Is Kalimullah and Singapore severing interest with Abdullah?

Ghost of Kamaluddin's past return to haunt.

And, the returning ghost is no other than BSA Tahir, the former ISA detainee whose detention in 2004 was seen as a coverup by Tun Abdullah for Kamaluddin and his Scomi partner, Shah Hakam who also participated in the manufacturing of nuclear centrifuge for Libya deal.

That incident led many to believe that Abdullah's administration was under seige and Abdullah was living under the swords of democles of the American.

BSA Tahir was a subject of a news piece on Singapore Times last Thursday. It was only known to Malaysian political blog readers when Malaysia Today republished the news here.

He is suing his former partners, Kamaluddin and Shah Hakam. The new development can only be expected when one's partner ripped oneself while in the slammer. If he can't get justice, at least get some money out of it. Best wishes BSA.

The significant aspect of the piece is the fact that it was published by Singapore Times and written by Leslie Lopez.#

In case, someone asked what is the big deal, the answer is Singapore Times is not just a publishing company. If that needs further explanation, then find out about Xinhua News Agency role beyond a news agency. It is the same with Singapore Times.

Then apply the 4 Wives 1 Husband analysis to the Singapore Times news below:

Shareholder dispute revives Scomi past

Sri Lankan seeks $31m from ex-PM's son and another businessman

By Leslie Lopez (senior Regional Correspondent)
Singapore Times

A YET-TO-BE published shareholder dispute involving the son of former prime minister Abdullah Badawi is likely a renew debate over Malaysia's role in the clandestine trade of senstitive minitery technology.

Sri Lankan businessman Bahary Syed Abu Tahir has gone to the High Court to claim RM75 million (S$32 million) from the fromer primeir's son, Mr Kamaluddin Abudllah, and another businessman, Mr Shah Hakim Shazanim Zain.

In the suit filed by his wife late last year, Mr Tahir is demanding what he claims is money owed to him for his equity interest in engineering company, Scomi Group, lawyers family with the case told The Straits Times.

Mr Tahir was one of the founding shareholders of Scomi. His shares, held by his Malaysian wife, were in Kaspadu, which has a 34 per cent controlling interest in Scomi.

The remaining shares of Kuala Lumpur-listed Scomi are held by various funds and members of the public.

Mr Tahir's stake in Kaspadu, which amounted to 27.5 per cent of the equity, was transferred to Mr Kamaluddin and Mr Shah Hakim in a private arrangement in early 2004.

It took place amid an international scandal sparked after Scomi's link to the now-defunct nuclear smuggling ring headed by Pakistan Scientist Abdul Qadeer Kahn were exposed.

The deal gave Mr Kamuluddin and Mr Shah Hakim complete control as they are the only other shareholders of Kaspadu. But a dispute over the value of the transferred shares has persisted.

The low-profile Mr Tahir could not be contacted for comment. A lawyer who has acted for him on matters related to his requested to discuss the suit.

Mr Kamuluddin and Mr Shah Hakim, responding separely to The Straits Times' queries, acknowledged that they were entangled in a legal duspute over the equity holdings in Kaspadu.

Mr Kamuluddin said Mr Tahir had invested RM7.025 million toward the total cost of the acquisition and financial restruring of Scomi. As consideration for his contribution, 27,500 shares in Kaspadu were transferred to his wife Nazimah Syed Majid, who held the shares as his nominee, Mr Kamaluddion said.

The two businessmen did not elaborate further on the dispute.

Their close associates said that the original settlement for the Kaspadu shares was RM50 million and that Mr Tahir and his wife had already received half of that sum.

They claimed that the two men had made payment of an additional RM10 million to Mr Tahir's lawyers. But that instalment was never accepted by Mr Tahir or his nominees.

The increasing hostile turn in the business relationship between Mr Tahir and his one-time partners carries major remifications for Malaysia and Scomi, which has been pushing to secure infrastructure contracts outside the country.

The dispute is also likely to revive debate over Malaysia's somewhat cosy handling of Mr Tahir.

Malaysia's international reputation took a beating in late 2003 when a Scomi unit was identified as the manufacturer of crucial centrifuge components destined for Libya.

After a lengthy investigation into Scomi's affair, Malaysia police detained Mr Tahir in March 2004 under the Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention.

They did so on the grounds that the Malaysian permanent resident had put the country at risk of possible sanctions from big power. He was also declared a national security threat.

Mr Tahir was granted a conditonal relase in mid-2008, and all conditonal relase on him were lifted in March last year, police sources said.

The police have long maintained that Scomi was duped by Mr Tahir into producing the centrifuge components for the Khan network, and that Mr Kamuluddin and Mr Shah Hakim were not guity of any crime linked to the nuclear scandal.

Just weeks before Mr Tahir's arrest in Kuala Lumpur, United States officials also publicly absolved Malaysia and Scomi of any wrongdoing.

But after his release, the US State Department slapped sanctions on him and several other individuals, including Mr Shah Hakim and Dr Khan, for involvement in nuclear proliferation.

The State Department said the actions were a result of a years-long US goverment review of nuclear proliferation activities.

ljlepez@sph.oom.sg

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

Detained for nuclear smuggling

MR BUHARY Syed Abu Tahir(left), a Sri Lankan national and Malysian permenent resident, remains the only person to have been detained for nuclear summgling under Malaysia's Internal Security Act.

He was declared a national security risk for his involvemtn in an illegal nuclear network, led by Pakistani secientist Abudl Qadeer Khan, which sold nuclear know-ho and technology to Libya, Iran dan North Korea.

Officials said he had also put Malaysia at risk of sanctions from big powers.

He spent nearly four years in detention, but only two of those at the Kamunting prison camp in northern Perak state.

Malaysia police sources said Mr Tahir was transferred to a secreat safe house in Kuala Lumpur that was gazetted by the goverment as a holding facility in mid-2006. He enjoyed regular access to his family.

He was granted a conditional release in mid-2008. The terms of this relase included reporting weekly to the police and limits on this overseas travel.

All restrictions were lifted at the end of March last year, said police sources.

He now lives in Kuala Lumpur with his family and maintains a low profile.

There is a lot of questions that need asking. Why would Kalimullah's own staff wrote a piece damaging to Abdullah's son?

Kalimullah a close associate and Abdullah's appointed GEIC for NST has a close association with Singapore. It was his link to Singapore Times that lost him a job to be the late Ghaffar Baba's Press Secretary when he returned as Minister. Failing that, he rebuilt his inroad into the Malaysian corridor of power through Abdullah and made amass a fortune.

Is there a US or Singapore interest in the play?

There have been some development other than BSA Tahir's release from ISA. As a recap, the nuclear centrifuge was caught in it's destiny for Libya in late 2003 just before Tun Abdullah's ascension to Premiership.

The police believed and cleared Kamaluddin and Tun Salleh Abas's son in law and Scomi CEO, Dato Shah Hakam on the basis that both were duped into it by BSA Tahir. However, my personal encounter with a business associate of Kamaluddin and BSA Tahir dispute that reason.

But, it is the police opinion that matters and BSA Tahir was subsequently detained under ISA in March 2004. The long held believe is that he was detained to save the skin of Abdullah.

At around the time of BSA Tahir detention, the US cleared Malaysia of any involvement.

Since then, Dr Qadeer Khan's nuclear program has defunct. Strangely, the US had slapped a travel sanction on Dr Qadeer Khan and Shah Hakam middle of last year. That's strange, but why now?

More questions.

It is public knowledge that during his premiership, Abdullah basically kow tow to Singapore's every other wishes. He is no more in power, thus the question: why the need to pressure on Abdullah and family?

Or is it a fluke chance of putting some pressure on Malaysia for something through the former PM's son?

Yes off course, that's far fetch.

A more far fetch explanation would be to link it to Singapore Navy's warning statement of piracy threat in the Straits of Malacca last Thursday. The straits seaway is of global strategic importance.

Singapore, the nation of banana people have been ever eager to be an American "Deputy Sheriff" for South East Asia. They have always wanted their involvement in the security of the Straits of Malacca. Any US presence will not stop there and Asean can kiss ZOPFAN goodbye.

A straight forward conclusion is that Singapore is sending the message Abdullah is of no consequence to them. The message is by Kalimullah's people writing on something sensitive and damaging on Abdullah.

They are viewing it as more practical to maintain ties and appease Najib.

In other words, Khairy should not expect police escort any more if he wishes to cruise on Singapore's highway in a Mercedes sportscar with stopovers at Raffles for tea and scones.

* New addition

Why would Kalimullah have ties with Raja Petra to whack on Najib?

Former PKR bloggers are revealing that he provided his wife's apartment at Trinity Court, Bayswater, London for Raja Petra's accomodation. Kalimullah denied such accusation and reasoned that Raja Petra was critical of Abdullah and himself.

The counter spin is simple.

There is no permanent enemies and friends in politics. But there are common enemy, motives, and objectives. It is respectively Najib, bringing down BN and PAP's pre-1965 vision of Malaysian Malaysia.

In at least in one of those, Abdullah is not likely to agree with Kalimullah.

* Edited 8:30 PM

#Correction 13/3 12:30 PM - Pardon for mistake on Leslie Lopez vis a vis Lespie Lau. Nevertheless, it "doesn't change the story".