Archive for Februari 2017

Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) DAP Tanjung Bu­ngah, Teh Yee Cheu berkata, selain disebabkan ahli-ahli DAP telah diajar bermusuh dengan bekas Perdana Menteri itu sejak sekian lama, kehadiran Dr. Mahathir dalam pembangkang ketika ini juga menimbulkan keraguan kerana tidak mempunyai misi yang jelas.

Sehubungan itu, beliau memberi peringatan kepada ke­pemimpinan DAP supaya lebih berhati-hati dengan peranca­ngan Dr. Mahathir yang juga Pengerusi Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).

Kata Yee Cheu, ahli-ahli DAP juga bimbang jika Dr. Mahathir merancang memonopoli politik DAP sekali gus menguasai kerajaan Pusat sekiranya pembangkang memenangi Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-14.

"Kita bimbang jika Dr. Mahathir ada rancangan mahu wujudkan 'UMNO 3' bersama pembangkang. Jika pembangkang tidak berhati-hati dalam perjuangan penuh berisiko ini termasuk tidak bersiap sedia dengan sebarang perjanjian, sebarang kemungkinan boleh berlaku," katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Dalam perkembangan lain, mengulas tindakan empat wakil rakyat DAP Melaka yang keluar parti, Yee Cheu berkata, beliau yakin tindakan tersebut berpunca daripada pendirian peribadi mereka yang tidak bersetuju dengan kerjasama antara DAP dan Dr. Mahathir.

Malah, beliau tidak menolak kemungkinan lebih ramai pemimpin dan ahli DAP akan mengikut jejak langkah empat wakil rakyat berkenaan atas pendirian serupa.

"Mungkin ada mungkin tiada yang keluar parti selepas ini dan DAP tidak boleh menghalang mana-mana ahli parti berbuat demikian kerana tindakan mereka itu berpunca daripada alasan yang jelas," katanya.

Ditanya mengenai desas-desus bahawa beliau adalah antara wakil rakyat DAP yang akan bertindak keluar parti, Yee Cheu bagaimanapun seolah-olah berteka-teki dan enggan mengulas lanjut.

(FMT) JOHOR BAHRU: Pengerusi Felda Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad hari ini menjelaskan tidak berlaku kehilangan dana berjumlah RM4.3 bilion di dalam agensi tersebut.

Sambil menegaskan kenyataannya mengenai dana itu dipesongkan beberapa portal berita, katanya beliau mempunyai senarai yang jelas mengenai perbelanjaan baki wang sebanyak RM4.3 bilion tersebut, antaranya digunakan bagi tujuan pelaburan jangka panjang oleh Felda di dalam dan luar negara.

"Tidak ada dana yang hilang. Daripada RM6 bilion, kita belanjakan RM1.7 bilion kepada peneroka Felda dengan setiap keluarga menerima bayaran sebanyak RM15,000.

"Baki RM4.3 bilion pula antaranya dibelanjakan bagi pembayaran one off kepada kerajaan negeri Sabah sebanyak RM300 juta dan Pahang RM250 juta, pinjaman perumahan peneroka RM400 juta, perbelanjaan pengurusan RM883 juta, selain pelaburan hartanah dalam dan luar negara, pembelian saham dan banyak lagi," katanya.

Shahrir yang juga ahli Parlimen Johor Bahru berkata demikian kepada pemberita di sini, hari ini bagi mengulas laporan beberapa portal berita yang didakwa memesongkan kenyataannya berhubung dana berjumlah RM6 bilion yang diterima Felda selepas disenaraikan di bursa saham.

Shahrir berkata RM1.438 bilion digunakan bagi pembelian pelaburan hartanah yang merangkumi pembelian hartanah di Bukit Katil, Melaka (RM304 juta), Grand Borneo Hotel di Sabah (RM86 juta), Apartmen Perkhidmatan Grand Plaza di London (RM500 juta), bangunan Institut Penilaian Negara (INSPEN) (RM225 juta) selain pembelian saham Iris Corporation Berhad (RM110 juta).

Katanya, nilai pelaburan RM1.438 bilion itu kebanyakannya melibatkan sektor perkhidmatan perhotelan sebagai pelaburan jangka masa panjang yang memerlukan masa yang lama sebelum memberi pulangan.

Menurutnya, Felda juga membeli semula Felda Technoplant Sdn Bhd dengan nilai RM38 juta dan sehingga kini jumlah kerugian yang ditanggung Felda adalah RM108 juta melibatkan projek Transnovasi.

"Tugas saya (selaku pengerusi Felda) adalah untuk memastikan kesemua pelaburan yang dilakukan Felda berjalan mengikut perancangan, bagaimana pelaburan itu dilakukan dan memastikan pelaburan tersebut memberikan pulangan," katanya.

Dalam pada itu, beliau turut memaklumkan Felda memutuskan untuk menjual sebuah hotel milik agensi berkenaan di London yang dibeli dengan harga RM548 juta pada 2012, dengan proses penjualan sedang dilaksanakan dan dijangka dapat dimuktamadkan dalam waktu terdekat.

Kong Len Wei

The first time I met Tun Dr. Mahathir in the flesh was in 1999. BN was fresh from winning the general election in November and I was charged to chauffeur my father, who was a freshman in Parliament, to a BN pre-council meeting at Putrajaya. As Dr. Mahathir approached the hall, there was a hush in the air. I caught a glimpse of the most powerful room in the country as BN MPs, men and women, some twice his size and half his age, cower before the diminutive Prime Minister. His charisma and aura left a lasting impression on me.

Having led the country for 22 years, he was the only Prime Minister I had ever known until he stepped down in 2003. A career that spanned decades, Mahathir is a brilliant politician. Expertly navigating up the political ladder even after being expelled from the party by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1969. In his first term, Mahathir was fiercely nationalist, subsequently blaming the lost of his reelection campaign squarely on the Chinese support of PAS in 1969.

His book, infamously titled 'The Malay Dilemma' exposed his nationalist agenda, warning the Malays that they will lose out to the economically superior Chinese if they do not take control of their destiny as Bumiputeras in this land. With this nationalistic pride and a renewed Malay chauvinism in him, it was not long before Mahathir rose to become our 4th and longest serving Prime Minister. The 1980s saw him consolidate his grip on power as he used all the powers available to him to politically outmaneuver his political foes and placate his allies as he took this country to great heights in the boom time of the 90s.

Today, few remember the liberal use of the Internal Security Act during Operasi Lalang when the government cracked down on the Chinese educationists for voicing out their dissatisfaction vernacular education policy. Many from the DAP, including Lim Kit Siang, were incarcerated along with several top leaders from MCA. Several newspapers including The Star had their licenses suspended during this tumultuous period of our country's politics.

Even after stepping down, Mahathir continued to be critical of the government. His scathing criticism of the Pak Lah government at that time, help put Najib Razak at the helm of UMNO and the country since 2009.

What is Tun Dr. Mahathir doing together with DAP? 

The power struggle within UMNO is real. After the 2013 general election, UMNO made off with more seats in Parliament and the lion's share executive power in the Cabinet. Mukhriz Mahathir, having lost the fight to be a Vice-President of UMNO, sensed that his opportunity to move up the ranks is closing. The time to take down the sitting Prime Minister is now. Never shedding his nationalist roots,  Mahathir formed the aptly named 'Pribumi' party with Mukhriz as the Deputy President of PPBM. After teaming up with DAP, Mahathir went on the offensive. Critical of the recent partnerships with China, he declared that the government will be bringing in 700,000 Chinese voters to vote in the coming GE. Further spreading xenophobic fear, he also claimed that we are selling land in Johor to the Chinese, much to the ire of the Sultan of Johor who is not known to be fond of the former PM.

People must come to a realisation that Tun Dr. Mahathir is the embodiment of UMNO. He has never shed his nationalist roots, wielding it as a political tool much like how UMNO has to gain political power. DAP members have to open their eyes to this because ever since PPBM come on board, everything within the Pakatan Harapan went haywire. Amanah is now a dud political splinter of PAS. PAS will not work together with DAP and ever since Zaid Ibrahim (who lost in PKR's party elections) jumped over to DAP, presumably at Tun's behest. PKR has become very cautious of DAP. The latest gaffe by Zaid Ibrahim declaring Tun Mahathir as the de facto leader of the Opposition raised eyebrows. Here is a man who sacked his Anwar Ibrahim and put him in jail, now conveniently waltzes in to usurp his place as opposition leader.

I am worried for DAP because as much as DAP wants to overthrow the current regime, they will only end up replacing it with an older model from 2003. Tun Dr. Mahathir is not the Pakatan's Messiah for the 14th General Election. He is the Trojan horse deployed by UMNO to wreak havoc within the opposition coalition. Last Tuesday, most people would have paid attention to Lim Kit Siang's outburst at the TV3 reporter asking him about the BMF scandal during Mahathir's premiership. All I saw was as sly smirk on Tun Dr. Mahathir's face at his Machiavellian best.

Kong Len Wei is a councillor for Majlis Perbandaran Manjung and the Chairman of MCA Youth Perak Young Professional's Bureau

"Dr Mahathir hendaklah hormat dengan Pas dan jangan buat Pas seperti budak-budak, tindakannya memberi amaran merupakan sikap tidak baik.

"Kami dah lama jadi pembangkang 22 tahun (dari) zaman beliau (Dr Mahathir) menjadi perdana menteri," katanya dalam sidang media selepas Ceramah Mega RoadShow 355 peringkat negeri di Markas Pas Bukit Chempedak, dekat sini malam tadi.

Ghafar almost became the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1992 because Mahathir had bankrupted Bank Negara. And no Prime Minister in the world would be allowed to remain in office had the country's central bank gone bankrupt. But then Mahathir hid this fact from the public and lied to Parliament. So, while Daim resigned as Finance Minister, Mahathir stayed on another 11 years.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Most political analysts talk about how Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah almost became the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1987 had Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad not cheated in the party elections. What no one talks about, and let Malaysia Today be the first to talk about it, is how Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba almost became the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia five years after that in 1992.

Mahathir would have had to resign from office in 1992 and Ghafar would have taken over had Malaysians known that Bank Negara had gone bankrupt

Since 1989, the foreign media had been talking about how Bank Negara was the biggest FOREX gambler in the world and how the amount they traded ran into billions and how Malaysia was being exposed to more than RM270 billion at any one time and how the US had warned Malaysia to 'cool it' and so on. (READ OUR PREVIOUS REPORTS IN THE LINKS BELOW).

On 16th September 1992, Bank Negara's folly was proven when George Soros attacked the market with US$8 billion of borrowed funds and in just a few days walked away with a profit of US$1.2 billion while Malaysia lost its pants. Of course, Mahathir blames Soros for Malaysia's loss (he refuses to acknowledge that it was his fault because everything is not his fault).

What Mahathir did not explain is how could Malaysia have lost so much money playing the FOREX market if Bank Negara was not gambling on the market in the first place? I mean you cannot lose money gambling if you were not gambling but was sitting at home watching TV. So why blame Genting for your losses when the job of Genting is to make money from gamblers and if you were not gambling in Genting it is impossible to lose money?

Anyway the question is, how much did Malaysia really lose? Was it RM30 billion, US$10 billion or more than RM150 billion? No one knows because when Lim Kit Siang raised this matter in Parliament in 1993 and 1994 Anwar Ibrahim lied. Furthermore, the government did a lot of what accountants would call 'creative accounting' to cover up the real extent of the loss.

Mahathir and Daim appointed Anwar the new Finance Minister in 1991 to help cover up Bank Negara's bankruptcy

In other words, you do not pick up those losses in that year but defer them to the next year and you revalue certain assets and investments and you do asset-stripping at hugely inflated values and treat certain losses as 'something else' and so on (which we are going to talk about in the next article). There are many ways to do creative accounting to turn losses into profits or huge losses into small losses and this is what the government did to cover up and hide Bank Negara's FOREX losses.

People like Lim Kit Siang and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad argue that losing money is part of doing business and is not a crime. That may be true, and which is the case with 1MDB. But then denying those losses, hiding the losses, doing creating accounting to reduce those losses, not declaring those losses, lying to Parliament, and so on, are crimes. We are not saying that losing money is a crime. We are saying that lying about losing money is a crime, especially lying to Parliament, which can get you impeached.

The fact that Tun Daim Zainuddin asked Mahathir to replace him with Anwar Ibrahim as Finance Minister as early as 1991 was already an indication that the crime involving covering up Bank Negara's FOREX losses was premeditated. It was not until two years later in 1993 that Kit Siang got wind of the crime and raised it in Parliament. Of course, Parliament was not told the truth and the following year in 1994 Kit Siang again raised the matter in Parliament and accused Anwar of lying.

Technically, Bank Negara had gone bankrupt and Mahathir and Daim did not want the world to know. However, the world already knew, which was why Kit Siang also knew and raised it in Parliament. And this was the reason for the lies and the cover up.

You can read the 1994 Parliament Hansard, starting from page 70, here: Hansard 1994

Kit Siang pointed out that Anwar lied to Parliament in 1993 by saying Bank Negara suffered a 'small paper loss' whereas the loss was actually RM30 billion. Kit Siang also revealed that Bank Negara's exposure was RM270 billion or five times Malaysia's GDP. You should read the Hansard, which is very detailed and reveals a lot. And we have to thank Kit Siang for this revelation or else none of us would have known about it.

Murad came out recently to reveal that Bank Negara was technically bankrupt in 1992 due to losses of US$10 billion

In short, what Kit Siang said is they lied and covered up the truth. The losses Bank Negara suffered, whether it was RM30 billion like Kit Siang said, or US$10 billion like Murad Ahmad revealed recently, or actually more than RM150 billion if you take everything into consideration, is not the issue and is not the crime we are talking about. The crime is in the cover-up and the lying, especially lying to Parliament, and not revealing that Bank Negara was technically bankrupt.

Now, what would have happened had Daim not handed over the post of Finance Minister to Anwar in 1991, and had Anwar not lied to Parliament in 1993 and 1994 like instructed, and had Parliament been told the truth about what happened over 1989 to 1992, and had it been revealed that Bank Negara was technically bankrupt?

Well, simple, Mahathir would have had to resign as Prime Minister and Ghafar would have taken over as Malaysia's fifth Prime Minister. Kit Siang had already revealed the truth (even though he was wrong about it being RM30 billion when it was actually more). If Anwar had not lied and had told the truth then Daim and Mahathir would have both been made to answer for this. Daim had already resigned as Finance Minister so Mahathir would have had to join him and resign as Prime Minister.

Because of that Malaysia ended up with Mahathir as Prime Minister for another 11 years until 2003 instead of Ghafar as the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia in 1992. So that is the crime we are talking about. Bank Negara's bankruptcy is not the issue. Lying about it is. And because of this lie Mahathir was not made to pay for what he did. And because he stayed as Prime Minister 11 years longer than he should he caused more damage along the way.

And not only did Mahathir cause more damage from 1992 to 2003, he also created damage after he resigned in 2003 by ousting Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and is creating damage now by trying to oust Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak so that his son, Mukhriz can take over.

Kit Siang no longer wants Mahathir punished for Bank Negara's bankruptcy since he is going to be Deputy Prime Minister to Mukhriz

So now the truth is known because recently Murad revealed the truth. But then Kit Siang who had been barking and foaming at the mouth for more than 20 years since 1993 is saying nothing (when he talked so much in 1994, as the Parliament Hansard shows, which you can read here: Hansard 1994).

So why has Kit Siang suddenly gone quiet? Why is Kit Siang now defending Mahathir and telling us that no crime has been committed even though Bank Negara lost so much money to the point of going bankrupt, which we still do not know how much, and that there was a cover-up and Parliament was lied to?

Simple, because if Mahathir can oust Najib and Mukhriz takes over as Prime Minister, then Kit Siang is going to become the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. And, as the English would say, that is worth more than all the tea in China. So what is RM100 billion or so of taxpayers' money if Kit Siang can become the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister?

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