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When thief Najib complains from his prison cell
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15, 2024: Languishing in a prison cell to serve his 12-year sentence for his role in the world biggest financial scandal, 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the disgraced and shameless former premier continues to behave like he’s a VVIP.
Of course he behaves like that because the so-called Madani Unity Government and the police are treating him so, giving him special treatment and “perks” that other prisoners do not enjoy. No?
Then why is he escorted by police to courts wearing lounge suit and tie while others are clad in the infamous orange attire. And, why is he not handcuffed?
And now, he is complaining about a Netflix documentary that featured an interview with hin (Najib) and the Man On The Run (JLow), who seems untraceable by the police and even Interpol.
And, in the first place, why the hell did Najib give the interview in the documentary and now finds it unappealing?
No News Is Bad News reproduces below online news analyst Finance Twitter’s take on the issue that was uploaded by The Coverage:
Najib Suddenly Spooked By The “Man On The Run” Documentary – It Has Everything To Do With His Application For A “Royal Pardon”
14 January, 2024
Netflix did not need to lift a finger to promote its latest documentary – “Man on the Run” – which was based on the true story of the infamous 1MDB scandal. Former Prime Minister Najib Razak, currently serving jail sentence linked to the world’s biggest scandal, has done an excellent job promoting it by demanding the Malaysian government to take down the film.
Did the crook watch it from his luxury cell in Kajang Prison? If not, how the heck did he know that the documentary is extremely “sub-judice and contemptuous”, as complained by his lead lawyer Shafee Abdullah? On the other hand, how the heck did Shafee know that his client was furious rather than exhilarated, if indeed Najib had not personally watched it?
After all, Najib’s “Malu Apa Bossku” (What’s the shame, my boss?) moniker had taken the country by storm not many moons ago. Yes, even as he was charged for corruption after losing the 14th General Election in May 2018, the ex-premier was particularly proud of the tagline. So, how could a man who did not think it was a shame to steal money is now so offended by a film that wasn’t about him?
Thanks to Najib’s desire to remove the documentary, it has backfired and created greater interest. The Netflix film reportedly jumped into the second spot (from fourth spot) within 24 hours on the streaming platform’s Top 10 Movies in Malaysia. The film, which focused primarily on Jho Low, Najib’s partner-in-crime, is already available on YouTube and other channels.
In fact, even before it was premiered on Netflix on January 5, 2024, the show had made its way to the cinemas in the United Kingdom and the United States last September, before being released in cinemas in neighbouring Singapore (October 5) and subsequently Malaysian cinemas (October 19). Why was the film NOT sub-judice and contemptuous during those periods?
Why didn’t Najib’s hotshot lawyer demand Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who happened to be Najib Razak’s “durian buddy”, to ban the film as well – if indeed the 98-minute show is damaging to the crook’s reputation? The documentary features interviews with politicians and personalities like former Attorney General Thomas and Anwar Ibrahim.
It also features interviews with Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, former Damansara MP Tony Pua, whistleblower Xavier Andre Justo and even Najib Razak himself. Amusingly, Najib’s legal team wants to take “selective” action against Tommy and Clare, but not PM Anwar, whose statements in the documentary were described as “unpleasant” by Najib’s attorney (even though they were actually damaging).
Najib should have sacked his so-called hotshot lead counsel ages ago. He is now rotting in prison largely due to Shafee’s incompetence and arrogance. Demanding the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Home Ministry to take the film off the air now is like trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted. It’s too late.
Hilariously, Najib, in his usual habit of blaming everyone except himself, has now claimed that he had been misled during the interview. Assuming he was retarded and possessed an “IQ of a carrot”, it’s hard to believe he was tricked or scammed by producer Cassius Michael Kim. That’s because Najib was accompanied by Muhammad Farhan Shafee (the son of his lead counsel Shafee Abdullah).
His aide Ahmad Lutfi Azhar was also present during the whole sessions of the interview in 2022, thus raising another question as to why it took the brilliant British-educated former PM two years to realize that he had been conned by Cassius Michael and his production team – The Smoking Section. Were his lawyer and aide busy playing marbles, leaving Mr Najib to be screwed left, right and centre?
According to Cassius – “Every 30 to 45 minutes, Najib would retire to a private conference room with his attorney, Farhan and aide Luthfi to discuss what he and I spoke during the interview. Najib will return with clarifications and additional thoughts he wanted to add. With this context, how could Najib not be aware of what the documentary would be about?”
The best part is, till last week, the crook had never declined or showed reluctance in answering any of his questions during the interview. Cassius said – “Najib is the only person interviewed for the film who did not either directly, or through his team, reach out to me after the documentary was completed and premiered theatrically and on Netflix.”
That means not only the interview had been conducted with utmost transparency, it was impossible to deceive the former Malaysian leader because he had brought along his top lawyer for legal advices. He could easily walk away if he felt it was a scam, or simply was not happy for whatever reason. The fact that he didn’t leave suggests that he was as thrilled as Michael Jackson’s Thriller during the entire interview.
Why did Najib bring his lawyer to the 2022 interview in the first place? It was due to the disastrous interview with Al-Jazeera four years earlier in October 2018, where Mary Ann Jolley skillfully grilled Najib till he ran away. That fabulous interview would see Al-Jazeera awarded “Interview of the Year” at the prestigious Royal Television Society Awards in London in February 2019.
The burning question is, exactly why Najib Razak, accompanied by his hotshot lawyer and aide, did not walk away during an interview with Cassius Michael Kim in 2022 but was smart enough to do so during an interview with Mary Ann Jolley in 2018 with an accusation that the news channel was not being fair to him? Does not that mean the interview with Cassius has been fair (since he didn’t flee)?
There were basically three reasons why the disgraced crook happily agreed to the interview in 2022. First, he had learned his lesson after his interview with Al-Jazeera and was well prepared by bringing along his lawyer. Second, he desperately needed another interview to cleanse himself in an attempt to impress upon the Federal Court before his final appeal against a graft conviction.
Third, crucially, he was cocksure that his Barisan Nasional coalition would win the 15th General Election, which would see him freed anyway. The “Bossku” had earlier led the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) to winning Malacca state election in November 2021 before scoring a huge victory in the Johor state election in March 2022, winning more than a two-thirds majority.
However, Mr Najib was shocked when he failed in his final appeal against the High Court’s guilty conviction in July 2020 over the SRC International Sdn Bhd corruption case when the Federal Court – the highest court and the final appellate court in the country – upheld the conviction in August 2022. He made history by becoming the first former prime minister to be sent to jail.
All three courts and nine judges (High Court – 1, Court of Appeal – 3, Federal Court – 5) had delivered unanimous guilty verdicts on Najib. He was found guilty of all 7 charges – 1 count of abuse of power, 3 counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT), and 3 counts of money laundering – involving RM42 million stolen from SRC International Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of 1MDB).
After sent to serve his 12 years in prison, the defiant and dejected man had filed a judicial review against the Federal Court’s decision. As expected, the Federal Court rejected his bid, effectively ending his judicial efforts to challenge the guilty verdict, which saw the crook sent to jail on August 23, 2022. Najib kept whining that he was not given a fair hearing, despite his repetitive delay tactics.
The scandal involved global investigation across three continents, where money was spent on high-end property, luxury goods and lavish holidays and parties involving Najib, his family and partner Jho Low. The US-DOJ investigation results say that over US$4.5 billion was misappropriated from the 1MDB fund, with some of the money used to buy the private jet, a super yacht, Picasso paintings, jewellery and real estate.
But why is Najib suddenly spooked by the “Man on the Run” documentary? It has everything to do with his application for a “royal pardon”, which his legal team hopes to get by pressuring PM Anwar Ibrahim to advise the King to grant it. However, if the prime minister is stupid enough to help Najib, it would be a political suicide for both PKR president Anwar and UMNO president Zahid.
Anwar became the 10th Prime Minister after rival Barisan Nasional under the leadership of Zahid Hamidi agreed to join forces with Pakatan Harapan. Since then, Najib loyalists in UMNO have been demanding that Anwar-led unity government grants a royal pardon for “Bossku” under the pretext that the still influential Najib could help swing Malay voters back to UMNO.
Anwar government said it will “consider” Najib’s request to ban the documentary. But if the PM is too cowardly and stupid to approve the request, not only will it anger Pakatan Harapan supporters, it will actually legitimize the crook’s narrative that he had been wrongly jailed, not to mention it will undermine Anwar’s own remarks in the same documentary.
Besides sending the wrong message that the unity government is weak and could be easily blackmailed by Najib to grant him a royal pardon, a ban on the documentary would be interpreted as interference by Anwar administration to sensor the Internet and abuse of power to suppress freedom of expression. Worse, the PM will be seen as trying to intervene in judiciary to help a crook.
Instead of trying to ban the film, which would not make any difference due to the fact that the video can still be accessed elsewhere, Najib should sue Netflix. With a market capitalization of over US$215 billion, the American media company founded in 1997 could make Najib a very rich man if Shafee and his legal eagles could prove that his client has been victimised by both the producer and Netflix.
Think about it. If 70-year-old Najib wins his lawsuit against Netflix, it will be the clearest proof that he was not a crook, leading to a justification for a royal pardon. All his remaining corruption charges may be dropped and his popularity will certainly skyrocket. More importantly, not only will he be able to return to power as a billionaire, but also to redeem his integrity and reputation.
In July 2015, then-PM Najib said he had no choice but to sue for defamation after The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) stood by its report that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) from state sovereign fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was found in his personal bank accounts. Hilariously, in November the same year, he chicken out and made a U-turn after the WSJ called his bluff.
To save face, Najib’s incompetent counsel had offered the silliest excuse in humankind history – his client can’t get higher damages. But Netflix is different from the WSJ. A public-listed company, Netflix gross profit for the 12 months ending September 30, 2023 was a staggering US$12.93 billion – the second largest entertainment / media company by market capitalization. So, what is Najib waiting for?
Source : Finance Twitter
Saturday 13 January 2024
Is PH preparing to commit political suicide?
No News Is Bad News
Is PH preparing to commit political suicide?
https://www.netflix.com/my-en/title/81735368 (Man On The Run)
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14, 2024: The disgraced and shameless former premier Najib Abdul Razak is in the news again for all the wrong reasons.
The jailbird’s appeal for a pardon and thus his freedom is reported to be heard soon by the Pardon’s Board soon.
As if that is not obnoxious enough for Malaysians, Anwar Ibrahim’s so-called Madani Unity Government is looking into Najib’s request for the Government to remove Netflix’s “Man on the Run” documentary on the 1MDB (1Malaysian Development Berhad) saga.
Why should the Government even waste its time on such a request from a jailbird? Has it no worthy and pressing matters to attend to?
Facebook image
As it is, Najib, who is still languishing in prison serving a 12-year jail sentence for his role in the 1MDB financial sage, is still not looking like a prisoner.
He is escorted to courts without handcuffs and the infamous orange suit that other police detainees and prisoners are “forced to clad in”.
Instead, he is dressed in the finest lounge suit, looking like an aristocrat VVIP, whenever he is escorted by police to courts.
If that is not preferencial or special treatment, what is?
And now, Malaysians are all eyes on Najib’s appeal to the Pardon’s Board for freedom!
The above image found on Facebook with these two comments:
I don’t think this will ever happen.
Has he paid Rm210million fine?
The outcome of the appeal has severe political consequences as the multi-billion-Ringgit 1MDB “theft” is not easily forgotten by Malaysians.
1MDB caused the downfall of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN)-Alliance Government.
Is the Anwar-led Pakatan Harapan (which includes the DAP) prepared to allow Najib to get off scot free without even returning his ill-gotten gains or without even helping the nation rcover the stolen billions?
In short, is PH preparing to commit political suicide?
And these comments on Facebook that accompanied the above image are indeed relevant:
NO PARDON FOR 1MDB CROOKS
According to a recent CNA report, the Pardon's Board may meet anytime soon to consider a pardon for a convicted 1MDB crook.
A pardon for him now will set a terrible bad precedent for future crooks and corrupt politicians to follow.
Besides it will make a mockery of all the past court proceedings and derail the Madani's government anti corruption drive.
It's like laying down a roadmap for others to follow, creating a blueprint for unethical behavior. It's also as if the integrity and effectiveness of the government are being undermined, eroding public trust and confidence.
This kind of situation can breed cynicism and disillusionment among the citizens. It's crucial to address these issues and work towards upholding transparency and accountability to prevent further damage.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a natonal news agency Bernama’s report on Najib’s request for the removal of the Netflix 1MDB documentary titled Man On The Run:
Govt needs time to consider Najib’s request, says Fahmi
The communications minister says various legal aspects must be scrutinised, since the request to take down a Netflix documentary involves a court case.
Bernama - 13 Jan 2024, 7:08pm
Fahmi Fadzil said the request by Najib Razak’s defence team needs to be studied first, especially on the legal aspects.
PETALING JAYA: The government needs time to decide on Najib Razak’s request for Netflix to take down the “Man on the Run” documentary on the 1MDB saga, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said today.
He said the request involves an ongoing court case and he would hold a meeting with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission soon “to scrutinise the legal aspects before making any further announcements”.
He said MCMC had conveyed some initial views.
“I feel that they need to be given some consideration based on the law because it involves a court case,” he said.
“We need to examine this because it has been raised in court. There are several things that need to be investigated, especially the legal aspects,” he said.
Yesterday, Najib’s lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, requested the government to instruct Netflix to take down and prohibit the airing of the documentary related to the 1MDB scandal.
Shafee said the documentary, written and directed by Cassius Michael Kim, is sub judice and detrimental to Najib’s defence in his ongoing 1MDB trial.
Monday 13 November 2023
1MDB Najib already punished? What a load of rubbish!
No News Is Bad News
1MDB Najib already punished? What a load of rubbish!
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14, 2023: Bersatu’s racist Muhyiddin “I Am Malay First” Yassin says the disgraced and shameless Najib “1MDB” Razak has been “punished” and should thus be freed.
Then all the thousands languishing in prisons in Malaysia have also been “punished” and should also be freed.
What a load of garbage coming from a seasoned politician and that is news?
Has jailbird Najib shown any remorse, regret or responsibility for causing the state to lose billions of Ringgit under his premiership? Has he even lifted a finger to try help recover the stolen loot?
Surely, he does not deserve any sympathy from Malaysians to be pardoned and freed!
He deserves to languish in prison to serve his time and any other future convictions.
1MDB Najib is a disgrace to Malaysia locally and internationally, and why must he be treated differently from other prisoners?
Absolutely no special treatment. Let him rot in prison. Period.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below the rubbish report posted by suspected CIA-backed political website, Malaysia Chronicle:
MUHYIDDIN FINALLY SAYS IT - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TO NAJIB'S EARS - HE HAS BEEN "PUNISHED" ALREADY - ALL EYES ON A MAHATHIR, MUHYIDDIN & NAJIB RECOMBINATION - LAST SEEN IN PAK LAH OUSTER, BUT THIS TIME TO TAKE DOWN ANWAR
posted by politics now! on November 08, 2023
Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!
KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - Bersatu has finally said the words most magical to the ears of disgraced ex-prime minister Najib Razak - he has already been "punished"!
Of course, those words can be retracted at the drop of a hat - given the snake-like nature of almost all politicians in Malaysia and around the world. However for now, the imputed meaning can be gleaned to be fairly clear - that Najib has been punished enough and is deserving to be released from his 12-year jail sentence for corruption and abuse of power, even though he has served only slightly more than a year of his term.
According to Bersatu information chief Razali Idris, not only has Najib been punished, but his party boss and ex-premier Muhyiddin Yassin is now open to working with Najib again, as well as with another ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad.
“Muhyiddin is gracious and is open to working with anyone, including Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had attacked him before,” said Razali, referring to the power struggle and feud that ended with Muhyiddin sacking his erstwhile mentor Mahathir.
According to Free Malaysia Today, Razali had in a Facebook post three days ago hinted at a collaboration between Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Najib.
His remarks add fire to the already heated speculation of a joint force coming together to oust the ineffective Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister and the removal of the unpopular Zahid Hamidi as Umno president.
ZAHID SEEN AS ANWAR'S BIGGEST PROTECTOR
Zahid is seen as Anwar's biggest protector, keeping him propped up as PM and without whom, Anwar's unity government brokered by the King late last year would fall.
This is mainly because the once-mighty Umno is perceived as being able to convince Sarawak's GPS and Sabah's GRS coalitions to leave together with it, should it decide to withdraw from the Anwar administration. And Zahid's rivals in Umno are more keen to align with the main opposition bloc PN, led by Muhyiddin, to form a new federal government than to stay with Anwar.
So if Zahid is forced to change his pro-Anwar stance or loses power in Umno, then the writing is on the wall for Anwar and his Pakatan Harapan coalition, which holds only 82 seats, insufficient to form a simple majority.
Within Umno, Zahid has more rivals than allies - almost all factions want him to go, blaming him for the party's worsening prestige in the Malay electorate, the country's largest and most powerful.
But so far, Zahid has survived, if not exactly thrived, relying on the Najib faction to outgun his competitors, who include Najib's cousin Hishammuddin Hussein and former premier Ismail Sabri.
Unfortunately for Zahid, the sounds coming out from the Najib camp of late is for an 'alliance' with Muhyiddin.
Not only have the activists in Umno pushing for Najib's early release begun openly advocating a realignment with PN, but Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil just days ago warned Anwar his 'Madani' government with Umno would be a "failure" if steps were not taken to secure a royal pardon for Najib.
REMINISCENT OF THE ABDULLAH BADAWI OUSTER
Many in Pakatan Harapan, perhaps including Anwar, have brushed off the noise from the Najib camp - but why would Muhyiddin extend an olive branch to Najib, a man he apparently detests for sacking him as deputy prime minister and Umno deputy president in 2015 after questioning Najib's 1MDB corruption debacle?
And if the "rift is too deep" as another Umno leader Nur Jazlan claims, why would Najib reciprocate? Especially when Muhyiddin is now also able to "meet, talk and cooperate" with another common enemy Mahathir - perhaps an even more bitter foe to Najib than Muhyiddin was!
Is it "political expediency" as many analysts claim - but then again, to what end?
"As they say, there is no smoke without fire. You see, these three are top guns, they don't simply shoot or make noise unless they are ready to go," a political analyst told Politics Now!
"For Muhyiddin, Najib and Mahathir to come together to oust Anwar is reminiscent of the last time the three worked together to oust Abdullah Badawi as prime minister and Umno president. If I were Anwar, I would watch out even if he is probably too helpless to do much."
Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!
Politics Now!
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