Fat lady not sing yet

Boy... the air is fresh and the park is setene and peaceful this morning.

Coming out of PWTC yesterday evening, there was a sense of relieve and victory. The possible Prime Minister may not be expected choice, but it is a fair compromise.

In a war, it is the final victory that counts and not to win every battle.

However, celebrating now could be premature. Expect this impasse to last at least a week.

Apandi Ali questioned legality of Interim PM

This message originated from former Federal Court Judge and former Attorney General, Tan Sri Apandi Ali to impress on the King to dissolve Parliament and question constitutionality of Interim Prime Ministership of Tun Dr Mahathir:

... until the fat lady sings

Since the last posting, "Orang Malaya taking Sabah, Sarawak for granted" on February 20th, this blog stopped commenting on the power transition or claimed new government.

Few reasons, one being too many information which does not cross checked. It means certain side not honest and telling the truth.

Another being the situation is too fluid to comment and do any analysis. Anyway, what need be analysed have been done and variables laid out. Pointless to repeat and more so, with the continuous developments.

For months, this blog anticipated the month of February for the armageddon to happen. Water in the pot have been percolating for a while. It is time to boil over.

Why Daim's brother-in-law, Dr Mo hated AirAsia?

The consensus on the money paid by Airbus to Caterham is not an AirAsia offset but kickback. The few corporate Datoks and Tan Sris spoken to viewed the private ownership of Caterham does not qualify it as offset or in simpler language, discount paid back in kind.

In one teh tarik session, an attempt to figure out a way AirAsia could work itself out failed. Quid pro quo, CSR and several ideas suggested, but the lawyer heard to be hired, Ambiga will still be stuck with the ownership issue and the conflict with AirAsia's status as PLC.

Several retired airliners shared stories on the early days of Airbus and suspect the company only recently stopped their past practise. That was Rocky Bru's argument against praising Airbus as courageous.

The Star's scoop is a clever answer for AirAsia to temporarily ward of hostililities. It could be an afterthought, but report claimed BOD approved the use of Caterham for branding exercise. It legitimise Caterham to accept Airbus money and AirAsia is left with only the stickly issue of the emails. 

However, the response to Rocky is that it is no scoop. With Tan Sri Tony Fernandez as member of Star Publication BOD, it was leaked exam questions.

For Daim sake, charge Dzulkifli and let the chips fall where they may

It is already 40 days after the audio expose by MACC, but no Investigation Paper submitted by police to AG and any charges made.

Chief Commissioner, Latheefa Koya submitted the audio claimed to be given to her anonymously to  police. It was reported police spent 4 hours to record her statement.

Contrary to recent and previous statements (here and here) by IGP Tan Sri Hamid Bador, the relevant persons have yet to be called in and only indicate investigation is at a slow and reluctant pace.

Few days after the expose on January 8th, 2020, Tun Daim was asked for a response by media. As quoted by Sinar Harian, he said, "I want justice. Justice and truth, that's all." It is a loaded answer that could mean either or both ways.

As a former Magistrate, Daim should be aware that Latheefa's stunt is in contravention of the Penal Code 203. The reveal appeals to human rights activists, but its admissibility in question.

One MACC official confided privately, "I would not have done such a crazy thing."

DEDICATED TO ATOQ: End of the Line by Traveling Wilburys

End of the Line

Produced by Jeff Lynne & George Harrison
Album Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1

[Chorus 1: George Harrison]
Well it's all right, riding around in the breeze
Well it's all right, if you live the life you please
Well it's all right, doing the best you can
Well it's all right, as long as you lend a hand

[Verse 1: Tom Petty]
You can sit around and wait for the phone to ring
Waiting for someone to tell you everything
Sit around and wonder what tomorrow will bring
Maybe a diamond ring

Airbus's courage, Malaysia's lack of integrity

"An act of courage", the NST column by Prof Salleh Buang briefly explained the settlement in the UK Airbus judgement. He revealed it originated from an internal investigation by the company new CEO, Tom Enders.

Suspecting wrongdoings behind certain irregularities, Tom lodged a report to the authorities. It led to a crackdown to sack more than 100 staff, bite the bullet and eventually, negotiated a settlement to pa US$4 billion fines to three countries.

Tom's action brought a closure and limit the liability to the company to allow it to continue as an on going concern.

However, it was certainly not the original intention. There was genuine integrity for corporate governance, accountability and transparency on the part of the CEO.

Sri Lanka acted swiftly to charge former CEO of SriLankan Airlines and his wife on February 6th, less than a week after news broke.

Surprisingly, there is no development in Malaysia despite MACC issued immediate statement. The slow pace raise suslicion of a cover-up.

Latheefa's MACC abused power to intimidate doctor, but will Hamid Bador's police do their job?

Latheefa Koya had just issued a statement informing Datin Seri Rosmah's absence from the court is no more an issue as she had valid medical certificate. Actually, it remains an issue.

In the first place, it is none of her fricking business as her typical bulldozer habit to get things her way have landed her in bigger trouble than she already is with her recent revealing of a suspected MACC intelligence tapping.

She has abused her position to encroach into the power of the court and the authority of a medical practitioner thus had committed contempt of court, breaching the Medical Act, and abuse of power under the Penal Code governing civil servants. 

Her statement today is merely a media drama of Latheefa trying to evade responsibility and avoid being investigated and subsequently charged for breaking the law.

The media was also an accomplice.

Orang Malaya taking Sabah, Sarawak for granted

The Utusan Sarawak headline on Thursday evening, "GPS bebas, tidak sertai Pakatan Nasional - Abang Johari" was certainly odd.

PN is a non-existent entity, thus the denial indirectly acknowledged its existent. A Sarawak blogger speculated it may have came up in recent meetings between Tun Dr Mahathir and Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.

Nevertheless, it turned out that it was touched by Abang Jo during the PC as answer to a question from the press.

That explains.

Political parties and factions aligned in the rivalry on the power transition from Mahathir to Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim been making claims Parliament seats held by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) are aligned to them.

To quote a private comment from a former Federal Minister made in July last year, "...the chess board strategy being made out - a lot of "political game strategist' just place GPS as if we don't think to decide."

After Abang Jo's statement, the sides still insist the same and merely modified their viraled claim with a variation of 2 to 4 seats going to the other side.

Orang Malaya seemed to be taking Sabah and Sarawak for granted.

After Airbus judgement, do Malaysians still wish to be seen in London?

Sieving through the news reports, and social media comments, the public at large failed to appreciate that their celebrated entrepreneurs created another milestone of achievement that “Now,  everyone could not have done”.

The spirit of “Malaysia Boleh” got two Malaysians linked to AirAsia registered in a London court together with Airbus, a world renown multinational and getting global coverage. It is an unthinkable branding strategy.

Being implicated in the judgement for corruption against Airbus. the two decision makers for the large orders for planes for AirAsia and AirAsia X are far from acquited from allegations of bribe.

Legally, an e-mail evidence linked the plane order to the sponsorship into Caterham F1 team which is privately owned by Tan Sri Tony Fernandez and Dato Kamaruddin Meranun. This was highlighted by fervent detractor of AirAsia, Wee Choo Keong in his blog here.

Caterham F1 venture was meant to raise the Airasia brand and get social media viral to the Gen Y market. Instead, the judgement put Malaysia on the map of shame. It may not matter to the penny pinching Malaysian travelers. But to the well-heeled where London is their second hometown, “Now, everyone are smeared” by the judgement.

The highly etiquette and good mannered British, who values moral and ethics, adherence to integrity and accountability, and generally about being proper, will not look at Malaysians in the same light again.

Big test awaits Latheefa Koya to investigate UK's Airbus judgement

If not for the latest twist on the on-going Bollywood epic drama of power transition with the backroom scene of UMNO's decision to merge with PPBM-PAS plan to maintain Tun Dr Mahathir as Prime Minister, the UK court judgement on bribery by Airbus would have made headline in Malaysia.

TMI headlined it as "AirAsia execs received US$50 million bribe from Airbus, UK court papers show". AirAsia and AirAsia X are implicated in the judgement against Airbus which had to pay fines to UK, France and US to the tune of €3.6 billion.

The approved judgement can be downloaded here. When can our court make public such documents than limit it to merely lawyers?

Tan Sri Tony Fernandez dan Dato Kamaruddin Meranun were not mentioned by name, but aspersions are already made of them following reports by UK daily, The Telegraph.

Both denied involvement and announced temporarily stepping out from execution positions within the AirAsia group.

How to dissolve Parliament, and dismiss or appoint a Prime Minister?

It is February and the fight for the position of Prime Minister between Tun Dr Mahathir and Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim has begun for few months already after several losing by-elections by PH.

The real show is expected to begin soon. It should end by May, and could possibly end earlier at the  March Parliament seating.

Today is February 2nd, a day after Federal Territory's Day and there is an ambitous demonstration dubbed as Perhimpunan 020222 to demand dissolving of Parliament. For NGOs without backing of large organisations or political parties, it is considered ambitous to display the more than 300,000 anti-ICERD crowd in their promotion.

With government and administration in such a disarray due to internal bickering within the ruling coalition, Pakatan Harapan over power transition and sheer incompetence of cabinet Ministers that is leading to near breakdown of public administration, their call is to return back to the voters to decide.

However, dissolution of Parliament could terminate Mahathir's party from the political scene.