The Plight Of Bukit Koman Residents Unfolds Here..

There has been no coverage by the mainstream media on issue that was affecting the Bukit Koman residents. Until of late, Malaysiakini ran a report on Bukit Koman residents failure to stop the goldmine from operating. Read 'Bkt Koman residents fail to stop goldmine' here.

A fellow blogger emailed me requesting that we, bloggers, should help carry their side of the story in our blog to make more people aware of the events that have been haunting the residents and endangering their lives. But it doesn't stop there. Very soon, this potential hazard has every chance spillover into Selangor once The Pahang-Selangor Inter-State Raw Water Transfer Project is completed.

The Story Unfolds Here...

Cyanide And Raub

Brief Introduction

Raub is a peaceful town blessed with nature's wealth. Due to recent emergence of Cyanide, the valley has deeply submerged into a terrifying state. Raub is the place where we live and grow up. Our home and lives are confine here in this little valley. There is no reason for us to move to other places. Mining processing facilities are located just two kilometres away from residential area. Just across the street to be exact and why is the Pahang Mineral and Geoscience Department still approving the use this lethal chemical, Cyanide, to extract the gold?

Bukit Koman is a small and old village , located inside Raub county , consists of approximately four hundred families with a total of close to 3000 residents. It is situated right in the middle of the gold mining area and is indeed a 'gold plated’ village.

The mining activity started in 1898, but ceased operation in 1963. During this period, the mine was fully controlled by the Australian. In 1970, thousands of hectares of mining land had been sold and transfered to Gan Mun Wah group. After purchasing the land, the group cultivated most of the land with palm oil, reserving two plots totaling 600 hectares, for mining purposes. In the 1980’s, the group rented out the reserved mining land to Chinese miners to mine for gold through the gravity separation approach. And in the year 1990, the company took back the land and set up a company to mine the gold on their own.

Andrew Kam, the son of GMW founder, set up Peninsular Gold Limited company, which is listed in London Exchange, and wholly own Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd., is fully responsible for the mining activity. The other shareholders including Pahang royal Princess, Tengku Puteri Seri Lela Manja and her ex-husband Mohd Moiz. Pahang Development Board (Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Pahang) is also one of their partners.

Chronology of Events

21st August 2006

Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. successfully obtained approval from Pahang Mineral and Geoscience Department to use Cyanide in the mining area inside Bukit Koman.

4th December 2006

After the villagers got to know the lethalness and impact of the Cyanide, the villagers formed a 'Objection of Cyanide use in Gold Mining in Bukit Koman' committee, This commitee have been aggressively sending the SOS signal to all people for help, gathering help to start the bitter war against Cyanide to save the villagers. At the same time, a petition was launched and 10 thousands signatures were collected.

2nd March 2007

Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob officiate the break soil ceremony of the Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. Carbon-In Leach factory. VIP of the event including Pahang Princess ex-husband Mohd. Moiz and Raub Parliament YB Dato Dr. Ng Yen Yen.

May 2007

The committee submitted letter to Prime Minister YAB Dato Abdullah Badawi, Minister of Ministry of Energy, Water and Communication YB Dato Lim Kim Aik and President of MCA, YB Dato Wong Ka Ting and request for attention in this matter, meet the committee for further discussion as well as presenting the memorandum including the signed petition of 10 thousands signatures. The memorandum also submitted to Raub Parliament YB Dato Dr Ng Yan Yan, Pahang MCA State Chief, YB Dato Chan Kong Choy, Chief of MCA Youth cum Bentong Parliament YB Dato Leow Chong Lai. But no respond was obtained.

July 2007

Committee meet with President of Friends of the Earth Malaysia, Meena Raman in Penang for legal assistance.

21st March 2008

Committee file a law suit with high court of Kuala Lumpur, requesting the court revert the approval of Pahang Mineral and Geoscience Department to Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. to use Cyanide in the process of mining of gold in Bukit Koman. Malaysia Ministry of Environmental has been named first defendant and Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. as second defendant.

February 2009

Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. started the mining process with Cyanide. Residents started to notice stinging smell. Since then, many residents started to experience insomnia, vomiting, dizziness and other abnormal symptoms. The total number of report of abnormal symptoms has rose to more than 200 cases.

8th March 2009

Hundreds of villagers attended the Anti Cyanide Gathering and put up banner to reflect their determination to say NO to Cyanide. Some of the villagers opt to migrate away from Bukit Koman to stay away from this lethal village.

23rd March 2009

Pahang Exco Dato Ho Kee Mum published the report after cursory investigation by department of environment, saying no smell of Cyanide was detected.

25th March 2009

Committee and ADUN Raub, Mr. Chong Shao Aun reported the event to Anti Corruption, requesting them to interfere with the process of gold mining using Cyanide of the mining company.

Properties and Characteritics of Sodium Cyanide (NaCN)

Physical State; Appearance

- White, hygroscopic crystalline powder, with characteristic odour. Odourless when dry.

- Cyanide solutions readily bond with gold, silver and other metals

- Usually stored and transported as a solid. It is stable when dry.

- Dissolve in water to produce toxic cyanide gas. HCN (Hydrogen Cyanide)

- Cyanide may also result in deforestation, soil erosion, land slides, and contamination of underground water.One teaspoon of a 2% solution can kill a person.

- The substance decomposes rapidly on contact with acids, and slowly on contact with water, moisture or carbon dioxide producing hydrogen cyanide

- Cyanide is a powerful solvent that breaks down heavy metals – such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, and lead – that end up as waste products that need to be dumped.

Chemical Dangers

- One teaspoon of a 2% solution can kill a person.

- Cyanide is highly toxic, rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical

- The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation, through the skin and by ingestion.

- Prevents the cells of the body from using oxygen. When this happens, the cells die.

- Causea effect on the cellular respiration, resulting in convulsions and unconsciousness

- More harmful to the heart and brain than to other organs because the heart and brain use a lot of oxygen.

- 20ppm/ per cubic meter in air (mg/m3)

- Cyanide is the killing agent used in gas chambers.

- When the density of HCN is 20 ppm, after few hours human will experience symptoms of poison dead

- Total Cyanide composition on surface water must not be more then 0.2mg/L, when the Cyanide composition is more than 0.5mg/L, 20% of the fish will be dead in two hours, all fish will be dead in 24 hours.

- Notorious chemical weapons used in Second World War, has been widely used by Nazi in the detention facilities and channel the gas to chamber which is a counterfeit bath room. The weapon has kill millions of Jews.

- Has been considered potential terrorist weapon.

- Potassium Cyanide has been used in mercy killing. Subject will be dead in 10 seconds after the drug has been injected or taken via oral.

In a letter replying to Friend to Earth Malaysia by Pahang Mineral and Geoscience Department, En. Zulkifly Abu Bakar confirmed that the department has issued letter of approval on 21st of August, allowing the mining company using Cyanide in their mining process. This letter of approval is based on 10th clause of 1994 Mineral Development act. The duration is 1 year. The company can renew the approval after 1 year.

According to the reply, the mining company will use concentration of 350mg/L Cyanide solution to extract gold from the ore. Gold will be reclaimed via electrolysis. The solution in the vats will be recycled. Only purified water will be discharged to abandoned pond left over from previous mining activity.

The reply also pointed out that “once discharged to the abandoned pond, the pond water will contain approximately 0.008% of Cyanide. In the present of sunlight, the Cyanide percentage in the water will be less and less and become totally degraded. The water of the abandon pond will be recycled for subsequent extraction process.”

The reply again pointed out “Cyanide extraction has been widely use in mining industry, including developed country”

Pahang Minerals And Geoscience Department Versus Facts

A: Purified water will be channeled to the abandoned lake of previous mining activity. The abandoned lake contains approximately 0.008% Cyanide.

F: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), composition in natural water should be controlled below 0.2 ppm. The Cyanide discharged to abandoned lake is 80ppm, which has exceeded the safe level over 400 times!

A: Cyanide can breaks down in the presence of sunlight.

F: 1. In-order to breakdown into other substances, sufficient sunlight and oxygen in the air are needed. Unfortunately, presence of sunlight is always absence due to reasons such as overcast and haze, whereby the process of gold extraction is running 24 hours in 365 days. Cyanide content discharged into pond will accumulate day after day.

2. Both cyanide and acid-mine drainage can find their way into streams and rivers through accidental spills, discharges, dam overflows, and water runoff. It can also seep into groundwater. Leftover cyanide in very small concentrations can harm birds and other wildlife that drink mine pond wastewater.

3. Purified water container Cyanide discharged from the plan contains NH3-N. High concentration of this chemical will provide more nutrient to aquatic organism. This will in turn the increase production of algae which will in turn decrease the penetration of sunlight or visibility of the water. This will decrease the dissolve of oxygen in the water and directly threat the survivor of fish and other organism inside the water. The end result of this situation is that the water will be stink and form of ‘red tide’ or ‘algae bloom’.

4. According to the Mineral Policy Center, “mining and regulatory documents often state that cyanide in water rapidly breaks down in the presence of sunlight into largely harmless substances, such as carbon dioxide and nitrate or ammonia. However, cyanide also tends to react readily with many other chemical elements and is known to form, at a minimum, hundreds of different compounds.” Many of these breakdown compounds are generally less toxic than the original cyanide, but are still known to be toxic to aquatic organisms.

5. These breakdown compounds may persist in the environment for an unknown period of time, and there is evidence that some forms of these compounds can accumulate in fish and plant tissues.

A: If managed properly, mining with Cyanide is absolutely safe

F: In case of any mismanage or neglection, the consequence will be fully transferred to all the innocent villages, furthermore, there is no any party dare enough to guarantee that no accident is going happened. We trade the life of thousands of villages for the profit of certain private organization does not sounds like logical and fair.

A: Operation of Cyanide is in a closed environment. Chances of leakage or contamination is neglectable

F: The above figure shown an open pit Carbon in Leach process. Content in the vat is mixture of crash ore and sodium cyanide, which the process will generate a very toxic gas, Hydrogen Cyanide. The gas will waft in the air.

Since February 2009, the air around the mining facilities is floated with stink chemical smell. Within a month, more than 200 abnormal symptom is reported. The quality of air has triggered the alarm to the people.

A: Mining facilities will bring more job opportunities to Raub

F: Most of the workers are foreign workers. According to the employed local people, after a period working in the mining facilities, there will be problem with the skin.

A: Water resources will not be contaminated

F: From year 1898 to year 1963, the mining company has dug seven interconnected mining well. These wells have depth ranging from 600 to 1200 feet, which has formed a network of underground water. Three of the wells are located right below the abandoned lake which the purified water containing Cyanide will be discharged. Furthermore, the Koman river, which runs across the mining will also poses great threats if leakage or contamination. Once that happened, the underground water would not be get away from it. (as figure show)

A: Gold Cyanidation (also known as the cyanide process or the MacArthur-Forrest process) are widely used even in developed countries.

F: Montana , The Czech Republic has banned the use of cyanide in mining, and both Turkey and Greece have made significant court rulings against issuing permits to mining interests whose projects propose the use of cyanide. The Mining Amendment (Cyanide Leaching) Bill 2000, which would prohibit ore processing by cyanide leaching in gold mining, was entered into the Parliament in New South Wales, Australia, in June 2000.

Accidents keep on occurring even in developed countries, how can we judge that the approval for their license is accurate?

A: The mining facilities is two meter away from the residential area, in fact only across the street from residential area

F: Any form of industry must have distance more the 5 km

The mining facilities and the adjuncture residential area, does not even have any buffer!

How the approval can be obtained by mining facilities which uses first grade poison material, Cyanide, to process which is only few meters away from residential area? In fact close to 1.5 tan of Cyanide is used daily inside the facilities.

Is the rules only applicable to certain people but exception can be applied to certain people?

A: Some of the villages and most of the people in Raub have been ignorant on the criticality of the issue. Some assume that this is the trick of someone who wanted to get to the top.

F: Protection of home was never a political or races or religious oriented. When the home is gone, health is gone and conscious is gone, who is in power is not relevant anymore.

A:Gold Cyanidation Process in Bukit Koman will never affect the village’s health and wealth.

F: Exposure to high levels of cyanide harms the brain and heart, and may cause coma and death.

Exposure to lower levels may result in breathing difficulties, heart pains, vomiting, blood changes, headaches, and enlargement of the thyroid gland, redness and pain to the skin.

Exposure to very low concentration of cyanide may cause cancer in people or animals. Can cause skin problem.

Enviromental disaster caused by cyanide mining

Colorado, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, California, South Dakota, South Carolina, Romania, Guyana, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Papua New Guinea, Bulgarian, Resulting in massive fish kills and contaminated drinking water; and, no matter what processing method is used at the mine site, we cannot risk the release of even tiny amounts of cyanide into our waterways and fisheries.

Cyanide Mining Disasters

1. Zortman-Landusky Mine, Montana, 1982: Fifty-two thousand gallons of cyanide solution poison the drainage that supplies fresh drinking water for the town of Zortman. A mine employee discovered the accident when he noticed the smell of cyanide in his tap water at home.

2. Summitville Mine, Colorado, 1992: Summitville gold mine was responsible for contaminating 17 miles of the Alamosa River with cyanide and other contaminants.

3. Kumtor Gold Mine, Kyrgyzstan, central Asia, 1998: A truck carrying 2 tons of sodium cyanide crashed into the Barskoon River. Two thousand six hundred poison cases and 4 deaths were reported in the aftermath.

4. Aural Gold Plant, Romania, Eastern Europe, 2000: A cyanide-laden tailings spill sent a toxic slug of cyanide and metals rolling down the Tisza River and into the Danube, killing aquatic wildlife and poisoning water supplies as far as 250 miles downriver.

5. In May 1998, six to seven tons of cyanide-laced tailings spilled from the Homestake Mine into Whitewood Creek in the Black Hills of South Dakota, resulting in a substantial fish kill.

6. The Dakota Mining Company bought the land from the federal government for just $5 per acre (under the General Mining Law of 1872), extracted about $69 million worth of gold over ten years, then filed for bankruptcy in 1998, leaving taxpayers with an estimated $40 million cleanup bill.

7. Before a voter initiative banned the use of cyanide in open pit, cyanide-leach mining in November 1998, Montana landowners downstream of the Golden Sunlight mine were forced to sell their property to Placer Dome Corporation after their drinking water was contaminated with cyanide.

8. The Kendall mine near Lewistown, Montana, has contaminated neighbors’ streams with toxic mine waste since 1995. Reclamation efforts at the mine have also depleted water supplies downstream from the company. Eight neighboring landowners have filed water rights complaints against the mining company.

9. The Golden Maple mine near Lewistown, Montana, was ordered to provide a neighboring rancher with an alternate water supply for both domestic and stock water needs after 77,000 gallons of cyanide contaminated the neighbor’s groundwater.

10. In a 1997 lawsuit settlement against Pegasus Gold, the company agreed to spend $34 million to study environmental damage to the groundwater surrounding the Zortman/Landusky mine, to construct an additional water treatment plant, to conduct a public health study, and other measures.

11. 1995 Omai Guyana Collapse of tailings dam.

12. 2000 Baia Mare Romania Collapse of tailings dam.

13. 2000 Tolukuma Papua New Guinea Helicopter dropped crate into rainforest.

The question now is: Should Our Government Expose Us To Such Mining Method?

For Relating Article: Visit Sanjiun's Blog and Bancyanide (Mandarin version)

Help Them By Signing The 'Say No To Cyanide' Petition Here At http://www.petitiononline.com/cyanide/petition.html

Dream Free, Dream True.. Must Read!

Found this conversation between The Sun and our Anak Semua Bangsa, Rahmat Haron, interesting. Thought it would be appropriate to reproduce it here... Read and listen to what he has to say.

Article and pix from TheSun

RAHMAT Haron wears many hats – poet, painter, activist and rebel. His works are cutting-edge, controversial and provocative. In his home cum studio, the portrait of a past leader stands out. It has tiny fangs and the word "Kula" attached to the leader’s name. "I think my works say what is wrong with me more than what is wrong with this country," he says with a touch of humour.

The 31-year-old artist talks to BISSME S on issues ranging from the Internal Security Act to the destruction of the environment.

theSun: You are perceived as a rebel, activist, poet and painter. How do you see yourself?

I am a professional drifter, a super poseur, a fake quasi wanderer and a wannabe of too many things. I am still studying in universe, majoring on life.

Why such a low opinion of yourself?

I am not putting myself down. We often parody others and the situation around us. Sometimes, we must learn to parody ourselves.

Most artists have messages that they want to impart in their work. What is yours?

My message is simple. It is to open up imagination. The poet Sylvia Plath said the scariest thing in life is the death of imagination and I think this country is suffering from lack of imagination.

Read the full conversation here..

Pix by PJ Vigil' s Pat Lu

Scandal Behind Portfolio Change: It's All About Money...

With our renowned Raja Petra in detention, came another blog to the people rescue- to continue with the legacy of Malaysia-Today. The legacy of exposing the truth behind every moves taken by the people walking the corridor of power.

Two tales appeared in the span of 3 days:

The Defense Ministry is currently undergoing negotiations with Eurocopter Malaysia Sdn Bhd for its RMAF’s Nuri replacement programme. Defense Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that the Ministry had already sent Eurocopter a Letter of Intent (LOI). Asked why Eurocopter was selected, Abdullah said that the Ministry would have “considered all the necessary specifications in the helicopters” before making a decision, but declined to elaborate. Read more here.

And

I was told that Najib’s wife has met Bala in the British Isle few days after the private eye went missing and paid Bala RM5 Million. I was told that Bala and family are seeking the Indian citizenships. I truly hope this is not true and Rosmah will make a statement to deny this. At the same time, I hope the good Malaysians in certain places can check on the validity of the timing to ensure that Rosmah was actually somewhere in the British Isle during the few days after the disappearance of Mr. Bala. Read more here.

Yeah, the plot thickens. Now we are able to piece this jigsaw together and get a clearer picture of the real reason behind these moves. "We are in it together, so together we stand and together we fleece the country and the people. Just share some of the money with those who helped carry out our dirty job".

If all these are true, This is How Rotten Our Country is Now.

Bookmark the above blog link. That's the purpose of this post.

Zaid Ibrahim Speaks Out... Worthy Read!

Our earlier prime ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn were truly leaders of integrity, patriots in their own right and most importantly, men of humility. They believed in and built this nation on the principles and values enunciated in our constitution.

Even when they had to enact the Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960, they were very cautious and apologetic about it. Tunku stated clearly that the Act was passed to deal with the communist threat.

“My cabinet colleagues and I gave a solemn promise to Parliament and the nation that the immense powers given to the government under the ISA would never be used to stifle legitimate opposition and silent lawful dissent”, was what the Tunku said.

Our third prime minister, Tun Hussein Onn, reinforced this position by saying that the ISA was not intended to repress lawful political opposition and democratic activity on the part of the citizenry.

At around the same time, members of PAS were also detained for purportedly being militant and allegedly having links to international terrorist networks. Those detained included Nik Adli, the son of Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, the menteri besar of Kelantan. Malaysians were made a promise by the government that evidence of the alleged terrorist activities and links of these detainees would be disclosed. To date no such evidence has been produced.

The same formula was used in late 2007 when the Hindraf 5 were detained. Malaysians were told once again that these individuals were involved in efforts to overthrow the government and had links with the militant Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam of Sri Lanka. To date no concrete evidence have been presented to support this assertion.

In the same vein, the grounds advanced in support of the most recent detentions of Tan Hoon Cheng, Teresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamarudin leave much to be desired. The explanation that Tan Hoon Cheng was detained for her own safety was farcical. The suggestion that Teresa Kok had been inciting religious sentiments was unfounded as was evinced by her subsequent release.

As for Raja Petra Kamarudin, the prominent critic of the government, a perusal of his writings would show that he might have been insulting of the government and certain individuals within it.

However, being critical and insulting could not in any way amount to a threat to national security. If his writings are viewed as being insulting of Islam, Muslims or the Holy Prophet (pbuh), he should instead be charged under the Penal Code and not under the ISA.

- Some of the excerpts from Zaid's open letter to PM

Read more...

Malaysia in the limelight for all the wrong reasons...

Sodomy, Murder, DNA Tests Make `CSI Malaysia': William Pesek

July 21 (Bloomberg) -- It's becoming the highest-rating program in Asia: Malaysia's crime scene investigations.

Just like its wildly popular American counterparts, this crime drama -- call it ``CSI Malaysia'' -- features sex, murder, DNA samples, cover-ups and a colorful cast of characters wondering who's guilty of this or that.

At the center of Malaysia's CSI franchise is Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister who did time on corruption and sodomy charges. Last week, Anwar was arrested on new sodomy claims. He accuses Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak -- who denies sexual-misconduct allegations related to a 28-year-old Mongolian woman killed two years ago -- of manufacturing the charges to discredit him.

The storyline is captivating this nation of 26 million people, most of whom are Muslim. It's sparking steamy and decidedly awkward debates about how one defines sodomy and whether it should be a crime. (It is under Malaysian law.

Surreal subplots abound. Mahathir Mohamad, the man in power when Anwar was jailed a decade ago, has been fighting a very public war of words against his successor, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, over corruption allegations.

Events in Kuala Lumpur would be far more entertaining if they were confined to a television screen -- and not denting the image of one of Asia's most promising economies.

Shifting in Seats

Many Malaysians aren't quite sure what to think. Are the charges against Anwar trumped up to keep him from toppling the government? Is the male aide who claims to have had sex with Anwar telling the truth? If Anwar is innocent -- he claims he has never engaged in sodomy -- why not submit a DNA sample and clear himself? If you were Anwar, would you trust authorities not to taint the DNA test?

It was impossible to avoid this issue at a Bloomberg panel discussion on July 17, the day after Anwar was arrested (and the day on which he was released). On the panel were bigwigs from the likes of Malaysia Airline System Bhd., Maxis Communications Bhd. and CIMB Investment Bank. You could see them shifting nervously in their seats as the issue of sodomy came up.

If Malaysians don't know what to make of Anwar's plight, you can imagine what foreign investors think. ``Summer of Discontent,'' is how Deutsche Bank AG analyst Teoh Su-Yin titled a recent report on Malaysian stocks.

Last week, it was hard to find an analyst predicting a quick resolution to Malaysia's fragile political backdrop. Nor could I find anyone in Kuala Lumpur who felt markets had fully priced in the negative impact of higher inflation on the economy and corporate earnings.

Changing World

What's so frustrating about Malaysia is the obvious potential. Its natural-resource-rich economy has achieved great things in the 50 years since independence from Britain. Twenty- five years ago, this was a tropical backwater. Today, Malaysia's modern, skyscraper-filled capital is home to the world's tallest twin buildings: the Petronas Towers.

Yet the world is moving ahead at a rapid pace, hastened by the rise of China and India. It won't wait for Malaysia, and the current scandals preoccupying the government are coming at the worst possible time. Malaysia should be acting boldly to increase its global competitiveness.

Nations as diverse as China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are working to raise their global influence. Five years from now, any of these economies might harness specific advantages, from low costs to human capital to technology, to challenge Malaysia's growth prospects.

Leadership Vacuum

Malaysia should start by fixing a key weakness: a four- decade-old affirmative-action program favoring the predominant Malay community. It limits investment, stifles competition and keeps the economy from becoming a meritocracy. It's a third-rail issue and isn't discussed seriously.

The leadership vacuum in Kuala Lumpur means Malaysia is squandering time its economy doesn't have. Its $151 billion economy is becoming a smaller blip on investors' radar screens, and politics deserve much of the blame.

Abdullah is under pressure to quit after his coalition's worst-ever election result in March. Earlier this month, he announced plans to stay in power for two more years as his chosen successor, Najib, faces sexual-misconduct allegations. What has the makings of a trashy novel has become reality, and it's not clear Malaysia's leaders see that.

Unstable Situation

Malaysia, it seems, is being run for the sole benefit of those in charge. The nation has become more about Abdullah's party, the United Malays National Organization, than the welfare of its people. That's not being lost on overseas observers.

``Investors are already considering the situation as unstable,'' says Tricia Yeoh, director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies in Kuala Lumpur. ``They are already reconsidering their options in the country. The new investors are possibly not looking at Malaysia as a viable option and previous investors would be thinking of extracting their funds to be put in more stable and viable locations.''

Financiers may be perfectly happy to watch CSI at home. They are far less keen on exposing their money to a whodunit playing out on Malaysia's national stage.

support start pouring in for anwar...

Something interesting came into my mail today.

You can click on this link for international endorsement:
http://www.islamicamagazine.com/general/Open-Letter-Concerning-Anwar-Ibrahim.html

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the MercifulMay Peace and Blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad and his kin

“ … [M]ake peace between them justly, and act equitably. Lo! Allah loveth the equitable. / The believers are naught else than brothers. Therefore make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to Allah that perhaps ye may obtain mercy.” (The Holy Qur’an, Al-Hujurat, 49:9-10)

OPEN LETTER CONCERNING DATUK SERI DR. ANWAR IBRAHIM

Al-Salaamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,

We, the undersigned, believe the honorable brother Datuk Seri Dr. Anwar Ibrahim to be of the highest ethical and moral integrity, a devout Muslim and a devoted father and husband. He is universally recognized as an advocate for justice and fairness, and he has a long history of promoting Islam and championing Islamic ethical and charitable causes.

We are deeply concerned about the physical safety and freedom of our respected brother Datuk Seri Dr. Anwar Ibrahim. We are troubled by the unsubstantiated and clearly scurrilous claims made against him and his character. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

“O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.” (The Holy Qur’an, Al-Hujurat, 49:12)

Our beloved Malaysia is today one of the leading countries of the Muslim Ummah. It is an example of a successful modern Islamic country, and in many ways a model and example for other Muslim countries. This has been due to the Grace of Allah and then largely to the historical and invaluable efforts and contributions made by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammed and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi (among others). Every Muslim who knows anything about Malaysia is proud and appreciative of these efforts. Equally, every Muslim who knows Malaysian politics is appreciative of the formidable political courage in leadership exhibited by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammed during his time as Prime Minister of Malaysia and of the example of personal piety and forbearance that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi has given the Ummah today.

Indeed, perhaps precisely because of Malaysia’s prominence within the Ummah and the world, we would like to point out that the global Muslim community is paying close attention to the way our respected and honorable brother Dr. Anwar Ibrahim is treated. We have no wish to interfere in the internal politics of Malaysia, or in civil and criminal accusations within the country, which we reiterate are ultimately the business only of the Malaysian state and people. However, the spectacle, ten years ago, of our respected brother Datuk Seri Dr. Anwar Ibrahim sitting patiently in court after having been personally and illegally beaten up by then Police Chief of Malaysia is still fresh within our minds as a travesty of justice and impartiality under the law in a leading Muslim country. We are all still ashamed of that image, which will ever be indelibly engraved in our memories. So we remind our bothers in Malaysia that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that justice is the very goal of government in Islam. And Allah Himself says in the Holy Qur’an:

“Say: My Lord enjoineth justice …” (Al-A’raf, 7:29)

Thus we feel that we have a right — and indeed, an obligation under Islam — to strongly urge the Malaysian authorities to facilitate a swift, transparent and just resolution to this issue and resolutely ensure the safety, freedom and physical well-being of our honorable and respected brother Anwar Ibrahim. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

“The Truth is from thy Lord (O Muhammad), so be not thou of those who waver.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:147)

Moreover, given the political implications of the timing of this latest incident; given the political undertones of the previous incidents of similar accusations made in 1998 — which led to the wrongful incarceration of Dr. Anwar Ibrahim for six years, and that have since been publicly refuted in the highest Malaysian court of law — and given the proven questionable nature of the authorities involved in the investigation, we feel morally obliged to also state our deep concern about the prospects of true justice for Anwar Ibrahim in the current authorities in the police and prosecution departments (whose leadership was personally involved in Dr. Anwar Ibrahim’s previous unjust accusations) without deliberate, careful, impartial and independent political oversight. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

“Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed.” (Al-Nahl, 16:90)

Finally, we are morally obliged as Muslims to also point out that our religion and our beloved Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) regard false accusations in these matters to be of extremely grave consequence. In fact, under Islamic Law, accusations of this magnitude that are not substantiated by four eye-witnesses of impeccable character (such as did not occur neither with these accusations nor with the previous ones) incur severe legal punishment only for the accusers themselves. Perhaps what is most insidious and disturbing, however, is the likely malevolent and slanderous intent behind these attacks on the moral character of our brother Dr. Anwar Ibrahim. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

“When ye welcomed it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths that whereof ye had no knowledge, ye counted it a trifle. In the sight of Allah it is very great. / Wherefor, when ye heard it, said ye not: It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to Thee (O Allah)! This is awful calumny. / Allah admonisheth you that ye repeat not the like thereof ever, if ye are (in truth) believers.” (The Holy Qur’an, Surat Al-Nur, 24:15-17)

However, we have complete trust in Allah and so remain hopeful that the highest political authorities in Malaysia will, in sha Allah, secure an honest and just outcome to this deeply troubling situation. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

“Let there arise from you a band of people who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid wrong. Such are they who are successful.” (Aal-‘Imran, 3:104)

Wal-Salaamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu.

a leopard never changes its spots...

Something from TheEdge Daily for those who missed it.

"Nearly 40 years ago as a young Umno rebel, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad went on a tirade against the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman. Dr Mahathir cleverly used the race angle, accusing the Tunku of failing to protect and promote the interests of the Malays. He was sacked by Umno, a move which made him a hero with the Malay community.

When the Tunku resigned in the aftermath of the May 13, 1969 race riots, his successor Tun Abdul Razak not only brought Dr Mahathir back to the party but also paved the way for him to become Umno president and prime minister in 1981.

Dr Mahathir is now hoping to topple the current Umno president and prime minister by playing the same game — adopting the race angle and hoping to stoke fear and anger among the Malays against Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Just listen to the speeches he has been giving since the March 8 elections, the latest last week in Johor when he said the Malays were losing their grip on power.

At a gathering of some 1,000 people, he said: "If we don't speak up, if we choose to keep quiet, we will lose our rights and the other races will take over."

On his blog, he recently wrote: "Today, the Malays have lost their political power and the non-Malays no longer respect the Malays and the Malay institutions. All the special rights of the Malays are being challenged and questioned. And the Malays cannot do anything to strengthen their position."

The fact is power in this country is still very much in the control of the Malays and will remain so and no non-Malay would dare challenge Malay institutions like the royalty. In fact, the last time we checked, the only person who had done anything against the Malay royalty was Dr Mahathir himself when he was the all powerful prime minister who tolerated no challenge to his authority and views.

But obviously Dr Mahathir will not let facts get in the way of his fear mongering and his current goal to knock out Abdullah.

Dr Mahathir was hoping that the Umno leadership would sack him like they did in 1969, but Abdullah has learnt from the Tunku. He didn't want to make Dr Mahathir a hero or trigger a wave of sympathy for him.

Frustrated that Abdullah did not sack him, Dr Mahathir on Monday decided to quit Umno and swore to return only when Abdullah is no longer the leader. He also urged Umno members to follow him.

Throughout his political career, Dr Mahathir is obsessed with only what suits him and will do anything to try and get what he wants. The consequences didn't matter. Everything and everybody else is collateral damage.

Be it the tension that led to May 13, 1969; the political infighting in Umno that ended with the 1987 arrest under the ISA of over 100 people and the sacking of six top judges just as the court was set to hear an Umno appeal case; to the vicious 1998 crackdown on his then deputy and supporters, one common theme stood out — Dr Mahathir had to get what he wanted.

Everything and everybody else is collateral damage.

It's the same with his latest move to resign from Umno and his use of the race card to attack Abdullah's leadership. Dr Mahathir doesn't care if Umno, already reeling from the aftershock of the March 8 elections, plunges into turmoil.

Dr Mahathir doesn't care that his racist attempts to ignite the anger of the Malays will create unnecessary tension. Dr Mahathir will resort to anything to get what he wants. Everything and everybody else — including Malaysia and the people of Malaysia — is collateral damage.

He has succeeded in the past.This time, we must not let him get away with it.

Umno and its members must not end up as collateral damage to enable Dr Mahathir to get what he wants.The rakyat and the country must not end up as collateral damage just so that Dr Mahathir can get what he wants.

Tun Musa Hitam said on Monday that the era of Mahathirism was over. The people of Malaysia must show in an emphatic way that it is by rejecting Dr Mahathir's latest stunt and use of the race card."

towering malays... umno's version

NEP

CRONY

NEPOTISM

CORRUPTION

LIES-SCANDALS

PROTECTIONISM

UNLAWFULLNESS

This is the true structural foundation of umno's towering malays. This tower could rise higher than the KL Tower if i were to continue the list. This is the Malaysia's silent majority dilemma.

myth buster...

Whom should we trust?
Sim Kwang Yang

On the eve of polling in the March 8 general election, a close friend enquired whether Anwar Ibrahim could be trusted or not, given his chameleon-like political career that saw him change his affinity in rather dramatic ways several times. This question about Anwar Ibrahim’s trustworthiness has become all the more topical now that he is scheduled to come back to our Malaysian political arena on full steam next week.

Even before the general election, there was widespread mistrust for Anwar among the Chinese electorate, because of his perceived sins committed against Chinese education during his tenure as education minister. One could argue that, as education minister, Anwar was implementing the education policy of Umno, but that would still not diminish the burden of his rather huge political baggage.

The Chinese community has always had ambiguous feelings for Anwar, even from the early days when he was involved with ABIM as a young radical Islamic activist. His Islamic credential may have been an asset for his career first in Umno, then as an ally of PAS when he was banished to political wilderness ten years ago. But for many Chinese who suffer from Islam phobia, Anwar is often perceived by many as a mildly threatening enigma.

In the ten-year existence of PKR, right up to the time of the general election last month, I was constantly bombarded with the question of whether Anwar would return to Umno, just like Ku Li did in the 90s after fighting Umno in vain with Semangat 46 as his political vehicle.

The assumption under such doubt is clear. PKR is the personal political vehicle for Anwar. If eventually he would return to Umno embrace, there is no point in supporting PKR and Anwar. This was a view greatly encouraged by MCA.

Then again, on the eve of the 2008 general election, Dr Chandra Muzaffar issued an ominous warning to the nation. If Anwar shall become the prime minister of Malaysia, then the country would be heading towards an “unmitigated disaster”. This much celebrated activist claimed that Anwar is certainly not the “knight in shining armour”, as many perceive him to be.

Political phenomenon

I know both Anwar and Chandra personally for over two decades. For me to comment on them based on my skimpy personal knowledge of their private world is a betrayal of my privilege. So I would not do it. There should be honour even among politicians, activists, and writers.

Nevertheless, Anwar is such a political phenomenon in Malaysia that one should try to make sense of his personal significance in the public life of the nation. One can do this with justice if one examines the evolution of political values among Malaysians and political practitioners with a view of exploring the possibilities for a more enlightened democracy in years to come.

I shall not repeat some PKR stalwarts’ observation that Anwar has been transformed by his incarceration for more than six years in “hotel California” in Sungei Buloh. Prolonged unjust imprisonment does do different things to different political leaders. It may break some, and it may transform others and distil, refine, and readjust both their resolve and their political orientation.

Some political leaders often do change their basic belief more than once in his lifetime. Sir Winston Churchill did cross the floor in the House of Commons, more than once, if my ageing memory serves me right. Party hopping may be a sign of opportunism in India or Sabah, but it is not always motivated by self-interest and greed elsewhere.

I have two ways of responding to this issue of Anwar Ibrahim’s trustworthiness, and the first is related to the second.

In order to mobilise the masses of humanity for a common purpose, an outstanding and ambitious political leader will either deliberately or inadvertently project a personal charisma to draw political support. The poor demos indeed feel pretty helpless in matters of state generally, and often welcome a “knight in shining armour” - or a prophet from heaven breathing fire and brimstones - to deliver them from evil and suffering. This is an abiding element in basic mass psychology.

Nowhere is this more obvious than the DAP of old when they seemed condemned to be eternal opposition. Some of their leaders actually welcome ISA arrests or other forms of political persecution so that their sacrifice in personal terms facilitates their public image of a Prometheus-like tragic hero. Hero-worship can work wonders during general elections indeed.

The trouble with this political heroic is that sometimes the hero may turn out to be a great oppressor of the people they claim to have liberated. Mao and Castro come to mind. More topically, the pathetic picture of Robert Mugabe desperately clinging to power by all means is a reminder of how a senile former hero can slide to such great moral depths!

As the late great Lu Xin – arguably the greatest literary figure in China in the 20th century – wrote once, the ideal state for any country is when the need for heroes no longer arises. The need for, and existence of, tragic heroes is a clear indication that injustices in the society have been so entrenched that individual efforts to root them out almost always end in failure!

What you need is structural transformation in the erection of healthy mechanisms and effective institutions within the body politics so that the built-in democratic checks and balances will ensure political growth for the future of the nation, despite the will of individual political leaders. The rule of law must replace the rule of man.

Meaningful change

Therefore, whether Anwar is a “knight in shining armour” or not is beside the point in the larger historical backdrop. The real question is this: has Anwar been a powerful instrument to bring meaningful change to the moribund democracy prior to March 8? My conclusion is a resounding “yes”.

Without Anwar and his multiracial PKR as the catalytic bridge amalgamating the two opposing tectonic plates of the DAP and PAS, the loose alliance would not have been possible. The political tsunami on March 8 would likewise have been impossible. He was the one critical linkage that made possible the congruence of factors that changed the political sky in Malaysia irreversibly.

In a country with enlightened electorate who have been nurtured in the art of critical independent thinking, the people’s political judgement will not be coloured by nameless fear.

There need not be fears that Anwar or any political leader will bring unmitigated disaster to the nation if he comes to power, as long as the people insist that there are healthy institutions that play by ethical and clear cut rules. As long as the democratic process is heading in the right direction, no matter how wobbly, top political leaders will be controlled by the rakyat, and not the other way round. At this point, the crucial change that Malaysia needs so badly is to make alternative government possible at the federal level first.

Frankly, the magic and the halo around top political leaders tend to be exaggerated. These people are realistic fallible men. The secret is not to make them into icons, and political leaders must indeed be vigilant so that they themselves will not believe in their delusory public image. This vigilance will guarantee sombre humility so necessary for authenticity in this the dirtiest of all dirty businesses!

In the end, voters must get their heads in the right space. All political leaders and their political parties are but the instruments for the rakyat and history. In a meaningful democracy, the people must be the masters of their own nation. That means they have to learn to use politicians and political parties to further the interest of the rakyat, rather than being used by politicians to attain wealth, position, and power.

Certain amount of trust in public personalities and the institutions of state is definitely crucial for the survival of a nation state. Without that trust, there would not even be any social cohesion that allows law and order to exist.

But that trust must not be blind or unconditional. The trust of the people in the leading men and the laws of their land must always be conditional and tentative. The whole idea in the evolution of democracy in world history is precisely premised upon this mistrust for people in power.

That is why we have the doctrine of separation of powers, and other checks and balances within our political system. Again, to quote the often misquoted dictum of Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.” Good political leaders will not demand blind uncritical trust from their followers, but will welcome all kinds of checks and balances to be applied to them in the most vigorous manner possible. They are supposed to have nothing to hide.

Therefore, the question is not so much whether we can trust Anwar Ibrahim or any other leading political figure. The question is about whether we can trust our good judgement, our wisdom, our instinct, and our collective strength in determining our own fate.

anwar's trial exposed.. just wonder how you sleep at night, dr mahathir?

You be the judge after watching all seven video clips below:

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq0cQuBwAyg

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u51_aBlZCqA

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsIgbjm5t0w

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFejBNMcvJ8

Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ywvUbd-NcQ

Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgv_Z7jXHzM

Part 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ByNdgj3F18


And some brilliant comment that responded to it...

Brilliant recap. Tivoli Villas, the apartment that never was and then it was and the mattress that was and then it was not and then it was again. For the first time we see it.

Any wonder why Mahathir is back at full throttle once again?

The vehemence displayed when getting rid of Anwar now returns with a fury seemingly targeting Abdullah Badawi. But is he really the target? Mahathir must be convinced more than anyone that with Badawi at the helm it is a guarantee that Anwar will be the next Prime minister and that it will happen very very soon. He does not have access to the special branch and FRU to support him now. He needs someone who will know how to use all these willing bandits. He needs someone who will put Anwar back in prison once again. Who cares under what law or what act. Right Mr Mahathir? Anwar had told you to do your worst that time. Looks like you might be capable of beating that now.

Leaving that aside, I think it was the 3rd segment where there is mention that Mahathir might have feared that upon becoming Prime minister Anwar will not protect him, his family’s interest and cronies or his legacy. What was the basis of that fear? What was it that Anwar was doing that led Mahathir to that believe?

For them to have been so chummy and for Anwar to have risen with Mahathir’s support within a short period of time obviously there was trust. But did Mahathir ever have the capacity to trust? If that was suspect, then what was the basis of Mahathir’s trust and confidence in Anwar?

You can see why Mahathir “trusted” Rafidah and ensured the Attorney General dropped charging her for corruption at the end of Part 2. According to Ezzam, she was to make sure Mahathir’s son got an allocation of shares in a company going public. Of course she got some too for her son-in law. But this, you scratch my back, I scratch yours, surely led to the biggest rip offs in the form of APs which she controlled until the 8th of March 2008. This is where I laugh at the irony of all the UMNO and ketuanan Melayu supporters. They never once thought that everytime they bought a brand new car they were contributing to the AP of anywhere from RM20,000 to 50 or more thousands to a Rafidah favourite just so as to ensure a few cronies profited. I suppose that is why it is so easy to rip of a Malay is it? But that is unfair, there are also the Kelantanese who are not UMNites and they are hard to rup off….Maybe I should qualify and say UMNOPutras.

Anyway, coming to this video. Surely Anwar too must have done something to have given Mahathir the confidence and trust that he too was drenched and soaked in the cess pool of Mahathir’s making so that he could never surely wash the shit away. In that condition he could be trusted to to safeguard Mahathir.

Anwar, we need to know what it was you were drenched and soaked in that Mahathir and possibly you could see, but despite everything, neither you nor Mahathir are prepared to talk about? Even now!

One thing seems clear. Mahathir’s confidence and faith in a person appears founded on that person having first compromised on his morals, ethics or fundamental values.

Anwar, help us help you. You might just be the next PM and it could happen soon. In some ways we have all contributed in some way or other for that to happen. You might be thinking here I am not supporting you. But man, when you were down and charged with all this allegation, I wrote to your daughter Nurul to assure her our support and prayers during this time of trial and she did reply too. And, oh yes, there was Freemalaysia.com at that time and I used to write under the moniker WA. And I believe in a way I might have helped stop Arifin Jakka from citing all your lawyers for contempt. I am the one who wrote saying Karpal deserved to be cited for contempt for talking without having first asked for leave to speak. And the next day one of your lawyers had apparently put his hands up and asked for leave to speak and the whole court burst into laughter.

Yes Anwar, I support you. But there are things you need to explain. O.k. If it is painful, then just give summaries and then apologise! So Anwar, I think I have earned my right to ask you to explain. When you were wronged, I stood by you. I want to stand tall and proud when you do become Prime Minister. So help me! Yes I too have heard when I was out Bumiputra shopping when my company was going to go public Datuks and Tan Sris mention how they got to seek your blessing and needing to take care of you or your side-kicks. You were very much an UMNO man alright even when the judiciary was being raped.

Back to this video. Sukma and Anwar’s Pakistani speech writer Dr Munuwar were certainly abused and wrongly held and tortured. The special branch people who did this, if they thought they will have cover for the rest of their lives and have felt safe until now I hope you are begining to have sleepless nights too. After all BN will fall and PR will rule. Soon! I want you guys to answer for this.

I want Ariffin Jakka and Augustine Paul too to be hauled up and put through a US congressional hearing type of open session and let them explain how it was that they were able to display such ludicrous stupidity that resulted in Anwar’s incarceration. How had they compromised for Mahathir that he could hold them by the balls and get them to dance like dogs.

I want the MSM to explain themselves too why they allowed themselves to be used like they had. Let MSM and all those who wrote and broadcast what ever then know that they had less honour and respect than Sufiah Yusof. I wonder if Malaysian MSM can ever acquire greater honesty than Sufiah Yusuf, the half Malay Manchester based prostitue who was Malaysian taxpayer funded when she went to read Mathematics at the age of 13 at Oxford University.

We see, those our courts found guilty of sodomy face up to the camera although they are supposed to be the ones who should have felt embarrassed and wanting to hide away in the sunset. However it was the one who according to Mahathir’s Malaysian Values who is the victim and pitied who runs off covering his face with newspaper and plastic bags and what ever.

This video is hopefully going to help a few more within the BN MPs who will cross over. That needs to happen before Badawi and his UMNO ruin the country. There are more than enough reasons why PR has to very quickly assume power and put the BN guys across to the opposition side. Obviously Anwar will be the new PM.

But Anwar, the people do need you to sit talk to us. No more campaigning. No bullshit. You don’t need. I have left my forgiveness in escrow already. Retreive it once you have sat down and talked to us.

daim.. the short man with big appetite..

Books have been written about Tun Daim Zainuddin, but not many people know who the real Daim is. He is famous for being taciturn. Everyone knows that Daim is the silent type; so silent, in fact, that the victims of his scheming and conniving have fallen like ten pins without ever knowing what hit them. He has, on the quiet, made a career of shooting poison darts, laying booby traps, and knifing friend or foe in the back. His hand is never seen, but his mark is everywhere. Truth to tell, he has been at the root of many national crises, but his name has never been smudged. Thanks to the wealth he wields and his bond of friendship with Dr. Mahathir.

Most members of Umno's new generation are aware that Daim is an acquisitive millionaire and a macho man with a taste of young women, but they concede him these weaknesses because they see in him a clean and competent Economic Adviser to the Government. But the generation of Harun Idris, Musa Hitam and Manan Othman to name just a few of the old hands - they are the ones to ask in order to discover who the real Daim is. It was Datuk Harun who plucked Daim up from the depths of failure in the salt business. Daim's wife, Mahani and Harun's wife, Salmah were good friends and an influential pair in the early 1970s. It was wife power that moved Harun to give Daim 160 acres of prime Kampung Pandan land. And thus Syarikat Maluri was born. There is no use speculating over how much Daim paid Harun. After all, the two were fast friends. For the gory details, just ask Low Kiok Bow or Thamby Chik. They can relate how Daim cheated a land broker and greased Selangor state executive councillor and Mahathir's brother-in-law, Ahmad Razali for that piece of land. Of course, Daim still had to pay for the land.

In those days, it was not easy to borrow from a bank. Hence, he was forced to corrupt Bank Bumiputra. Lorraine Osman and Rais Saniman know how much he spent. Manan Othman can no doubt confirm the figure, he was so close to Daim that they tried to share a girlfriend, with Manan often borrowing the bedroom at Daim's office in Taman Maluri. Daim's elevation as Senator and, subsequently, Minister of Finance, was part of Mahathir's strategic plan. Mahathir's choice should surprise no one, after all the two were intimate friends from the same kampung in Seberang Perak, Alor Setar.

Upon becoming Prime Minister on 16 July, 1981, the first thing on Mahathir's mind was how to sideline his arch enemy, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Daim told everyone he had no interest in politics, but all the while he was confident of getting the Finance Minister's job after a stint with the Senate. A few months after joining the Senate, Daim became Chairman of Fleet, which owned the New Straits Times. In 1984, he finally got his dream job and became the third most important man in the Federal Cabinet, after the Prime Minister and his deputy, Musa Hitam, the Deputy Prime Minister, was at first oblivious of the closet ties between Mahathir and Daim.
Innocently, he expressed to Mahathir his disquiet over Daim's wheeling and dealing, particularly his award of projects and contracts to his own associates and cronies. It must have baffled him when his complaints fell on deaf ears although he was Deputy Prime Minister, he has no say when it came to economic matters, particularly privatisation and the assignment (to supporters) of economic projects. How disappointed Musa must have been to find that Daim could not care less about his effort to help his supporters secure some projects or contracts.

Daim succeeded in making millionaires of such cronies of Wan Azmi, Halim Saad, Tajuddin Ramli, Samsuddin Hassan, Razali Rahman and Tan Sri Basir, but Musa in the end was cast off as a poor ex-DPM. Musa once complained to Mahathir that Daim had stolen a number of supporters' project proposals, but again Mahathir ignored him. These were the first acts in the eventual breakup of the Mahathir-Musa partnership. As the interests of Mahathir and Razaleigh bloated, Musa got squeezed out. Many Umno members assume that Razaleigh is Musa's number one enemy. In fact, the reason for the 1986 split in Umno must fall on Daim. It was he who drove Musa to the edge until he had no choice but to resign. Again, Daim's man of few words demeanour to his advantage. Few knew of his behind-the-scenes role in that Umno rupture not many more know it today. On really should not wonder why Musa called a truce Razaleigh and the two decided to collaborate in the 1987 fight, the one that eventually caused Umno to be outlawed.

At that time, Daim was almost invincible, what support coming from such strongmen as Sanusi Junid and Anwar Ibrahim. The comradeship of the three was rock solid, and the Musa-Razaleigh camp could do nothing except to make a joke of it by giving them the nicknames AIDS. The formation of the new Umno, Daim and Mahathir had first to get rid of the Lord President, Tun Salleh Abas. Again, Daim was the chief plotter in the sacking of the pious and respected Tun Salleh, and his replacement with Tun Hamid Omar, a playboy and chronic gambler, but Mahathir's and Daim's schoolmate. The appointment of Tun Hamid Omar triggered the collapse of the integrity and the independence of the judiciary.Finance Minister, Daim persuaded Mahathir to give the Economic Planning Unit and Treasury full power in implementing the privatisation policy. Hence, it was no longer necessary to call for tenders for government projects. Instead, the projects were awarded directly to favoured companies.

And so began the era of wealth accumulation by and his cohorts. The United Engineering Company, bought for RM2, changed into a multi-million- ringgit corporation. As Finance Minister, Daim practically ordered banks to lend to companies that he himself owned. And no Daim crony every complained of difficulty in securing bank credit. Indeed, bankers lived in fear of Daim. Having appointed Wan Azmi and Basir to head Malayan Banking and Bank Bumiputra, he would give any project to any of his cronies because funding was not an issue. If those physical projects were not enough, Daim also took every opportunity to take wealth from the share market as well. Every time the Treasury approved a company for listing on the stock exchange, Daim cronies received their lien's shares. That was how in Southern Bank, Resort World, Sports Toto, Berjaya, Tanjong and scores of other blue chip firms landed with Daim and Company. Once, when share values were high, Daim boasted among friends that his visible wealth alone totalled RM65 billion.

To shut the mouth of Barisan Nasional leaders, Daim gave lucrative projects to Samy Vellu and Ling Liong Sik so that their children could be big-shot in batches. Daim managed to fool Umno members into believing that Mahathir would not let him go although he had asked to be relieved of his Cabinet post on a number of occasions. With Musa and Razaleigh out of the picture, Daim could grab as much wealth as he wanted without even Mahathir stopping him. Besides, he was Umno's treasurer and he could make it look as if the companies he controlled were those in which the party had a stake.Daim's avarice damaged not only his own image as finance minister, but also Mahathir's and Malaysia's reputation with the international community.

It is said that he used to demand exorbitant fees for himself in negotiating contracts involving foreign suppliers. The chairmen of Japan's two biggest banks - the Bank of Tokyo and Sanwa Bank - once complained to Mahathir that his Finance Minister demanded commissions that were too high when negotiating yen loans. Margaret Thatcher, too, has complained about Daim's role as a commissioned agent. He had - or still has - accounts in Zurich, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Caymen Island, Channel Island and Virgin Island. Indeed, instead of keeping his billions in Malaysia, he has stashed them overseas.

With his immense wealth and far-reaching influence, Daim eventually became a burden that Mahathir could no longer bear. In every deal he made, there was something in it for himself. It was not beneath him even to conspire with Lee Kuan Yew to snatch KTM land in Singapore. The Malaysian Cabinet had no knowledge of this. But this issue of Malaysia being cheated by Lee Kuan Yew and Daim is far from over. Mahathir eventually realised that he had to end Daim's lordship over the Finance Ministry. And so he told him to quit. Mahathir worried that if Daim continued as Finance Minister, complaints would come not only from Vincent Tan, Ananda Krishnan, Arumugam and other members of the Malaysian business elite, but also from foreign leaders. Signs of a Daim-related scandal were ominous and it could break anytime in Japan or Britain, therefore, Daim had to go.

Daim's resignation was planned such that it would not appear as if he had been sacked. Indeed, it does not make sense why a powerful Finance Minister, rich and in control of so many public companies, would suddenly quit simply because he had lost interest in the job. The truth is that he was ordered to resign. Observers will recall that Mahathir's first comment on the so-called reaction was, "He has asked several times for permission to resign, and I have finally allowed it. I hope Daim would not leave the country after resigning". That statement was pregnant with meaning. Mahathir knew Daim was sulking. So did Anwar and Sanusi. Mahathir retained Daim as Umno Treasurer for a good reason, he wanted to ensure the safety of Umno money, a lot of which was under Daim's control. But Daim who holds so many of Mahathir's secrets, is only a sly one. After resigning, he ran off to live in his San Francisco residence. He told the Malaysian public he wanted to study at Harvard, but in fact he wanted to leave Malaysia. Mahathir, who was familiar with Daim's antics, pleaded with him to come back, saying he need him to advise on economic matters. Daim returned and announced that Mahathir had named him Economic Adviser to the Government. Rafidah asked Mahathir to confirm this, but all she got was silence. Daim was never formally appointed as Economic Adviser, a post which Tun Raja Mohar once held. The appointment is the prerogative of the Public Services Department. Daim gave himself the job. To keep Daim happy, Mahathir allowed him to open an office at the Economic Planning Unit, and this strengthened the public perception that he was still in control as far as economic affairs were concerned.When he was to told to resign as Finance Minister, Daim asked Mahathir to appoint Anwar Ibrahim to the job. Obviously, he thought this would help to ensure that his skeletons would remain closeted. He warned Mahathir of the peril that Rafidah would be to both of them: the secrets they shared would be uncovered. Daim also persuaded Mahathir to appoint Mustapha Mohammad as Anwar's deputy because these two could be depended on to fill up the holes he had left gaping. Anwar is nobody's fool, but he sacrificed his idealism to protect his towkay. As far as we know, no Finance Minster in this world has retired a billionaire, except Daim.

In the book Daim yang Diam: Sebuah Biographi (Daim the Silent: A Biography), Daim explains his retirement: "I am happy in retirement. It was too heavy a responsibility. In truth, I love the business world. Business is in my blood. I love to make money. I know how to do it. I can do it just by sitting in this chair. On a lucky day, I can make millions."Friend of Soros" according to an internal bank analysis, collaborated by the corporate community, and from Daim crony Amin Shah, Daim's wealth, in ringgit and foreign currencies kept overseas currently amounts to RM20 billion.

With so much money at his disposal, Daim can manipulate the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. He showed his hand in 1991, just to prove how much influence he wielded. After selling off his stocks, he made a statement to the effect that the market would crash. And crash it did. As we can all recall, even Mahathir could not help but make a wry remark when Daim boasted that he invested in KLSE only for pocket money. But to his good friend, Daim said he could turn in profit on RM90 million a day when the market was up. When the market plummeted in October 1991 Daim bought back his share on the cheap. When the market turned bullish again 1995 and 1996, Daim made billions of ringgit it. This, then, is what the work of an economic adviser amounts to. So it turns out that Soros is not the only big time market manipulator and currency dealer.

Daim met Soros twice in London when the ringgit was being hotly traded. Anyway, when the ringgit fell below RM4 to the US dollar, Mahathir asked Daim for help and, according to a source in Singapore, he lost RM1 billion trying to prop up the Malaysian currency. To lose that much in currency trading, imagine how much money he had at his disposal.The falls in currency and share values put Mahathir in a feverish panic. He knew his policies and his own belligerent attitude were partly to blame. Seeing Mahathir in such a frenzied state, Daim recommended that he declare a state of emergency to enable him to restore the economy and at the same time, bury the corpses that were beginning to stink. We hail the Chief Secretary to the Government and the Solicitor-General for opposing the move. If Daim's plan had been followed, Mahathir would turn dictator and the Malaysian economy would be utterly ruined.

Having failed to declare an emergency, Mahathir set up the National Economic Action Council, headed by Daim, with the Economic Planning Unit as its Secretariat. The original plan was to give the NEAC complete autonomy, but the Cabinet ministers opposed this for fear that they would lose any vestige of power they had left. Eventually, the council became merely an advisory body, with the Cabinet having final say on its recommendations. The establishment of the council was a wedge between Anwar and Daim. Thus, two old friends who had together stood behind Mahathir against Musa were now turned against each other. All of the council's recommendations were rejected by the Cabinet and Bank Negara. Daim openly assailed Bank Negara for dismissing his proposals, such as those relating to interest rates and credit control. We salute the Bank Negara Governor for maintaining a prudent monetary policy in the face of Daim's bullying and insults.

Unlike Daim and his cohorts, Bank Negara's officials are not self-serving. Daim's appointment to the NEAC was a major national mistake.Going by press reports of its deliberations so far, the NEAC's sole preoccupation is with saving mega corporations from bankruptcy. No doubt, these are Daim-related companies. Daim has yet to show any concern over the rise in the price of chillies, or the leaps in fish prices or how the price of rice has boiled over. Neither has he talked about small businesses in their depth throes. Class F contractors going bankrupt or kampung road projects being abandoned. In his dictionary, there are no entries for the small man's worries, nothing about low-cost houses, water cuts or study funds for the children of poor Malays. In fact, it contains only billion size figures. While the Malaysian economy is close to ruin, Daim remains a billionaire, living a life of glamour, jet setting with his new wife Naimah and the attractive Josephine, an Indian lass who helps him run one of his firms, the International Malaysian Bank.

We have merely given a sketch of who the real Daim is. A thorough account will soon be available in book form. We recommend the book to Umno members, especially those with big ambitions, because they will learn much from its fantastic but true tales of economic and political intrigues. We denounce the likes of Vincent Tan and Tan Phek Khiing for land-grabbing, but perhaps we should ask the Menteri Besar of Johor and the Menteri Besar of Kedah how much land Daim has taken. Ask Sanusi how much Daim paid to the Kedah government for 12,000 acres in Sungai Petani and how much profit he made from them. For 12,000 acres, Osman Arof had to be sacrificed. The true story of the Daim-Sanusi conspiracy in Kedah will be exposed in the book.

Umno is at a crossroads and has to decide wisely where it is going. One road heads to glory, where stability and democratic practice will abide. The other leads to division, autocracy and ultimately, utter destruction. The call for reform, which used to be made only in whispers at small, secretive gatherings, is becoming louder. Umno members, showing that they can no longer contain their restiveness and frustration, have begun to openly debate the need for change, even at party conventions.

Can there be a clearer indication that they have reached their tether's end, that they can no longer stomach the leadership's undemocratic attitude and the prevalence - whether in the party or the government - of favouritism, cronyism, nepotism, graft and other misdeeds? Malay nationalism is dead and materialism and egoism are running amok.We cannot depend on the Umno Supreme Council to initiate reform because few of the members have the guts to speak up.

In fact, the council has lately been transformed into a monologue theatre. But of course even a monologue can flop without good supporting players - fools, clowns, jesters, attendants and the oh-so- important flatterers. As far as these bit players are concerned, Umno's ideals and principles are not as important as their jobs. This keep-your-mouth- shut syndrome serves only to embolden the party leadership in its conceit, arrogance and haughtiness. A president has become a dictator. Woe are the Malays and Umno. What is to become of them? That is a question only Umno members can answer.

malaysia business culture exposed..

The Corruption of Mahathir
Soros reply to Mahathir
adapted from Bangkok Post

I have always said Dr Mahathir is a menace to his own people. Now only you can see the effects of his foolishness when the ringgit has halved its value overnight and your economy goes kaput. Single handedly you have caused hardship to millions of your own people. You have built useless mega projects at tremendous cost to the country. The telecoms tower in Kuala Lumpur and the highest building in the world show how stupid you are. Not only does it cause massive traffic jam, it has totally no purpose. If you need high ground for telecom antennae, a nearby mountain is there for free. This tower has no purpose from the ground up to 300 metres. The satelites make this totally unneccesary.

A fool and his money will soon part. The only thing is you are the fool and the money belongs to Malaysians. You make 20% in evey project, you have real estate in Japan and billions of shares corruptly acquired. Your 3 sons are worth 8 billion US$. Where do they get this money? Of course, corruption. You are known as the Marcos of Malaysia, having enriched yourself to the tune of billions.You dare to shed crocodile tears during UMNO delegates meeting about the ills of corruption. Yet you are the most corrupt of all the prime ministers before you. A thief is crying thief and hopes people look the other way. Who dares to say anything when the chief is caught with his hands in the candy jar?

You said wisdom is not the monopoly of the West. So is foolishness.You have more foolishness than most people would believe. Billions are used to build two high rise Petronas buildings that benefit nobody. It now stand tall, a symbol of stupidity and irresponsibility. Instead they just add on to traffic jam. What is this reclamation of 10 islands off Kedah? Totally absurb and stupid. Of course your benefit is 20%. And the bridge across from Malacca to Sumatra across international waters? Why not build a bridge to the moon? I am sure you still can get your 20%.

You called me a Moron. How can a Moron make so much money? By allowing short selling and borrowing millions of shares from your banks, we fund managers made millions out of your inexperience and poor regulations. You lose all Malaysians money, therefore you are the Moron. Now you know too late and start crying over split milk. In Australia you are known as the recalcitrant ego maniac; in UK, the corrupt bastard because of your stupid purchase of our movie studio and the 290 million ringgit Lotus racing car plant and the shady Pergau dam loans from the UK. They are useless to us and you still want to buy them. What about buying British reject submarines through your agent, of course. The agent/ broker is designed to make millions out of Malaysian government. Your purchase of our battleships is at least 50% more than others are paying. Your purchase of 9 hospitals from UK lock, stock and barrel does not support your local architects or your industry and the British send you obsolete medical equipment.The design is atrocious, one end to the other is half a kilometer and there is no CT-scan, an absolute necessity. In the Uk your face appears in no less than 17 newspapers as a corrupt dictator. In Malaysia you are known as the (IBM) International Big Mouth. In Japan they call him the 'smallest one' (brain size). In Pacific island the Santa Claus (giving advice left and right). In South America they call him the parrot (he talks a lot but does not know what it is about). In Manila the living Marcos.
In Malaysia they are spending millions to lure tourists and you talk rubbish scaring every foreigner away. "When he is dumb he is doubted a fool, when he opens his mouth it removes all doubt."

While I agree the West does not have the monopoly to wisdom, your actions are not the wisest either. Your EAEC has totally no support even in Asean. Your South-South dialogue mets with the same fate and what is this I hear of the Bridge from Malaysia to Indonesia covering 20 miles across International shipping lanes. How crazy can one get? Even the Japanese don't have the money. This world's stupidity seems to be concerntrated in one man's mind - yours.

The multimedia super corridor - MSC -. Well in USA its most stupid concept because we Americans, would have thought of it light years before. Even if it makes money, we can copy this concept, can't we? Why do you want to spend your hard-earned money doing questionable projects? It will be like the Bakun project. Abandoned fund wasted and another white elephant. I always say politicians should not be involved in business. Your ministers are also businessmen and almost every official is enriching himself. Look at Rafidah Aziz, selling thousands of Approved Permit for cars each worth 20-30 thousand Malaysian dollars. Why not your government sell them and make the money? She has acquired millions of shares meant for bumis for free before she agrees to list them. Look at your Selangor Chief Minister collecting millions for approving high rise buildings from businessman. He is worth a few billions. Unfortunately he was caught with a few millions pocket money in Australia. Every Chief Minister is awarding useless projects to his cronies then collecting secret pay offs on the side. The Land Development Boards and the Economic Development Boards are used to bailout any loses suffered by politicians.The profits they keep, the losses they forced the Government bodies to absorb. How can your poor ever close the gap when every good deal is snatched by your politicians? How can your country get out of poverty if all the billions of corruption money is taken out of the country?

Look at the Sarawak Chief Minister selling billions worth of timber concessions under the table; selling every piece of state land to businessman without tender; using his own companies to obtain lucrative government contracts; selling approval signatures for a ' you pay I approve' fee. He has 8 billion US stashed overseas. Thousands of acres of land are given to one or two companies while thousands of poor people still live in cardboard makeshift homes; have no water and shit into the river. Thousands of acres of land are sold to companies for plantations while the native don't have even one acre to their name. He is selling sand near the beaches to one company for earth filling and then ask the government to spend millions to protect the coastline when erosion occurs. He lost 300 millions of the Sarawak government money trying to make computer chips. He has built a port in Northern Sarawak town in water so shallow it needs dredging every year.

The Prime Minister built highways without tender, your cronies get the deal and the price double. Your Langkawi airport runway is built is double the cost by your own company, Ekran. The Malaysian nation has lost at least 30 billions during your last 10 years of corrupt rule. One billions lost from the purchase of phantom skyhawk war planes nobody has ever seen (are they still in the Nevada desert USA?). 3 billion lost from the London tin scandal (you thought you could corner the London tin market without knowing the Americans have a stockpile! Stupidity at its best. 6 billion Perwaja steel mill where nobody even know where the money goes, 3 billion bank Bumiputra scandal where George Tan bribed all the bank officials to lend him the money. 6 billion forex lost by Bank Negara (the fool and his money are soon parted) and 6 billion to build three of the worlds tallest buildings (built by Japanese and Koreans and furniture imported from France - not Malaysia) and 1 billion lost from purchase of British warship including fees paid to the broker and under the table. Add the 10 billion you stole and 5 billion taken by Ministers.

In the 1997 World Journalists meeting voted Dr Mahathir the Prime Minister of the Decade. It sounded strange to everybody until it was revealed those who voted against are threatened by IRD officers and with losing their jobs. In New York the United Nations 1997 meeting, the most corrupt Prime Minister of the decade is President Suharto and second Dr Mahathir (Actually Dr Mahathir should take first place but bribed the Indonesian to take honour of Number One.

There are Fifty thousand of your university students are not given places in Malaysia but are good enough for places overseas resulting in billion of dollars lost.The British and the Australians are thinking how stupid. Your best students are sent overseas raising their standards while as in most countries the best are kept in local universities and the rejects sent overseas. A university student in Hong Kong is much more prestigeous than any Australian counterpart. You have been colonised by the British so long you cannot even educate your own people. Look at Hong Kong or Singapore less than 5% study overseas. All the money saved. Your country could save billions if every student overseas is recalled to a local university, and at the same time raising your own standards.

Your people are still without shoes, without land to farm, without homes, bathing in rivers shitting in hole in the ground, without water and electricity. Your cities are concrete jungles without greenery and open spaces. Your KL is jammed with traffic. Yet you still keep on building high rises. You should come down from the clouds and stop daydreaming and firmly plant your feet in the ground. Your schools are cramped. 500 students to an acre and thousands of acres are given free to some politician who leaves them idle. Your parks are being taken by politicians to build shophouses and every cabinet minister is a land grabbing businessman who build roads only to their cronies' land.

The Malaysians' prayer
"Ya Allah, we thank you for your gifts of timber, oil and grain. But then the devil sent us corrupt Mahathir without a Brain and look, we are back to square one again. So just take Dr Mahathir back to Hell. And we will be alive and well."

In China people have been shot for embezzling one thousand dollars. With 8 billions you have stolen therefore you would be shot 80 thousand times. Now you are leading an anti-corruption campaign. We all know what you should do. Look yourself in the mirror. You see the crook there? Then use your left hand and handcuff your right hand.

You have put the opposition leader and his son in jail when they said in parliament you are the richest PM in the world. And his colleague Mr Karpal Singh too for 2 years. So I get a reward or bribe if I now say you are the poorest PM in this world? Your 3 sons are sitting in the board of directors of more than 200 companies. They must have been educated in Harvard school of Business and obtained distintions. Or is it "you don't know me you don't do business in Malaysia" law that applies. Billions of ringgit of Employee's Provident Funds and public Petronas funds are used to bail out your sons who make losses investing in every venture you thought you could make money. How unethical and corrupt.

Every one of your politicians are sitting on the boards of tens ofcompanies making thousands without any effort, lending their VIP names to borrow millions from local banks without collateral. Now these have become non performing loans. Now you want 20 millions Malaysian to sacrifice for the folly of ONE man? Why not the fool resign and admit he wasted and took most of the money. I could teach you how to put your economy on track but first you must apologize to the Jews and the Malaysian people as well.

'SOROS'