9th days after the New Year.
Is God helping Mahathir and Daim or is it time for another karma.
Plan C is to offer a fantastic allowance to the next Agong.
That is right, Mahathir’s Europe trip is now cancelled due to the resignation of the Agong.
But the money from South America is already on the move to Qatar.
So will the Emir of Qatar pay a visit to the new Agong or will the Agong travel to Qatar?
The question lies in how much will the new Agong willing to help Mahathir and Daim to bring back the first batch from US$500 billion which is going to park in Qatar.
Will 30% be enough for a conscience?
If I am given such an offer, I would demand for 50% since the money belong to Malaysians and not Mahathir and Daim.
To the ones who worship money, how do you sleep when you sell your soul to Mahathir and Daim?
FUCK YOU AND MAY YOU DIE IN GREAT PAIN AND SORROW.
WHY ARE THE MALAYS SO STUPID?
Category: Uncategorized
A court case reveals Umno’s past and PPBM’s possible future
There was a rather interesting court case last week. Interesting for two reasons: one, it throws some light on how the system worked when Umno was in power and, two, it gives an indication of where PPBM could be headed.
On Jan 4, the Court of Appeal sentenced businessman Mohd Mustafa Mohd Khalid to three years’ jail after dismissing his appeal against a conviction for cheating a company managing director of RM1 million.
Mustafa, 56, a “Datuk”, was found guilty by the Sessions Court on Feb 19 last year of cheating Kamaludin Janis, the managing director of Syarikat MN Resource Sdn Bhd, of RM1 million.
Mustafa duped Kamaludin into believing that a letter of intent from the finance ministry dated July 6, 2009, which he gave the latter was genuine. The letter had the title “Proposal to Supply a Scanning System (100%) for Imported Goods to the Royal Malaysian Customs, for Rental”.
He was accused of fraudulently getting Kamaludin to hand over RM1 million for obtaining the letter. The offence took place at Hotel Malaya in Kuala Lumpur in July 2009.
According to what was revealed in court, Kamaludin had appointed a consultant, Amrul Nizam Anwar, to find a political link to get a government contract valued at RM12 million.
Amrul had, during the trial, testified that Mustafa was close to Umno as he was a former Pahang Umno Youth leader and that he was also close to Najib Razak, who was then deputy prime minister and finance minister.
Several interesting points emerge from this court case: One, it is worth a handsome sum of money to know someone in power; two, being in a position in the ruling party (in this case Umno) can help you make money; three, firms (many, I am told) use aides or officers connected to ministers, or cozy up to people with connections, to try to secure contracts; four, there is a category of “consultant” that most of us have not heard of; five, such dealings take place in hotels; and six, sometimes businessmen do get cheated by those claiming to have connections.
This case indicates that companies that want million-ringgit government projects, which ensures instant monetary success, may not be shy about bribing their way to the contract.
It indicates that such firms would likely use go-betweens to grease palms.
It indicates that if you hold a position in the most important party that runs the government, as Umno was in the past, or are close to decision-makers or leaders who can influence decisions, you are much sought after.
Could this be why there was such a keen contest for Umno divisional leadership positions and Supreme Council posts in the past? I am told that you would need to spend several million ringgit to win the post of divisional leader.
No wonder then that someone who has invested so much money in gaining power would want to recoup his principal and make some profit by lobbying for contracts for himself or for others for a commission.
Someone whom I once met told me it was quite common to give a percentage of the contract amount to various people along the chain of influence. This is usually handled by the middleman.
I wonder how many successful companies used such middlemen in the past. More interestingly, how many continue to use such middlemen today?
FMT reported on Jan 3 that an Umno leader, who did not want to disclose his name for obvious reasons, revealed it was normal for party division chiefs to be given projects under the previous Barisan Nasional administration.
He said: “If an Umno division chief was popular and well liked, and could bring in votes, he or she stood a better chance of getting bigger contracts.”
See how the system works?
The FMT report quoted the Umno leader as saying that sometimes the money received from these contracts would be kept at home to make it easier for party leaders to hand out cash without leaving any trace of the under-table money.
No wonder we now hear of bales or bags of cash amounting to millions being kept in condominiums and other places.
It also explains why, when PPBM vice-president Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman called on the party leadership to ensure divisional leaders were given contracts so that they could use the money to fund party activities, he was applauded by delegates to PPBM’s recent annual general assembly.
He is also reported to have said that elections must be won “by hook or by crook”. My, my. This is the guy who was chairman, and before that secretary, of the Election Commission for many, many years under the rule of the BN. And he is now VP of PPBM whose chairman is the prime minister and whose president is the home minister.
According to another FMT report, a high-ranking PPBM leader admitted that a group of division leaders were out to make money now that the party was in power.
He was quoted as saying money politics was emerging in PPBN and that these division chiefs were “no different from the Umno warlords”.
How can they be different, I ask you? Do I need to point out that most or almost all PPBM members were formerly in Umno or were sympathisers?
And isn’t it interesting that many MPs and divisional and branch leaders who quit Umno want to join PPBM?
It gives us an inkling of where PPBM may be headed if the leadership does not strike out a new path.
Also, we are reading reports of aides to current government leaders, or people claiming to be aides to leaders, demanding for kickbacks.
In fact, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman came out with a statement to say he had nothing to do with a man posing as his assistant and seeking a 30% commission from funds allocated to Chinese vernacular schools.
Pakatan Harapan ministers need to ensure their aides do not act as middlemen or collectors of 10% or 30% of contract sums in their name or in the name of their parties. Otherwise, it will be the proverbial “same old, same old”.
Malaysians are expecting something better from PH. They don’t want to hear of court cases related to corruption involving ministers or aides to ministers or family members of ministers; or even conmen claiming to act for some minister.
A Kathirasen is executive editor at FMT.
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SO WILL MACC AND PDRM INVESTIGATE THIS COMMISSION OF RM20 MILLION THAT IS DISGUISED AS PROTOTYPE FOR 3 NATIONAL CAR WHICH ACTUALLY DOES NOT COST A SINGLE SEN.
Ministry approves up to RM20 mil for 3rd national car prototype
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development (MED) has approved up to RM20 million in funds to attract private investors to develop the prototype for the third national car.
Minister Redzuan Yusof said the fund was sourced from several existing grants to spur the development of the national car project.
“The idea is that we become the catalyst for the new national car project.
“I’m not developing the third national car project, I am helping to create an environment for the new national car project,” he told reporters after officiating the Sustainable Programme: Bumiputera Entrepreneurship Empowerment Initiative programme.
Bernama
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Is it really the wedding?
Many Agong has misused their position during their reign.
Yet none were forced to resign.
History remembered that RM200 million of our money was used to pay off a gambling debt in London during Mahathir’s time as 4th Prime Minister.
During Mahathir’s 22 years era there incident of murder and rape yet no action were taken by majority of Rulers.
The answer lies with a simple revenge.
NO AGONG INSULTED MAHATHIR IN PUBLIC EXCEPT HM KING SULTAN MUHAMMAD V.
https://says.com/my/news/dr-tun-mahathir-hopes-to-be-sworn-as-malaysia-s-prime-minister-by-5pm-today
Mahathir had ruled Malaysia for over 22 years and from this experience knows that he is crude, cruel and revengeful.
NOTHING CAN STOP MAHATHIR’S EVIL WAY EXCEPT IN DEATH.
IF THE NEXT AGONG IS SULTAN OF PERAK, THEN MAHATHIR WILL BE A TYRANT ONCE AGAIN TO ANWAR BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS DEAL WITH THE FORMER SULTAN OF PERAK AND THE PRESENT SULTAN.
/dinmerican.wordpress.com/tag/regent-raja-nazrin/
Stocks For 2019 – A Discussion
This is merely a discussion and not an invite or recommendation to buy or sell any stocks. Yes, Bursa and SC do look at what I write, even when most of what I write is for the benefit of all investors. It is also good that investors and regulators alike are nowadays more circumspect of potential shenanigans.
I do think 2019 will be a much better year for stocks locally. Almost anything that could have gone haywire, have.
Oil Prices
Palm Oil
Caught up in international trade wars
Property slump
Since the election, we have been bombarded, necessarily, by the implosions in:
Tabung Haji Fund
Felda/FGV
Bank Pembangunan questionable loans
Bank Negara land deal
LGM’s “forced” land deal that profited MOF and had EPF as the end buyer
…the government needs to step up do positive market-boosting measures. That is because, for the past 6 months, almost every single thing has been negative, restrictive, constrictive, regressive, deflating for economic activity … even though many of the measures taken WERE NECESSARY for the good of governance and fiscal responsibility. But you cannot strangle the bad till the good part also suffocates.
Politics – The Warring States Revisited
Please remember the rakyat who voted you in. Not just that, but the sacrifices, the toiling by the rakyat for years before that to get the “change effected”. Then you guys go and play politics. I know that it is always difficult to hammer a loose coalition within a short time span and expect everything else to be hunky dory… but please, be reminded of how hard the struggle was for most of us to get here. ITS NOT EVEN ONE YEAR!!! The worst “bad spot”, …it is not even a year old and we have the following questionable questions about the current Pakatan Harapan:
– will Anwar be able to take over in 2 or 3 years, or at all
– is Azmin the preferred next PM by other parties in the coalition
– isn’t Bersatu looking too much like the old UMNO in accepting frogs
– is Bersatu behaving that way to stave off a possible breakaway by Keadilan
– enough already with the Azmin or Rafizi thing, both are important and useful, don’t split the party unnecessarily
– what was so bad that Nurul can’t take it anymore
– the silly DAP voting “out” Tony Pua because not enough grassroots “work put in” and that there were too many “parachuted candidates” now getting important positions at the expense of longtime members – grow the fuck up, without the newer candidates DAP would not have reached the masses
– some Ministers should not be ministers (please read next para.)
Yes, Minister! – All Ministers must be made aware that there are: Strategic Issues and Initiatives (most important, as they set the course and direction of the “goals of the ministry”. Then there are the Operational Issues, that has to do with day-in-day-out stuff, just make them more efficient and effective and properly enforced. Then there are the Peripheral Issues: not important and do not ever confuse that you are doing excellent work by announcing these peripheral new rules and changes.
Black shoes for students, very peripheral issue, and as a first announcement it was deflating. Swimming pools, omg, so peripheral. We appointed a Minister, not a Trainee Assistant Vice President!!!
Tackle the UEC head-on, that’s Strategic Issues and Initiatives. No balls.
On that note, asking us to consume more palm oil was worse than peripheral issues. It is like asking us to plant our own veggies. Want to go down that road again…??!! Tackle the palm oil Strategic Issues, we have been the target of very biased propaganda against the usage of palm oil. We seem to have no defense against that except to accept/not accept the various palm oil certification. Why no certification against soy oil and other oils? Why we do not have a concerted and sustained campaign on the real benefits of palm oil over other oils? Why not have a long-term “barter trade” exchange agreement with big users such as China and India which would make palm oil producers less of a coward in the face of European buyers?
Get the politics straightened out and start recharging the economy.
The bright spots were:
The new government, starting to clean up the balance sheet
Hopefully, new leaders at regulatory, GLCs and judicial… will invoke a new Malaysia
BULL AROUND THE CORNER
Why I think the turnaround is just around the corner. Must look for catalysts, cause prices itself has already gone past what is considered cheap by most financial measurements.
a) The issuance of the RM7.4b Samurai bond at 0.65% 10-year before the end of March 2019
b) The upcoming indictment, resolution, conviction, repatriation of fines by DOJ/US Courts on Goldman Sachs involvement
c) The re-issuance of government electronic government programs contract, albeit at a “more cost savings to the government” mode
d) Government restarting some of the stalled big projects, albeit a lower scale
We should be looking at some small caps fishing because the bear market is nearing its last legs rather than in the middle of one.
You will note I won’t be mentioning the run of the mill stocks covered by analysts, blah, blah… you can read them yourselves. Just so you know, most of those analysts who write decent reports about big caps and decent stocks, ultimately trade the most in stocks they don’t write about, hint, hint, second and third liners. Stop laughing and tell me it’s not true.
Small Caps Fishing
1) must have volume (liquidity) – you need this to move in and out, a great value stock with no liquidity is no use in a stock market.
2) must have lost more than 50% from its 52 week high – the bigger the losses the better; why 12 months, not longer?… cause 12 months would have captured the period before the elections, anything longer might not be as meaningful.
3) P/NA (share price /net asset per share) must be less than 50% – this is where the value comes in, even if you factor in some dubious “assets”, below 50% is a good comfort level.
4) Cumulative losses for the past 7 Qs must not be more than RM2m; better if its positive – naturally most will not have been doing well, but you want their PAT to be manageable, this will be reflective via their cash flow; by adding up the PAT for the last 7 Qs, it gives a good measure of its “PAT/cash flow. I can’t emphasize enough how important this measurement is, its to ensure that it has some sort of viable business and that they are in no danger of falling into PN17. .. which translates into better viability to bounce back later when sentiment improves.
5) Bearing in mind the premium for a relatively clean listed vehicle will be between RM20-30m in a normal functioning market – hence that can be used as a base for our own valuation.
6) No RTO /listing by China companies type – I am still not convinced (for the past 8 years) on the veracity of the financials.
Example:
ASIAPOLY (0105)
Share price: 0.07
52 week high: 0.155
P/NA: 37%
Market Cap: RM31m
Last 7 Qs Cumulative net figure: +RM206,000
HHH (0160)
Share price: 0.085
52 week high: 0.125
P/NA: 50%
Market Cap: RM29m
Last 7 Qs Cumulative net figure: +RM2,417,000
FINTEC GLOBAL (0150)
Share price: 0.065
52 week high: 0.18
P/NA: 24%
Market Cap: RM39m
Last 7 Qs Cumulative net figure: +RM24,134,000
You can peruse all these figures by going to i3 site. You can tweak for your own parameters and you will come up with some decent picks. Mind you to bottom fish on small caps, you will need holding power, but we are looking at a 50%-100% return. Buy, lock it up, come back when sentiment flourishes.
SITUATIONAL INVESTING
If you don’t like small caps, then have a look at these two stocks for situational investing. Both counters were subject to massive forced selling by the principals or substantial shareholders. Margin calls are common in a bear market. Look at Seacera, forced selling but it took some big punters a couple of days to start fishing – it didn’t look like the new big buyers knew anything more than just trying to sniff out a bargain.
However, look at the buyers for MYEG and Prestariang following the forced selling, they were firm and big. Its a follow the money strategy. You may not need to know much on the fundamentals (both are more than decent), but the “firmed up” buying would indicate a likely positive turnaround.
http://malaysiafinance.blogspot.com/2018/12/two-notable-corporate-announcements.html
http://malaysiafinance.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-eg-unexplainable-drop.html
So, yes… one can consider both Prestariang and MYEG for the above reasons.
WILL THERE BE HOPE FOR 2019
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY BEFORE A NEW BEGINNING.
IF ALL MALAYSIANS KEEP SILENCE ON WHAT PPBM IS UP TO THEN WE ARE LOSERS IN CENTURIES TO COME.
OUR FUTURE CANNOT DEPEND ON A RACIST PARTY.
THERE MUST BE A STRONG DESIRE FOR CHANGE AND THE WILL POWER TO SUCCEED.
LET US LEARN AND REMEMBER THE SORROW BARISAN NASIONAL HAS DONE TO US FOR 61 YEARS.
PPBM MUST BE STOP AT ALL COST BEFORE WE ARE EATEN ALIVE.
MALAYSIANS MUST STAND UNITED NOW BEFORE MAHATHIR AND HIS MALAY DILEMMA DESTROY OUR CHILDREN.
MY WISH FOR 2019, MAHATHIR WILL FAIL IN PUTTING AZMIN OR MUKHRIZ AS PRIME MINISTER.
Mustafar Ali, are you helping to clear the goodies coming?
Terrorists are welcome.
Rapists are welcome.
Spies are welcome.
Gangsters are welcome.
Assassinators are welcome.
Murderers are welcome.
Illegal migrates are welcome.
Anyone can walk into Malaysia, provided one has the money to give.
Today Malaysia welcome those who have big pockets.
One of the most corrupted department is Immigration.
Every officers are millionaire and the head of department is a billionaire.
So how much do they actually earn?
While there is always something to divide out at the end of the day.
MACC and PDRM don’t touch that department because they are instructed to close their ears and eyes.
Prime Minister department and various agencies depend on Immigration for the transfer out and into Malaysia such as foreign currencies by the millions and in crate boxes, nuclear parts, kidnapped victims, gold, diamond, paintings, luxury cars, prostitutes and whatever these cronies want.
Policies have not changed in Immigration.
Corrupted officers have not changed in Immigration.
Best of all even though UMNO no longer rule, PH government need people like Mustafar Ali.
With excuses PH government like UMNO is keeping corrupted cronies for selfish reason.
SO IS MUSTAFAR ALI ONE OF THE CRONIES HELPING TO CLEAR THE ENTRANCE OF US$150 BILLION COMING BACK TO MALAYSIA TO BUY MUKHRIZ PREMIERSHIP.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/12/31/ex-immigration-chief-mustafar-ali-to-head-national-financial-crime-centre/
34 MILLION MALAYSIANS TO CHOOSE YET PH GOVERNMENT GOING FOR TRASH ONCE AGAIN.
I WILL PRAY FOR MAHATHIR’S DEATH.
Bribing the Malays in Kedah
WHEN ONE HAS A FATHER AS PRIME MINISTER, EVERYTHING UNDER THE SKY IS YOURS FOR THE TAKING.
PTPTN CLAIMED THEY HAVE NO MONEY TO GIVE POOR STUDENTS TO FURTHER THEIR STUDY BUT CAN DONATE RM1 MILLION TO KEDAH ZAKAT BOARD.
WHEN A DONKEY DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO CREATE JOBS AND WEALTH FOR A STATE, THE FATHER MUST USE HIS POSITION TO GIVE MONEY.
MAHATHIR, YOU HAVE PROVEN TO THE WHOLE WORLD AND MALAYSIANS YOUR SON MUKHRIZ NEED HANDOUTS MORE THAN POOR STUDENTS.
MALAYSIANS ARE NOT BLIND NOT TO KNOW WHY PTPTN IS FORCE TO DONATE TO ZAKAT KEDAH BOARD.
THE TRUTH IS, THE SULTAN OF KEDAH AND KEDAHANS ARE FED UP OF YOUR USELESS SON WHO DOES NOTHING FOR THE STATE.
PEOPLE HAVE EYES AND EARS TO KNOW THAT MUKHRIZ WITHOUT YOU AS PRIME MINISTER CANNOT DO ANYTHING.
EVEN HIS WIFE NEED HELP TO GET SCREW DAILY.
Mahathir’s personal greed bring Malaysia to its knee
There is one thing good about PH Government and that is GREED and SELFISHNESS is still the most important menu.
I have already mentioned that Malaysia is now very much in deep shit.
The shit is because of Mahathir’s greed and self interest.
Malaysians like me have put our life at the edge of the sword. waiting to be hang if we cannot change the government.
After all our sacrifices Mahathir choose to give all kind of excuses not to fulfill promises make before GE14.
Today the Islamic Freaks are allowed further protection against other races and religion.
Today we still have a fucked up Education system.
Today the ones chosen as Ministers are not performing for the Rakyat but for themselves.
Today we face a new group of arrogant bastard who are not fit to be Ministers or Deputy Minister.
Today all the Ministries still lack interest in making their department work more efficient.
Today we still have Ministers thinking they are UMNO members.
Jakim and Jais are still working against other races and religion.
NSC is still there as a warning to those who disagree with Mahathir.
Mahathir continues to pay Ibrahim Ali to create unrest.
The person who is responsible for the present shit is Mahathir and only he alone can right all wrong before Malaysia goes down without mercy.
Mahathir if you have balls, be a man and admit your mistake and correct them before your death.
Otherwise your children and the next seven generation will be shame.
First stop confusing the Rakyat and Investors with your greed for wanting to stay longer as Premier.
You have agreed to stay only for two years not one day longer.
Do it and give the Premiership to Anwar.
Before Anwar can sit as Premier you already condemned him as not fit to be Premier and wanting Mukhriz to be the 8th Prime Minister.
Mukhriz as everyone knows is not fit to be the MB of Kedah or as Minister, what more a Premier. If Mukhriz is thrown into the corporate world the highest post he can hold is a toilet cleaner. That is how suitable your son is.
All International Investors think Mukhriz should simple stay at home.
Two, Mahathir you are no longer living in 1982. Today is the ending of 2018. Technology and the world has changed. Investors are no longer at your doorsteps for you to pick and choose. Today it is the Technology and Investors having more say in who they want to do business with. As long as you cannot keep your promise to Anwar, Investors will not trust to do business with a confusing old man who is about to die.
Third, Malaysia just experience the depth of racial disharmony with ICERD and Seafield Temple incident. International investors and Malaysians like me are suspicious the way you handle the two issues. Having experience your governing for 22 years, I believe you Mahathir, wanted to create unrest so that you can bring back the slush fund hidden oversea without people knowing. This slush fund is to buy ex UMNO MPs, PAS, Amanah and PKR members to join Pribumi, thus forming the biggest Malay party in the history of Malaysia and making Mukhriz the 8th Prime Minister. As an investor will I want to pump in money to Malaysia?
Fourth. Mahathir you have put in unqualified people as Ministers. Not only are they wasting Rakyat’s money to promote themselves and have a jolly wonderful time screwing your grand daughter and artistes but are giving priority to petty issue which does no good for the Rakyat. You again show us that you lack the capability and wisdom to seek capable leaders to lead your various Ministry. Again you scare the hell out of the Investors.
Fifth. Mahathir, two years is not long and you have done nothing to groom or given Anwar a chance to help you. Instead every step and move Anwar make is treated as treason in your eyes. Behind the scene you meet many traitors, opposition and gangsters but no one is allow to report. But a simple tea or gathering involving Anwar or Kak Wan or Nurul is a betrayal to PH Government. What the fuck is this? Investors are thinking with age you have gone insane.
Sixth. Mahathir, not all Sultan are hostage to your scheme. Stop your arrogance and work with them for the good of each state.
Seventh. Give Sarawak and Sabah their independence. You and UMNO have squeeze every drop of their wealth for your personal gain. Stop trying to convert Sarawak and Sabah into an Islamic State.
Eighth. Stop screwing and blaming the West, Japan and China for not lending Malaysia funds when you wanted to play around with Mokhzani cryptocurrency, Golden Horse cryptocurrency and Harapan Coin when Malaysia is heavily in debts. Investors lost confidence in you.
Ninth. There are at least 50 UMNO and ex UMNO MPs who should have been in jail, yet they are roaming free because you need them to join Pribumi, your miserable one race party.
Tenth. Mahathir, you have come to an age when personal interest means more to you than the nation. Since May 10 2018, you have not done a single thing for the nation except to make 23,000 jobless. Kulim and 3rd National car are not investors bringing money to Malaysia but in actual fact slush fund hidden by you and Daim coming back to Malaysia to help Mukhriz be the next PM. You then take the clean money out and hide it again for future use. Your game is no longer new and everyone in the International arena know what is happening. Like I have mentioned, technology today is no play, play. Every single move is recorded especially funds from Malaysia when it is known that UMNO and PH Government support Terrorists and Malaysians are in the habit of money laundering.
INVESTORS WILL NEVER COME TO MALAYSIA AS LONG AS MAHATHIR DOES NOT KEEP HIS WORDS.
Indian Scapegoats should seek Foreign Forensic Help
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/457590
It is interesting to note there is another video for the second day riot which Adib was supposedly beaten to death.
I wish to advice all those charge in court soon to engage foreign Forensic Help otherwise those scapegoats will land up in jail to be torture.
PDRM has taken their own sweet time to come out with another video showing Adib death was not a freak accident.
Those who understand science will know that what is told may not be the truth.
I have seen the video many times and it has created more doubts than fact.
If I remember clearly it was stated that Adib was inside the truck when certain people drag him out and beat the hell out of him.
BUT THE EVIDENCE SHOWN ON ADIB’S BODY THAT SOMETHING MORE THAN A BEATING BROKE HIS RIBS AND TISSUES.
WILL THUGS ACTUALLY JUST ASSAULT AT CERTAIN PARTS OF THE BODY AND NOT THE ARMS, FACE AND NECK.
I CHALLENGE THE AUTHORITIES TO ALLOW ME TO BEAT THEM UP AND COMPARE THEIR BEATING TO ADIB’S SO CALLED BEATEN UP BODY.
DO COMPARE KUGAN’S INJURY TO ADIB AS A GUIDELINE TO WHAT THE AUTHORITIES ARE COVERING UP.
Understanding Mahathir’s motives–UMNO 2.0
QUESTION TIME | Harapan leaders who wanted reform and a new Malaysia free of corruption, patronage and blood-sucking politicians who steal unashamedly from the people must be regretting that they ever let Bersatu and its chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad into the coalition.
For what he has done is to re-introduce this whole party-hopping play, which he did previously in Sabah to destabilise the fairly elected government, and now to increase the numbers of his own party which did rather poorly in the last elections. (For those who still think Mahathir won the elections, I have an alternate view, backed up with numbers which shows he likely did not.)
Does anyone really think that Umno MPs would start jumping ship like rats from a vessel which has not even sunk yet if they did not have some other place to go? Surely they must have a rather strong inkling of the place to go to. Why, there may even be money politics involved.
So far, 17 MPs have resigned from Umno, taking the number of seats it holds down to 37 from 54, making PKR the party with the single largest number of seats with 50, followed by DAP with 42. Some MPs have already been accepted into Bersatu whose number has now gone up to 16 from 13.
And where do you think this bunch of unprincipled, opportunistic lawmakers will be heading if they want to avoid the consequences of their actions in supporting the most kleptocratic government the world has ever seen?
The one that holds the reins of power with just 13 seats out of 52 contested, the lowest win rate of any Harapan partner, from the last elections, that’s who – Bersatu. And perhaps Amanah as well which holds just 11 seats.
While PKR and DAP leaders have said that they will not accept any from this dishonourable lot who UMNO ticket and have now suddenly realised the errors of their ways, Amanah continues to vacillate while Bersatu says it will vet them before accepting them into their fold.
Amanah and Bersatu, with 13 and 11 respectively, are the smallest parties in terms of number of MPs, with PKR outnumbering them with 48 (immediately after elections before defections) and DAP 42.
Despite Harapan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim saying publicly that theories over the impending defection of Umno members are meant to drive a wedge between him and Harapan chairperson Mahathir, even he must privately feel threatened by this development which could very well derail his chances of becoming PM.
Disproportionate numbers
It is becoming more and more obvious that Mahathir wants the two years he asked for to be Prime Minister, not so much to do what is needed but to strengthen his position so that he will be difficult to remove when the time comes for him to make way.
Despite having a small minority of seats, Mahathir used so-called prime ministerial prerogative to give members of his party wildly disproportionate numbers in terms of his ministers and deputy ministers. All of them except for himself, his son Mukhriz and Bersatu President Muhyiddin Yassin are novice MPs, ministers and deputy ministers.
Mukhriz became Menteri Besar of Kedah (despite PKR getting eight seats against Bersatu’s five). Apart from Mahathir and Muhyiddin, Bersatu got four full ministers, all of whom were first-time MPs and first-time ministers as well. This includes a 25-year-old whose first full-time job turned out to be a minister, probably a world record.
He also allotted his own party six Deputy minister positions which means every MP in Bersatu became Prime Minister, Home Minister, Chief Minister, full Cabinet Minister or Deputy minister – undemocratic because it was not representative.
There were many other more qualified material for ministers within PKR, both Malays and non-Malays, but it was clear that Mahathir was going to be in control despite Bersatu just holding 11 percent of total parliamentary seats of the Harapan coalition.
Why did he do this? Because looking back he wanted control of the cabinet, he wanted to be boss and he wanted to buy time so that he could get more MPs into Bersatu and diffuse the power that PKR and DAP, both multiracial parties, held within Harapan.
Mahathir will not give up his aims of Malay supremacy without a fight. If getting rid of Najib was his only aim, he should have made way for Anwar by now. But no, his aims are larger than that which is why he jumped on to the winning bandwagon.
Mahathir never believed in consensus. For him, there is only one leader and that has to be him. Consultation is not his style. There was almost an early break-up in Harapan when he made Lim Guan Eng Finance Minister without consulting PKR. The DAP, delighted with Lim’s appointment, constantly said “prime ministerial prerogative” to Mahathir’s many questionable decisions – but not anymore.
Mahathir started to push – the more he could get away with- the more he pushed. Manifestos were not cast in stone; Harapan wrote the manifesto thinking they won’t win. Local council elections will raise racial problems. Icerd goes against the constitution. We need a third national car. He said all this and more.
All tainted
When Kim Quek wrote an article saying Mahathir should step down for reform to take place, Bersatu’s strategist Rais Hussin came up with a reply of which probably the main relevant point was that representation from Malays should not be spurned too quickly.
Sure, yes. But won’t that be accepting MPs who had already compromised themselves? There were previous reports that UMNO divisions got money from its former president Najib Abdul Razak’s accounts with funds that came from 1MDB. All BN MPs must have known, given the level of reporting which included filings by the US Department of Justice, that Najib had stolen money from 1MDB.
Yet they supported him – not one of them went against Najib. By that token alone, it would be fair to assume that each one of these MPs who now want to join Harapan through Bersatu was complicit in the kleptocrat government. In other words, they are all tainted – no need for Bersatu to vet them.
Was it not Mahathir’s aim to get rid of kleptocracy and let the law take care of those who conspired with Najib?
Why is he now doing things that go against this aim? The only answer is that Mahathir is prepared to tolerate corruption and even kleptocracy so long as the Malays held power – not power sharing but supremacy of the Malays, Ketuanan Melayu.
But his brand of ketuanan through UMNOand his UMNO-like Bersatu – which only allows Malays as members – is what brought the country to its knees leading to rampant kleptocracy. It has hurt the Malays most, except for the connected few commonly known as the UMNOputras.
This is, after all, a multi-racial country with Malays accounting for just over 50 percent of the population. Honest, corruption-free power-sharing is what is required with regard for all, and especially the poor, to take the country forward and bring it away from the UMNO-style patronage and corruption, especially since the last half century after May 13, 1969.
Mahathir will not give up his aims of Malay supremacy without a fight. If getting rid of Najib was his only aim, he should have made way for Anwar by now. But no, his aims are larger than that which is why he jumped on to the winning bandwagon.
It is easier to understand Mahathir’s actions when we understand his motives. Mahathir is a Malay supremacist and therefore he will be a hindrance to honest reform. Harapan needs to think about how they can reform – with or without him. And how they are going to do it.
No mean feat, that.
P Gunasegaram worries for the future of reforms with the current developments. Even the Malays don’t want UMNO 2.0 which may be why they rejected Mahathir’s Bersatu in GE14. E-mail:t.p.guna@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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