Are PM's son, PPBM behind frontrunners for RM1.5 billion IIS tender?

The government opened tender for the Integrated Immigration System (IIS) and in September 2018, announced receiving 30 bids ranging from RM1 billion to RM1.8 billion. 

The single company contract attracted known local players such as Scicom, Datasonic, HeiTech Padu, etc. 

The contract attracted public interest because the RM3.5 billionn Sistem Kawalan Imigresen Nasional (SKIN) concession awarded to Prestariang in August 2017 was to replace the frequently breaking down MyIMM. My Home Minister Dato Hamzah Zainuddin acknowledged the weakness of MyIMM. 

SKIN system development commenced work, but PH government cancelled it. It will be 3 years in 2023 before IIS will be operationalise. The re-tender was criticised as waste of time and resources, and political witch hunting.

By third quarter, the winning bid is expected to be announced. Latest heard is some 10 names, later two more added, have been short listed. 

Judging from the names, there is this gnawing suspicion that Dr Abu Hassan Ismail and Prestariang was made sacrificial lamb for certain self interest.

No sacrifice at all

Salam Aidil Adha 

Both sermons at the Masjid were talking about ritual of sacrifice. 

It is to commemmurate the Quranic story of Prophet Abrahim undergoing the ultimate test of faith to carry out Allah's commandment to slaughter his own son, Prophet Ismail.  

The morning sermon at our neighbourhood surau was particularly moving and expressed the essence in the meaning of sacrifice. 

It was the story of a pious and learned man, who received a dream of being told by Prophet Muhammad that all the pious men and women he knew were not awarded Haj Mabrur, except for a person by the name of Abdullah. 

Haj Mabrur is a Haj ibadah that is accepted by Allah. 

Final thought before SRC verdict

Its D-Day for Dato Najib.

SRC is the low lying fruits within reach of Tun Dr Mahathir to send Najib to the prison to what seemed a political prosecution for refusing and resisting his wishes.

If convicted, Mahathir will be absolved from accusation of slander, cruelty, and obsessive behaviours typical of megalomaniac dictators.

Though Dato Gopal Sri Ram's manipulative hands are visibly seen, and Tan Sri Tommy Thomas's incompetence and biasness are obvious for all to see, Mahathir will deny of having his hands behind the scheme. . 

The responsibility will be placed on the court as though the process was a lawful, fair and transparent one.

A day before verdict, Dato Najib said in his FB he will continue to seek for justice.

Could Justice Nazlan's SRC verdict be free from politics?

To most Malaysians, politics interfere in every aspect of Malaysian life including in the court of justice.

More so,  Tun Dr Mahathir had no respect for the law and had the reputation of interfering in the judiciary. This time using Dato Gopal Sri Ram.

Dato Nazlan Ghazali was aware his reputation was tarnished by Gopal's claim to members of the legal community that Nazlan was "his boy". Apparently, he is not the only victim of Gopal's manipulative and bully tactics to impose himself on other judges and lawyers.

Tan Sri Apandi Ali revealed on his FB in mid-June of Gopal Sri Ram "sent to see him in January 2018 by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to persuade him to arrest Najib, the then prime minister".

Gopal kept silent and only responded three weeks later to brushed it off as self corroboration and meant to frustrate his 1MDB trial. Apandi said he has proofs and responded with a 59 page affidavit. No reply from Gopal yet.

Be that as it may. It is undeniably an indication that politics could influence the outcome of the SRC case.

Tabung Haji: Baling's day in Parliament

On Tuesday July 21st, 2020, former Chairman of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), and MP for Baling, Dato Seri Azeez Rahim got his day in Parliament to spill out and answer the two years of accusation towards him by Pakatan Harapan on TH.

According to viraled poster, the Mufti of Perlis passed a slanderous comment against Azeez following police report made at the end of 2018.

Parit Buntar MP, Dr Mujahid denied Azeez the chance to pose a question, when he had the floor. Mujahid  repeated Kulim Bandar Baharu MP, Dato Saifuddin Nasution who earlier spoke the same point on liability level below asset and riding on the name of PWC.

Both were given leeway by Port Dickson MP, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was rhetorical and lack specifics to debate on TH. They were reiterating past debunked arguments to divert the long list of shortcomings and infringements done today by PH administered TH.

Complacency, reckless politics could hasten Sabah as China's 24th province

Al Jazeera reported:

On Monday, the US raised the stakes, saying "Beijing's claims to offshore resources" across most of the disputed seas were "completely unlawful". US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that the world would "not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire."

The title of an opinion piece in the South China Morning Post, The US is finally taking sides in the South China Sea – against Beijing’s claims, sums up Pompeo's statement.

Earlier on July 6th, US conducted a military exercise at the South China Sea. The position taken by US indicate their interest to participate in the dispute.

The cowboy manner of US intervention in international disputes is not something countries in the region should look forward as it usually flare-up into a full blown war.

Malaysia have been looking to other options to avoid the possibility of superpowers doing battle at its doorstep.

Foreign Minister, Dato Hishamuddin Hussein tried to cool temperature by playing down media attention to the rising dispute with claims no Chinese ships sighted in Malaysian water for 100 days.

Preserving UMNO is a priority

The motion to remove House Speaker, Tan Sri Mohd Ariff Mohd Yusof yesterday won by a slim 111 against 109. Ariff accepted the decision as "he who appoints has the power to remove". It is customary for ruling party to put their own man.

There are voices playing down the house decision as not surpassing the 112 majority, but in his victory over Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in the 1987 UMNO party election, it was Tun Dr Mahathir who said "A win by one is still a win".

The slim win does put into question the fragile state of the "Perikatan Nasional", the upcoming agenda #27 on vote of no confidence, and even calls for an immediate snap general election to follow Singapore.