Sunday, August 29, 2021

Salam Merdeka 2021


Back in primary school days at Sekolah Temenggong Abdul Rahman 1, Johor Baru in 1971, yours truly was the senior prefect leading the reading of oath at the school assembly.

In celebration of Merdeka, join us to read the sacred words this then 12 year old recited at the top of our voice half a century ago:

Friday, August 27, 2021

What will new cabinet be? [up-dated]

Prime Minister, Dato Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob presented his cabinet list to his Majesty DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong in Pahang yesterday.

The announcement was due yesterday but postphone today this morning and swearing in to be done Monday.

In a deft touch move, Ismail emulated the idea of unity government with a meeting and understanding with opposition leaders on Wednesday.

It is to fulfill Agong's wishes to lower the political temperature. And it serves to allay suspicion he has to succumb to the veiled threat from Tan Sri Mahiaddin Mat Yasin.

Though he mentioned of conditional support to Ismail to not include "kleptocrats" or more accurately "kluster mahkamah" in cabinet or any government role, it is seen putting  pressure for PPBM to get key cabinet positions. 

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob on course to be Malaysia's next PM


Shannon Teoh
Malaysia Bureau Chief

UPDATED

3 HOURS AGO

KUALA LUMPUR - Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob is on the cusp of becoming Malaysia's ninth Prime Minister after his party's 38 lawmakers decided late Tuesday (Aug 17) to throw their support behind him.

Multiple sources told The Straits Times that a meeting of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers agreed to nominate the Bera MP, who was deputy premier in the Muhyiddin Yassin administration which resigned on Monday.

Monday, August 16, 2021

O' Lord, grant us good leadership ... Ameen


Ameen.

Tan Sri Mahiaddin Mat Yasin has formally submitted his resignation to His Majesty, the Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah.

According to article 43 (4), Mahiaddin has no majority and is left with the option to dissolve Parliament or if not accepted, resign. 

He had opted to resign, thus the whole cabinet is dissolved along. Had he refused, Agong has option to use discretion under article 43 (2).

With the resignation, Agong would invite leaders with the majority to offer themselves as PM.

Friday, August 13, 2021

It's a matter of hours ...

It could be 24, 48, 72 hours or even more. 

Unless any unexpected turn of event, any moment Tan Sri Mahiaddin Mat Yasin @ Muhyiddin Yassin would end his tenure as the 8th Prime Minister before Parliament could reconvene to vote on the motion for a vote of confidence.

His trip to Marang, Terengganu yesterday to meet sickly PAS President, Tuan Guru Dato Haji Hadi Awang may not likely to discuss strategy to remain in power. 

A PAS leader and UMNO Minister was heard summoned to meet the Agong to deliver the message to Mahiaddin to resign. He has received the message Wednesday evening after the meeting with party leaders of Perikatan Nasional.  

Hadi should have been briefed. Already viraled on social media is all police leave cancelled with immediate effect. Military Chief is Agong's brother-in-law and they would have been on standby earlier.   

The Facebook of YB Awang Hashim for Pendang quoted Utusan Malaysia report mentioning the meet is to strengthen PAS position in the PN coalition. MB Terengganu, Dato Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar was more sombre and less committed to say anything in his FB posting. 

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Sunday, August 08, 2021

Vinod Sekhar could sue the daylight of MalaysiaNow

The last words in TwentyTwo13's interview with Dato Vinod Sekhar is probably an indication he will not waste any more time with MalaysiaNow or Malaysia Today and sue the living daylight out of these two portals. 

Reproduced from The Mole:

I’m a businessman and I want to do as much as possible. I’d like to leave a legacy for my daughters so that they will be proud of me like how I am proud of my father. That’s setting the bar very high. I’ve passed the stage of looking at petty things. Legacy is all there is.

The two portals were still at it to repeat on his already cleared bankruptcy and again mentioned in their so-called scoop on Vinod involvement in the alleged Hungarian ventilator scandal. 

Since 2019, Vinod started bouncing back from the financial setback (read Astro Awani here). Because of the renewed onslaught, he had to do another round of PR exercise (Read FocusM here and here). Image and perception is everything to a businessman.    

Its one thing for writer or social media commentator to raise issues against politicians. They are more hardy, thick skinned, and capable of replying back. 

But when involve civil servants and businessmen, it is a different ball of wax. Extra caution is required. Ensure it is substantiated and can be proven. 

Friday, August 06, 2021

Nothing new on the Hungarian ventilator scandal allegation

After more than 10 days, wonder what is the development to the July 25th posting entitled "MalaysiaNow - MT doing old school reformasi era psywar" in their attempt to scandalise and locally politicise Malaysian businessman, Dato Vinod Sekhar to the Hungarian ventilator scandal.  

The issue is interesting on several aspects. Hope it is not narrowly perceived as a pro-UMNO moi defending someone closely linked to Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. If there is any politics, it is about political quarrels similar to the quarrel of former lovers. 

Same happening currently at national level is the political quarrels of former comrades from and within UMNO, which this blog is refraining from comment to prevent from blurting anything and just enjoying a ring-side seat.   

The attack on Vinod revealed Malaysia Today has changed bosses again within a short time after leaving Dato Najib's man to someone aligned to PPBM and apparently, now it is with Azmin. NO worry, OK with that. 

Wonder whether MalaysiaNow responded to not only yours truly's posting, but also that of NurclearBursaMan here, Life of Annie's here, and TwentyTwo13 portal here.    

Tuesday, August 03, 2021

Serba finally reply the RM4.5 billion question

In an interview with FMT, Serba Dinamik finally explained and replied to the RM4.5 billion KPMG claimed audit discrepancies.

The saga caused some RM3 billion capitalisation of the company wiped out following attempt to sack and resignation of KPMG, sellout by local Fund Manager including Pak Pandir dubbed EPF, resignation of independent members of the Board of Directors and unprecedented lawsuit against an external auditor.

Apparently, 1MDB did the same on KPMG. Another relief to Serba is criminal charge against an ex-KPMG sued by 1MDB and also ex-Serba independent Director. More in Rocky Bru here on the change of perception against Serba.

The crux of the matter is the audit discrepency. Part of it was probably leaked and rebutted back in i-Investor portal. Sarawak Kini discussed it here.

Serba CEO Datok Mohd Karim Abdullah has finally spoken. FMT below:

Sunday, August 01, 2021

MAHB need to avoid perception trap

According to Wikipedia, persistence of vision is the “optical illusion that occurs when visual perception of an object does not cease for some time after the rays of light proceeding from it have ceased to enter the eye”.

A series of vision creates an illusion of motion in the old film on reel. And, a series of reported and analysed news or events could create a visual perception of the reported subject. Seldom governments or corporations or personalities are too adamant with the facts before their hand.

They failed to realise the visual perception from the publicly available and widespread report or analysis of news or events. By the time, they realised the problem and gone into firefighting mode, its too late and perception is imbedded. 

Like all players in the aviation industry, Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) is in a tough business condition. Though still have the reserves and credit facility to keep going and carryout plans, the 5 quarters losses is their persistence of vision.