Doubt Sufi met Justo

In RPK's Malaysia Today posting, "Mahathir: The hunter turned hunted", he revealed that Tun M's assistant, Sufi Yusof had gone to Thailand to meet Xavier Justo and accused him as a party to a fraud.

Justo's own doing made the politicising of 1MDB issue turned the country topsy turvy.

In politics, all's fair in love and war. The political accusation on 1MDB made the line between sensibility and the simplified "thats all to it" reasoning become as thin as membrane. 

Few lady characters active in the movement to criticise 1MDB and topple Dato Najib called us to pick up on our point of view.

The moment we expressed disinterest to any discussion resembling political rhetorics, they couldn't begin to talk intelligently and got emotional.

After failing to raise issues to nail any argument, they finally end up talking of perception. People on the ground overwhelmingly want Najib out.

We are only interested in talking about ensuring the basis and argument for or against Najib is on the right basis, not on emotional basis. To end such wasteful discussion, we asked: do they understand the 1MDB issue?

The moment they said No, we replied to tell them that perception argument are for the naive and idiot.

Those over reliance on perception to justify their stand are bringing themselves down to the level of the naive and idiots instead of providing leadership and guidance to them.

In the first place, was there a survey or any proper measures of perception as the basis of discussion? 

If it is time for Najib to go, then he has to submit to God's will. They do their thing and Najib do their thing.

Too far from Justo 

Coming back to Sufi Yusof.

Immediately upon news of the capture of Justo, RPK made that revelation. Unless he has an untampered photo, there is hardly any reason to believe it. It would be a slanderous act to stretch the psychological gain for more with a lie.

Sometime in 2012, Tun M wrote of Malays in Thailand losing their "kemelayuan" in his blog and there was a Berita Harian article related to the blog posting [read here]. They could not speak any more Malay, not even the northern Kelantan or Kedahan dilect.

It was after a trip Tun M made to certain part of Thailand. After the trip, there was believed to be follow-up. If RPK's contact is genuine, then he would have told him that Sufi was not there to meet Justo but for a worthy and noble cause. Sufi would not want to brag of his efforts so it is not necessary to tell.

The known place Sufi went was too far from the vicinity Justo was captured. His timeline does not tally with Justo's departure from Petrosaudi and his blackmail operation against Petrosaudi and 1MDB.

If truly Sufi did meet Justo, then it will link Justo as Tun M's source.

Differences in opinion should not be the barrier to friendship. True friends would not antagonise and troll on another just cause they see things differently. And differences in opinion does not mean not defending a friend being slandered.

Such claim is slanderous and makes no sense. Justo could have come over to Malaysia to deliver information or emailed it. Or he could give his materials through a trusted someone. Why would Tun M's office send someone over to collect such information?

This an unnecessary effort to inconvenient people with the law. If the need to defend Najib, then stick to defending Najib. But to answer allegations against Najib by not answering and doing endless personal attack on the messenger, that is a dumbass strategy.

Same with attacking Proton. If the real issues of Proton are made known, everyone - both side of the political competition - would be embarassed. One fella orchestrating the attack on Proton used to be on the board of a subsidiary. Covering his failure?   

Political rhetorics

However, this issue of not answering questions has affected Tun M's side too. Despite the ball is on his side of the court, he has yet to provide proofs on the RM42 or RM27 or RM7 or billions stolen or disappearance allegation.

Tun M was cunning to get out of that one. He said Najib can ask me any questions. Always that fighter. 

Nevertheless, after few days of silence and pressed to show proofs, Tun M rebuked the arrest of Justo as stage-managed [read it FMT here]. Sun Tzu's art of diversion at it's best. It is a fine example of the cornered tiger escaping through an opportunistic weak point along the barrier.  

Prior to that most of the defensive reaction to Justo's arrest was to argue that "the arrest does not clear 1MDB". [One of many such arguments is by YB Dato Ariff Sabri here in FMT]. There was a spin to say the leak shows the 1MDB issue exist and true.

The political reply is simple, but rather shallow. Are the accusation against 1MDB based on tampered materials? Can they pinpoint which of their info are not tampered and the one tampered?

For the past few weeks after Arul Kanda have been answering the posed questions and doing quick replies, the manouvre by The Edge was to flank on the early TIA days and Petrosaudi investment with Jho Loh implicated.

We are all eyes and ears.

Although some bloggers were nitpicking on differences in statements and giving their own interpretation on statements with some still on a play of words, heck ... let them have their space. Not a major issue to ponder over.

The Cayman Island-BSI-Unit issue is pointless and irrelevant political rhetorics. As we see it, it was few leaders unable to explain off-shore banking operations.

It is hardly a lie or an act of robbery, heck ... let them say what they wish because they are pursuing it on the perception money involved in the Petrosaudi deal does not exist any more and merely on paper.

Anyway, if issue raised is related to governance issue, we are not in disagreement.  

Tampered desperation

In fact, they were on the right track and getting our eyes and ears till The Edge resorted to challenge anonymous bloggers to sue.

The Edge sounded desperate because they got their timeline screwed up on Javace. In last week's issue, they are trying to doubt Arul Kanda and claim their info of Good Star Limited was not a Petrosaudi subsidiary as true. It was indicative of The Edge showing confidence in fake documents.

Maybe they were the one telling Justo to fake it. As Dato Rahman Dahlan said The Edge was "obsessed" with 1MDB and would have gone to any length to pin it down.

The timing of the arrest could be uncanny to not be stage-managed but the assault was well orchestrated and strategised. In other words, it was stage managed too.

Najib must be a really great PM to be able to stage managed using another country's police.

Nevertheless, the arguments after the arrest was interesting.

One argument found on the FB of the ladies that called us was to recycle an earlier argument. If truly Sarawak Report and The Edge were using tampered documents to undermine a state institution, then why not sue them?

In due time perhaps. Lawsuits are time consuling as it requires gathering of fact and proof. Making wild accusation on social media does not require more than 5 seconds. For known personalities, any statement get published on media portals in 2 hours the most.

For the time being, there is an criminal investigation process and that itself is vindication. Computer Crimes Act 1997 instituted then by Tun M made computer crimes borderless as seen now. Anyway no newspaper got sued or charged after Ops Lalang too.

Lawyer Tan Sri Dr Shafee Abdullah expressed the opinion that Tony Pua is an interested party and shown biasness on 1MDB to be a fair PAC member thus should excuse himself. Didn't we argued that before?

Tun M gave a masterly defense of Tony Pua. He said all PAC members are bias. That's very true and agreeable absolutely. It means PAC is not realiable. As we argued before, there is no power and expertise in PAC to be credible.

Meant to misled

But, problem with Tun M's argument is that he once said he prefer PAC over Auditor General.

On that, we differ but no no need to hate him for it. A professional, true incorruptible professional (not necessary the best) is anytime better than politicians.

For that matter, same with media.

A true unbiased media, devoid of sinister agenda, would not report as 1MDB’s US$4.5 billion rescue may weigh on Abu Dhabi’s investment firm. It is neither a rescue plan (or bailout like Perwaja or MAS) nor will it dent the "trillions" of Abu Dhabi money investment firms.

This is similar spin to a previous manipulated fact on Ananda's so-called RM2 billion lending to 1MDB. Someone know the details but ignored the bit about Maybank guarantee. Better let Arul Kanda swiftly reply this.

Anyway lets not take too serious with all these arguments. It is all shallow political debate meant to mislead the public understanding of the issue.

An issue that require 15 pages of financial and technical jargon filled explanation is demanded upon to be summarised into a one liner with good soundbyte.

A solution that requires little time to resolve was demanded now and now, no more than 3 months. This was when they made a big fuzz over cashflow problem due to cancelled listing and need to meet debt commitment.

Nobody asked who the idiot CEO that was greedy and refused to list in December 2013 when all was ready. No cashflow problem would have arise now.

But, when a solution is put into effect out of urgency and demanded upon, they say should wait after PAC or audit. No wonder the attack on Auditor's opinion of a going concern with Bugs Bunny complained to MIA.

All this is hardly about making the public understand the issue properly.

* Edited 12:30 PM