Singapore charges Zulfikar Shariff with passport offences : More complications for PM in waiting Anwar Ibrahim, adviser Rahim Ghouse

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

ChannelNewsAsia has reported: 

A man who was detained in 2016 under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was charged on Thursday (Oct 8) with lying in his passport application.

Mohamad Shariff Zulfikar (aka Zulfikar Shariff) , a 49-year-old Australia citizen, was charged in the State Courts with one count of making a false statement in connection with a Singapore passport application.

He is accused of falsely declaring that he had not acquired another citizenship while applying for a Singapore passport on Dec 11, 2013. The declaration was made via an electronic application, the charge sheet said.

Shariff was detained under the ISA in July 2016 for terrorism-related activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs said then.

He influenced others with radical messages and material he propagated online, including “numerous Facebook postings glorifying and promoting Isis and their violent actions, while exploiting religion to legitimise the terrorist activities of ISIS”.


He had embarked on the path of radicalism as early as 2001 after reading jihadi-related material, said MHA, supporting terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and the Jemaah Islamiyah, and advocating Muslims to take up arms in Afghanistan after the Sep 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the US.

According to MHA, Shariff resettled his family in Australia in 2002 and continued to pursue radical ideology.

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the works of Zulfikar Shariff, going back to the matter of Commercial IBT, Anwar Ibrahim and Rahim Ghouse.

TO BE READ WITH 

Friday, June 14, 2019

Singapore's custody of Zulfikar Shariff provides leverage over Rahim Ghouse,adviser to Wan Azizah,and Anwar Ibrahim

by Ganesh Sahathevan

11:04 PM - 19 Aug 2013-Tweet from Saifuddin Nasution,happy that he is buying durian in the
company of Dr Rahim Ghouse(left).

This writer noted recently that Singapore holds a vital part of Malaysian PM In Waiting Anwar Ibrahim's succession plans,as a consequence of its custody of one Zulfikar Shariff.

It was reported that while in Melbourne Zulfikar was second-in-command to one Dr Rahim Ghouse who he helped manage the USD 8 Billion Commercial IBT.

These days Ghouse spends more time Kuala Lumpur where he  is  adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, but of  course Ghouse is better known as PM In Waiting Anwar Ibahim's adviser, manager and closest confidante.

Zulfikar himself was actively by involved in the '98 Reformasi movement, having at that time a job in Kuala Lumpur.It is understood that he was introduced to Ghouse and associates during that time,and that it was those connections that made his escape in 2002 ,with wife and family, to Melbourne, a possibility. 

Ghouse has not been sitting idle while in exile,keeping himself busy plotting Anwar's return, among other things. He has nevertheless kept a low profile, so there is much that the Singaporeans can learn from Zulfikar Shariff.

END 

ICIJ video explains how US banks correspondent accounts are used by regional banks outside the US to launder money: Why the USD 681 Million transfer from Falcon Bank in Singapore into Najib Razak's AMBank account via Wells Fargo should have been rejected by ANZ, and reported to AUSTRAC

 By Ganesh Sahathevan 

                                            Watch: How money is laundered through New York banks

The ICIJ video above explains how US banks allow their correspondent accounts to be used by regional banks outside the US to launder money.

As readers will be aware, USD 681 Million in 1MDB money was transferred from Falcon Bank in Singapore into Najib Razak's AMBank account via Wells Fargo. The video explains why that transfer was inherently dangerous given the Singapore-New York-KL route. It should have been rejected by ANZ,who managed AMBank at the relevant time, and reported to AUSTRAC.

TO BE READ WITH 

FinCEN Files: The real story may be in what the banks did not disclose; Wells Fargo-AmBank USD 681 Million 1MDB "donation" transaction might be an example of the magnitude of what has not been disclosed

Thursday, July 9, 2020

ANZ sacks Singapore based Head Of Global Credit Bogac Ozedemir, for criticising China: Sacking adds to ANZ's complicity in Malaysia's 1MDB theft & the attempted cover-up by Chinese Government companies

by Ganesh Sahathevan

ANZ Chairman David Gonski and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian



The following has been reported in The Telegraph (UK): 


Bogac Ozdemir,a top trader and star performer with Australia’s ANZ bank.....was the Global Head of Rates and Credit at the Singapore office of ANZ – one of the largest Australian banks and one of the country’s biggest companies. Their most profitable individual trader, Ozdemir was promoted rapidly. He made hundreds of millions of dollars for the bank and its shareholders, and turned around unprofitable departments.

However, his star performance was not enough to save him from the rage of the CCP when in a post on LinkedIn discussing the approach of different governments to coronavirus in March 2020 he said, ““I don’t want to say anything about China because we are all in this mess because of China and I don’t believe anything from there.”

ANZ, apparently unfamiliar with Chinese government information warfare tactics or simply lacking the strength to stand by its employee, meekly threw their top performer under the bus. They issued a statement declaring that Ozdemir’s comments “showed a distinct lack of judgement”, pledging “a full inquiry” and effectively publicly buying into Chinese disinformation by branding him a racist too in asserting that “ANZ promotes a culture of respect and multiculturalism and the comment was clearly not in keeping with our standards.” Ozdemir was asked to remove the LinkedIn post and placed on “special leave”, with rumours circling in the financial world that he has been fired.

That ANZ should go to such extremes to keep the Communist Party China happy even as it withdraws from former CEO Mike Smith's Asian Expansion, is incomprehensible but it does raise further questions about the extent of ANZ's involvement in Malaysia's 1MDB theft. As readers will be aware, the Chinese Government played an active part in former PM Najib Razak's attempted cover-up of that theft. Najib's private banking account at the ANZ managed AmBank was Ground Zero of that theft.

TO BE READ WITH 

Sarawak Report provides even more revelations about John Holland parent CCCC and its part in Xi Jingping's Silk Road aka Belt & Road project: Details suggest that Australian Government intelligence on the Belt & Road project is false

ALSO FROM SARAWAK REPORT 

Deafening Silence Out Of Australia Over 1MDB's Connection To Top Bank ANZ

• 25 January 2019
   

Today the Bloomberg news service released details from Malaysian investigations into a matter long suspected by observers of the 1MDB scandal, namely hanky panky surrounding the original bonds raised in May 2009 by AmBank to launch the fund’s forerunner the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA).

Those bonds worth RM5 billion ($1.2 billion) were originally sold by the sovereign fund at a considerable discount of 13%, despite an usually attractive high rate of interest.  That meant a considerable loss to the fund and many have questioned whether intermediaries had stood to benefit.

The advisor to the fund was PM Najib Razak’s proxy Jho Low and today’s leaked information to Bloomberg has apparently confirmed an extraordinary pattern of dealmaking by AmBank on the bonds that enabled Jho to skim a whopping $126 million from the fund out of those sales.

Thanks to close orchestration by a number of parties, which appears to have included banking officials, 3.8billion ringgit of the original TIA notes were sold to a Thai company called Country Group Securities at a discounted rate of 87 ringgit for 100 (the remainder of the issue was bought by a Singapore company and the bank itself at the same discount rate).

Yet, within 24 hours all these bonds had been resold by those parties for a fat profit, according to documents obtained by investigators.  AmBank apparently assisted in arranging those instant resales for 100 ringgit to 105 ringgit to local investors.

Following which, lo and behold, Country Group issued a third-party transfer instruction to AmBank to pay $113 million of the windfall to a Singapore company named ACME Time, which Sarawak Report has already identified as being under the control of Jho Low through his proxy Eric Tan.  A further $12.6 million was paid to ACME Time in July 2009.

AmBank, which had bought RM500 million of the bonds at the same discount was also in position to have made a similar huge sum, which must certainly have generated good bonuses. RM700 million went to the Singapore company.

So, unless the Bloomberg story is entirely false, despite providing the most likely explanation for the strange pattern of sales, AmBank was involved every step of the way and also involved in the profiteering. It makes its position every bit as awkward as that of Goldman Sachs, which performed a similar role during the later bond issues by 1MDB leading to investigations by the FBI leading to criminal charges from Malaysia as well.

ANZ Bank Is Largest Shareholder of AmBank

This is not the only embarrassing 1MDB related matter that has entangled AmBank. The bank was also the key player in the buy out of UBG by a bogus subsidiary of 1MDB’s first bogus joint venture partner, oil firm PetroSaudi thereby netting healthy profits for Jho again, who had invested in the Chief Minister of Sarawak’s family company.

During that sale Sarawak Report has detailed how faced with political pressure the bankers involved overlooked time and again glaring irregularities, including the fact that the so-called PetroSaudi subsidiary that was allegedly buying UBG was in fact an entirely separate bogus off-shore company trading off an identical name.

None of this could have escaped the scrutiny of the hierachy of AmBank in KL, particularly given the massive sums involved. These were the top deals at the bank at the time. And it is this fact that demands an investigation and explanation from the Australian financial regulators known as  ASIC, because the majority shareholder of AmBank is the leading Australian bank ANZ.

Sarawak Report has already pointed out along with others that all the top ranking officials stationed to managed AmBank in KL were on secondment from ANZ’s Sydney headquarters, a matter advertised as a badge of strong managment by the then Head of ANZ, Mike Smith, who had presided over the expansion of ANZ into Southeast Asia.

Mike Smith, like Goldman Sach’s Lloyd Blankfein, surprised many by taking an early departure from his Chief Executive’s post, just as the 1MDB issue started to hot up around his bank. A number of other key Australian executives have also moved on to greater things, including the former AmBank Chief Financial Officer, who has taken up a leading job in another financial group. The AmBank CEO of the time Ashok Ramamurthy relocated back to Sydney early.

However, despite persistent and compelling information that all such senior officials in KL along with ANZ’s own top brass had to have known about the massive transactions and also the huge sums that later poured into Najib’s own personal account at AmBank, there has been no announcement of an official enquiry by ASIC or investigations into malpractice.

Mike Smith’s successor as CEO Shayne Elliott told Australian MPs when questioned that ANZ’s seconded staff in KL had no duty to report back to ANZ or apparent duty to maintain standards of due diligence, despite ANZ’s largest single 20% shareholding in the bank:

“Once those employees are seconded there, they essentially sever their ties with ANZ almost 100 per cent,”

That claim by the bank’s head honcho was made in October 2016, since when the full nature of the scandal has become increasingly and unavoidably clear. Other banks have been investigated, punished, fined by different regulators and Goldman has apologised and admitted money was misappropriated from the bonds it raised.

Sarawak Report has also showed that ANZ’s own PR has contradicted the claim about the severing of ties:

“Mr Ramamurthy will also report to ANZ” – not so ‘severed’ after all!

The Australian prime minister at the time of the 1MDB misappropriations, Tony Abbott, tweeted his disappointment that Najib Razak (whom he described as a ‘good friend to Australia’) was defeated on May 9th.

However, Abbott’s successors ought to wake up to the fact that matters have moved on and slowly and inexorably investigators from the new government of Malaysia are turning up the details of exactly what happened at AmBank during the course of the 1MDB scandal.

That looks likely to include ANZ’s role in the affair and in any cover-up conducted by the Australian bank, including failures – deliberate or otherwise – on the part of the Australian regulators.

END 

SEE ALSO 

Gonski, ANZ Board ,Mandy Simpson and other ANZ/AMMB managers caught by extra-territorial reach of Australia's AML/CTF legislation

Australia's judges seem not to understand that rules of evidence are irrelevant in matters of intelligence and national security: ASPI analysis of Zhenhua surveillance can help Their Honours understand why they have been compromised and how brother & sister judges who have chosen to participate in extra-judicial matters may have added to their predicament

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

From left to right: Prof Eugene Clark, Hon George Brandis, Dr Minshen Zhu

The Zhenhua database included a number of Australian judges, and their families.  The consequences as explained by the Australian Strategic  Policy Institute (ASPI) Micheal Shoebridge: 

But the data is open source, so doesn’t that mean it’s okay?

No. The data may be ‘on the internet’ but it’s likely that laws on data access and sharing—such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and privacy principles like those here in Australia, as well as commercial policies and terms—have been wilfully broken to assemble the datasets. Data obtained from the dark web is the most likely to have breached such laws and rules. It’s even more likely laws will be broken by Chinese state entities using the datasets.

And, even if the data is all out there on the internet, aggregating it is a whole different thing. Aggregating lets you see meaning and patterns that are invisible when the information is fragmented and scattered around the globe.

 As to what can be done with that data:

The insights from these datasets are valuable for powering foreign interference by Chinese actors in other states and societies. They are the fuel for Chinese state entities’ covert and corrupting activities, and give these entities an advantage over others. Companies armed with these insights from government can use them to take advantage of competitors and business partners.

The judges trade union, the Judicial Council of Australia (JCA) , told the AFR in response to queries about the list and its consequences: 

A spokesman for the judges' union – the Judicial Council of Australia – said if the list were to be used to undermine that confidence (in the judiciary) , that would be concerning. However, it was not aware of any such usage.

While that response might suffice in a courtroom where the rules of evidence applicable to the court and jurisdiction can take precedence over truth, those rules are wholly and totally irrelevant in matters of intelligence and national security where all that matters is data. 

The judges on the list, and quite likely those not on the list, have been compromised as a result of China's surveillance. Making matters worse is the fact of a number of judges choosing to make extrajudicial comment, and even involve themselves in international affairs. Some examples, as reported on this blog: 

The Economist says Gulen "did much to cripple democracy" in Turkey: Questions for Gulen's high level supporters in Australia, including senior judges, politicians, vice-regal appointees........

Tinker tailor lawyer spy: Secrets of judicial officers spied on may be exploited by thief

 Chinese spies expelled but Communist Partly linked Zhu Minshen & Top Group remain part of NSW & Australia's legal infrastructure, despite historic ASIO, AFP concerns: Singapore's Nanyang Uni strategy provides a solution to the problem , NSW LPAB & Chairman Tom Bathurst who issued and re-issued Zhu's license are part of the problem, must not be granted any immunity from investigation, penalties

 

The stories above demonstrate how Australia's judges have been compromised, and may in fact have contributed to the problem. A solution is required, and it would probably require the resignation of those  exposed.

END 

Prayer to Pope Francis : Cardinals Becciu-Pell linked money transfers out of the Vatican require passive support network analysis currently applied to uncovering jihadi financing, no matter who the Pope fears might be found to have participated in money laundering & money dirtying activities

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

The Pope is seen as surrendering the faithful in China to the Communist Party.There has been an allegation that the Vatican is being paid USD 2 Billion a year to maintain the secret China deal.

The Guardian has reported:

The barrister who led the defence of Cardinal George Pell says an international investigation should be launched into extraordinary claims that bribes were paid to influence the sexual assault case involving the senior Australian cleric.

Italian newspapers have claimed that Cardinal Giovanni Becciu, a rival of Pell, was suspected of paying €700,000 (A$1.1m) to an Australian witness in the case.

Robert Richter QC said it was incumbent on Australian and international authorities to investigate the allegations.

“They are concerning allegations and require thorough investigation of the money trail, wherever that may be,” Richter told Guardian Australia.

This is good advice, but  merely following a paper trail as police prosecutors are likely to do is not likely to reveal much. A complete analysis of all transactions linked to the main transactions in question applying  money laundering and money dirtying investigation methods is required. The techniques must be applied to both active and passive actors in these transactions, and only then can the full extent of the scandal be uncovered.

These methods have been used to successfully uncover, disrupt and curtail terrorist or jihadi financing, addressing the problem at its root. In the case of the Vatican's finances there may well be sources of funding from the Catholic laity that are being diverted into secret accounts that are then used for  illegal purposes.

Pope Francis must order an investigation such as the one proposed above, and be prepared to act against all and any exposed.  

TO BE READ WITH 

If Pope Francis is serious about transparency in financial matters, he will order Carmelo Barbagallo amend and re-issue the Vatican's Financial Information Authority (AIF) 2019 Annual Report :The Vatican's current state of financial reporting resembles Enron

  

Sydney College Of Law sponsors conference on cultural diversity in the legal profession but continues to make outlandish claims about its contribution to Malaysian legal practise-recent business in Malaysia remains unanswered, including the sudden disappearance of its "College Of Law Asia"

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

Sydney's  College Of Law is sponsoring a  conference on cultural diversity in the legal profession (see poster above).

Meanwhile the College  continues to make outlandish claims about its contribution to Malaysian legal practise, akin to colonialists of old who saw themselves as the great white hope of hitherto ignorant natives. The claims have been denied by the relevant Malaysian authorities, including UiTM. 

Adding injury to insult is the College's refusal to answer questions about its business in Malaysia (see story below). These questions concern, among other things, the sudden disappearance of its "College Of Law Asia".

The College Of Law and its senior management have failed to treat  Malaysian lawyers as professional equals. It is hard to see how it can or should play any part in promoting cultural diversity.

TO BE READ WITH 

Bar Council education ‘JV’ must be clarified

By Editor , in Scandal on July 19, 2019 . Tagged width: College of Law , Fareed Gafoor , Malaysian Bar

KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 – The Malaysian Bar Council launched its first education venture, a LLM in Malaysian Legal Practise (LLM), last year in collaboration with the College Of Law Australia.

The LLM does not seem to have the approval of Malaysia’s Legal Professional Qualifying Board (LPQB) but the website for the course, which is hosted in Australia, prominently displays the Bar Council crest.

The crest has not been used before to promote a course of study, and queries put to Bar Council President Fareed Gafoor about the use of the crest have been acknowledged but remain unanswered.

NMT has however sighted an email from Fareed dated Friday, May 24, 2019 with regards the LLM and the use of the crest where he states:

Dear Rajen,

We can’t remain silent on this.

Abdul Fareed Bin Abdul Gafoor

Sent from my iPad

It is understood that “Rajen” refers to  Rajen Devaraj, Chief Executive Officer of the Bar Council Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur.

The Bar has remained silent for nearly 2 months since.

Key person suddenly retired during extensive query

The College of Law used to be represented in Malaysia by its Director, Peter Tritt. Tritt have been queried extensively about the LLM and about the College’s business in Malaysia but has refused to provide answers. Tritt has been based in Kuala Lumpur since 2017 but announced on Friday that he had “retired” from the College on 30 June 2019.

It is understood that Tritt has forwarded queries sent him to his head office in Sydney and hence it appears that Tritt is under orders from his Chief Executive, Neville Carter, to remain silent.

Questionable advertising claims?

In advertising on the College’s website Carter has claimed that he had established a Professional Legal Training course for Malaysian Law students seeking admission to practise in Malaysia. There seems to be no evidence of such a course, or of any national level training course for the existing Certificate of Legal Practise.

Carter has also claimed to have produced the “inaugural” Handbook in Legal Practise for Malaysia, in the late 80s. A search of the main law libraries in Malaysia directed by the Chief Registrar, Federal Court Malaysia, has not found any such handbook.

He has also claimed to have, during that time to have identified and addressed “gaps” in Malaysian legal practise, but not even those in practice during that period and since have ever heard of him. Nor are senior practitioners aware of  “gaps” that needed that to be addressed by external consultants.

As CEO of the College Carter  has ultimate responsibility for the College’s Malaysian operation headed by Tritt and variously named the “College Of Law Asia Pacific” and the “College Of Law Asia”. A search by NMT has not revealed any entities registered under those names in Malaysia or in Australia, not even a foreign entities registered to conduct business in Malaysia.

Meanwhile the College, in collaboration with the Bar Council continues to sell its LLM and other courses in Malaysia, deriving a fee income from Malaysian courses.

-NMT

Anwar Ibrahim may be committing the offence of waging war against the Agong: Ongoing coercion of Agong & his Deputy Sultan Nazrin to declare Anwar as PM to circumvent a vote of confidence before the Dewan Rakyat can be seen as hostile acts against the Agong

by Ganesh Sahathevan 

                                                                    HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
                                                                                              S ULTAN NAZRIN MUIZZUDDIN SHAH

The Leader Of The Opposition Anwar Ibrahim continues with his media campaign to pressure the Agong into granting him an audience, and declaring him the next Prime Minister Of Malaysia. 

He tries to do so rather than move a vote of no confidence against the sitting Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin. He would then need to secure sufficient votes in favour of his prime ministership.  

Unable to secure an audience with the Agong he seems now to have shifted his attention to the Agong's deputy, Sultan Nazrin of Perak.Sultan Nazrin is of course , when serving as Acting Agong, bound by the same rules and conventions as the Agong. It is the office, not the man, that matters, but Anwar seems unable to comprehend the fact.As reported (see below)only the Prime Minister has the right to advice the Agong. 

Meanwhile, the ongoing campaign, waged particularly on social media  to coerce the Agong or his Deputy to declare Anwar as Prime Minister may well be considered a case of waging war against the Agong, which is an offence pursuant to Section 121 of The Penal Code Malaysia.  

TO BE READ WITH 

Monday, September 28, 2020

The Leader Of The Opposition has no right to an audience with The Agong, but the Agong must act on the advice of his Prime Minister : Anwar's attempts to become PM via the palace farcical, given that there is a sitting PM (who is not going anywhere)

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

                                            Al Sultan Abdullah - Foto sumber internet

The comedy of the Malaysian Leader Of The Opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, demanding that the Agong grant him an audience and declare him Prime Minister continues. 

Anwar has given his supporters the impression that the Agong was in a a hurry to see him and install him as prime minister (in place of the sitting prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin); His Majesty however has issued a statement to thank his subjects for their thoughts and prayers, as he continues to regain his fitness.   His Majesty has also advised his subjects to stay safe in the face of COVID.

Anwar Ibrahim, as Leader Of The Opposition, is equal to any of His Majesty's subjects, but he is not the Prime Minister in whom is solely vested the duty to advise His Majesty. That duty includes the duty to advise His Majesty that he has lost the confidence of the majority of the Members of the Dewan Rakyat. There is nothing in The Federal Constitution which provides for anyone, including The Leader Of The Opposition, to advise the Agong of that fact. 

TO BE READ WITH 

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Anwar Ibrahim cannot force an audience on The Agong: Where does it say that the Leader Of The Opposition can demand the Head Of State see him, for any reason ?

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

                                  The Agong need not see Anwar

So much has been said about Anwar Ibrahim's request for an audience with The Agong. The assumption has been that the Agong must grant him an audience. He is however  Leader Of The Opposition and does not ,like the Prime Minister and Cabinet, advise the Agong. He does not therefore have any rights of audience. 

It would be a different matter altogether if the Members of the Dewan Rakyat signal that the sitting Prime Minister no longer commands the confidence of the majority of the members, and that Anwar does instead. 

Meanwhile, the Agomg is not bound by law or convention to grant Anwar an audience, regardless of how loudly Anwar and his supporters demand that the Agong abide by "the procedure". 

The constant references to "PM in waiting" seem to have confused Anwar, and his supporters, and many commentators as to the nature and limits of his position.

TO BE READ WITH 

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Agong insisted on interviewing every MP, after Mahathir resigned in February so why would he accept Anwar's collection of SDs against a sitting Prime Minister?

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

                  

It was not too long ago, in fact just seven months ago in February this year, after then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir handed in his resignation,that the Yang Dipertuan Agong spent his weekend interviewing government MPs to determine how many of them supported Mahathir's successor Muhyiddin Yassin.

Even after he declared that he was satisfied that the numbers were with Muhyiddin, there was dispute about how the Agong conducted himself. 

This time around (as it has been on a number of occasions in the past) Dr Anwar Ibrahim seeks to convince the Agong with a fistful of statutory declarations that he has the numbers to first demand the King sack Muhyiddin, and then appoint him as the next prime minister of Malaysia. 

Given that recent history the Agong cannot really choose on this occasion to accept evidence in the form of statutory declarations. In fact, as explained last year, the statutory declarations do not mean very much.

It is therefore hard to see how Dr Anwar is going to take Parliament without the usual vote of no confidence against the sitting prime minister. 

TO BE READ WITH 

TO BE READ WITH 

Monday, July 8, 2019

Anwar Ibrahim's solid grip on MPs statutory declarations meaningless: SDs cannot be used to secure a promise

by Ganesh Sahathevan



Muhyiddin, Zahid lash out at fake SDs supporting Anwar;

 probe ordered

The denial by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of  having signed  statutory declarations in support of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim taking over as prime minister beginning July 2 is irrelevant even if it were true.

A uniquely Malaysian innovation, the SD pledging support makes for good theater in the land of the wayang kulit, but otherwise means nothing. A SD is, as its name implies,  a declaration that something is true and for that reason its use is limited to declarations that say,  statements regarding ones name, identity or nationality are true. 
It cannot be used to affirm ones support, affection, undying love or loyalty. These are akin to promises, for which there are contracts or deeds.

So, even if Saudara Dr Anwar Ibrahim obtains SDs of support from all MPs, that fact would mean nothing. He would still have to go back to Parliament, move a vote of no confidence against Mahathir, who would then need to advise the Yang DiPertuan Agong  that Parliament should be dissolved and a general election called.

END 

Malaysia (and its Malays) need Mustapa Mohamed like India needed Manmohan Singh in 1991- The country might otherwise never recover from its current Nigerian trajectory

by Ganesh Sahathevan

Mustapa Mohamed
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for
Economic Affairs,

 Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia
 

In 1991 the Indian economy was near death. At that point, Indian politicians understood that they needed a technocrat to manage the country, free of their interference. That man was Dr Manmohan Singh, who then became Prime Minister in 2004, and remained in the job until 2014.


Dr Manmohan was not only without the uusal political resume, he was also not Hindu. India's prime ministers since the days of Nehru had until then always been of the Hindu. That exception not only saved the Indian economy, but then set India on its path to the economic success it enjoys today.


Malaysia today is well and truly on the path to economic ruin. The economy is run not very differently from that of Nigeria, only without that country's oil wealth. Nevertheless, politics (or colloquially "permainan politik takes precedence over all else. The present political preoccupation is with regards the prime ministership, the choices being between a 96 year old, a failed finance minister who would rather quote Shakespeare and an assortment of persons who have been found guilty if not remain charged with financial crimes.


Meanwhile, for apparently political reasons the Member for Jeli and the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Economic Affairs,Mustapha Mohamad, is not even thought of as being worthy of consideration for the position of Minister for Finance, despite his obvious talents(see resume below).

Regardless, Malaysia is at that stage where, if nothing else, for the sake of its affirmative action policies which are considered sacrosanct, politics must take second place to the economy. Consequently, like India in 1991, a technocrat, in this case Mustapha Mohamad, needs to be put in charge of the economy and allowed to repair matters without interference. Malaysian politics is such that only the prime minister can have the power to do so. For that reason Mustapha Mohamad needs to be appointed prime minister. 

What comes after is irrelevant given the desperate state of the economy. Additionally, Malaysia might undergo a transformation so great that politics will be forever changed. 

TOE BE READ WITH 

Mustapa Mohamad-Resume 

Degree (Hons) in Economics, University of Melbourne, Australia; Master's in Economic Development, Boston University, USA. 

1987-95, Political Secretary to the Minister of Finance; 

1991, Senator. 

1991-94, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Finance; 

1994-95, Deputy Minister of Finance; since 1995, Member of Parliament, representing Jeli, Kelantan; 

1995-99, Minister of Entrepreneur Development; 

1998-99, Finance Minister II; 

2000-01, Adviser to the Ministry of Finance; 

2001-04, Executive Director, National Economic Action Council; 

2004-06, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department; 

2006-08, Minister of Higher Education; 

2008-09, Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry. 

Since April 2009, Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia. Author of several books on Malaysian economic policies and politics. 

Recipient: Honorary Doctor of Commerce, University of Melbourne, Australia (1997); Honorary Degree of Law, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom (2005); Honorary Fellow, National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN) (1997).