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Saturday, 9 June 2018

Malaysia can’t extradite Jho Low, key people in 1MDB saga

https://youtu.be/_6gFyKNI1JA https://youtu.be/tZDpDTXpVfE

Deep discussion: Dr Mahathir, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption director-general Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed having a chat after a ministry event in Putrajaya. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: They know where he is. But they can’t get their hands on him.

That is the predicament that the authorities face in bringing back Malaysia’s most wanted man these days – Low Taek Jho better known as Jho Low.

Low is at the centre of the debt-laden and scandal-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) that is a thorn in the administration of the previous Barisan Nasional government.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Low is in a country in which Malaysia does not have an extradition treaty with.

"We are trying to arrest Jho Low, but he is not in the country. And we do not have extradition rights in the country where he is at,” said Dr Mahathir without disclosing the country.

Legal experts say while it is not impossible to bring him back despite the absence of extradition treaty with the country, they cautioned this can be a long and tedious process.

Low has been identified as the mastermind behind 1MDB, which is the subject of investigations by Malaysian as well as international authorities for alleged corruption and money laundering.

1MDB accumulated debts of more than RM35bil in ringgit and US dollar denominated bonds in less than five years from 2009. Most of the money raised were placed outside Malaysia, which the Government is trying to recover.

Apart from Low, the principal officer in another 1MDB-related company is also on the wanted list.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has issued an arrest warrant for SRC International director Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.

SRC International was a former subsidiary of 1MDB, which had allegedly transferred RM42mil into the personal account of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

It issued two tranches of RM2bil debt papers in 2011 and 2012. The money was to be used to purchase resource based assets in the region. However, there are no assets to back the purchases.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operation) Datuk Seri Azam Baki told Bernama there is no excuse for Low and Nik Faisal not turn up to facilitate investigations into the SRC International case.

“I refuse to comment on what action can be taken against both of them (Low and Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil). As far as I know, they cannot give any excuses and must present themselves,” he said.

Nik Faisal, 47, last stayed in Alam Impian, Shah Alam.

Low, 37, previously resided in Tanjung Bungah, Penang.

The Prime Minister’s Office in a statement earlier announced the setting up of a special task force to conduct detailed investigations, detection and seizure of assets and prosecution of individuals who committed any criminal offence in the management of 1MDB.

Meanwhile, sources said Low’s lawyers have yet to get in touch with the MACC.

It was earlier reported that Low had instructed his lawyers to make contact with the MACC after he was made aware they were seeking him for assistance.

By Mazwin nik anis, Wddie chua, Joseph kaos jr, and Royce Tan The Star

Other key people in the 1MDB saga

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Penang Forum calls to review Penang mega projects

Penang Forum members paying a courtesy call on Chow, seated at the head of the table, at his office in Komtar.

Revise transport master plan because circumstances have changed

" A new public transport design has to be integrated to encourage walking, cycling and bus uise - Penang Forum"

THE Penang Forum steering committee, a loose coalition of non-political civil society groups, has called on the Pakatan Harapan Penang government to review the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) estimated to cost RM46bil.

It said the Penang government should bear in mind its election manifesto of balancing economic growth with environmental protection and a commitment to improve public transport.

"Given the scale of the funding for this mega project, the state must ensure government procurement produces the best value for taxpayers’ money.

“The awarding process used was based on a Request for Proposal, rather than a true open tender, which did not allow for any meaningful comparison of bid documents as the scope of work was not fixed.

“Hence the award process must also be reviewed and revisited,” the statement read.

The committee also pointed out that the present PTMP was based on the assumption that buses, ferries and a cross-channel bridge were under federal control and there was nothing much the state could do.

“So it did not focus on how these could be improved or expanded. But now that circumstances have changed, the plan needs to be revised,” it said.

The committee also said the planning for equitable public transport should take into consideration the following criteria:

Fiscal prudence that should consider cost-effectiveness in construction, operation and maintenance.Detailed financial analysis of different public transport systems must be done and compared. The most cost-effective system should be selected.
Other important considerations are efficiency of operation, predictable schedules and systems compatibility.
The different components of the transport system must be well connected and integrated, socially inclusive, with a low impact on the built and natural environment.
Extensive public consultation at every stage, with plans available for online viewing and download so that more people can view and comment. It must be carried out and the exercise must be open to scrutiny.
Independent consultants who are at the forefront of designing equitable, sustainable transport must be engaged to do the review of the plans. They must not be associated with or employed by parties involved in tendering for the project.

The statement also read that the 2016 transport proposal was a mega project put forward by SRS Consortium, the project delivery partner of PTMP, to the Penang government.

“The design and planning fails to meet most of the above criteria.

“The overpriced package includes many components of mega road building that will discourage people from using public transport and undermine the stated goal of increasing public modal share of transport.

“Although public consultations have been held about impacts in specific localities, open scrutiny of the whole design was strongly discouraged,” the statement said.

The committee also said the original PTMP by Halcrow involved public consultation, but the state pressured the consultants to add the undersea tunnel and three highways costing a total of RM6.3bil just before it adopted the plan in 2013.

The SRS proposal costing RM46bil includes a proposal to reclaim 4,500 acres of land (comprising three islands). It departs drastically from the officially adopted 2013 Halcrow masterplan.

“Thus, a thorough, proper and independent review should be carried out to ascertain its suitability, viability and sustainability.

“The massive proposed reclamation will destroy fishing grounds and jeopardise fishing livelihoods and a vital local source of seafood. “It will be environmentally unsustainable due to expensive maintenance costs required for dredging in the future.

“Promise 10 of the Pakatan manifesto talks of ensuring food security and protecting the welfare of farmers and fishermen.

“Last but not the least, with rapid changes in public transport technology and new trends in info-mobility, it is imperative that any existing plan for public transport should be re-examined.

“A new public transport design has to be integrated to encourage walking, cycling and bus use,” it said.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was earlier reported saying that the state government would leave the decision to review the components of the PTMP to the Federal Government.

He said this was because the proposal was at the Federal level right now, adding that if there was any need to review the project, the Federal Government could make a decision. He also said the SRS Consortium would be happy to supply the Federal agencies with additional details. - Starmetro

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Thursday, 7 June 2018

Malaysian policy changes and new initiatives soon

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/06/07/policy-changes-and-new-initiatives-soon-dr-m-shift-includes-ensuring-top-civil-servants-know-and-spe/

PUTRAJAYA: Signalling a major policy change over defence and administrative issues, the Prime Minister has outlined several initiatives that the Government will undertake from now on.

For starters, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad does not want warships on either the Straits of Malacca or the South China Sea.

In doing so, Dr Mahathir has sent a strong message to superpowers, such as the United States and China, that Malaysia wish to remain neutral over their desire to control the region.

To ensure better spending of public funds, he has enlisted the help of former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang to head a high-level committee to look into the procurement of government supplies, starting with the Defence Ministry.

In a move to improve the running of the public sector, Dr Mahathir said top civil servants would have to sit for an English competency test, signalling a major initiative in pushing for the language to be part of the civil administration.

“We consider English a very important language and it must be mastered by all high-ranking civil servants. These top officers must have a strong command of English because they always have to deal with foreigners,” Dr Mahathir said at a press conference after chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday.

Instantly, former civil servants lauded the move, as many felt that government officers today were less proficient in English and as such, could not work as well as the seniors before them.

Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, for instance, said that it was important for civil servants at all levels to master the English language.

“It’s a good idea and it’s about time that this was introduced. Thailand and Vietnam are catching up very fast and we don’t want to be left behind,” said Dr Rebecca.

The former International Trade and Industry Ministry secretary-general said Miti staff in particular had to undergo English language training as the ministry was involved in a lot of international work, drafting agreements and statements that required a high level of proficiency in the language.

Former Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to United Nations Tan Sri Hasmy Agam concurred.

“It’s a fantastic idea. In this globalised age, we have to be proficient in English at all levels.

“If you are a civil servant and you are not proficient in English, you can’t participate much at the international level,” he said.

Hasmy said apart from top civil servants, proficiency in English should also be emphasised in schools and universities as well.

“If Malaysia is aspiring to join the ranks of developed countries, we have to start now.

“A Malaysian would be more patriotic if he or she can communicate in international languages, in this case English, when representing the country’s interests abroad.

“Negotiations in diplomacy, trade, labour – you have to negotiate in English,” he added.

Both Dr Rebecca and Hasmy said that the younger generation of civil servants were less proficient in English due to different mediums used in schools.

“We have to do it (English language training) for the younger ones coming into the service because they went through a Malay-medium education,” said Dr Rebecca.

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Wednesday, 6 June 2018

Chinese projects in Malaysia may stay intact


Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Newly-elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has decided to scrap the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore Railway project despite the huge losses. He also announced the overhaul of other big railway projects, including a Chinese company-led East Coast railway project. As a result, some are worried about the fate of Chinese-funded companies in Malaysia.

During the election, the style of governance that Mahathir-led Pakatan Harapan proposed was in contrast to many policies of the previous government. Since Mahathir was elected, there has been growing concern about the new policies. While Malaysia has brought in big Chinese-invested projects, people are also concerned about the new government's attitude toward foreign funds.

To my knowledge, Mahathir has formed many consulting teams and task forces since his re-election, which shows his prudence in dealing with such affairs. The government will clarify core policies and strategy in the next few weeks.

Pakatan Harapan was the opposition before and during the election. Its attitude toward foreign capital, especially Chinese funds in Malaysia, was obviously not thorough enough. Its opposition to big projects was aimed at the large sums they involved, not the projects themselves. To be more specific, what the political alliance opposed was actually ex-prime minister Najib Razak's improprieties when approving the projects. Other problems involved in this process can be addressed by talks.

In the first press conference after his swearing-in ceremony, Mahathir promised that reviewing Chinese-funded projects would not harm China-Malaysia relations, and said that the new government will support the Belt and Road initiative as usual.

But Malaysia's new finance minister and minister of economic affairs both started overhauling the big projects that the former government had signed, and outsourcing government projects through direct bidding is no longer permitted, including railway projects. It shows that the new government wants to overhaul official projects, while private investment projects are not affected.

The new government's re-examination of big projects shows its intention to win more bargaining chips for negotiations. Any party that wants to cooperate with the new government needs to be more patient to retain the contract. Malaysia's further development is closely linked to other countries' continued participation, and China is certainly included.

Although China hopes that the current projects will stay intact, the two countries might still strategically revise their contracts to satisfy both sides as politics in Malaysia has changed. Besides, abolishing a contract is bound to cause political and economic upheaval as the Malaysian people realize the importance of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore Railway and the East Coast railway projects. The new government will certainly evaluate the opinion in a prudent way.

The future of Chinese-funded enterprises in Malaysia may not change greatly. The previous discussion focused on big government projects, but neglected hundreds of Chinese-funded enterprises that have invested in Malaysia since the 1990s. Most of these firms operated under local laws and regulations. They purchased local materials and hired locals, and some even provided technology transfer and staff training.

They are model enterprises that aimed at developing the market in the long-term. This should have been given more publicity.

In the future, the Malaysian government will certainly welcome investment by foreign-funded enterprises that abide by the local laws, but will differ from practices in the past decades in terms of bidding and contract talks. Most importantly, all parties should believe in the principle that business is business, and win-win cooperation is the key to the issue. Malaysia will definitely let investors enjoy the dividends of its reform and development.

By Ling Tek Soon Source: Global Times - VIEWPOINT
The author is a research fellow with Institute of China Studies, University of Malaya. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

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Tuesday, 5 June 2018

Malaysians hail the King for his consent on Tommy Thomas as AG

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/06/07/new-ag-vows-transparency-in-work-thomas-begins-first-day-promising-to-be-objective-in-solving-1mdb-s/

PETALING JAYA: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, has consented to the appointment of Tommy Thomas (pic) as the new Attorney-General (AG).

In a statement, the Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Wan Ahmad Dahlan Ab Aziz said the King, on the advice of the Prime Minister, has given the approval to the appointment of Thomas as the AG according to Article 145 (1) of the Federal Constitution.

The Agong, said Wan Ahmad, has also called on Malaysians to accept the appointment of the AG, adding it should not create conflict as every Malaysian should be treated fairly regardless of their race or religion.

“The appointment would still continue to uphold the special privileges of the Malays and bumiputra as well as Islam as the religion of the Federation,” said Wan Ahmad.

He said the Agong has also approved the termination of Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali as AG after taking into consideration the views of the Malay Rulers on three issues.

These issues are the appointment of the AG, the rights of the bumiputras, and the rule of the Council of Rulers as stated under Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

“The King has also expressed his disappointment (dukacita) and worries on media reports of late that were inaccurate and negative in nature, which could threaten the peace and harmony in the nation.

“The King has the obligation to uphold the Federal Constitution and preserve the rights of the Malays and bumiputras, as well as to protect Islam,” he added.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, on May 14, announced that Apandi was told to go on leave and would be temporarily replaced by Solicitor-General Datuk Engku Nor Faizah Engku Atek.

The proposal to appoint Thomas as AG had sparked a disagreement with the King, but Dr Mahathir was adamant and submitted only Thomas' name to the King.

However the Agong insisted on more than one name, according to sources close to the royalty.

Malaysians expressed their joy and gratitude to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, for giving his consent for Tommy Thomas to be appointed the new Attorney-General (AG).

On The Star Online Facebook page, Thomas’ announcement received 291 shares, and 2,100 likes within an hour of the news breaking early Tuesday morning.

John Doraisamy said Malaysia and Malaysians were moving in the right direction.

“Happy to be 1Malaysia without racism,” he posted.

“Thank you to His Majesty YDP Agong for your royal consent. Congratulations to the new AG!” he said.

Justin Tan said Malaysia had reached a new milestone with Thomas' appointment.

“Everyone should be treated equally and fairly regardless of their race or religion.

“Hope this signifies a true Malaysian society based on merit that will push the country forward to becoming the next powerhouse in the region,” he said.

Meanwhile, Facebook user Rajasegaran Subramaniam called for the Federal Constitution to be made a compulsory subject in schools and universities due to the controversy surrounding Thomas’ appointment.

“It is pain in the eyes witnessing so called new Malaysia citizens commenting on sensitive issues without any ideas on what they are even commenting.

“(The) past two days was one hell of a rollercoaster ride because of ignorant comments from ‘new Malaysia’ citizens,” he said.

In a letter dated June 4, but released early Tuesday (June 5), the Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Wan Ahmad Dahlan Ab Aziz said the King, on the advice of the Prime Minister, has given the approval to the appointment of Thomas as the AG according to Article 145 (1) of the Federal Constitution.

The King, said Wan Ahmad, has also called on Malaysians to accept the appointment of the AG, adding it should not create conflict as every Malaysian should be treated fairly regardless of their race or religion.

“The appointment would still continue to uphold the special privileges of the Malays and bumiputera as well as Islam as the religion of the Federation,” said Wan Ahmad. The Star

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