The DAP condemns the politically-motivated persecution of Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng for alleged corruption.
He is expected to be charged in the George Town Sessions Court under Section 23 of the MACC Act and Section 165 of the Penal Code. The first charge relates to alleged abuse of power with regards to the re-zoning of land, and the second concerns the bungalow, which he is accused of acquiring below market price.
Over the past few months, Chief Minister’s and the Penang state government have demonstrated proof that there was no impropriety in Lim’s purchase of the bungalow as there was no contracts or benefits granted to the seller, whether directly or indirectly.
Hence the MACC’s move to prosecute Lim, which coincided with the resignation of the top 2 MACC officials just days earlier, is clearly designed to destroy him politically. It also demonstrates the Najib administration’s sense of invincibility after the convincing wins in Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections. The Prime Minister is seizing the opportunity further weaken the opposition after imprisoning Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, before possibly calling for an early election next year.
This is not the first time Lim Guan Eng is being persecuted by the Barisan Nasional government. He was arrested in 1994 for criticising the government's failure to bring then-Chief Minister of Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik's statutory rape case to trial when the Attorney General had decided not to press charges. Lim was then charged under Section 4(1) (b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984. He was sentence to 18 months jail and served time in Kajang prison.
Despite his incarceration, Lim never lost the trust of the people and was immediately voted back into Parliament and the Penang state assembly in 2008. He has since proven the opposition’s ability to rule in Malaysia and transformed Penang into the most envied state in the country.
We believe in Lim Guan Eng’s integrity and innocence and we will stand resolutely with him to fight these charges which are made without legal basis. We call upon all Malaysians who believes in a competent, accountable and transparent government to stand together with Lim Guan Eng, with the DAP and Pakatan Harapan, to fight the corrupt and repressive Barisan Nasional regime.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Arul Kanda begitu berluang masa berkempen untuk Barisan Nasional di Sungai Besar, tetapi tidak berani berdebat dengan saya mengenai 1MDB
Saya ingin menjemput Arul Kanda yang begitu berluang masa dapat berkempen untuk Barisan Nasional, tapi tidak berani berdebat dengan saya untuk memberikan penjelasan kepada orang ramai di mana-mana satu ceramah yang dianjurkan oleh Pakatan Harapan malam ini atau esok.
Saya dimaklumkan bahawa Arul Kanda telah berucap di program Wacana Isu Semasa Negara, bersama penjawat awam yang diadakan di Sekolah Menengah Agama Pasir Panjang. Ini sangat menghairankan saya, dan saya pasti ramai yang lain juga turut tertanya-tanya; apa yang Arul Kanda sedang buat di Sungai Besar?
Bukankah beliau selalu menegaskan bahawa beliau bukan seorang ahli politik dan tidak berniat untuk tersangkut dengan pengupasan politik Malaysia?
Saya sangat kecewa kerana Arul Kanda nampaknya boleh meluangkan masa untuk berkempen bagi pihak Barisan Nasional tetapi telah menarik balik persetujuan untuk berdebat dengan saya tentang isu-isu berkait 1MDB.
Beliau telah sebelum ini memberikan alasan untuk menolak sesi debat tersebut bahawa beliau perlu memberikan tumpuan khusus untuk membantu penyiasatan oleh pihak berkuasa di Malaysia dan menyelesaikan masalah rumit 1MDB dengan syarikat kerajaan Abu Dhabi, International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC).
Adakah penyiasatan dan masalah dengan IPIC yang membabitkan jumlah sebanyak US$6.5 bilion sudah diselesai?
Apatah lagi setelah International Petroleum Investment Company PJSC (IPIC) dan Aabar Investments PJS (Aabar) telah memfailkan kes arbitrasi terhadap 1MDB di Mahkamah Arbitrasi Antarabangsa, London.
Takkanlah Arul Kanda mempunyai begitu banyak masa terluang serta mampu meninggalkan kerja-kerja yang lebih penting setelah 1MDB disaman dengan tuntutan berjumlah US$6.5 bilion selain terlibat dalam siasatan di dalam dan luar negara?
Arul Kanda barangkali CEO paling tidak boleh diharap setelah berulang kali terbukti mengabaikan tanggungjawabnya dan gagal menepati kata-kata bahawa kononnya semua permasalahan 1MDB sudah pun diselesaikan. Penyelesaian kepada masalah saman arbitrasi terhadap 1MDB tidak akan membolehkan beliau temui di Sg Besar. Kecuali Arul Kanda dan 1MDB kini berminat dengan pelaburan sawah padi atau kapal nelayan.
Atas kelalaian dan sikap bersahaja beliau sehingga boleh membuang masa berkempen untuk Barisan Nasional, Arul Kanda sewajarnya dipecat oleh Lembaga Pengarah 1MDB yang baru kerana telah gagal melaksanakan tugas.
Jika Arul Kanda boleh bersenang-senang makan angin di Sekinchan, dan membantu jentera kempen Barisan Nasional, saya ingin menjemput beliau untuk memberikan penjelas 1MDB kepada seluruh pengundi Sg Besar di mana-mana ceramah yang dianjurkan oleh Pakatan Harapan malam ini atau malam esok.
Saya percaya orang awam yang sekarang cukup kecewa dan marah dengan kerajaan pimpinan Dato’ Seri Najib Razak amat mengalu-alukan penjelasan daripada Arul Kanda mengenai skandal gergasi 1MDB.
Saya dimaklumkan bahawa Arul Kanda telah berucap di program Wacana Isu Semasa Negara, bersama penjawat awam yang diadakan di Sekolah Menengah Agama Pasir Panjang. Ini sangat menghairankan saya, dan saya pasti ramai yang lain juga turut tertanya-tanya; apa yang Arul Kanda sedang buat di Sungai Besar?
Bukankah beliau selalu menegaskan bahawa beliau bukan seorang ahli politik dan tidak berniat untuk tersangkut dengan pengupasan politik Malaysia?
Saya sangat kecewa kerana Arul Kanda nampaknya boleh meluangkan masa untuk berkempen bagi pihak Barisan Nasional tetapi telah menarik balik persetujuan untuk berdebat dengan saya tentang isu-isu berkait 1MDB.
Beliau telah sebelum ini memberikan alasan untuk menolak sesi debat tersebut bahawa beliau perlu memberikan tumpuan khusus untuk membantu penyiasatan oleh pihak berkuasa di Malaysia dan menyelesaikan masalah rumit 1MDB dengan syarikat kerajaan Abu Dhabi, International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC).
Adakah penyiasatan dan masalah dengan IPIC yang membabitkan jumlah sebanyak US$6.5 bilion sudah diselesai?
Apatah lagi setelah International Petroleum Investment Company PJSC (IPIC) dan Aabar Investments PJS (Aabar) telah memfailkan kes arbitrasi terhadap 1MDB di Mahkamah Arbitrasi Antarabangsa, London.
Takkanlah Arul Kanda mempunyai begitu banyak masa terluang serta mampu meninggalkan kerja-kerja yang lebih penting setelah 1MDB disaman dengan tuntutan berjumlah US$6.5 bilion selain terlibat dalam siasatan di dalam dan luar negara?
Arul Kanda barangkali CEO paling tidak boleh diharap setelah berulang kali terbukti mengabaikan tanggungjawabnya dan gagal menepati kata-kata bahawa kononnya semua permasalahan 1MDB sudah pun diselesaikan. Penyelesaian kepada masalah saman arbitrasi terhadap 1MDB tidak akan membolehkan beliau temui di Sg Besar. Kecuali Arul Kanda dan 1MDB kini berminat dengan pelaburan sawah padi atau kapal nelayan.
Atas kelalaian dan sikap bersahaja beliau sehingga boleh membuang masa berkempen untuk Barisan Nasional, Arul Kanda sewajarnya dipecat oleh Lembaga Pengarah 1MDB yang baru kerana telah gagal melaksanakan tugas.
Jika Arul Kanda boleh bersenang-senang makan angin di Sekinchan, dan membantu jentera kempen Barisan Nasional, saya ingin menjemput beliau untuk memberikan penjelas 1MDB kepada seluruh pengundi Sg Besar di mana-mana ceramah yang dianjurkan oleh Pakatan Harapan malam ini atau malam esok.
Saya percaya orang awam yang sekarang cukup kecewa dan marah dengan kerajaan pimpinan Dato’ Seri Najib Razak amat mengalu-alukan penjelasan daripada Arul Kanda mengenai skandal gergasi 1MDB.
Wednesday, June 01, 2016
The newly appointed 1MDB Board of Directors must carry out its duties to the Government and Malaysian tax-payers by ensuring good corporate governance and accountability
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) today announced the appointment of new board of directors for 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), succeeding the previous board, which officially resigned yesterday.
The new three-member board is chaired by Treasury Secretary-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, Senior Private Secretary to the Chief Secretary of the Government Datuk Norazman Ayob and Chief Operating Officer of Prokhas Sdn Bhd Datuk Kamal Mohd Ali.
We also welcome the steps taken by MOF to dissolve the 1MDB Board of Advisors, remove of the current Article 117 and change of all references from “Prime Minister” to “Minister of Finance”. Article 117 had given the Prime Minister vast powers to arbitrarily interfere in the operations of 1MDB, including the appointment of Board of Directors and top company executives as well as all major financial transactions where his “written approval” is explicitly required.
However, the amendments to 1MDB’s Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A) as well as the changes to the Board of Directors would be an absolute waste of time if these new directors do not exercise the powers entrusted with them to ensure that the rogue management complies with all the required practices of good governance and corporate accountability.
The number one item on the agenda for the first Board of Directors meeting, which should hopefully be held soon, must be the demand for the company’s auditors, Deloitte to commence and complete the much delayed audit of 1MDB for the financial year ending 31 March 2015 and March 2016.
Without a clear and accurate picture of the financial position of the Company, the Board of Directors would be acting in a vacuum, rushing headlong into decisions without knowing the underlying status of the company.
The auditors must also be specifically directed to audit the US$7 billion (RM28 billion) of missing funds from 1MDB which the Auditor-General has been unable to verify due to the lack of cooperation from the management and the previous Board of Directors.
The sum included:
• The sums of US$700 million and US$330 million which was misappropriated to Good Star Limited, a company which Bank Negara has identified as owned by Jho Low and is completely unrelated to the 1MDB-Petrosaudi joint venture in 2009 and 2011.
• US$3.51 billion which was paid to a British Virgin Islands (BVI) incorporated Aabar Investment PJS Limited “Aabar (BVI)” in the form of collaterals, options termination compensation and further unexplained “top-up security” payments despite obvious doubts over who owns Aabar (BVI). Aabar (BVI) has since been found to be a fraudulent entity and dissolved since the June of last year.
• US$940 million worth of “units” which was parked at the Swiss Bank branch of BSI Bank in Singapore. BSI Bank, Singapore has since been ordered to close but the whereabouts of US$940 million remains a mystery.
Another US$1.56 billion of investments by 1MDB’s wholly-owned foreign subsidiary, 1MDB Global Investments Limited
In fact, the Chairman of the new Board, Tan Sri Irwan Serigar must direct 1MDB President, Arul Kanda who kept his executive position, to immediately supply all documentary information and evidence pertaining to the above to be tabled for the very first Board meeting.
If Arul Kanda fails to satisfactorily explain the massive US$7 billion unaccounted funds, then the Board of Directors have now within their powers, after the removal of Article 117, to sack Arul Kanda for incompetence, cover up and collusion with the fraudsters who have resulted in billions of dollars of losses for Malaysians.
The new three-member board is chaired by Treasury Secretary-General Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, Senior Private Secretary to the Chief Secretary of the Government Datuk Norazman Ayob and Chief Operating Officer of Prokhas Sdn Bhd Datuk Kamal Mohd Ali.
We also welcome the steps taken by MOF to dissolve the 1MDB Board of Advisors, remove of the current Article 117 and change of all references from “Prime Minister” to “Minister of Finance”. Article 117 had given the Prime Minister vast powers to arbitrarily interfere in the operations of 1MDB, including the appointment of Board of Directors and top company executives as well as all major financial transactions where his “written approval” is explicitly required.
However, the amendments to 1MDB’s Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A) as well as the changes to the Board of Directors would be an absolute waste of time if these new directors do not exercise the powers entrusted with them to ensure that the rogue management complies with all the required practices of good governance and corporate accountability.
The number one item on the agenda for the first Board of Directors meeting, which should hopefully be held soon, must be the demand for the company’s auditors, Deloitte to commence and complete the much delayed audit of 1MDB for the financial year ending 31 March 2015 and March 2016.
Without a clear and accurate picture of the financial position of the Company, the Board of Directors would be acting in a vacuum, rushing headlong into decisions without knowing the underlying status of the company.
The auditors must also be specifically directed to audit the US$7 billion (RM28 billion) of missing funds from 1MDB which the Auditor-General has been unable to verify due to the lack of cooperation from the management and the previous Board of Directors.
The sum included:
• The sums of US$700 million and US$330 million which was misappropriated to Good Star Limited, a company which Bank Negara has identified as owned by Jho Low and is completely unrelated to the 1MDB-Petrosaudi joint venture in 2009 and 2011.
• US$3.51 billion which was paid to a British Virgin Islands (BVI) incorporated Aabar Investment PJS Limited “Aabar (BVI)” in the form of collaterals, options termination compensation and further unexplained “top-up security” payments despite obvious doubts over who owns Aabar (BVI). Aabar (BVI) has since been found to be a fraudulent entity and dissolved since the June of last year.
• US$940 million worth of “units” which was parked at the Swiss Bank branch of BSI Bank in Singapore. BSI Bank, Singapore has since been ordered to close but the whereabouts of US$940 million remains a mystery.
Another US$1.56 billion of investments by 1MDB’s wholly-owned foreign subsidiary, 1MDB Global Investments Limited
In fact, the Chairman of the new Board, Tan Sri Irwan Serigar must direct 1MDB President, Arul Kanda who kept his executive position, to immediately supply all documentary information and evidence pertaining to the above to be tabled for the very first Board meeting.
If Arul Kanda fails to satisfactorily explain the massive US$7 billion unaccounted funds, then the Board of Directors have now within their powers, after the removal of Article 117, to sack Arul Kanda for incompetence, cover up and collusion with the fraudsters who have resulted in billions of dollars of losses for Malaysians.
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