Showing posts with label Current Affairs. Show all posts

Monday, 30 November 2015

SURAT KEPADA AHLI DAN PEMIMPIN UMNO AKAR UMBI

By Tun Mahathir

SURAT KEPADA AHLI DAN PEMIMPIN UMNO AKAR UMBI

1. Negara Malaysia tercinta ini adalah hasil perjuangan UMNO sebagai sebuah parti, bukan oleh sesiapa atau seseorang.

2. Sebab itu apabila Dato Onn Jaafar, Pengasas dan Yang diPertua Parti yang pertama, membuat cadangan yang bertentangan dengan pejuangan parti, cadangannya di tolak dan dianya keluar dari parti.

3. Hari ini kita dapati UMNO sudah jadi milik Presiden dan perjuangan UMNO terhad kepada mendokong Presiden. Kesetiaan ahli terhad kepada Presiden, tidak lagi kepada parti, tidak lagi kepada bangsa, agama dan negara.

4. Ini ternampak jelas apabila slogan Satu Malaysia yang sama dengan Malaysian Malaysia diperkenal, penjajah dahulu dilantik sebagai penasihat, penggunaan konsultan Barat. Penubuhan Pemandu untuk mengganti Unit Perancang Ekonomi, bayaran gaji kepada badan bukan Kerajaan yang amat tinggi, meletak negara dibawah kehendak Singapura, meminjam berbillion Ringgit yang dilabur sebahagian besar di luar negera, menubuh 1MDB dengan modal pinjaman yang besar, tidak dapat membukti dimana modal yang dilabur berada, gagal membayar faedah hutang, membeli tanah Kerajaan dengan harga yang amat murah, menjual tanah ini kepada institusi Kerajaan dengan harga 50 kali ganda lebih tinggi, wang Tabung Haji diguna secara yang sama, keuntungan yang berlebihan ini diguna untuk menampung kerugian 1MDB, 2.6 billion Ringgit tiba-tiba berada dalam akaun peribadi Najib, kononnya derma dari orang Arab, siasatan oleh Badan Pencegah Rasuah dan Bank Negara ditamat oleh Najib sebelum tindakan dapat diambil, Pendakwa Raya dibuang, PAC dibubar supaya tidak dapat menyiasat 1MDB, cara hidup mewah lebih dari kemampuan Perdana Menteri, gaji minima dinaik sehingga kilang-kilang berpindah ke negara lain dan pekerja hilang pekerjaan, kejatuhan mata wang dan nilai saham yang teruk, cukai GST dikenakan sehingga peniaga kecil terpaksa tutup kedai, kos sara hidup meningkat, beban bagi rakyat bertambah, sesiapa yang menegur disoal oleh polis, dituduh sabotaj bank dan kewangan negara dan dimasuk dalam tahanan dibawah undang-undang yang salah.

5. Besar kemungkinan parti akan kalah dalam PRU 14 seperti di Selangor dan Pulau Pinang. BN dan UMNO akan menjadi parti pembangkang. Sebagai pembangkang tidak akan ada apa-apa yang boleh dibuat oleh UMNO untuk bangsa, negara dan agama.

6. Menyokong Najib mungkin memberi nikmat kepada orang tertentu hari ini. Tetapi apabila BN kalah nikmat semua akan hilang.

7. Sebaliknya jika Najib berhenti dari menjadi Presiden UMNO dan Perdana Menteri, besar kemungkinan UMNO akan pulih semula dan BN akan menang PRU 14. Dengan itu bangsa, negara dan agama akan lebih selamat. Negara akan maju semula dan semua rakyat akan dapat nikmat.

8. Wahai ahli dan pemimpin UMNO diakar umbi. Fikirlah baik-baik. Jangan sokong dan setia secara buta tuli, atau kerana dapat nikmat hari ini. Bangsa kita akan kutuk kita jika nasib bangsa menjadi buruk kerana kita tamak dan lupakan perjuangan UMNO. Dan segala nikmat yang kita dapati akan musnah, bahkan Kerajaan parti lawan akan bertindak keatas kesalahan mereka semasa memerintah.

9. Semua ini memburukkan nama Malaysia dan merugikan rakyat.

10. Wahai ahli dan pemimpin UMNO diperingkat akar umbi.

11. Jika ingin selamat dan menang tolaklah kepimpinan DSN sebelum PRU14.

12. Tolaklah kepimpinannya sebelum PRU14 supaya UMNO selamat dan mampu memenangi PRU dan kekal sebagai Kerajaan yang adil kepada semua.

13. Saya menulis dalam blog saya kerana sekatan yang ketat diadakan supaya saya tidak dapat berjumpa dan bercakap dengan ahli UMNO dan orang awam. Jentera yang diguna yang terdiri dari badan-badan Kerajaan dan parti amatlah berkesan. Dengan sendirinya ini menjadi bukti kesalahan-kesalahan sedang dilakukan.

Thursday, 26 November 2015

Shocking Revelations?

http://graphics.wsj.com/1mdb-decoded/?mod=e2tw

Monday, 9 November 2015

Beyond Budget 2016: The Cost of the Budget.

By Mohd Ariff Sabri

SUNDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2015

Beyond Budget 2016: The Cost of the Budget.

There is going to be a lot of money passing through all the regulatory agents for 2016. RM267.224 billion. The ministries are essentially regulatory agents. They regulate the release of money they get. And that’s the worrying part.

Every spending by the government contains within it, the seeds of corruption. Preventing and making noise about it, is part of ensuring good governance.

So what’s the fuss about them being regulatory agents? Many of us fuss about that, because whenever there are regulatory agents, there are possibilities for regulatory or state capture. Those involved in managing the spending can also do things to benefit financially. They become corrupt or are presented with the means and opportunities to profiteer because of the nature of their positions.

I cringe each time the government MPs say the opposition do nothing but complain. They on the other hand deliver development to the people. By inference, because they do that, they can and have the right to benefit.

The simple retort to that is, we can’t do anything other than complain and exercise vigilant guardianship over the spending by the government of public money, is because the money is held by the government. What’s left for us to do other than to make sure public money entrusted in the hands of unscrupulous BN MPs is spent correctly?

Any institution receiving public money and having the power to decide on where and how much to spend is a regulatory agency by nature. A ministry getting money from parliament is a regulatory institution. It can decide where, when, how much and who to spend on.

All RM267.2 billion. And there will supplementary budgets to come. In the course of 2016, the government will come back to parliament to ask for more money. All the government ministers and backbenchers will once again, as usual, tell all the cock and bull story about the good intentions of the government in wanting to spend on the welfare of the people.

The task of ensuring the money is honestly spent falls on the shoulders of a few institutions. We want to see results commensurate with the amount of money we approved for them.

The judiciary for instance, will look at adjudicating cases and meting out punishments for wrongdoings. The office of the auditor general and his department comb through the expenditures. Every year they publish thick documents on financial wrongdoings. But the wrongdoings do not seem to be corrected. Profiteering, falsification of pricing, embezzlement, fraud all seemed to be a habit.

The agency directly in charge of ferreting out corruption, SPRM appears to be aggressive only on small fry. The big fishes are getting away.

Since 2013 to 2016, we spent on average or we gave on average the following amount to the various agencies:-

TABLE 1: BUDGET OUTLAYS FOR INTEGRITY-WATCHING AGENCIES- 2013-2016.

In RM million.

Dept/year	2013	2014	2015	2016	Average/year
Judiciary	77.63	79.04	90.00	90.00	84.17
Auditor general and department	144.09	154.14	165.92	164.08	157.06
SPRM	231.39	260.94	294.33	251.78	259.6
Attorney Gen	185.57	183.07	202.30	185.43	189.09

SOURCE: ANGGARAN PERBELANJAAN PERSEKUTUAN, PP13-16

Since 2013, we spent RM259.6 million per year on average on SPRM. With that amount we expect, and the public has a right to expect more successful prosecutions of corrupt officials. We must stop the game of passing the buck. The excuse of having no prosecutorial powers by the SPRM cannot be upheld; SPRM has legal talent who can prepare water tight cases even obstinate AG officials cannot reject.

I also think it is time for us to create an independent assessing committee to decide on prosecutable cases.

The Attorney General’s department spends on average RM189 million per year. With that amount of financial resources which employ the keenest legal brains, we don’t seem to be able to prosecute many wrongdoers. Will anyone believe, there are no corruption in public offices?

Which part of the concept of good governance do people in these agencies don’t understand?

Even with that cynicism, I believe and am sure, there are good people working their butts out in these departments. I can only empathise with them. But the executive led by two-faced Najib makes sure embarrassing findings are mothballed and repressed. Insignificant cases are allowed to pass through so as to give a semblance of good governance and to appease public complains.

Najib the PM has destroyed and emasculated almost all these institutions that support the integrity of our democracy. How many corrupt people has the judiciary punished? What action has been taken on the reports by the auditor general and his department? How many corrupt people has sprm ferreted out? And how many cases of corruption has the AG’s office prosecuted?

The Budget is founded on costly items. We pay on average RM23.6 billion of interest payments on public i.e. loans taken by the government. Each year, our immigrant workers who seem to be taking over this country, repatriate about RM20 billion in recorded transactions and probably another RM25 billion in unrecorded remittances.

Our ministers say our economic fundamentals are strong, yet our Ringgit has fallen most among Asian currencies. It is as though some people are just printing money and flushing the market with Ringgit. And we don’t have USD to mop up excess Ringgit.

Since 2 weeks ago, we have signed up agreement with the USA that Bank Negara can accept USD deposits. This effectively makes our Bank Negara a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of USA. We have lost our independence.

Now US officers- all of them, financial regulators, financial experts of all sorts and FBI officers are stationed or can come into Bank Negara and monitor all USD movements. We have become a stooge to the US Federal Reserve and by extension a puppet to Uncle Sam. All because, the great Najib Tun Razak has compromised himself in so many ways.

This man will sell his mother to stay in power. Maybe the price of having Uncle Sam keeping quiet about all his transgressions is becoming a modern slave to the USA.

Yet he comes before parliament and put up a good show; presenting budget 2016 in a magniloquent manner.

Why should Malaysian even believe in this man?

Why should I not believe that Budget 2016, isn’t just a perennial excuse for those who regulate public spending, doing the most heinous of conduct? Profiteering from the budget.

Even though the 2016 budget is smaller than the 2015 budget, RM267.2 billion is a lot of money. A lot of public money can be stolen in so many ways.

This amount of money will flow through ministries which are controlled by the political masters known as ministers. The money will be administered by the KSUs, TKSU, and secretary of division, directors, and officers.

Who are these people?

They are regulators. When there is a regulator, who makes rules of the game, who can decide on tenders, decide on who wins and who does not. There are plenty possibilities for regulatory or state capture. These are refined words which mean the same thing- corruption. Inside the cost- build-up of budgets, certain amounts of commission and deferred gratifications are made. The pay-outs will be made later.

Who will police this amount of public money? That is the greatest challenge in Malaysia today.

The people salivating at the prospects of millions and billions passing through their ministers are ministers, KSUs, TKSUs, directors and regulatory officers. They see a lot of opportunities to extract money for future use- their future that is.

The budget itself is presented by a person who authorised the fraudulent transfer of first USD700, 000 into Jho Low’s account. The budget was presented by a person who must be party to the creation of the fictitious loan by PSI. The budget is presented by a person who later received donations but which were actually laundered money from 1MDB.

STAR WARS

From The Wall Street Journal

8:54 am ET
Nov 6, 2015

FILM

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Trailer From Japan Is Full of New Footage

4.2k

167

By
MICHAEL CALIA

A new trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” materialized Friday, this time on the Walt Disney Studios Japan YouTube page, and it is full of images and moments that haven’t been included in earlier teasers and trailers for the hotly anticipated movie.

More In Star Wars

In one moment, Daisy Ridley‘s character Rey and John Boyega‘s Finn introduce themselves to each other, and there are more shots of the lovable droid BB-8. The trailer also includes a great deal more footage of the villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), particularly a tantalizing shot of him threatening Rey with his lightsaber.

The trailer continues the mythical vibe established by the most recent preview, which took the Internet by storm last month, and it drives home the point that Rey is likely the Luke Skywalker of the new trilogy. By the way, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) himself is still a no-show. Chewbacca, Leia, Han Solo and C-3PO all are present, however.

WSJ app users can watch the trailer here.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opens Dec. 18.

Check out some cool images from the trailer:

: Disney/YouTube

: Disney/YouTube

: Disney/YouTube

Monday, 10 August 2015

MALAYSIA

By Tun Mahathir

Malaysia

1. I used to enjoy being asked about Malaysia when I am abroad. But not now.

2. The foreigners and Malaysians living abroad ask, “What is happening
to Malaysia?”

3. “It seems to be like one of those African or Arab countries.”

4. “It is totally corrupt. The currency has depreciated”.
Etc. Etc.

5. I cannot answer truthfully. I cannot lie either. It is embarrassing. And all this is because of the 1MDB and Najib.

6. I began to feel there was something wrong with the 1MDB when The Edge published that it had bought power plants above market price and borrowed money paying commissions of 10% and interest rate of 5.9%.

7. I waited for the Government to deny that what was published by The Edge was correct. The Government did not. Then I know there was something very wrong.

8. Subsequently came the stories about a JV with Petrosaudi. It was too quick. Obviously no due diligence was done. Yet 1MDB paid 1 billion U.S. (3.8billion Ringgit) for its 40% share.

9. Then 1MDB paid another US 700 million to settle debts incurred by Petro-Saudi to Petro Saudi International. Why should 1MDB pay. The JV should pay.

10. But within 6 months of setting up the JV, it was dissolved. Had a good due diligence been done, this JV would not have been set up. Clearly it was not a viable proposition!

11. The 1.7 billion US should now be returned to 1MDB. But No! It was converted into a loan (Murabahah) to Petrosaudi. This is extremely unusual. If you could not work with Petrosaudi as a JV partner how could you give it such a huge loan.

12. Then the money seems to have disappeared. It was previously reported to be deposited in banks in Hong Kong and Seychelles, invested in something or other and was supposed to end up in the Cayman Islands.

13. Concerned Malaysians demanded that the money be returned to Malaysia. An announcement was made that a portion had been returned to Malaysia but was used to pay debts and other expenses. Malaysia wanted more information especially as a 2 billion Ringgit interest on loans could not be paid. 1MDB just had no money. So where is the money from the Caymans. Why should Ananda Krishnan offer 2 billion Ringgit to help pay the interest. Government had to provide a stand-by loan of RM900 million.

14. Things did not look right. Then 1MDB announced that the rest of the money from Cayman Islands had been received in cash. Arul, the CEO, claimed he saw the money. The PM said the money was deposited in a Singapore Bank. It was not brought back to Malaysia because Bank Negara would ask too many questions.

15. That seems to be an admission that something was not right with the money.

16. But Singapore is a financial centre. As such it must be even more careful that money brought in and deposited in its banks should be investigated, especially if the sum is large, running into billions.

17. And sure enough the Monetary Authority of Singapore stated publicly that no 1MDB Malaysian money came into the country. The Swiss Bank which was named as the bank where the money was deposited denied 1MDB had deposited money with it.

18. So where were the billions of Ringgits or Dollars that 1MDB claimed it had brought back from the Caymans. Arul Kandasamy had openly claimed he saw the money.

19. Now the PM declared that it was not money. It was units. The bank where it was deposited was not named.

20. What units were these. Not units in Unit Trust Funds certainly. No explanation is forth coming. The billions of dollars have again disappeared.

21. Then the Wall Street Journal reported that Dato Sri Najib has USD700 million in his account in the Arab Malaysian Bank in Kuala Lumpur. That is about 2.6 billion Ringgit. How did this huge sum of money get into Najib’s Private Account. Where did the money come from!! How can the PM of Malaysia whose pay is only RM20,000 per month have so much money in his private account?

22. Unable to deny the Wall Street Journal report which included the account number and other details, Najib claimed that it was a donation.

23. Who in the world would donate USD700 million to the Malaysian Prime Minister? Even Obama could not raise this amount for his Presidential bid. It was suggested it was an Arab.

24. Arabs are generous, but not that generous. I could not raise even a single dollar from them for the Malaysian International Islamic University or for the Oxford Islamic Centre. This claim that Arabs donated billions is what people describe as hogwash or bullshit. Certainly I don’t believe it and neither can the majority of Malaysians if we go by the comments on the social media. The world had a good laugh.

25. When asked, the PM said wait for the report on 1MDB by the Auditor–General and the Public Accounts Committee.

26. To the UMNO divisional leaders and assorted bedfellows the PM in close-door meetings, claimed the billions were for the elections.

27. The 2 billion Ringgit plus for elections is absurd. I needed less than 10 million for each of the five elections I presided over and I won them all with more than 2/3 majority. Why do you need 2.6 billion plus or 2600 million Ringgit. Is it to bribe politicians and civil servants, or to rig the elections. That would not be right , much less legal.

28. Whatever, to me 2 billion plus for elections in Malaysia by any party is wrong even if no limit is put on election expenses.

29. Then there is this lavish life-style which no Malaysian Prime Minister would be able to afford on the RM20,000 per month he receives. Engagement and weddings lavishness far surpassed those of the Rulers even. Several ceremonies were held in Malaysia and also in Kazakhstan. Guests were loaded with gifts from the host. Clearly millions, tens of millions were spent, far beyond what a Malaysian PM can afford.

30. Then there is the son’s investment of hundreds of millions in producing the film The Wolf of Wall Street. It is so pornographic that it cannot be shown in Malaysia. Where did the money come from!

31. The shopping in London, Paris and elsewhere is known to be enormous.

32. Clearly the PM and his wife have more money than the salaries and allowances paid to the PM.

33. After the Wall Street Journal reported on Najib’s 2.6 billion Ringgit in his private account, it was closed. You cannot take all that money to keep with you. It had to be transferred. Apparently it was transferred to a Singapore bank. Then the Singapore authorities froze it.

34. Public clamour about the origin of the money in Najib’s account was so loud that a task force comprising the head of four government institutions was set up. The Attorney General headed this task force and the members were the IGP, the Head of Bank Negara and the Head of MACC, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

35. Najib was clearly uncomfortable with the investigations carried out by the task force. The members seemed to be too independent. Najib could not control them. The task force was apparently determined to seek the truth about the 1MDB and the 2.6 billion Ringgit in Najib’s account. Najib’s claim that it was a donation was not convincing.

36. Then Najib decided to take action to stop all the investigations on 1MDB and his private account.

37. First he announced that people should stop talking about 1MDB. It was not just a hint but an open statement that such talk would be regarded as undermining democracy and an attempt to overthrow an elected leader. This would attract police attention and investigation.

38. Immediately following that the A.G. was sacked. In Malaysia’s legal system the A.G. determines whether a case would be heard in a court or not. The A.G. who seemed to be heading the task force would be in a position to take to the courts if there was evidence of criminality in Najib’s possession of the billions in his account.

39. The A.G’s removal means that he could no longer make any decision over the unprecedented wealth of Najib. A judge was made A.G. and clearly he is not interested in the task force and its investigations. He seemed determined to clear Najib.

40. Then the DPM was dismissed and replaced by the Minister of Home Affairs who unlike Muhyiddin, had never questioned Najib about 1MDB.

41. In the cabinet reshuffle four members of the Public Accounts Committee including its chairman were made deputy ministers. Effectively, the PAC was paralysed and the work of investigating 1MDB stopped.

42. Then the chief and deputy chief of MACC, a member of the task force of four were asked to go on leave. When some members of the staff of MACC continued their investigations and wanted to query Najib on the source of the money in his account, they were harassed by the police who accused them of leaking information. Then they were transferred to the PM’s department. That shut them up.

43. The Governor of the Central Bank, a member of the four-strong Task Force is now rumoured to be investigated for corruption.

44. With the PAC, and the Task Force paralysed and the A.G. sacked, investigation work on the 1MDB and the 2.6 billion in Najib’s private account grounds to a complete halt.

45. Najib is now safe from being charged with illegally amassing funds. His claim that it is to be used for the coming elections is half-true. He had always said that cash is king. With the huge funds at his disposal he would be in a position to bribe his way to victory. He may also use the money to rig the election.

46. What Najib is doing is unprecedented in Malaysia. The people are at a loss as to what to do. The prospect of Najib continuing to rule this country is utterly depressing. The Malaysia where elections can even see opposition parties winning whole states will be no more.

47. Democracy is dead. It is dead because an elected leader chooses to subvert the institutions of Government and make them his instruments for sustaining himself. There is no more democracy for anyone to undermine. Certainly talking about 1MDB will not undermine something that no longer exist. If anyone should be questioned by the police, it is Najib.

Terrorists recruit youth through social networking websites

By Arab News

Terrorists recruit youth through social networking websites

New

ARAB NEWS

Published — Monday 10 August 2015

Last update 10 August 2015 1:39 am

JEDDAH: Family is at least 90 percent responsible for the drifting of youth toward terrorist groups and activities, especially as this transition can take up to six months, say experts.

Professor Yusuf Al-Rumaih of the University of Qassim was quoted as saying by local media on Sunday that terrorist cells communicate with the youth by sending out as many as 150,000 recruitment messages through social and other Internet networking sites.

According to him, the organization then resumes communication with those who have responded to such messages. Individuals are monitored and identified by certain attributes, such as their income and friends, and if any shortage exists, these cells begin to compensate them in order to lure them.

“There are other changes that occur among these youth, such as giving them nicknames, (for example Abu Bara), or isolating themselves,” Al-Rumaih said.

He said the family should pay special attention to those changes, while schools should monitor any changes among students and the imam of the mosque in their neighborhood should also take note of any behavioral changes.

One strategy is to appeal to youth who feel they lack attention at home to avoid nicknames, support, guidance, friendship, and sexual companionship.

For his part, Sociology Professor Mahmoud Kisnawi at the University of Umm Al-Qura and a family counselor said the family is mainly responsible for youth being lured into terrorist activities.

According to Y. Al-Qarni, a faculty member at King Abdulaziz University, the terrorist act at the Special Emergency Forces Center Mosque will only strengthen the community, not divide it, especially as Saudi citizens have become more aware that “our strength lies in our national unity.”

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

LESTER MELANYI DEBUNKED!

By Sarawak Report

LESTER MELANYI DEBUNKED!

20 Jul 2015

UMNO just needed to check this picture to reveal all Lester's story was fake

UMNO just needed to check this picture to reveal that all Lester’s story was fake

The video ‘confession’ maker Lester Melanyi could easily have been identified as a fraudster from the very start, by employing just the simplest of checks, as Sarawak Report’s own research into his online ‘testimony’ makes clear.
It begs the question why BN’s so-called strategic communications chief, Abdul Rahman Dahlan, has in a single stroke brought ridicule and disgrace on his own government, by championing Lester as an excuse to block the Sarawak Report website?
Over the past few days Lester has admitted to having been paid, while offering a string of convoluted allegations in a series of video interviews made for a pro-UMNO ‘NGO’ named Pertubuhan Minda dan Sosial Prihatin Malaysia.
Rahman leapt at the unsubstantiated material and proceeded to hold press conferences in order to denounce Sarawak Report, which has over several months produced closely researched and documented articles relating to the disappearance of billions of ringgit from the development fund 1MDB.

Rahman – selective against messengers

Even after members of his own party warned that Melanyi was well known to be a deeply unreliable and dishonest character in Kuching, Rahman lashed back that critics should not “shoot the messenger”.
Instead Rahman selectively chose to shoot down Sarawak Report, by banning this site on the judgement that Lester’s allegations had “proved” it to be publishing “blatant lies”.

Second set of videos

Thus protected by the Government Minister himself, who is willing to ban some media messengers while promoting others, Melanyi proceeded today to come out with further video ‘evidence’, much of which contradicted his previous testimony.
In particular, Lester told his interviewer about an alleged master forger and online expert, which he claimed Sarawak Report had used to concoct the multiple sourced documents relating to our exposures of malfeasance at 1MDB.
90% of all our material was forged Melanyi claimed:

“The web designer in London is very good in doing it. If you ask him to create money, he can create money for you and it may look genuine,” he added in the video [Malaysiakini]

In the video Lester gave the name of this fictitious forger. He is called James Steward Stephen raved Melanyi, which is in fact the real name of the former Hollywood Star James Stewart.

The name of the alleged online expert and forger according to Lester’s video

The video then treated viewers to an alleged picture of the master criminal, who was accused by Lester of assisting Sarawak Report in producing forged documents to discredit 1MDB and the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
These accusations were carried by Malaysian Mail online and numerous other media outlets, including the face of the gentleman below in a number of cases.

Alleged face of the master crook!

Unfortunately, as any online check makes clear this is the face of another Englishman, one James Steward (no Stephen), who works as a senior station manager for the bus company Abellio, based in Norwich.
The picture had been lifted from a website where he had been featured for giving a local talk on his actual professional speciality, which happens to be bus transport routes in the East of England.

Manager for National Express Busses – at least it can be said he graduated in IT!

Mr Steward and his press team at Abellio were unamused when Sarawak Report contacted them earlier this afternoon to enquire about Mr Melanie’s allegations:

“This is a case of mistaken identity and James Steward does not have any connections with Malaysia….To reiterate, the person concerned is not James Steward (an employee of Abellio Greater Anglia). James’ name is James Steward, not James Steward Stephens” [Abellio press officer]

Under the circumstances we suggest that Lester Melanyi and UMNO issue a very hasty apology indeed to Mr Stephens for accusing him of being a master forger. We suggest they repair their mistake.
And then perhaps Mr Melanyi could explain his lie?

The only fake is Lester!

Advance copies to alter

Another ridiculous and easily disproved claim by the somewhat tragi-comedic figure of Mr Melanyi was that Sarawak Report has been sending him “advance copies” of our articles for him to re-write before publication.

Jobless Lester had claimed he was a highly paid insider at Sarawak Report who got advance copies of stories..

To illustrate this boast Lester’s video duly flashed up screen shots of our regular newsletter bulletins which are sent to over 7,000 subscribers to our site, who have signed up to be notified whenever we post a new story.
That means that over 7,000 people can testify directly that Lester is talking nonsense:

Lester produced as ‘evidence’ the normal newsletter he received, because like 7,000 other people he had signed up.

Sarawak Report asks how those interviewing Lester could have allowed themselves to publish such a stunning and libellous video, courting national and international publicity, without having made some basic checks first?
And how could a minister in the government have proved himself so incompetent not only to unquestioningly put his own and his party’s credibility on the line over such material without checking, but to also refuse to listen to warnings even from his own senior party members that Lester was a man without credibility?

Legal suits looming

Little wonder then that these video, which have been touted around Malaysia over the past few days are now sparking law suits.
Melanyi had raved, amongst other things, that opposition MPs had been involved in a so-called conspiracy to defame the Prime Minister and had met and communicated with him as part of the plotting.
Names he threw into the pot included Tony Pua, who had never before heard of this sad fantasist from Kuching and has notified he will be instituting libel action.
Melanyi is now also saying in his latest videos that he has met several times with Mr Xavier Justo, currently in jail in Thailand, and the subject of a separate defamation campaign being orchestrated by UMNO loyalists of the Prime Minister.
Nevertheless, Lester goes off script over Justo and describes him as a “nice guy” who could not possibly have tampered with anything.

“.. that he tampered the emails is definitely not true!” said Lester:

Since UMNO are so believing of Lester, then they should lobby for Justo to be set free from Thailand not for him to be held in jail!

The “tampering” was all the job of the non-existent forger James Steward Stephen at Sarawak Report’s behest, Lester elaborated.
In this case, therefore, could the Malaysian Minister, who is so believing of everything Lester says, now exercise his good offices towards getting the innocent Mr Justo out of the Bangkok jail, where he has languished for over a month without charges, mainly because the Malaysian Government has been determined to accuse him of “tampering” documents that are damaging to the Prime Minister?

Changing stories

The promoters of Lester’s videos seem equally unperturbed that his story keeps changing as the lies are pointed out.
Two days ago Melanyi was claiming he had been in London from 2012 right up until 2014 working for $6000 a month of Sarawak Report!
But, after we pointed out that he had been sent back home in early 2011 after a short stint on Radio Free Sarawak. And since the rest of Kuching has started to testify that Lester has been scrounging around town borrowing money, getting bankrupt and generally making a nuisance of himself for at least the past three years, he has changed his tale.
Today he was claiming he had even met Xavier Justo back in London “two or three years ago” when he was there.

In fact it was four years ago Lester

There is no reason whatsoever to believe that Lester has met Justo any more than he has met Tony Pua.

Sticking up for Riza Aziz

It seems that part of the favour that Lester was being asked to perform in this attempt to defame everyone who has revealed awkward matters relating to 1MDB was to rescue the reputation of the PM’s son Riza Azia.
Out of huge numbers of articles written by Sarawak Report on 1MDB Melanyi selected one to say that he could specifically inform viewers it was false.
This was the article we wrote revealing Riza Aziz’s home in Beverley Hills, which had been passed on to him by the controversial 1MDB connected businessman, Jho Low.
He didn’t know the house, Lester slurred, but he could say the story was untrue.

“fake article” about the house of Riza Aziz, which Sarawak Report visited in Hollywood

Unfortunately for Lester and his backers this means that they are also accusing the New York Times of lying about the story.
Because, the New York Times have confirmed that the property belongs to Aziz and that it originally belonged to Jho Low.
In his next video Lester will have to remember to add the NYT to the growing list of conspirators and forgers being alleged as part of this plot to tell lies about the missing billions that are documented as having disappeared from 1MDB.

Sad characters should not be exploited

Sarawak Report has already made plain that UMNO’s PR people have not only blundered but behaved disgracefully in continuing to parade Lester Melanyi.
Anyone who views the videos can see that Lester is ill, not just in body but in mind. He is known to be unable to continue to earn his living, having disappointed all his would be employers over the years.
Lester is bankrupt, desperate for money, in debt to all who know him and is a very well known liar.
UMNO have disgraced themselves by depending on his testimony and for axing a professionally run news website dedicated to investigative reporting in Malaysia on his words alone.
It is also disgraceful to parade a sick and desperate man for propaganda purposes, when he is doing it for money and when his evidence is so shabby and so easily disproved.
Can Mr Rahman sink lower than this? We will soon find out.
However, with supporters like him and Lester Melanyi, Najib need not look for enemies to his cause.

Monday, 20 July 2015

CONSPIRACY

By Tun M

CONSPIRACY

1. There has been much talk by certain people of a conspiracy to overthrow Dato Sri Najib as Prime Minister.

2. Is there a conspiracy? Is there someone or some group conspiring i.e moving in secret in the underground to overthrow Najib. There could have been before but apart from people complaining privately about their dissatisfaction with Najib’s administration, no one was planning his overthrow. That is not to say that they did welcome the idea of his resigning or vacating his post. But active underground planning and action there was none.

3. What we do know now is that I had openly called for his stepping down. No conspiracy. Just open declaration to the whole nation that I would like to see Najib cease to be Prime Minister.

4 So if any investigation is to be made, there is no need for detectives or special agents. That there is a move or push for Dato Sri Najib to step down is known to everyone.

5. So again where is the conspiracy!! It is all in the open. There is no need to conspire. There is open campaigning for his ceasing to be Prime Minister.

6. Lately we are seeing many funny statements. The Utusan loudly proclaimed that the Prime Minister had taken action against the Wall Street Journal.

7. Actually it was not legal action or suing for defamation. Just politely asking the Wall Street Journal why do they publish the article.

8. Is there a need to ask that silly question? Isn’t it obvious that as a newspaper the information obtained by Wall Street Journal was sensational. Any newspaper, convinced of the authenticity of the information would have printed it. Of course the local mainstream papers will not for obvious reasons.

9. To ingratiate themselves with the Prime Minister they would rather mislead people. The sub-editors are good at writing misleading headlines. For example when a statement is made to let the task force of four do their work this is headlined as support for the Prime Minister.

10. Then there was a minister who, after saying that the interim report shows nothing wrong with 1MDB, then went on to advise people not to say anything about 1MDB until the report is out. But he himself had made a premature statement.

11. To all comments made against 1MDB, the standard answer is to deny, to say “No it is not true.” It is like somebody upon being asked whether he had stolen the money as alleged, simply denies that he had stolen, expecting the judge to acquit him simply because he denied.

12. There is no denial that money was deposited in the private account. The explanation to UMNO is that it was for the elections. UMNO seems satisfied. Don’t they know that Government money cannot be used to help a political party to win elections? But the money was from donation. Who donated 2 billion Ringgit? No answer.

13. But what about BR1M? Isn’t it Government money, all 7 billion Ringgit and more. That was clever. It is not for elections but given before any election, with the promise of more if the party wins, isn’t it about using Government money to win elections?

14. Truly cash is king!!

15. Then there is this insistence that since Najib was elected, no one has any right to demand he should step down.

16. How short is their memory. Don’t they remember Abdullah who was also elected being asked by Najib to step sown. And he did.

17. And I myself, also an elected PM, did step down in 2003.

18. All over the world elected Presidents and Prime Ministers have been asked or forced to step down and they all did. In fact in some countries, if something untoward happens, Ministers, Prime Ministers step down.

19. So don’t be silly and demand that since Najib was elected, no one has a right to ask him to step down. Abdullah won more seats in 2008 than Najib in 2013. If Abdullah was prepared to step down, Najib after his poor performance in the general election should not even offer to be the PM. He should resign from being President of UMNO and head of BN and let somebody else lead and become PM.

20. There is this suggestion that the amendment to the election rules in UMNO was meant to make it more democratic. Very many more members would vote in the UMNO elections than the 2,000 or so delegates to the UMNO General Assembly.

21. Actually the intention is to limit the number of entities involved in the election. The winners would be those getting the biggest number of divisions voting for. Effectively this means the real electors have been reduced from 2,000 to about 190 UMNO divisions. The number of members voting for a candidate is nullified. Far from making UMNO elections more democratic, Najib has actually restricted the right to vote from ordinary members to just the divisions. And Najib has a strangle-hold over most of the division heads.

22. So much for more democracy in UMNO.

VERSI BM

1. Terdapat banyak perbicaraan oleh orang-orang tertentu tentang konspirasi untuk menggulingkan Dato Sri Najib sebagai Perdana Menteri.

2. Adakah terdapat konspirasi? Adakah terdapat seseorang atau beberapa kumpulan bersubahat, iaitu bergerak secara rahsia di bawah tanah untuk menggulingkan Najib? Mungkin terdapat sebelum ini, tetapi selain daripada orang-orang yang mengadu secara peribadi tentang rasa tidak puas hati mereka dengan pentadbiran Najib, tidak ada orang yang merancang menjatuhkan beliau. Itu bukan menyatakan bahawa mereka sebenarnya mengalu-alukan idea beliau meletakkan jawatan atau mengosongkan jawatannya. Tetapi perancangan bawah tanah yang aktif dan tindakan tidak ada.

3. Apa yang kita tahu sekarang adalah bahawa saya telah secara terbuka menggesa beliau meletak jawatan. Tiada konspirasi. Hanya pengakuan terbuka kepada seluruh negara bahawa saya ingin melihat Najib terhenti menjadi Perdana Menteri.

4 Oleh itu, jika ada apa-apa penyiasatan mahu dibuat, tidak ada keperluan untuk detektif atau ejen khas. Ujudnya langkah atau desakan untuk Dato Sri Najib berundur diri diketahui semua orang.

5. Jadi sekali lagi, di mana konspirasinya!! Ini adalah semua terbuka. Tidak ada keperluan untuk bersubahat. Terdapat kempen terbuka untuk beliau berhenti daripada menjadi Perdana Menteri.

6. Akhir-akhir ini kita melihat banyak kenyataan yang melucukan. Utusan dengan lantang menyatakan bahawa Perdana Menteri telah mengambil tindakan terhadap Wall Street Journal.

7. Sebenarnya ini bukan tindakan undang-undang atau saman malu. Ianya hanya tertanya dengan sopan kepada Wall Street Journal mengapa mereka menerbitkan artikel itu.

8. Adakah keperluan untuk menanyakan soalan yang bodoh itu? Bukankah ianya jelas bahawa sebagai akhbar maklumat yang diperoleh oleh Wall Street Journal adalah sensasi. Mana-mana akhbar yang yakin dengan kesahihan maklumat itu pasti mencetaknya. Sudah tentu akbar-akbar utama tempatan tidak akan berbuat demikian atas alasan-alasan yang jelas.

9. Untuk mendamping diri dengan Perdana Menteri mereka lebih sanggup menyesatkan orang. Sub-editor pandai menulis tajuk utama yang mengelirukan. Sebagai contoh, apabila kenyataan dibuat untuk membiarkan pasukan petugas empat orang melakukan kerja mereka, ini ditajuk utamakan sebagai sokongan kepada Perdana Menteri.

10. Kemudian ada pula seorang menteri yang selepas mengatakan bahawa laporan interim menunjukkan tidak sebarang yang salah dengan 1MDB, kemudiannya menasihatkan orang ramai supaya jangan berkata sebarangan mengenai 1MDB sehingga laporan itu disiarkan. Tetapi dia sendiri telah membuat kenyataan terlebih awal.

11. Bagi semua komen yang dibuat terhadap 1MDB, jawapan standard ialah menafikannya, mengatakan “Bukan, ia tidak benar.” Ia ibarat seseorang apabila ditanya sama ada dia telah mencuri wang seperti yang didakwa, hanya menafikan bahawa dia telah mencuri, mengharapkan hakim akan membebaskannya kerana ia menafikan.

12. Tidak ada penafian bahawa wang telah didepositkan ke dalam akaun peribadi. Penjelasan kepada UMNO adalah bahawa ia adalah untuk pilihan raya. UMNO nampaknya berpuas hati. Tidakkah mereka tahu bahawa wang Kerajaan tidak boleh digunakan untuk membantu parti politik memenangi pilihan raya? Tetapi wang ini adalah dari sumbangan, Siapa yang menyumbangkan 2 bilion Ringgit? Tiada jawapan.

13. Bagaimana pula dengan BR1M? Bukankah is wang Kerajaan, semua 7 bilion Ringgit itu dan banyak lagi. Itu bijak. Ianya bukan untuk pilihan raya tetapi diberikan sebelum mana-mana pilihan raya, dengan janji lebih jika parti menang, bukankah ini hal menggunakan wang kerajaan untuk memenangi pilihan raya?

14. Sesungguhnya tunai adalah raja !!

15. Kemudian terdapat desakan bahawa oleh sebab Najib dipilih, tiada siapa pun mempunyai sebarang hak untuk menuntut beliau berundur.

16. Betapa pendek ingatan mereka. Tidakkah mereka ingat Abdullah yang juga telah dipilih diminta oleh Najib untuk berundur. Dan dia lakukannya.

17. Dan saya sendiri, juga seorang PM yang dipilih, berundur pada tahun 2003.

18. Di seluruh dunia Presiden yang dipilih dan Perdana Menteri telah diminta atau terpaksa berundur dan mereka semua melakukannya. Malah di sesetengah negara, jika sesuatu yang tidak diingini berlaku, Menteri-menteri, Perdana-Perdana Menteri akan meletak jawatan.

19. Janganlah jadi bodoh dan menuntut bahawa oleh sebab Najib dipilih, tiada siapa yang mempunyai hak untuk meminta beliau untuk berundur. Abdullah memenangi lebih banyak kerusi pada tahun 2008 daripada Najib pada tahun 2013. Jika Abdullah bersedia untuk meletak jawatan, Najib selepas prestasi buruk dalam pilihan raya umum sepatutnya tidak menawarkan diri untuk menjadi PM. Dia harus meletakkan jawatan daripada menjadi Presiden UMNO dan ketua BN dan biarkan orang lain memimpin dan menjadi PM.

20. Terdapat pandangan ini bahawa pindaan kepada peraturan pilihan raya dalam UMNO adalah bertujuan untuk menjadikannya lebih demokratik. Lebih ramai ahli akan mengundi dalam pilihan raya UMNO daripada 2,000 atau lebih perwakilan ke Perhimpunan Agung UMNO.

21. Sebenarnya niatnya adalah untuk menghadkan bilangan entiti yang terlibat dalam pilihan raya. Pemenang adalah mereka yang mendapat bilangan terbesar undi bahagian. Keberkesanannya bererti pemilih sebenar telah dikurangkan dari 2000 kepada kira-kira 190 bahagian UMNO. Bilangan ahli yang mengundi untuk calon dibatalkan. Jauh daripada membuat pilihan raya UMNO lebih demokratik, Najib sebenarnya telah menghadkan hak mengundi ahli-ahli biasa kepada bahagian sahaja. Dan Najib mempunyai pegangan ke atas sebahagian besar ketua-ketua bahagian.

22. Begitulah untuk demokrasi yang lebih dalam UMNO.

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Monday, 30 November 2015