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Najib “1MDB” Razak is Malaysia’s icon for corruption - Social media (WhatApp) image.
Corruption - Malaysia’s new investors’ attraction’
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10, 2025: Malaysia has a new tourism, oops sorry, its investors’ attraction, to help boost socio-economic growth.
Corruption can attract unscrupulous investors who will be more-than-willing to pay for more gains and profits - at the expense of the rakyat dan negara (people and country).
On this note, perhaps supporting and embracing corruption, kleptocrats and thieves is not all that bad, right?
With the support of those with super high connections, the more you steal from the Government or other sources, the better!
Your will surely be entitled to discounts in prison sentences and court fines. That’s guaranteed!
The corruption-loving Malaysians, especially politicians and their parties, are still in the midst of making life more pleasant for the corrupt.
It’s called house arrest, but in their case, “bungalow arrest”! Also read as “backdoor freedom, as in backdoor governments. But Malaysians will have to sit and watch whether this will come true as the “house arrest” episode or saga has not ended or concluded.
The legality of house arrests and royal addendums in Malaysia are currently being debated in social media, lawyers and snaky-unprincipled politicians.
So, what’s so shameful about being corrupt? Carry on corruption should be a new blockbuster movie production!
The world biggest kleptocrat, Najib "1MDB" Razak is in Kajang Prison but he is treated as a VVIP and is a "hero" to many politicians and their parties and Malaysians. - Facebook image
No News Is Bad News reproduces below articles on the on-going hot issues that are circulating in social media, especially the damning Finance Twitter article titled Illegal & unconstitutional:
ILLEGAL & UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Jail From Home Hits Roadblock – King Sultan Ibrahim’s Decree Means Najib’s Royal Addendum Was Illegal & Unconstitutional
When Teresa Kok disagreed that halal certification be made compulsory to all restaurants and food companies, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had chosen to reprimand her, a member of the loyal ally from DAP (Democratic Action Party). Instead, Anwar agreed with UMNO troublemaker Akmal Saleh, who attacked Teresa in an evil plan to inflame racial and religious sentiments.
And when Akmal terrorized Chinese business owners like KK Super Mart over some silly sock issue, Anwar kept quiet and enjoyed the show. Now, mad dog Akmal has turned around and attacked the prime minister over the royal pardon granted to him in 2018, Mr Anwar is learning why karma has no menu. You get served what you deserve.
Today, everyone is watching the feud between PKR and UMNO with popcorn. PKR president Anwar thought UMNO has become his best friend and he can take for granted or belittle the 95% Chinese support garnered by DAP. Drunk with power, the premier thought UMNO will forever play second fiddle and becomes his lapdog – until Akmal humiliates him now.
UMNO Youth Chief Akmal suddenly bites PM Anwar after the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) issued a statement on December 28, 2024 that any request for prisoners, including former prime minister Najib Razak, to serve their sentences under house arrest must be submitted to the Pardons Board, which is chaired by the current Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King Sultan Ibrahim).
The AGC said that based on Article 42 (1) of the Federal Constitution, the Agong has the power to grant pardons, reprieves and respites in respect of any offences committed in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya. The AGC said Article 42 (2) of the Constitution also provides, among others, that the King is allowed to remit, suspend or commute sentences for any offences passed by the court.
The statement said – “Following this, the Chambers has been commanded by the King to inform that all applications for pardons concerning offences committed within the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya must be submitted to the Pardons Board, chaired by the King, in accordance with the procedures and channels prescribed by law and not through other channels,”
“Therefore, should any party wish to propose that any prisoner, including Najib, serve their sentence under house arrest, such an application must be submitted for consideration by the Pardons Board chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) in accordance with the procedures and channels established under the applicable laws and regulations” – the AGC statement continued.
So, why Akmal and other pro-Najib UMNO bootlickers like Puad Zarkashi were so upset and depressed that they barked like a mad dog infected with rabies? The short answer – Najib’s “jail from home” plan has hit a roadblock. The long answer – Najib has to start all over again with an official application if he still hopes to serve his remaining jail sentence from home.
Disgraced Najib began serving a 12-year jail sentence in August 2022 after found guilty of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd (subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd). The prison sentence was later given a 50% discount (in addition to a whopping 75% discount on RM210 million fine) by the Pardons Board, thanks to the previous King and PM Anwar.
Najib then claimed that there was a royal addendum, allegedly issued by the then-16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong – Sultan Abdullah of Pahang – that would allow him to serve the remainder of his six-year prison sentence under house arrest. However, the dubious royal decree has become controversial when Anwar government has neither denied nor admitted its existence.
But with the latest royal decree from newly crowned 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong – Sultan Ibrahim of Johor – that prisoner Najib Razak must submit a new application for consideration by the Pardons Board, it effectively makes the old royal addendum (if it exists in the first place) null and void, in line with our previous article that the addendum actually exists, but illegal and unconstitutional (read here).
If the addendum did not exist from the beginning, Anwar would have laughed and rubbished Najib’s claim rather than beating around the bush. The PM did not need to hide behind two Kings, struggling very hard to justify – without much success with angry people – as to why a crook like Najib was given a royal pardon, what more the privilege to serve jail sentence in the comfort of home.
There are two parts to the controversy – a royal pardon and a royal addendum. While the “partial” royal pardon has been successfully bulldozed, even though it was arguably done illegally as Najib did not serve at least one-third of his prison sentence before any pardon can be considered, the royal addendum is totally unenforceable as there isn’t any provision for a house arrest in Malaysia.
It becomes more dramatic when the Pahang Palace said this month (Dec 10) that it “will not be making any statements” on the issue due to the upcoming court case. But why can’t the previous King – Sultan Abdullah – confirm or deny the existence of the royal decree which he personally rushed to sign at the eleventh hour before his tenure as Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) ended on January 30, 2024?
At best, Sultan Abdullah might have been persuaded and scammed by Najib into signing the dubious decree at the last minute before the monarch was replaced by Sultan Ibrahim. At worst, the Pahang Sultan knew it was illegal, but signed it anyway as birds of a feather flock together. Now that it has become a hot potato, the Pahang Palace is hiding behind judiciary to avoid embarrassment.
What is unknown is whether the document has actually been backdated, which explains why it took Najib a few months after a royal pardon to start crowing about a royal addendum. It also explains why Home Minister said the document was merely hearsay. However, there is also the possibility that PM Anwar had deliberately hid the document, leading to flip-flopping between him and his own minister.
Heck, the issue has become so complicated and suspicious due to lies, collusion, cover-up, abuse of power, and illegal manoeuvres that it cannot be resolved without incriminating the Attorney-Generals Chambers, Najib, Anwar or Sultan Abdullah. This is the only explanation why Sultan Ibrahim has issued his decree through the AGC for everything to start all over again.
If the addendum has been backdated, it means both Najib and the Pahang Royal House were involved in an illegal manoeuvre which Anwar government didn’t know. If the document had existed with Anwar’s knowledge, it means there has been a cover-up involving the prime minister and the AGC. Either way, the previous King is toast for signing off an illegal and unconstitutional decree.
In the same breath, it also means the premier has lied through his teeth when he insisted that he was powerless as Najib’s royal pardon is under the sole discretion of the King. But an amendment to the Federal Constitution in 1994 already removed the absolute discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to grant pardons, otherwise you don’t need a Pardons Board to begin with.
Article 40(1A) stipulates that all powers of the King (including the power to grant pardons) must be exercised in accordance with the advice of the appropriate person or body of persons and he shall accept such advice. Therefore, the King had actually acted on the advice of the Pardons Board because he no longer possessed absolute power like before 1994.
And the proof that King has to act on the advice of the Pardons Board is revealed in the Sultan Ibrahim’s latest decree, which says “the decision made by the King, upon the advice of the Pardons Board under Article 42 of the Constitution, is subject to existing legal provisions to ensure that such actions cannot be legally challenged as invalid in terms of law”.
So, it’s crystal clear that while the King has the power to pardon, he can only exercise such power under the advisement of the Pardons Board, and must be legally compliant to prevent such actions from being challenged in the court at a later stage. Despicable Anwar just trumpeted the power of the King to pardon, deliberately hides the fact that the power is subject to Pardons Board’s advice.
It has been Anwar’s plan to pardon Najib when the PM revived Federal Territories Ministry and appointed the useless former Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa to the portfolio, who in turn is a member of the Pardons Board. The prime minister then appointed a new friendly-Attorney General, who is also a member of the board. Under pressure, he finally admitted submitting Najib’s application for a royal pardon to the Pardons Board.
The simple fact that the premier had scrambled to assemble his team for the Pardons Board, and blindly submitting Najib’s request for a royal pardon despite knowing the crook had served less than one-third of the jail sentence, already screams collusion and abuse of power just to cling to power by appeasing Najib, whose political party UMNO is a partner of Anwar-led Unity Government.
Still, don’t hold your breath that Najib won’t walk free even with the new King’s decree. Two things could happen here. First, Sultan Ibrahim might not grant Najib his wish for a house arrest until a law for such detention is in place, thus passing the ball back to Anwar administration. Second, Sultan Ibrahim might give Najib a “full pardon” in the absence of a house arrest provision.
Yes, after Sultan Abdullah gave a partial royal pardon to Najib on his 12-year jail sentence, reducing it to just 6 years, Sultan Ibrahim might give him a “full royal pardon”, allowing the crook to walk free. However, everything depends on the Pardons Board, which PM Anwar controls. The burning question is which channel Anwar wants to use to free Najib – Pardons Board or a new law of house arrest.
If Anwar thinks it would be less damaging politically to free Najib by hiding behind the Palace, he would order the Pardons Board to advise the King to grant the crook a second royal pardon. If the PM thinks it would be less damaging to do it through legal means, he would bulldoze a house arrest law. But whether the gimmick could hoodwink voters remains to be seen.
Nevertheless, Anwar’s tactical move to appease UMNO has backfired. Not only a low ranking leader like Akmal has humiliated him, opposition PAS Islamist party and Bersatu are pouring fuel to the fire by mobilizing supporters to hold a rally to show solidarity with Najib Razak in Putrajaya on Jan 6 – the date of a court hearing on Najib’s application regarding the dubious royal order allowing him to enjoy house arrest.
Copyright 2006-2024. FinanceTwitter. All rights reserved
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Interesting comment from a friendly legal practitioner well versed in Malaysian politics.
“1. The present political scene in the country is not just a legal issue concerning the pardon and house arrest of Najib. It is much larger than that.
2. It is not a Malay vs nonMalay issue or Muslim vs nonMuslim issue, although PAS would drag race, religion and DAP into it to come out on top.
3. It is a fight within Malay elites and institutions for political and economic power and leadership
4. The court is providing a convenient stage for the real battles that are going on outside between powerful Malay interest
groups and institutions. All players are using the Najib case to advance their own hidden agenda.
5. There are many cross- currents in this conflict. It is difficult to predict how things will playout and who will win and who will
lose. The collateral damage will be the country.
6. The previous Agong was pressured to help Najib to get him out of his legal tangle and hopefully even
get him back as UMNO head and PM. Najib has other ongoing cases against him to be free he really needs to get back into power. Also to get Rosma cleared. Najib is still strong in UMNO and has support.
7. The present Agong needs Anwar and the unity government to continue to ensure Forest City prospers and the special economic zone between Johor and Singapore succeeds. A change of govt at this stage will not be in the interest of the present Agong, although he is related to the previous Agong from Pahang. There is a cross- current here.The Pahang royalty will be comfortable with Najib as PM.
8. PAS and PN want to exploit this opportunity to
pull down Anwar and his govt and create a new coalition to take over before the next election. But there is one problem with this strategy. Hadi and Muhiddin both want to become PM. Hadi for ideological, party and self interests. Muhiddin needs political power to clear his legal problems and those of his son- in- law. It is not going to be easy for PAS and PN/ Bersatu to get togther to form a new govt. Also they need UMNO to come on board but Zaid Hamidi will also want the top job to ensure he himself is clear of legal issues and be able to reward his supporters in UMNO. His support in UMNO is not strong. Many would want him to go from UMNO. So u have 3 persons who want to be PM. Given this, how would they form a coalition to topple Anwar? it maybe better for Zaid Hamidi to remain with Anwar. He is getting more from Anwar. His clamour to free Najib is more wayang kulit, to appease UMNO supporters of Najib.
8. DAP in PH although an important partner cannot
determine the outcome or direction of the confict between the major Malay groups and individuals because this is a Malay fight for power and control. The non-Malays do not really count.
9. The judiciary under the present Chief Justice Maimun has become a key player in this Malay confrontations in as much as when the cases come to the courts. She has managed to keep the judiciary largely independent, though there have been some noticeable lapses. She is trying hard not to allow the judiciary become a pawn in the hands of the conflicting groups. This explains the problems Najib is having in the courts. All the Malay elites and parties who are fighting for power would
love to have a judiciary that is obedient to them. The Chief Justice retires in July this year. What role the judiciary will play after this is to be seen.
10. Mahathir is irrelevant to the present contentions for power. So, there is a lot more to the addendum issue than what meets the eye.”
Sent from my Huawei phone
Najib has not only violated the Federal Constitution but also took the judiciary as his own play ground. In the history of Malaysia, has a single prisoner ever given the leeway and special liberty to:
1. wear suit and tie without handcuff and escorted to court in a vehicle specially purchased for him and allowing him stay in a special prison cell?
2. have access to facebook in prison?
3. blatantly and openly committing contempt of court by criticising the judges, the judiciary system and his lawyer having press conferences while his case is pending and being judged without consequences?
4. his case leap frogged to the pardon board despite that he does not meet the pardon's requirements?
5 the judges have to postpone his case just because he did not have enough sleep?
6. The King has specially given him reduced sentences and fines and if that is not enough make a special addendum for him for house arrest to be adduced as evidence to court eventhough such law does not exist and the addendum not discussed with the PB?
7. Having stolen billions of ringgit which would take generations of Malaysians to repay and yet openly condoned and supported by political parties governing the poorest malay states of Malaysia and protectors of MMs. On top of that, he's treated like a hero and saint prayed by thousands of supporters?
To all right thinking Malaysians, he is indeed a national embarrassment and he has created a laughing stock out of Malaysia and the judiciary system in the eyes of the world as a topsy turvy country. He is allowed to do that because even the PM of the country need to court him by remaining silent.
Sent from my Huawei phone
It's not just about Najib. PMX and the previous king have also played a role.
Why was Najib's remission in sentence and fine rushed through on Jan 29 2024 barely a few days before the new Agong came on board? Despite that, the govt delayed the announcement for several weeks until CNA broke the news and PMX scrambled to do damage control?
It's all about staying in power for PMX. He did not have the majority and needed the support of other parties to form the unity govt. Umno has been playing him out, yet he just let them have their way.
Sent from my Huawei phone
Ho, ho, ho! Corruption good, liberal secularism bad?
Adzhar Ibrahim
-10 Jan 2025, 07:30 AM
Don’t even get started on fornication. You might feel a real pain in the rear, if some elves in green have their way.
Apparently there was a celebration of some sort in Putrajaya last Monday. I wasn’t invited and I’m feeling slighted. Perhaps it is time to consider who my real friends are.
Could it have been a Christmas celebration, held a little bit early, I wondered. That’s indeed possible, because Christmas is celebrated very early in Malaysia. The next Christmas is only 11-plus months away, so it’s time to start hustling.
Christmas celebrations take short breaks for Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Aidiladha, then restart with a vengeance. As is traditional, the festivities steamroll over Deepavali, which lately is just a one-day break on the way to the 25th of December.
Supporting the likelihood that the Putrajaya celebrations was a Christmas one was the sighting of Santa Claus – that plumpish guy with white hair and dressed in Santa’s traditional colour: orange. He’s well known for bestowing (and receiving) gifts from princes and kings, though apparently he’s calling in some favours now.
That some of the people celebrating were in green backs this theory up. Green recalls the colour of the evergreen pine Christmas trees, which originated from the holy land of the Middle East.
The connections are there for all to see.
Only politics, not Xmas?
Some, however, claim it was a demonstration by members of the Islamic party PAS and its little brother Bersatu. There were a smattering of other parties as well, including a few I thought had gone extinct.
Prayers were also held in various places, including temples, to demonstrate how multicultural Malaysia is when it comes to Santa Claus.
I could be wrong, and I suspect there could be political explanations about these parades. After all, Putrajaya is not a holy site for any major religion, except for political pilgrims who congregate there regularly with wishes and prayers they want either the prime minister or the Almighty to grant.
Our Jan 6 moment
A couple of ex-prime ministers were in the crowd. I can’t identify which ex-PMs they were, because we have so many of them. Even the current PM could’ve been there for all I know, though unlikely to be flying any banners or singing any songs as in the good old days.
The headlines are claiming this was actually a celebration involving all the major Malaysian institutions such as politicians, the courts, royalty etc. I’m surprised it wasn’t declared a public holiday, though if the government changes soon, it could still be retroactively declared as one.
If you’re an ordinary citizen like me, you must be feeling rather shocked at what’s happening. Are we, like the US, having our very own Jan 6 moment in our political capital? Do we have a convicted criminal hogging the political headlines? Are we also trying to make something (corruption? cronyism?) great again?
The greatest sin
They’re clearly not trying to make another ism – secularism – great again. PAS has come out and painted secularism as the biggest of the big sins. It’s probably a bigger sin than the previous ism of liberalism, and I guess we’ll be hearing a lot more about it.
PAS and Bersatu and a few other political parties whose names I have forgotten were very excited about being in Putrajaya that day. Umno, which played it coy, decided to ditch the proceedings at the last minute, though it still was ably represented by some of the usual suspects.
I now believe the main reason they were there was the poor conditions of Malaysian prisons. In their mind, this situation requires a radical, innovative rethink, such as housing some convicted criminals in their own house.
If that’s so, I’d say more power to them! This is a time-honoured Malaysian tradition of taking public services and privatising it to politicians, whether current or retired. Funnily enough, it could be called IPP, or Independent Prison for Politicians. We’ve been down that road before.
Corruption, ho-hum
PAS, fresh from the triumph of whipping a man for committing adultery in Terengganu, has also gone on record as saying corruption isn’t a big deal. After all, it is just a matter of consensual give and take between two parties.
As long as there’s no illicit sex involved, they’re OK with showing humane treatment for criminals convicted of corruption.
I do wonder, though, where would PAS be if people convicted of corruption were also sentenced to be caned? That might be too good to pass on. So, what to do? Cane them in their own home, perhaps?
Becoming PM
DAP was there in spirit. Apparently they’re the most powerful political force in the country according to PAS and Bersatu and many in Umno too.
Given that many of these critics also harbour political ambitions of becoming a PM – or PM again – why not just join DAP, bring along enough seats to form a government, and later do a Mahathir Mohamad and kick out those who helped you become a PM?
That, again, is another time-honoured Malaysian political tradition, along with throwing your political opponents into prison, or perhaps house arrest, when you’re in power.
Been there, seen all that, nothing surprises me any more.
Be as corrupt as you can be, break whatever oaths or pledges you’ve taken, make sure you have powerful friends willing to come out on a working day to demonstrate on your behalf, and more.
But never ever be a liberal secularist fornicator. You’ll feel real pain in your backside if you are one.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Social media flooded with criticisms and unsavoury images of Najib ‘1MDB’ Razak
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No News Is Bad News
Social media flooded with criticisms and unsavoury images of Najib ‘1MDB’ Razak
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9, 2025: Social media platforms have been flooded with criticisms and images on the possibility of the disgraced and shameless former prime minister Najib “1MDB” Razak being freed from prison.
Speculation is now rife, after the Cour of Appeal last week allowed the jailbird kletocrat to go to court and seek to compel the Government to place him under house, in his case “bungalow”, arrest.
That is akin to freeing the man who stole millions of Ringgit, if not billions, from the rakyat dan negara (people and country).
One can read the proposed house arrest as akin to “backdoor freedom” for the VVIP kleptocrat who has shown no remorse for his crime and has yet to be made to return a single sen from his ill-gotten wealth.
Has he even settled the RM50 million court fine which was reduced from RM210 million?
No News Is Bad News reserves its comments on the impending “freeing” of Najib from Kajang Prison but will leave it to social media and the rakyat’s voice and postings on the matter. We also reproduce two articles and our previous postings for our readers’ reading pleasure. One of the articles even speculated that Najib may return as Malaysia's 11th prime minister after the next general election.
Is that possible? Malaysians re-electing a kleptocrat/thief who stole millions of Ringgit, if not billions, to be their prime minister again?
I Am back from “holiday”!!!
Living in style as a VVIP super kleptocrat.
Living in style as a VVIP super kleptocrat.
Many shameless Malaysians embrace kleptocrats, thieves and corruption.
30th July 2020
Dear Friends ( For private circulation only. Not to be recirculated or reproduced )
Yesterday’s conviction of Malaysian ex Prime Minister Najib on graft charges marked the partial closure of an article which I wrote as a columnist more than 6 years ago.
I attach below an extract of the article for your reading pleasure.
From the point the article was written with its underlying tone to the general election followed by the formation of the new government and to Najib’s arrest, his subsequent charges and now conviction, I patiently waited for yesterday’s outcome.
Yet it represents just a partial closure to what I hope for because the legal redress is still out there for him to appeal to two higher courts. A number of people have predicted that his conviction will be overturned.
Even if the two higher courts will to concur with yesterday’s courageous ruling of the High Court, there is still a final recourse with a pardon from the King.
This is how the system in our country works. Some of us will still remember the case of Datuk Harun Idris, the infamous ex Menteri Besar of Selangor who was convicted of graft charges and sentenced to 6 years imprisonment back in the late 70’s. After serving his sentence for less than three years, he was pardoned by the King and released.
While serving his term, I bumped into him quite a number of times at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital where he was frequently admitted to the first class ward for ailments that I couldn’t understand. (I was a journalist then and spent quite a lot of time at the General Hospital to sniff out newsy items ).
Then there was Datuk Mokhtar Hashim, the ex Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports who shockingly murdered State Assemblyman Datuk Mohamad Taha out of political rivalry. He was found guilty and sentenced to death in 1983. One year later , his death sentenced was commuted to life imprisonment. After serving his sentence for just 7 years, he was pardoned by the King and released.
Of course the well known sodomy case of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also received the grace of the King and was released just two years ago.
So, will Najib’s fate fall into the same pattern ? That is why I said yesterday’s verdict only marked a partial closure of my article.
Unlike the fate faced by their counterparts mentioned in my article, all our Malaysian leaders continued to lead a life happily ever after - our country really loves a good ending to a fairy tale.
What is most appalling was Najib’s mitigating moments yesterday when he requested to speak from his dock. He continued to maintain his innocence, claiming among other things that he did not demand for the RM 42 million. In spite of two years of testimonies from scores of witnesses culminating to the final verdict from the learned judge, he chose to believe that everyone was wrong and he was right.
A lie told a hundred times can become the truth. All of us are vulnerable to this fact and if we are not careful, we start to believe that the wrongs that we do are actually right. In other words, we start to find ways and means to justify our actions and in essence we end up subconsciously turning our very own lies into the truth.
The various leaders mentioned in my article did not fall into this trap but unfortunately also chose a wrong way to correct their mistakes.
I await the time when leaders will be honourable and courageous enough to shoulder and face the consequences for the actions they took.
When I took on journalism as my first career, I was filled with idealism. Young and inspired by famous journalists who exposed wrong doings of great leaders, I had thought that the pen is mightier than the sword.
My experiences in life as I aged (and hopefully wisdom comes along with it ) tells me that idealism is nothing but a dream. The reality out there is that if you have the power and might, you can get away with almost anything.
In spite of this, I still have faith that idealism is ingrained in the DNA of mankind and that it will continue to exist profoundly among youths so as to keep a check and balance between what is right and what is wrong.
With warmest regards.
*Najib's comeback as 11th PM looms closer after court 'exposes' Anwar's addendum drama*
January 06, 2025
Written by Wong Choon Mei, PoliticsNow Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR
As widely expected, despite all the drama seemingly manufactured by embattled Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, his disgraced predecessor Najib Razak has today won a key court appeal that many are convinced can only pave the way for the latter's release from prison into home detention or perhaps even a fresh full royal pardon.
"The release of Najib, whether direct or indirect, partial or full is a betrayal of reformasi," former MP for Batu constituency Tian Chua told PoliticsNow Malaysia, referring to the Malay word for reforms.
Be that as it may, it's not the first broken promise and few doubt that it will be the last to come from the Anwar administration. What most angers supporters of his core Pakatan Rakyat coalition that includes his own PKR party, the non-Malay-dominated DAP and the Amanah party are the deceit and the never-ending series of melodramas pushed out by the Anwar propagandists and spinners.
Many pointed at how even the appeals court judge pointed out he was "disturbed" by the Anwar government's silence on the existence of the addendum - how Anwar failed to explain its existence or even deny it when Najib's son was able to furnish to the court a letter dated January 4 from the Comptroller of the Royal Household of the Sultan of Pahang confirming a royal decree to have Najib shifted into home detention.
"During the last proceeding, you told the panel that you needed time to verify whether this so-called draft addendum originated from the palace itself," Judge Mohd Firuz Jaffril ever so gently rebuked the senior federal counsel Shamsol Bolhassan in court today.
"However, before us today, as I was preparing to hear this appeal, what I see is a statement from the Istana Negara... I am disturbed. There was no letter from the AGC or any other respondents challenging the addendum... it is as if you acknowledge the existence of this addendum," the judge added.
*THE SHAM ANTICS OF A REAL DRAMA QUEEN*
Indeed, despite an 11th hour order from Umno president Zahid Hamidi to his party leaders to boycott the planned rally at the court complex to drum up support for Najib and last week's unprecedented controversial letters from both the Attorney-General's chambers as well as from the new King that all decisions related to convicted prisoners such as Najib's addendum, which was never discussed at the previous Pardons Board meeting, must be re-submitted for consideration by the Pardons Board, it is clear that Anwar and his unity government were preparing to 'damage control'.
"It's a real sham. Now not only can Najib submit the addendum to the Pardons Board for home detention, he can even submit a fresh application for a full pardon," a Pakatan insider told PoliticsNow Malaysia.
"When the new King considers the addendum and he is told by Anwar that there are no laws that currently permit house detention, the King can actually grant Najib a full pardon if he applies for one on those very grounds. So old King and new King are in the clear. Najib wins his get-out-of-jail card, no need even for house detention, while Anwar gets whatever it is he wants from Najib - which may or may not include fulfilling his alleged promise to both Najib and Zahid for helping him become PM after the 2022 election. Only the voters get nothing, while Malaysians get famous again for celebrating and supporting grand corruption. Good deal from Anwar and DAP? You decide!"
The previous King, who hails from Najib's home state of Pahang, had cut by half the ex-PM's original 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine to RM50 million. The new King, under Malaysia's unique constitutional monarchy system, hails from Johor and has ruled that any new 'considerations' must be submitted afresh to the Pardons Board. This would include the addendum as well as any new application that Najib and his lawyers deem fit to make, including a full royal pardon freeing him from any remaining jail term.
*NAJIB RUSHES FOR FULL ROYAL PARDON BEFORE 2027 ELECTION?*
A full royal pardon, if it is timely, would also render Najib available to stand for election in 2027, the latest that general elections must be held.
Many pundits and political portals have warned of a looming fight for control of the country - pitting Najib and Pas against Anwar and Zahid. While many of the reasons given seem valid, they are also fallible as the elephant in the room - which is Anwar and his weakness - is just too huge to remove.
"Whoever gets to be PM after the next election must be the one who heads the party with the most seats and that is most likely to be Umno or Pas. But definitely, it won't be PKR especially now after the latest Najib fiasco, so this means Anwar is deader than a dead duck and he's realistic enough to know," the insider said.
"This is why Najib is rushing to get back into the scene. It's obvious after two years Anwar cannot do things, build any socio-economic structures or revamp the education system, let alone lead or unify by inspiration. So while there's still opposition to Najib making a comeback, many cannot help thinking warts and all, Najib's still a thousand times better than Anwar. If only he wasn't so corrupt! But then again, is Anwar less corrupt in his own way? Not only is there his alleged secret deal with Najib and Zahid but even now when it's clear, there's no way Anwar can have a second term as PM, is he still striking more secret agreements with Najib and Umno? As for Zahid, as I have always said, he's the smartest. Zahid knows he won't be able to do the PM's job, Umno is already splitting under him and there's also his prostrate cancer."
*ANWAR & DAP 'SET UP' MALAYSIA 'KAW KAW'?*
Shocking or not, shenanigans of the most murky sort have always dominated Malaysia's political scene and there seems to be no let up in the future. Instead, transparency and integrity have taken a major shift backwards thanks to Anwar's leadership and the cowardice of his DAP and Amanah allies to rein him in.
A dangerous vacuum has been created that sadly can only be filled by another ill wind from Umno - and this time assisted by Pas.
"Instead of helping Malaysia, Anwar has 'set up' Malaysia," said the insider.
"What can DAP do? Of course, it won't do anything. It's already busy guzzling all the goodies that come with power, the same way as it accused MCA and MIC. But non-Malays need not worry because whether they vote for DAP or MCA, Malaysia is on auto-pilot because our politicians have always been and still are very fake. They talk ideals only when out of power. In power, they become like Anwar - all drama queen and no substance. The way they waste our time and our children's future is the real shame and tragedy, so don't be duped again."
Written by Wong Choon Mei, PoliticsNow Malaysia
Najib gets leave to initiate judicial review for ‘house arrest’
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Najib gets leave to initiate judicial review for ‘house arrest’
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6, 2025: Malaysians today are shocked by the split three-man bench of the Court of Appeal decision to grant the disgraced and shameless former prime minister Najib “1MDB” Razak leave to initiate a judicial review of his prison sentence for house arrest.
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The facts about the VVIP jailbird who is serving his sentence in Kajang Prison are:
> THE kleptocrat Najib has stolen millions of Ringgit, if not billions, from the rakyat dan negara (people and country);
> NAJIB is currently facing 25 charges of power abuse and money laundering involving RM2.27 billion in 1Malysia Development Berhad (1MDB) funds; and
> 1MDB and its subsidiaries have also begun legal action against Amicorp Group and its co-founder Toine Knipping for allegedly facilitating the laundering of over US$7 billion (RM31.85 billion) in misappropriated funds.
Today’s court decision means the unremorseful kleptocrat, Najib, gets a chance to battle out in court to be allowed to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house/bungalow arrest (read as backdoor freedom).
In July 2020, the former Umno president was jailed 12 years and fined RM210 million on seven counts of corruption involving SRC International (a 1MDB subsidiary) funds.
Najib is currently serving a six-year prison sentence, halved by the pardons board from the initial 12 years, and his court fine was also given a hefty discount to only RM50 million.
So, Najib may have won in his appeal for this round but his court battle woes are certainly far from over.
Malaysians pray that justice will ultimately be served.
And here are three immediate responses found on Facebook on the court decision today, clearly showing their frustrations and disgust:
He is still the BossKu.
History will judge UMNO, PAS and Malay right wing groups harshly. The justice system is not working properly. The perception is that big fishes can never be caught nor punished like ordinary people.
Kenny Chung
Integrity and Honour had just passed away. The nation mourns in silence.
Baik kita rakyat ikut contoh Bosku...
Curi, Sakau wang Kerajaan.
Kalau kena tangkap dipenjara, kita suruh PAS tolong kita!
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the court decision and our previous postings:
Najib wins appeal to have house arrest dispute heard
V Anbalagan
-06 Jan 2025, 01:28 PM
In a split ruling, the Court of Appeal also allows Najib Razak’s application to adduce new evidence when the merits of the case are heard in the High Court.
Former prime minister Najib Razak has been in prison since Aug 23, 2022. (Bernama pic)
PUTRAJAYA: Former prime minister Najib Razak has obtained leave to begin judicial review proceedings to compel the government to execute a supplementary decree issued by the former king allowing him to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest.
In a split ruling, a three-member Court of Appeal bench also allowed Najib’s application to adduce new evidence when the merits of the case are heard in the High Court.
Justice Firuz Jaffril said Najib had fulfilled the criteria in Ladd & Marshall to introduce new evidence.
He also noted that Najib had written to six respondents on the existence of the purported addendum with no reply from any of them.
The six respondents are the home minister, prisons commissioner general, attorney-general, Federal Territories Pardons Board, law and institutional reform minister, and director-general of the Prime Minister’s Department’s legal affairs division.
Firuz said that Najib had, after the High Court hearing in July, obtained a copy of the addendum from the Pahang ruler, who was the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He added that the government had not provided any compelling rebuttal to the evidence adduced by Najib.
Justice Azhahari Kamal Ramli concurred with Firuz.
Justice Azizah Nawawi, who chaired the Court of Appeal bench, dissented.
Najib Razak: Malaysia's ex-PM starts jail term after final appeal fails
23 August 2022
Melissa Zhu
BBC News
Reuters
Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak was sentenced to 12 years in jail in July 2020
Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been sent to jail to begin serving a 12-year sentence, after the top court rejected his appeal.
The 69-year-old's charges relate to a corruption scandal involving state-owned wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
He was convicted in July 2020, but had been out on bail during the appeal.
The court also denied Najib's request to delay his sentence. He has continued to deny any wrongdoing.
He was sentenced to 12 years' jail and a fine of 210m ringgit ($46.8m; £39.7m).
The defence team had argued Najib was led to believe the funds in his accounts were donated by the Saudi royal family rather than misappropriated from the state fund.
They also claimed he was misled by financial advisers, particularly fugitive financier Jho Low - who has been charged in both the US and Malaysia but also maintains his innocence.
In his final push for freedom on Tuesday, Najib's lawyer requested the removal of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat from the panel presiding over the case - in what was seen as a bid to forestall a final verdict.
They claimed she could be biased as her husband had made a Facebook post in 2018 which was critical of Najib.
However, the chief justice declined the request as she said the post was before the charges were brought against Najib.
In her verdict, the chief justice said the five-judge panel unanimously found that the conviction of Najib on all seven counts was safe and the appeal "devoid of any merits".
"The defence is so inherently inconsistent and incredible that it has not raised reasonable doubt on the case," she said.
The charges addressed on Tuesday make up only the the first of five trials relating to 1MDB.
Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor, also faces money laundering and tax evasion charges - to which she has pleaded not guilty.
She separately faces corruption charges related to a solar hybrid project, and the High Court is set to deliver her verdict for this case on 1 September.
A big moment as taboos are shattered
This is a big moment.
It is almost unheard of for a political figure as senior as Najib Razak to go to jail, in a region where power is unaccountable, and hierarchy rigidly enforced.
Even President Suharto in Indonesia, who was forced to resign in 1998 after mass protests against his autocratic rule, never actually went to jail. Malaysia has shattered that taboo.
Najib has few legal avenues left - he can apply for a review of the appeal, but has little chance there.
But it is too soon to write him off yet. Najib Razak has maintained his popularity in some sections of Malaysian society, and he is still influential in his UMNO party. It has a good chance of doing well in the upcoming general election, and might then push for a royal pardon.
Malaysian politics has become much more fluid since UMNO lost its 61-year monopoly on power in 2018 - an election Najib lost in large part because of this scandal.
Shameless Malaysian politicians gather to support Malaysia’s No.1 thief or kleptocrat Najib ‘1MDB’ Razak to be 'freed'
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Shameless Malaysian politicians gather to support Malaysia’s No.1 thief or kleptocrat Najib ‘1MDB’ Razak to be 'freed'
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3, 2025: Malaysian politicians know no shame, especially those from the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN).
They continue their wayward political ways despite suffering a devastating loss in the last general election (GE15) when Malaysians soundly gave them the boot, with Umno winning only 26 of the 222-seat Parliament.
On Monday (Jan 6), they shameless show Malaysians and to the rest of the world that they support corrupt leaders - in this case the disgraced and shameless and unrepented former prime minister Najib “1MDB” Razak who stole millions, if not billions, from the rakayat dan negara (people and country).
They are set to proudly rally for Najib to be freed and palced under house/bungalow arrest so that he gets to enjoy his ill-gotten wealth.
As for MCA and MIC, of course they have to live up to their status as loyal Umno political lapdogs.
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No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report that tells Malaysians why Umno-led BN must be politically buried in GE16:
MCA urges members to attend solidarity rally for Najib
FMT Reporters
-03 Jan 2025, 04:30 PM
The party says leaders and members should join the peaceful assembly to uphold justice and demand the truth.
MCA said its members are expected to attend the Jan 6 gathering to show solidarity with former Umno president Najib Razak. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: MCA has called on its members to attend the Jan 6 solidarity rally organised by PAS for incarcerated former prime minister Najib Razak.
The party said it was informed about the rally by Umno two weeks ago, and that its members are expected to take part to show solidarity with former Umno president Najib.
“MCA calls on the party’s leaders and members at all levels to join this peaceful assembly to uphold justice and demand the truth,” it said in a Facebook post today.
“MCA demands the government be transparent – if it (royal addendum) exists, say so; if it does not, say so.”
PAS’s rally will be held on the same day the Court of Appeal hears Najib’s application on a purported supplementary decree placing him under house arrest.
Najib claims the order was issued in a supplementary decree to a Feb 2 announcement by the Federal Territories Pardons Board, which halved his jail term from 12 years to six and reduced his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million.
He is currently serving the jail sentence following his conviction for corruption in the SRC International case.
Yesterday, MIC deputy president M Saravanan said thousands of party members will also attend the rally.
Saravanan said the rally goes “beyond party-based and racial politics” and is about securing justice for Najib concerning the purported supplementary decree.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan earlier issued an internal memo sighted by FMT saying the rally will focus on Najib’s appeal for leave to commence judicial review proceedings over the purported royal command.
The memo also called for party members to gather for prayers and speeches at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya at 9am.
More than 200 busloads of Najib’s supporters are expected to attend the rally, comprising Umno and PAS members.
Bersatu leaders are also expected to be present.
Shameless corrupt-loving politicians to rally for jailbird Najib on Monday
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Shameless corrupt-loving politicians to rally for jailbird Najib on Monday
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3, 2025: Malaysia continues to be more corrupt in the global rankings for corruption as reported by Transparency-International.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone a wee bit because many Malaysians support the corrupt, especially kleptocrats. No?
Then read below a news report on the Taliban-like PAS and the racial and religious bigoted Umno (led by its youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh) who are scheduled to stage a rally for Malaysia’s No. 1 kleptocrat and thief, the disgraced and shameless former prime minister and Umno president Najib “1MDB” Razak.
And, they are also supported by the Umno lapdogs MCA and MIC! No wonder Malaysians overwhelmingly dumped the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) in the last general election (GE), leaving Umno with a mere 26 seats in the 222-seat Parliament.
Also, isn't Umno and MIC (BN) part of the so-called Madani Unity Government?So, what business is it for the Government to be involved in a rally or protest supporting a national thief who is serving in Kajang Prison?
Come GE16, Malaysians are expected to dig Umno and BN’s political grave deeper.
And, the big question is: Is the police allowing such a public rally or protest?
Najib is currently serving his jail sentence in Kajang Prison for stealing from SRC, a subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
And, he is currently facing 25 charges of power abuse and money laundering involving RM2.27 billion in 1MDB funds.
1MDB and its subsidiaries have also begun legal action against Amicorp Group and its co-founder Toine Knipping for allegedly facilitating the laundering of over US$7 billion (RM31.85 billion) in misappropriated funds.
So, on Monday (Jan 6), all Malaysians and the rest of the world will get to see the corrupt-loving shameless politicians rallying in support of the country’s No.1 kleptocrat, Najib, who will appear in court over his challenge to be allowed to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest.
So, it’s clear that come GE16 which must be held in 2027, a vote for PAS and BN-Umno is a vote for CORRUPTION!
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No News Is Bad News reproduces below related news reports and previous postings on the man who stole multi-millions of Ringgit, if not billions, from the rakyat dan negara (people and country):
‘Read, understand and accept’ statement by palace on pardons, says Anwar
Elill Easwaran
-03 Jan 2025, 02:56 PM
The prime minister responds to a statement by Istana Negara that any proposal for a prisoner to be granted a pardon or sentence reduction must be submitted to the pardons board for consideration.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said all parties must understand and accept the palace’s statement on granting pardons. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on all parties to understand and accept the statement issued by the palace earlier today on granting pardons.
“You must read, understand and accept the command,” he told reporters here.
Earlier, Istana Negara reiterated that any proposal for a prisoner to be granted a pardon or sentence reduction must be submitted to the pardons board for consideration.
The palace said the king holds the prerogative to grant pardons under Articles 42(1) and (2) of the Federal Constitution, based on the advice of the pardons board he chairs, for offences.
It also said the king has “the authority to remit, suspend, or reduce any punishment imposed by the courts for such offences”.
The statement comes amid plans for a rally in support of former prime minister Najib Razak, who has a court appearance on Jan 6 over his challenge to be allowed to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers released a similar statement on Wednesday, saying that any proposal for prisoners in the federal territories to serve the remainder of their sentences under house arrest, including Najib, have to be submitted to the pardons board.
Asked if the statement issued by Istana Negara today is linked to the planned rally by several political parties on Monday, Malaysiakini quoted Anwar as saying: “Yes, must read, must read”.
PAS has issued an internal party memo calling for party members to gather for prayers and speeches at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya at 9am, while Umno will also be at the rally, with over 200 busloads of Najib’s supporters.
Yesterday, MIC deputy president M Saravanan said “thousands” of party members will attend the rally, while People’s Progressive Party secretary-general Inder Singh Beant Singh said party members would also attend the rally.
Najib is currently serving a six-year prison sentence, halved by the pardons board from the initial 12 years, following his conviction in the SRC International case.
The rally is being held on the day the Court of Appeal will hear his application for leave to adduce fresh evidence in his appeal to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest, an order which he claims was issued in a supplementary decree to the Feb 2 announcement.
PH not involved in pro-Najib rally, says Anwar
Elill Easwaran
-03 Jan 2025, 01:06 PM
The prime minister, who is also the coalition’s chairman, directs questions to his BN counterpart, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Anwar Ibrahim said PH has nothing to do with the pro-Najib Razak rally scheduled for Jan 6. (Facebook pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has sought to distance Pakatan Harapan, the coalition he leads, from the pro-Najib Razak rally next week.
“You will need to ask the Barisan Nasional chairman (about that),” he told reporters, referring to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the deputy prime minister.
“PH is not involved.”
Anwar said this when asked to comment on Monday’s rally, which will see the participation by four different parties.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan had earlier issued an internal party memo saying the rally will focus on Najib’s appeal for leave to commence judicial review proceedings over the purported royal addendum.
The memo also called for party members to gather for prayers and speeches at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya at 9am.
More than 200 busloads of Najib’s supporters are also expected to attend the rally, comprising Umno and PAS members.
Yesterday, MIC deputy president M Saravanan said “thousands” of party members will attend the rally, while People’s Progressive Party secretary-general Inder Singh Beant Singh said party members would also be present.
Najib is currently serving a six-year prison sentence, halved by the pardons board from the initial 12 years, following his conviction in the SRC International case.
The rally is being held on the day the Court of Appeal will hear his application for leave to adduce fresh evidence in his appeal to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest, an order which he claims was issued in a supplementary decree to the Feb 2 announcement.
Freeing Malaysia’s No.1 kleptocrat is a web of intrigue
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This is the thief who the UG wants to free using a “backdoor freedom” called house arrest … in his case, bungalow arrest.
Freeing Malaysia’s No.1 kleptocrat is a web of intrigue
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14, 2024: Finance Twitter has posted a news report detailing how the the so-called Madani Unity Government (UG), led by Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, is caught in a web of intrigue in trying to free the country’s No.1 kleptocrat.
Finance Twitter claimed that there are two parts to the controversy which could destroy Anwar’s desire for a second term – a royal pardon and a royal addendum.
The suspense – and anger – began after a local daily Utusan Malaysia reported – and retracted – that Najib will receive a royal pardon over his 12-year prison sentence after being convicted for the misappropriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s RM42 million.
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No News Is Bad News reproduces below the damning Finance Twitter report of the UG’s support to free the corrupt jailbird, the disgraced and shameless former prime minister Najib “1MDB” Razak, who stole millions of Ringgit, if not billions from the rakyat.
And the UG is doing all it can to free Najib who is also currently facing 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering involving RM2.27 billion of 1MDB funds (read as rakyat dan negara’s money).
An international farce for Malaysia’s fight against corruption.
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Anwar Has Been Playing “Tai Chi” With Najib Royal Addendum
14 December, 2024
Was there a piece of royal decree that would allow former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve his remaining prison sentence in his luxury home? A simple answer “Yes” or “No” is all that is needed from the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia – Anwar Ibrahim. But for almost 10 months since January, the man who was supposed to be a reformist, has been playing “Tai Chi”.
There are two parts to the controversy which could destroy Mr Anwar’s desire for a second term – a royal pardon and a royal addendum. The suspense – and anger – began after a local daily Utusan Malaysia reported – and retracted – that Najib will receive a royal pardon over his 12-year prison sentence after being convicted for the misappropriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd’s RM42 million.
Initially, there were denials. Then, when it became too hot to handle, Anwar said on Feb 2, 2024 that the Pardons Board has made its decision and asked the public to wait for the announcement. At that time, Najib had been a prisoner for about one year and five months (he was jailed on August 23, 2022) only, therefore, he was not qualified to apply for a pardon – either full or partially.
Former Attorney-General Tommy Thomas said that one-third of a prison sentence must be served before any pardon can be considered, which means Najib must spend at least four years of his 12-year prison term first. When it was announced that the ex-premier had indeed been given a pardon – 50% discount of his prison time and 75% of his RM210 million fines – all hell broke loose.
Facing a barrage of criticism, the fake reformist Anwar shamelessly defended the move to reduce the jail sentence for disgraced Najib Razak after his attempt to pass the ball to the Pardons Board failed. Initially, the prime minister said the King Sultan Abdullah’s decision to commute Najib’s sentence was final and that the monarch was not obliged to provide an explanation.
When 34 million people refused to buy his bullshit, PM Anwar praised the King’s decision as full of “mercy and compassion”, a pathetic tactic of hiding behind the monarch to silence the critics. That’s because negative remarks about the monarchy can be prosecuted under a colonial-era Sedition Act, which has been used against people who criticise the royals on social media.
Anwar thought he had cleverly put the matter to rest, and people have forgotten the disgusting episode. But it was just the beginning of a nightmare that would haunt his leadership till the next 16th General Election. He thought he was the smartest person alive while everyone else is stupid. However, there was at least one person who was way smarter than him – the crook himself.
Fresh from his royal pardon which halved his jail sentence, Najib suddenly claimed that there was an additional decree – dated January 29, 2024 – from the Agong (King) to transfer him immediately from Kajang Prison to his residence in Kuala Lumpur to serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest. But his judicial review regarding the addendum was rejected by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 3.
He is now appealing to the Appeal Court, claiming to have new evidence, which was only recently obtained by Najib’s son, Nizar. The burning question is why hadn’t Najib produced the evidence, or even raised the issue of the existence of such royal decree when he was granted the partial royal pardon in early February, but had to wait till a few months later in April to do it?
Interestingly, Anwar’s biggest bootlicker – Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail – said in November that the so-called royal addendum was merely “hearsay”, essentially denying the existence of the document. However, on Tuesday (December 10), PM Anwar refused to confirm or deny the existence of the highly controversial royal document when grilled by the Opposition in the Parliament.
Lending credence to the suspicion that the addendum indeed exists, the prime minister now said he had referred the matter to the current Malaysian King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, for further deliberation. Exactly why Anwar had to make things complicated, confusing and suspicious by passing the ball from one king to another king if there was no such decree in the first place?
Both the High Court (on July 3) and the Home Ministry (on Nov 7) already announced that Najib’s claim was rubbish based on purely hearsay. Is Anwar now afraid of being caught with his pants down lying just in case Najib’s son, Nizar, could produce an identical copy of the addendum from Sultan Abdullah’s royal household, but was not signed by the ruler, unlike the original document?
It becomes more dramatic when the Pahang Palace said on December 10 that it “will not be making any statements” on the issue due to the upcoming court case. But why can’t the previous King – Sultan Abdullah – confirm or deny the existence of the royal decree which he personally rushed to sign at the eleventh hour before his tenure as Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) ended on January 30, 2024?
Yes, Najib could have easily asked the sultan to publicly clarify the matter as early as February, but he didn’t. There was also no reason the previous King would reject such favour as it was the monarch who signed the special royal addendum himself. It does not make sense to hide the document after signing it. Besides, who dares to condemn the Malay Ruler for helping the world’s biggest crook?
After all, Najib holds the “Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar” title, which he inherited from his late father. The title, which dates back about three centuries in 1722, was accorded to him by the Pahang palace by virtue of the title being hereditary. The title is one of the four highest ranking nobles below the monarch – hence also known as the “Orang Besar Berempat”, loosely translates as “the four chiefs”.
The educated guess is while the royal document does exist (otherwise Anwar can boldly and decisively reject its existence), it may be illegal and unconstitutional, hence unenforceable simply because there are no legal provisions for home detention. That explains why Anwar has hastily accepted Najib’s apology for stealing money, and shamelessly promised to design a special new law to allow home arrest for the crook.
At best, Sultan Abdullah might have been persuaded and scammed by Najib into signing the dubious decree at the last minute before the monarch was replaced by Sultan Ibrahim. At worst, the Pahang Sultan knew it was illegal, but signed it anyway as birds of a feather flock together. Now that it has become a hot potato, the Pahang Palace hides behind judiciary to avoid embarrassment and criticism.
What is unknown is whether the document has been backdated, which explains why it took Najib a few months after a royal pardon to start crowing about a royal addendum. It also explains why Home Minister said the document was merely hearsay. However, there is also the possibility that Anwar government had deliberately hid the document, leading to flip-flopping between him and his own minister.
It would be treason and treachery for Najib’s son for forge a royal document, so both the royal house and Najib dynasty knew the authenticity of the decree. But that does not mean Anwar was innocent. It was part of his plan to pardon Najib when the PM revived Federal Territories Ministry and appointed the useless former Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa to the portfolio, who in turn is a member of the Pardons Board.
Anwar then appointed a new friendly-Attorney General, who is also a member of the board. He also admitted submitting Najib’s application for a royal pardon to the Pardons Board, although thousands of other prisoners were more qualified. Why wasn’t a 43-year-old woman in Terengganu sent to 14 months’ jail in July 2022 after she was found guilty of stealing the Milo at a local supermarket given a royal pardon?
The simple fact that the premier scrambled to assemble his team for the Pardons Board, and blindly submitting Najib’s request for a royal pardon despite the crook having served less than one-third of the jail sentence, already screams double standards and abuse of power just to cling to power by appeasing Najib, whose political party is a partner of Anwar-led Unity Government.
Crucially, Mr Anwar lied that Najib’s royal pardon is under the sole discretion of the King, bragging his strong position on the issue of good governance and the rule of law. But an amendment to the Federal Constitution in 1994 already removed the absolute discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to grant pardons, otherwise why do you need a Pardons Board to begin with?
Article 40(1A) stipulates that all powers of the King (including the power to grant pardons) must be exercised in accordance with the advice of the appropriate person or body of persons and he shall accept such advice. Therefore, the King had actually acted on the advice of the Royal Pardons because he no longer possessed absolute power like before 1994.
Anwar, Najib and the previous King knew that “after” the monarch exercised his power to pardon the crook, which was done under the advisement of Royal Pardons, which in turn was configured by the premier with a specific task to pardon Najib, that decision cannot be challenged in courts. It’s still unclear whether Najib had been given a full pardon, before quietly making a U-turn and changed it to 50% after public uproar.
Did you notice all along, it has been Anwar who vigorously defended Najib’s royal pardon as if he was his attorney, failing which he would twist, spin and “tai chi” to the monarch? The silence of the Sultanate of Pahang suggests that either it was following the Pardons Board’s recommendation, or had arm-twisted the board to pardon Najib, knowing very well it was illegal and unconstitutional.
Now that the ball has been passed to the new King, exactly what could Sultan Ibrahim do? If he accounces the existence of the document, pro-monarch Anwar is toast and the monarch might do the anti-monarch opposition Perikatan Nasional a favour. Worse, the Johor Sultan could plunge into a self-inflicted anti-monarch sentiment for freeing Najib, whose 1MDB scandal is still hot and burning.
But if the decision, after a meeting on Dec 9 (Monday) between Anwar and Sultan Ibrahim, is to use the new King to announce the existence of the royal addendum with the intention of silencing critics and suppressing discontent, it could backfire on both the PM and the King. If it exists, why has it been hidden since January and not executed, which had misled the High Court into believing it was purely hearsay?
On the other hand, if Sultan Ibrahim denies the existence of the document, he has to ensure the original decree will never see the light of day, which means it must be destroyed. But this also means the duplicate copy held by Najib’s son is fake and he could be prosecuted for treason, which could see a retaliation from Najib. Can you see how Anwar is tangled in his own web of lies after making a deal with the devil for power?
So, the workaround could see a cover-up of the royal decree, which was both illegal and unconstitutional anyway. The Sultan of Johor, considered the de-facto leader of the nine Malay Rulers in the country, could advise his junior brother – Sultan Abdullah – to throw Najib under the bus. In exchange, Anwar will bulldoze a house arrest law to free Najib under “bungalow detention”, and everyone goes home happily with their prizes.
Source : Finance Twitter
1MDB, subsidiaries sue Amicorp and its founder for facilitating laundering of US$7b (RM31.85b)
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No News Is Bad News
1MDB, subsidiaries sue Amicorp and its founder for facilitating laundering of US$7b (RM31.85b)
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23, 2024: Embattled Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and its subsidiaries are reported to have begun legal action against Amicorp Group and its co-founder Toine Knipping for allegedly facilitating the laundering of over US$7 billion (RM31.85 billion) in misappropriated funds.
They are seeking more than US$1 billion (RM4.5 billion) in damages from the global corporate services provider and its eight entities.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the matter:
1MDB sues Amicorp, co-founder for alleged role in facilitating US$7bil fraud
FMT Reporters
-23 Dec 2024, 10:37 AM
The company is seeking over US$1 billion in damages from the global corporate services provider and its eight entities.
1MDB has accused Amicorp Group and its co-founder, Toine Knipping, of helping launder stolen funds through fraudulent transactions from 2009 to 2014. (AP pic)
PETALING JAYA: 1MDB and its subsidiaries have begun legal action against Amicorp Group and its co-founder Toine Knipping for allegedly facilitating the laundering of over US$7 billion (RM31.85 billion) in misappropriated funds.
Toine Knipping.
The lawsuit claims that Amicorp played a vital role in fraudulent transactions from 2009 to 2014, which resulted in the theft of funds from 1MDB.
Amicorp is accused of providing access to the global financial system through its subsidiary, Barbados-registered Amicorp Bank, allowing the repeated cycling of assets and the creation of a false paper trail to cover up the stolen funds.
The stolen money was allegedly funnelled through a global network that spanned Singapore, Barbados, Curacao, Hong Kong, and the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
“We are bringing this action to seek justice for the role we allege Amicorp played in facilitating the laundering and ultimate dissipation of billions of dollars in stolen funds,” a spokesman for the 1MDB board said in a statement.
“We allege this was achieved through the creation of structures designed to purposefully obscure the theft, and that Amicorp deliberately and knowingly created complex structures to mask the stolen monies as assets and make them difficult to trace.”
The spokesman said there was strong evidence suggesting that Amicorp, at its highest levels, was fully aware of its involvement in a “dishonest and illegal money laundering operation” designed to divert funds meant for Malaysians.
The lawsuit, filed in the BVI on Dec 20 against eight Amicorp entities and Knipping, seeks damages exceeding US$1 billion (RM4.55 billion) from the global corporate services provider.
1MDB is seeking to hold Amicorp accountable for “dishonest assistance in breaches of fiduciary duty and conspiracy to commit unlawful acts”.
The suit was taken out by Baker & Partners (BVI) Limited, Tom Smith KC of South Square Chambers, James Bailey of 7 King’s Bench Walk, and Lim Chee Wee Partnership, which acts as the global coordinating counsel for 1MDB’s asset recovery efforts.
1MDB said Amicorp had faced regulatory action and fines, including in the Netherlands, Abu Dhabi, Malta and the BVI, for compliance failures in multiple jurisdictions.
“We are confident that our claim will succeed and are committed to holding accountable the institutions and individuals involved in misappropriating money from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, while ensuring the recovery and restitution of these assets back to the Malaysian people,” the spokesman added.
Malaysia’s corrupt icon, the disgraced, shameless and unremorseful kleptocrat/thief, former prime minister Najib “1MDB” Razak, is depicted in this image found on Facebook.
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10, 2025: Malaysia should soon become the world’s most corrupt nation in the world as the Government continues to show tacit support for the special treatment bestowed on a jailed kleptocrat of thief.
