House Behind A House: Khairy’s Perth Home Spin That Didn't Gyrate

There's a house behind a house
There's a dream behind a dream
There's a heart outside a heart
There's a hope behind a hope

When two people know that it's time to go
When do they give in
At what point in time do they really find
They must let it end

Lonely faces everywhere
Watch them starin' at their hands
As the walls keep closin' in
As the days go on and on

When two people see it can never be
When do they give up
When do they concede they must let it be
Now they've had enough
They've had enough

Lonely faces everywhere
Watch them starin' at their hands
There's a house behind a house
There's a dream behind a dream

-- Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, The Distance (1982)

(No video music link available but you can hear Bob Seger’s “Down on Main Street” on Google Video here)

There is a house behind a house. There is a story behind a story. The story today is about a house. It’s not an ordinary house, no. And, it’s not an ordinary story also. It’s a “home” to a powerful man.

It’s about a house in Perth that is revealing itself as Prime Minister Abdullah’s regular retreat. Its existence became known when he went for holiday and had his sinus operation in July 2006. The public began to realised it could be his Perth “home” late last year. He cut short his Greek holiday to do a 5 hour stopover at Johor and Melaka and went off for holiday in Perth.

There are many stories behind the house. It’s the house that is the talk of the town.

“So what is there to having a house in Perth as a regular retreat?” Pak “Tak Mahu Dengar Fitnah” skeptically said. As he awaits the waiter to place the teh tarik on our table, he continued. “It’s a like private Camp David and it is perhaps cheaper”

The house has been the much talked about and those “lying” bloggers has been curious, since his second known trip there. That fella was making a “badak mencari El-Ghazally” operation. (Open kickdefella who alerted us here, here, and here about housing areas in Perth)

It was raised by Tun Dr Mahathir in a talk organised by a Kulai UMNO Branch on March 29th recently. He said Abdullah owns the house and it cost A$25 million. That’s about RM60 million!

Pak TMDF would reply, “It’s not his and doesn’t cost that much, isn’t it?”

Tun may have found and revealed different information. Raja Petra revealed with documents and proof (open here) that it belongs to Datin Wong Mun Yee, said to be partner of Dato' Patrick Lim Soo Kit's.

One “lying unemployed female” blogger from Down Under, Ganesh Sahathevan revealed in his blog that the generous Datin is a partner alright. It’s his life and literally sleeping partner! She is the wife of Patrick Lim and Director of Equine Capital, the PLC he controlled.

Raja Petra further revealed that the house value and upon completion of its renovation will cost about A$8-10 million. There are those that commented it as only A$3.7 million. Valuation is subjective but perhaps it shouldn’t differ too significantly.

“Its not unusual for someone to give their second or third home for other’s to use as a retreat. Most people would be honoured to have the PM stay over at their home.” Pak TMDF asserted and seemed refused to believe.

It’s a house that Kamaluddin owns. Khairy said it and to quote verbatim from AgendaDaily, “Rumah yang dimaksudkan itu ... dimiliki oleh anak beliau ... rumah Kamaluddin”

“Aha … OK Go on,” Pak TMDF is somewhat in-denial but beginning to show keenness to listen. He sips his teh tarik that began to turn lukewarm.

Off course, the denial should have come from the accused, PM Abdullah himself. Just like Khairy has no locus standi to say it’s not time for General Election.

These days, reporters must be careful to ask such questions to Pak Lah. He can turn moody and even storm at reporters at Press Conferences. Then, they’ll get leery look from the accompanying “Tingkat 4” boys and even a phone call to their boss.

Perhaps, in making himself available to voters at the Machap by-election campaign operation room, Khairy have become conveniently accessible to reporters seeking for answer. He is after all the son-in-law of PM.

Khairy’s response fits with the common excuse cited by many when any luxurious lifestyle or indulging pastimes of Pak Lah is revealed. It is his son’s and he can afford it for his dad. Pak Lah is promoting religiously Islam Hadhari and yet Imam Hadhari contradicts himself and is unpoetic, meaning in conflict with his poem “Damai Abadi”.

These kind of talks can be heard at teh tarik talk and coffee house chat, and gets channeled to the Internet in Blogs, Forums, e-Groups, ICQs and many interactive modes.

“Lets return to the subject of Patrick Lim allowing his home for PM’s retreat”, Pak TMDF interjected the political rhetoric. “Why don’t you explain me about him and the implication here?” That is clear indication he is giving attention to the issue.

This house has a house behind it. This story has a story behind it.

Patrick Lim is very close with the PM. It is said that he is so close that political pundits are calling him Patrick Badawi. He was said to turn up Hari Raya morning at PM’s home dressed in “baju melayu” with “samping”, like he is family. Well, that’s rumours.

It is widely believed that what he wants he gets. Tun made the allegation in a talk in October last year that with Khairy, he “ruled” Terengganu. He is a major beneficiary of the high profile Monsoon Cup and is developing Terengganu's Pulau Duyong.

Equine Capital is the property developer for the integrated Crescentia Park project and Penang International Equestrian Centre, at the 2,560-hectare Bandar Cassia Township in Batu Kawan. It is located at the mainland end of the Second Bridge. Some felt the Penang Second Bridge as unnecessary. One UMNO ADUN actually raised it at the State Assembly but is still being pursued.

Patrick and Cindy, as the wife’s is affectionately addressed as, are the usual accompanying socialites at the late Datin Endon’s charity or social functions. The word around is that you get into the good book of the main of the 4K, the late Kak Endon, you’re set for life!

So, the close association of Patrick Lim and the Badawis is common knowledge and for Badawi to use their Perth home is perhaps tolerated by Malaysians. It’s not like we are in Britain, where as one friend told me that a politician land himself into trouble for using a more expensive postal service than that stipulated for official use. The fact that Khairy wrongly answered it as Kamaluddin’s confirms the close link and this is cronyism, or perhaps nepotism, since they are like family.

Imam Hadhari ….

Pak TMDF interject, “… I can see the conflict of interest. It is raising concern that the closeness is no more personal but could have mutual exchanges of favours. This new development raised the possibility that Kamaluddin is getting the house from Patrick’s on behalf of the father. Since Kamaluddin is the “Anak saya kaya”, it looks perfectly legal. Khairy’s ignorant remark blew the whole cover”.

He could be pretty presumptous at times but is seeing the point. “When you are a public official or politician, one should not only be clean but beyond any doubt seen to be clean. This is essential for the present officials and politicians. For a pious looking Prime Minister with degree in Islamic Studies and grandson of a distinguished Ulamak, he should set an example since he is promoting an Islamic brand." he continued.

"What we were you saying about the story behind the story?”

Perth seemed to be a point of reference to quite a few eventful incidents. The story behind the story is about Perth.

It was the call from Perth to Dato Annuar Musa, who was in hospital recovering from motorbike accident, that an instruction was given to “do something" about Tun Dr Mahathir’s scheduled talk in Kota Baru on July 28th last year.

It turn out that Tun was blocked by few burly men from entering a Pajero to speak to the crowd at the Kota Baru Airport. He got pepper sprayed during the tustle. The court case on the alleged person, Dato Nik Sapeia, is ongoing in Kota Baru court. This Dato’ used to benefit from Tun’s help but he is an important office bearer of Kuala Krai UMNO Division. The Division Chef is Dato Romzi’s, PM’s strongman in Kelantan.

That conversation was witnessed by many, among others was Tengku Razaleigh.

“And the second visit recently? Pak TMDF’s curiosity confirms me he is now convinced.

That’s not the only one dirty trick Pak Lah is capable of doing. He planned to deny Tun from being elected delegate of Kubang Pasu for the UMNO General Assembly last year. It was alleged that bribe with physical and psychological harassment was used. But that’s another story.

When the big flood that reportedly displaced some 115,000 Johorean happened, Pak Lah was returning a state visit to President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. After the visit to Caracas, he was off for his holiday to Greece.

Along the way, he stopped over at Turkey and visited the yacht or gullet at Bodrum with Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan. It got published in Huriyet, the Turkish newspaper on December 20th and Rocky got the scoop. PM denied it was a RM30 million gift to him. Then many permutation of rumours but Huriyet never retracted the news report. The truth is out there with Ananda. That’s another story also.

“Right, right,” Pak TMDF getting excited as he gulped his already cold teh tarik at one go.

It’s the house that made the public realised of the repeated visit to Perth and began their curiosity. The PM abruptly ended his Greek holiday upon learning of the massive flood in Johor. He only made a 5 hour stopover to visit few sites in Batu Pahat and Muar, the Melaka on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2006. There was that newspaper coverage showing him in a photo with a baby in Melaka, like it an election campaign and said everything is under control.

If the Johorean had known, they would be slighted. Quite a few of the Johorean Minister went for holiday and didn’t turn up until much later. PM finally made a serious visit of the flood victim on January 16th, 2007, after the Asean Summit in Cebu, Phillipines.

While they suffered, the PM was enjoying himself golfing, deep sea fishing, opening his brother’s Puteri Nasi Kandar restaurant, attending New Year party, episode with Nori, and many “another” stories. The losses is estimated at RM1.5 billion. How could he took it easy?

Why does he love Perth? Does he know what the Pentagon built in Perth? Another story …

Pak TMDF suddenly start, “The problem with this country ….”.

I know that mode. Give him some new information and he will start lecturing his higly helicopterial analysis of whats wrong in this country. He’ll come up with some better model from Europe or America to duplicate. He is alright, I said to myself but I believe my not so perfect Malaysia should have its own unique way of solving its problems.

It’s a beautiful home with beautiful scenery, a beautiful nearby park, a beautiful pier, and a beautiful golf course. It’s a place for a Prime Minister to lose himself into this trapping he dreamt off decades ago.

There is a house behind a house.
There is a dream behind a house

A Voice
Kuala Lumpur
April 11th, 2007 12:30 p.m.