Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Malaysia’s oil drying up, Petronas told US envoys
- Sini-sana news on the planned 9th July BERSIH rally
- Bagloads of money to buy Iranian gas, oil
| Malaysia’s oil drying up, Petronas told US envoys Posted: 19 Jun 2011 07:05 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Malaysia's limited oil and gas reserves are running dry, spelling trouble for the government as it relies on national oil company Petronas for nearly half its revenue, said a leaked United States diplomatic cable. According to the cable released by whistleblower website WikiLeaks, a Petronas board member admitted to US embassy officers here in 2008 that the company "feels tremendous pressure to grow its business in order to maintain Malaysia's political status quo." "Petronas wants to stay insulated from politics but must comply with GOM (the government of Malaysia) policy," Datuk Mohd Azhar Osman Khairuddin, now a vice president at Petronas, was quoted as saying in the cable published in full by the Malaysia Today news portal today. "Azhar told us that Malaysian O&G reserves are not large and are running out soon. (Note: Conoco Philips Malaysia confirmed that without new discoveries, Malaysian oil production will decline at approximately 10 per cent per year, from 550,000 bpd in 2008 to roughly 490,000 bpd in 2009 and 450,000 bpd in 2010.) "Azhar noted that revenues from Petronas accounted for 45 per cent of the GOM budget last year and stated that the GOM is over-reliant on Petronas to fund its operations," said the document classified by the embassy's then economic counsellor, Matt Matthews. Petronas made a pre-tax profit of RM90.5 billion for the year ending March 31, 2011. On top of taxes, Petronas has been paying the government a dividend of RM30 billion since 2009, up from RM24 billion in 2008, RM20 billion in 2007, RM13 billion in 2006 and just RM9.1 billion in 2005. However, a new proposal expected to take effect in 2013 will see dividends paid by the state-owned oil company fixed at 30 per cent of net profit. According to the cable, Azhar said that Petronas wanted to invest in productive O&G assets to "promote future profitability rather than be spent now on domestic programmes for political gain."
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| Sini-sana news on the planned 9th July BERSIH rally Posted: 19 Jun 2011 06:42 PM PDT MCA hammers Perkasa for race riot insinuations Despite warning its members away from the Bersih 2.0 rally next month, MCA leaders have flayed Perkasa's Datuk Ibrahim Ali for leading the public into believing the gathering could turn into a racial riot. When contacted today, the leaders expressed disgust at the Malay rights leader's sudden warning to the Chinese to "stay home" on July 9 and "stock up on food as anything could happen". "This is unnecessary, what Perkasa said. Why do you have to make it a racial thing?" MCA Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong told The Malaysian Insider when approached in Parliament. He agreed that Bersih, a bipartisan electoral reform group made up of civil society organisations, was comprised of a variety of races. MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu said it was no surprise that Ibrahim, known for his pro-Malay race rhetoric in his work for Perkasa, the NGO he founded, had come up with such a statement. "Whatever he does is racial so it is quite natural for him. We do not agree with him of course... he should not be disrupting public peace. For him to turn it into a racial issue... it is just nonsense," he said. 80 groups renew support as countdown begins for July 9 rally In what appears to be the launching of a countdown to the much anticipated Bersih rally on July 9, some 80 organisations yesterday renewed their support for the coalition and listed eight demands on reforming the electoral system. Khairy wants action against Ibrahim Ali for 'racist' statement Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin urged the authorities to take action against Malay rights group Perkasa's president Datuk Ibrahim Ali for 'threatening' the Chinese community. "It is a racist and seditious statement that is dangerous. "Action should be taken against him as his statement is a clear threat," he told reporters at Parliament's lobby here on Monday. He added that the authorities should use the Sedition Act to investigate Ibrahim over his statement. Bersih rally tainted, claims Khairy Khairy Jamaluddin today claimed the Bersih rally has been compromised, following Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's attempt to exert his influence by claiming he could stop the rally next month. Yesterday, the PKR de facto leader said he would ask Bersih chairman, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, to call off the July 9 rally if the prime minister could guarantee free and fair elections. However, Ambiga dismissed the statement, stressing that the decision to continue with the planned Bersih 2.0 rally will be made by civil society groups and not any political party Today, the Umno Youth chief said Anwar's actions showed that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has its own political agenda behind its support for the massive rally. "It shows that the opposition has its own agenda behind Bersih even though Ambiga has said that no party can direct her. "He (Anwar) thinks that Bersih is an agenda and platform of the opposition. That shows Bersih is compromised, because if Anwar can think that it (Bersih) belongs to the opposition then Bersih's objectives are jeopardised. They (Bersih) are being used by the opposition," he told reporters during a press conference here today. DAP faults Umno for Perkasa threats DAP's Lim Guan Eng pronounced Umno guilty today of fanning racial and religious strife for its tacit support of Perkasa's "Nazi-like" threat against ethnic Chinese ahead of three massive — and conflicting — marches on July 9. The DAP secretary-general further accused the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin of being "politically bankrupt" for resorting to provocation to cover its own shortcomings. Lim pointed out Umno and the BN government have been deflecting questions on health and environmental safety over Australian miner Lynas Corp's RM700 million rare earths project in Pahang and the Tourism Ministry's RM1.8million Facebook scandal. Nurul Izzah: Ibrahim Ali a coward Nurul Izzah Anwar today called Datuk Ibrahim Ali a coward for threatening the Chinese community and warning them against showing up for the Bersih rally on July 9. "Threats like that are only issued by cowards. It's mind-boggling that the authorities have failed to reprimand him accordingly. "While I believe that we should respect the right of all Malaysians to speak freely, this freedom is not something to be abused or to be used irresponsibly. As such, I am truly disappointed by the insinuations and veiled language used by Datuk Ibrahim Ali, with regards to the Bersih 2.0 rally happening this July 9," the PKR vice-president told The Malaysian Insider. Malay rights group Perkasa kicked off its Bersih 2.0 counter-protest in Kampung Baru yesterday by burning images of Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and issuing a warning to the Chinese to stay indoors as "anything could happen". Ibrahim, who had appointed himself "war general", said if electoral reform coalition Bersih goes through with its July 9 rally, he will not be held responsible for any untoward incidents which may occur. "Imagine if chaos erupts. If the Bersih rally is not cancelled... I believe the Chinese community will have to stock up on food," he had said. Kit Siang slams inaction over Ibrahim's veiled threats Calling it the most "bloodcurdling and incendiary" statement made in public, DAP's Lim Kit Siang questioned today Putrajaya's silence against Perkasa's warning to ethnic Chinese to "stay home" and "stock up on food" on July 9. Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who founded the grassroots Malay nationalist group, had yesterday launched a counter-strike to the July 9 public rally organised by electoral reform group Bersih 2.0. There, he declared "If the Bersih rally is not cancelled... I believe the Chinese community will have to stock up on food". "If an emergency declared, will the Agong be able to appoint a caretaker leader? Maybe they (the opposition) will take to the streets and demand that they take over the government," the Independent Pasir Mas MP added. Lim, who is Ipoh-Timur MP, said he was shocked by his parliamentary colleague's provocative remarks, highlighting that the Bersih campaign is about free and fair elections and had nothing to do with race. He demanded the federal government explain why no action has been taken against Ibrahim. "The question is not about the tirade from Ibrahim Ali but why has he been given the immunity and impunity to make such provocation. "Why is the home minister, the prime minister and the IGP closing their eyes to such provocation and strengthening the impression they are complicit or conspiring with such a threat?" the seasoned DAP politician asked. Bersih 2.0: Pemuda PAS dakwa polis restu tindakan Perkasa Dewan Pemuda PAS pusat mendakwa pendekatan Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali sengaja menggunakan sentimen perkauman dalam satu perhimpunan semalam dalam menggagalkan Himpunan Bersih 2.0 bulan depan. Malah sayap PAS itu juga mendakwa Perkasa menjadikan sasaran barunya dengan bertindak membakar gambar Pengerusi Bersih Datuk S. Ambiga dan melaungkan sentiemen agama dengan melabelnya "perempuan hindu yang bahaya", satu tindakan yang boleh mencetuskan suasana buruk walaupun ia langsung tidak berkaitan terhadap himpunan yang bakal berlangsung. "Malah Datuk Ibrahim juga mengukapkan "orang Cina elok duduk dalam rumah sebelum sesuatu yang buruk berlaku" sebagai pendekatan amaran yang sengaja membakar kaum Cina dalam negara," kata Naib Ketua Pemuda PAS Raja Ahmad Al-Hiss dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan hari ini. Bersih 2.0: Kerajaan guna taktik takutkan rakyat, kata Pemuda PAS Dewan Pemuda PAS pusat mendakwa kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) menggunakan taktik menakut-nakutkan rakyat bagi menghalang orang ramai daripada menyertai Himpunan Bersih 2.0 bulan depan. Ketuanya Nasrudin Hasan berkata, hasrat aspirasi rakyat untuk memastikan proses pelantikan pemimpin negara menerusi lunas demokrasi dan pilihan raya yang adil serta telus sukar diterima oleh sebuah kerajaan yang angkuh. "PAS bersama semua parti politik pembangkang serta pertubuhan bukan kerajaan yang menganggotai koalisi Bersih, bersiap sedia untuk berhimpun secara aman tanpa senjata untuk menyerahkan memorandum khas kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong," kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan hari ini.
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| Bagloads of money to buy Iranian gas, oil Posted: 19 Jun 2011 06:09 PM PDT A high level Petronas official revealed to US diplomats that the oil company felt tremendous pressure to grow its business in order to maintain Malaysia's political status quo. The cable stated that he had a meeting with the US diplomats on Jan 12 and revealed the information on Malaysian firms investing in Iran. The leaked cable did not state in which year the meeting took place but a series of cables on the same issue indicated that it must be after Najib Tun Razak took over as prime minister in 2009. K Kabilan, Free Malaysia Today Malaysian firms were overly keen to invest in oil and gas in Iran, to the extent of carrying "suitcases of money" to the Islamic republic to buy concessions, revealed a confidential US cable. Quoting a Malaysia Foreign Ministry official, the US cable stated that "Malaysian firms go to Iran with suitcases of money to purchase oil and gas concessions from the Iranians". The Malaysian official, Muhammad Radzi Jamaludin, was quoted in the cable as telling US diplomats that the Malaysian firms bring "too much cash to count the money, so they weigh it to determine if the amount is correct". "Radzi did not offer why Malaysian firms would purchase an O&G concession from the Iranians for a project they are unable to finance," added the cable. Radzi is the principal assistant secretary and America desk officer at the Foreign Ministry. The cable stated that he had a meeting with the US diplomats on Jan 12 and revealed the information on Malaysian firms investing in Iran. The leaked cable did not state in which year the meeting took place but a series of cables on the same issue indicated that it must be after Najib Tun Razak took over as prime minister in 2009. Details of the cable were leaked by WikiLeaks to popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin who had reproduced the cable in his Malaysia Today website today. Earlier cables stated that national oil company Petronas and two local Bumiputera companies, Amona and SKS Ventures, had interests in Iranian oil and gas fields. Their interest in Iran was due to Malaysia's support for trade cooperation with Iran. A previous cable also noted that SKS Ventures, backed by billionaire businessman Syed Mokhtar Al-Buhkary, was eager to pull out from the deal after discovering that the prospect of developing two gas fields in Iran has "no commercial value at this time". SKS Ventures CEO Abang Iskandar Muas had informed US diplomats during a meeting on Jan 19 that the company had "no money in the ground" in Iran, because the firm did not pay an initial "signing bonus" as the buyback service contract did not carry any vested rights to the gas. Radzi also confirmed this in this latest cable, stating that both SKS Ventures and Amona had claimed to the Malaysian Trade Ministry (MITI) that they had no financing sources for their projects in Iran. Petronas, meanwhile, had informed MITI that it did not have any investments in Iran. The same message was also conveyed by the national oil company to the US diplomats. "Petronas told us Jan 11 that it has no active investments in Iran, no commitment has been made to invest in South Pars Phase 11 and its contractual obligations in the Munir block are complete, with no further investment under consideration. "Petronas officials noted that Petronas is concerned about investing in Iran due to current political uncertainties there. "Amona told us via telephone they sold their oil and gas (O&G) business, including any interest in the redevelopment of the Resalat Oilfield," stated the US diplomats in the cable. The Petronas position The US diplomats stated that their meeting with Petronas was at "a surprisingly high level and the information offered was unusually frank and forthcoming for such a sensitive topic". The US diplomats had met with a member of the Petronas board of directors and corporate secretary Mohd Azhar Osman Khairuddin. Also present at the meeting was Azhar's assistant, the head of Legal Research, Planning and Issues Management, Abdul Rahim Mydin.
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