Another Brick in the Wall

Prime Minister Dato Najib Tun Abdul Razak will be holding a press conference on MH 370 at PWTC at 10:00 PM.

The only clue to this PC must be development in the effort by the Australian. There was a news release by CBC News Australia, reproduced below:

Ships rushed to the location of floating objects spotted Monday by Australian and Chinese planes in the southern Indian Ocean close to where multiple satellites have detected possible remains of the lost Malaysian airliner.

One ship was carrying equipment to detect the plane's vital black box, but it remained uncertain whether the vessels were approaching a successful end to the search or another frustrating dead end.

"They could be flotsam," Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in Canberra. "Nevertheless we are hopeful that we can recover these objects soon and that they will take us a step closer to resolving this tragic mystery."

In one of two new sightings Monday, Abbott said the crew on board an Australian P3 Orion had located two objects in the search zone — the first grey or green and circular, the second orange and rectangular. The crew was able to photograph the objects, but it was unclear if they were part of an aircraft.

An Australian navy supply ship, the HMAS Success, was heading to the area to get a closer look, and Malaysia's Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the vessel could reach them Monday night or by Tuesday morning.

Separately, the crew aboard one of two Chinese IL-76 aircraft combing the search zone observed two large objects and several smaller ones spread across several square kilometres, Xinhua News Agency reported. At least one of the items — a white, square object — was captured on a camera aboard the plane, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.

"We are still racing against time," Hong said at a ministry briefing. "As long as there is a glimmer of hope, our search efforts will carry on."

China has redirected the icebreaker Snow Dragon toward the latest find, and that ship was due to arrive early Tuesday. Six other Chinese ships have been directed toward the search zone, about 2,500 kilometres southwest of Perth, along with 20 fishing vessels that have been asked to help, Hong said.

Relatives of passengers aboard the missing Boeing 777-200 were closely following news reports of the latest sightings, desperate for any word on the fate of loved ones.

"We're eager to learn more about this," said Wang Zhen who is staying at a hotel near Beijing. His father and mother, Wang Linshi and Xiong Yunming, were both aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 as part of a group of Chinese artists touring Malaysia.

Satellite images and data released by Australia, China and France in recent days have identified possible debris in the area that may be linked to the disappearance of the plane on March 8 with 239 people on board — two-thirds of them Chinese.

The ocean depth in the search area ranges between 1,150 metres and 7,000 metres, and the U.S. Pacific command said it was sending a black box locator in case a debris field is located.

The Towed Pinger Locator, which is pulled behind a vessel at slow speeds, has highly sensitive listening capability so that if the wreck site is located, it can hear the black box "pinger" down to a depth of about 6,100 metres, Cmdr. Chris Budde, a U.S. Seventh Fleet operations officer, said in a statement.

"This movement is simply a prudent effort to pre-position equipment and trained personnel closer to the search area so that if debris is found we will be able to respond as quickly as possible since the battery life of the black box's pinger is limited," Budde said.

An Australian navy support vessel, the Ocean Shield, was also moving into the search zone and would arrive in three or four days, a defence official said. The ship is equipped with acoustic detection equipment that can search for the missing plane's black box.

There was no sign the move was linked to any breakthrough in the mystery of the plane, but rather as a preparation.

"The time for the battery life [of the 'pinger'] is potentially only a month," said Jason Middleton, aviation professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. "If debris was found, it would be terrible not have anything on site and waste time" getting a ping detector to the region. "I think they're planning ahead and getting it ready."

The search was given added momentum when a French satellite detected potential debris on Sunday, after Australia and China earlier released satellite images identifying suspect objects.

Australian Transport Minister Warren Truss said the French radar data located the objects about 850 kilometres north of the current search area, and that "we need to check that out as well."

Australian authorities had sent planes and a ship to try to locate a wooden pallet that was spotted on Saturday from a search plane, but the spotters were unable to take photos of it.

Wooden pallets are most commonly used by ships but are also used in airplane cargo holds. Hishammuddin, the Malaysian defence minister, confirmed Monday the flight was in fact carrying wooden pallets. But he said there was not yet any evidence that the pallets found by the Australians were related to the missing plane.

The southern Indian Ocean is thought to be a potential area to find the jet because Malaysian authorities have said pings sent by the Boeing 777-200 for several hours after it disappeared indicated that the plane ended up in one of two huge arcs: a northern corridor stretching from Malaysia to Central Asia, or a southern corridor that stretches toward Antarctica.

Malaysian authorities have not ruled out any possible explanation for what happened to the jet, but have said the evidence so far suggests it was deliberately turned back across Malaysia to the Strait of Malacca, with its communications systems disabled. They are unsure what happened next.

Authorities are considering the possibilities of hijacking, sabotage, terrorism or issues related to the mental health of the pilots or someone else on board.

Malaysia's police chief, Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar, reiterated at a news conference Monday that all the passengers had been cleared of suspicion.

But he said that the pilots and crew were still being investigated. He would not comment on whether investigators had recovered the files that were deleted a month earlier from the home flight simulator of the chief pilot.

Malaysia Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid had just transitioned to flying Boeing 777s from other commercial planes and the missing flight was his sixth on that type of aircraft.

Fariq had passed all training requirements to fly without incident, Ahmad said.

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It could be good and bad news.

The good news is that the endless search has found it's end and lead.

But the bad news is that there is unlikely to be any survivors. If survive, it is not easy to stay alive after more than 5 days. If it had punged into the Indian ocean, then any chance of survival is reduced.

The headache will not be over for Malaysian Airlines as more information on the reason the plane found itself on the Southern corridor uncover itself. It could open the company to possible lawsuit.

After the challenge of locating the plane in an area the size of the United States and rough waters with threat of a cyclone looming, the next challenge is to uncover the plane from a depth 7 times the height of KLCC.

So far the government and MAS have not spared any effort to find the disappeared airplane and have shown great commitment to the families of the crew and passengers.

Too many speculation, wild accusation and display of emotion have not been helpful but MAS perservere with responsibilities.

It is impossible for MAS or government to withheld any information. The most unlikely thing to happen is for government and MAS to try a cover-up with so much global attention.

It has not been easy to mange a crisis of such magnitude and more so for a country with limited capacity to afford such sophisticated defense assets.

There is a high dependent on foreign help and that poses a complex security issue to secure information. Most country hold on tight to any clue on their defense capability.

Wait for the PC.

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UPDATE 10:05 PM:

PM confirmed the plane's location found at the Southern Corridor of the South of the Indian Ocean as provided by the AAIB.

The PC was to fulfill the promise to provide the latest development on MH370. The families of crews and passengers have been informed. A PC to provide the details to be held tomorrow.

PM NAJIB RAZAK’S PRESS STATEMENT ON MH370

This evening I was briefed by representatives from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). They informed me that Inmarsat, the UK company that provided the satellite data which indicated the northern and southern corridors, has been performing further calculations on the data. Using a type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort, they have been able to shed more light on MH370’s flight path.

Based on their new analysis, Inmarsat and the AAIB have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor, and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth.

This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.

We will be holding a press conference tomorrow with further details. In the meantime, we wanted to inform you of this new development at the earliest opportunity. We share this information out of a commitment to openness and respect for the families, two principles which have guided this investigation.

Malaysia Airlines have already spoken to the families of the passengers and crew to inform them of this development. For them, the past few weeks have been heartbreaking; I know this news must be harder still. I urge the media to respect their privacy, and to allow them the space they need at this difficult time.

ENDS

PKNS: Intrigues of street-ruled government (Part 9)

The MH370 tragedy had been too disturbing that we had lost the will to up-date with new posting. Alas life has to continue and the series will continue too albeit a slightly varied format. It is to get traffic.

To continue where we left off, it should be to start to with the problems with Datok Othman Omar. However, there was a corporate development last Thursday and Friday that should be highlighted because we are aware of an inside story that was tipped off to us.

Indirectly, that could be the one of the unknown reason for poor Chinese turnout at the Kajang by-election.

It serve the purpose for an old friend in PKR to ponder why would the Chinese not bury BN in Kajang with the UMNO Hulu Langat machinery is in such a disarray with an indifferent and crooked leadership at the UMNO divisional and state level?

Kajang move had a lot to do with Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's handling of PKNS and water settlement that resulted in plans to remove him including the possibility of an impeachment using SELCAT.

Khalid appeared in the SELCAT hearing last Tuesday and Wednesday but most of the PKR members, especially Nik Nazmi was focused on nailing Khalid on Azmin Ali's removal issue than problems within PKNS.

Based on the words of Azmin Ali and Datuk Othman Omar, they probably got Khalid by the balls on that one. However, the members of SELCAT were not serious on the problems within PKNS. They did not do thorough homework or not interested to go beyond Azmin's removal.

As far as the PKNS Holding, the Managers were sickeningly out of focus, not thinking and clouded by ego and emotion, especially that Dr Aiman. No wonder they are questions on his background and whether he actually has a Phd.

More on that in another posting.

Now the talked about corporate development.

It relates to Tan Sri Vincent Tan's younger brother, Tan Sri Danny Tan who seemed to be more in the limelight than Vincent and close with the Pakatan Rakyat state governments.

Asiaone reported the Tropicana founder and executive vice-chairman is a notable newcomer at 16th in the burgeoning billionaire club of Malaysia. Read the article in Malaysia Chronicle here.

It also relates to Khalid's other favourite corporate group to I Berhad, whih is Eco World. Notice that one can see Eco World development projects everywhere in Selangor.

First, The Star's Saturday report commentary:

Published: Saturday March 29, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Saturday March 29, 2014 MYT 6:47:49 AM

Khalid caught off guard

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has always prided himself on being one up on the state’s previous administrators because of his background as an investment banker.

He has time and again said that his experience in the corporate world has been useful in dealing with developers wanting a piece of the action in the abundant land held by the state.

However, a deal that the state had entered into with Tropicana Corp Bhd in April last year has caught the mentri besar flat-footed.

Under the transaction, Tropicana acquired 1,172 acres from the state for RM1.3bil to be paid over 20 years as the land is being developed.

Under the terms of payment, Tropicana had to fork out RM50mil as deposit and make two advance payments over a period of six months. The remaining is to be paid with interest over various schedules stretching over 18 years.

However, what Tropicana has done is carve out a portion of the land to Eco World Development Group Bhd for a cash payment of RM470.57mil.

This has got the state all riled up because Tropicana has been able to monetise the deal faster that it had envisaged. Now Khalid is seeking an accelerated payment schedule for the land.

He wants RM844.2mil, which in the state’s opinion is the present value of the land.

But whether he gets it or not is something for Tropicana to decide. This is because the agreement does not restrict Tropicana from disposing a portion of the land to reduce the cost of holding it.

Khalid has played his cards well in the consolidation of the water assets in the state so far. He has also got the state better deals in many of the land transactions.

But he appears to be side-footed in this particular transaction.

Khalid had requested Tropicana to pay up in full on Thursday March 27th. Read in Malaysia Reserve here or FMT here.

His excuse is Danny Tan had realised the full value of the deal so he has contravened an agreement made thus pay up now. However Danny Tan view is that an opportunity arise for them to realise so it is not for the state to dictate.

Whether Khalid missed on that or something else is happening.

In summary, Khalid sold a 1,172 land for RM1.3 billion to be paid over 20 years but now asked for cash term at RM844.2 million It looks like a loss but there is the interest factor. And Khalid will use this for his political answer.

Easy money, said Tan Sri Danny Tan

The disturbing part to Khalid is that Danny sold part of the land to Eco World for RM470 million cash and his cashflow in the whole deal is fine and solid to development the rest of the land. It is easy money for Danny Tan and Khalid looked like a fool.

The balance is easy for Danny to settle with the money from Eco World could be used to develop the land and pay the installments. The detail of the deal was reported in The Star below:

Published: Friday March 28, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Friday March 28, 2014 MYT 7:05:54 AM

Tropicana has right to decide on accelerated payment for Sgor land

By Wong Wei-Shen

PETALING JAYA: The agreement between the Selangor state government and Tropicana Corp Bhd allows for the latter to accelerate the payment for a piece of land in Canal City that the developer acquired from the state in April last year.

However, whether Tropicana accedes to the request by the state government to hasten the payment for the land will depend entirely on the developer.

“The schedule of payment is already stated in the agreement. There is nothing that allows for a change in the schedule unless the developer agrees,” said an executive familiar with the deal.

In April last year, Menteri Besar Selangor Inc (MBI) and Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) entered into an agreement to dispose 474ha of land in Canal City to Tropicana’s Sapphire Index Sdn Bhd for almost RM1.3bil.

Under the terms of agreement, Tropicana was required to pay RM50mil within the first six months from the date of agreement.

Subsequently, a sum of RM537mil will be paid, together with interest, in 12 yearly instalments.

The remainder RM458.26mil comprises a 5% entitlement of the gross development value of the lands, coupled with 3% of the net profit from the project.

However on Wednesday, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said that the state would seek faster payment terms from Tropicana.

This comes after Tropicana entered into a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) to sell 128ha of the 474ha land it bought from the government to Eco World Development Group Bhd for RM470.67mil cash, or about RM34 per sq ft last week.

The deal is targeted for completion by the second half of 2014 and is expected to generate a net gain of about RM170mil for Tropicana.

Based on announcement in Bursa Malaysia on April 15, 2013, there is a clause for accelerated payment at the discretion of Sapphire Index to accelerate payment.

“PNSB hereby agrees that the developer-cum-purchaser is entitled at any time at its absolute discretion to accelerate payment of the purchase price by the payment of any or all of the instalments prior to the expiry of the completion period, being the 12th years from the first instalment payment date,” the announcement stated.

A lawyer said a contractual agreement had to be fully respected and followed through, regardless of events that take place after the agreement.

“It cannot be changed just because Tropicana got an opportunity to sell a segment of the land at a higher price.”

The lawyer added that a supplementary agreement could be drawn up if the parties mutually agreed to change the terms.

Khalid reasoned that the government could channel the proceeds from the early payment to various other property development and social programmes for the benefit of the people of Selangor.

Tropicana declined to comment on the matter when contacted.

Khalid had said the transaction gave the government a “new perspective” into its agreement with Tropicana.

“Since Tropicana had realised the land’s full potential from the sales, the state, too, will do the same,” he said on Wednesday.

This deal made Khalid look stupid like selling buloh kasap where state sell land but buyer that made money.

On the other hand, this deal had raised eyebrow within the Chinese business community. It raised considerable distrust among the Chinese on Khalid's honesty and clean image.

The word have spread around within the Chinese community and is partly the reason behind Kajang's poor turnout of the Chinese. Thus, it is not just the Chin Beng festival or protest for abusing democrasy or FRU at Sungai Chua that pissed the Chinese off.

This deal have led to a growing impression among the Chinese media and those in the know in Selangor that PKR is no better than the UMNO they accused as corrupt and is wrecking the country. In a matter of time, they will realise that street demonstrators or public agitators like any revolutioners never make good government.

There is more to the story.

One Chinese corporate businessman informed us that even at RM1.3 billion the land is grossly undervalued. It should be RM1.7 billion and words are Khalid had pocketed RM200 million from the deal.

No wonder he can settle his RM67 million loan with Bank Islam Berhad, paid for PKR's Tropicana rentals due, finance Kajang by-election and many more.

It is laughable to read Khalid was reported by The Sundaily here to have said, "They can trust me!"

On Khalid's new favourite corporate group, Eco World, read extract below from The Star dated March 29th, below:

While Eco World’s share price has appreciated 238.57% to RM4.74 since former SP Setia top brass first made a takeover offer last October, Maica’s share price has risen some 80% since a mandatory takeover offer by Ter was made in January this year.

Eco World took over the listing status of Focal Aims Bhd, while Sunsuria Development Sdn Bhd’s property business is being injected into Maica. An application to change Maica’s name to Sunsuria Bhd has been approved.

Going forward, fund managers reckon that Eco World will need to raise funds as it injects more land from its private entity into the listed entity.

“With Liew in the foreground, do not expect Eco to be a mid-league property company. If anything, Eco World will likely be one of the big boys in the not so long term,” remarks one fund manager.

Continuing further

Eco World

Eco World, which is made up of former S P Setia top brass, has the invisible imprint of the latter’s founder and former boss Liew all over the company.

Can we expect anything less than the S P Setia sort of growth, delivery and quality with Liew’s standards imprinted within the Eco group?

In less than four months since the takeover of Focal Aims was completed, Eco World’s market capitalisation has already tripled to RM1.2bil.

As it is, the listed entity only owns one asset, which is 128ha in Canal City, Selangor which it purchased from Tropicana Corp Bhd for RM470.67mil.

The other projects in Eco World, for instance its EcoBotanic and EcoSpring in Iskandar Malaysia, are currently under its private arm, Eco World Development Sdn Bhd.

Eco World, the private arm, has seven development projects in the country’s three property hotspots – the Klang Valley, Penang and Iskandar Malaysia, Johor.

It has 1,14.06ha of undeveloped land in the country, out of which some 1,000 acres are located in the Klang Valley, 404.69ha in Penang and the rest in Iskandar Malaysia.

Analysts estimate that the projects that are under the private arm, have a gross development value of some RM30bil.

Eco World Development Sdn Bhd is 50% owned by Eco World Development Holdings Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Maple Quay Sdn Bhd), which in turn owns 30.01% of Eco World Development Group Bhd.

Both the listed and unlisted entities of Eco World are now helmed by former S P Setia Bhd executive director Datuk Chang Khim Wah.

The listing of Eco World came about when Liew’s eldest son, Tian Xiong and Eco World Development Holdings Sdn Bhd made an unconditional takeover offer of Focal Aims for a cash offer price of RM1.40 per share last October. The takeover offer closed on Nov 12 with the offerors owning 65% of the company.

Tian Xiong is a major shareholder and executive director in Eco World.

Just like I Berhad, a common trait in Khalid's underhand dealings is he deals with as few people and those with a history with him.

Didn't PNB became a shareholder of SP Setia and eventually tookoever SP Setia in a strange arrangement where management remains?

As mentioned in the last related posting on Khalid's probable impeachement here, there are still "The Selangor Polo project, more crap happening in De Palma Hotel, the leaving for Singapore former CEO cum General Manager, Dato Othman Omar, lawsuit lost to MRCB and Nusa Gapurna, crazy mak tiri Datin Paduka Azlina Zakaria, and many more" to expose.

However, keep an eye for Kwasa Land development of the old RRRI in which PKNS and Tropicana have been short listed while Eco World did not manage to pre-qualify. Read The Star dated March 4th here.

Khalid wants to be around for this. So does Anwar, Azmin and PKR.

It is not that we do not wish to continue on the PKNS issue, but we wanted to see how long before UMNO Selangor wake up from their lull to take up this issue.

When we wrote on the previous posting, it was March 31st. Tan Sri Khalid made the request for Tropicana to pay-up immediately on March 27. UMNO Liaison Chief, Dato Noh Omar only responded yesterday on April 7th, 11 days later.

It is not that we did not share the information. Immediately after the posting we alerted his boys and many other notable individuals. We even shared in our Whats App groups with other bloggers but we commented to see how long UMNO Selangor will response and take up the issue.

That Dato Seri Prime Minister and UMNO President is indicative of the lackadaisical attitude of the UMNO leaders, particularly in Selangor.

Noh Omar may have taken interest to grab your attention for the next cabinet reshuffle that is being widely said. Do reconsider because he failed miserably in Kajang and it was reflective of the self defeating attitude prevailing in UMNO Selangor everywhere from top to bottom.

How to win back Selangor?

Returning back on the issue, none of the mainstream media or pro-government portal covered this Tropicana deal except The Star, which is more DAP than BN these days.

As far as Noh Omar's attempt, it is a half-hearted effort. If queried, he will say he has raised the issue but media did not gave coverage. His statement reached our Whats App groups but the there was a wrong figure used.

Only Free Malaysia Today gave coverage to Noh Omar:

‘Probe Selangor’s shady land deal’
Anisah Shukry | April 7, 2014

MACC should probe the Selangor government for selling 1,172 acres of land at half the market price, says Tanjong Karang MP.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government sold 1,172 acres of land to Tropicana Corp Berhad at half the market price last year, Selangor Umno deputy chief Noh Omar said today.

“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must investigate why the land was sold far below the market price at RM17 per sq ft,” Noh told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

Last year, the Selangor government had sold the land in Canal City, Kuala Langat, for RM1.3 billion, payable within 20 years, but then amended the offer on April 4 this year to RM844.3 million.

But Noh said Tropicana Corp Berhad had sold 308.72 acres of the land to Eco World Bhd at RM470.674 million or RM35 per sq ft.

“Selangor Umno is demanding an explanation from the state government as to why the land sold to Tropicana was not in line with the market price.

“In less than a year, the Canal City land was sold to Eco World at almost twice the original price,” said Noh.

He said Selangor Umno would lodge a report with the MACC this week on the land deal.

“Maybe the deal was made under the table? Maybe the state government used the money for the 13th general election? We leave all of this to MACC to investigate,” said the Tanjong Karang MP.

He said MACC must also investigate whether Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s administration abused its power when signing the agreement.

The Selangor government inked the deal on April 15 2013 through its subsidiary, Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB), two days after the state assembly was dissolved and the caretaker government had taken over, said Noh.

Noh said under the state constitution, caretaker governments were not allowed to sign new contracts.

“How could they allow this deal to be inked by a caretaker government?” asked Noh.

Apart from the report, Noh Omar did raise the issue of undervalued transaction. In the sales of 363 acres of the land to Eco World, Tropicana doubled their money within one year. It only shows these was a con job from the offset by Khalid.

The land in question was originally part of the development of a flood mitigation project, but was discontinued when Selangor’s Department of Irrigation and Drainage had a coming from God to say it was unnecessary.

The cancellation was approved by the State Executive Council in 2010. So it is perfectly legalised. As though it was pre-planned, the land was approved for proposal in 2011.

Khalid's loyal or kow towing Board of Directors of PNSB, along with its committee, rubber stamped Tropicana's bid for RM1.3bil.

It is mind boggling that UMNO Selangor failed to see the political opportunity from these deal immediately. It shows no one is doing any work to monitor and they are all literally "business as usual" while opposition is reinforcing themselves.

In fact, Malaysiakini's KiniBiz wrote something critical, below:

TigerTalk | APRIL 1, 2014 12:40 PM

The curious case of Khalid and Tropicana
Story by
Khairul Khalid
khairul@kinibiz.com

The recent sale of 308 acres of land in Kuala Langat for RM470 million has put Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim and property developer Tropicana on a collision course. Who will blink first?

Tiger is all for the carving out things, especially when it involves fresh bloody meat, chewy skin, juicy innards and dangling bones. Yummy. Tiger drools and gets misty eyed just thinking about it.

But Tiger is not the least bit amused by people who encroach on its lush natural habitat to carve out land in the name of mankind, progress and a quick buck.

It gets Tiger’s goat, it really does.

But what can Tiger do (wrings paws)? After all, James Brown sang “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” – not “It’s a Tiger’s Tiger’s Tiger’s World”. A certain golfer would beg to differ but even he has fallen from grace. He was probably listening to that other hit song from the Godfather of Soul – “Sex Machine.”

But Tiger digresses. Losing one’s land can indeed be a traumatic experience. Resistance is futile. Accept or die.

So when news filtered recently that property developer Tropicana had carved out a piece of land in Kuala Langat that it had bought just about year ago and sold it to another developer Eco World for RM470 million and a cool RM170 million profit, Tiger thought it was par for the course.

Property developers buy and sell land for huge profits all the time – so what; big deal.

It turns out that Tiger was dead wrong because it is a rather big deal after all. Shortly after Tropicana’s sale to Eco World, no less an authority than Selangor Menteri Besar (MB) Khalid Ibrahim issued an ultimatum for Tropicana to pay the state government RM844 million for a transaction involving the same tract of land. Pronto.

Confused? Let Tiger try and simplify things for you, my loyal and royal rumble of readers.

Last April 2013, Selangor (under Khalid’s leadership) agreed to sell 1,172 acres of prime Kuala Langat land (formerly known as Canal City) to Tropicana (then called Dijaya) for a purchase consideration of RM1.3 billion.

The operative word here is “purchase consideration.”

Unlike a straightforward land for cash purchase, Selangor and Tropicana agreed upon a cash plus profit-sharing deal that encompasses “land purchase price of RM587 million, interest cost, share of gross development value (GDV) and profit entitlement from the development of the land” that all adds up to RM1.3 billion.

In other words, the deal was justified by using that much used and abused term “smart partnership.”

Basically, Selangor foregoes getting full lump sum value for state-owned land from Tropicana in return for a cut of the developer’s business.

In this case, Selangor is betting on Tropicana making super-duper good on developing a tract of land that is supposedly worth up to RM9 billion over 15-20 years of development.

Judging by Tropicana’s good track record, it would not have seemed like a bad idea, indeed a win-win situation for both parties – except for one jarring detail.

Selangor had agreed for Tropicana to pay in deferred payments over a period of twenty years, including twelve yearly instalments for the RM587 million land purchase price.

Cushy deal, but what gives? Arguably, Tropicana had acquired prime land for what many had claimed at the time was a fraction of market price. On top of that, Selangor is allowing Tropicana the luxury of staggering its payments over two decades.

Apart from being a generous provider of land bank and passive partner of Tropicana’s township development, it would look like the Selangor state could also be playing an inadvertent role of bridging financier to ease the burdens of Tropicana’s cash flow.

Which of course, as we all know, is not what state governments are supposed to do.

Fast-forward: barely one year after the Selangor-Tropicana land deal. Tropicana carves out a delicious 308 acres from its 1,172 acre Kuala Langat landbank and feeds it to a land hungry Eco World for RM470 million.

In industry parlance, it’s called monetising assets or unlocking the value of land.

In simpler terms, it’s called striking while the iron’s hot. Tropicana’s move to profit handsomely from flipping state land that the developer hasn’t even half-paid for has made the Selangor administration look rather foolish.

Cue Khalid’s imperious RM844 million ultimatum. The knives are out and they’re not just for carving anymore.

Official Selangor statement:“….we want to realise the full potential of the land at Net Present Value (NPV) amounting to a total of RM844 million instead of waiting 20 years for Tropicana to realise its potential valued at RM1.3 billion.”

Translation: You’re making me wait twenty [expletive] years to reap the fruits of your labour, while you’re blatantly making hay now? How can lah. I need to save face. Show me the money! Now.

Well, dear MB. Actually, can lah. You’re the one who approved the unequivocal sale and purchase agreement for Tropicana to stretch its payments to the Selangor state over two decades.

Tiger has taken a sideward and backwards glance at the agreement and finds no discernible terms or clauses in the sale and purchase contract that allows for the state to suddenly demand a lump sum payment.

Of course Tiger is no legal eagle, but was there really one to advise Khalid about the land sale to Tropicana? It clearly looks like the current agreement is heavily skewed towards Tropicana.

What if Tropicana’s suffers a sudden reversal of fortunes and goes bust during the twenty-year period? Selangor would then lose out on fully realising the RM1.3 billion deal.

Shouldn’t there have been an explicit and unconditional clause in favour of the Selangor state to demand lump sum payment under certain prevailing conditions?

Was this a mere oversight or intentional? And what is the justification for Khalid’s sudden demand of RM844 million from Tropicana?

Khalid might be flexing state government muscle just to intimidate Tropicana to the negotiating table without any real legal basis. In the long run, the developer would still want to be in the good books of the state government.

Tropicana still needs state permits and approvals for developments in Selangor and the Kuala Langat land is leasehold. It would also need to play ball with the state for future land bank acquisitions.

But surely some foresight and attention to detail in this deal by the Selangor government would have negated the need for all of this unnecessary roughness.

Tiger hears someone whisper “sweetheart deal gone sour” and wonders where the love is coming from.

As in most deals mixing business and politics, the devil is in the timing.

Critics had lambasted Khalid for rushing the Tropicana land deal through just before general elections last year. There were also some quarters that pointed to close ties between Khalid’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Danny Tan, founder and group executive chairman of Tropicana as an influential factor in sealing the cozy Selangor-Tropicana land deal.

With Khalid’s managerial acumen, corporate experience and reputation for driving a hard bargain, something about the lopsided Tropicana deal just doesn’t sit right.

Or perhaps, it just highlights Khalid’s blind spots as a state administrator and his predilection for unilateral decision making, as has been demonstrated in several cases recently.

An official statement from Selangor says that it wants Tropicana “to expedite the full payment so that we can then channel the RM844 million funds to implement various other property development and social programmes for the benefit of the people of Selangor.”

If that were true, dear MB, Selangor should have insisted on a full payment of RM1.3 billion and the people of Selangor could have benefited instantly.

As it is, Khalid’s arguments for a RM844 million payment from Tropicana just seems strangely vindictive and don’t really hold water. Speaking of which…

GRRRRR!

Let tiger roar because UMNO Selangor will continue to sleep.

By right, UMNO Selangor need to revamp itself after it's GE13 failure. They should be getting new blood and get good people. The current crop of leaders are both uneducated or if they are, they do not seem to be and are dragging their feet.

As it is, some whistleblowers, who used to help and leak information to UMNO Selangor, are fed-up with their attitude. Some leaders were dumb enough not to protect the identity of their source and place them in trouble at their workplace.

From wanting to help UMNO, many are set on not to ever vote UMNO again.

Not only UMNO is slow, the bloggers and social media is also sleeping on this issue.

Perhaps, too few of the other "sekolah Melayu" bloggers could comprehend the significance of the issue. While some see it as too complex a business transaction to turn it into an issue. When it is complex, that is the opportunity to spin.

They can't be push these days. Of late, most of bloggers are demoralised by UMNO's "dulu kini dan selamanya" ungrateful attitude to ignore those who have helped them. They are feeling disgusted with their attitude to claim credit on their effort and feast on the bounty of victory.

Heard that the demoralising of bloggers are by design to weed out the bad elements but it is weeding out the good ones too.

Some leaders are too obsess in wanting to explore new technology and strategy but not realising that they should be building from existing strength than trying to build from something uproven and new.

Up stairs at ibu pejabat, they do not seem to see any urgency in doing things. But fast to make a quick buck from the contract given ut to themselves for banners, posters and pamphlets.

Some are too distanced from the reality and happenings on the ground.

While they kaki bodeks and punahsihats are giving wrong pictures to the bosses in order they do not get upset and scritunise the party budget for themselves to devour.

By the way things are going on, GE14 looks inevitable.

But please ... don't wake someone enjoying their sleep. They are resting or getting ready to be laid to rest?

Picture only decoration purpose

The Tropicana land deal, which we have been playing up in the last two posting, is clearly a scam and corruption at work.

Off course, it is baffling how Tan Sri Khalid, Selangor exco and PNSB could allow 1,172 cares of land meant for water mitigation be put up for sale for property development. Then allowed it's sales at grossly undervalued price of RM1.3 billion to Tropicana and payable over 20 years.

The state pretended to be unhappy with the part sales of 308 acres of the land for double the value of RM470 million to Khalid-crony, Eco World. But, gave further discount of the believed to be valued at RM1.7 billion land at cash term of RM844 million.

Our comment yesterday of Dato Noh Omar's late reaction is not baffling enoough. The most baffling is the silent media coverage despite it being raised by several pro-opposition media, including The Star.

A late call yesterday told us that there is a royal touch in the Tropicana deal, thus the silence. However, the source did not indicate it has anything to do with the Sultan.

So please note that the picture above is only decoration.

In our first posting [read here] on the Tropicana land deal meant to develop the Canal City, it was mentioned of a rumour below:

One Chinese corporate businessman informed us that even at RM1.3 billion the land is grossly undervalued. It should be RM1.7 billion and words are Khalid had pocketed RM200 million from the deal.

No wonder he can settle his RM67 million loan with Bank Islam Berhad, paid for PKR's Tropicana rentals due, finance Kajang by-election and many more.

The same Chinese corporate businessman dig up further on the deal and true enough, it had something to do with the settlement of Khalid's RM67 million defaulted loan with Bank Islam.

This time he said the amount is RM300 million in which it had went to a someone with a Raja surname in his IC. He could be a proxy to Khalid and other parties but it was him that paid for the Bank Islam loan.

Khalid has contacts with the Selangor royalties.

Apart from this mysterious Raja, there is another Raja directly linked to the deal.

He is fugitive blogger, Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin's elder brother YM Raja Idris Raja Kamaruddin who is the chairman of Kumpulan Peransang Selangor Berhad and Advisor to Kumpulan darul Ehsan Berhad (KDEB).

In addition, he is the Chairman of Kumpulan Hartanah Selangor Berhad.

In the corporate circle, he is seen as Khalid's loyalist and steadfastly follows Khalid's instruction to refer to him before the Board of Directors make any decision for the company.

As Khalid said in the SELCAT enquiry, he views his position in PKNS as Executive Chairman by virtue of it's status as assigned to the holder of the Menteri Besar position. PKNS is high on the top of the heap and he would have applied the same practise in PKNS to KPS and KDEB.

It means Khalid could have directed for Tropicana to be selected.

However, it is not easy to proof any wrongdoing there because the secretary would have thrown in a lengthy deliberation and supporting papers in the minutes to show there is justification to the decision.


Syed Anwar with wife and daughter at Ku Yah's birthday bash

Before joining politics, Khalid is not unaccustomed to using of royal connection to get his deals for Guthrie through.

As Chairman of Kompleks Kewangan Berhad, Khalid had Tan Sri Syed Anwar Jamalullail as member of the Board of Director and Managing Director.

Syed Anwar is one of the son to the Raja Perlis and married to YAM Tengku Puteri Nor Zehan Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin, the sister to the current Sultan of Selangor.

His brother was formerly married to Ku Yah and bore the son Syed Budriz.

It is believed that Khalid had seek the help of Syed Anwar to get palace influence to pressure PNB to allow sales of Guthrie's Haron Estate to Golden Hope.

It is strange for one PNB company to sell it's asset to another PNB company.

However, Khalid need it to cover for Guthrie's financial shortfall in the tune of RM300 million then for his poor touch in Guthrie's property foray.

He was removed from Guthrie because he failed and had resorted to strange unethical transactions. PNB has basis to sue him but did not out of respect.

Khalid was awarded Tan Sri-ship during the reign of HM the late Sultan Salahudddin as Agong.

The Raja proxy used by Khalid was the front to pay his Bank Islam loan. A major portion of the balance to the RM300 million kickback after deducting the RM67 million Bank Islam settlement was the Raja to keep.

The speculation is the transaction was utilised by the Raja proxy to lobby and whisper for the Sultan to maintain Khalid as Menteri Besar. This is despite opposition from DAP and liberal elements in PKR seeking for Khalid's removal due to the kalimah Allah issue.

It may have worked out as commented in Sinar Harian report here reads.

On the other part, Khalid may have used part of the money as insurance to pay for Datin Wan Azizah's candidacy at Kajang.

This explained for her inconsistent statements on the Kajang move. In one occassion, she denied replacing Khalid as MB but in another occasion, she reiterate Kajang move at the behest of husband, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Part of the reason for Khalid's candidacy for Deputy President of PKR is believed to be a political move to thwart the Kajang move to remove him.

By the look of things, the Deputy President race is an all out joint campaign effort to remove Azmin Ali.

The major challenge to Azmin looks to come from Saifuddin Nasution, Khalid and Tian Chua. The rest are just vote splitting game.

Talk is Saifuddin have approached Khalid to pull out in order to consolidate the anti-Azmin votes. The motivation for Khalid to run for Deputy may no more be relevant, especially after solving his personal financial woes and royal supports seemingly secured.

While, Tian Chua's decision to run was a surprise since he was facing the prospect of prison and losing his Parliament seat. Liberal agenda Tian Chua may see the removal of Azmin as necessary. His role could be to split the non-Malay and liberals votes away from Azmin.

However, should Malay votes split between Azmin and Saifuddin/Khalid, Tian Chua could come out as unexpected victor.

Last Thursday, we left two 5-days old kittens to an animal hospital for care.

We had no one to seek help with their feeding for last weekend because we have to be away for "work". The Mrs took care of them from Wednesday after the stray cat mother disappeared from our parking lot together with another of their sibling.

On Saturday, the vet called us to inform one of the two kittens died on Saturday. It was expected since it had been not taking much milk, body cold and sleeping all the time.

Four or five months ago, the mother was pregnant and delivered three kittens also. However, someone stole the three kittens and for days she was seen looking for her three lost children. This time, it is her and one of the kitten's sibling that is lost.

Out of six kittens and a mother, only one survive. That is the stark reality facing stray cats, which many is not aware off. They reproduced many but survival rate is low.

The Mrs had been providing food and medical help to stray cats hanging around our parking lot. However, this mother was exceptionally friendly and communicative. We talked of providing our home to her.

Being a stray cat, the mother could not be domesticate. She runs off whenever we tried to hold her. Either she is too happy with her freedom or just plain insecure.

This is not the first but the second time we tried to help the mother with her newborns.

In both cases, the mother refused the box padded with towels for warmth provided and took her delicate kittens elsewhere. However she would return for feeding.

We inherited our mother's glee towards cat, especially kitten. Furthermore, we are asthmatic. Thus, we are not cat friendly.

However we learned to appreciate them from the sister in law, who upon retirement took care and provided for 15 stray cats. Once in a while, the Mrs would help her, especially when taking the cats to the vet.

She started with three cats. The three may have told all the other cats in the neighbourhood of the kind lady giving them food and shelter to come and stay with them.

We begin to learn that cats are biologically and emotionally similar to human. Many past practise to feed cats with fish together with the bones is not proper. Just like human, the bones will get stuck in their throat and be an irritation, sometimes lead to their death.

Like human, cats needs proper hygiene. That is why some cat owners bathe them.

They aree sensitive to diseases like flu, bronchitis, fever, etc. Everytime one of the cats catch any disease, sister-in-law would quarantine her in a cage. Otherwise, it would spread to other cats and one after another could die.

One ex-YB who used to tend to some 40 stray cats was left with 10 cats after a disease epidermic. That ex-YB is also asthmatic.

Quite sure, most thought those alley cats are hardy and tough. We have we mistaken them with wild cats living in the jungle.

Stray cats that survive by scavenging food through rubbish are susceptible to diseases. Usually they do not live long.

Biological science logic says such animal specie reproduce a large numbers and frequently to keep their specie alive.

It is one irritant with stray cats that may have made the Chairman of our Persatuan Penduduk rear his ugly head. He became obsessively anti-cats to the point of inhuman abuse on some of the stray cats. He is our #1 suspect for the disappearing kittens and cat.

Our sister in law faced the same reproduction problem till the vet advised her to neuter the female. Like human, they have their version of ikat.

Perhaps some animal activist would scorn at such practises, however admit it. One have to be cruel to be kind. Family planning is necessary.

With 15 cats, it is already a handful for sister-in-law. She can't go on holidays.

Sending to the SPCA does not help. If no one comes to take the animals, they will have to send them to sleep. Unless someone donates large sum of money for them to run the animal shelter. Money donated and spend for animal care including feeding stray cats is tax deductible.

It reminded us of our late grandmother who worries of her chickens in the coop whenever she has to be away with us. "Siapa nak kasi makan ayam aku?"

Now we are worried too.

We have to pick up the kitten today. The cost which conclude medical and probably burial will be more than RM400. No joke.

"Siapa nak kasi makan anak kucing kami?"

The Mrs works till late evening. We have erratic schedule. Sometime SOHO, sometime at cafe and spontaneous meetings.

The kitten need to be fed every one and half to two hours.

Oh no ... no no ..... Please don't look at us. We are not good at feeding, change "diapers", and taking the "baby" everywhere like a house wife. We only like babies when they are fun to play with.

This is heavy responsibility. Any boarding school for a Bumiputera kitten?

We've just returned home from sending "Lucky" to her new mom.

It was a long day filled with nervousness on what holds for "Lucky", the kitten we've left at the animal care center since last Thursday.

In fact, we extended by another day by telling a white lie to the centre that we've caught a mild flu Sunday. She bought into it out of the fear of contagion risk to the kitten.

The Mrs is due to return to work tomorrow and we need to be back in the groove of things. We desperately needed someone better to care for her. It was only late in the evening that a willing mother was found for "Lucky".

By the way, "Lucky" is the new name just adopted by Yati, the Mrs friend cum mummy finder for the orphaned kitten.

Yati put up the kitten's picture on her FB and another cat lover found a first time mother cat that could be persuaded to adopt and feed her.

Canned milk is not enough for kittens. It needs the antibody from a mother cat's milk.

Into the hands of the new mother

Voila! Heidi from Damansara agreed.

When we met Heidi at Yati's house complete with a hand carried pet cage, we know she must be a pro at taking care of cats.

Mrs was willing to take care of Lucky although there is the risk of returning late. We were willing to dare ourselves to overcome the glee of feeding "Lucky" during the day.

However, it is a wee bit risky.

In the rush for things, we could easily forgotten to feed the kitten or accidentally left the air-condition temperature too low on hot days. There will be more logistic problems when we have to be out of town on short notice.

It was a safer option for "Lucky" was to get someone else to take care. Heidi had a better way and that is to get a nursing mother cat to adopt "Lucky". These cat pros knows how to get the mother to cooperate.

After sending "Lucky" to Heidi, it was a nice relief to a rush day. There was sister-in-law cats to be neutered, helping a friend from Sarawak with his accommodation, and to get Lucky a home before the day end.

We managed to pick-up "Lucky" before the 12:00 PM, the dateline before they charge us another day. Already, it cost RM520 which includes RM65 burial charges for "Lucky" deceased sibling.

The hospital isn't keen in letting a kitten exposed to risk of diseases in an animal hospital."Lucky" was kept in a ventilated blue incubator.

Then, Mrs rush to the other cat matters after we sorted our friend's accommodation arrangement. Not to mentioned, we managed to visit the second sick friend at the hospital in two days.

Before departing, Heidi said to meet up again when "Lucky" is up and jumpy. Does she intend to say you can take it back after she is no more milking?

Looking at the white and light brown colour fur, "Lucky" will grow up to be a beautiful cat. By then, quite sure, not only Heidi and Mrs would want to have her, but many others.

Ah well .... for now, we are just happy that "Lucky" found a more comfortable home and someone better to care for her. What is important, the abandoned "Lucky" will grow up getting loved and not risk another in-human prank from that nasty Cruella, the Pengerusi Persatuan Penduduk.

Our only reservation with the name Lucky was that it reminded us of the slick American Mafia gangster, Lucky Luciano. Maybe we've been watching too much Mafia documentary on You Tube.

We forgotten to find out Lucky's gender from the vet. If "Lucky" is a she, then the name Lucille as in Lucille Ball or BB King's guitar would be elegant.

Hmmm ... why this sudden scratchy throat? Are we being punished with a real flu for lying to the veterinary doctor yesterday?

"Lucky" was not so lucky.

Heidi texted the Mrs in early morning to inform "Lucky" passed away. She tried hard to get "Lucky" a mother cat to feed her.

The mother cat at her home had trouble milking "Lucky". She was confused to milk a strange kitten much younger than her own. It was made difficult when father cat got jealous to see other kitten milking on the wife other than his own kitten.

So Heidi had to stayed up late to nurse and feed her.

The next day, she took "Lucky" to someone with a mother cat with newborns. The mother cat was willing but like any newborn human baby, "Lucky" didn't know how to milk from a cat.

"Lucky" only had the opportunity to milk from her own mother for a day or two only.

It is frustrating because Yati had helped to arrange for us to bring "Lucky" somewhere this Saturday where there are three mother cat with newborns.

Alas ... like any cat litters, their chances of survival is low, especially without mother's milk.

We have tried. "Lucky" was placed under 24 hour care at an animal hospital care. We had ensure someone capable in handling a kitten in such delicate stage. Heidi too tried very hard to get a mother cat to adopt "lucky".

We will be collecting "Lucky" this evening and give her a respectable burial tonight.

From the death of a cat, we move to the death of someone commonly referred to as another cat.

The Tiger from Jelutong.

Karpal Singh died a tragic death at 1:30 AM this morning in an accident on the PLUS highway near Gua Tempurong on the way to Ipoh from Kuala Lumpur.

Initial investigation from sources claimed the Toyota Alphard with Karpal in the front seat lost control and ramp into the back of a truck. So no need to fabricate a conspiracy to murder him.

Karpal Singh is not someone politically in sync with us. However, even Prophet Muhammad rose to give respect to a Jewish burial procession. We wish to express our condolence to his family and friends.

To quote the words of one UMNO Minister, "Parliament will lose someone who had played a big role in fertisiling democrasy in Malaysia."

In both courtroom and Parliament, he was a controversial figure known for being loud and not mincing his words.

Karpal was suspended from parliament numerous times, charged for sedition, and had been detained under Malaysia's internal security laws.

He is awaiting appeal on a prison sentence for uttering seditous words against the Sultan of Perak.

It is not the first time he had expressed such seditous words against the Malay royalties. The younger public will not know of the incident one Kiyai Arshad had slapped Karpal Singh for expressing rude wordds against the Sultan of Selangor.

Urban legend has it that there was an incidence in the young Straits Settlement-born Karpal Singh that made him vow vengence against Malay royalties.

Karpal Singh would be the most vocal when it comes to disagreeing with constitutional position and rights of Malays/Bumiputera, Islam, and Malay rulers that he is peceived as anti-Malay or anti-Islam.

PAS maybe comfortably in bed with DAP in Pakatan Rakyat in their quest for power but no one will forget secularist Karpal's over my dead body remark in his opposition to anything Islamic, from hudud law to Islamic state.

His death in the midst of UMNO political support for PAS Kelantan to implement the 1994 law passed is interesting.

Nik Aziz expressed disappointment for being unable to convince Karpal on hudud. He had kafir UMNO for not supporting hudud but now that UMNO has supported and Karpal's last words was still of resentment had put PAS in an uncomfortable position.

Will they kafir PKR and DAP?

He is seldom seen as more DAP than any Chinese DAP leaders because Karpal Singh does not play politics.

Neither did he held back to express his dismay when Lim Guan Eng wanted to strengthen himself by attempting to topple Karpal Singh.

There is also the infamous, "Anwar Ibrahim harus bertaubat" remark.

It is Anwar Ibrahim second sodomy case that exposed the hypocrasy of the lawyer Karpal Singh for being lead counsel for Anwar.

Before the first sodomy case, it was Karpal Singh that exposed Anwar's homosexuality in Parliment till Mat Sabu took it up to popularise the term Al Juburi in his crowd filled ceramah.

As one DAP insider used to say, Karpal Singh has a trump card against Anwar which will be used against him in two years after he assume the Premiership to force his resignation. The DAP Deputy Prime Minister will then assume the post upon vacancy.

Did Karpal Singh gave the trump card to his son? For the time being, Anwar could be relieved with Karpal's death. It could be a useful excuse to prolong his Federal Court appeal and delay his imprisonment.

Karpal Singh made a name for himself in a drug case that acquited an Australian drug trafficker. But it is the drug cases that saw Karpal Singh acting in contrary to the popular perception of himself as a man of principle.

It must be somewhere in the 1980s because we were already working. The Bar Council was up in arms against the judiciary with regard to an issue on drug cases. They agreed to boycott taking up drug cases till their demands were met by the judiciary.

It was Karpal Singh that broke the "union" barricade to compromise with the judiciary. This were the years in which the legal fraternity felt strongly the executive were meddling with the judiciary.

We were quiet aware back then that whenever Karpal Singh has an important case and Parliament was in session, he would create an antic and get himself expelled and suspended for few days.

As said by that UMNO Minister, Karpal Singh helped to fertilise democrasy. We must admit that we have met the men to get a briefing in a legal case with "common interest".

He was physically weak and could hardly stretch raised his hand to shake. However, he was attentive and still reading through his cases. Someone like Karpal Singh was convenient to have a round. Otherwise, the common folks bullied by those in power.

However, the ways of Karpal Singh and his fellow comrade, Lim Kit Siang has passed it's time. The same tricks and ruckus created will no more be acceptable in due time. It will wear off and politics of rationality will make it's presence.

Even Lim Guan Eng had acknowledged to a friend that DAP politics must ubah too and the old ways of his father will eventually end. There is quite hopeful but don't see him yet change for a more progressive and mature politics.

On June 8th, 2009, this blog posted an article entitled Is the de-listing of UEM Group a cover-up for a major loss? prior to the appointment of Dato Izzadin as UEM Group new CEO.

That first article was explosive because it revealed a failed Salwa Road project in Qatar. It attracted 34 comment, mostly from within UEM Group and sent "tremors" up to Mercu UEM.

This blog went on a hot pursuit a month and comments reached more than 100 till a meeting was arranged with UEM Chairman Tan Sri Tajuddin Ali. In the meeting, Tajuddin promised to solve the Qatar road problem in two years. He promised to hand hold the new CEO.

Ample time have been given. Tajuddin Ali did not deliver his promise. The last check with Izzadin, the Qatar matter was still left unresolved. Just like what happen at Sime Darby, it is time for Tajuddin Ali, the Board of Directors and management of UEM and Khazanah to answer to the public.

And we do not see him guiding Izzadin in the right path. UEM was in the limelight for it's dispute with another Khazanah company, MAHB with regard to "delayed" construction of KLIA2. The bigger issue with UEM is the takeover of Sunrise that raised eye brow.

Khazanah operational failures

UEM will always be on our radar because Proton, MAS and UEM were the three companies Khazanah was supposed to turnaround. The incompetent and no deliverable CEO Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar promised publicly in many public forums during Tun Abdullah reign.

They failed to do all three. Khazanah have failed in all start-up of strategic value.

The reason behind their failures to turnaround companies and start-ups is that as Fund Manager CEO, Bankers, and Accountants, they are only tinkering financial numbers but never serious about operations to generate profitability in the long term.

In their turnaround effort, Proton was subtly being planned for closure by then MD Dato Azlan and eventually after much pressure, Khazanah washed their hands by first rigging the price in the market up then off-load it to Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar at an inflated premium.

Yet Syed Mokhtar is being villified for monopolising businesses but kept quiet on the monopoly by the Kuok, Yeoh, Cheng, Lim, Tan, etc.

MAS has not only not turnaround but Bina Fikir, Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad under Khazanah themselves and Tun Abdullah's family seemed to be helping themselves as part of ensuring it's demise.

The status of UEM is not known with UEM World or now UEM Group delisted thus the true picture of the group is only known to Khazanah.

Only the crown jewel, UEM Land was kept listed because Nusajaya is profitable. As the CEO said, HDB flats are sold at RM1 million, thus no reason the prospect for UEM Land not be good. Thus, why the need to takeover Sunrise?

UEM Sunrise merger

On many occassions, Izzadin repeatedly said that the merger with Sunrise was about securing expertise in high rise luxury building.

Although raised into believing "Melayu boleh" and GLC was about building Bumiputera human capital, that reason and intention seemed reasonable on the surface. And perhaps it was the changing times.

The vogue then seems to be of GLCs taking over property companies but let the vendors or previous owners run the show. It happened in the Sime Darby takeover of P&O, PNB takeover of SP Setia, etc.

To the more seasoned corporate players, it raised eye brow because UEM has Faber as subsidiary, Sime Darby had Sime UEP and PNB had lots of property companies to rely on for expertise. If they only want the milk, why buy the whole cow?

The Sunrise that they tookover was not under the control of Dato Alan Tong that build the company to where it is but led by Anwar Ibrahim's crony, Dato Tong Kooi Ong. Tong holds 25% and the rest of the 40% block is held by DAP Penang friendly, Dato Danny Tan and Dato Allan Lim.

The November merger was unravelled in November 2010 with glowing prases by The Star. It marked Izzadin's presence in UEM but the suspicion is that it was Khazanah orchestrated and CIMB had their cut in it.

Conveniently, the PKR-friendly, The Edge highlighted the strength from the combined asset of over RM5 billion.

Khazanah media machinery may have promoted it as New Economic Model-compliant and in line with the vision of then new Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib. The Bernama report can be found on Iskandar Malaysia website here.

Most media highlighted the merger as a merging of brands. Read here.

Who Took Over Who?

By February 2012, The Star columnist Angie Ng hinted here that the merger is not as seamless as it seemed to be.

The integration and transition for the merger of a GLC and township developer with a company known for luxurious high rise condo and high rise integrated project had it's problems.

But then UEM Land changed name to UEM Sunrise on June 17, 2013 [read Star Property here] and that gave away bad vibes. Instead of a takeover and UEM dictating the merged entity, it was becoming clear that Tong was dictating the show.

Tong made money from his personal equity in the merged entity. Although the former Chairman of Sunrise resigned as Director of UEM Land, his team seemed to run the show operationally at UEM Sunrise.

As of November 2013, Tong's people dominate operations and business development with Lum Tuck Meng as COO and Raymond Cheah as COO for Commercial or in other words, Business Development.

When the merger took place, Raymond Cheah was merely a Senior Manager, but rose four steps to COO to replace Zakir Omar who was formerly the long time CFO from the days of Ahmad Pasdas.

Zakir seen with the late CEO

The talk within the UEM was that the true blue UEM man was reassigned from CFO of UEM Land to COO Business Development to get him out.

Zakir was quite prudent and cautious. He rejected deals even at 60:40 confidence level, thus may have got in the way of Tong.

A representative of Sunrise on the Board of Director by the name of Oh Kim Sum was assigned as Zakir's assassin to discredit him. Eventually Zakir was asked to resign within 24 hours notice.

Under Raymond, UEM Sunrise undertook lots of strange businesses and international projects. More on that in the subsequent Part 2.

Zakir's position was replaced by the current CFO Mohd Azhar Osman, who came from Proton. Yes, someone with the expertise in managing the financial affair of a carmaker now manage the financial affair of a property company.

The Chief Marketing Officer, Siti Mariam Mohd Desa came from DRB Hicom.

Unless, the CEO of Cahaya Jauhar, Mohd Auzir is from within UEM, management of UEM Sunrise are made up of outsiders and Sunrise people.

Sunrise people are one of the three Project Directors, and head divisions in charged of Construction, Procurement and Contract, Finance and assisting the CFO, and Facilities Management.

The latest heard is the Project Director for Central, Ang Kee Ping was promoted to be another COO, Development, thus the three COOs are all from Sunrise.

CEO, Dato Wan Abdullah passed away recently at the end of February and the position still remain vacant. Will it be filled up by one of Tong's COOs?

By the look of it, Khazanah Nasional had made UEM look three times stupid.

They bought a company and the shareholders of the acquired company made money. The management of the acquired company remained in management. The way they are positioned, the management team of the acquired company would eventually control the company.

Logically, will it mean the "Sunrise" people will continue to make money at expense of GLC UEM?

In Part 2 tomorrow, it will be about worms UEM swallowed from the cow bought to only get the milk.

How easy it is for people to deviate from the real issue raised.

We were quickly accused of being racial just because the Sunrise or Dato Tong Kooi Ong's people placed in the top management of UEM Sunrise are Chinese. If so, then raise the issue of Sunrise coincidentally one race policy.

Some tried to use the meritocrasy argument by highlighting Tan Sri Hasan Merican as an example. On the same note, they tried to predictably argue that UEM is better now after the merger with Sunrise.

Thanks for arguing in that manner. You've taken the issue raised in the direction we wanted it to be. In other word, you fell for our bait.

Khazanah's Stupidities

Khazanah Nasional made themselves looked three times stupid for naively believing that this is a synergistic merger where all parties benefit. Their ability and credibility have been in doubt since the Air Asia-MAS merger attempt.

What can be clearly seen is that Sunrise shareholders made money. Sunrise's management and staff get absorb into UEM Sunrise. By the look of things, they are placed in strategic positions of control and will eventually that take control of UEM Land.

We suspect the Sunrise will continue to make more money but Khazanah and government get nothing back.

As far as the corporate structure, UEM appears to have 50% equity in UEM Sunrise and as usually happens, friendly parties close to UEM are holding shares too. Thus, UEM should effectively have more than 50% plus 1 shares to be in control.

Quite sure Khazanah is not naive not to do that. If they did not, then Khazanah is four times stupid.

Khazanah is already four times stupid for missing out the worms in the takeover described by our insider informer as overvalued takeover of Sunrise at RM1.4 billion. Standard MBA courses will warn that any acquired companies will have worms inside. It only makes Khazanah five times stupid.

The takeover happened in 2011 and it is as good as water under the bridge. However, only now will the worms come out of the wordwork. Our little bird is concerned that it could lead to further milking of UEM Sunrise.

Since Dato Tong Kooi Ong is widely known to be MCOBA Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim's crony from the days of the 1999-2000 reformasi, it fueled the suspicion that there are people inside Khazanah and GLCs helping opposition raise their war chest to tumbangkan kerajaan through unconstitutional means.

Hopefully, UEM Sunrise will not give a cliche reply saying they have in place stringent procedures and controls with committees overseeing and monitoring to ensure company's policy are adhered to.

Surely they do not need to be defensive because this revelation made no personal attack or accusation against Izzaddin. If there is any inferences, it is the nature of the information revealed by the insider.

Friends viewed Izzaddin as someone who kow tow to teachers, bosses and anyone his superior. Despite Izzadin being not someone with much espirit de corp, they felt the happenings in UEM Sunrise would not have been his doings.

He was just diligently carrying out the instructions of his superior. Budak ANSARA tidak buat kerja jahat, mesti kerja budak-budak MCOBA :)

Furthermore, UEM Sunrise has it's own Board of Directors (BOD) and Management team. Izzaddin would only be on the BOD.

Danny's Bribe

Before going through the worms inside Sunrise, it is best to share this true story involving a slightly more than 100 acres land in Bayan Lepas, Penang.

Our little bird told us that UEM Land had participated in an open bidding of the land but lost out to Ivory Properties. Their bid was at about RM250 per square feet.

However, UEM Land had not given up and wanted to make a presence in DAP fueled Penang's property boom. Upon their calculation, they were willing to offer at RM300 to Ivory Properties.

Suddenly, Ivory Properties announced on November 11, 2011 of their JV plan with Tan Sri Danny Tan's Dijaya Corporation in a deal claimed to be worth RM10 billion. Read the press release here.

At around that time, Danny Tan had a leg in UEM Land as one of the three major shareholders of Sunrise Berhad. UEM Sunrise deal was announced in 2010.

Out of the blue, someone in UEM Sunrise got a call from Danny Tan and a meeting was organised. He offered a piece of the Bayan Lepas land at RM600 psf. This is the same modus operandi he used in the recent land sales to Eco World from part of the questionable 1,200 acres Tropicana land purchased from Selangor state.

Suddenly, Danny Tan requested everyone to leave the room except for one. After everyone returned from a quick cigarette, they shook hand and part ways. It was known later that Danny Tan offered RM5 million bribe to seek help to push the deal through to UEM Land BODs.

But it was not brought forward. So for Eco World's purchase at double the price within a year, was there bribe involved?

The surprise to everyone was how Danny Tan knew UEM was still pursuing the land. He probably knew the list of all the bidders of the land but he would not have known UEM are still interested. Furthermore, his offer at 100% of UEM's willing price indicate he may have known of UEM detailed intention and start negotation at the usual double the bid price.

Was there a leak from within UEM Sunrise?

The Little bird that told us believed there are people inside UEM Sunrise or UEM Land that seemed to be more keen on taking care of Sunrise and it's shareholder interest than that of UEM Sunrise.

And it indicate that deals and projects taken to UEM Sunrise may come with certain people lining their pockets with bribe. So Izzaddin should be made aware and not just come out with standard statement that they will investigate into the matter then keep quiet after six months.

Worms from Sunrise

In The Star report here, they quoted Dato' Tong Kooi Ong saying, "People are always hung up over who gets a better deal. I'm not. If we all try to get a better deal at the expense of the other, then surely we can't get a deal done."

The statement raised the suspicion that he is willing to lose equity control in exchange for something bigger and more beneficial. Let's not be naive into believing that it is about synergy with both parties coming out better off.

Tong could have something which he can't afford to do or he is aware of worms that will eventually come out of the woodwork. Otherwise, why would Tong exit from the Board of Directors of UEM Land?

He is usually more comfortable as the deal maker and man behind the scene.

Sunrise, which was known for their flagship development Mont Kiara, had left a strata title problem behind.

Banyan condo will not get a new land grant from the land office. The stated land use on the grant was for residential but they constructed the condominium project with commercial space.

Sunrise may have bribed DBKL to change tha development order and subsequently, secure a CF but the land use issue was ignored.

Little Bird highlighted that he had prior knowledge that Sunrise's purchase of Bank Rakyat's Angkasaraya building meant for redevelopment was overprice. Now that it is in UEM Land's hand, they will now have to carry the baby.

Tong and Sunrise can wash their hands now from Bank Rakyat. It was reported in July 2013, after the "merger", that Bank Rakyat is suing to reclaim the title. Deepak and an UMNO Ketua Bahagian is involved in this deal, thus suspecting the deal is padded deal.

Read Sun here and the ensuing discussion in this forum website here.

Another questionable Sunrise deal brought into UEM Sunrise involved a Canadian land in the immigrant populated town of Richmond, outside Vancouver.

Conveniently, Tong disappeared to Canada after selling off Phileo Allied Bank to Maybank after the forced merger post Reformasi.

The suspicion is Tong may have bought the land for investment and injected the deal into Sunrise as exit. The question should have been asked by UEM: Why did he dumped the land into Sunrise and now dumped it into UEM Sunrise?

Little bird claimed that Quintet development has a low gross profit margin below 15%. The net profit to be derived from the projects will need to deduct many other items like tax and include possible contingent liabilities.

Read on Quintet Development in their website here. The Wikipedia description of Richmond here shows it is not quite a suburb to Vancouver and hardly a hustling and bustling property market.

UEM Sunrise seemed to be keen on developing the land. Little bird said only few people know of this deal. One is Raymond Cheah, another Tong Kooi Ong and someone in UEM. Did anyone else made them keen?

According to Little Bird, UEM also did badly in this RM1 billion housing construction in Brunei. There is also concerned on the company's foray into Australia and India. Did they not learn their lesson from Qatar?

Raymond Cheah was also instrumental in the UEM Sunrise-KL Kepong joint venture to develope their Kulaijaya plantation land of the size of 1,012 ha in Kulaijaya and 202 ha in Johor Baru in a deal dubbed as the RM20 billion Nusajaya deal. Read in Sundaily here.

CMB Research gave a glowing picture here but it only indicates Nazir could be getting a bite in the financing and corporate work. What do Analyst know of property other than the insider info leaked to them?

Edwin Lefebre wrote of it in his investment book classic, Reminisence of a Stock Market Operator way back in 1923.

Little Bird was sceptical on the price of the plantation land used to calculate the deal. It is almost 30% over price.

Knowing Nusajaya is Khazanah's baby, it couldn't be coming from Izzadin but the incompetent and no deliverable MCOBA, Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, who even gave away Khazanah's scholarship to his already rich MCOBA cronies.

No Racial Prejudice

In Iskandar, the UEM people down there are pissed as hell with COO Lum Tuck Meng. He is not solving but procrastinating on the project delay problems in Nusajaya.

Little bird said the compensation paid for the too long unresolved termination of contractors will wipe profits.

Ah ... the Sunrise branding and racial prejudice into generalising Chinese as better than Malays. So let's keep it within the issue.

One commentary complained that Izzaddin had resulted in mass resignation of Malay UEM Managers. The comment below:

These past few years of Izzaddin has been seeing many of UEM Managing Directors exit from UEM. Adnan Mohamed from Faber, Azmanuddin Haq from Environment, Dato Che Halin from CIMA, Suhaimi Halim etc etc. Some of these companies are making money i.e. profitable yet the boss is shown the way out. If true they are not making money, shouldn't the Board of Directors also be replaced. In any of the Board members for each company, Izzaddin surely is one of them. Yet, the Chairman (normally those above 70 years of age)and the Board of Directors remained.

Apart from those in the Top Management being asked to leave, Senior Management post were also asked to leave. The human capital team of UEM Group are mostly female General Managers if not Senior General Managers. They have replaced quite an alarming number of experienced male HR guys who were once with top notch MNC's Shell, Philip Morris, Digi, Uniten, TPM, MBSB, Ann Joo Bhd, EON Bhd, Goodyear, Linatex, John Hancock, Texas, NCR/AT&T, Astro, General Electric, Philips, Fujitsu , Hitachi, Samsung etc. Errman Zuhady, Zainal Mat Aini, Sulaiman Ahmad, Kamal Ithnin, Syed Jalil, Hassan Sahalan and Adam Abdullah has already left either being asked to or simply was not good enough for contract extension.

A lot is being swept under the carpet, newly introduced interventions and programs being brought upon yet they have never been able to produce better results despite paying hefty sum of contract to external consultants. The management will deploy external consultants to carry out forensic audits by paying them million ringgits of money just to get rid of the hated one although the findings is non substantial and without loss of dollars and cents.

UEM is a "silver spoon deal company" with a top management who doesn't know the real in and out of its operations. They'll come up with quick solutions without really knowing the root of its problem. Qatar issue is as simple as "the Arabs were conman" although in actual, UEM experts were unable to do a proper study in the beginning.

When those in power are those who knows how to cook the books, they'll be able to justify their actions till the new people replaces them. That is if the new people are not their chosen successors or everything will remain intact.

With the power maneuvering at the top by Izzaddin and fully carried out by Rasidah Kasim without any interference by the old time unproductive Chairmans and Board of Directors, UEM will see RED soon enough. Get a real Audit to dig and you'll get a true report in all areas, not just the manipulated figures.

Pity Izzaddin gets the blame just because the manner he behaves at times in the past create a negative perception of himself.

However, Azmanuddin Haq is one guy that should have been sacked long ago. This boy from Batu Pahat is corrupt and morally deficient. If MACC or IRD or Taskforce wish to investigate him for money laundering, try locate his safe deposit box where he kept all his ill gotten gains in cash.

So do not defend a person because he or she is Chinese and villify or downgrade others because they are Malay. That is racist.

Not Quite Forthcoming

Any corporation that came under fire tend to get agitated.

Some would just reply in the typical corporate comm style which are merely denial but hardly revealed any facts to be convincing. The reason would usually be business secret or a fancy word, proprietary knowledge.

However, public listed companies can be quite revealing with Analyst and friendly Business Reporters when it comes to seek help to pump up their shares.

At times, insiders information and management accounts exchanged hands. The investing public are usually left in the lurch with shallow information if not for the likes of us prying into their affair and pushing them to answer the buzz among the public.

Since Qatar expose, Izzaddin preempted the repeat of 2009 by engaging a group of bloggers who covers corporate matters.

From our observation, he has not been quite forthcoming. He tend to do simplistic denials and repeat what was said in the papers. Sometimes, the rather casual conversation into unrelated matters seemed to be an old school trick of the lesser known the better.

If they are angry with this expose, douse it.

Surely they cannot expect bloggers to shut up just because we were fed dinner and given corporate goodies. They cannot be mad and expect us to shrug off from our self-initiated responsibility. The dinner could then be considered bribery.

And this revelation is no stab in the back. We have not been friendly friendly to get information and report back to the disciplinary teacher. Corporate "secrets" made known have not been divulge.

What have been revealed is what is the talk around town. He should realised that there is something cooking when we kept asking the same questions. Answering in cliche mainstream media answers ain't good enough.

Our old Little Bird from the days of Qatar in 2009 confirmed what is being talk about and added a little more when we met up with him last month. But we are still holding back, so no cliche replies please.

UEM Sunrise should not keep quiet but be transparent. They should debunk these talks and explain. UEM Sunrise is a public company. And, Khazanah is not a wholly owned subsidary of MCOBA or ANSARA or other Little Napoleans but belongs to Malaysia.

The bridge to Pulau Bunting in Yan, Kedah had become a subject of ridicule by the opposition.

During the Sungai Limau by-election, there was an attempt to raise the issue in the blogs but it did not catch-on to become a major campaiggn issue.

One blog Anak Sungai Derhaka ridiculed it as BN project for goblins (orang bunian). The blog claimed it cost RM7 billion to build the bridge. [Read here.] Off course, RM7 billion is excessive a spin and will reflect badly on the opposition blogger's reputation and professionalism.

Another opposition blogger, Ameno World debunked her own team's allegation. She admitted it only cost RM126 million. [Read here.] But still harp on what is Dato Mukhriz going to do with the bridge that have become a favourite fishing spot for the area.

In March 2014 recently, another opposition blogger Kedahkini here asked when will it be officially launched.

The answer to all these insinuations is to wait no more.

However, there was a reply to Anak Sungai Derhaka during the by election by bloggers who bothered to answer. What actually happened was explained and then around to accuse PAS for lack of vision and capability to solve problem and realise an opportunity to develop the state of Kedah.

However, this is peace time and not by-election time, their constant nagging should be appreciated in pushing government accountability. The bridge will be made full use and it will not be a white elephant any more.

The bridge was part of a big plan during the MBship of Dato Mahadzir Khalid. That was why the bridge to the island was build to be used as deep water jetty.

Just like what happen to Selangor water, the change of government in Kedah delayed the planned development. PAS Kedah government was too much a populist and terrible in administering the state. Investors lost confidence and the project can't get going.

The state government then also played to the chorus of local cheap politics and the project could not advance any further.

Mahadzir Khalid met the late Dato Azizan Abdul Razak to explain the strategic importance of the project but PAS being PAS, the late Azizan had shot his mouth and he would look bad to retract it. So it was left looking as an abandoned project.

It was a pity to the project initiator who had put his heart and soul, blood sweat and tears, not to forget money poured into initiating the project. If what was heard is true, the project have overcome it's problems, got themselves the financier and assured buyer for the product.

It is about to take off.

Finally after three Menteri Besar, he made it. Must take our hats to this guy and he deserve to put get his face next to word perserverance in the Oxford dictionary. Boleh ke KJ?

Not only it will get off the ground and the place will no more be a white elephants for goblins and anglers, it will lift off in a big way.

To those PAS rumour monger and instigators, there's tomato catchup for them to eat their shoe with. Hopefully the people, be them UMNO or PAS, will stop the endless politicking and reap the benefit from the opportunity that will present itself.

* Edited 6:00 PM

A cynic commented that the connecting highway to Pulau Bunting is to grow padi. Surely that is not a mature and informed comment.

The connecting highway was part of the planned Zon Industeri Petroleum Yan (ZIPY).

Last night, there was a signing ceremony to confirm the participation and invesment of China Energy Huacheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. in Merapoh Corporation Sdn Bhd to revive the ZIPY project.

There was a large press presence last night but thus far, only few reports available on Google. There rest could follow later.

First from Sundaily, below:

Merapoh, China Energy JV to revive Zipy

Posted on 21 April 2014 - 05:38am
Eva Yeong
sunbiz@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: The Yan Petroleum Industrial Zone (Zipy) looks set to be revived with the signing of a partnership agreement between Merapoh Resources Corp Sdn Bhd (Merapoh) and China Energy H City Realty Investment Co. Ltd (China Energy) this Thursday.

The agreement will see state-owned China Energy emerging as a majority shareholder with a 70% equity interest in Merapoh and an investment of almost RM70 billion by China Energy, which will enable Merapoh to proceed with its projects and plans.

According to a media advisory issued by Merapoh last Friday, the most immediate project that Merapoh intends to proceed with is the creation of Malaysia's biggest oil refinery complex to be built in Kedah.

"Upon full operation of the refinery, Merapoh shall be supplying an estimated 8% of China's total need for refined oil and refined petroleum products," said Merapoh chairman Datuk Bistamam Ramli.

Merapoh had in the past signed a memorandum of agreement with the Kedah state government in 2009 for the development of a US$10 billion (RM32.38 billion) refinery project in Yan, Kedah. The project was to comprise a two-train refinery with a total capacity of 350,000 barrels per day.

According to past reports, Merapoh executive chairman Md Nazri Ramli said the project would involve the reclamation of offshore land totaling 340ha, and the use of 40ha on-shore land.

It was also reported that Merapoh would import crude petroleum oil from the Middle East and process the crude into refined products which would then be exported to China and other Asian nations.

A tie-up with China's state oil company China National Petroleum Company was established to market Merapoh's refinery products for 20 years.

Korea's SK group of companies through its subsidiary SK Engineering & Construction was appointed to do the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the project.

Zipy was first announced in 2007 by the then Barisan Nasional state government. It was renamed Sungai Limau Hydrocarbon Hub (Sulihh) by PAS which took over the state administration after the 12th General Election in 2008.

In August last year, Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said the state government was keen to revive Zipy but several matters had to be resolved first including land acquisition, investment partner of Merapoh, project developer and source of crude oil.

Mukhriz had said that a company from China had shown interest to invest in the area.

A check with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) shows that Merapoh was registered in September 2005 and is currently in winding up status.

Petrobanq Sdn Bhd and Nazri are listed as shareholders of Merapoh, with Petrobanq being the major shareholder and Nazri holding only one share. Nazri is also listed as a director of the company.

Meanwhile, a check on Petrobanq showed that it is a dormant company with Nazri listed as its director and major shareholder. The other two shareholders are Mohd Saiful Aswad Abu Bakar and Mohd Hassan Mansor.

Within eight months after Mukhriz's announcement to revive the project, it has come to fruitation.

The Bernama report in Malay below:

EKONOMI › BERITA

Zipy: China Energy Meterai Perjanjian Perkongsian Dengan Merapoh

ALOR SETAR, 24 April (Bernama) -- China Energy Huacheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd (China Energy) hari ini memeterai perjanjian perkongsian dengan Merapoh Resources Corporation Sdn Bhd (Merapoh) bagi membuka laluan pembangunan kilang penapis minyak mentah terbesar di Malaysia.

Dengan permeterian perjanjian perkongsian itu, Zon Perindustrian Petroleum Yan (ZIPY) yang dirancang oleh kerajaan negeri Kedah sejak 2007 bakal dihidupkan kembali.

Pengerusi Merapoh Datuk Bistamam Ramli berkata perjanjian itu akan menyaksikan China Energy syarikat milik kerajaan China muncul sebagai pemegang saham majoriti dengan 70 peratus kepentingan ekuiti dalam Merapoh, manakala baki 30 peratus akan dipegang oleh rakan kongsi tempatan.

"China Energy yang menyediakan pelaburan awal US$10 bilion akan membolehkan Merapoh yang disusun semula meneruskan rancangan dan projek-projeknya, yang mana yang paling segera adalah pembangunan dan pelaksanaan kompleks penapisan minyak di Kedah.

"Komplek perindustrian petroleum bersepadu itu akan dibina di kawasan tanah seluas 1,000 hektar dan ini termasuk kedua-dua kemudahan luar pantai dan daratan," katanya selepas majlis permeterian tersebut di sini, malam Khamis.

Menteri Besar Kedah Datuk Seri Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir menyaksikan majlis permeterian tersebut. China Energy diwakili oleh Pengerusinya Zhou Qing Jun, manakala Merapoh oleh Pengarahnya Md Nazri Ramli.

Bistamam berkata Merapoh menyasar pengeluaran 400,000 tong minyak sehari selepas operasi penuh kemudahan tersebut, walaupun ia direka bentuk untuk menghasilkan 800,000 sehari.

Projek Zipy diumumkan pada 2007 oleh kerajaan negeri Barisan Nasional yang menyasarkan kutipan cukai tahunan berjumlah RM400 juta daripada projek tersebut yang dirancang beroperasi tahun lepas.

Projek yang dibiayai swasta itu merancang mendapatkan minyak mentah dari Timur Tengah bagi kilang penapis di sini sebelum dieksport ke negara-negara Asia.

--BERNAMA

The Bernama report shows a more staggering numbers.

The initial investment of US$10 billion is a respectably sizeable investment and much more investment is expected to come.

Nanyang Press here quoted the investment figure could reach US$20 billion (about RM66 billion). This is far more substantial that the RM36 billion estimated when the project was shelved in 2009.

Merapoh will be developing a production capacity of 800,000 barrels per day and set a 400,000 barrels per day production target.

At the initial production level of 200,000 barrels per day, that is by itself about half of Petronas current refinery capacity.

Such size of target was possible because China Energy is supported by some eight other Chinese companies with capability and capacity at the upstream and downstream level and as end buyer.

China is currently building it's petroleum reserve and stand as a ready buyer.

In addition to tax to the government, Dato Bistamam said in his speech that the massive project will have many off-shoot benefits to the local economy in terms of employment, housing, construction, education, supplies, services, commerce, etc.

China Energy Chairman, Zhou Qing Jun confidently said in his speech that China Energy could help the Northern Corridor achieve it's development target at a much faster pace.

This investment will be a quantum leap for the Kedah economy.

The Kedah economy will never be the same from now on. Hopefully the local Kedahans would learn to appreciate the effort of the current state government and take advantage of the opportunity that is presenting itself.

US President Barack Obama arrived in Malaysia with the hope to energise ties in the midst of allegations of conspiracy by the American military establishment in the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

He is the first serving US President to visit Malaysia since Lyndon Johnson visit in 1966. This visit is part of his tour of Asia to fortify alliances in the midst of concern over China's rise in the region.

There is an increasing anxiety inside Washington that the hope’n’change promised by the so-called “Asia pivot” may need some tempering during this historic tour.

Unlike China that has build-up close trading relationship with Malaysia as it's biggest trading partner, Obama's pivot policy is military in nature. Obama could only offer the troubled Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement on trade.

Brooking Instutute blog posting on the summary of opinions on Obama's trip to Asia clearly shows. Read here.

Reuter reported here that Japan has rejected trade deal with the US and further delay the TPPA. There was a Flashmob at Sogo Kuala Lumpur this afternoon by Bantah TPPA.

Washington is keen to emphasise its relations with economically successful, moderate-Muslim Malaysia as the United States battles with it's image problems in the Islamic world.

For all the hype and expected pomp and pageantry given to the US President visit by the Malaysian host, not much is expected. Singapore's Strait Times reported Analyst describing Obama's visit as walking on a tightrope:

Obama prepares to walk the tightrope in Asia

Jeremy Au Yong
The Straits Times
Asia News Network April 22, 2014 1:00 am

Issues of trade and military engagement will dominate president's visit this week, but fear of angering China could prevent progress

For all the buzz about United States President Barack Obama's visit to Asia this week, the tour is being greeted in the region with muted expectations over what he can accomplish.

While the trip to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines holds much symbolic value for the US strategy of refocusing on Asia, few people in the region expect much tangible change in any of the key areas of concern.

The two biggest doubts are: the issue of US military engagement - whether the US can be relied on to intervene militarily in Asia given its reticence over the unfolding Ukraine crisis - and whether Obama can muster enough political will at home to get any potential free-trade deals ratified.

A media note from the Singapore Institute of International Affairs last week was titled "Obama's visit - Asia's turn to be distracted", in which the institute's chairman Simon Tay says "while he [Obama] will still be greeted with much fanfare when he arrives next week, the truth is that the region has moved on".

All of it adds up to deep scepticism in the region over the health of the so-called Asia pivot.

Part of the problem, say observers in Washington, is that for the White House to deliver the kind of engagement Asia wants, the hard work at home has not yet been done.

Says Ernie Bower, senior adviser and Sumitro chair for Southeast Asia Studies at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies: "The most savvy Asian leaders are watching for President Obama to make the case to Americans that Asia is fundamental to their economic future, their prosperity and their security. In other words, they want to see a political paradigm shift in the United States, in which US leaders embrace engagement with Asia - and don't treat it like a political third rail."

He adds: "So far, President Obama has not taken this case to Americans. If he intended to do so this year, he needed to deliver that message well ahead of his April trip."

Bower notes, however, that to do that will require Obama defying advisers who would rather he focus on the more immediate needs of the mid-term congressional elections in November.

Without buy-in from Americans, the pivot will never stand on very solid political foundations. The administration's commitment is thus liable to be questioned whenever distractions crop up - and there have been numerous ones since last October, when Obama called off his Asia trip.

The most recent, the Ukraine crisis, has been damaging to the US' Asia strategy on two fronts.

First, it undermines one of the foundations of the Asia rebalance - that Europe and the Middle East are now stable enough for Washington to shift its gaze elsewhere. Second, it brings into question US military power, especially among countries nervous about China's provocative actions.

The announced Pentagon budget cuts earlier this year and talk of moving the army off a war footing have only added to concerns.

None of this is to suggest that Obama cannot make some progress on this trip, although the task is a difficult one.

A key problem is finding the correct balance in his messages. He would want to reassure allies that they can rely on US support without sounding too threatening to China.

Says Dr Satu Limaye, director of the East-West Centre in Washington: "Doubts about US military intervention put too much emphasis on conflict and not enough on the US role to prevent conflict - including through deterrence and military cooperation with allies."

Bower sees the challenge as being particularly acute when Obama lands in Manila next Monday. There, he would likely tout the new expanded military access agreement that shows "a real tangible dedication of US military assets and investment" to modernise and boost the country's defence capacity.

"But for many in Asia, that kind of support in which you can touch, feel and see US military assets on the ground feels a bit more provocative towards China than some countries are comfortable with," he said.

In the end, most expect Obama to tread the same path that Vice-President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel did on their recent visits. That means reassuring Japan of US alliance commitments, talking about the need for China to follow international law and encouraging allies to work on resolving disputes through peaceful options.

Still, Asia should see some of the recent moves in Europe and the Middle East as a clear indicator of the shift towards Asia, said Dr Richard Bush of the Brookings Institution. He noted: "Getting out of Afghanistan, staying out of Libya, Syria and Ukraine, and working hard to get a nuclear deal with Iran, all strengthen the United States to play well in the main area of geopolitics: East Asia."

In a speech by Richard C Bush III on January 31, 2012 and posted in the Brooking's Institute website here, he expressed agreement to Lee Kuan Yew's opinion that the US must have the will and capacity to execute it's policy.

Kuan Yew observes that the US has had a long term relationship with benign impact in the East Asia. It is welcoming to see renewed engagement as what is attempted by President Obama now. However, the US need to sustain it's initiative over time.

In the summer of 2013, Robert S Ross wrote in the The Wilson Quarterly here of the problem with the pivot lies with American ability to sustain their engagement. The full article in the Strategic Studies Quarterly can be found here.

American military intervention is seldom short term and leaves behind devastation and a ruined nation. That leaves us in a horrowing propect to rely on the American to neutralise any probable Chinese ambition.

And the opposition is only interested to politicise on human right and MH370.

Prior to yesterday's demonstration supposedly against GST (and include TPPA and initially was to topple the government through a revolution but actually was an attempt to get public support against sending Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim to prison for sodomy), there was a Court of Appeal ruling.

The Court of Appeal led by the former PAS candidate, Dato Mohd Ariff, had acquited Deputy Speaker for Selangor, YB Nik Nazmi of PKR from an earlier conviction for participating in an illegal assembly.

The way the judgement was spinned by pro-opposition news portal led a lawyer to uncover something amissing in SOSMA and it could have a major legal implication.

SOSMA or Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 was supposed to replace the Internal Security Act (ISA) albeit with a civil libertarian flavour but still preserve it's role as a legislation against subversion, public disorder, etc.

The guiding principle behind law regarding securities matter is article 149 of the Federal Constitution.

In 149(1), it had laid out six areas in which any law enacted is valid even though it could be inconsistent with articles on Personal Liberties in Article 5, 9, 10 or 13 of the Federal Constitution.

Simplistically speaking, the six areas and it could tantamount to the definition of national security involved organised crime, uprising against King, racial incitation, unlawful overthrow of government, and anything involving public order.

For a wider and more definitive explanation, one will have to read in the Federal Constitution and books with explanatory text.

According to the lawyer raising the issue, Parliament may have wrongfully abolished the ISA and enacted SOSMA as replacement law. If anyone dare enough to take up the issue in court, one could see in disbelieve of Bar Council cooperating with Attorney General office.

The late Karpal Singh would understand the implication.

And, do not be surprise the ghost of Karpal resurrect to haunt the court and shrilling his warning,"Over my dead body!"

Thank to the spinned report that the Court of Appeal had judge Section 9 (5) of SOSMA as unconstitutional and in contravention with articles on Personal Liberties in the Federal Constitution.

It was something the human rights activist and Bar Council wanted to hear and the public to believe. For PKR (although it was claimed to involve 95 NGOs) that was organising yesterday demonstration, the spin was something to be used to attract attendants.

In several pre-demonstration events, including a poorly attended forum in Melaka, PKR and their lawyers had extensively spread the same message.

Where is the 1 million?

Unfortunately, it was not much help.

Malaysians are already at a stage of demo-fatigue, opposition parties are facing internal implosion, and Chinese disinterest. From 20,000 attendance in the last Bersih, it dropped to between 10-13,000.

One can sense Anwar's frustration of the less than convincing numbers despite being able to hold the demonstration in front of the court that convicted him in 1998.

The lawyer, who was an astute student of the late Tan Sri Ahmad Ibrahim and Professor Shad Faruqi, he said it was untrue.

The judgement was more on the reasonableness of the 10 days time notice.

Too bad for Judge Dato Mohd Ariff who become political collateral damage from Malaysiakini's own spinning. Anyway, he has been showing his pro-opposition bias since he refused to recluse himself and predictably decided against TV3 and few other judgements against pro-UMNO bloggers.

Back to the amissing SOSMA, it seemed the enacted SOSMA failed to fulfill the role one of the 6 areas of constitutionally defined national security.

The First Schedule that specify the offenses of SOSMA failed to provide for offenses under Article 149 (1) (d) of the Federal Constitution as follows:

(c) To promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or other classes of the population likely to cause violence;

This could have arise from the pressure to satisfy foreign-funded human rights activist locally without appreciating and acknowledging the myriads of local sensitivities that could lead to violence and threat to national security.

Yet Dato Najib had announced that the Sedition Act will be abolished.

Will not go any further or it will be giving away too much like expecting ISA revived. That will be like giving the Home Minister another shoe to eat and lead the Attorney General to private practise.

Opps ... did we say that?

With so many events held to commemmurate the Tiger of Jelutong, careful what they ask for. He might return sooner unexpectedly.

Somebody's tryin' be naugthy. Get ready for some real Blues.

Watch this blog today.

Had been down with a sore right elbow from a tendon injury. That was the reason this blog had not been up-dated and the Terengganu power transition was not written.

However, despite the sore right arm, had been up and down Telok Intan for almost 3 weeks. There are many interesting aspect of the Telok Intan by-election.

Putting a fresh, young, Malay woman as DAP's candidate is only one of them

Last weekend, a friend, who claimed to have contacts with intelligence information, said BN would lose because gambling syndicates are giving away 3,000 votes in favour of DAP. We just smiled at the remark at his simplistic analysis.

Never mind that he was a former MIO officer. He could have got his information from Mat Bon played by actor Mat Sentol.

One source based in Telok Intan claimed the bookie had stopped giving that odds.

Well a more reliable source said bookie's are still willing to give that handicap for those believing in a DAP big win in Telok Intan. It is only lately that there had been no takers.

What happened was Penangites were snapping up the bets with the confidence of DAP can maintain or do better than the GE 13 majority of about 7,000. It is heightened further with the uncontested landslide win by Ramkarpal.

Changing ground

Obviously, these bettors hardly knew what have been percolating in DAP Telok Intan and Perak and change on the ground in Telok Intan politics.

Although BN is not sure to mean because UMNO have the habit of shooting their own feet at the last minute and Malay Gen-Y could turn the table around on BN's fixed deposit of Malay voters, a DAP landslide is still not for certain.

There would be sceptics but as we see from ground zero, situation is a +/- 1,000.

Expect a bloodbath among the bettors. We could see the first hudud chopping of fingers will be done in Penang on delinquent bettors.

These bettors are not aware that despite the hype made of Dyana Sofya's candidacy on the social media, the situation on the ground is far different.

Furthermore, Telok Intan is not the ground for a social media war. Not only Internet and 3G access is poor and limited, some areas could not be reached using handphone.

On several occasions, Lim Kit Siang and Dyana had to face a critical audience from the traditional Chinese voters of Telok Intan and only Kit Siang was present.

Then there is the factional rivalry between the Lims and the Ngeh Nga faction of Perak. The late Dr Seah belongs to the Lim faction and upon on his death, the wife had rejected a RM3,000 burial contribution from Perak DAP.

DAP warlord, Ngeh Koo Ham is in sync with local sentiment against giving away a Chinese seat to a Malay candidate which is a repeat of Kajang by-election.

DAP's controversial character, Hew Cheng Guan and Dr Seah's wife was heard to have planned to run but changed their mind.

Ministership

The local business community had not been happy with the past two DAP MPs. There is a strong sentiment to bring back Dato Mah Siew Keong. They believed a win for Mah will mean the Gerakan president will be made full Minister.

As of yesterday, Dato Najib had confirmed that speculation. The condition is it must be a win. There will be no Senatorial backdoor.

The rest of the country including among UMNO thought twice lost Dato Mah is a lost cause. However, it was not the fault of Mah but two tsunamis against UMNO.

He had been a good MP and loved by all the communities in Telok Intan. The racial breakdown of 42% Chinese, 38% Malay and 19% is an interesting balance. It is the composition which does not favour BN these days.

So a win for BN in Telok Intan could be a turnaround in fortune just like Bagan Pinang was a turnaround in fortune for BN prior to GE13.

The interesting part of Telok Intan would be the turnaround of Indian voters. Indian can be considered a kingmaker in this racial mix.

They had given their support to Hindraf's Manoharan at GE12. But, DAP Perak internal politics led to Manoharan being kicked to Johor.

The Indians are sore with Dr Seah for not fulfilling his promises to the Indians and gave the excuse that it is the responsibility of Dr Mah, thus they should pursue him. And, during Manoharan's GE12 campaign, he had not reimburse his campaign expenses advanced by his suporters.

As we see, the kingmakers of Telok Intan will be in favour of Dato Mah.

Seduction of youth

On the Malay side, it is a little bit tricky. Dyana's youth and look may be a superficial attraction to the Gen Y Malays. This is something DAP is experimenting to make inroads to Malay voters.

If successful, it proves the hypthesis that Gen Y Malays have no sentiment against past preconception of DAP. Given tiime, it means DAP can go alone to woe Malay voters, especially in urban areas as well as rural area.

They do not need the help of PAS anymore and would prefer PKR as partner since they are easier to control.

As for Dyana, DAP had done a professional work to promote her as a young lawyer, eloquence and intelligence and with a look. It was going viral till Dyana started to expectedly fumble as any newbie candidates at the press conferences.

The media unraveled Dyana lying of her claim as a lawyer because her name failed to appear on the Bar Council website. Her excuse to avoid the sensitive Tunku Aziz issue by claiming it was before her turned out to be a lie.

The final blow must be her lie on her mother's position as promoter committee member of Perkasa and Dyana's own involvement in lending her hand at several Perkasa's events.

The speculation on the ground runs from Dyana being a mole in DAP to probability of her jumping ship back to UMNO. Yammy Samat, her mother was an active UMNO member of Perak and held positions.

She used to flee to Semangat 46 and returned back to UMNO with Tengku Razaleigh. Her ties with the Ku Li faction remains till today.

More than meet the eyes

Personally, we know Yammy and Dyana since the days hanging out with the Ku Li group and Raja Petra late into the morning. Dyana used to tag along with her mother and timidly listening on our conversation and jokes of Pak Lah's administration.

From our personal profiling of Dyana, she is not what as she said but merely reading the script given by DAP. Someone from an UMNO family and with involvement in Perkasa cannot suddenly turned sympathetic to so-called discrimination against Chinese.

Her political career must be at the mother's behest and her entry into DAP is orchestrated. It could be part of a bigger plan still being hatch but still missing the East Malaysia puzzles.

DAP may have known of the possibility of some Chinese voters migrating to BN thus used Dyana to gain some ground from the Malay voters, especially the young ones. They took the gamble that the hudud issue will not matter.

However, as of yesterday, PAS machinery from several states had returned upon realising their presence is not appreciated by DAP. Rumours is spreading that despte showing open support for Dyana, Dato Hadi Awang is telling PAS supporters to not come out to vote.

Free bus ride

In the land of poor Internet and telephony penetration, forget what the blogs and social media is talking. Read the ground.

Will it mean BN will win?

With perkasa factor spreading like wildfire and Dato Najib's confirmation, DAP's newly raised billboards and banners looks like their are in a panic mood and desperately getting outside voters to return. For only a free bus?

Win or lose, Dyana's presence serve an important reminder to BN. The blog have been advocating for fresh faces to be candidates for BN to reduce the attack on BN's perception baggage as a corrupt party.

The campaign workers had to dig deep to find dirt on Dyana and though some was found, it could not be used. That is the advantage of putting up new clean faces like Dyana.

Although it was a PR blunder on the part of the Advisors, PM is showing some signs of getting firm in the sacking of Dato Ahmad Said episode. Hopefully he will be more serious and firm to clean the party.

As for tomorrow's polling, we are not ready to say BN will win.

BN's internal issues are too complex and anything can happen. There are stories of quarrels, sabotages, and complacencies. Even to determining slogans, design and colours of banners, slogan and pamphlets, it involved berpuluh kali changes.

However, we are offering 1,000 votes in favour of a DAP win. It is a better deal for DAP supporters than the 3,000 votes offer. DAP win by more than 1,000 compared to 7,000 in the last GE and you take the bet.

Any takers? None? How about even then but still you take DAP?

Sure, our call was almost exact. A BN win at even odd (no vote offer).

But, do not get away with thinking Chinese support has returned. Or Malay support remained intact. Or Indian did a complete turn around and gave support to BN.

Gen Y effect was not substantial yet, so DAP cannot, as Ong Kian Meng claimed, thing that there was a rise in Malay support.

If they wish to believe him, go ahead and put pretty young woman or pretty boy Malay candidates everywhere including the rural areas. Then, there will be three-way fight against UMNO and PAS, in which the outcome can be predicted.

Gen Y

If Dyana had won, it would have been a great message to UMNO that the old warlords have to go and fresh new untainted faces should be put forward.

As in the case of Dyana, it was one tough cookie to discredit her. She had no baggage but only a bitchy mouth.

For DAP to push a Gen Y, consider this simple survey by a friend on a sample of urban educated and sophisticated group of Gen Y.

Their answer was why her as a leader? Better, they vote themselves. They feel they are better than Dyana so why vote for her.

The young expect to vote a leader, someone with wisdom and leadership, and not some pretty face whose hardly had neither any work experience or public service track record. They want someone that can provide leadership.

That may have explained why only 3 buses out of 15 buses sent by DAP to fetch outside voters returned filled with voters.

If DAP thought, the number of Wilayah, Selangor and Penang cars on their finale night were outside voters, they should not kid themselves. They had fixed the first 10 rows with imported and well dressed in red supporters.

The fact that Ubah website had scheduled a live telecacst was a dead giveaway that it was all an orchestrated event and one can expect a big crowd or else malu lah. A Wanita UMNO in the audience commented that the applause only came from the front row near the microphone and video cameras but the back row were quiet and reserve.

Actually, putting up a pretty face, an eloquent expired license lawyer may have an effect with the simplistic and less politically conscience rural Gen Y. But, with low turnout, nothing conclusive could be derived.

So Ngeh Koo Ham is right to say Lim Kit Siang made a bad call. His high handed ways in DAP to insist on picking Dyana without gauging the local supporters sentiment indicate the man is beginning to lose his marble.

More so, looking at the odd match up of Dyana escorted by Kit Siang during the campaign trail. It is like watching Beauty and the Beast.

Low turnout

Without the benefit of numbers, our simple ground reading was that the older generation Malays stayed put but the Gen Y Malays generally did not bother to come out. The few that voted may have preferred for Dyana.

Another possibility for the low turnout in the Malay areas is some PAS supporters may have withheld their votes due to Dyana's blatant and brutal position in hudud.

On the Chinese voters, the trend of the lower turnout seemed to continue from Kajang. That is something to ponder.

As for Telok Intan, certain segment of Chinese were reviewing their position with DAP but not ready to give the vote to BN. The local chamber of commerce support for Dato Mah was not strong enough to bring BN the votes.

The Indians was expected to make a major shift but many did not turn-up to vote. The plantations allowed them to go to vote after 12 noon but by the time they are ready to go at 2 PM, it was raining heavily.

The better Indian turn out would have made the majority bigger. Nevertheless, Indian voters managed to sufficiently show their disgust for DAP. Most of the voting districts indicate significant reduction in DAP majority or turn to favour BN.

Dato Azeez, who campaigned as special envoy from the Prime Minister, has to deliver his promises. He wow the Indian crowd with his Tamil and managed to unite the Indian splintered into MIC, IPF, Makhal Sakti and NGOs.

Maybe he should run against Palanievel for MIC President and help solve the ailing original Indian component party of Perikatan and BN.

At a majority of 238, anyone can claim credit for the victory. The early voters of police and army can claim their 392 votes turned over BN's fortune. The voters at Kg Banjar and Melaka UMNO can claim credit from the significantly lower majority of the opposition stronghold.

The Chinese and Malay Gen Y can claim credit credit for not coming out to vote.

Perkasa

Dato Ibrahim Ali and his Pribumi rights Perkasa NGO, who would not give their support to neither Gerakan nor DAP for their vicious attack on Perkasa, can also claim credit for his silence.

Perkasa had enough with the BN Chinese component parties since Chew Mei Fun said something insulting during Kajang by election. She did not know that Liow tried to privately seek for Ibrahim Ali support.

Lucky for BN, Ibrahim Ali was away in London or he would have blown his top for what was said of Perkasa. They have few thousand members in Telok Intan.

Hmmm ... maybe Perkasa members was the reason for low turnout in certain Malay areas.

Heard Kak Yammy is sore on the cyber attack on herself and Dyana. Hey ... live with it. That is third world politics, which DAP is pretty much a major trend setter.

At least, there is more personal details of Yammy and Dyana still held back. The faction she is part of is no holier neither.

DAP should be more careful in labelling UMNO as politik samseng. They and their Red Bean Army are no better themselves.

Buck up too

Our last words to BN: UMNO, MCA, Gerakan and MIC ... please buck up too.

Their campaign approach were old school compared to DAP's very professional campaign. The slogan, posters, banners and leaflets does not attract the voters attention.

There was poor coordination between BN parties and between each party machinery and BN headquarter. When will they move together as one?

Internal bickering between various component parties occured. One case was between MCA and Gerakan over a bilik gerakan in Batu 12.

MCA seems to act like big taukeh with attitude. They wants others to support them when they run but hardly gave much support when others ran.

In the DUN Penang incident, they criticised UMNO Youth barging into the DUN but said nothing of UMNO Celaka remark by DAP. Ini macam ka kawan???

When all papers published BN win as front page, The Star ran the Telok Intan results in page 8 because DAP lost.

Among all, MIC is the most problematic in Telok Intan. Every other Indians hated MIC.

They are more trouble making hoodlums than providing the community leadership. They had no shame to seek publicity by hijacking events organised by volunteers.

Sabotage or at least, intention to sabotage was heard.

The win does not indicate much change. So Khairy should stopped this habit of making claims as though Pemuda did something substantial.

BN won because there were better strategist and tactician on their side. But don't praise themselves, it was not the BN leaders.

* Edited 11:00 PM

It must be Allah's predetermination.

At the time, Tun Dr Mahathir's wrote his latest posting here on selling of Iskandar Johor land to foreigners and was highlighted by Rocky Bru here, there was another brave soul in the Johor State Assembly that stood up to raise concerns on happenings in Iskandar Malaysia.

Assemblyman for Kempas and also blogger The Patriot (albeit long not updated), YB DatukTengku Putra Haron Aminurrashid bin Tan Sri Tengku Abdul Hamid Jumat delivered a speech which bravely touched on issues of much concern to the people of Johor Baru.

It is not an easy to task to be brave in a state where UMNO have been too comfortable that it has not only become complacent but feudel culture has returned.

The issues on Iskandar Malaysia have been repeatedly raised in various forums, seminars and close door discussions in Johor and also Kuala Lumpur but there seem to be a strange obstacle that is holding up the voting public and their elected ones from being more vocal.

Any later, the opposition will take it up as theirs.

Tengku Putera took the courage to raise certain issues on Sunday (working day in Johor now) but the mainstream media operating in Kuala Lumpur seemed reluctant to report his speech.

For us that have been critical of the South Johor Economic Region idea from its inception by former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, sudah berbuih mulut (foaming in our mouth) talking of the problems and risk that will arise from this idea conceived with half eye open.

What was predicted then to happen has happen and it is difficult to reverse without the political will and insatiable greed of capitalist and inherited ones.

Be it Tun Abdullah, so does Dato Najib, the leadership does not seem to appreciate the security and political threat posed by uncontrolled rapid economic development brought about by neo-liberal Khazanah and capitalist Tan Sri Lim Kang Ho.

The threat is beyond just DAP winning more seats in the Iskandar region.

Foreign-owned security company

Tengku Putera revealed to the assembly that a foreign news website reported a foreign businessman signed an MOU with a local party to establish a security company for the whole Iskandar region.

If our information is right, the businesman is Singaporean Peter Lim, who managed to get big bites in a few of the state crown jewel investment. The local party in the partnership is powerful enough to be able to secure the contract without much hindrance from even the Prime Minister.

The concern to the brave assemblyman is that the company will be supplying 600 armed security force which almost the size of an army battalion. The local partner will be merely a sleeping partner and this battalion of security force will be run by a company managed and empowered to a foreigner.

In addition, there is the threat that the company could covertly be establishing a network of intelligence system for a more effective and precise spying and information gathering work.

Tengku Putera believed that the same company would be supplying the same to states like Penang and Federal Territory under the guise of smart partnership or transfer of technology.

It could seriously undermine the effectiveness of the local security forces and open the main cities of the country to international sabotage.

If this is true, Johor will not be able to play its role as the security barrier at the south. It could be easily turned into an extension of the red dot down south.

Gambling and criminal syndicate

Another concern is with criminal operations run by foreign syndicates.

Earlier in his speech, Tengku Putera congratulated the Menteri Besar, Dato Khaled Nordin for making a clear stand that Johor will not allow any such premises for purposes of casino gambling.

It would have sent a conflicting message to the rakyat in which in one hand, Johor had reverted to a Friday weekend to ease Muslims to pray and intend to streamline its weekend holidays but on the other hand, a casino is operating in the borders of Johor.

Tengku Putera who was first to raise the issue expressed relief with the firm stand made by the Menteri Besar. He expressed hope that the promise is delivered in totality because illegal gambling like slot machine operation in business premises are rampant.

Small and big time gambling operators with organised crime backing, local and foreign, are establishing their foothold in Johor Baru. There are those operating with business license issued by local councils and some with liquor license.

Some of the gambling tauke are camouflaging their operation by fronting as a real estate broker.

Local authority, which could be under the payroll of criminals, seemed to look elsewhere on liqour operators operating slot machine. They only blame the federal government for issuing slot machine license.

These are indications that Johor is strive with criminal syndicates.

Off late, Johor have been in the limelight by Utusan Malaysia for organised crime related to big time smuggling of subsidised diesel to foreigners.

Subsidised diesel from fishermen and petrol station are channelled to wholeseller which sells them to foreign ships or smuggled to foreign countries operated by Singaporean criminal syndicate.

The problem is so endemic and widespread that the state level authorities and agencies are not only in co-hort but cooperated to destroy evidences obtained from raids by certain agencies.

The concern of Tengku Putera is genuine and far reaching. Imagine the implication should the security company is in co-hort with their criminal countryman in big time syndicate.

More on Tengku Putera's speech in his blog here, which was finally updated yesterday here. In case, anyone try to shut him up, this blog will expose!!!

Ignore first the retraction by Malay Mail Online cum ex Malaysian Insider's, Leslie Lau on Tan Sri Francis Yeoh's comment at the PEMANDU organised Global Malaysian talk series at the Securities Commission on Monday.

He has been getting a lot of brickbats on all sides from that remark and is trying to turn around to blame Malay Mail Online. [One Malay blogger Semut Hitam wrote of it here.]

There have been lots of responses in our e-mail to share too. But, we'll just go straight right to the point at tell the man that made a humongous wealth, and influence in this country from direct negotiated tenders to would not have made it without crony capitalism.

For whatever reasons and in some cases, there are fair justification for it on the part of government, Francis should be the last to preach what he said. After building much capability and financial power, his recent loss in the bid for Jimmah Power. It only highlight the point that without the help of those in the corridor of power, YTL couldn't win the four way bid.

The only way they could revive their IPP business, in which their first Malaysian IPP will expire soon will be to use high level connection and direct negotiated contract.

Sometime in February 2014, YTL lost in a bid for Track 3B of the new 2,000 MW IPP in JImah Negeri Sembilan against 1MDB and Mitsui & Co. Ltd of Japan. The bidders that lost were YTL Power International, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Malakoff Corp Bhd, a unit of MMC Corp.

Perhaps, Francis comments was aimed at 1MDB because he thought his lower bid could have bagged the contract. The basis that the Energy Commission rejected it was that he was trying to "cheat" his way with a lower bid by using a technology with unproven track record.

In Utusan Malaysia report yesterday, they highlighted that Francis evaded the issue of YTL's long string of direct negotiated country. Irrespective of YT:'s issue with Malay Mail Online reporting, other media heard it fine.

Utusan Malaysia gave the same headline and quite sure they have sufficient number of reporters to be there and hear him speak. In fact, the whole event was recorded in full and Francis Yeoh's so-called own version of the video can be easily debunked.

Let us share this e-mail received from a media friend, below:

Dear Editor,

I read in awe the comments made by Tan Sri Francis Yeoh (FY) reported in your Malay Mail Online Portal on Tuesday, 3rd June 2014, and several other newspaper including The Malaysian Reserve and The Edgedaily, quoting him at Pemandu's Global Malaysia Series Forum at the Securities Commission.

Francis Yeoh is probably the last person qualified to comment on cronysim, racial and religious rhetorics. For someone whose family is one of the biggest beneficiary of crony capitalism, political corruption and high handed business tactics, Francis Yeoh should just keep his fake views to himself and continue planning his transfer of wealth overseas.

Lets recap how FY and YTL "won" the first IPP in the country in 1994.

All you have to do is read the Memoirs of Tan Sri Ani Arope to know first hand of how high handed Francis Yeoh bulldozed his way through his IPP which has cost the Malaysian citizens billions of Ringgit. Its the same billions which Francis Yeoh has now transferred abroad acquiring assets in UK, Australia and Singapore, all from the grossly inflated electricity tariff YTL got in 1994 on the back of the power crisis in 1992.

Francis Yeoh called the IPP as "innovation". I and most Malaysian citizens would call it daylight robbery.

The innovation was to produce electricity at 23 sen, sell it at 30 sen, when TNB was producing it at 8 sen and selling it at 17 sen. Innovation was land-grabbing the Paka and Pasir Gudang sites from TNB and building his IPP. Innovation was arm-twisting Petronas to sell gas at a huge subsidy. Innovation was forcing through a "take or pay" mechanism in the Off-take Agreement. Innovation was bulldozing through the IPP via EPU through whatever means to get the sweetheart deal. Innovation was forcing Tan Sri Ani Arope, the TNB CEO then to resign for refusing to accept YTL's terms.

Francis Yeoh is probably the only Chinese who dared walk through like a King into an UMNO General Assembly those days to see the Prime Minister and nobody dared questioned him or stopped him.

Lets move on to the Express Rail Link which is also another innovation by FY which he touted as a runaway success without government help.

Oh, he forgot to mention and most people didnt know that RM5 of every passenger airport tax paid by travellers going through KLIA is paid to ERL even though less than 5% of them uses the ERL to get to KLIA.

And not to forget that the government paid RM100m for the recent extension of ERL to KLIA2, and the passengers now to pay an extra RM2 to get to KLIA2 to cover the costs of the extra trip to KLIA2.

Perhaps we should give FY the "Malaysian Innovator of the Century" for all the "innovation" he had done that ripped off billions of Ringgit of taxpayers money including mine.

Now lets move to the topic of racism.

Can FY come clean on how many Malays and Indians YTL Group has employed? I would like to see it broken down by category of senior management, management and kulis. Its the same FY who employed a token Malay as Executive Director in his Group who doesnt have to actually go to work, so he wont learn their trade secrets.

On corporate governance, YTL has the infamous Kitchen Board comprising of family members only that meets and decide on key things. The formal Boards of his listed companies only meet to rubber stamp decisions and tick their attendances for publishing in the annual report.

Francis Yeoh participated in a recent forum of Top 50 PLCs chaired by the Prime Minister at the Securities Commission recently.

At the session, a study on graduate employment by 2 lecturers (Dr Lee Hwok Aun and Dr Muhammad Abduk Khalid) in University Malaya was tabled, which highlighted how malay graduates are discriminated against in job applications.

It was Francis Yeoh his most eloquent, when he was asked to give his views. He managed to say about 5 words and "innovated" his way out by changing topics.

Francis Yeoh's latest innovation is to now team up with royalties for business.

This is after years of currying favours from politicians until his true self showed up and no politicians wanted to have anything to do with him.

After he bad-mouthed Tun Dr Mahathir to just about everybody who cared to listen, the same Tun Dr Mahathir who made him a billionaire many times over. After years of loathing the royalties, now they are his favourite people.

But things didn't go according to plan. After losing out in the Project 3B IPP tender, FY managed to "innovate" his way through bypassing the open tender method to win Project 4A just days ago.

Another brilliant innovation by FY is to metamorphose YTL from a mere Chinaman contractor turned power producer to also now be a brilliant telecommunications company. How much did you pay for the 4G licence Francis Yeoh?

And also the highly inflated Bestarinet project to wire up all the schools in the country, so that you can plant your base stations paid for by the people! Another brilliant innovation by YTL should be your company tagline, no need to hire a bumiputera PR company to come up with a tagline for you.

And what about KTM land in Sentul FY? I suppose taking land from a bleeding KTM at rock bottom price makes you a national saviour?

After benefitting from all these sweetheart deals, you later called for "brutal competition" as the only way for the country to progress.

When you get all these deals, its innovation and entrepreneurship, when a bumiputera like Tan sri Syed Mokhtar gets them, its cronyism and unfair privileges for the bumiputeras.

You criticised the affirmative action plan which is a national policy giving unfair advantage to the bumiputera, but i can assure you that all the small contracts handed out to the small contractors the last 21 years since you got your innovative IPP does not even come close to the contracts and businesses YTL has got from the government and the people

I can go on and on, and i am sure there are many more people who knows more than me who can add to it. Not enough in attacking and insulting our intelligence, FY is also now attacking bumiputeras, saying the non-bumis now have no chance in business in Malaysia.

My message to Francis Yeoh is maybe its time for you to sell out the remaining 15% of business which are still in Malaysia and start packing your bags to move to UK. A lordship awaits you in the land of the fair.

Hamid
Anak Malaysia

************

Yes Hamid, the list is longer than that. One recent "crony" project would be the Majestic Hotel near the Kuala Lumpur Railway station which NC held it's recent Annual Ward night.

If we could add on, the ERL project is filled with strange on-goings. Why was it that the Singaporeans which should be bothered only with their side of the project be involved in the planning of the WHOLE project?

Being privy to information, it is heard that the Sigaporeans have grabbed all the choiciest land all along the line. So it is claimed to be without government help but it is only land, isn't it Francis?

IPP

As far as the first IPP story, there is more than just what Tan Sri Ani Arope claimed.

For one, nobody bothered to find out Ani Arope's motivation to spill the bean. Perhaps, not many know that he had an interest in a planned RM1 billion fund raising for TNB via a certain family member in an Investment Bank. When Ministry of Finance rejected the proposal, he went berserked.

On top of that, he was the one cooking up stories and spreading rumours as though there was a conspiracy to trigger the nationwide blackout by intentionally connecting a lower capacity cable. It was preposterous but it was easy those days to just blame it on Tun Samy Velu.

Another unknown part of the story in the PPA was the rate. There are letters at the Ministry of Finance and TNB containing an instruction to increase the rate. The reason is so that Malakoff which was under MRCB and under Real Mild could get a higher rate.

Look up who was the Minister of Finance then. In case one forgets, he is the same guy who makes an issue of IPP in a certain Buku Jingga and debate with Dato Shaberry Cheek. So lets not overdo on the first IPP because YTL was just a Chinaman contractor that build the old bangunan MARA.

Political liability

TNB staff have been fuming everytime the see YTL Power's Profit and Loss for decades. That is TNB's profit and their bonus been stolen away.

Many have turned anti-Government because of that. But they failed to realise that it is one of them that leaked the IPP paper to YTL for mere RM1 million "consultancy fee".

Talking of being anti-government, teachers are now screaming up to their neck with the Bestari.net system. They have to pay for it but the damn thing is not working. As a result, everything the Ministry is trying to do is being seen with cynical eyes and 90% of teachers so they say have turned anti-government.

When Bumiputera Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli or another crony Tan Sri Vincent Tan started their telco, they had to build customers from ground zero. YTL entered the industry with a guaranteed license and customer.

They were able to begin installation and spent RM1 billion before license was issued. This was thanks to Tan Sri Rais Yatim whom MACC should investigate.

Many comments about YTL by political activist have been that despite being given much helped from government, YTL not only stabbed the government in the back but does not help the ruling party politically.

In fact, when YTL tookover Lot 10 in late 90s from Dato Sulaiman Manan's Taiping Consolidated, the biggest event held that year was a New Year party for all gays from Malaysia and Singapore on the rooftop. Our brother in law was working with the caterer that night

There is more of them now thanks to YTL's social destruction!

KPDNK Enforcement Director, Mohd Roslan Mahayudin showing off Ops Titik

Utusan Malaysia have been on the prowl on the diesel smuggling activities since middle of May.

In that short time, they uncovered many horrid story of billions of money made from illegal trading of sub-sidised diesel with the enforcement agencies and authorities seemed to look away.

It is strange to read report of a certain agency chief claiming to have been monitoring these activities for 5 year. Maybe it is merely face saving remark.

Any common folks in Rantau Panjang, Bukit Kayu Hitam or Batu Pahat knows these have been going on for decades. It is an open secret that PPP candidate for state assembly in the Pasir Putih parliament area of Kelantan, Dato Nik "Spray" Sapiea is a diesel smuggler.

However, he is a small fry in a business, in which the illegal wholesale diesel market is at least 5-10 times bigger than the legal market.

Suspicious diversion

In the midst of the large scale clampdown on illegal diesel activities, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNKK in short) launched an Ops Titik for the Peninsular northern region. It is obvious that they are trying to diverse the attention from the major clampdown coordinated by Special Taskforce by going after the small fishes and allow the big fishes to escape.

The clue was when Minister Dato Hasan Malek announced Ops Titik, he even mentioned the date. It puzzled the media and he retracted to ask them not to report.

Throughout the crackdown, reporters have been saying the KPDNKK Enforcement Director, Roslan Mahayuddin have been both evasive and uncooperative. It is as though he is uneasy and upset with the crackdown coordinated by Special Taskforce but credit given to KPDNKK.

The Special Taskforce is a high-level multi-agency special task force – comprising the Attorney-General office, Customs Department, Police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Inland Revenue Board, Immigration Department, Bank Negara and others – set up since 2010 for the purpose of combating financial leakage and illegal activities.

They resembled Eliot Ness and his team that pursued Al Capone through 1929 to 1931 for tax evasion in the movie The Untouchables.

Words are that Director for Enforcement, Roslan Mahayuddin have been pressuring the selected KPDNKK officials involved with the Special Taskforce on the various Ops like Odin, Odis, Odat, etc.

The Ministry's Ops Titik are only raiding small operators and not the big ones like those in Penang, Bukit Kayu Hitam and Kedah. It is only for show and mere droplets of smuggled diesel.

If the ops for small fish is not enough a deviation to take the heat of KPDNKK and their friendly syndicates, they may have conspired with certain media to misquote the Minister on a new system on the sales of subsidised petrol and diesel and created a controversy.

The oftenly caught misquoted Hasan Malek had been an easy bait for media since he became associated with the Chap Ayam nicname for asking consumers to not buy chicken when price is rigged high.

The most recent one was on the Bank Rakyat loan to Deepak divulge by former Chairman Dato Sabaruddin Chik. On that issue, Hasan Malek did not do too badly. That is another story but Bank Negara Malaysia should charge Sabaruddin for breeching BAFIA secrecy rule.

Illegal diesel market

The corruption in KPDNKK is so anaemic that one source in Batu Pahat told us that KPDNKK officials refuse to cooperate with law enforcement agencies. KPDNKK officials, from the top to the bottom, are on some taukeh's payroll.

In Johor, evidence for use to charge in court could disappear after being compunded and left at KPDNKK premises.

When the enforcement side is the one on the take, these leakage became culturally imbedded in the Ministry. The only way forward would be to disband KPDNKK.

Our so-called coast guard, APMM, which unfortunately falls under the Prime Minister's Department, maybe in cohort too with smugglers.

They have sufficient intelligence information of smuggling operations but the top bosses refuse to do anything. In fact, sources claim APMM have been collecting "toll" of RM600 from passing ships.

In the wholesale diesel market, oil companies supply to wholesalers which in turn supply to industries and exports i.e. foreign ships. These wholesalers are licensed from KPDNKK to source from oil companies, store, transport, bunkering, and other activities involving diesel trading.

The legal requirement is for them to maintain their books and stay within the prescribed source, place and volume but KPDNKK enforcement officials are looking elsewhere. No wholesalers are allowed operations near jetties but many openly do so. Some own private jetties with pipes jutting out into the sea or river to pump diesel from boats.

By right, if government is serious, they should cripple the wholesalers syndicate. Stop the issuance of new wholesalers, review existing ones and do a thorough audit.

However, KPDNKK would not want to do so and would drag their feet.

These wholesalers should source their diesel from oil companies or other wholesaler but they only source some 10-20% from oil companies and the rest from fishermen and petrol stations.

These fishermen gets double subsidies; from the caught fishes and profit from reselling sub-sidised diesel.

The fisheries department and KPDNKK made no effort to scrutinised their consumption of diesel. For instance they are given quota in which half are used to re-sell to wholesalers. Even during monsoon season, these fishermen maintain same level of diesel consumption.

Most cases, wholesalers owned petrol stations too. To camouflage their illegal operation, wholesalers would use oil trucks resembling Petronas oil trucks.

If the retail price for subsidised diesel is at RM2.00 per liter, petrol station owners could sell it to wholesale syndicates higher at RM2.10 per liter. These diesels are then sold to industries and ships at slightly lower than the RM2.70 per liter market price, say at RM2.40 - RM2.50 per liter.

Bigger operations would involve smuggling the sub-sidised diesel at international market of, say US$1 per liter. That is another 50 sen additional profit margin. It involves international syndicates, primarily Singaporeans and the local wholesalers serves to source for them.

These wholesalers had to resort to illegal avenues because the profit margin is thin. Wholesalers have to provide transport and credit to buyers.

Raiding on illegal operators is a onerous and endless work that will never end. Government need to also re-look into the cost and price structure of the wholesale market.

One rumour heard is KPDNKK is readying themselves for an Ops Titik to Sabah.

However, it is not for the reason that Sabah has a high consumption of diesel but because one linked to a Cabinet Minister's son is collecting commission from wholesalers to source subsidised diesel.

An Ops Titik in Sabah would be seen as though KPDNKK is serious, but the illegal commission taking be left alone.

30,000 Johoreans pledging loyalty to the Sultan on Jun 10, 2012. Read here

A new state enactment for Johor to empower the Sultan to appoint the Chairman and Members of the Board of Housing and Properties has received quite loud responses since it was first mentioned in the Johor State Assembly early this week.

When the news broke out as an Utusan Malaysia frontpage news on Thursday and covered in the TV3 evening news on Wednesday night, discussions on the social media and Whats App have been non-stop since.

There are the pros and many more cons on the proposed amendment for whatever reasons. Maybe it is not a good idea to proceed first till it is explained properly to the public and allowed to be seen by the public.

A negative public opinion puts the Sultan in a bad light. The last we wish to see his majesty being criticised and insulted openly by the subjects in these unstoppable social media environment.

In a chat conversation of a Whats App group of Johoreans in the Klang Valley, it is already reflecting so. One member e-mailed us the conversation and we like to share it as a an indication of what the opinions of thinking Johoreans.

As much as we could, we try to edit and tone down the rather too frank discussion.

We were first alerted of DAP's Johor Assemblyman, Dr Boo Cheng Hau's comment that was reported in Malaysia Chronicle on Wednesday 4th:

It can be read here.

There was also a report on Malaysiakini dated 4th here.

It then got coverage in TV3 evening news on the 5th. By dinner time, someone begin to alert their friends:

[20:26, 05/06/2014] Yahya: Talking about Johor is the only state where the Sultan decides on land matters, taking over function from the civil servants and Excos

It was nt a hot topic of discussion till it became frontpage news in Utusan Malaysia on Friday, 6th morning:

There were several articles with diversified views:

Kuasa pentadbiran pada Sultan?
Kuasa sultan tertakluk kanun undang-undang tubuh negeri
MB Johor masih pegang kuasa eksekutif - Mohamed Khaled

Another report quoted Prof Aziz Bari opposition to the motion but it is not available online. But, his opinion is reported by Malay Mail Online here.

The Whats App discussion had not stopped:

[07:44, 06/06/2014] Razif:Rang undang-undang baru yang akan dibentangkan di DUN Johor pada hari Isnin dpn akan membuat kuasa meluas kepada Sultan untuk menyelia akaun Lembaga Perumahan dan Hartanah Johor.

[08:06, 06/06/2014] Yaacob:Melayu talibarut yang susah nak di kesan. Telunjuk lurus kelingking berkait.

[10:34, 06/06/2014] Dr Lokman: Semalam lepak dengan orang Kota. Dia orang kata Sultan mahu kuasa tanah kerana expect PRU ke 14 BN Johor antara tumbang atau menang dengan hilang 2/3 majoriti. So, sementara ada kuasa BN 2/3 sekarang baik pre-empt dulu supaya Sultan ada kuasa hal tanah Johor.

Hebat Sultan Johor ....

[10:39, 06/06/2014] Ehsan: Doc paling best kita boleh ubah tak yah buat PRU untuk DUN... Kasi kuasa Sultan je.. Selamat Johor dari DAP...

[10:40, 06/06/2014] Yaacob: Surat Khabar Singapura. Propaganda PAP. Untuk alihkan Isu Pulau Batu Putih Sultan Johor nak ambil semula Pulau Batu Putih.

[10:46, 06/06/2014] Ehsan:Undang2 Tubuh Negeri kita masih boleh ubah selagi ada 2/3.

Kalau Johor berani, mereka boleh kembalikan Kesultanan Melayu Johor. Ini adalah langkah awal. Kita perjuangkan agama, bangsa dan tanah air Melayu.

[11:06, 06/06/2014] Yaacob:Ada yang kita rasa betul...belum tentu betul...

Yes...saya juga bimbang kalau talibarut duduk dalam kerajaan. Buat perniagaan sulit...menyalurkan maklumat kepada sekutu Kerajaan.

[11:10, 06/06/2014] Ilya:Ada yang kita rasa salah belum tentu salah. ...

Zaman kegemilangan Melayu, Sultannya warak .. Solat tak tinggal ... Berdamping dengan Ulama dan bijak pandai. Sentiasa mintak petunjuk.. Sebab tu Melayu gemilang dan gagah. ..

Sultan zaman sekarang ni arak tak tinggal. .. Perempuan tak tinggal. ..Bila Mufti nasihatkan tak sama dengan kehendak, dia pecat Mufti tu. .. Lawyer pun pecat jugak. .. Hmmm ..

[11:29, 06/06/2014] Sheikh:Tambak tanah sepanjang-panjang lepas tu buat projek rumah dengan harga jutaan ringgit dan yang beli semua apek-apek S'pore and China. Kita rakyat biasa nak jadi apa? Lepas ini JB akan dipenuhi dengan apek-apek. Kos hidup melambung di JB. Pasti kita dijajah cara terhormat.

[11:31, 06/06/2014] llya:Terhormat. .. dapat restu sultan

[11:32, 06/06/2014] Yaacob: Sebenarnya kebimbangan ini bermula dari sejak Kerajaan Johor membuat dasar tangan terbuka dimana warga asing boleh memiliki tanah di Johor.

Dari segi keselamatam, memang tak selamat. Tetapi bukan untuk di bincangkan di sini secara terbuka. Ada baik dan buruknya. Hanya tertentu dapat memahaminya.

[11:36, 06/06/2014] Dr Lokman:Penjualan tanah ni kepada warga asing memang kat M'sia hampir bebas. Di Thailand...nak beli, bole. Condo sahaja. Kalau nak beli landed properties, kena nama isteri warga Thailand.

[11:40, 06/06/2014] Yaacob:Projek Perumahan RM200k ke atas siapa yang beli...Rumah kedai. Bunglo, kondo, ... semua warga asing. Orang Melayu berhijrah ke luar bandar.

Luar bandar juga tak ada tanah. Duduk tepi jalanlah lama kelamaan rakyat 1Malaysia.

[19:48, 06/06/2014] Razif: THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION | Chedet - http://chedet.cc/?p=1379

[00:18, 07/06/2014] Yahya:MB Johor kata kuasa eksekutif pada Excohttp://m.malaysiakini.com/news/264960?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Kalau MB ada kuasa eksekutif, kenapa biar Sultan jual tanah pada usahawan Singapura sewenang wenangnya?

[01:39, 07/06/2014] Rahman:Ya la tu...and I suppose exco is going to admit that they approved the Country Garden concession as freehold land without prejudice...

[00:31, 07/06/2014]Dr Lokman:Tanah Federal pun kena redah...Peter Lim sambar

[00:35, 07/06/2014] Yahya:Doc, Tanah milik Federal pun TAPI hal hal perancangan dan alih-guna tu kuasa Kerajaan Negeri

[01:42, 07/06/2014] Razif: Bamyak pulau milik Kerajaan Ngeri dikatakan dah tukarmilk ke nama dia

[01:45, 07/06/2014] Yahya:Tengok Fasal 4 Keanggotaan Lembaga. Orang Lembah Klang dah tengok Enakmen Tanah Johor 2014.

Rang Undang Undang Lembaga Tanah dan Hartanah Johor

[01:50, 07/06/2014] Ilya: :( .... mintak kat pegawai MB. Katanya, data sulit. Tak boleh suka suka hati keluar dari war room... Ada SOP dia.

Bila tanya macam tu. .. dia kata jangan ikut rentak pembangkang. .. Jangan jadi bodoh. Bila tanya habis tu macam mana nak ikut rentak war room Johor? Ke gendang belum cari lagi? ...

[01:55, 07/06/2014] Yahya:Soalan asal saya ..Kalau sulit, dari mana DAP /Malaysiakini dapat info pasal penglibatan Sultan?

[01:56, 07/06/2014] Ilya: Its not about me. .. It's about how war room Johor operated. ..

[01:57, 07/06/2014] Yahya: Failure of intel. Looks like war is lost, even before first salvo is fired. Exactly like the Yom Kippur War Oct 1973

[02:00, 07/06/2014] Ilya:Tapi mula mula mintak tolong bagi pencerahan yang betul. ..Niat di hati nak tolong. ... Tapi dah info sulit. .. Kita tido je la

Morning today, Utusan carries the following as frontpage.

Articles today:

Kerajaan Johor digesa tangguh
Mendorong rakyat tidak hormati raja - Tun M
Kuasa masih di tangan saya - MB

[08:40, 07/06/2014] Yaacob: Semua itu Sulit bila di Sulitkan. Tambahan lagi bila ada minda sembelit. Melayu tipu Melayu pun ada dalam dunia ni.

[08:48, 07/06/2014] Farid:Sultan johor nak buat kerajaan sendiri macam Brunei. Hudud akan dilaksanakan. Rakyat Melayu Johor ada kelebihan dan keutamaan. Rakyat dapat elaun. Bangsa cina tidak dikira sebagai bangsa Johor. Kenaikkan gaji bulanan. Pendidikan sekolah kebangsaan bersepadu dgn sekolah agama. Pendidikan agama wajib. Kenaikkan cukai untuk sebarang urusan rakyat Singapura. Bangsa Johor kelas 1: Melayu, warganegara kelas 2: Cina India dll yang sedia ada. Bukan warga negara yang tak lahir di Johor nak masuk Johor perlu ada passport. Tahniah Sultan Johor. Daulat Tuanku. The next Islamic progressive country. Amin #SAYAANAKJOHOR#

[08:52, 07/06/2014] Farid: Lembaga Perumahan dan Hartanah Negeri Johor ditubuhkan tertakluk kepada Undang2 Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri. Ini bermakna, setiap kuasa yang diberikan kepada Sultan dalam Lembaga itu adalah mengikut Undang2 Tubuh iaitu Sultan akan bertindak berdasarkan NASIHAT Menteri Besar.

Ini bukanlah satu perkara yang asing kerana Enakmen Penubuhan Kemajuan Ekonomi Negeri Johor telah sekian lama mempraktikkan perkara sama. Tetapi tidak pula ia berbangkit dan menjadi isu selama ini.

Kita jangan mudah masuk perangkap DAP dan parti pembangkang yang sebenarnya takut kroni2 mereka iaitu para pemaju yang selama ini sewenang-wenangnya mengeksploitasi tanah2 di negeri Johor.

Sebenarnya matlamat utama penubuhan Lembaga itu adalah baik iaitu mahu mengawal kebanjiran warga asing dalam pemilikan hartanah di negeri Johor. Maka sebab itulah, Lembaga ini ditubuhkan dan diberi kuasa untuk membeli semula tanah2 milik orang Melayu.

[09:48, 06/06/2014] Qabil: Saya sokong. Usaha usaha Melayu mengembalikan hak dan kedaulatan Melayu. Biar bangsa asing kembali tunduk kepada Ketuanan Melayu. Satu usaha halus Istana Johor kembalikan hak rakyat. Syaratnya jangan ada bangsa Melayu yang jadi pengkhianat.

Pengalaman lepas kita jadi takut. Tapi kita kena jadikan pengalaman lepas sejarah yang tak patut berulang.

Tidak senang untuk kerajaan negeri laksanakan sbb rakyat dah tepu dgn perangai Sultan dgn cerita cerita talibarut yang menindas akhirnya kita buang payung, sekarang hujan lebat mcm Razif tulis siapa nak lindungi kita dari hujan tu....

Saya berdoa pada Allah semoga niat tuanku di permudahkan. Kembalikan zaman pemerintahan Maharaja Abu Bakar. Puak puak pembangkang dan kafir pasti tentang habis habisan hal ini sebab mereka TAK IKTIRAF KUASA MELAYU. Kunci kuasa melayu pada tuannya..RAJA.

[10:46, 07/06/2014] Razif:Qabil ... Ketuanan Melayu bukan bermakna aku tuan ko hamba mcm raja dgn rakyat jelata. Ketuanan Melayu bermakna penghormatan kepada kesinambungan kuasa, sejarah dan budaya turun temurun Melayu.

Adakah memperkasakan sultan (yg ini khususnya) boleh selamatkan Ketuanan Melayu?

[11:24, 07/06/2014] Ehsan: Ramai wartawan tanya pagi ni... kat Permas Jaya..

[11:29, 07/06/2014] Sheikh:Jgn jawab mcm bangang sudahlah

[11:50, 07/06/2014] Qabil:Bos..aku tak cakap Ketuanan Melayu spt tuan dan hamba abdi. Ingat Sultan juga tak lepas dari undang- undang.

[11:51, 07/06/2014] Ilya: Sebab tu la rang undang undang baru ni kena ada skop nya

[11:51, 07/06/2014] Razif:Betul. Tapi susah nak implentasi. Lihat Country Qarden, tuan Qabil. Ada banyak lagi contoh... Masaalahnya orangnya dan bukan ...

[11:52, 07/06/2014] Ilya: Bukan undang undang nya

[11:55, 07/06/2014] Qabil:Razif .... Semua tanah tak bertuan d negeri ini Sultan punya. MB berharap dengan ada kuasa Sultan, tanah itu akan di bangunkan dengan perumahan yamg kosnya di kurangkan kerana tak perlu bayar kos ambil alih tanah. Forever tanah tu milik sultan. Rumah rakyat dapat miliki.

[11:57, 07/06/2014] Razif:Kenapa tak guna wakaf??? Pasti byk cara lain... Isunya nama Sultan dah tercemar. Rakyat tak percaya. Takkan nak biar Institusi Raja tercemar.

Bila Sultan diberi kuasa melantik... Hmmm sapa dah masuk dlm Johor Corp dan ambilalih saham pelaburan2 Johor Corp???

Ingat ye ... Raja2 Melayu gagal pertahankan 153!!! Itu tanggungjawab mereka yang telah diamanahkan kepada mereka dalam wasiat-wasiat tok moyang mereka !!!!

[11:59, 07/06/2014] Ilya:KFC pun dah gadai kat Cina

[11:59, 07/06/2014] Razif: Tau takpa

[12:00, 07/06/2014] Ilya: Sebab tu ramai khuatir tentang enakmen baru ni. Sejarah lepas lepas membuktikan rakyat paling sengsara bila Sultan guna kuasa.

[12:01, 07/06/2014] Razif: Pandangan Qabil tak salah..Cuma orang ramai tak selesa kuasa tersebut diberi pada Tuanku Yem. Elok dia xxx

[12:06, 07/06/2014] Ilya:Setuju. .. better Almarhum ayah dia lagi.

[12:10, 07/06/2014] Razif: Pak dia I like. Anak dan nampaknya.cucu ... wa blum lagi.

[12:38, 07/06/2014] Qabil: Satu yang saya nampak.MB cuba guna pendekatan raja dan rakyat berpisah tiada. Nak kembalikan kedaulatan Sultan walaupun menyedari dia berjalan atas pedang yang tajam. Secara executive Sultan tidak ada kuasa pilih kroni atau pemaju.

Muktahir ini rakyat tidak lagi hormati Institusi Raja sepertimana Cina Bandar tak hormati bangsa Melayu. Kenapa???

Perkongsian kuasa yang melampau. Duit jadi tuan.

Harap estate perumahan baharu tanahnya kekal milik negeri pemaju hanya memajukan rumah dan jual pada pembeli. Pemaju tiada hak pada tanah. Sultan punya.

[12:45, 07/06/2014] Halimah: Elok bagi sikit kuasa kat Sultan. Nanti kalau tak ada kuasa, ada pulak yang pertikai buat apa bayar gaji Sultan. Cina DAP tunggu masa aje nak pertikai perlunya Sltan tanpa nampak peranannya.

[12:47, 07/06/2014] Ilya:Lepas ni DAP pertikai pulak. Kata MB Boneka. Ada kuasa eksekutif tapi biar saja urusan jual beli tanah sewenang wenangnya.

Seriously, let us see how the new rule is being worded.

For UMNO to take such action, remember that Dyana managed to increase Malay votes for DAP by 3% albeit a low turnout by-election.

Gen Y have no party affiliation and it is likely to be the same in Johor even how much Johorean pride themselves as Johorean = UMNO and UMNO = Johorean. As a reminder, that equation is only applicable to the old UMNO.

Gen Y voters will vote according to which party's ideals appeal to them.

If DAP can cut across the racial barriers and put up a Malay DAP candidates which appeals to the young and old, the disgust with the new law could just spark the sentiment against UMNO Johor. From a still winning position, the tide could turn.

Be careful, be very carreful.

MH370: Press conference @ 10:00 PM

Khalid sold 1,172 acres land below market for kickback?

Tropicana: United Malay Noh Omar (UMNO) finally woke up

The curious case of Khalid and Tropicana

Royal touch to the Tropicana land deal?

Plight of a stray cat

"Lucky" found a mother!

Cats' sad ending

UEM's three times stupid (Part 1)

UEM's three times stupid (Part 2)

White elephant no more

China Energy multibillion investment a quantum leap for Kedah

Obama's hesitant pivot into Asia

Something amissing about SOSMA

Musical Interlude: Blus Terengganu Kita

Bettor's bloodbath in Telok Intan

When everything turned awry

One brave soul at the Johor State Assembly

Without crony capitalism, YTL could still be Syarikat Pembinaan Yeoh Teong Lay Sdn Bhd

Chasing small fishes for big ones to escape

What are the Johoreans saying?