Intrigue in KL

That’s is the headlines as reports are coming in that the elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. In a perfectly staged assassination, Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un fell ill at the airport after being sprayed with some sort of chemical.

Reports has it that 2 female assassins staged the most daring assassination and South Korea has immediately point the finger at Kim Jong-Un for ordering the hit. That may be true, considering the relationship between the two half-brothers, the North Korean leader has to be suspect No. 1, but that doesn’t answer the question of “why” and “why now”?

Kim Jong Nam is no threat to Kim Jong Un, and in all previous reports, he didn’t even want the job of being the North Korean leader. So even in the murky world of North Korean politics, there’s a big mystery on why would Kim Jong Un ordered the risky assassination of a non-threat? 

It just makes no sense but then this is a man who had killed his uncle before so no one is about to give him the benefit of the doubt. Too bad that unlike spy novels, in real-life, we may never get the answer of why. 

The 1MDB Verdict

Last month, I laughed at the verdict given to Yak Yew Chee. The private banker was jailed18 weeks on fraud charges relating to Malaysia's 1MDB financial scandal. He was also fined $24,000. His crime; being paid $7.5 million for helping with a transfer of $110 million.

Even writing this, I’m having an urge to laugh. A fine of $24,000 for being paid $7.5 million? 18 weeks jail for a fraud that was $110 million? That’s laughable right? Well, it seems I had laughed too early because the sentence to the second person convicted in the mess that is 1MDB is even funnier.

Yvonne Seah, a former director at the Singapore branch of Swiss bank BSI, helped forge documents and failed to report suspicious money transfers from accounts allegedly linked to Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho. She pleaded guilty. Her sentence was a fortnight in jail and a fine of $10,000.

Seriously, I don’t know why the Singapore courts bother. Billions were misappropriated from the Malaysian state fund and these guys helped to the tune of $110 million. The sentences were weeks and their fines were like less than 1% of the money they took.

Now that’s a laugh. Like I said earlier…why bother? 

Not Missing The Boat

Well , that didn’t take long. Just a day after the US Justice Department move to seize more than $1 billion in assets due to the scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Singapore has gotten into the act.

Singapore said that it had seized S$240 million in assets from individuals linked to alleged fraud at 1MDB. The Monetary Authority of Singapore said that bank accounts of about S$120 million in the accounts and properties belonged to Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho and his immediate family was seized and their ability to deal in properties were curtailed.

Needless to say, this is just a drop in the bucket when you consider that more than $3.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB but it does seem that Singapore is afraid to miss the boat and is now making their claim of the money. 

Too bad for the people of Malaysia I guess; whether it’s with the US government, the Singapore government, or in the bank accounts of corrupt Malaysian “businessmen”, they are not going to see the money anytime soon. 

The 1MDB Seizure

The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) saga just will not end. I think it goes without saying that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak just want everyone to forgot about the issue but it's just not happening. Worse is that he has now been officially linked to the billions of dollars that were siphoned off.

The US Justice Department has officially moved to seize more than $1 billion in assets including luxury real estate and a jet allegedly bought with money pilfered from the 1MDB state investment fund. The news came after a months-long international FBI probe and according to court filings made, the US alleged that billions of dollars were siphoned off by Najib's stepson, Riza Aziz, a family friend and other officials.

This is big because this is the first time anyone has tried to take back money from 1MDB. Switzerland and Singapore have frozen millions of dollars worth of assets on suspicion of 1MDB-related embezzlement and money-laundering, but no one has went for the money yet. Also, no major figures have been brought to justice. That too might change.

However US Attorney General Loretta Lynch did pull some punches. The US never refer to Najib by name, instead going for "Malaysian Official 1," Described as a "high-ranking official" in the Malaysian government with control over 1MDB, "Malaysian Official 1" was the "ultimate beneficiary" of bank local Malaysia bank account which held tens of millions of allegedly misappropriated funds.

We all know who she as referring to but considering the man is Prime Minister of Malaysia, I think it's understandable why he wasn't explicitly named. Still, the US has made their move. Now the big question is whether other countries will follow. 

1MDB Default

Sometimes, you just have to give it to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. He just can't catch a break. He had done everything, and I do mean everything, he can to stay in power but the hits just keep on coming. The saga of scandal-ridden Malaysian investment fund 1MDB just refuses to go away for the man.

With all the moving parts of 1MDB, here now comes another one. 1MDB is accused of being in default. Worse, they are accused of being in default to the tune of $1.1 billion!

Under a 2012 agreement, a government-backed investment fund in the United Arab Emirates, Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), guaranteed 1MDB bonds hich were then valued at US$3.5 billion. In return, 1MDB agreed to make payments as collateral to IPIC's subsidiary Aabar.

Then in May 2015, IPIC agreed to provide US$1 billion in cash as well as assume US$3.5 billion of 1MDB debt in exchange for assets which have not been named. The UAE fund was also to forgive an undisclosed amount of debt owed to IPIC by 1MDB. IPIC now claims that the Malaysians has failed obligations including the repayment of just over $1.1 billion plus interest under terms drawn up in that agreement in May 2015.

1MDB had challenged IPIC's position by claiming they had made payment as stated in the agreement. Problem for 1MDB is that no one seems to be able to prove 1MDB's position that the payment had been made. 1MDB says the payment was made to a company in the British Virgin Islands, Aabar Investments PJS Ltd. IPIC says that company does not belong to them and well...all the paperwork shows that they are right. Aabar Investments PJS Ltd does not belong to IPIC. So if 1MDB had been paying; who the hell have they been paying to? Are they lying that they had been paying or have 1MDB been tricked?

Either way, it doesn't look good for Najib. So you have to feel for the man. All his work to stay in power could now go to waste. And you know what's the worst thing about it all? No one will be feeling sorry for him.

The Funny 1MDB Case

Welcome to the party, Hong Kong!

That's my immediate thought when I read that the Hong Kong police are the latest to publicly say that they are investigating transactions linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. This comes soon after similar statements from Switzerland and Singapore.  

According to the spokesman of the Hong Kong police, their investigations are on a report lodged on August 30 last year on deposits of more than US$250 million (RM1.03 billion), allegedly owned by businessman Low Taek Jho. This follows the Swiss attorney-general's office revelations last month that they are investigating some US$4 billion (RM16.8 billion) that were misappropriated from Malaysian state companies and the Singapore's Monetary Authority (MAS) publicly admitting that they were cooperating with authorities in Malaysia, Switzerland and the United States on the investigations into 1MDB.

So now you have Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States investigating into 1MDB...but not Malaysia because according to the Malaysian attorney-general (A-G) Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, there's no case! Now that's funny. Try as they might, it's seems that foreign governments are not going to allow Malaysian Prime Minister Najib to sweep the case to the back burner.

Color of Voices

Currently, it seems all the news coming out of Malaysia has been bad. However with Chinese New Year is just around the corner, a capella group from Kuala Lumpur has gave Malaysian some good festive cheer with a capella medley that had captured the imagination.

The group is call "Color of Voices" and their Chinese New Year medley features a mix of popular Chinese New Year tunes, such as, chun dao ren jian (the arrival of spring), xi qing xin nian le (celebrate the new year bliss), gong xi fa cai (wishing you prosperity) and he xin nian (new year blessings). Not only did they get Malaysians in the festive mood, the group has captured the imagination with their diverse background.

Just a week after the upload, the video has garnered more than 18,000 views on Youtube and more than 13,000 views on Facebook. So what are you waiting for? See it here at ColorofVoices.

What's Good for the Goose is Good for the Gander

What's the difference between a donation and corruption? In Malaysia, there's none. At least according to a Malaysian lawyer who is defending a client on charges of corruption.

Mohd Yahya Mat Sahri, a special officer to former Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, faced charges for accepting a RM50,000 political donation. Acting for Yahya is lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon who say the case should be thrown out because "political donations" are not against the law in Malaysia.

Yahya has already been sentenced to two years jail and two strokes of the rota for the case but on appeal, Mr. Manjeet say the case should be thrown out. To no one's surprise, Mr. Manjeet cited Malaysian Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali's refusal to frame charges against the Malaysian Prime Minister for accepting RM2.6 billion in political donation from the Saudi royal family. 

Manjeet then produced the Dewan Rakyat hansard on December 2 last year where Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi told the house that there was no law to stop anyone from accepting donations for political purposes. To Mr. Manjeet, if both the AG and the Deputy Prime Minister say that political donations are legal, then his client has no case to answer. 

Sadly, he is right. If the Malaysian Prime Minister gets a free pass for RM2.6 BILLION, what the hell is RM50,000? It's not even 1%! In all fairness, Mohd Yahya Mat Sahri need to be set free. After all, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Case Closed!

To no one's surprise, Malaysian Attorney-General Tan Sri Apandi Ali has decided to end all investigations into the allegations of financial improprieties of Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

As many of you would recall, the Malaysian PM had nearly US$700 million (then estimated at RM2.6 billion) channelled into his personal accounts allegedly through state investment arm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). PM Najib admitted as much but claimed he has never used public money for "private gains". After months of stop-start investigations, including the "retirement" of the previous AG, AG Apandi (who was appointed to his role by PM Naijb at the height of the scandal) now says he has found no criminal offence in the RM2.6 billion "donation". He also said the money was a "donation" from the Saudi royal family and that PM Najib had returned a sum of RM2.03 billion to its donors in August 2013 as they were "unused".

The problem for PM Najib and the AG? No one believe them!

The "donation" alibi is widely dismissed by Malaysians, even within Malaysian's ruling party UMNO. Not only that, foreign governments are now looking into 1MDB-related overseas fund flows due to the scandal. The governments of Switzerland, the UK, the US, Singapore and even China (OK, Hong Kong) are all looking into the matter. So the Malaysian AG's decision means less than nothing in the wider context of the 1MDB scandal.

In fact, I think the only one that will be happy about his decision is the Malaysian opposition!

Think about it. Every poll in Malaysia shows PM Najib's popularity hovering around the 25% mark. Low oil prices has gotten the Malaysian economy into trouble, and the AG's decision to close the case will only heighten public discontent.

With elections due by 2018, and with PM Najib at the helm, the Malaysian opposition will now have a great chance of unseating the government. Hell, they already won the popular vote in the previous election and that was before the 1MDB saga. If I'm an opposition member in Malaysia, I want Najib to be in power in 2018. I want his baggage, his cronyism, and the 1MDB front and center in the election battle of 2018.  

If I'm an opposition member in Malaysia, I will be cheering for Najib from now till 2018.

Singapore Out Of The Malaysian Super League

Singapore will no longer be in the Malaysia Cup. 4 years after returning to the Malaysian League, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced that Singapore will not be invited back next year for the Malaysian Super League. 

A lot of people were surprised by this, and I count myself among them. However what surprised me was the timing of the announcement, the current season is still on-going, and not the announcement itself. I always though Singapore's return to the Malaysian League was going to be a short affair and I was right. I never thought Singapore will be in the Malaysian League for the long term because well...I can't see what Malaysia is getting out of the deal?

The LionsXII participation in the Malaysian Super League got great interest in Singapore. Malaysian side Harimau Muda entry in the S.League is an after-thought. When Singapore left in 1994, Malaysian football survived and some would argued even thrived. The S-League is, and some would argued always has been, on life-support. We Singaporeans like to blow our own horn but the fact is that Singapore football need the Malaysian Super League far more than Malaysia need Singapore. They sure as hell don't need the local S-League. 

So the FAM decision does not surprise me. They are getting little to no return with Singapore's return to the Malaysian League so they are making the only decision that makes sense to them. Truthfully, looking at it from their point of view, they made the correct decision.  

What A Joke!

The joke that is 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) just does not stop. Former Umno branch leader Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang were charged today with (get this) attempting to sabotage the Malaysian economy and the country's financial and banking system.

How did they attempt to do this? Well according to the Malaysian prosecution, led by deputy public prosecutors Masri Mohd Daud and Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, the duo did so by attempting to tell the truth! The duo are accused of committing the offence in France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore, between June 28 and August 26 this year‎ when Datuk Khairuddin made several police reports in these countries.

So in short, the duo are detained for…making police reports! The Malaysian Central Bank, Bank Negara, reported that 1MDB had secured three of its permits to transfer US$ 1.83 billion out of Malaysia, based on inaccurate or incomplete disclosure of information which breached domestic regulations, and the Malaysian prosecution decided not to take any legal action even though it's clear that 1MDB had flouted the Malaysian financial and banking regulations.

Then they turn around and charged 2 guys for making police reports? It is almost as if they don’t want anyone to report on 1MDB, doesn’t it? 

Another Missing Billion

10 days ago, the respected Wall Street Journal reported that US$1.4 billion (RM6.02 billion) was missing from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The money was supposed to be payment from 1MDB to an Abu Dhabi state investor’s subsidiary, but the payment in November 2014 was missing.

Today The Wall Street Journal reported that another US$1 billion is missing. 

According to the newspaper, IPIC (a United Arab Emirates state investment vehicle) had guaranteed US$3.5 billion in bonds that 1MDB issued to finance the purchase of power plants in 2012. In return for the guarantee, IPIC got an option to buy a 49% stake in the power plants as well as collateral for the bond. 

1MDB reported it repaid IPIC US$1 billion for the guarantee, but IPIC insist it never receive the payment. Officers in the UAE are now trying to trace the US$993 million that 1MDB reportedly paid to IPIC. This on top of the missing US$1.4 billion means a total of US$2.4 billion are missing.

Wait a minute; didn't Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak say that the RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal accounts ahead of the 2013 general election was "donated" by a Middle-Eastern donor? The currency used is different but the numbers match (2.4 vs 2.6). So does that means we now know who this donor from the Middle-East is?

Unfortunately, the UAE is saying the money wasn't "donated" but is "missing". It is any surprise that UAE are now trying desperately to get out of their deals with Malaysia and 1MDB? Seems the 1MDB fiasco has caused Malaysia a friend in the Middle-East. 

Riot In Shah Alam Stadium

Just when it seems it can't get any worse for Malaysia, now their football fans have rioted! Malaysia’s World Cup qualifier with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday was halted when fans threw flares onto the pitch. Malaysia was trailing 2-1 when the game was suspended in the 88th min. 

Fans has been unhappy since last week's 10-0 defeat to UAE which caused former coach Dollah Salleh to resign, but that does not give them any right to riot. As unhappy as the fans are, they need to understand the simple fact that they were facing one of Asia's top teams. Saudi Arabia is ranked much higher than Malaysia and a 2-1 defeat to them is hardly a disgrace. I will admit I did not see the game but even at home, a 2-1 loss is not a reason for a riot. 

Worse is the fact that the fans even attacked Saudi supporters at the match. Unconfirmed reports said two Saudi supporters were attacked. Malaysian Police had said that 11 people had been arrested on charges of rioting. That's good and well but things may get a lot worse for Malaysian football once the Asian Football Confederation gets a report on the riot. 

And honestly, the Malaysian will have no one to blame but themselves. 

So What?

With the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal in full flow, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is in desperation need of a win. He didn't get it from the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission. 

Yesterday, the commission says its investigation has shown that the RM2.6 billion deposited into the account of the PM was from donors, and not 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds. The anti-graft body also stressed that it was not involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the government and that it's investigation was conducted independently, professionally and in a transparent manner.

Now no one truly believe that the commission is independent but even with it's report yesterday, PM Najib is still in a lot of problem. The simple fact is, even if all the money were from donors, so what? The money was put into the personal account of the PM and that's already unacceptable in all levels. I mean someone decide to donate billions to the PM who also happens to be the Finance Minister. How is that okay? 

Of course it's not. It's not even close to being right. The money was in his personal account and that's wrong period. The fact that the money was not from 1MDB or that PM Najib never used them for "personal gain" is totally beside the point. 

The money was in his personal account. That's wrong. 

Election Bought/Sold

One of the strangest things about the current scandal engulfing Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is how strong his support has been within his own party. As bad as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal has been, PM Najib’s support in Barisan Nasional (BN) has been very strong.

It seems we now have the reason why.

According to the Citizens For Accountable Governance Malaysia (CAGM), a non-governmental organization, the money that had been in PM Najib’s account were channeled to component parties of BN in the run-up to the 13th general election in 2013. The CAGM were used to “greased the wheels” of election machinery to ensure victory for the BN.

Now throwing money around during election time is no surprise, it happen in every country, but what’s surprising is the numbers involved. According to CAGM, the 13 BN component parties each received an average of RM30 million to RM50 million, and the rest of the funds were given to more than a dozen BN-friendly parties and NGOs.

This, if true, would explain a few things. One; why US$700 million (RM2.67 billion) were channeled into two of PM Najib's accounts. Two; why no one in the Malaysian government has demanded that the PM step down. And three; why PM Najib’s insistence that he did not have or use the money for "his personal gain" has not been challenged by anyone in BN.

If this report from CAGM is true, then one thing is clear. The BN should not be the government of Malaysia. They bought the election in 2013, to the tune of US$700 million, and even then they lost the popular vote! Malaysia now needs a new general election, hopefully this time it will be one where it won’t be bought. 

The Never-ending Saga of 1MDB

Debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) have been a millstone around the neck of Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for months, and it is about to get worse.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the Sarawak Report, investigations into 1MDB have allegedly uncovered that US$700 million (RM2.67 billion) has been channeled into the personal accounts of PM Najib. Both WSJ and the Sarawak Report are quoting from documents from the 1MDB probe that is being carried out by the Malaysian government, and the Sarawak Report even claimed that the Attorney-General was aware of the information.

Wow! This is huge. US$700 million is no small figure and what's more is that the report came from the WSJ. WSJ is no sleazy tabloid or some opposition mouthpiece; it is a very respected paper with over a century of history so it's hard to see them going to print with this story without some hard evidence to back it up. Also with this report, 1MDB has just become an international case. 

If the WSJ is going with the story, then it means 1MDB has gotten attention not just in Malaysia and the region, but also throughout the world. PM Najib could ignore the international attention but that still means he has a lot of questions to answer, especially the allegations from WSJ that a transaction of US$61 million was transferred to his account in March 2013, two months before the last Malaysian general election. 

Naturally, Putrajaya has denied the reports, insisting that the PM has not taken any funds for personal use but this case has just gotten bigger and bigger every month. The Malaysians need to nip this case in the bud quickly and if this means getting rid of Najib...well, from the 1MDB saga, that might not be a bad thing for Malaysia. 

Overseas Excursions Should Continue

Should parents still allow kids to go on overseas excursions? In many ways I guess this question is inevitable in the light of the Sabah earthquake. Some people are questioning the need for overseas school excursions after several schoolchildren died in the earthquake last week.

Now even though I do not believe anyone is to blame for the deaths of the children, I won't say such questions are unreasonable. After all, there is almost no question that it is safer to just conduct camps and events in Singapore than overseas. Things are certainly safer and more controlled in Singapore than in other countries within Southeast Asia. However, even though I understand why questions are being asked, my answer is that overseas school excursions should continue. 

The simple fact is that Singapore schoolchildren has been going for overseas excursions for years already and the vast majority of times, none of the children come back with any injury. As sad it is, it would not be incorrect to say that the children from Tanjong Katong Primary School were unlucky. They just happened to be on Mount Kinabalu when the earthquake struck and there's not much anyone can do in an earthquake when you are on a mountain. 

Children had went overseas in the past and there had been no problems. There's no reason for the MOE (Ministry of Education) to change the rules over one sad incident.

No One Is To Blame

Last week, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Malaysian state of Sabah. Some Singaporeans were caught in the earthquake and 6 children, 2 teachers, and 1 climbing instructor are now either dead or missing.

Most of the dead and missing were part of a school trip climbing Mount Kinabalu. As the surviving Singaporeans return to Singapore, some are wondering if the Mount Kinabalu tragedy could have been avoided. My answer to that is an unfortunate “No”.

Now I had read about complaints some Singaporeans had about the route the children were taking but I feel that’s an argument given in hindsight of the earthquake. To my knowledge, there are 2 ways up Mount Kinabalu. A walking trek up the mountain, or a climbing route where climbers scale metal rungs punched into Mount Kinabalu’s cliffs. The children were on the climbing route and some Singaporeans have said that the children would probably have survived if they were walking up the mountain.

True but that’s the result of hindsight when we know of the earthquake that hit Sabah. The route the children were taking was a relatively easy route that’s suitable even for 10-year-olds. Surely 12-year-old Singaporean can take it right?

It is always sorrowful when people die, especially children as young as 12, but an earthquake is a natural disaster. No one could have predicted that the earthquake would have hit just as the children were climbing the mountain. This is a tragedy but there’s no one to blame for it, it’s a natural disaster. 

In A Word; NO!

With the world's attention on Europe's problem with illegal migrants coming from the Middle East and North Africa, Southeast Asia is now facing it's own problems with illegal migrants. Ethnic Rohingyas are escaping Myanmar in boats heading towards Malaysia and Indonesia. 

Malaysia's Prime Minister, Najib Razak, had already publicly said that Malaysia will seek the help of Myanmar to address the unfolding "humanitarian catastrophe" and behind the scenes, Indonesia and Thailand are also reported to be pressing Myanmar to resolve the issue. Will it work? 

In a word; NO! 

The problem is that Myanmar has no desire to solve it's problems with the ethnic Rohingya population. Its government routinely denies the Rohingya Muslims citizenship, even if they were born in Myanmar. To Myanmar's government, they don't have a Rohingya problem because there's no such thing as a ethnic Rohingya population in Myanmar. To them, Rohingya Muslims are part of Bangladesh's problems, not theirs. The fact that the Rohingya Muslims are born and live in Myanmar does not matter to them. Already, the Myanmar government had rejected a call from Thailand for a regional summit on the issue, saying it was not their problem. 

With it's infamous non-interference policy, will the nations of Southeast Asia be able to force Myanmar to own up to the problem? In a word; NO!

Not Found

On March 8th 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared. The Boeing 777 was carrying 239 people, mostly Chinese nationals, from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared, It has not been found since.

This was not through the lack of trying. At one point, 26 countries were involved in the search efforts and a year after the disappearance, the search is still ongoing. However, things on that front might be changing. Although Malaysia has pledged to continue searching, the simple fact of the matter is that the chances of finding the plane is now very small. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, being the blunt man that he is, has publicly said that the search for Flight MH370 cannot continue at its current intensity “forever”, 

Unfortunately, he is right. I agree that the family of the people in the plane deserved to know what happened to their love ones, but if the plane has still not been found...chances are that it won't be found unless someone gets very lucky. Not helping matter is the confusion on where the plane was when it disappeared. 

The last voice contact from Flight MH370 was taken less than an hour after take-off at 1.19am and the commercial jet fell off the radar in the next two minutes, after which it was claimed that it diverted from its flight path and flew west across the Malaysian peninsula. Something the Malaysian government only notice after the plane was reported missing! 

So I'm sorry for the loved ones of the victims but facts are facts. I hope I am wrong but a year after the tragedy, I think Flight MH370 is probably not going to be found.