My Anthem

Monday, April 27, 2015

A former MSM top editor has revealing things to say: worth taking note!

It's NOT OFTEN for former chief editors of mainstream media to break their silence on ongoing "sensitive/controversial" subjects involving the Government's CEO of the day. I say this becasue as a news watcher it's never without fail these editors got to the top of their positions in the heydays TOEING THE OFFICIAL LINE -- which means they did take instructions, explicitly or subtly issued, by the big shots at the Prime Minister's Office.

One of them is now a journo-blogger whom I know -- I won't calim very well because we never made dates to tehtarik on any occasion though we bumped into each other at media events -- is Abdul Kadir Jasin. Here's The Sribe's latest TWO blogposts at kadirjasin.blogspot.com:~~




Monday, April 27, 2015

PM Does Not Feel Lonely, On the Contrary...



A Kadir Jasin
IT is confirmed beyond a shadow of doubt that Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Mohd Najib Abdul Razak is not lonely.
[REMINDER: No anonymous comments will be published.  Please use Google Account, OpenID or Name/URL. Pseudonym is accepted. Please be respectful .. No swearing. Thank you]
In the first instance, nobody had said that he was lonely or alone. In the second, the man himself told the high-level Invest Malaysia Conference in Kuala Lumpur on April 23 that he did not feel lonely.
This is how The Star newspaper in its April 24 quoted him:-
“Well, I can tell you that I don't feel lonely standing here in front of you today."
He added: "And when so many respected international bodies, individuals, and institutions have confirmed their belief in Malaysia's success and have honoured us by rating us so highly - I don't feel lonely at all - in fact I feel in a very good company."

The not-lonely PM at Invest Malaysia Conference
I think he had intended to take a swipe at (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but as always, he got it wrong.

I have no clue where the Prime Minister got this idea that people think he was lonely. Instead most Malaysians know just how merry and jolly their PM is.

I think he misunderstood what Dr Mahathir had written in his blog on April 13. In that post, Dr Mahathir said “saya sedar saya keseorangan” (I realise that I am alone). Dr Mahathir was referring to his quest to seek the truth about 1MDB and the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Unless Mohd Najib is speaking Kazak (the predominant language of Kazakhstan), he would have realised that Dr Mahathir did not say he was lonely. He said he was alone. So when Mohd Najib said he did not feel lonely, he once again misunderstood what Dr Mahathir said.

Still we thank Mohd Najib for making doubly clear that he wasn’t feeling lonely.

How Can He Be Lonely?

He had just returned from leading a glittering wedding party of his daughter (with (Datin Paduka Seri) Rosmah Mansor) to Kazakhstan, which, according to Dr Mahathir, comprised some 300 merrymakers.

Also some 160 Umno divisional chiefs had pledged their unequivocal support for him. The Umno Youth had held him up so high up that he could see eternity. The Wanita Umno had wildly waved the “I love PM” banners and sang “1M4U”. I can’t recall what the Puteri Umno did. But I am sure those pretty faces too did something soothing for him.

The Macho Men and the Princesses
We have also not heard of his armies of advisers, consultants, special officers and hangers-on abandoning him. I would not dare suspect that any of them are playing “kayu tiga” with him.
 
The mainstream media and the Mohd Najib-linked bloggers (ULB) - paid or voluntary, “bangang” or brilliant – continue to singing praises for him and maligning his critics. But some of them are saying that plots are being hatched in Umno to oust Mohd Najib although this was denied.

So how could he be lonely?

Sharing Prosperity

At the same conference he said prosperity must be shared. (Read here). We have no problem with that except that in the last two decades Malaysia has become less equal.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting nowhere but backward. Even some in the lower middle class are falling off the ledge.

That’s probably why Malaysians are only mildly happy. We are ranked 53 out of 158 countries featured in the most recent World Happiness Report published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The Switzerland is the happiest country and Togo is the saddest.

Apart from 1Malaysia People’s Assistance (BR1M), Mohd Najib recently shared the wealth of the country with fellow members of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara by agreeing to a hefty pay rise.
Lower House members had their monthly salary from RM11,500 to RM16,000 and those of the Upper House from RM7,000 to RM11,000. It happened almost at the same time as the rakyat – the wealthy and the pauper – are making sense of the GST.

According to an economist/researcher, that raise catapulted our Yang Berhormats to the top one-per cent of the income band – to be exact the top 0.6%.

Income inequality is growing despite the economy expanding at a respectable high rate, signalling the failure of the wealth distribution in the post-NEP period. The lowest paid civil servants earned under RM1,300 a month after adding cost of living and housing allowances. The situation is worse in the private sector and among the self-employed.

Yet we were recently told by Rosmah Mansor that her hairstylist charged her RM1,200 for hair colouring at home and she blamed it on the GST. A society lady told me that its costs double that to do facial at a beauty outlet like Aster Spring. Today even men visit beauty parlours. Of course these are not the ordinary men in the street.

Even Men visited beauty parlour like this one
The 2014 report of the Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) showed that 72% of unit holders had an investment of only RM536. This represented a decline of 12.3% from 2012. The dividend they received was only RM45 a year or RM3.75 a month. 

And look at Tabung Haji, the pride and joy of Malaysian Muslims. The bottom 87% of savers have average investment of only RM567 in 2013 according to the UNDP Human Development Report 2013 authored by economist (Tan Sri) Kamal Salih, Dr Mohamed Abdul Khalid and Dr Lee Hwok Aun. Less than 40% of Muslims have accounts at Tabung Haji.


Then what has happened to Mohd Najib’s call on April 10, 2014 for better representation of gender, ethnicity and age in the Malaysian corporate sector? He said he would like to see a greater number of Malaysian-listed companies producing sustainability reports that include these features. Where is the update or is this another empty transformational promise? (Read here).

1MDB Stayed Away

The conference was organised by Bursa Malaysia with Khazanah Nasional Berhad and CIMB banking group being key participants. 1MDB was invited “to give its side of the story” but declined.

As a bona fide government strategic investment company it should not have shied away from the gathering whose keynote speaker was the Prime Minister himself. If 1MDB’s board of advisers, directors and management are so darn sure of their modus operandi and transparency, they should have attended the conference.

In another development, the company had declined to entertain inquiries from the media saying that “1MDB does not comment on speculation and market rumours.”

According to the report, The Malaysian Insider news portal had asked 1MDB to comment on claims that it had provided falsified bank statements concerning a subsidiary.

Maybe its President and Group Executive Director, Arul Kanda Kandasamy had learnt a bitter lesson when he told the Mingguan Malaysia on Feb. 15 (read here) that the talks of T.Ananda Krishman lending RM2 billion to 1MDB were “mere speculation”.

Then about six weeks later, on March 25, according to Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Ananda through his power company, Tanjong Energy Holdings, “had arranged the funding with the help of private investors.”

So what Arul Kanda said in the interview with the Malay newspaper amounted to lying. So rather than perpetuating the lies, it would be better for 1MDB to keep its mouth shut and open its books to the investigators.
I was taken aback when, a couple of days ago, several senior Umno leaders, including ministers, who were previously staunch supporters of the Prime Minister, told me a different story.
One told me that some of them had seen and examined 1MDB documents, and are sharing the information with party members to ensure no further damage is done to government finances and the culpable parties be held responsible.
So, while the Prime Minister does not feel lonely, Dr Mahathir too is not alone in his fight to get the Prime Minister to leave Putrajaya.
Wallahuaklam.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Dr Mahathir Answers His Questions to Mohd Najib



A Kadir Jasin
TUN Dr Mahathir asked (about 1MDB, Altantuya Shaariibuu’s murder and who ordered her killers to commit the crime.
[REMINDER: No anonymous comments will be published.  Please use Google Account, OpenID or Name/URL. Pseudonym is accepted. Thank you]
According to the mainstream media, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak answered all the questions (the RTM and TV3 way).
Dr Mahathir and his supporters said that were not the answers they wanted.
They did not accuse Mohd Najib of complicity in Altantuya’s murder but he swore by the Quran repeatedly that he did not even know the Mongolian victim.
So today, in his latest blog post, Dr Mahathir “answered” the questions he asked Mohd Najib about 1MDB.

Among other things Dr Mahathir noted that 1MDB has a paid-up capital of RM1 million with neither assets nor collaterals ended up borrowing 42,000 times more than its capital. It was able to do so only because of Government guarantees.

In other words, he said, it is Government which is borrowing the money. If 1MDB loses money, the Government will bear the loss. Yet the operation of 1MDB is not overseen by Government officers responsible for the management of Government funds.
Dr Mahathir also noted that out of RM42 billion debt that 1MDB had amassed as a result of asset purchases, some RM27 billion is still unaccounted for.

"These are all the purchases known. They add up to RM14.7 billion. So there is approximately RM27 billion left.
"More than US$1 billion was said to be paid to Petro Saudi without verification as to the value of this company or its assets.

"Where is the rest of the money?" he asked.

Mahathir had listed several purchases "as far as can be ascertained" which were made by 1MDB including:

1) Tanjong Energy (now known as Powertek Energy Sdn Bhd) for RM8.5 billion;
2) Genting Sanyan Power (now known as Kuala Langat Power Plant)  for RM2.3 billion;
3)  Jimah Energy for RM1.2 billion;
4) Seventy acres of land in Jalan Tun Razak (For Tun Razak Exchange) for RM320 million;
5) Four hundred and ninety five ( 495) acres of the Sungai Besi TUDM base (renamed Bandar Malaysia) for RM363.5 million; and
6) The purchase of  234 acres of land in Air Itam, Penang for RM1.38 billion.

He added that no one knows exactly where is 1MDB's RM2 billion which was supposedly brought back from the Cayman Islands and parked in Singapore.

Dr  Mahathir said the government also lost some RM25 billion in income opportunity by selling the lands cheaply to 1MDB.

"It should be noted that TRX land is close to land recently sold at RM7,000 psf.

"Assuming the market price is RM3,000 psf, the true value of this land is RM6 billion.
"The government has therefore lost RM5 billion plus because 1MDB paid only RM320 million," said Mahathir.

Dr Mahathir estimated that the government lost around RM20 billion in opportunity cost for the Sungai Besi land which he estimated to be at RM1,000 psf but was only charged RM91 psf for a total of RM363.5 million.

"It is this disappearance of a huge amount of borrowed money by 1MDB and the inability to answer questions regarding what happened to the funds that disqualifies Najib from being prime minister of Malaysia," Mahathir said.

Dr Mahathir asked why the 1MBD bond managed by Goldman Sachs cost more than was usual for Government borrowings. The interest rate at 5.9% was too high. Government loans usually attract about 3% or below.

In addition, he said, the 10-per cent commission went to Goldman Sachs which meant that 1MDB received only 90% of the money borrowed yet has to pay interest on 100%, raising the interest rate to 6.6%. Averaging at 6%, yearly interest on the RM42-billion debt is about RM2.5 billion. Since 2009 there has been no income from all the assets. And 1MDB had to borrow RM2 billion to pay the interest.

Meanwhile Umno sources said many key leaders of the party had seen and examined the 1MDB figures and are sharing what they know with party members to ensure no further damage is done to the company and the culpable parties are held responsible.
Wallahuaklam.
*******************************************************
DESIDERATA: There's a lot of TRUTH is what the protagonist (ex-PM Dr Mahathir) had recently alleged wrt the wrongdoings and unaccountability of the current PM Najib Tun Razak. I am no big fan of Dr M though most Malaysians either HATE OR LOVE HIM, seldom any feelings falling in-between. BUT ALL NEWSDOGS LOVE HIM, for he maketh excellent news copies, though I know he had many times let known his disdain for the fourth estate. Now he has joined the fifth estate, and may be he has some more fondness of bloggers, and I had the honour of gifting him a *BUMmer souvenir. BUM + Bloggers Universe Malaysia...)

What has gripped the nation when Dr M first broke his silence on Najib-Altantuya, many Malaysians HELD THEIR BREATH, including thiswriter named Desi. WE thought he would NOW GIVE THE MUCH SPECULATED EVIDENCE of a photograpah of the current PM and the Mongolian beauty and a go-beween or in-betwin CONsultant now hiding in the UK named Razak Baginda. I won't say much because many of you ER know more than Desi!

Let me just say that I had sighted one SATIRE pictorial -- exercising POETIC LICENCE like BUM=bloggers often do? --in MP of Batu Tian Chua's blog once upon a time/dime?

But two weeks after Dr M first referred to some connection of Najib-Altantuya -- after eight years had flowed under the Mongolian beauty's bridge -- HE HAD TODATE NOT PRODUCED THE PHOTO EVIDENCE MANY OF US, including Desi, expected him to deliver, like playing the last/lust winnnnning card in a poker game.

Are we going to be tested for our patience how the curtain will come down on this murder of a foreign beauty on Malaysian soil ? Well, if you believe what some Immigration authorities told us, the Mongolian/s never set foot on Tanah Melayu, so Desi's THINKING ALOUD/ALLOWED, How could there/dare be a murder charge in the first instance? I even saw Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr WHATSON nodding their heads in agreement, OR IS IT BEWILDERMENT?

PS: To The Scribe I left this INVITE at his esteemed blog:~~~

Datuk Kadir Jasin,THE ScRIBE: greAtings to fellow BUMmer; just reproduced your latest 2 posts at my humble Midnight Voices, "Terima Kasih" for the borrowings for which I will offer endless rounds of tehtarik at the Seremban's De Miang Corner, just behind KFC along Jln Temiang le!:) Chow! -- YL, Desi, knottyaSssual

Some senior leaders in Umno are spreading information about debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) within the party in a bid to prevent further damage to Putrajaya’s finances, veteran journalist Datuk A. Kadir Jasin said in his blog today.
The former chief editor (pic, right) of Umno-controlled English-language daily The New Straits Times said he was shocked to discover that 1MDB documents had been sighted by Umno leaders who formerly supported Najib, and that the information was being shared in attempts to bring light to the scandals surrounding the Finance Ministry-owned fund.
"I was taken aback when, a couple of days ago, several senior Umno leaders, including ministers who were previously staunch supporters of the prime minister, told me a different story.

"One told me that some of them had seen and examined 1MDB documents, and are sharing the information with party members to ensure no further damage is done to government finances and the culpable parties be held responsible," Kadir said. Kadir took such developments as signs that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was "not alone in his fight to get the prime minister to leave Putrajaya".
Dr Mahathir, who has been criticising Najib since last year, recently said that he felt alone in his quest to get answers from Najib over 1MDB's scandals and other national issues such as Putrajaya's policy of giving cash handouts to people and the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Despite bringing in other issues, including the "lavish lifestyle" of Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Dr Mahathir has kept the bulk of his criticism on Najib focused on 1MDB, its massive debts and opaque operations.
The former prime minister recently said Najib, who is chairman of the fund's advisory board and the finance minister, could not be forgiven for 1MDB's RM42 billion debt.
Kadir in his blog post today also said 1MDB had been given a chance to explain its dealings at a recent gathering of investors in Kuala Lumpur, but had not been present.
"As a bona fide government strategic investments company, it should not have shied away from the gathering whose keynote speaker was the prime minister.
"If 1MDB’s board of advisers, directors and management are so darn sure of their modus operandi and transparency, they should have attended the conference," Kadir wrote of the Invest Malaysia 2015 forum held on April 23.
At the forum, CIMB Group chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak had also expressed disappointment that 1MDB had declined to attend the event.
Nazir, who is Najib's brother, said the fund's absence was "not helpful" as it only furthered negative perceptions about scandals surrounding 1MDB.
“We invited 1MDB but they turned us down. They declined to participate. I am disappointed because I think they would have been an important element of Invest Malaysia, given the backchat on the topic.
“It's important for us to put the elephant in the room behind us. This whole 1MDB issue, the earlier it is cleared up, the better for everyone. When issues are not cleared up, people tend to expect the worse,” Nazir had said, according to news reports. – April 27, 2015.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/umno-seniors-moving-against-1mdb-says-veteran-newsman#sthash.UTXddU59.dpuf


Umno seniors moving against 1MDB, says veteran journalist




Senior Umno leaders are reportedly sharing information about debt-ridden 1MDB in attempts to prevent any further damage to government finances. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, April 27, 2015.Senior Umno leaders are reportedly sharing information about debt-ridden 1MDB in attempts to prevent any further damage to government finances. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, April 27, 2015.Some senior leaders in Umno are spreading information about debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) within the party in a bid to prevent further damage to Putrajaya’s finances, veteran journalist Datuk A. Kadir Jasin said in his blog today.
The former chief editor (pic, right) of Umno-controlled English-language daily The New Straits Times said he was shocked to discover that 1MDB documents had been sighted by Umno leaders who formerly supported Najib, and that the information was being shared in attempts to bring light to the scandals surrounding the Finance Ministry-owned fund.
"I was taken aback when, a couple of days ago, several senior Umno leaders, including ministers who were previously staunch supporters of the prime minister, told me a different story.

"One told me that some of them had seen and examined 1MDB documents, and are sharing the information with party members to ensure no further damage is done to government finances and the culpable parties be held responsible," Kadir said. Kadir took such developments as signs that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was "not alone in his fight to get the prime minister to leave Putrajaya".
Dr Mahathir, who has been criticising Najib since last year, recently said that he felt alone in his quest to get answers from Najib over 1MDB's scandals and other national issues such as Putrajaya's policy of giving cash handouts to people and the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Despite bringing in other issues, including the "lavish lifestyle" of Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Dr Mahathir has kept the bulk of his criticism on Najib focused on 1MDB, its massive debts and opaque operations.
The former prime minister recently said Najib, who is chairman of the fund's advisory board and the finance minister, could not be forgiven for 1MDB's RM42 billion debt.
Kadir in his blog post today also said 1MDB had been given a chance to explain its dealings at a recent gathering of investors in Kuala Lumpur, but had not been present.
"As a bona fide government strategic investments company, it should not have shied away from the gathering whose keynote speaker was the prime minister.
"If 1MDB’s board of advisers, directors and management are so darn sure of their modus operandi and transparency, they should have attended the conference," Kadir wrote of the Invest Malaysia 2015 forum held on April 23.
At the forum, CIMB Group chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak had also expressed disappointment that 1MDB had declined to attend the event.
Nazir, who is Najib's brother, said the fund's absence was "not helpful" as it only furthered negative perceptions about scandals surrounding 1MDB.
“We invited 1MDB but they turned us down. They declined to participate. I am disappointed because I think they would have been an important element of Invest Malaysia, given the backchat on the topic.
“It's important for us to put the elephant in the room behind us. This whole 1MDB issue, the earlier it is cleared up, the better for everyone. When issues are not cleared up, people tend to expect the worse,” Nazir had said, according to news reports. – April 27, 2015.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/umno-seniors-moving-against-1mdb-says-veteran-newsman#sthash.s72oF9z2.dpuf

Umno seniors moving against 1MDB, says veteran journalist




Senior Umno leaders are reportedly sharing information about debt-ridden 1MDB in attempts to prevent any further damage to government finances. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, April 27, 2015.Senior Umno leaders are reportedly sharing information about debt-ridden 1MDB in attempts to prevent any further damage to government finances. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, April 27, 2015.Some senior leaders in Umno are spreading information about debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) within the party in a bid to prevent further damage to Putrajaya’s finances, veteran journalist Datuk A. Kadir Jasin said in his blog today.
The former chief editor (pic, right) of Umno-controlled English-language daily The New Straits Times said he was shocked to discover that 1MDB documents had been sighted by Umno leaders who formerly supported Najib, and that the information was being shared in attempts to bring light to the scandals surrounding the Finance Ministry-owned fund.
"I was taken aback when, a couple of days ago, several senior Umno leaders, including ministers who were previously staunch supporters of the prime minister, told me a different story.

"One told me that some of them had seen and examined 1MDB documents, and are sharing the information with party members to ensure no further damage is done to government finances and the culpable parties be held responsible," Kadir said. Kadir took such developments as signs that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was "not alone in his fight to get the prime minister to leave Putrajaya".
Dr Mahathir, who has been criticising Najib since last year, recently said that he felt alone in his quest to get answers from Najib over 1MDB's scandals and other national issues such as Putrajaya's policy of giving cash handouts to people and the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Despite bringing in other issues, including the "lavish lifestyle" of Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Dr Mahathir has kept the bulk of his criticism on Najib focused on 1MDB, its massive debts and opaque operations.
The former prime minister recently said Najib, who is chairman of the fund's advisory board and the finance minister, could not be forgiven for 1MDB's RM42 billion debt.
Kadir in his blog post today also said 1MDB had been given a chance to explain its dealings at a recent gathering of investors in Kuala Lumpur, but had not been present.
"As a bona fide government strategic investments company, it should not have shied away from the gathering whose keynote speaker was the prime minister.
"If 1MDB’s board of advisers, directors and management are so darn sure of their modus operandi and transparency, they should have attended the conference," Kadir wrote of the Invest Malaysia 2015 forum held on April 23.
At the forum, CIMB Group chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak had also expressed disappointment that 1MDB had declined to attend the event.
Nazir, who is Najib's brother, said the fund's absence was "not helpful" as it only furthered negative perceptions about scandals surrounding 1MDB.
“We invited 1MDB but they turned us down. They declined to participate. I am disappointed because I think they would have been an important element of Invest Malaysia, given the backchat on the topic.
“It's important for us to put the elephant in the room behind us. This whole 1MDB issue, the earlier it is cleared up, the better for everyone. When issues are not cleared up, people tend to expect the worse,” Nazir had said, according to news reports. – April 27, 2015.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/umno-seniors-moving-against-1mdb-says-veteran-newsman#sthash.s72oF9z2.dpuf


No comments: