There’ll be no ‘saving Malaysia’ without the Malays

There’ll be no ‘saving Malaysia’ without the Malays

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6th Generation Immigrant: Bersih 5 should be an apolitical gathering of multiracial Malaysia across the peninsula and the South China Sea where the target audience must be the rural folk.

The rally cry should be "we told Malaysians so in Bersih 1, 2, 3 and 4" that the election machinery is state-managed and unfair to all Malaysians. It has resulted in the failure of the state.

We are at the end result because we are unable to change the government fairly and democratically. Bersih 5 must show intent to bring universal standards for elections.

Lone_Star: A Malay-sian tsunami? Wishful thinking, but also wishful hoping. Will right-thinking Malays respond?

Where is the Group of 25 (G25) a week after the US Justice Department’s revelations? Could they mobilise the masses to bring about a tsunami?

Drngsc: Thanks, Commander S Thayaparan. I hope that Bersih 5 will see Malaysians from all races, all walks of life, and all ages, from all political persuasions, from all religious beliefs, so that this can be a Malaysian protest against a corrupt regime.

Eyespye: I’m not commenting on the article specifically, but please don't disparage or show disgust to Malays who have not done anything. You are asking them to radically depart the world in which they have been born into.

Asking the everyman who supports Umno is asking him to discard the party he identifies with, his race, his history and his place in this world.

The Chinese took years and years to finally swing away from MCA. It takes time and it takes a catalyst. Calling them stupid, lazy or greedy does one thing, force them to hold on to Umno even though they shouldn't.

It’s not because they are stupid, greedy or lazy. Imagine the moral crisis they face.

TimesAchanging: Great article. Problem is I don't know how long will it take for Malays to come together. If there is real appetite for it amongst Malays, I think we would have seen more Umno people defecting.

I don't know why Malays need to believe that their world will come crashing down if they demand a change of leader. It can be just a change of leader, they can make sure it's not a change of an entire government.

It’s okay for them to keep voting Malays, but vote for competent and clean Malays. Too hard?

Proarte: Unless Malays wake up and smell the coffee, they are going to remain a willing underclass who are content with a fraudulent 'ketuanan' label which offers them nothing but hardship and humiliation.

Former soldier Mohd Ali Baharom, known as Ali Tinju, and his red-shirt gang, together with the huge Malay underclass of different political leanings, should organise a peaceful mega rally to protest this betrayal of the Malay race by their own kind.

They must vociferously ask why Umno leaders and their PAS supporters have sold out the Malay economic well-being, dignity and country?

We note that the Malay leadership has dutifully complied with this defined role by literally allowing trillions of ringgit to be misappropriated and find its way to richer countries.

1MDB was meant to improve the lives of Malays economically but instead it has burdened them and lost the country tens of billions due to alleged thievery by the Malay leadership.

In order to pay for these losses, we now hear that Umno has allegedly done a deal with China which will see our country burdened by a further RM30 billion. The Malay leaders have sold Malaysia down the Yangtze River.

There’ll be no ‘saving Malaysia’ without the Malays - AGREED, the Malays are the ones to suffer the most as corruption, injustices will affect them more as they are the Majority in Malaysia - more poor Malays than other races, so inflation, deflation, GST, petrol hikes, etc., will affect them more! Capable Malays should organize Rallies up to one million Malays to confront Umno leaders, let them know that they are responsible for dire state of M'sian society since Mahathir days (corruption, compromise of the judiciary, unprofessional police force and civil service, etc.) 

Najib's can only be brought down by Jho Low and associates!

Najib's premiership may be staring at the precipice?

Last week, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it was taking action to seek “the forfeiture and recovery of more than US$1 billion in assets” related to 1MDB. This action will likely start the process that will eventually lead to the removal of Najib Abdul Razak, Malaysia’s sixth prime minister.

According to the DOJ, from 2009 to 2015, more than US$3.5 billion in 1MDB funds was allegedly sent from one financial institution to another around the world, to hide the origins of the fund and, perhaps more importantly, to hide the ultimate beneficiaries.

Although the DOJ did not name Najib directly (he is thought to be ‘Malaysian Official 1’), two of those named were directly connected to Najib.

The first is Riza Aziz, Najib’s stepson. Riza is infamous in Malaysia for being one of the producers of the Martin Scorsese film, 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. The DOJ filed forfeiture claims against the royalties from the film, suggesting that it was funded by 1MDB money.

The second is Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, an ethnic Chinese businessman from a wealthy family in Penang. Jho Low is infamous for partying with Paris Hilton and singer Usher.

More importantly, Jho Low has admitted to being an “adviser” to the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) before it was taken over and renamed 1MDB.

The allegations are that Low was the mastermind behind the complex deals between 1MDB and Abu Dhabi financiers, which lead to an even more complex system of payments around the world.

The transactions are so complex that financial authorities in three countries (Singapore, Switzerland and Luxembourg) are still in the process of trying to follow the money trial.

While the US DOJ may be the first to openly accuse 1MDB of money laundering, Singapore was in fact the first country to take action.

Key conduit

In May, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Singapore’s de facto central bank, ordered the closure of BSI Singapore, part of a Swiss private bank. The Singapore BSI branch was a key conduit for 1MDB. More actions against financial institutions in Singapore, Switzerland and Luxemburg can be expected in the near future.

What the DOJ and others are hoping for now is for one of the main actors to turn into a witness for the prosecution. There is a strong likelihood that one of the bank employees or even a former employee of Goldman Sachs, who arranged the 1MDB bonds, will tell all in return for staying out of jail. Even Jho Low may talk if there are the right incentives.

But it is certain that Najib will have to go. The question is not if, but when. Politically it will be impossible for him to carry on. The Malaysian elite pride themselves as honourable members of the international community. Senior members in Umno, the ruling party, cannot accept a leader who will very soon be a pariah in Western capitals.

Thus far, there was no “smoking gun” and Najib’s clever use of his massive powers of patronage has allowed him to deny all links to the 1MDB money. This is no longer the case. The detailed paper trail provided by the DOJ will presumably show how 1MDB money ended up in the hands of Aziz and Low.

Viable options

It is expected to also disprove Najib’s claims that the money was a “donation” from a Saudi Royal. The DOJ documents will, in all likelihood, effectively destroy the excuses given by Najib thus far.

Umno cannot afford to keep Najib since the next general election is due in 2018, less than two years away. Planning for elections in Malaysia for the ruling coalition usually takes up to 12 months.

There appears to be only two viable options for Najib. First, he can go for a snap election. His Umno party and the ruling BN coalition is relatively strong for the simple reason that the opposition is in complete disarray.

Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of the opposition, is still in jail for sodomy. The opposition is now unofficially led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest serving prime minster (1981-2003).

It was Mahathir who largelycreated a political system that shielded the incumbent leader of Umno from any real challenge. This has been used effectively against Mahathir, so much so that he was forced to resign from Umno this year and take on Najib from outside Umno. Although Mahathir’s past as an authoritarian leader is not forgotten, there may be enough consensus among opposition forces that they must get rid of Najib to override Mahathir’s past sins.

If Najib wins a snap election he would still have to give up the prime ministership, but that would mean he can largely name his retirement terms and “protection”. And he could set the timetable for his departure.

The second option is for Najib to negotiate his departure now with the Umno senior leadership. This is something that has been done many times previously, the most recent in 2008. At that time, then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was able to negotiate a retirement package in return for making way for Najib. Even then, it took more than six months of negotiations and the original timetable for Abdullah’s retirement was pushed forward to early 2009.

No matter which option Najib pursues, there is little doubt that in Malaysia’s political circles he is a political dead man walking

Najib's premiership may be staring at the precipice? Not likely as he is very cautious to get involved. He is using proxies to get things done - MONEY coming from Jho Low, and others, How to implicate him? The only way to implicate him is to bring to book Jho Low and associates, and to broker a deal with them to confess Najib involvement for a lighter sentences.

Rahman Dahlan ticking off US AG Loretta Lynch

Rahman Dahlan: DOJ should have talked to 1MDB first

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The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) should at least have the courtesy to contact 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to listen to their side of the story rather than only based its reports on the online news website (Sarawak Report), said Barisan Nasional (BN) strategic communications director Abdul Rahman Dahlan today.

Describing it as unbecoming for United States Attorney-General Loretta Lynch to use such a strong language in a situation when she was unsure whether there was a case or not, he said ‘a charge had not been decided’ giving a prejudice view against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, the Malaysian government and 1MDB.

"When we read the 136-page document, we find that it was based on the Sarawak Report which has a heavy political agenda against the government, BN and prime minister. So, our concern is why the DOJ of the US (United States) did not call 1MDB to verify. At least get the otherside of the story.

"That is the only question. Why you go to the court and tell the whole world of your story when it is not completed," he said after attending the Economic Planning Unit's (EPU) Hari Raya open house in Putrajaya.

The DOJ had recently filed civil lawsuits to seize assets acquired with money allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB, the government investment fund.

Meanwhile, Abdul Rahman, who is the minister in the prime minister's department responsible for the EPU, said the prime minister had repeatedly emphasised that he was not involved and that public funds were not involved.

"What happens now is an allegation. Several individuals have been alleged to have taken or stolen 1MDB funds. It is an allegation by the DOJ," he said, adding that the DOJ was taking the opportunity to hit the country, government, prime minister by using very rude language.

On the group linking Najib to the DOJ allegation, Abdul Rahman said if the DOJ had any proof to drag the prime minister, then his name would be stated in the DOJ document.

"Try and show where Najib's name had appeared... whereas several other names had been stated in the document," he said.

Rahman Dahlan ticking off US AG Loretta Lynch. As if the US authorities should bow to M'sian govt. for crimes committed on their soil. No govt. in the world should pander to evil deeds done by prominent people!. Now US AG Loretta Lynch should respond to such admonition by Rahman Dahlan and other Najib's supporters by challenging these people integrities as to why they should cover up evil, corrupt acts of their leaders, and to give us full disclosure of the names of those officials to clear the AIR which is Worse than the Haze pollution which we experienced.