the sort of AG Azalea wants her United Mafia party PM to appoint – she of course would adore to get the job.

This is what the Red Shirts want. So, what of this crook’s paradise they all are yearning for?  A Malaysia where some of the world’s most famous mafia party bosses would be elevated back into the heights of government to set about swindling and looting as before, with all their gangster followers liberated once more to extort, blackmail and bully their own communities without restraint.

Who in the world is going to invest one cent in such a place or dare come near?  Sri Lanka showed the way, Malaysians ought not to follow.

Self-Pity Is Not Pretty

I am left without defence counsel: Najib

Najib Abdul Razak said his current situation is as if he is without a defence counsel despite the apex court earlier today not allowing his lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik to discharge himself.

During a press conference at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya this afternoon, the former prime minister recorded his objection in the strongest terms of the appeal proceedings where he claimed that his right to life, liberty, and a fair hearing is at stake.

The former finance minister explained that it was as though he does not have a lawyer because Hisyam was not allowed to adjourn the main SRC appeal hearing to mount a proper defence of the appellant.

Najib contended that his defence could not be put across today and that only the prosecution was able to present their arguments.

Screenshot 2022-08-18 at 13.15.34

 

Our comment

Najib Razak has presided over Rough Justice for countless Malaysians and people caught in tough circumstances in his country who have been whipped and imprisoned without mercy for petty crimes, often arising from the poverty inflicted by his own corrupted governance.

We never saw him weep for them.

He has driven his political enemies into jail to get them out of the way – for years. Unlike himself, Anwar Ibrahim was ACQUITTED on the trumped up charges laid against him. Najib was later found to have been directly involved in the trumping up process, colluding with the complainant and the chief of police BEFORE the alleged incident complained of even took place.

However, Najib would not accept that acquittal any more than he accepts his own conviction for blatant corrupt practice (one instance among so very many for which he is yet to be charged). This vindictive ex-PM shed not one tear as he tore apart judicial process and demanded that the prosecutors challenge the acquittal by the courts!

He dragged in his own dodgy lawyer to head the prosecution when the professionals in the AG chambers of the time refused.

That same dodgy lawyer has taken dodgy millions to string out Najib’s own ensuing trials for years, using all manner of dodgy tactics which have now come crashing down in the Apex court as a result of their own tangled mess.

Najib does have a lawyer. It is the lawyer he appointed. Of course, he had hoped that by appointing the lawyer he could achieve another delay to his trial in order to somehow benefit from the political outcome of a planned early election.

However, this time the judges have looked to the law and called out his tactics. He will have to live with the lawyer he appointed, which was not the latest ‘cunning plan’ of his dodgy legal advisors.

To claim that the judges have been ‘bought’ sheds more light on how Najib operated when in power than on the conduct of those he has outrageously accused. If judges can be ‘bought’ then those peculiar reversals of the original acquittal of Anwar Ibrahim, which were so blatantly orchestrated by Najib himself, ought to be the first matter to be examined.

Meanwhile, Najib’s tearful self-pity having inflicted so much grief and injustice and hardship on others is nauseating to behold.

 

Once A Cheat Always A Cheat

Be ‘honourable’ and quit Batu Lintang seat, PSB tells See

Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) has urged Batu Lintang assemblyperson See Chee How to “act honourably” by quitting his elected seat to pave way for a by-election.

In a statement today, the party said See had signed a pledge to the party promising to resign as an assembly person should he defect.

“We clearly informed each potential candidate that if their intention was to ‘jump ship’ after winning as a PSB candidate, they should not accept the candidacy and never sign the pledge and agreement

Our comment

Advice is often given to the mistress who marries the husband she cheated with: “If he did it to his first wife then don’t be surprised if he does it to you”.

PSB are well aware that the same See Chee How signed a pledge of a similar nature to the one he signed with them with his former benefactors from PKR.

However, despite the signed promises and threat of legal action, he and his colleagues (mostly lawyers) decided to jump with the man who had handled the money rather than stick to that pledge to the party and its principles.

They did so having been warned they would bring down the whole reforming effort of their nation and would only lead their country back into the hands of the villains they had sought to oppose for years.

Instead, they stupidly gambled on the idea that their man (now the most unpopular politician in Malaysia) would come through to lead the country and make them henchmen.

So, why does PSB believe after such a betrayal that they had anything to expect but similar treatment or that they should be able to rely on any of the other slippery frogs they have gathered in their depleted ranks?