Kleptocrat and Wheeler Dealer: Najib Razak

The world renown kleptocrat, Najib Razak (a ruler who uses political power to steal his country's resources) in Malaysia is now also known as a big-time political wheeler dealer. He is willing to and can do anything to maintain influence and hang on to the stolen wealth.

In a book written by his ex-aide, Romen Bose, it was revealed that Najib was willing to concede his prime ministership to his political foe, Wan Azizah to hang on to political power despite losing the Malaysian general election in 2018.

Najib said, "I spoke to Anwar (Ibrahim), as you know, and Wan Azizah can be sworn in as prime minister immediately if Anwar can agree that PKR will come out of Pakatan (Harapan) and be BN friendly. But he has not responded so far. I am happy to hand over to Wan Azizah and Zahid can be deputy prime minister, as long as we keep Mahathir away from the premiership."

Anwar Ibrahim is Wan Azizah's husband and the de-facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) then. As the history played out, Anwar did not agree to do the deal with Najib.

Malaysians BEWARE!!! Najib was and is till willing to do anything to hang on to power directly or indirectly in order to keep the wealth stolen from country during his tenure as the prime minister of Malaysia 2009-2018.

Credit to newmandala.org

Malaysian Politics- PAS only joins the Winner

I would normally not comment about a neither here nor there political party like PAS (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia). It is not that the party is not significant politically in Malaysia, it has strong grassroots and support base over several states in Malaysia. It has however become more of a power hungry party that is more than willing to 'sleep' with any coalition or party that can hang on to power, namely form a government at federal or state level.

When PAS was out of power, it was willing to work with Barisan Nasional (BN, which is dominated by UMNO or United Malay National Organisation), but when Perikatan Nasional (PN, which is dominated by Bersatu, a splinter party from UMNO) had an upper hand to form a new government, PAS immediately had a change of heart and switched its allegiance to Perikatan Nasional (PN).

This is utterly glaring when PAS abandoned BN totally to join PN in the upcoming Melaka state election on 20 November 2021. PAS went further to abandon its party logo that is in existence and has been used since 1947 in the coming state election of Melaka in favour of PN's logo, a coalition party that is less than 2 years old.

It is believed that PN has a stronger chance of winning the state election and forming a government in Melaka. So much for PAS's self-proclaimed religious values. Is it just a party that is playing its cards to its advantage and maximize its ability to stay in power? Time will tell...

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/11/02/pn-banner-only-for-melaka-ge15-is-another-matter-says-pas-man/

You will appreciate how 'strong' is PAS's allegiance to PN when you read the above article, and further understand what is the key focus of this modern PAS in the era of current leadership.

When Lawmakers are Only Capable of Reading Script...

The prime ministers of  Malaysian political party, UMNO (United Malays National Organization) since 2009, including ex-UMNO prime minister Mahiaddian Yasin who formed Bersatu party, have a history of appointing less than capable personalities to be the ministers and deputy ministers. Some of the appointed ministers had since become laughing stocks of the world. These prime ministers preferred loyalty over competency, and the outcome is obvious.

The result is disappointing when you see each of these 70 ministers and the deputy ministers drawing tens of thousand of Malaysian Ringgit a month are only able of reading pre-prepared script provided to them in the parliamentary debate on 5 year national development plan 20021-2025. Parliament is a formal conference for the discussion of public affairs. It is a place for intellectual discourse to discuss and decide the important policies for the whole country. Treating it like a 'Reading Class' at a school in Malaysia simply does not cut it. It is plainly wrong for a country's important policies to be pushed through without check and balance, and discussion on the appropriateness of the policies.

Mr prime minister of Malaysia, Malaysian parliament is not a school classroom. I beg your pardon.

Outside Malaysian Parliament

Inside Malaysia Parliament ?

Tumultuous Politics in Malaysia

Malaysia had a general election on 9 May 2018, formally known as the 14th Malaysian general election (GE14).

In an unprecedented victory, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, which had been the country's opposition at federal level prior to the election, won a simple majority in the Dewan Rakyat (the legislature's lower house) together with the Sabah Heritage Party (WARISAN).

PH and WARISAN cumulatively secured 121 seats in the 222 seat legislative house. The election heralded the first regime change in Malaysia's history, as the erstwhile ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had enjoyed an uninterrupted reign over the country since Malaya's independence in 1957, despite rampant corruption and abuse of power, was eventually voted out of power.

In a blatant act of betrayal, Mahiaddin Md. Yasin of PPBM (as splinter group of PH) worked with BN and other smaller opposition parties, by offering ministerial and governmental positions to these parliamentarians, to secure enough support on 1 March 2020 to form a new government and there forth went against the mandate of the people in GE14.

In a twist of fate, the BN team withdrew their support for Mahiaddin causing his government's collapse. Ismail Sabri of BN however turned around to offer benefits to PPBM members and other unprincipled smaller parties to regain the control of the Dewan Rakyat by getting assent from the king to form another new government on 21 August 2021, although he has not gone through a vote of confidence in the Parliament as yet. A confidence vote has never been undertaken by Mahiaddin or Ismail despite the fact that it is constitutionally required under the Westminster styled government inherited from the British.

Malaysian modern history is becoming more like a Star Wars saga. George Lucas will probably  be delighted to know this 😄 :

A New Hope                        (9 May 2018)

The Empire Strikes Back     (21 August 2021)

Return of the Jedi                 (?? ?? ??)

The saga continues...

Democracy - the Ways of Mahiaddin

The prime minister of Malaysia, Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin, as he is made known, which is only a fake or convenient name for his real name, Mahiaddin Md. Yasin. This secret has been kept away from the Malaysian public through out his 50 political years including the times as the Menteri Besar (chief minister) of Johor state.

He was likely to have lost the majority confidence of the members of the parliament (MPs) in Malaysia since Jun 2021. He however had used numerous tactics to delay or avoid parliamentary seating that allow a vote of confidence against him. He has further delayed a proper parliamentary seating to 6 September successfully, despite public outcry and pressure of the country's royals. Mahiaddin can practically write a book on how to shamelessly stay in power despite losing parliamentary majority for future tyrants.

He has embarked on buying spree to secure support from more members of parliament for him to survive a vote of confidence in September 2021. He has not been subtle in doing so at all by offering what is known as Malaysian Ringgit 30 million each to as many as 8 opposition MPs within 24 hours on 7 August. See below:

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/opposition-dap-mps-claim-bribes-offered-in-exchange-for-backing-muhyiddin

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2021/08/07/usaha-beli-ahli-parlimen-pembangkang-sedang-rancak-kata-saifuddin/

Democracy has been reduced by Mahiaddin into a pure trade of buying and selling of parliamentary votes. Malaysians have to rise to the occasion and stop opportunist like him who takes advantage of parliamentary democracy in Malaysia. Rise or Stay Suppressed.

Malaysian Prime Minister: The Diarrhoea Affairs 😏😏

 

Many Malaysians woke up to a surprise on Wednesday morning, 30 June 2021 to learn of the prime minister's media statement by his office to publicly announce that he had been admitted to an unidentified hospital in Kuala Lumpur for diarrhoea. The 2 liner media release immediately caught the attention of journalists and the imagination of Malaysians.

It was unusual for a public figure to proudly announce his diarrhoea (definition: passing loose or watery bowel movements 3 or more times in a day) when he could have received treatment without public knowledge. Similarly, you won't see any celebrity, influencer or netizen to proudly announce that they are experiencing diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea is a common illness caused by food poisoning, etc that one would probably not even go to a doctor.  One may get a outpatient treatment at a clinic or hospital if it is serious. It seldom requires hospitalization for treatment. Hospitalization may happen only if the symptom persists and remains serious for several days. 

The eagerness to make a public announcement of a diarrhoea was most perplexing to Malaysians. There was no rumour that the prime minister office was trying to quash or clarify. His office was just happily announcing that he had diarrhoea and wanted to be hospitalized for it. What was the prime minister trying to get at?

Rumours swirled after (but not before) the media statement of the prime minister's office. Some accused him of evading a meeting with the king on that day itself whereby his majesty was expected to ask the prime minister to convene parliamentary seating immediately and before 1 August 2021, while others said that he might be unwell due to recurring of his pancreatic cancer. His office insisted that he only suffered a digestive system infection on 4 July and not a recurring cancer. Factually, the prime minister was still hospitalized for his diarrhoea after 5 days. The truth remained a mystery even though a clarification had been made mainly due to vague choice of words in the most recent media release. The morale of the story is to not issue a media statement when there is no necessity to do so, unless there is an hidden agenda unknown to others...

Equally Interesting Fact: The prime minister has been known as Muhyiddin Yassin officially for decades in Malaysia, when his actual name unknown to all Malaysians is actually Mahiaddin Md Yasin.

WORLD CHAMPION: Malaysian Covid-19 New Cases and Deaths

It shows when rampant corruption is taking its toll on the finance of a country. Malaysia is a classic case of a country that is depleted of its wealth and additionally incurred huge amount of debts beyond its capability to repay. The wealth of the country has gone into personal accounts of a handful of elitist individuals.

When Covid-19 hit the country in 2020, the country was ill-prepared to fund financial measures to alleviate the burden on the people due to the requirement of lockdown to stem2 the spread of coronavirus that endangering lives. 1.5 million Malaysians of lower income would be adversely affected by any lockdown that stalls economic activities. In Malaysia's failure to offer financial assistance to these people, the country allows them to withdraw their own money from the national employee provident fund putting these people at risk financially when they retire. You wonder if any other well-managed country in the world is doing the same. Does this government even care about the ordinary people?

The country faces a situation of knowing the dire need to lockdown but the government has no financial ability to withstand the economic losses. The government has no choice but to allow economic activities to go on. This limited lockdown has failed to contain new Covid-19 cases in Malaysia for the last 2 months. Somehow, the government thinks that if it keeps doing the same things that have failed previously, the same things may somehow become a success.

Malaysia is currently recording the highest new cases and new deaths per 1 million of population in the world! Malaysia has surpassed India and the USA on both counts. Yes, Malaysia is the reigning  world champion in taking the brunt of economic hardship and loss of lives as a result of Covid-19.

The situation is so bad that the world renown kleptocrat, Najib Razak, who is also one of the elitist individuals from Malaysia is poking fun at the Malaysian government by showing the below chart.

Kleptocrat Vs Clown

Amazing things happen in Malaysia. You can have a convicted kleptocract, Najib Razak, telling the professionally appointed finance minister what to do with the latter's job.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/04/26/zafruls-kwan-response-unbelievable-says-najib/

A career banker turned politician, Zafrul Aziz, used RM3 billion of National Trust Fund (KWAN) for Covid-19 vaccine expenses on the basis that the expenses were never allocated in the budget that he presented at the Parliament of Malaysia. Zafrul was certainly humiliated when Najib said, “It is certainly unbelievable that such an important spending as vaccines was never allocated for in the government’s RM310 billion budget last year.”

Would you believe that is the quality of work by a career banker, previously CEO of CIMB Bank?

At the same time, Covid-19 vaccine expenses have been increased to RM5 billion from RM3 billion to buy vaccines and RM2 billion is now spent only for the logistics of carrying out the vaccinations. If you find the costs astonishing, you are not alone. Malaysia, what a wonderful country you are!

The kleptocract further asked, “Are we to believe that vaccines suddenly cost 50% more while logistics cost has increased 100% within five months between last December and April?”

It looks like a career banker is really not better than a kleptocract. Do you not agree?

       WHO LOOKS MORE LIKE A CLOWN NOW ?

Double Standards are the New Norm

Many worsening governance and health conditions in Malaysia have been brought about by Muhyiddin Yassin's administration since he led the coup to take over and form the government of Malaysia in March last year. He has shown how basic integrity of a governmental agency can be adversely degraded within 1 year.

The once respected Health director-general, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, has been reduced to a spokesman for double standards to defend the Covid-19 home quarantine decision for a member of Muhyiddin's ministerial cabinet, Edmund Santhara, upon his return from New Zealand when everyone else except for key members of Muhyiddin's administration would have to stay at a designated quarantine centre.

Noor Hisham's claim that New Zealand is a low-risk country and Edmund has a suitable home for quarantine are untenable as Edmund is still exposed during the 10 hours flight, transit, waiting  and boarding time at the airports. Having a suitable home has never been a key consideration unless quarantine centres are unable to cope with the number of cases, which is not the case now. Most of the quarantine centres in Malaysia are fairly empty for some time. Noor Hisham's afterthought defense makes him look like one of the political stooges of Trump's era but in Malaysia.

On the other hand, a Malaysian pilot, Mani Vannan of Singapore Airlines, said his request for home quarantine to take care of his cancer-stricken mother had been refused. He said he had sought exemption early last month after doing seven Covid-19 tests and having been vaccinated in Singapore. 

Seriously, Noor Hisham? Vaccination is not better than having a controversial stay of 55 days in New Zealand. Perhaps, more Malaysians should fly to New Zealand to build up immunity as opposed vaccination. 

An opposition member has criticized the double standards between one who is rich and powerful, and another who is an ordinary citizen, as displaying arrogance and contempt for right against wrong. The truth is Muhyiddin allows rampant double standards in his administration because he cares more for his position as prime minister than the health of Malaysians. He needs the support of Edmund as parliamentarian to have his allegedly already lost razor-thin majority in Malaysian parliament to stay in power.

Anything but Parliament in Malaysia

Malaysia's king, as advised by the prime minister, recently declared a nationwide State of Emergency in January this year to curb the spread of Covid-19, while at the same time the government enforces Movement Control Order (cordon sanitaire) as provided by Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and the Police Act 1967 to also curb the spread of Covid-19. 

What is the end result of the doubly measures?

Effective 5 March, all sectors are open, without restrictions but must be in compliance of health ministry's standard operating procedures (health SOPs) on wearing masks, distancing, etc. All social events like reunion, wedding, birthday and holidays are allowed. Business sector has been able to operate much earlier.

The parliament for lawmakers is however still restricted from reconvening. Apparently, Malaysian lawmakers are the worst people when it comes to compliance of health SOPs. They are not allowed to do their work as representatives of the people. One would have thought they are honourable elected members of the society who has some civilized decency. Would you not think so?

This is a wicked democracy, if there is still a democracy. In fact, there is no democracy, no check or balance, and no accountability if there is no parliament to watch over the shoulder of executives of government. The prime minister and his cabinet ministers, as executive branch of the government, have almost unlimited power to act. Abuse and corruption immediately crop into the minds of many Malaysians. Malaysia has a long history of abuses and corruptions by the ruling regime.

Malaysia State of Emergency 2021

Malaysians would not have been bored sitting at home even if the country has been going through several series of lockdowns during the last one year as a consequence of Covid-19 pandemic. The latest excitement is the national State of Emergency (Darurat in Malay), the first in 50 years. Your read it right. The country is having Emergency for 7 months till 1 August 2021. It may sound like the cause of pandemic but it is not. Malaysia has more than enough laws to handle infectious diseases with Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and the Police Act 1967 whereby the government is able to issue Movement Control Order (cordon sanitaire) to control movement of people and enforce lockdowns.

The only Emergency before the country is the emergency felt by the prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin after losing the majority support of the people's representatives in the parliament. It is emergency because he is losing his job. The only way to arrest the problem is to declare State of Emergency to prevent parliament from convening whereby vote of no confidence can be tabled against the prime minister.

You will not find that many democratic countries, if any, which are enforcing Emergency rule because the prime minister is losing his job. Why should him still be prime minister if he does not command the majority support of parliamentarians? Well... His supporters say it is because he cares. Yes, in the name of 'he cares', he can continue to rule the country without democracy or any kind of checks and balances of the lawmakers.

Remember this: if you care, you should be prime minister too!  😜  

Would you not care?!?

It is of no surprise if there is a 'musical chair ' game for Malaysian prime ministership, so many Malaysians care ! Perhaps, it is more democratic if you care more... 💁