1: There are no investigative journalists in any of Malaysia's media. Never were, never will be. The Edge Malaysia did some digging into 1MDB but it wasn't alone: the WSJ was already doing that, joined by The Sarawak Report. Malaysian "journalists" are basically hacks and far too timid. You only have to look at the extent to which readers' comments are censored by the media's in-house Gestapo. They fear they'll be dragged to court, like it's done in Singapore by that city-state's one-party state -- owned by the autocratic PAP. S much for "democracy" and "rights".
2. I've been reading lots on the Najib "Criminal" Razak 'half pardon' from his sentence. I was looking for something new, an angle not covered, and I had hope I would find one in Cyril Pereira's piece here. Alas, not. It's a rehash of what is already now well covered. But perhaps not so well covered after all. More on this later.
3. We know Anwar Ibrahim now like the back of our hands. He's another Malaysia, another from the breed of Umno politicians. That he went to bed with the crooked Hamidi as his deputy from Umno means that Anwar had covered himself in Umno mustard -- the haram kind. Even before the half pardon was granted to Najib, he'd reneged on his promised reforms. All of them.
4. His bark on ending corruption in wholly corrupt Malaysia has just blown up in his mug (face). As a result of agreeing to expedite Najib's pardon hearing (over others and before Najib had served one-third of his 12-year imprisonment sentence, among other things, meant that Anwar that Anwar was never really serious about ending corruption. Going after Mahathir "Mamak" Mohamad and Daim Zainuddin is merely a political sideshow of Anwar's launching his revenge politics of two people whom he hates and mistrusts and who, in turn hate and mistrust him, too. Daim's indictment for not declaring his total assets in the time ordered by the MACC is a bit farcical. Firstly, Is Anwar investigating the MACC's Zaki over his accumulated wealth? No. Why not? The answer is obvious. The MACC is Anwar's hound dog, just as the entire security apparatus in Malaysia is the tool of intimidation and oppression of the Malay state. Anwar heads yet another Malay-dominant state in similar fashion to all previous Umno-dominated Malay regime. There was never -- never -- a regime change in Malaysia -- not in 2018 and not n 2022. It is the old Malay state of lies, corruption, incompetence, hype and hubris. The PH-Umno regime headed by Anwar is exactly just that. Secondly, where are Malaysia's "investigative journalists" on detailing Anwar's business cronies and the structure of his patronage or patron-client relations that is being managed from within his office? Pretty darn peculiar that that the media have been practicing a hands-off approach to that issue. Is anybody going to suggest that Anwar, like Mahathir, did not foster or nurture his own band of cronies when he was serving as minister in the Mahathir regime? Because if you do, then let me say you don't really understand "Malaysian" politics or political-economy.
4. The last king. Anwar wants people to get over this whole Najib pardon farce and he doesn't want people pointing fingers at the last king who was a member or head of the so-called Pardons Board (all establishmentarian buffoons). The last king ought to take his share of responsibility in this Najb pardon business. Najib stole so much that he almost brought the Malaysian budget to its knees. It could well have become another Zimbabwe, another Nigeria, another Marcos-era Philippines. Najib is a crook and consummate liar. He still has a billion ringgit to his name. As does his (most ugly) wife Rosmah Mansor, who is equally a crook and consummate liar (must run in the Razak family).
5. But it's not so much that that fascinates me as much as the timing of the so-called Pardons Board hearing Najib's pardon and parole. Think about it. This matter did not just crop up but it would -- I'll bet my bottom dollar (the ringgit is worthless shite) -- have been discussed and planned within Anwar's offices and, I'll go so far as to say that he would have been pushed by Zahid Hamidi, who would have at least three or four linked interests in Najib's pardon and release. Was Anwar squeezed? I'll bet he was. Why? Because he is just a desperado, a political cretin who loves power as much as Mahathir did, as much as Najib did (which makes the former PM Badawi a saint by comparison). Anwar has just hoodwinked all Malaysians who hoped for "real" change and who had hoped that at last he would free the judiciary -- long known to be as corrupt as all of Malaysia's security apparatus (consider, for example, Malaysia's police) and the Malay-dominant bureaucracy -- from the clutches of political cretins at the top of the indescribably indecent, indescribably filthy, indescribably untrustworthy Putrajaya and the so-called government of Malaysia. Good governance and transparency aren't just misnomers in the Malaysian context but laughably, ridiculously sick with the drunken grasp of Malay state power.
A blessed country with great weather and vast land has so mismanaged even God's free gifts. Rice and food imports total RM66b per annum. No leadership with integrity since the first generation of independence leaders. No shortage of charlatans from Mahathir down.
Irony. As long as eight years ago we counted on him as the ruler who would finally blow the whistle on the nonsense, and move forward.. But three times his smart, cagey PR person refused interviews, even the vetted kind over email.
(Subject: Malaysia's potential as a global leader in enterpreneurism and clean governance, helping tap the immense potential of an Indonesia that needs a modern face to the world.)
1: There are no investigative journalists in any of Malaysia's media. Never were, never will be. The Edge Malaysia did some digging into 1MDB but it wasn't alone: the WSJ was already doing that, joined by The Sarawak Report. Malaysian "journalists" are basically hacks and far too timid. You only have to look at the extent to which readers' comments are censored by the media's in-house Gestapo. They fear they'll be dragged to court, like it's done in Singapore by that city-state's one-party state -- owned by the autocratic PAP. S much for "democracy" and "rights".
2. I've been reading lots on the Najib "Criminal" Razak 'half pardon' from his sentence. I was looking for something new, an angle not covered, and I had hope I would find one in Cyril Pereira's piece here. Alas, not. It's a rehash of what is already now well covered. But perhaps not so well covered after all. More on this later.
3. We know Anwar Ibrahim now like the back of our hands. He's another Malaysia, another from the breed of Umno politicians. That he went to bed with the crooked Hamidi as his deputy from Umno means that Anwar had covered himself in Umno mustard -- the haram kind. Even before the half pardon was granted to Najib, he'd reneged on his promised reforms. All of them.
4. His bark on ending corruption in wholly corrupt Malaysia has just blown up in his mug (face). As a result of agreeing to expedite Najib's pardon hearing (over others and before Najib had served one-third of his 12-year imprisonment sentence, among other things, meant that Anwar that Anwar was never really serious about ending corruption. Going after Mahathir "Mamak" Mohamad and Daim Zainuddin is merely a political sideshow of Anwar's launching his revenge politics of two people whom he hates and mistrusts and who, in turn hate and mistrust him, too. Daim's indictment for not declaring his total assets in the time ordered by the MACC is a bit farcical. Firstly, Is Anwar investigating the MACC's Zaki over his accumulated wealth? No. Why not? The answer is obvious. The MACC is Anwar's hound dog, just as the entire security apparatus in Malaysia is the tool of intimidation and oppression of the Malay state. Anwar heads yet another Malay-dominant state in similar fashion to all previous Umno-dominated Malay regime. There was never -- never -- a regime change in Malaysia -- not in 2018 and not n 2022. It is the old Malay state of lies, corruption, incompetence, hype and hubris. The PH-Umno regime headed by Anwar is exactly just that. Secondly, where are Malaysia's "investigative journalists" on detailing Anwar's business cronies and the structure of his patronage or patron-client relations that is being managed from within his office? Pretty darn peculiar that that the media have been practicing a hands-off approach to that issue. Is anybody going to suggest that Anwar, like Mahathir, did not foster or nurture his own band of cronies when he was serving as minister in the Mahathir regime? Because if you do, then let me say you don't really understand "Malaysian" politics or political-economy.
4. The last king. Anwar wants people to get over this whole Najib pardon farce and he doesn't want people pointing fingers at the last king who was a member or head of the so-called Pardons Board (all establishmentarian buffoons). The last king ought to take his share of responsibility in this Najb pardon business. Najib stole so much that he almost brought the Malaysian budget to its knees. It could well have become another Zimbabwe, another Nigeria, another Marcos-era Philippines. Najib is a crook and consummate liar. He still has a billion ringgit to his name. As does his (most ugly) wife Rosmah Mansor, who is equally a crook and consummate liar (must run in the Razak family).
5. But it's not so much that that fascinates me as much as the timing of the so-called Pardons Board hearing Najib's pardon and parole. Think about it. This matter did not just crop up but it would -- I'll bet my bottom dollar (the ringgit is worthless shite) -- have been discussed and planned within Anwar's offices and, I'll go so far as to say that he would have been pushed by Zahid Hamidi, who would have at least three or four linked interests in Najib's pardon and release. Was Anwar squeezed? I'll bet he was. Why? Because he is just a desperado, a political cretin who loves power as much as Mahathir did, as much as Najib did (which makes the former PM Badawi a saint by comparison). Anwar has just hoodwinked all Malaysians who hoped for "real" change and who had hoped that at last he would free the judiciary -- long known to be as corrupt as all of Malaysia's security apparatus (consider, for example, Malaysia's police) and the Malay-dominant bureaucracy -- from the clutches of political cretins at the top of the indescribably indecent, indescribably filthy, indescribably untrustworthy Putrajaya and the so-called government of Malaysia. Good governance and transparency aren't just misnomers in the Malaysian context but laughably, ridiculously sick with the drunken grasp of Malay state power.
I fear that nature seems to be interfering with any plans for my continuing business in Malaysia.
My first love is Sarawak, going back to 1965 and the Indonesian Confrontation.
Thank you Richard. Do you do business with Malaysia?
Thank you for a rivetting article.
A blessed country with great weather and vast land has so mismanaged even God's free gifts. Rice and food imports total RM66b per annum. No leadership with integrity since the first generation of independence leaders. No shortage of charlatans from Mahathir down.
All talk and rousing of crowds. Pfft when the rubber hits the road.
Irony. As long as eight years ago we counted on him as the ruler who would finally blow the whistle on the nonsense, and move forward.. But three times his smart, cagey PR person refused interviews, even the vetted kind over email.
(Subject: Malaysia's potential as a global leader in enterpreneurism and clean governance, helping tap the immense potential of an Indonesia that needs a modern face to the world.)
Just too depressing.... Malaysia has so much squandered potential :-(