What I'm driving at is this; is there something Muhyiddin has kept secret from the people, something that had to do with YTL Communications and the award of a project that was once slated to cost Malaysian taxpayers some USD 300 million?

The Third Force

Readers are referred to www.malaysia-today.net/dr-mahathir-and-daim-zainuddin-are-confederates-of-the-fifth-column/, which serves as a prelude to the following:

Villains who twirl moustaches are easy to spot. So it seems. But at times I wonder if UMNO is deliberately turning a blind eye to their misdemeanours for tactical and substantive reasons. And it took a former deputy premier to drive this point through as the nation stood still over what may well have been 'the day Najib shot his deputy'.

It was the 9th of September 2015, and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin proved to Malaysians that he was as indomitable as the pyramids of Giza. The party had just concluded its supreme council meeting when Muhyiddin walked right out of it the same way he walked into it; a deputy president. It was a meeting that stunned the opposition into immobility. It was a sitting that jolted Mahathirists violently out of the land of make-believe.

Let's be frank; it was the mother of all anticlimaxes in UMNO's 27 year history (discounting UMNO lama, of course). Ever since his sacking from government on the 30th of July 2015, the public was imbued with rumours of a conspiracy to blow Muhyiddin's political career to bits. And the supreme council was whispered to be the whip that would lash him right out of character and into oblivion for acts of treason against government (refer link above and www.malaysia-today.net/the-torture-of-raja-petra-kamarudin/).

The rumour was, of course, whispered to UMNO politicians and the media by Muhyiddin himself and certain other persons from the Mahathirist camp. It was a measure of contrivance by the embattled statesman to convince all and sundry that Najib was power crazed and hell bent on destroying his detractors. It was also a ploy by Muhyiddin to impress upon Mahathir that he had what it took to wage vengeance against the Prime Minister despite the odds. Well, that's how the story goes. 

But what transpired thereafter was something nobody could have envisaged. Muhyiddin was given 'assurance' by the supreme council that he was indeed a 'team player' and that there was no reason to sack him from the party. And the fact that the supreme council meeting had turned into an amnesty exercise foiled a no confidence plot Lim Kit Siang was said to have devised with anticipation.

The DAP supremo had apparently 'wagered' a king's ransom on a Muhyiddin ouster simply to stoke a frothy-mouthed frenzy in UMNO. It was part and parcel of a plan to squeeze 35 votes (of no confidence) out of Barisan Nasional (BN) MP's against the Prime Minister. But what the senior DAP politician failed to anticipate was the 'vote of confidence' that was delivered to Muhyiddin by the party's highest decision making body on the 9th of September 2015.

The delegation of council members appeared drawn towards lenity the minute Muhyiddin waved the white flag and pledged loyalty to the party and its cause, as if in remorse. But it was a pledge fraught with irony and in no uncertain terms, sanctimony. Today, Muhyiddin is once again seen flirting with justice as he wades his way into the conscience of UMNO members over the arrests of Dato' Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his de facto lawyer, Matthias Chang. 

In a press conference that was held on the 12th of October 2015, Muhyiddin clearly was in the conciliatory with Tun Dr. Mahathir as the two fraternised to bring mayhem to life within government and UMNO. The fallen heroes charted a rendezvous with Najib as they bludgeoned through administrative scruples over arrests Mahathir claimed were "without any legal basis".

The perfidy notwithstanding, both Muhyiddin and Mahathir seemed grossly misguided into believing that Khairuddin and Matthias were charged under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA), which doesn't say much for their informants who were either ill-informed or, as I am told, of dubious merit. One source seems to think that the informants had conducted Mahathir up the wrong end of the scale, which tilted either way, registered half-truths.

And a truth of omission, however put, is a whole lie. Mahathir and Muhyiddin, along with four other senior Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians now stand liable to charges of indefensibly broadcasting impropriety charges against Najib and government in a manner that was injurious and stood to obstruct the due course of justice.

The act of publicly broadcasting such charges without proper redress to government or authorities to whom they concern also places them under a shadow of doubt over charges of inflaming partisan emotions among the people. But more importantly, it appears that much of what Muhyiddin spewed during the council meeting was a little more than lip service and a whole lot of claptrap.

But the big question remains; why was Muhyiddin spared the gallows? Were council members not in the know of his liaisons with the Confederates of the Fifth Column, or was there really a hidden motive?

The plot thickens..

The supreme council meeting triggered a perfect storm of confusion that prompted Lim Kit Siang to speak his disgust in very slighting syllables. According to the senior DAP leader, the meeting had failed to address controversies that implicated the Prime Minister of impropriety and fraud.

The outburst was an apparent attempt to convolute perception with retort that was meant to make bad of what appeared to look good. It bothered Kit Siang that UMNO had done just the opposite of what he and many others like him had bargained for. Muhyiddin's retention not just as party member but as deputy president had evidently quashed perception that Najib was on a rampage to silence his detractors.

And while Kit Siang cackled like a green feathered demon from the vents of hell, several other oppositionists were equally at sixes and sevens over the outcome of the meeting. Both Dato' Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and Tony Pua were well aware that they'd been hit by a challenge that virtually grounded activities of the Confederates of the Fifth Column.

The confederates were left with the arduous task of deciding if Muhyiddin was still their guy. The former cabinet minister found himself relegated to a lame duck deputy president who could do a little more than be a thorn up the Prime Minister's ass. Kit Siang now realises that Muhyiddin isn't likely to shore up the kind of support the opposition had hoped he would back when it seemed certain that his days in UMNO were numbered.

But not many are aware that when Muhyiddin arrived at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) on the 'fateful' Wednesday, he had pinned his hopes on being sacked from UMNO and declared a martyr by his apologists. It wasn't until paranoia began creeping up on his spine and rested on his shoulders that he sold the confederates out by conceding knowledge of a plot to topple the Prime Minister by artifice.

In other words, Muhyiddin sold Mahathir out. It is said that the former Education Minister cringed at the thought of being arrested on charges of committing lese majesty against the government. Be that as it may, Muhyiddin more or less confessed to the council that he was not just a detractor, but a turncoat party member who was determined to deny the ruling coalition a home run come the 14th general elections. This, of course, brings to question the motives for not sacking Muhyiddin from the party. But I'll address that question soon enough.

As I've said, it appears that things have taken a conciliatory turn for Muhyiddin and Mahathir. Back when the council met, Muhyiddin repudiated claims of there being links between him and the confederates before pledging loyalty to the party and its cause.

However, his seemingly disarming candour became suspect the minute he was seen ingratiating himself with Mahathir during a press conference we can now safely dub as 'the mother of all duds'. Not only did it put to question his commitment to the party and its cause, it evidently raised questions of his links with a confederacy of saboteurs he flatly denied collusions with.

Is there more to Muhyiddin than meets the eye? Specifically, is he all that qualified to seek answers from government over 1MDB or its attendant problems?

What I'm driving at is this; is there something Muhyiddin has kept secret from the people, something that had to do with YTL Communications and the award of a project that was once slated to cost Malaysian taxpayers some USD 300 million?

Stay tuned to find out.

To be continued…

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One way to avoid three-cornered fights in 14 GE is for PAS to concentrate in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis while AMANAH focuses on all the other states, subject to adjustments to the arrangement by two parties

Lim Kit Siang

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Zakiah Koya, The Heat Online

Despite being an elegant rebel in Umno, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah has time and again vouched for his loyalty to the party and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Yet he continued to give his not-so-Umno-like opinions via media and his social accounts. Now, he has openly jumped ship to the opposition and is being unveiled as the biggest catch by PKR from Umno.

With all the media shouting headlines that Saifuddin has joined PKR, it makes one wonder what does Saifuddin have to offer the party? Does he have anything that can topple Umno?

Has he not been already sidelined by Umno since 2013 and also, has he not been speaking his own mind, with him always being one of the first to approach to lambast the way Umno is "doing things"?

Also, what can he possibly bring to PKR which it doesn't already have? The age factor is not on his side either – he is 54. Last but not least, why is PKR so excited for Saifuddin to join PKR after getting the disciplinary letter from Umno?

Never mind if he always wanted to join PKR, but in politics, perception is king.

Saifuddin's political career rose like bread dough does, only to be flattened soon after.

He was once touted as one of the most promising of ministers; when Saifuddin was elected as Temerloh MP, he was immediately made the deputy education minister of higher education by Najib.

However, his outspokenness soon saw him being sidelined in Umno and was relegated to heading the GMM, which was seen as the vehicle of Islamic moderation for Najib in the international arena.

Saifuddin, using the NGO, tried to bring everyone to the same table on issues of the country. Umno loyalists decided that this was just not to be condoned further.

The last straw was when he was seen getting too cosy with the opposition, at a time when the opposition was in disarray.

This was too much for Umno loyalists and Saifuddin was reprimanded – a slap on the wrist nevertheless – with a disciplinary letter.

Joining PKR seemed to be one way of showing the Umno loyalists that if they cannot condone him, then there is always a place for him in the opposition.

But the question is why did Saifuddin keep on with Umno on the table while he footsied with the opposition under it? Was it because he was getting the funds to run GMM, which gave him a voice among the Malays, after losing the MP seat?

Did the funds run out? Or did he suddenly realise that one cannot change Umno from within, just like how Umno founder Datuk Jaafar Onn tried and failed?

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Actually, the Chinese supported DAP and not PAS from the very beginning. The only reason the Chinese voted for PAS was because DAP told them to. A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP, or a vote for DAP's friend. In that same spirit the Malays voted for DAP for the same reason. So the question is: will PAS lose more Chinese votes than DAP losing Malay votes? Time, of course, will tell.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

"Is Hadi's courtship of Perkasa a mistake?" asked K. H. Su in an article published in Free Malaysia Today (READ HERE). In that article, Su said:

Hadi Awang, who for so long unabashedly played footsie with UMNO, even when his party was still in Pakatan Rakyat, has now found a new bedfellow in Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa.

His footsie culminated in a big hug from ex-foe turned buddy Ibrahim two days ago in their press conference when they announced the co-operation between PAS and Perkasa on 3 matters, namely 1MDB, Sosma and TPPA.

While the coming together of two Malay-Muslim organisations is not unusual, this one continues to set off wagging tongues because of their disparate struggles.

Su's comment is mischievous and misleading. What does he mean that Abdul Hadi Awang is playing footsie with Umno? Both those from the opposition as well as those from the government sit in the PAC. Is DAP's Tony Pua playing footsie with Umno? Why would those from DAP and PKR want to sit in a committee which has members from those in Umno?

And did Lim Kit Siang not call upon the Members of Parliament from Umno to join the opposition in a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister? Is Lim Kit Siang playing footsie with Umno? And what about Lim Kit Siang's proposal that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (all Umno leaders) jointly run the country (after ousting Najib)? Is Lim Kit Siang playing footsie with Umno?

Su then said:

PAS, since its inception, has been unwavering in its struggle for an Islamic State and social justice, at times to the exclusion of race from their agenda. Their late spiritual leader the redoubtable Nik Aziz even offered to protect non-Malays when some quarters in Umno were belligerent.

Perkasa instead, was set up in the wake of UMNO's abject performance in 2008 to protect Bumiputera interests.

In condemning Hadi and praising the late Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Su forgot that the current Hudud controversy is regarding the Shariah Amendment Bill that was passed by the Kelantan State Assembly at a time when Nik Aziz was the Kelantan Menteri Besar and the party's spiritual leader.

We must also not forget that Nik Aziz said PAS opposes Umno because Umno opposes Hudud and the Islamic State. If Umno can accept Hudud then PAS does not even need to exist. PAS, in fact, can be closed down and all the Malay-Muslims can join Umno.

And what is wrong for Perkasa to uphold Bumiputera interests? Do not Chinese, also, have many associations, societies and movements that fight for Chinese interests, education being one of them? Then we have Hindraf that was set up to fight for Indian interests.

We can disagree with their perjuangan but do they not have a right to exist even if they may be wrong in their views and assumptions? And is this not what democracy is all about? I mean, I may disagree with the doctrine that Jesus is the Son of God but that does not mean I have to ask that churches be closed down and not be allowed to exist.

Su further said:

For PAS, the scenario will not be as rosy. PAS has in the past been at odds with Perkasa on several racial and religious issues. When Perkasa was threatening PAS was reassuring. While Ibrahim Ali has been taunted a 'katak', Nik Aziz was venerated as principled and incorruptible.

PAS may be at odds with Perkasa on several issues, as Su said. But then DAP is also at odds with Umno and yet DAP can cooperate and work with Umno on selected issues in spite of disagreeing on many other issues — the move to oust the Prime Minister as one example.

And was it not Nik Aziz who gave Ibrahim Ali a PAS seat to contest in Kelantan, which he won in spite of him being a 'katak' even at that time?

Hadi is being accused of not being a team player and of not respecting the spirit of the opposition coalition — in particular regarding the Kajang Move and the Selangor Menteri Besar crisis. However, as Anwar Ibrahim and PKR have been reminding us time and time again, the spirit of the opposition coalition is that they will agree to disagree. That means it is not wrong to disagree.

The other spirit of the opposition coalition is that they do things on consensus. Hence if they cannot come to a consensus then it does not become the opposition policy. Then, again, they can agree to disagree.

The Kajang Move and the subsequent move to oust Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim was a unilateral move by PKR and not something done on consensus. PAS, therefore, does not need to support this move since there was no consensus. PAS has a right to disagree with that move in the spirit of they have agreed to disagree.

No doubt DAP finally agreed to support this move after Tony Pua had publicly announced that Khalid is the best Menteri Besar, the most hard working Menteri Besar, the cleanest Menteri Besar, and so on. But then they want to oust Khalid because, according to them, he is a crook.

Were police reports made against Khalid? Was he arrested and charged for any crime? What crooked deed did he commit? And does Tony Pua now withdraw all those nice things he said about Khalid?

Su is either a liar or totally ignorant about political developments in Malaysia. Everything he said is absolute nonsense.

Su said, "PAS has declared that they still have the Chinese support despite their divorce from DAP. If it is so, then Ibrahim Ali may be the straw that breaks the Chinese backs."

Actually, the Chinese supported DAP and not PAS from the very beginning. The only reason the Chinese voted for PAS was because DAP told them to. A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP, or a vote for DAP's friend. In that same spirit the Malays voted for DAP for the same reason. So the question is: will PAS lose more Chinese votes than DAP losing Malay votes? Time, of course, will tell.

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(ValueWalk) – Goldman Sachs has made a pretty penny serving as an adviser to the politically connected 1Malaysia Development Bhd fund over the last several years. Now, however, the financial titan has been sucked into an ongoing investigation of the expanding 1MDB scandal.

According to knowledgeable sources who spoke to the Wall Street Journal this week, federal investigators at the FBI and the Justice Department have begun examining Goldman Sachs's role in a series of transactions with 1MDB related to a broader investigation into possible money laundering and corruption at the Malaysian fund.

More on 1MDB scandal

Analysts highlight that the expanding 1MDB scandal (investigators in five countries are currently probing 1MDB) makes clear the risk-filled path that Goldman Sachs has opted for in emerging markets in search of greater profits.

Read more here

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The PM, who promised a liberal style, has become authoritarian and the ex-PM actually sounds like a progressive democrat.

Ishmael Lim, Free Malaysia Today

It looks like the Samosa law is giving our senior and veteran politicians the thunder belly. Could it be that the triangular pastries from Najib's kitchen were too spicy for them?

Matthias Chang and Khairuddin Abu Hassan, who are known Mahathir helpers, have been sent to the dungeon under the Sosma law. Tummy aches aside, the indignant Chang has sworn not to eat or drink until he is released.

The irrepressible Tun has little choice but to turn the detention of his two proxies into a war cry to extract outrage from the flagging anti-Najib campaign. Any energising drink will do at this stage.

The anti-Najib polemic has worn a little thin in recent days with the media having to recap the same arguments over and over. And now that two of Mahathir's star proxies have been neutralised, how does he keep the momentum going? The impetus is clearly driven by Mahathir's efforts. No effort, no budge.

The dissident camp has had a hard time overcoming its inertia since the Umno Supreme Council met last month. Muhyiddin effectively painted himself into a corner by saying that he would work for the good of the party above all else. So he couldn't well be seen to be disruptive soon after making such conciliatory sounds. The nonagenarian Tun has had to do all the heavy lifting by himself since and spirits have been on the ebb.

Whether arranged or just fortuitous for the Tun, the pre-council meeting of the Rulers' Conference produced a rare statement, calling for a swift resolution to the damaging 1MDB debacle and for those responsible to be brought to book. This provided the much needed shove to get Muhyiddin rolling once again so that the Tun would not have to play it solo.

There is no doubt that the royal decree, or "advisory" as those in the Najib camp would prefer, has invigorated the moderate seniors and veterans of Umno and BN enough to grace the press meet at Mahathir's Perdana Foundation. Ku Li was seated conspicuously on Mahathir's left and Muhyiddin on the right. That the old foes might have buried the hatchet speaks volumes for what could be a sign of interesting days to come. Others seated at the high table were Sanusi Junid, Shafie Apdal and Ong Tee Keat.

While all the talk is about moving a "no-faith vote" at the next sitting of parliament, which starts this Monday, Ku Li said it would be an exercise in futility as it is widely expected that the speaker would disallow the move. He promised to enlighten the media on the other options later. Ku Li's cryptic options could possibly hinge on the role of parliament as well, provided there are sufficient numbers for the upcoming showdown.

Titanic struggle

All investigative efforts to take the lid off 1MDB's pot of alleged improprieties have come to nought. Whether by hook or by crook, the lid has stayed stubbornly shut, and for whatever reasons, the investigators seem too scared or unsure if they are even supposed to follow the scent trail to conclusion.

Malaysians have never seen a titanic struggle of wills on this scale and with as many bends and twists.

The face-off between Najib and Mahathir was never going to be a duel fought according to Marquis of Queensbury rules. That was clear from the get-go. But it is ironic that the veterans, coordinated by Mahathir, should be the innovators by seeking to boldly go where no one has gone before, while the junior incumbents have taken siege positions behind fortress walls, quite willing to stamp out any perceived threats via old-fashioned iron-fisted might and draconian laws dressed up as new. There's not even the pretence any more that the shoe must fit the Cinderellas in detention.

Read more here

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When Mahathir said the Ringgit will not improve until Datuk Seri Najib Razak resigns he actually indirectly told us that he will continue to mastermind the destruction of the country's economy by all means till his nemesis leaves and he gets to place his puppet at the helm again.

Tajuddin Rosli

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad together with his out-of-favour veteran Barisan Nasional leaders have come together and voiced disgust against the arrests of former Batu Kawan UMNO vice chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang. While Mahathir claims the arrests are due to them being vocal against 1MDB, in reality that is not the reason they were arrested.

If speaking against 1MDB is a reason to detain someone under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) then 'Mr. Conspiracy' Rafizi Ramli, 'Mr. Selective Criticism' Tony Pua, 'Mr. Always Right' Lim Guan Eng, Wanita Umno's Anina Saadudin and many others would not be wandering around so freely.

Khairuddin and Matthias were arrested and are charged with attempting to sabotage the country's banking and financial systems. It is not because of their loose tongues against 1MDB. In desperate attempts to condemn the country's economy, Khairuddin and Matthias have been going on a crusade to numerous countries lodging police reports against 1MDB and the government. They embarked on a journey to tarnish the country with the aim of hitting our economy. This would further plunder the Ringgit and the entire nation suffers.

Both Khairuddin and Matthias have admitted to passing confidential documents to foreign agencies. Isn't this an act of sabotage? Procuring confidential documents by any means itself is a crime, let alone selling it outside. Hence, their arrests are definitely legitimate and warranted.

When Mahathir said the Ringgit will not improve until Datuk Seri Najib Razak resigns he actually indirectly told us that he will continue to mastermind the destruction of the country's economy by all means till his nemesis leaves and he gets to place his puppet at the helm again. It is an irony how people applaud the man who is actually making them suffer for his own personal agenda. The arrest of Khairuddin has dented Mahathir's attempts therefore the sweeping move with his old guards.

Mahathir also slams SOSMA and claims his Internal Security Act (ISA) was less abusive and was never politically motivated. Just as how he claims he is not to be blamed for the sacking of High Court Judge Tun Salleh Abbas, he blames the Police for the arrests under ISA back then and denies instructing anything.

Maybe Mahathir forgot that as Home Minister he formally sanctioned two-years ISA detention orders for 49 Malaysians including seven MP's from DAP, including the late Karpal Singh. He was internationally condemned for violating human rights and accused for cracking down members of the Opposition.

Mahathir's ISA allowed initial detention of 60 days with unlimited renewals solely depending on the will of the Home Minister while SOSMA limits detention period for up to 28 days after which the Attorney-General can decide to prosecute on what charges. Lawyers of both Khairuddin and Matthias are lawfully challenging their detention.

Challenging a detention was unheard of with ISA. Lawyers had little or no access to ISA detainees and there was no room for questioning while SOSMA enables an arrest to be challenged. Even the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) that has replaced ISA can be constitutionally challenged compared to Mahathir's ISA.

Family members of those detained under ISA were not told where is the location of the arrested. Family could hardly get access to meet the ISA detainee. ISA is only a better system in Mahathir's head. It is by far the worst thing to hit Malaysia after Mahathir.

Every time Mahathir thinks he has the upper hand by performing his lock-moves, Najib reverses it and Mahathir feels the pain. This battle between the giants is nowhere at its end. Grab some popcorn and enjoy the fight. Can Mahathir last the distance or will he tire himself out to defeat?

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Jason Chin

Issues regarding the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) has come under the microscope again with the arrest of Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and lawyer Matthias Chang. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in his press conference made inference that SOSMA is worse than his Internal Security Act (ISA). Following are some facts about ISA and SOSMA:

Above are some important pointers. So, is Mahathir right when he claims ISA is better than SOSMA?

You be the judge…

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US$770,000 in a personal account of a minister is too much for the integrity of the French government

Tricia Yeoh, The Sun Daily

A MONTH ago, Otto Perez Molina resigned as president of Guatemala following an investigation that he and his aides received bribes in exchange for lowering taxes for companies importing products into the country. Just hours after his resignation, he was sent to jail.

Two years ago, French Budget Minister Jérôme Cahuzac resigned following investigations into allegations that he had a secret bank account in Switzerland.

In both cases, the perpetrators in question denied any wrongdoing at the outset.

One positive thing that emerged from the case in France, however, was the formation of a new government body tasked to tackle corruption in the public sector.

In my recent trip to Paris, I had the privilege of meeting with the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (high authority).

Declaring assets publicly

Following the 2013 scandal, the government reacted to public demand for more transparency. Some might argue too little, too late.

But one must admit their present-day mandate is enviable and impressive; under new transparency laws, more than 9,000 leading public officials in France are compelled to declare their assets and any conflict of interest, including ministers, members of Parliament, local elected representatives and non-elected high-ranking officials.

This high authority works closely with the tax authority to verify whether or not the assets declared are accurate, and can seek information directly from public officials if there are incomplete statements.

Their practice is for ministers to declare all assets publicly, while members of Parliament only have their assets disclosed at governors’ offices, which local constituents are able to access.

In an IDEAS policy paper released earlier this year, we recommended a higher standard for assets of all public officials to be publicly disclosed. We made an exception, however, where if information is only made available to the public by request, Malaysia should first enact a Freedom of Information Act.

Conflict of interest

But the more interesting part of the high authority’s work is to compel public officials to also declare any conflict of interest they may have.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines conflict of interest as “conflict between the public duty and private interests of a public official, in which the public official has private-capacity interests which could improperly influence the performance of their official duties and responsibilities”.

So public officials are required to fill out a long form that includes any business activity, compensation received, consulting activities, holdings in any private company, and even volunteer work that may conflict with their ability to carry out their functions in a neutral manner.

In France, the high authority has the power to issue injunctions against public officials to end any contentious situation when a conflict of interest has been established.

The laws even propose criminal prosecution for public officials who fail their obligations in matters pertaining to asset declaration or conflict of interest.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act does not make conflict of interest explicitly wrong, and only spells out instances under which human actions are criminalised for corruption, such as Section 23, which makes it an offence for a public official to use his office or position for any gratification.

In fact, IDEAS together with the Malaysian Bar and several other NGOs have argued that this should be even expanded further to include all forms of gratification (not just financial) including abuse of office.

Apart from that, other government regulations, which apply to public officers, state that they should not allow their private interest to come into conflict with their public duty “so as to impair (their) usefulness as public officers”, or use their public position for personal advantage (Public Officers Conduct and Discipline Regulation, 1993).

There is also a code of ethics related to conflict of interest, which applies to those working within the Prime Minister’s Office, which states that all members of staff and officers in the Prime Minister’s Office “should ensure that no conflict of interest exists between the performance of their official duties and their personal matters” (The Code of Ethics of the Prime Minister’s Office”).

Officers and staff have to “obtain written permission from the Head of Department before pursuing an interest in a business or completing any transaction”.

One wonders which officers are subject to this apparently strict code of ethics, and to whom the officer of highest standing needs to obtain written permission before pursuing such business interests.

In France, Jérôme Cahuzac vehemently denied that he had a Swiss account when faced with those allegations. He resigned when legal proceedings for fiscal fraud were launched, eventually admitted he had hidden about €600,000 (RM2.88 million) and is now being investigated for tax fraud.

Obviously US$770,000 in a personal account of a minister is too much for the integrity of the French government.

Tricia Yeoh is the chief operating officer of a local, independent think-tank. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

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So let us see what happens from hereon. If I were a gambling man I would put my money on Tony Pua and Sufi Yusof following in the footsteps (or is it footprints?) of Khairuddin Abu Hassan and Matthias Chang. This is getting more interesting, is it not?

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

(Bernama) – Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo has appealed against the three-year prison term handed down by the Bangkok South Criminal Court on August 17 for blackmailing his former employer PetroSaudi International.

His new lawyer Worrasit Piriyawiboon filed the appeal in court this morning with 59 pages of supporting documents, just two days before the period to appeal expired.

Among the reasons for the appeal was that Justo did not tamper with the documents he obtained from PetroSaudi International and that it was his first offence.

Worrasit said any damage to the image of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was because of the activities of third parties who doctored or tampered with the documents that they received from Justo.

He said Justo did not tamper with the documents himself.

"They who doctored the information have to take responsibility and face legal action," Worrasit told Bernama after filing the appeal here today.

Worrasit said in his opinion, Justo's role in the case was not serious as the documents were tampered by other people. (READ MORE HERE)

**********************************************

So it is true after all. According to Xavier Andre Justo's lawyer, the stolen documents that The Edge (and Sarawak Report) published were doctored or tampered with. This, therefore, changes the entire scenario because it would mean that this whole so-called expose was not about revealing the truth but to discredit Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

This is called Machiavellian Politics where the ends justify the means. In case some of you mother-tongue education people do not know what that phrase means, the ends justify the means is an English saying where if a goal is morally important enough then any method of achieving it is acceptable. For example, it is morally right to tax rich Chinese to extend financial aid to poor Malays and natives if your objective is to reduce the economic gap between the haves and the haves-not.

Of course while in the case of fabricating evidence to fix up the Prime Minister may be acceptable to some people, these same people will not agree that taxing the Chinese to help the Malays is also acceptable. Most Malaysians are selective when it comes to what is right and what is wrong. Right is what benefits me and wrong is that which does not benefit me. So if it helps bring down the Prime Minister then wrong can become right.

Anyway, now it is confirmed that Justo just stole the data. He did not doctor or tamper with that data. The Edge, on the other hand, also denies doctoring or tampering with that data. They claim they published the data exactly as they received it without any alterations or amendments to it.

If what The Edge claims is true (which we do not know yet whether they are telling the truth or are lying) that means someone in the middle did the doctoring or tampering. And that can only be the broker or brokers.

Those brokers who acted on behalf of the seller and the buyer of that stolen data so far identified are Clare Rewcastle Brown of Sarawak Report, Tony Pua of DAP, and Sufi Yusof who works for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. One of those three or all three were those who most likely doctored or tampered with the data if it was not Justo or The Edge who did it.

And this would make sense. The data in its original form would not be that sensational because it just reveals a normal course of business. However, if that data was doctored or tampered with to show something more sensational, then the value of that data would be enhanced and could fetch a higher price. The Edge would not want to pay millions for 'tame' data but they would if the data is very damaging to the Prime Minister.

So let us see what happens from hereon. If I were a gambling man I would put my money on Tony Pua and Sufi Yusof following in the footsteps (or is it footprints?) of Khairuddin Abu Hassan and Matthias Chang. This is getting more interesting, is it not?

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(The Sun Daily) – Selangor Mentri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali has called up the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) and Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor (KPS) to explain the toll hikes in selected highways.

He explained on Twitter today that he will be calling the two state-owned companies, who are minority stakeholders in the Kesas and Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) highways, to brief the state Economic Action Council (MTES) today on the toll hikes.

“I have asked PKNS and Perangsang who both have minority interests in Kesas and LDP to attend MTES tomorrow,” the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman said.

“MTES will look into the response by PKNS and KPS. The state government’s policy is to clearly reject any toll hike that will burden the people,” he said.

The state government owns 30% of the Kesas highway through PKNS and 20% in SPRINT and the LDP through Kumpulan Perangsang.

It was reported that toll rates at 12 major highways in the Klang Valley are to increase between 10 sen and RM4.70 from today.

Meanwhile, Sacked Umno member Anina Saadudin criticised the government’s decision to increase the toll rates, saying that Putrajaya did not consider public interest in the matter.

She added that the government could have used revenue from the Goods and Services Tax to compensate the highway concessionaires.

The move to increase toll rates was widely panned by consumer groups, bus operators and road users following the announcement by the Works Ministry on Monday.

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(The Star) – Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (pic) is joining PKR, sources close to him have confirmed.

Saifuddin, who is a former Umno supreme council member, is expected to be unveiled as a PKR member by the party's top leadership at a press conference on Thursday.

A poster announcing his membership had begun circulating on WhatsApp on Wednesday evening, though the source of the image is unknown.

The image had also wrongly indicated that the press conference would be held at the headquarters of the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) in Damansara Heights.

PKR has since issued a reminder that Thursday's press conference scheduled at noon is to be held at the party's headquarters in Tropicana.

Saifuddin, who is GMM's chief executive officer, had reportedly sent a message to his staff informing them that no press conference was scheduled at its office.

"Team members. I know that there is a viral message that there is a press conference at GMM tomorrow at 12.30pm. Please note that there is no such thing at our office. Should anyone ask about it, please ask them to refer to PKR headquarters," he said in the message that was sighted by The Star Online.

He did not, however, deny that he was joining the Opposition party.

Saifuddin and PKR could not immediately be reached for comment.

Saifuddin was recently issued a show-cause letter by Umno for attending a roundtable discussion of the Opposition parties at Empire Hotel in Subang on Sept 21.

Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said Saifuddin's motives for attending the meeting, which led to the formation of Pakatan Harapan, were questionable even though he was there in his capacity as an NGO leader.

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(The Star) – The group of Barisan Nasional veterans who spoke out against the detention of two individuals under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 have their own personal agendas, says Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad (pic).

Calling the  veteran leaders headed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed the "disappointed group", Sharir said they had raised many issues in the past in their attempts to bring down Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

"We cannot stop them from carrying out their intentions because this group has its own interests. So some members of the group interpret things according to their own personal interests," the Barisan Nasional Backbencher's Club (BNBBC) chairman said in an article in the club's website.

"For Tun Mahathir, it is because he wants Datuk Seri Najib to face difficulties. For Muhyiddin, maybe he has a goal in mind, Ku Li (Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah) has his own reasons. So we must understand each person's interests. Everything depends on personal interest, and that is politics," Shahrir was quoted as saying.

He added that due to their close relationship with Najib, former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former cabinet minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, who were part of the "dissapointed group", should have known the Prime Minister better.

"Don't tell me these leaders in Umno (Shafie and Muhyiddin) don't trust Najib? They are even closer to him compared to me. They are the ones who should know and understand him better. They were close (in the party and Cabinet previously)," he said.

Shahrir further noted that it is impossible that Najib, as party president, would want Umno to "fall".

A group of Barisan leaders headed by Dr Mahathir came together at the Perdana Leadership Foundation on Monday to voice out against the detention of former Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer, Matthias Chang, under the Security Offence (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 over offences deemed detrimental to parliamentary democracy.

Although the Barisan leaders were known for having contrasting views in the past, Dr Mahathir nevertheless spoke alongside Umno deputy president Muhyiddin, Umno vice-president Shafie, outspoken Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh, former Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Sanusi Junid and former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat against what they claim is the Government's abuse of power.

Former Batu Kawan Umno division vice-chairman Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang became the first people to be charged under Section 124 (L) of the Penal Code, read with Section 34, for attempting to sabotage Malaysia's banking and financial services.

They face a maximum jail term of 15 years if convicted.

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