Sanusi's explanation on Kedah FA confusing

Another interpretation of Sanusi's explanation raised suspicion of corruption and abuse of power similar to the case against Muhyiddin involving Bokhary Equities donation to PPBM, as below:

Adding to the confusion is the bit about Tulangi requesting the return of RM1.3 million instead of the whole RM5 million. 

Some details would be nice because apparently a reliable source said there was no flow of money into KFA account to show the donated money went to KFA. This contradict Sanusi's claim the money is all in the account. 

Sanusi mentioned in his press statement about the RM5 million received was to pay debt. So which is which: 

Money in the KFA account used to pay debt or KFA could only afford to repay RM1.3 million because money never went into the account? 

What good is there to support Mahathir and Daim?

Tun Dr Mahathir is visually and vocally active again advocating to topple yet another government not to his preference for reasons obvious to all and many. 

Mahathir met Isham Jalil few weeks ago and likely to have recruited him into his fold since Isham was caught in discussion publicly with his henchman Khairuddin Abu Hasan and admitted to have met him several times. 

His criticism of UMNO was in unison with Mahathir and certain PAS leader. However, the go-between man between him and Mahathir is someone else. 

The latest development surrounding Isham gives the impression Najib is cooperating with Mahathir, but that is affirmatively not true and in contradiction. 

It is also not true the Mahathir's claim that Najib was involved in the Sheraton Move to topple the Pakatan Harapan government he led and instilled Muhyiddin as Prime Minister. 

He made the claim in The Star interview last year October leading to GE15th in November. 

China's rating downgrade have impact on Malaysia

AP reported on Moddy's downgrade of China's debt yesterday here.

For Malaysia, the bilateral trade with China for 2022 is US$203.6 billon and a delicate situation arising from the semi-conductor boycott. May need to read Edge's June 2023 article:

The State of the Nation: Why weakness in China’s economy is a problem for Malaysia

According to a 2019 study, a 1% slowdown in the Chinese economy will translate to a fall by 0.11% of the Malaysian economy. 

Tengku Zafrul proudly announced recently FDI commitment of RM212 billion, in which the bulk of it, RM170 billion is from China. It will mean some of the commitment may not come to realisation just like what is happenned to Country Garden in Johor Baru. 

Declining productivity concern

An illustration of declining productivity 

This is not a new issue but had been left to prolong. SERC contributed an article to BERNAMA in 2020 here in view of the challenges to come from the pandemic. An updated view is the extract from Thick as a Brick's Declining Productivity: Worrisome economics beyond politics below: 

To ... appreciate the problem and able to understand the implication, the issue of declining productivity raised in the recent Keluar Sekejap interview with World Bank Chief Economist for Malaysia, Aporva Sanghi incapsulate the crossroad situation we are in.         

Aporva mentioned of the long term decline in productivity. Decline in investment at below 20% of GDP and the investment coming Malaysia's way lack quality.

One area in investment decline is education or in other words, human resource investment. He described and quantified Malaysia as facing learning poverty at 40%. There is lack of nutrition in school children,  in which we recalled the late Ungku Aziz (Al Fatihah) talking about kerangka minda decades ago. 

Muhyiddin on the way out

It is openly known that Wan Muhammad Azri or called Papagomo on social media and blog is now working with Mahathir. 

When he demanded on Muhyiddin to present himself to Mahathir, it was a clear signal that things are not going well with him and there was an internal strife in PPBM. The question on every political observers lips were who is Mahathir working with to regain control PPBM.

He has already positioned himself with PAS as adviser to the four PAS-control states and has one leg inside PN. It is a question of time he step his other foot in PPBM. 

The departure of four PPBM MPs to support Anwar in exchange for MP allocations is seen as the death nail for PPBM and eventually PN. However, the reluctance of  Hamzah to negotiate en bloc with Anwar's appointed Fadilah for PN MPs' allocation raise the question that there is more than meets the eye. 

It could merely be testing the water and a reverse could happen.

What is a Kafir?

Drawing of two “kufaar” (farmers), plowing a field

The Confusion in English Regarding the Quranic Use of the Word ‘Kafir’ 

By Abdullah Al Abdalusi 

May 5, 2016 

An extract below:

Like  the Christian concept that no one except God can determine whether someone is ultimately saved or not, or a theological [1] ‘Kafir’, since sincerity can only truly be known by God, and only He judges the hereafter of anyone.

There will be people on the day of judgement that never labelled themselves a ‘Muslim’ and will not suffer perdition (i.e. a Hanif – rightly inclined). One famous example of this (partly) during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) is Zayd bin ‘Amr who never labelled himself a Muslim before he died (probably because he died before the Prophet Muhammed announced his prophethood ﷺ).

Too many questions hanging on Covid 19 procurement

PETALING JAYA: Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin says he takes full responsibility for the cost of wasted Covid-19 vaccines, following the release of the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) report on the matter.

Read on in FMT here.

Despite doing so, questions still abound because the procurement for Covid 19 was widely suspected to be abused by the Muhyiddin administration to build-up the political war chest of PPBM and the UMNO faction aligned to him.   

In Khairy's defense, a public health practitioner, M Muralittharan asked readers of his FMT column here to recall the mad rush for vaccine when the Covid 19 virus was spreading rapidly and government success. Extract below: