Media Freedom: The Example of Indonesia and Kompas

July 13, 2010

Market forces safeguard against abuses

Ceritalah

By Karim Raslan

THE Governments refusal to renew the printing permits of two newspapers aligned to Pakatan Rakyat has raised the issue of press freedom once again.

I have long disagreed with the current licensing regime. Market forces, combined with certain guidelines on the coverage of certain divisive issues (most importantly race, religion) are the best safeguard against the abuses.

Malaysians are actually quite conservative. While we may like sensationalistic news we place a high value on honesty and decency. Any publication that is patronising, untruthful or biased will certainly witness a drop in circulation figures in an open market.

Instead of trying to control the press, the authorities should leave that to the people who really matter the readers themselves.

In the present environment, the online-based media has become increasingly popular. The best way to counter the growth and supposed lies of the former is to allow our newspapers and TV/radio stations greater flexibility and independence.

Until that happens, Malaysians will keep relying on the blogs and websites for their news and analysis. Thats the reality, like it or not.

Its very painful as a writer to survey the state of the Malaysian media. This is especially so when I compare it to Indonesias much freer and definitely more vibrant scene.

The greater openness in Jakarta also assists in providing greater transparency and accountability of government. In short, media freedom has helped keep the politicians honest.

The best example I can give is the newspaper Kompas. With a circulation of over 500,000 daily (and over 600,000 at the weekend), it recently celebrated its 45th ! anniver sary.

I first encountered Kompas 15 years ago, when I started visiting Jakarta. A copy was on the breakfast table in my hosts house. In those days, it was a far slimmer, text-heavy newspaper.

Still I was intrigued. From the little that I could understand at the time, Kompas seemed very intellectual so much so that it was sometimes difficult to figure what they were trying to say. They seemed to have perfected the Javanese art of circulocution.

Still, I was impressed and I vowed to myself that Id be able read the whole paper one day. Well, it took me a decade-and-a-half but I can now read Kompas from cover to cover though at times I still have to turn to a dictionary.

Actually, Kompas has become my guide to Indonesia. Its provided me with a wide range of views and perspectives. For a start, Kompas is avowedly plural and multi-religious. The result is an ethos that is both open-minded and fiercely secular.

Kompas also devotes substantial resources to covering the lesser-known parts of the republic including expeditions to Papua and along the Solo, Musi and Ciliwung rivers.

Indeed, these journeys are almost an exercise in nation-building since Kompas uses its editorial muscle and enormous wealth to highlight parts of Indonesia (especially in the poorer, less-developed East such as Nusa Teng-gara Timur) that are generally forgotten.

At the same time, the papers focus on grassroots leaders, activists, artists and academics has helped me gauge the richness of Indonesias public life. I especially like the way local community leaders are singled out and profiled. This iconisation of ordinary, decent men and women is always enlightening.

Furthermore, its writings on public issues and scandals are bold and uncompromisingly independent. No one is spared regardless of his or her political affiliations or lack thereof.

As Anies Baswedan, a prominent opinion-maker and academic says: Whatever Kompas covers will end up driving the debate ! among th e elite, and shaping policy-making.

While the paper is very serious its mandatory reading for all senior civil servants and businessmen and politicians there is also a vein of wry humour that lightens the heavy tone.

I especially like the papers healthy disregard for the political elite. Its never slavish. Indeed it often buries coverage of the president deep inside the paper. This reinforces the newspapers credibility and integrity.

Human capital has been important to Kompas success. Its founder and owner is a gentleman called Jakob Oetama with a shock of white hair and a magisterial presence. Indeed, Pak Jakob has heralded the paper through good times and bad, such as when it was briefly banned by Suharto in 1978.

However, one wonders if Kompas can maintain its standing in the long-run. After a major revamp a few years ago, the paper seems to have lost some of its weightiness and taken on a brighter, more contemporary feel.

Also, Jakob is not getting younger and theres no guarantee that his successors will have the same force of character or independence of mind.

At the same juncture Kompas Gramedia, the broader group, has become a successful conglomerate expanding beyond the media into retail and hospitality.

Still, papers like Kompas play an important role in Indonesias public life. Principled and outspoken, they have helped provide stability and good governance, rather than cause chaos. As Ive said time and again, there are many things we can learn from Indonesia.www.thestar.com

Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Water not to quench cronies' thirst: Selangor MB

Harakahdaily

SHAH ALAM, July 13: Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has rubbished deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassins claim that the state would be bankrupt if it continued giving out free water to the people.

Online news portal Selangorkini quoted Khalid as saying that the state coffers remained healthy with RM 1.3 billion surplus last year, and in fact, increased to RM 1.5 billion in June this year after deducting the cost of giving out free water.

This shows that the states budget is balanced, unlike the federal government which always works on deficit budget, he said.

Khalid was responding to the accusation by Muhyiddin the state was running into a deficit and predicted that it would not be able to pay its water concessionaires each time water tariffs or costs for processing clean water went up. Muhyiddin had said the situation was critical and a water shortage crisis was looming.

Muhyiddin accused Khalids administration of refusing to work with the Federal government on the Pahang-Selangor water transfer project, claiming that if the project failed to proceed, the state may face water shortages.

But Khalid denied the accusation, saying the state government did not want the project to favour certain parties with vested interests.

Selangor government had never refused to work in the Pahang-Selangor project. What we are hoping for is that the project is not done in a way to enrich certain private contractor companies, he stressed.

I would like to inform that the water charges in Selangor are much lower than Johor, the state once governed by the DPM, which also charges the highest rate for water, said Khalid. Muhyiddin was the once the menteri besar of Johor.

Part of PR's manifesto
In mid-2008, a deal was sealed between state investment arm Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB) and water concessionaire SYABAS to comp! ensate t he company RM1.8 million every month so that 1.1 million consumers can get the first 20 cubic metres of water free.

The free water, part of Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto during the 2008 general election, was implemented after the new state government was sworn in following Barisan Nasional's defeat.

During the BN rule in Selangor, the state under Mohamad Khir Toyo signed a deal with SYABAS allowing it to raise water tariffs to 37 per cent in 2008, 25 per cent in 2011, 15 percent in 2014, and 10 per cent for every three years thereafter.

On June 28, the High Court ordered the Federal government to make public the audit report and water concession agreement signed between the BN-ruled state government SYABAS, citing the decision was made in the publics interest as it contained information relevant to the concession agreement on the increase of water tariff.

However, the Federal government appealed against the decision in what many viewed as an attempt to protect tycoons closely associated with UMNO.

Click here to read more
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

CONFUSION IN UMNO: Saying Hello and Goodbye to Perkasa and Ibrahim Ali from UMNO-BN

DPM Muhyiddin Says "HELLO and Yes",
Minister Nazri Aziz Says," GOOD BYE and NO"



Say HELLO to Perkasa and Ibrahim Ali:

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today that anyone was free to form an association, including Chinese or Indian versions of the Malay rights group, Perkasa.

We can have Chinese Perkasa and even Indian Perkasa. The government does not stop anyone from forming a body he said today.

He said that it was an individuals right to form an association and it was acceptable as long as it was formed with good intentions.

Muhyiddin was responding to reports quoting MCA vice president Datuk Donald Lim as suggesting the formation of a Chinese Perkasa in response to the Malay rights groups strident rhetoric and race-based demands.

Perkasa has grown from a one-man cause to include thousands of Malays who feel disaffected by proposed economic reforms that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants to use to turn Malaysia into a high-income nation for a plural society.

It has managed to influence Najib into continuing with an affirmative action policy for Bumiputeras, despite having signalled that his New Economic Model (NEM) is for all Malaysians, under his 1 Malaysia concept.

Ibrahim has used Perkasa to form an umbrella body called the Malay Consultative Council (MPM) and has received the support of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Perkasas demands for what it says are Malay rights has caused unease among some non-Malays, as well as moderate and liberal Malays who see the group as racist.

Muhyiddin said today Perkasa was not funded by Umno, but by independent Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali, who might want to fight for Malay rights. Read here for more


Say GOOD-BYE to Perkasa ! and Ibra him Ali

The Barisan Nasional issued a clear signal today of its disassociation from Perkasa when Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz declared that the Umno did not support or recognise the Malay rights group.

The minister in the prime ministers department said Umno was against any form of racism and that Perkasas ideals did not fit the Najib administrations focus on plurality and unity.

We should get rid of Perkasa. Why do I say that? Because Perkasa is not in line with Datuk Seri Najib (Razaks) 1 Malaysia concept, Nazri told The Malaysian Insider.

We (are) against any form of racism and Perkasa certainly doesnt belong or [is] supported by Umno, said Nazri. Read here for more


.... AND IBRAHIM ALI SAYS:

Datuk Ibrahim Ali traded verbal blows with Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz over his jibe against Perkasa, saying that it was the minister who should be gotten rid of if Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) wanted to retain the peoples support.

In a text message to The Malaysian Insider this afternoon, the Perkasa president said Nazris statement had come from someone who has LOST the ability to think.

The outspoken independent Pasir Mas MP said that Perkasa was just a non-governmental organisation and had nothing to lose.He added:
His (Nazri) statement is not worth entertaining as it has no value and it is a waste of time.

So, get rid of Nazri if Umno and BN wants to retain the support of the people.
The fiery politician went on to deride the ministers remarks as bringing no value to BN, before adding that Nazri would ultimately make the Malays hate U! mno more .

Nazri is the first Umno leader who has issued such a strong statement against Perkasa, indicating that BN did not support or recognise the non-governmental organisation.

We do not listen to just one person (Nazri). Perkasa members have the right to decide the way forward, Ibrahim added. Perkasas popularity, he claimed, was also growing as it has now received membership forms from more than 200,000 people.

He even cheekily added goodbye, Datuk Nazri in his statement, indicating that the call from the minister in the prime ministers department had done nothing to threaten him. Read here for more


And Finally Prime Minister NAJIB Says......


See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

Bala now giving his statement to SUARAM's French lawyers

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

After a marathon session with the French police that lasted hours, Malaysian private investigator P Balasubramaniam is now debriefing Parisians lawyers working on the corruption complaint lodged by civil rights group SUARAM.

It is now our lawyers turn to question Bala. He will give his inputs and perspectives, and hopefully, they will be able to fit the missing pieces of the puzzle after taking his statement, SUARAM director Cynthia Gabriel told Malaysia Chronicle.

According to Cynthia, the meeting between Bala and SUARAM lawyers was still on-going at press time. On Monday, accompanied by his lawyer Manjit Singh Dhillon, Bala had met an investigating team at the Direction Centrale de la Police in Nanterre Prefecture.

The private eye is the first Malaysian witness to be called by the French police. They began recording his statement from 2pm Paris time (8pm Malaysian time) and by 6pm (or 12 midnight Malaysian time), he was still inside the Direction Centrale giving his statement.

It looks like we have to wait a little longer. The French seem to be very meticulous and Manjit and Bala would only be able to share with us what happened after they have finished with the SUARAM lawyers, PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Tremendous pressure on the French side

Indeed, there is great interest in what the French police had asked of Bala, as that would indicate the direction and progress of investigations.

Not only are Malaysians following case that involves their Prime Minister Najib Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor, their friend Razak Baginda and a Mongolian translator murdered in Malaysia in 2006, the French public and media are also very keen on the news.

For us, we are very curious firstly because of Altantuya, Najib and Rosmah and then the huge kickback that has been alleged from the purchase of! the sub marines. For the French, they are interested firstly because of the corruption that may involve DCNS and their own politicians, PAS MP for Parit Buntar Mujahid Yusof Rawa told Malaysia Chronicle.

Of course, they are also interested by Altantuya and how she was killed. But this case wont fade away, not like the Lingam Tape in Malaysia. There is a very strong anti-graft lobby in Paris that is demanding for a total a clean-up in the way French defense giants like DCNS conduct business. They are not going to let go of this case. So this also means, there is no escape for the Malaysian side either.

Involvement of Malaysian personalities to be divulged

The French investigation gained strength after a complaint was lodged by SUARAM earlier this year. The NGO has said it had no choice but to take the case on behalf of Malaysian taxpayers to France because of Najib's refusal to initiate any inquiry on allegations that DCNS had paid Baginda a kickback of 114 million euros or RM570 million for closing a submarines deal.

Najib, as the defense minister, had in 2002 ordered two Scorpene submarines from DCNS worth 1.34 billion euros or RM6.7 billion. As part of this package, Baginda's firm was given the RM570 million contract to provide co-ordination and support services.

It is believed that the purchase agreement inked between Malaysias defense ministry and DCNS contained an anti-corruption clause, making it illegal to pay any commission or form of kickback to secure the deal.

Bala, a former Special Branch detective, was hired by Baginda in 2006 to stop Altantuya from blackmailing him for her US$500,000 share of the commission.

If there is sufficient evidence, France may prosecute the wrongdoers although it may not have jurisdiction on the Malaysian personalities involved. Nevertheless, SUARAM has urged French prosecutors to make public all their findings so that Malaysian authorities can also take action at home.

The Malaysian government or navy may also sue D! CNS for recovery of the commission if the French probe finds that the firm did violate the anti-corruption clause. Whether the Najib administration will allow this to happen is already a 'hot' debate amongst the people, but it is unlikely that Malaysian taxpayers would let him sweep the matter under the carpet any more.

In a statutory declaration made in 2008, Bala listed down explosive information given to him by Razak during the course of his work. It is believed that this information will form the heart of his testimony to the French team.
See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?

Nazri's Perkasa damage-control unconvincing, where is Najib?

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Pakatan Rakyat leaders dismissed remarks from Umno minister Nazri Aziz that his party did not support or recognize ultra-Malay rights group Perkasa as political posturing, pointing out that such words could only carry weight if they came from Prime Minister Najib Razak.

It is very strange and also very telling that till now despite the string of racist and extreme comments from Perkasa, Najib has kept silent, PKR vice-president Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

The obvious inference is he is afraid. The PM is scared because he can't afford to make political missteps. The word in town is that, because of his personal scandals, his position in Umno is now quite tenuous. That is why Nazri was sent to do the job of testing the waters. But the problem for most Malaysians is - who is Nazri? Is he the head of BN or the president of Umno? Why should they accept his words?

Too indecisive

Perkasa itself is complex. According to its founder Ibrahim Ali, its reason for being is to fight for Malay rights. Yet Ibrahim himself is a politician, the MP for Pasir Mas. Perkasas patron is also none other than feisty former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

That Perkasa has so far echoed the racial rhetoric favored by Mahathir whenever he was in a political corner has not gone unnoticed. That Mahathir may be the mastermind charting Perkasas direction and also scheming behind its NGO faade to raise his political influence in Umno is not doubted either.

But where is Najib on this? Pundits say the fact that Mahathir is his mentor and he is Mahathirs protg does not at all mean that their political allegiance to each other is cast in stone. Unlike Mahathir, Najib is like most other leaders in that he blows with the wind.

He wants to come out from Mahathirs shadow, but he doesnt want to ant! agonize him. He wants to develop Malaysia based on 1Malaysia but is afraid to be tough with his own community. So this is Najib's problem in a nutshell and also why the nation cannot move forward - too much indecision, uncertainty and flip-flops at the very highest level, PAS chairman of national unity Mujahid Yusof Rawa told Malaysia Chronicle.

On Tuesday, the outspoken Nazri said Umno was against any form of racism and that Perkasas ideals did not fit the Najib administrations focus on plurality and unity.

We should get rid of Perkasa. Why do I say that? Because Perkasa is not in line with Datuk Seri Najib 1Malaysia concept, Nazri was reported as saying in The Malaysian Insider. We against any form of racism and Perkasa certainly doesnt belong or is supported by Umno.

A little too little, a little too late

Nonetheless, it may be a little too little, a little too late to reverse the tide of racism and extremism that Perkasa has swept in since it was formed early this year. Short of a government ban or a purge within Umno of members aligned to the Perkasa cause, the NGO is unlikely to be scathed or see its support whittled down by Nazris comments.

A recent call for a Chinese Perkasa by MCA vice president Donald Lim to counter Ibrahim's Malay Perkasa highlighted the extent of the danger that extremism and overt racism could wreak in Malaysias multi-racial society. There is now anticipation that some Indian politicians may soon call for an Indian Perkasa.

"If Najib doesn't signal to his BN components he does not approve of this regression into extreme communal politics, then it shows he has given up. He cannot make headway against the Pakatan's inclusive stand. 1Malaysia is kaput and it is back to a free-for-all brawl among the different racial groups," PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Yet like many others, Tian suspects Najibs ambivalence may be rooted in dark motives and the PM may be playing a political chess game of his own.
"Perha ps, it is the only way that Najib can think of for Umno to rally the Malays and stave off a Pakatan challenge in the next general election," Tian said.

Related Stories:

Oh no! The last thing we need is an Indian Perkasa...
Chinese Perkasa? MCA bankrupt of ideas, time to close shop...
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Jelutong Umno row: Pakatan says doors are always open but ...

Malaysia Chronicle

Pakatan Rakyat leaders said their doors are open to anyone, including Umno-BN members, but they must believe in the coalitions struggle and work hard to free Malaysia from political oppression and social injustice.

Of course, we are willing to consider all applications but the people who want to come in must be sincere. Let me say it straight out, dont join us because you want money or awards. Pakatan politicians are just normal people, no big bungalows or shiny Mercedes Benzes. But the satisfaction is there, Mujahid Yusof Rawa, deputy chief of Penang PAS, told Malaysia Chronicle.

Mujahid was responding to a call by Umno member Abdul Rashid Ismail, the former chief of Jelutong division, to his colleague to consider switching to the Pakatan Rakyat if they were unhappy.

"Do not be apologetic. Alternatively you can lompat (jump) to other parties like PKR or PAS, there is always Pakatan Rakyat. It is acceptable as you are not jumping into another religion," Abdul Rashid was quoted as saying in Malaysiakini.

Writing may be on the wall for Umno

Abdul Rashid also warned that Umno may finally lose power after five decades as it was now continuously plagued by problems.

Indeed, Penang Umno like its counterparts in Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan has been torn by infighting and vicious internal smear campaigns. Despite its own troubles, it has launched numerous attempts to discredit the Penang Pakatan state government and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Some 4,000 members of 17 branches recently closed by Jelutong division chief Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman have called on state liaison chief, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to intervene and resolve the internal crisis.

The row began when Abdul Razak sent letters to the 17, asking its members to join other branches because Johor Umno had decided to close them due to lo! w member ship.

So far we have over 1,000 members to be absorbed to other branches. Some are still adamant on staying put, Bernama reported Abdul Razak as saying.

Internal row

But Abdul Rashid and another spokesperson for the troubled branches, Abdul Wahab Abdullah, scoffed at his claim.

We still love Umno and are fully behind the party. We dont want to turn our back because there is nothing more to talk about, said Abdul Wahab.

According to Abdul Wahab, a representative from Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur had investigated their grouses and confirmed that the 17 did really have 4,000-odd members that they claimed to have.

"When I heard sad stories of how the state leadership had disregarded the constitution and closed the 17 branches, I felt I had to get involved again. No one is above the law. It is they who have gone against the constitution, we have very undisciplined leaders," said Abdul Rashid. - Malaysia Chronicle
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

French police hold marathon session in Paris with Bala

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Amid talk that Malaysian police have warned the press not to make any contact with him, private investigator P Balasubramaniam spent a marathon session debriefing French investigators in Paris on what he knows of Prime Minister Najib Razak's role in the purchase of two high-cost submarines in 2002.

I was told that editors were warned not to have direct communication with Bala or else they could be arrested, PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Indeed, Bala, a former Special Branch detective, may hold key information that could incriminate the Malaysian leader, his wife Rosmah Mansor, their friend Razak Baginda and a murdered Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu in the French corruption probe.

Bala is the first Malaysian witness to be called to give his statement to Parisian police. Accompanied by his lawyer, Manjit Singh Dhillon, he went for his 2pm (8pm Malaysian time) meeting with them at the Direction Centrale de la Police in Nanterre Prefecture.

However, until 6pm Paris time (12midnight Malaysian time), when most offices have closed for the day, Bala was inside the Direction Centrale giving his statement. All eyes are now on what had transpired during those long hours. His lawyer is expected to issue a press statement later in the day.

Of course, we are all anxious to know what Bala was asked and what the French police told him. I think most Malaysians are eager for some justice to be done, Tian said.

Intimidation and suppression
To an extent, the Malaysian premier has himself to blame for the increasing feelings of discontent and distrust amongst the citizenry and within his own Umno party. Pundits say he may have overplayed his hand by slapping on an unofficial blackout and using intimidating tactics to scare off the media and political critics from the episode.
Najib's credibility wore thinner when the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission which answers directly to him swerved at the 11th hour from a London appointment to record Balas statement last week.

You may have noticed the sharp counter-attacks that Najib, some of the Umno leaders and the police have launched against Pakatan leaders, like Anwar Ibrahim, Tian and Chegu Bard in the past week. They are trying very hard to deflect attention from the case, even to the extent of giving the impression that snap elections are at the doorstep, PKR vice president Sivarasa Rasiah told Malaysia Chronicle.

The French investigation comes about following a complaint lodged by Malaysian civil rights group SUARAM. The NGO has said it had no choice but to take its case on behalf of Malaysian taxpayers to France because of Najib's stubborn refusal to initiate any inquiry on allegations that DCNS, the vendor of the Scorpene submarines, had paid Baginda a kickback of 114 million euros or RM570 million for closing the deal.

No longer containable

It is believed that the contract inked between the Malaysian defense ministry and the French firm contained an anti-corruption clause that makes it illegal to pay any commission or form of kickback to secure the deal. This provides the basis for the French probe as DCNS is one of their biggest companies.

On the Malaysian side, Najib was the defense minister at that time and had sanctioned the acquisition. Bala was hired by Baginda in 2006 to stop Altantuya from blackmailing Baginda for her US$500,000 share of the commission.

If there is sufficient evidence, France may prosecute the wrongdoers although it may not have jurisdiction on the Malaysian personalities involved. Nevertheless, SUARAM has urged French prosecutors to make public all their findings so that Malaysian authorities can also take action at home.

The Malaysian government or navy may also sue DCNS for recovery of the commission if the French probe finds that the f! irm did violate the anti-corruption clause. Whether the Najib administration will allow this to happen is already a 'hot' debate amongst the people, but it is unlikely that Malaysian taxpayers would let him sweep the matter under the carpet any more.

In a statutory declaration made in 2008 (see below), Bala listed down explosive information given to him by Razak during the course of his work. It is believed that this information will form the heart of his testimony to the French team.

Below is the statutory declaration Bala lodged in 2008
STATUTORY DECLARATION
I, Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal a Malaysian Citizen of full age and residing at [deleted] do solemly and sincerely declare as follows :-

1. I have been a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police Force having jointed as a constable in 1981 attached to the Police Field Force. I was then promoted to the rank of lance Corporal and finally resigned from the Police Force in 1998 when I was with the Special Branch.

2. I have been working as a free lance Private Investigator since I left the Police Force.

3. Sometime in June or July 2006, I was employed by Abdul Razak Baginda for a period of 10 days to look after him at his office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang between the hours of 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m each working day as apparently he was experiencing disturbances from a third party.

4. I resigned from this job after 2 days as I was not receiving any proper instructions.

5. I was however re-employed by Abdul Razak Baginda on the 05-10-2006 as he had apparently received a harassing phone call from a Chinese man calling himself ASP Tan who had threatened him to pay his debts. I later found out this gentleman was in fact a private investigator called Ang who was employed by a Mongolian woman called Altantuya Shaaribuu.

6. Abdul Razak Baginda was concerned that a person by the name of Altantuya Shaaribuu, a Mongolian woman, was behind this threat and that she would be arriving in Malaysia ! very soo n to try and contact him.

7. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that he was concerned by this as he had been advised that Altantuya Shaaribuu had been given some powers by a Mongolian bomoh and that he could never look her in the face because of this.

8. When I enquired as to who this Mongolian woman was, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that she was a friend of his who had been introduced to him by a VIP and who asked him to look after her financially.

9. I advised him to lodge a police report concerning the threatening phone call he had received from the Chinese man known as ASP Tan but he refused to do so as he informed me there were some high profile people involved.

10. Abdul Razak Baginda further told me that Altantuya Shaaribuu was a great liar and good in convincing people. She was supposed to have been very demanding financially and that he had even financed a property for her in Mongolia.

11. Abdul Razak Baginda then let me listen to some voice messages on his handphone asking him to pay what was due otherwise he would be harmed and his daughter harassed.

12. I was therefore supposed to protect his daughter Rowena as well.

13. On the 09.10.2006 I received a phone call from Abdul Razak Baginda at about 9.30 a.m. informing me that Altantuya was in his office and he wanted me there immediately. As I was in the midst of a surveillance, I sent my assistant Suras to Abdul Razak Bagindas office and I followed a little later. Suras managed to control the situation and had persuaded Altantuya and her two friends to leave the premises. However Altantuya left a note written on some Hotel Malaya note paper, in English, asking Abdul Razak Baginda to call her on her handphone (number given) and wrote down her room number as well.

14. Altantuya had introduced herself to Suras as Aminah and had informed Suras she was there to see her boyfriend Abdul Razak Baginda.

15. These 3 Mongolian girls however returned to Abdul Razak Bagindas office at the Bangun! an Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang again, the next day at about 12.00 noon. They did not enter the building but again informed Suras that they wanted to meet Aminahs boyfriend, Abdul Razak Baginda.

16. On the 11.10.2006, Aminah returned to Abdul Razak Bagindas office on her own and gave me a note to pass to him, which I did. Abdul Razak Baginda showed me the note which basically asked him to call her urgently.

17. I suggested to Abdul Razak Baginda that perhaps it may be wise to arrange for Aminah to be arrested if she harassed him further, but he declined as he felt she would have to return to Mongolia as soon as her cash ran out.

18. In the meantime I had arranged for Suras to perform surveillance on Hotel Malaya to monitor the movements of these 3 Mongolian girls, but they recognized him. Apparently they become friends with Suras after that and he ended up spending a few nights in their hotel room.

19. When Abdul Razak Baginda discovered Suras was becoming close to Aminah he asked me to pull him out from Hotel Malaya.

20. On the 14.10.2006, Aminah turned up at Abdul Razak Bagindas house in Damansara Heights when I was not there. Abdul Razak Baginda called me on my handphone to inform me of this so I rushed back to his house. As I arrived, I noticed Aminah outside the front gates shouting Razak, bastard, come out from the house. I tried to calm her down but couldnt so I called the police who arrived in 2 patrol cars. I explained the situation to the police, who took her away to the Brickfields police station.

21. I followed the patrol cars to Brickfields police station in a taxi. I called Abdul Razak Baginda and his lawyer Dirren to lodge a police report but they refused.

22. When I was at the Brickfields police station, Aminahs own Private Investigator, one Mr. Ang arrived and we had a discussion. I was told to deliver a demand to Abdul Razak Baginda for USD$500,000.00 and 3 tickets to Mongolia, apparently as commission owed to Aminah from a deal in Paris.

23. ! As Amina h had calmed down at this stage, a policewoman at the Brickfields police station advised me to leave and settle the matter amicably.

24. I duly informed Abdul Razak Baginda of the demands Aminah had made and told him I was disappointed that no one wanted to back me up in lodging a police report. We had a long discussion about the situation when I expressed a desire to pull out of this assignment.

25. During this discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that :-

25.1 He had been introduced to Aminah by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.

25.2 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that [deleted out of respect to the family of the deceased].

25.3 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister.

25.4 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.

25.5 Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a USD$500,000.00 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris.

26. On the 19.10.2006, I arrived at Abdul Razak Bagindas house in Damansara Heights to begin my night duty. I had parked my car outside as usual. I saw a yellow proton perdana taxi pass by with 3 ladies inside, one of whom was Aminah. The taxi did a U-turn and stopped in front of the house where these ladies rolled down the window and wished me Happy Deepavali. The taxi then left.

27. About 20 minutes later the taxi returned with only Aminah in it. She got out of the taxi and walked towards me and started talking to me. I sent an SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda informing him Aminah was here. I received an SMS from Razak instructing me To delay her until my man comes.

28. Whist I was talking to Aminah, she informed me of the following :-
28. 1 That she met Abdul Razak Baginda in Singapore with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

28.2 That she had also met Abdul Razak Baginda and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a dinner in Paris.

28.3 That she was promised a sum of USD$500,000.00 as commission for assisting in a Submarine deal in Paris.

28.4 That Abdul Razak Baginda had bought her a house in Mongolia but her brother had refinanced it and she needed money to redeem it.

28.5 That her mother was ill and she needed money to pay for her treatment.

6. That Abdul Razak Baginda had married her in Korea as her mother is Korean whilst her father was a Mongolian/Chinese mix.

28.7 That if I wouldnt allow her to see Abdul Razak Baginda, would I be able to arrange for her to see Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

29. After talking to Aminah for about 15 minutes, a red proton aeroback arrived with a woman and two men. I now know the woman to be Lance Corporal Rohaniza and the men, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azahar. They were all in plain clothes. Azilah walked towards me while the other two stayed in the car.

30. Azilah asked me whether the woman was Aminah and I said Yes. He then walked off and made a few calls on his handphone. After 10 minutes another vehicle, a blue proton saga, driven by a Malay man, passed by slowly. The drivers window had been wound down and the driver was looking at us.

31. Azilah then informed me they would be taking Aminah away. I informed Aminah they were arresting her. The other two persons then got out of the red proton and exchanged seats so that Lance Corporal Rohaniza and Aminah were in the back while the two men were in the front. They drove off and that is the last I ever saw of Aminah.

32. Abdul Razak Baginda was not at home when all this occurred.

33. After the 19.10.2006, I continued to work for Abdul Razak Baginda at his house in Damansara Heights from 7.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m. the next morning, as he had been receiving threatening text messages from a woman called A! my who w as apparently Aminahs cousin in Mongolia.

34. On the night of the 20.10.2006, both of Aminahs girl friends turned up at Abdul Razak Bagindas house enquiring where Aminah was. I informed them she had been arrested the night before.

35. A couple of nights later, these two Mongolian girls, Mr. Ang and another Mongolian girl called Amy turned up at Abdul Razak Bagindas house looking for Aminah as they appeared to be convinced she was being held in the house.

36. A commotion began so I called the police who arrived shortly thereafter in a patrol car. Another patrol car arrived a short while later in which was the investigating officer from the Dang Wangi Police Station who was in charge of the missing persons report lodged by one of the Mongolians girls, I believe was Amy.

37. I called Abdul Razak Baginda who was at home to inform him of the events taking place at his front gate. He then called DSP Musa Safri and called me back informing me that Musa Safri would be calling handphone and I was to pass the phone to the Inspector from Dang Wangi Police Station.

38. I then received a call on my handphone from Musa Safri and duly handed the phone to the Dang Wangi Inspector. The conversation lasted 3 4 minutes after which he told the girls to disperse and to go to see him the next day.

39. On or about the 24.10.2006, Abdul Razak Baginda instructed me to accompany him to the Brickfields police station as he had been advised to lodge a police report about the harassment he was receiving from these Mongolian girls.

40. Before this, Amy had sent me an SMS informing me she was going to Thailand to lodge a report with the Mongolian consulate there regarding Aminahs disappearance. Apparently she had sent the same SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda. This is why he told me he had been advised to lodge a police report.

41. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that DPS Musa Safri had introduced him to one DSP Idris, the head of the Criminal division, Brickfields police station, and! that Id ris had referred him to ASP Tonny.

42. When Abdul Razak Baginda had lodged his police report at Brickfields police station, in front of ASP Tonny, he was asked to make a statement but he refused as he said he was leaving for overseas. He did however promise to prepare a statement and hand ASP Tonny a thumb drive. I know that this was not done as ASP Tonny told me.

43. However ASP Tonny asked me the next day to provide my statement instead and so I did.

44. I stopped working for Abdul Razak Baginda on the 26.10.2006 as this was the day he left for Hong Kong on his own.

45. In mid November 2006, I received a phone call from ASP Tonny from the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah asking me to see him regarding Aminahs case. When I arrived there I was immediately arrested under S.506 of the Penal Code for Criminal intimidation.

46. I was then placed in the lock up and remanded for 5 days. On the third day I was released on police bail.

47. At the end of November 2006, the D9 department of the IPK sent a detective to my house to escort me to the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah. When I arrived, I was told I was being arrested under S.302 of the Penal Code for murder. I was put in the lock up and remanded for 7 days.

48. I was transported to Bukit Aman where I was interrogated and questioned about an SMS I had received from Abdul Razak Baginda on the 19.10.2006 which read delay her until my man arrives. They had apparently retrieved this message from Abdul Razak Bagindas handphone.

49. They then proceeded to record my statement from 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. everyday for 7 consecutive days. I told them all I knew including everything Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had told me about their relationships with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak but when I came to sign my statement, these details had been left out.

50. I have given evidence in the trial of Azilah, Sirul and Abdul Razak Baginda at the Shah Alam High Court. The prosecutor did not ask me any questions in respect of Aminahs relati! onship w ith Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak or of the phone call I received from DSP Musa Safri, whom I believe was the ADC for Datuk Seri Najib Razak and/or his wife.

51. On the day Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested, I was with him at his lawyers office at 6.30 a.m. Abdul Razak Baginda informed us that he had sent Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak an SMS the evening before as he refused to believe he was to be arrested, but had not received a response.

52. Shortly thereafter, at about 7.30 a.m., Abdul Razak Baginda received an SMS from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and showed, this message to both myself and his lawyer. This message read as follows :- I am seeing IGP at 11.00 a.m. today matter will be solved be cool.

53. I have been made to understand that Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested the same morning at his office in the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang.

54. The purpose of this Statutory declaration is to :-

54.1 State my disappointment at the standard of investigations conducted by the authorities into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu.

54.2 Bring to the notice of the relevant authorities the strong possibility that there are individuals other than the 3 accused who must have played a role in the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu.

54.3 Persuade the relevant authorities to reopen their investigations into this case immediately so that any fresh evidence may be presented to the Court prior to submissions at the end of the prosecutions case.

54.4 Emphasize the fact that having been a member of the Royal Malaysian Police Force for 17 years I am absolutely certain no police officer would shoot someone in the head and blow up their body without receiving specific instructions from their superiors first.

54.5. Express my concern that should the defence not be called in the said murder trial, the accused, Azilah and Sirul will not have to swear on oath and testify as to the instructions they received and from whom they were given.
55. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declaration Act 1960.

SUBCRIBED and solemnly )

declared by the abovenamed )

Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal ]

this day of 2008 )

Before me,


.

Commissioner for Oath

Kuala Lumpur
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Endemic scourge

from Hornbill Unleashed

By Hilary Chiew

It is systematic and endemic! screamed a report on the plight of the Penans. The report was titled “A Wider Context of Sexual Exploitation of Penan Women and Girls in Middle and Ulu Baram, Sarawak, Malaysia”.

Indeed, from the testimonies gathered from the victims, family members and their fellow tribe members, it does seem that sexual violence against the Penans has taken on a life of its own and the “monster” has grown over the years.

This “monster” has firmly established itself in both federal and state governments, and enforcement authorities that continue to turn a deaf ear to the cry for help from those remote and isolated settlements.

The findings of the Penan Support Group, Forum Asia and Asian Indigenous Women’s Network (PSG et al) released last week, again showed the vulnerability and long suffering of the Penans’ fairer sex in the vast logging frontier of the Baram district in Sarawak. The district is as vast as the state of Perak.

The report from a fact-finding mission conducted in November 2009 followed an alert issued by the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) in September 2008. The issue gained national attention after a national English daily, The Star, published interviews with three of the victims identified by BMF in October, 2008.

Subsequently, two of the victims lodged police report with the sexual crime division of Bukit Aman.

One of them, “Bibi” has since retracted her statement, claiming that she was “duped” by NGOs into filing the case. According to Sarawak press report, she also implied that the NGOs had disguised themselves as members of the media to obtain and publish her confession.

Sarawak police have warned they would take stern action against those who manipulated the victim as well as the victim herself if it’s found that she was lying. However, until this day, no one knows what was the conclusion.

Interestingly, and this has been pointed out by others who followed the development of the issue, the police don’t seem bothered by the fact that the so-called husband of “Bibi”, a logging company worker, known as Ah Hing, who accompanied her to the police station, is a polygamist, an offence for non-Muslim in this country.

It is disheartening to learn that the other victim was pressured to do the same as “Bibi” by her alleged perpetrator in the company of the police, according to land rights activist Muhin Urip in an interview with Malaysiakini, suggesting attempts to cover up the hideous crime instead of thoroughly investigating the allegations of rape professionally. Looks like the police have a lot to answer.

Denial syndrome

Apart from producing a report, which it refused to make public despite its initial promise but was forced to do so due to political pressure, the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development has basically sat on its hands and did nothing.

Nevertheless, the taskforce’s report admitted that sexual exploitation of the Penans’ womenfolks is indeed happening. Even then, the state government disputed it and questioned the reliability of the taskforce simply because it consisted of women rights NGOs representatives.

Never mind that more than two-thirds of the taskforce members consisted of civil servants including from the state’s own women affairs department.

The PSG et al effort was initially mooted as a form of assistance to the police to gain access to the victims who had understandably lost their confidence in the professionalism and impartiality of the force, which over the decades was seen to be taking the side of the logging companies in oppressing the people who are defending their land rights.

The excuse given by the police for failing to follow through on this initiative which they eagerly embarked on between late 2008 and early 2009 following public outcry and the police reports filed by the two alleged victims is common knowledge now. And highly unpalatable to many sound-thinking Malaysians.

Hollow rhetoric

Eighteen months later and yet another report – this time more comprehensive and argued objectively in the context of a socio-economic development model that has further disempowered and impoverished the forest-dependent communities — the authorities’ reactions remain unchanged.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, who is in charge of Penan affairs, dismissed the report as an act of sabotage against the state’s progress, saying the Penans are manipulated by foreign NGOs in his trademark rebuttal on anything to do with the Penans.

The state police chief Mohmad Salleh accused the PSG et al of politicising the issue and bent on shaming the police.

But as more such reports surfaced, such rhetoric is sounding like hollow, broken records.

Indeed, acknowledging the deep distrust of the Penans towards the authorities, PSG et al has again offered to work together. The report called for state and federal authorities and all stakeholders (logging and plantation companies) to fundamentally change their attitude and approach.

The group, in my opinion, certainly has an open agenda as it claimed. It certainly did not wish for the endemism to worsen as it wrote: “Or are we simply looking at another report such as this one, in five years’ time, 10 years’ time, documenting the same abuses, the same deterioration, the same violence?”

The only way to test the sincerity of the NGOs is for the authorities to take up the challenge and work with them.

Thorn in the flesh

To understand the Penans’ disillusion with the state government and its apparatuses and the shabby treatment that they are receiving, one has to understand the history of their protracted struggle.

The Penans’ continued resistance against encroachment by logging companies and in more recent time, plantation companies, had made them enemy No 1 of Taib Mahmud’s regime.

The state government particularly resents the international attention that the Penans continue to enjoy despite the ill-fated international campaign to save the Borneo rainforests in the late 1980s.

State ministers like Jabu and James Masing (Land Development Ministry) showed their disdain by labelling the Penans as “stooge of foreign NGOs” and “good storyteller”.

The contempt towards the Penans goes back a long way — since the advent of industrial logging in Sarawak from the 1970s. Known for erecting blockades to stop trucks from ferrying felled timber in what they claimed as their ancestral forests, the underdog image of Penans eventually caught the eye and sympathy of Western rainforests campaigners.

The peaceful blockaders quickly became the poster boy of the largely Western-led campaign.

However, with compelling argument from then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad that these westerners should instead focus on their own governments and societies that are the market forces for the cheap timber from the Penan heartlands, the campaign fizzled out.

The result was the birth of timber certification scheme such as the Forest Stewardship Council and our own government-backed Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS). However, the success of MTCS in ensuring legality and sustainability — two key criteria of any timber certification scheme — continues to be questioned at the international marketplace largely due to pressure from local and foreign NGOs.

For example, the Malaysian Forest NGOs and Indigenous Peoples’ Network had denounced the MTCS for failure to respect indigenous land rights in its quest to promote Malaysian timber abroad.

These days blockades had taken on a more urgent note as the Penans as well as other Orang Ulu tribes like Kenyah, Kayan and Lun Bawang are faced not only with degradation of their forests but also a complete uprooting of their ancestral domain only to be replaced with oil palm and mono-species timber tree cultivation.

For tribes whose identity are shaped and connected to the forests, this is tantamount to cultural genocide.

In the interest of transparency, the writer wishes to inform that she was the Star’s journalist who verified the BMF’s alert by obtaining first-hand information from the alleged victims.

Marathon session in Paris for Bala, all eyes on what was asked

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Amid talk that Malaysian police have warned the press not to make any contact with him, private investigator P Balasubramaniam spent a marathon session debriefing French investigators in Paris on what he knows of Prime Minister Najib Razak's role in the purchase of two high-cost submarines in 2002.

I was told that the Malaysian police warned the editors not to have direct communication with Bala or else they could be arrested, PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Indeed, Bala, a former Special Branch detective, may hold key information that could incriminate the Malaysian leader, his wife Rosmah Mansor, their friend Razak Baginda and a murdered Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu in the French corruption probe.

Bala is the first Malaysian witness to be called to give his statement to Parisian police. Accompanied by his lawyer, Manjit Singh Dhillon, he went for his 2pm meeting with them at the Direction Centrale de la Police in Nanterre Prefecture.

However, until 6pm Paris time, when most offices have closed for the day, Bala was still giving his statement. All eyes are now on what had transpired during those long hours. His lawyer is expected to issue a press statement later in the day.

Of course, we are all anxious to know what Bala was asked and what the French police told him. I think most Malaysians are eager for some justice to be done, Tian said.

Intimidation and suppression

To an extent, the Malaysian premier has himself to blame for the increasing feelings of discontent and distrust amongst the citizenry and within his own Umno party. Pundits say he may have overplayed his hand by slapping on an unofficial blackout and using intimidating tactics to scare off the media and political critics from the episode.

Najib's credibility wore thinner when the Malays! ian Anti -Corruption Commission which answers directly to him swerved at the 11th hour from a London appointment to record Balas statement last week.

You may have noticed the sharp counter-attacks that Najib, some of the Umno leaders and the police have launched against Pakatan leaders, like Anwar Ibrahim, Tian and Chegu Bard in the past week. They are trying very hard to deflect attention from the case, even to the extent of giving the impression that snap elections are at the doorstep, PKR vice president Sivarasa Rasiah told Malaysia Chronicle.

The French investigation comes about following a complaint lodged by Malaysian civil rights group SUARAM following the Najib administrations stubborn refusal to initiate any inquiry on allegations that DCNS, the vendor of the Scorpene submarines, had paid Baginda a kickback of RM570 million for closing the deal.

It is believed that the contract inked between the Malaysian defense ministry and the French firm contained an anti-corruption clause that makes it illegal to pay any commission or form of kickback to secure the deal. This provides the basis for the French probe as DCNS is one of their biggest companies.

On the Malaysian side, Najib was the defense minister at that time and had sanctioned the acquisition. Bala was hired by Baginda in 2006 to stop Altantuya from blackmailing Baginda for her US$500,000 share of the commission.


The beautiful 28-year old, who speaks four languages including French and Russian, is also believed to have had affairs with both Najib and Baginda. Najib has denied ever knowing her or that there was commission involved in the Scorpenes purchase. Baginda has admitted being lovers with Altantuya.



In a statutory declaration made in 2008 (see below), Bala had listed down explosive information given to him by Razak during the course of his work. It is believed that this information will form the heart of his testimony to the French team.


(Below is the statutory declaration Bala ! lodged i n 2008)


STATUTORY DECLARATION


I, Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal a Malaysian Citizen of full age and residing at [deleted] do solemly and sincerely declare as follows :-


1. I have been a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police Force having jointed as a constable in 1981 attached to the Police Field Force. I was then promoted to the rank of lance Corporal and finally resigned from the Police Force in 1998 when I was with the Special Branch.


2. I have been working as a free lance Private Investigator since I left the Police Force.


3. Sometime in June or July 2006, I was employed by Abdul Razak Baginda for a period of 10 days to look after him at his office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang between the hours of 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m each working day as apparently he was experiencing disturbances from a third party.


4. I resigned from this job after 2 days as I was not receiving any proper instructions.


5. I was however re-employed by Abdul Razak Baginda on the 05-10-2006 as he had apparently received a harassing phone call from a Chinese man calling himself ASP Tan who had threatened him to pay his debts. I later found out this gentleman was in fact a private investigator called Ang who was employed by a Mongolian woman called Altantuya Shaaribuu.


6. Abdul Razak Baginda was concerned that a person by the name of Altantuya Shaaribuu, a Mongolian woman, was behind this threat and that she would be arriving in Malaysia very soon to try and contact him.


7. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that he was concerned by this as he had been advised that Altantuya Shaaribuu had been given some powers by a Mongolian bomoh and that he could never look her in the face because of this.


8. When I enquired as to who this Mongolian woman was, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that she was a friend of his who had been introduced to him by a VIP and who asked him to look after her financially.


9. I adv! ised him to lodge a police report concerning the threatening phone call he had received from the Chinese man known as ASP Tan but he refused to do so as he informed me there were some high profile people involved.


10. Abdul Razak Baginda further told me that Altantuya Shaaribuu was a great liar and good in convincing people. She was supposed to have been very demanding financially and that he had even financed a property for her in Mongolia.


11. Abdul Razak Baginda then let me listen to some voice messages on his handphone asking him to pay what was due otherwise he would be harmed and his daughter harassed.


12. I was therefore supposed to protect his daughter Rowena as well.


13. On the 09.10.2006 I received a phone call from Abdul Razak Baginda at about 9.30 a.m. informing me that Altantuya was in his office and he wanted me there immediately. As I was in the midst of a surveillance, I sent my assistant Suras to Abdul Razak Bagindas office and I followed a little later. Suras managed to control the situation and had persuaded Altantuya and her two friends to leave the premises. However Altantuya left a note written on some Hotel Malaya note paper, in English, asking Abdul Razak Baginda to call her on her handphone (number given) and wrote down her room number as well.


14. Altantuya had introduced herself to Suras as Aminah and had informed Suras she was there to see her boyfriend Abdul Razak Baginda.


15. These 3 Mongolian girls however returned to Abdul Razak Bagindas office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang again, the next day at about 12.00 noon. They did not enter the building but again informed Suras that they wanted to meet Aminahs boyfriend, Abdul Razak Baginda.


16. On the 11.10.2006, Aminah returned to Abdul Razak Bagindas office on her own and gave me a note to pass to him, which I did. Abdul Razak Baginda showed me the note which basically asked him to call her urgently.


17. I suggested to Abdul Razak Baginda! that pe rhaps it may be wise to arrange for Aminah to be arrested if she harassed him further, but he declined as he felt she would have to return to Mongolia as soon as her cash ran out.


18. In the meantime I had arranged for Suras to perform surveillance on Hotel Malaya to monitor the movements of these 3 Mongolian girls, but they recognized him. Apparently they become friends with Suras after that and he ended up spending a few nights in their hotel room.


19. When Abdul Razak Baginda discovered Suras was becoming close to Aminah he asked me to pull him out from Hotel Malaya.


20. On the 14.10.2006, Aminah turned up at Abdul Razak Bagindas house in Damansara Heights when I was not there. Abdul Razak Baginda called me on my handphone to inform me of this so I rushed back to his house. As I arrived, I noticed Aminah outside the front gates shouting Razak, bastard, come out from the house. I tried to calm her down but couldnt so I called the police who arrived in 2 patrol cars. I explained the situation to the police, who took her away to the Brickfields police station.


21. I followed the patrol cars to Brickfields police station in a taxi. I called Abdul Razak Baginda and his lawyer Dirren to lodge a police report but they refused.


22. When I was at the Brickfields police station, Aminahs own Private Investigator, one Mr. Ang arrived and we had a discussion. I was told to deliver a demand to Abdul Razak Baginda for USD$500,000.00 and 3 tickets to Mongolia, apparently as commission owed to Aminah from a deal in Paris.


23. As Aminah had calmed down at this stage, a policewoman at the Brickfields police station advised me to leave and settle the matter amicably.


24. I duly informed Abdul Razak Baginda of the demands Aminah had made and told him I was disappointed that no one wanted to back me up in lodging a police report. We had a long discussion about the situation when I expressed a desire to pull out of this assignment.


25. D! uring th is discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that :-


25.1 He had been introduced to Aminah by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.


25.2 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that [deleted by nat out of respect to the family of the deceased].


25.3 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister.


25.4 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.


25.5 Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a USD$500,000.00 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris.


26. On the 19.10.2006, I arrived at Abdul Razak Bagindas house in Damansara Heights to begin my night duty. I had parked my car outside as usual. I saw a yellow proton perdana taxi pass by with 3 ladies inside, one of whom was Aminah. The taxi did a U-turn and stopped in front of the house where these ladies rolled down the window and wished me Happy Deepavali. The taxi then left.


27. About 20 minutes later the taxi returned with only Aminah in it. She got out of the taxi and walked towards me and started talking to me. I sent an SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda informing him Aminah was here. I received an SMS from Razak instructing me To delay her until my man comes.


28. Whist I was talking to Aminah, she informed me of the following :-


28.1 That she met Abdul Razak Baginda in Singapore with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.


28.2 That she had also met Abdul Razak Baginda and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a dinner in Paris.


28.3 That she was promised a sum of USD$500,000.00 as commission for assisting in a Submarine deal in Paris.


28.4 That Abdul Razak Baginda had bought her a house ! in Mongo lia but her brother had refinanced it and she needed money to redeem it.


28.5 That her mother was ill and she needed money to pay for her treatment.


6. That Abdul Razak Baginda had married her in Korea as her mother is Korean whilst her father was a Mongolian/Chinese mix.


28.7 That if I wouldnt allow her to see Abdul Razak Baginda, would I be able to arrange for her to see Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.


29. After talking to Aminah for about 15 minutes, a red proton aeroback arrived with a woman and two men. I now know the woman to be Lance Corporal Rohaniza and the men, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azahar. They were all in plain clothes. Azilah walked towards me while the other two stayed in the car.


30. Azilah asked me whether the woman was Aminah and I said Yes. He then walked off and made a few calls on his handphone. After 10 minutes another vehicle, a blue proton saga, driven by a Malay man, passed by slowly. The drivers window had been wound down and the driver was looking at us.


31. Azilah then informed me they would be taking Aminah away. I informed Aminah they were arresting her. The other two persons then got out of the red proton and exchanged seats so that Lance Corporal Rohaniza and Aminah were in the back while the two men were in the front. They drove off and that is the last I ever saw of Aminah.


32. Abdul Razak Baginda was not at home when all this occurred.


33. After the 19.10.2006, I continued to work for Abdul Razak Baginda at his house in Damansara Heights from 7.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m. the next morning, as he had been receiving threatening text messages from a woman called Amy who was apparently Aminahs cousin in Mongolia.


34. On the night of the 20.10.2006, both of Aminahs girl friends turned up at Abdul Razak Bagindas house enquiring where Aminah was. I informed them she had been arrested the night before.


35. A couple of nights later, these two Mongolian girls, Mr. Ang and another Mo! ngolian girl called Amy turned up at Abdul Razak Bagindas house looking for Aminah as they appeared to be convinced she was being held in the house.


36. A commotion began so I called the police who arrived shortly thereafter in a patrol car. Another patrol car arrived a short while later in which was the investigating officer from the Dang Wangi Police Station who was in charge of the missing persons report lodged by one of the Mongolians girls, I believe was Amy.


37. I called Abdul Razak Baginda who was at home to inform him of the events taking place at his front gate. He then called DSP Musa Safri and called me back informing me that Musa Safri would be calling handphone and I was to pass the phone to the Inspector from Dang Wangi Police Station.


38. I then received a call on my handphone from Musa Safri and duly handed the phone to the Dang Wangi Inspector. The conversation lasted 3 4 minutes after which he told the girls to disperse and to go to see him the next day.


39. On or about the 24.10.2006, Abdul Razak Baginda instructed me to accompany him to the Brickfields police station as he had been advised to lodge a police report about the harassment he was receiving from these Mongolian girls.


40. Before this, Amy had sent me an SMS informing me she was going to Thailand to lodge a report with the Mongolian consulate there regarding Aminahs disappearance. Apparently she had sent the same SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda. This is why he told me he had been advised to lodge a police report.


41. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that DPS Musa Safri had introduced him to one DSP Idris, the head of the Criminal division, Brickfields police station, and that Idris had referred him to ASP Tonny.


42. When Abdul Razak Baginda had lodged his police report at Brickfields police station, in front of ASP Tonny, he was asked to make a statement but he refused as he said he was leaving for overseas. He did however promise to prepare a statement and hand! ASP Ton ny a thumb drive. I know that this was not done as ASP Tonny told me.


43. However ASP Tonny asked me the next day to provide my statement instead and so I did.


44. I stopped working for Abdul Razak Baginda on the 26.10.2006 as this was the day he left for Hong Kong on his own.


45. In mid November 2006, I received a phone call from ASP Tonny from the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah asking me to see him regarding Aminahs case. When I arrived there I was immediately arrested under S.506 of the Penal Code for Criminal intimidation.


46. I was then placed in the lock up and remanded for 5 days. On the third day I was released on police bail.


47. At the end of November 2006, the D9 department of the IPK sent a detective to my house to escort me to the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah. When I arrived, I was told I was being arrested under S.302 of the Penal Code for murder. I was put in the lock up and remanded for 7 days.


48. I was transported to Bukit Aman where I was interrogated and questioned about an SMS I had received from Abdul Razak Baginda on the 19.10.2006 which read delay her until my man arrives. They had apparently retrieved this message from Abdul Razak Bagindas handphone.


49. They then proceeded to record my statement from 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. everyday for 7 consecutive days. I told them all I knew including everything Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had told me about their relationships with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak but when I came to sign my statement, these details had been left out.


50. I have given evidence in the trial of Azilah, Sirul and Abdul Razak Baginda at the Shah Alam High Court. The prosecutor did not ask me any questions in respect of Aminahs relationship with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak or of the phone call I received from DSP Musa Safri, whom I believe was the ADC for Datuk Seri Najib Razak and/or his wife.


51. On the day Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested, I was with him at his lawyers office at 6.30 a.m.! Abdul R azak Baginda informed us that he had sent Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak an SMS the evening before as he refused to believe he was to be arrested, but had not received a response.


52. Shortly thereafter, at about 7.30 a.m., Abdul Razak Baginda received an SMS from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and showed, this message to both myself and his lawyer. This message read as follows :- I am seeing IGP at 11.00 a.m. today matter will be solved be cool.


53. I have been made to understand that Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested the same morning at his office in the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang.


54. The purpose of this Statutory declaration is to :-


54.1 State my disappointment at the standard of investigations conducted by the authorities into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu.


54.2 Bring to the notice of the relevant authorities the strong possibility that there are individuals other than the 3 accused who must have played a role in the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu.


54.3 Persuade the relevant authorities to reopen their investigations into this case immediately so that any fresh evidence may be presented to the Court prior to submissions at the end of the prosecutions case.


54.4 Emphasize the fact that having been a member of the Royal Malaysian Police Force for 17 years I am absolutely certain no police officer would shoot someone in the head and blow up their body without receiving specific instructions from their superiors first.


54.5. Express my concern that should the defence not be called in the said murder trial, the accused, Azilah and Sirul will not have to swear on oath and testify as to the instructions they received and from whom they were given.


55. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declaration Act 1960.


SUBCRIBED and solemnly )


declared by the abovenamed )

Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal ]


this day of 2008 )


Before me,


.


Commissioner for Oath


Kuala Lumpur
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Jokers Without Any Sense of Humor

By M. Bakri Musa Banning books in Malaysia is now such a routine matter that it is no longer newsworthy. That is the scary part. So when the Associated Press carried the news of the Malaysian government banning Zunars books of political cartoons, that perked me up especially when the news item was also picked up by major American papers such as the Washington Post and influential online portals like the Huffingtonpost.com. I have long been a fan of Zunar, or Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, ever since his cartoons appeared in Malaysiakini.com. What struck me then were his astute observations, brazen courage, and devastatingly powerful caricatures. Much to the discomfit of our politicians, Zunar has only gotten better. Now he is even more biting, cuts even deeper, and as reflected by the governments action, can goncang (shake) even the most powerful. In trying (that is the appropriate and operative word) to explain the governments action, Home Ministry Secretary-General Mahmood Adam said, [The books] have been banned for their contents that can influence the people to revolt against the leaders and government policies. Adding, The contents are not suitable for and detrimental to public order. To think that this joker not only lacks a sense of humor but he is also the ministrys highest civil servant!

Another way of looking at the Secretary-Generals explanation is that Zunar has really goncang powerful folks. Or that those seemingly powerful people are made up of softer stuff. Zunar is not at all perturbed by the governments latest stupid action. On the contrary, like a Great Dane facing the irritating yelping of a diminutive pariah dog, Zunar is ready to pounce back, and with not an ounce of mercy. The publisher of his One Funny Malaysia, one of the banned books, has already initiated legal action. As for Zunar, a cartoonist for over 20 years, his dismissive response was, They can ban my books, they can ban m! y public ations, but they cant ban my mind! I will not stop drawing till the last drop of my pen. That may not sound like a Great Dane ready to pounce on a pariah dog, more the flicking off an irritating flea. But then thats what Great Danes do to lull their prey. So I am really looking forward to Zunars next cartoon following this latest government folly. Zunar now has three prime ministerial notches on his cartoon belt. The materials on the first, Cartoons on Tun and Others, showed that Zunar was not in the least in awe of or intimidated by the most powerful and mercurial personality. He was merciless in his treatment of Mahathir. As Zunar rationalized in his introduction, Why pinch when you can punch? Way to go, Zunar! Some would claim that at times he punches below the belt. I disagree. Rather that his victims have their belt and samping way too high! Zunars critics take exception to his caricaturing Mahathirs nose. Like Jews, we Malays are sensitive about the shape and size of our snouts, and Mahathir has been known to express his irritation to this less-than-flattering caricature. Beyond that, there was nothing more. One of Zunars most memorable cartoons depicts a scene right after Mahathirs shocking announcement of his resignation. Many, and not just his supplicants, were pleading for him to change his mind. There was Zunar appearing in his own cartoon lamenting whose nose he would be drawing now that Mahathir would be gone! Zunars fame has spread despite his intentionally bypassing the mainstream media. Kowtowing to the establishment or the powerful is just not his style or mode of working. That is what makes his work so refreshing and, well, Jebat-like. Luckily, as Amir Muhammad noted in his preface to one of Zunars collections, [His] talent matches his bile! I would also add, And courage too! Just as he was merciless with the mercurial Mahathir, Zunar was no less sparing with Mahathirs pliant successor Abdullah Bad! awi. In many ways Abdullah was more of a challenge as he was so pathetically out of his league. Too tough and you would appear to be picking on the village idiot. That could backfire, evoking sympathy instead. At the same time you have to puncture the idiots increasingly uppity pretensions. A delicate balance! Zunar was more than up to the task. The one cartoon that best captures Abdullahs tenure is one showing him slumped in an oversized chair issuing endless edicts: Zero Corruption! Zero Red Tape! followed by a series of Zs ending with his snoozing in his chair. That summarizes better than the kilobytes of critical commentaries by erudite columnists. The chair was just a tad too large for him, or the man too small for it, and Abdullah was reduced to uttering useless slogans. He succeeded only in putting himself to sleep. One would expect Abdullahs successor to have minimal difficulty to shine. Alas that was not to be with Najib Razak. As for the reasons, you could torture yourself and read the various dry commentaries by the pundits and academics, or you could spend RM20 and get a copy of Zunars latest book, the one banned by the government, 1 Funny Malaysia. The title obviously pokes fun at Najibs 1Malaysia slogan. You will be entertained, as well as being educated. Thanks to the inefficiency of the Home Ministry, the publisher already sold the first printing of 5,000 copies before the ban. With Internet marketing and with many of Zunars cartoons readily available free online (www.cartoonkafe.com), the Ministrys ban is, like all the governments actions, all fury with no significance. That makes the whole banning exercise less scary than first thought. The cartoon cover of the banned volume is illuminating enough. It shows Najib commanding his ship, KD Altantuya, presumably the newly-acquired and exorbitantly expensive submarine that would not sink, shouting out orders to no one in particular. Or perhaps no one cared to listen! Notice the ships! name! In other cartoons Najib is reduced to his oversized glasses, pin-sized eyes, and prominent forehead, an unmistakable befuddled deer-in-the-headlight look. That also describes Najibs leadership befuddled. Zunar was equally tough on all our leaders. Not so the reactions of his subjects. I am certain that both Mahathir and Abdullah were none too pleased to be so unflatteringly caricatured and mercilessly skewered by Zunar. Nonetheless, very unlike Najib, they did not see fit to ban Zunars books or undertake any such nefarious actions. That is the significant difference between them and Najib, a transformation in our leadership that should scare us. It is noteworthy that while the world notices this as evidenced by the extensive global coverage of the ban, the matter receives scant attention in the mainstream Malaysian media. Nor has the ban attracted much commentaries or editorials. That too is equally significant, and scary. Zunar, we need you now more than ever. We need you to keep them straight when they strayed, soften them when they become sclerosed, and bring them down a notch or two when they get too uppity. May the ink in your pen never run dry!
Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Progress and Principles

July 13, 2010

Progress must not cost us our principles

by Ahmad Husni*

A persons conscience is the basis of ones moral values. In turn, ones conscience is formed by ones religious and community values. There is no major religion in the world that allows the misappropriation of funds, corruption and fraud for self-enrichment. Neither is there any legally-sanctioned community that allows the same, be it a community of shareholders, a cooperative or an association-Ahmad Husni.

THE next ten years will bring us many challenges. We have to adjust the way we work, the way we live and the way we think. We will need to strengthen our institutions, build our capacities and reinforce our policies and regulatory frameworks. We must ensure our foundations are strong.

The issue of morality is a key component to secure our future success, as an essential foundation to secure a bright future for our coming generations.

It may be too simplistic to assign the cause of the recent financial crisis in the major financial capitals in the West to greed and weak moral composition.

Nevertheless, it is difficult to dismiss these factors as not contributing to the making of the crisis. These and the various high-profile accounting and corporate scandals and fraud cases in the last decade should serve as lessons, valuable lessons, as our economy gets increasingly sophisticated, as we move up the value chain.

In this regard, moral behaviour in public and private sector governance is an essential component in the building of our countrys future success.

It has been argued that the issue of morality in public service and the corporate domain is too complex a subject to be laid out in simple black and white terms. In this post-mo! dern age , it is too fashionable to justify wrongs in relative terms. As guardians of trust, it is simple its either right or wrong. There is very little space in-between.

I concede that we are mere mortals vulnerable to worldly temptations. Nobody is perfect but we must always be mindful of the sanctity of public trust. Once it is violated, it is a steep climb to regain this trust. As a person, an institution or a corporation, the trust of the stakeholders that is vested in us, must never be breached.

No amount of legislation, code of ethics and governance, rules and regulations can stop the transgression of trust. The breaches may not, at times, be illegal in the eyes of the law but they can be just as morally wrong.

A persons conscience is the basis of ones moral values. In turn, ones conscience is formed by ones religious and community values. There is no major religion in the world that allows the misappropriation of funds, corruption and fraud for self-enrichment. Neither is there any legally-sanctioned community that allows the same, be it a community of shareholders, a cooperative or an association.

We are a relatively young country. The great name that we wish Malaysia to be can only be achieved if the running of our public services and the management of our corporate sector are done morally. This might strike some of you as old-fashioned, but we must not do away with these basics of life, these principles of life.

It is a sad indication of our times that we do not place enough shame on those who transgress the boundaries of morality. We look upon a persons material wealth and too easily judge them as successful. We, as a society, celebrate people whom possess great wealth with little regard to its source. We, as a society, have been just as guilty in condoning these acts of immorality.

We must strengthen the publics faith in the incorruptibility of our public institutio! ns and corporations, in our public servants and corporate managers, in the guardians of our treasure and our investments. What is fundamental is the keeping of our good name, the name that our children, our waris, will carry and the name that we leave behind. Every nation must aspire to the highest ideals of humanity. This we must do this we owe to our future generations.

As our economy grows more complex, the opportunity for lapses in our moral behaviour will increase. We will be faced with an increasing number of temptations and persuasive invitations. I pray that all of us will hold to our conscience, the keeping of our good names and the protection of our nations future. On our conscience lies our childrens future. With Gods grace, Insyaallah, we will succeed.www.nst.com.my

*Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah is the second Finance Minister.

Letter & Opinion From Joe Public

Tan's challenge to Najib's Felda

Assets, what are the assets? Don't forget: if tomorrow India doesn't want to buy your palm oil, you've got no cash flow. How are you going to run the company? And also loans from EPF. Felda is so big, why does it need loans from anybody?

By Patrick Lee and Jamilah Kamarudin, Free Malaysia Today

FMT EXCLUSIVE PETALING JAYA: PKR supreme council member Tan Kee Kwong was recently thrust into the political spotlight after posting an open letter to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in early June.

In his letter, the former deputy minister of land and cooperatives accused Najib and the government of mismanaging Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) funds.

The former Segambut MP and WP Gerakan chief alleged that Felda's cash reserves had dropped by more than RM4 billion to about RM200 million this year.

Tan also questioned the need for the government-linked company to invest RM660 million in a “five-star” office building.

Government reaction to the allegation was both swift and heavy-handed. Former Felda liaison director and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Ahmad Maslan, announced that Felda was going to sue Suara Keadilan and several PKR party leaders, including Tan, for RM200 million.

Several hours later, the party organ was summoned to the Home Ministry in Putrajaya. But the meeting was to no avail, as Suara Keadilan found its printing licence suspended.

However, no PKR party leader to date has received a letter from Felda. In a two-part interview, Tan talks to FMT about his grievances with the Najib administration.

FMT: Tell us about your time as deputy minister of land and cooperatives.

Tan: In 1999, I was given the task of answering questions about Felda. That's why I know so much about Felda. I was the only one in the administration who answered questions. We also looked after strata titles as well.

You said you're the only one who answered questions about Felda?

Yes, my minister gave me the sole responsibility.

Who was your minister at the time?

Kasitah Gaddam.

What was happening to Felda during your time as deputy minister?

Actually, Felda was a shining example of giving land to the landless. It was a scheme where they built a house, planted rubber trees and oil palm for them... 10-acre lots. And slowly over the years, they paid back. That's fine. Very, very successful.

Until about 1993, with the original settlers getting old, they (Felda) realised they cannot work on the ladang kecil anymore. So they changed their plan, and any new land opened after 1993 became Felda plantations, what they call Felda corporate.

So what did you notice?

At that time, Felda was a very fine organisation. Its chairman for many years was Raja Muhammad Alias. So we just left it alone, and it was fine.

So you just let it go on, because it obviously gave returns.

Well, you know the figures. In 2001, the assets of Felda were RM7 billion. Cash in the bank, RM4.5 billion. Loans, zero. Not one sen. How can an entity with this type of balance sheet go so wrong?

And how is it that with the record price of oil palm recently, other companies such as IOI are recording profits while Felda's cash reserves are going down? It doesn't make sense! You don't need to be an oil palm expert. What happened to the reserves?

So you think the cash reserves should be going up.

Of course! Definitely! My advice to Najib and gang is: stick to your core business. You don't need Felda Global Ventures and all that rubbish. How can you justify your six-star building? How is it going to help the settlers? Felda is about the settlers, not for making money!

Najib said that the cash reserves went down, but the assets went up.

Assets, what are the assets? Don't forget: if tomorrow India doesn't want to buy your palm oil, you've got no cash flow. How are you going to run the company? And also loans from EPF. Felda is so big, why does it need loans from anybody?

Felda borrowed money from EPF?

Yes. Felda Global Ventures (borrowed money)... Felda Glocal, as they say. You just stick to oil palm, day and night it will make profit for you. Why on earth do you need to go Felda Global?

How do you justify the RM500 million spent in Boston and Cincinnati? Tell us! What is Twin Rivers Technology?

READ MORE HERE

Jokers Without Any Sense of Humor

Jokers Without Any Sense of Humor

M. Bakri Musa

Banning books in Malaysia is now such a routine matter that it is no longer newsworthy. That is the scary part.

So when the Associated Press carried the news of the Malaysian government banning Zunars books of political cartoons, that perked me up especially when the news item was also picked up by major American papers such as the Washington Post and influential online portals like the Huffingtonpost.com.

I have long been a fan of Zunar, or Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, ever since his cartoons appeared in Malaysiakini.com. What struck me then were his astute observations, brazen courage, and devastatingly powerful caricatures. Much to the discomfit of our politicians, Zunar has only gotten better. Now he is even more biting, cuts even deeper, and as reflected by the governments action, can goncang (shake) even the most powerful.

In trying (that is the appropriate and operative word) to explain the governments action, Home Ministry Secretary-General Mahmood Adam said, [The books] have been banned for their contents that can influence the people to revolt against the leaders and government policies. Adding, The contents are not suitable for and detrimental to public order. To think that this joker not only lacks a sense of humor but he is also the ministrys highest civil servant!

Another way of looking at the Secretary-Generals explanation is that Zunar has really goncang powerful folks. Or that those seemingly powerful people are made up of softer stuff. Zunar is not at all perturbed by the governments latest stupid action. On the contrary, like a Great Dane facing the irritating yelping of a diminutive p! ariah do g, Zunar is ready to pounce back, and with not an ounce of mercy.

The publisher of his One Funny Malaysia, one of the banned books, has already initiated legal action. As for Zunar, a cartoonist for over 20 years, his dismissive response was, They can ban my books, they can ban my publications, but they cant ban my mind! I will not stop drawing till the last drop of my pen. That may not sound like a Great Dane ready to pounce on a pariah dog, more the flicking off an irritating flea. But then thats what Great Danes do to lull their prey. So I am really looking forward to Zunars next cartoon following this latest government folly.

Zunar now has three prime ministerial notches on his cartoon belt. The materials on the first, Cartoons on Tun and Others, showed that Zunar was not in the least in awe of or intimidated by the most powerful and mercurial personality. He was merciless in his treatment of Mahathir. As Zunar rationalized in his introduction, Why pinch when you can punch? Way to go, Zunar!

Some would claim that at times he punches below the belt. I disagree. Rather that his victims have their belt and samping way too high!

Zunars critics take exception to his caricaturing Mahathirs nose. Like Jews, we Malays are sensitive about the shape and size of our snouts, and Mahathir has been known to express his irritation to this less-than-flattering caricature. Beyond that, there was nothing more.

One of Zunars most memorable cartoons depicts a scene right after Mahathirs shocking announcement of his resignation. Many, and not just his supplicants, were pleading for him to change his mind. There was Zunar appearing in his own cartoon lamenting whose nose he would be drawing now that Mahathir would be! gone!

Zunars fame has spread despite his intentionally bypassing the mainstream media. Kowtowing to the establishment or the powerful is just not his style or mode of working. That is what makes his work so refreshing and, well, Jebat-like. Luckily, as Amir Muhammad noted in his preface to one of Zunars collections, [His] talent matches his bile! I would also add, And courage too!

Just as he was merciless with the mercurial Mahathir, Zunar was no less sparing with Mahathirs pliant successor Abdullah Badawi. In many ways Abdullah was more of a challenge as he was so pathetically out of his league. Too tough and you would appear to be picking on the village idiot. That could backfire, evoking sympathy instead. At the same time you have to puncture the idiots increasingly uppity pretensions. A delicate balance!

Zunar was more than up to the task. The one cartoon that best captures Abdullahs tenure is one showing him slumped in an oversized chair issuing endless edicts: Zero Corruption! Zero Red Tape! followed by a series of Zs ending with his snoozing in his chair. That summarizes better than the kilobytes of critical commentaries by erudite columnists. The chair was just a tad too large for him, or the man too small for it, and Abdullah was reduced to uttering useless slogans. He succeeded only in putting himself to sleep.

One would expect Abdullahs successor to have minimal difficulty to shine. Alas that was not to be with Najib Razak. As for the reasons, you could torture yourself and read the various dry commentaries by the pundits and academics, or you could spend RM20 and get a copy of Zunars latest book, the one banned by the government, 1 Funny Malaysia. The title obviously pokes fun at Najibs 1Mal! aysia sl ogan. You will be entertained, as well as being educated.

Thanks to the inefficiency of the Home Ministry, the publisher already sold the first printing of 5,000 copies before the ban. With Internet marketing and with many of Zunars cartoons readily available free online (www.cartoonkafe.com), the Ministrys ban is, like all the governments actions, all fury with no significance. That makes the whole banning exercise less scary than first thought.

The cartoon cover of the banned volume is illuminating enough. It shows Najib commanding his ship, KD Altantuya, presumably the newly-acquired and exorbitantly expensive submarine that would not sink, shouting out orders to no one in particular. Or perhaps no one cared to listen! Notice the ships name!

In other cartoons Najib is reduced to his oversized glasses, pin-sized eyes, and prominent forehead, an unmistakable befuddled deer-in-the-headlight look. That also describes Najibs leadership befuddled.

Zunar was equally tough on all our leaders. Not so the reactions of his subjects. I am certain that both Mahathir and Abdullah were none too pleased to be so unflatteringly caricatured and mercilessly skewered by Zunar. Nonetheless, very unlike Najib, they did not see fit to ban Zunars books or undertake any such nefarious actions.

That is the significant difference between them and Najib, a transformation in our leadership that should scare us. It is noteworthy that while the world notices this as evidenced by the extensive global coverage of the ban, the matter receives scant attention in the mainstream Malaysian media. Nor has the ban attracted much commentaries or editorials. That too is equally significant, and scary.

Zunar, we need you now more than ever. We need you to keep them straight when they strayed, soften them when they become sclerosed, and bring them down a notch or two when they get too uppity. May the ink in your pen never run dry!

See What Barisan Nasional Gotta Say?