Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- EXXONMOBIL Scandal Starring Mirzan Mahathir
- Selamat Hari Raya from YB Ronnie Liu
- Proven - the BN/MSMS Complex is using Alinskyite tactics
- Scumbag Malaysia "Recognises" Fascist Rebel Government In Libya
- Take Responsibility, Rais!
| EXXONMOBIL Scandal Starring Mirzan Mahathir Posted: 30 Aug 2011 01:32 AM PDT
Mahathir Mohamad on the one hand is using Ibrahim Ali to stoke up the Malay sentiments' anti-drinking, anti-everything for his return to power, while on the other using his son Mirzan to buy Esso Malaysia using San Miguel's beer drinking money. By JO & M.Nathan I am so utterly disgusted with the BN government for its inability to engage Esso Malaysia for the rakyat. I am further disgusted with the hypocrisy of Mahathir Mohamad on the one hand using Ibrahim Ali to stoke up the Malay sentiments' anti-drinking, anti-everything for his return to power, while on the other using his son Mirzan to buy Esso Malaysia using San Miguel's beer drinking money. Worse still, he is exploiting the tax incentives reserved for us the rakyat, the unimportant Malaysians. If you remember, Mirzan surfaced as a director of Petron, San Miguel's beer company as the parent. Now he is using his brotherly influence on Muhkriz as the Minister of MITI to get the FIC approval and whatever else needed, for a deal which no decent government would ever allow. Yesterday, the Domestic Trade Minister Sabri even said Malaysia cannot do anything about it. What a statement. The point is these Ministers are put there to safeguard our interests, not to spend time mixing with singers and artists so that his son Dafi can cut another album or so. Ministers need to protect the welfare of the rakyat especially when 80% of Esso customers are Muslim and do not want to have to change their lifestyle or travel another 25 km to pump petrol at another station that is halal, just to line Mirzan's pocket. For Mirzan everything can, for us unimportant Malaysians everything cannot. Back to Mahathir, how can we the rakyat even think of allowing this Mahathir-Mirzan-Muhkriz beer for subsidy petrol scandal to occur? In the internet, so many people are complaining that even the minority shareholders are up in arms and considering a class action suit against Exxon-Mobil for the utmost disregard for minority shareholders. We expect Exxon-Mobil to uphold the highest and most stringent standard of professionalism and integrity, whether it is in the USA or in another third world country such as Malaysia. But obviously our BN government doesnt seem to think that is important. It seems to think that what is good for Mirzan must be good for Muhkriz, and therefore it is good to rip off all of us normal Malaysians, and we must just swallow. I wonder why the goverment has not hauled up Esso staff Mr Stafford T. Kelly who made several announcements on the manner in which he felt Exxon-Mobil divested San Miguel. The funny thing is, his valuation exercise was done in a highly irregular manner leaving us minority shareholders to question what is actually behind this deal, and who in Exxon-Mobil is benefitting personally from this deal? First, everyone knows that the assets in Esso Malaysia are part of a listed company and thus require close scrutiny. It is precisely because of this we are shocked that Mr Stafford told the reporters that the decision to sell the Esso assets (at USD280 million valuation for the whole 100%) cheaper than the Mobil equivalent (at USD 400 million) have been sanctioned and approved by the Government of Malaysia tacitly. One only has to examine whether the sales of the assets are mutually exclusive. Judging from the newspaper report, it is a packaged deal and not mutually exclusive. It is then very curious that the sales of the assets are cross-subsidized using the unlisted ones in Mobil to be subsidized by the listed Esso shares in Malaysia. This is against the law but Mr Stafford knows the Mahathir children will follow the footsteps of the father to cheat all Malaysians. Since he has taken care of Mirzan (where do you think the difference of USD 400 and 280 million went?) he does not have to worry who he steps on. That is why the Bursa is so quiet even though this is clearly criminal. Second, it is obvious Mr Stafford has botched up the entire bidding and valuation exercise when he can announce to the world (and all of Malaysia) that the deal to his preferred partner San Miguel is final even before the Malaysian authorities have a chance to consider the Foreign Investment Committee ruling. Obviously he knows something we don't. He must know that it will just be Mukhriz telling his puppet Minister Mustapha to sign on the dotted line. Strangely, he is trying to rush something which needs due process, and behaving so arrogantly as if EXXON is more important than the interests of the rakyat under the BN government. If this is the case, I urge all Malaysians to vote them out this PRU-13. Third, Mr Stafford goes on to say that the tax incentives benefitted from Malaysia for the Esso refinery will be passed to San Miguel (read as pass on to San Mirzan or maybe one or two more of Mahathir's children since he is after all THE ADVISOR to Petronas) simply because he says so - on the reasoning that San Miguel is going to invest some money into rehabilitating the refinery. Come on, give us a break. We dont need Mirzan to use his ill gotten money as equity and then borrow to the hilt from the local banks and enjoy the subsidy by trying to say as though San Miguel is doing us, the rakyat, a favor. And then use the profits to fund Ibrahim Ali and make the non-Muslims look bad. Shame on you. Let me remind you that we only have to ask the question in open court - where did the tax benefits given by the Malaysian government to Esso Malaysia finally accrue to? It will become obvious that this will lead to a bigger scandal than BP's Gulf of Mexico burst oil-wells. No American or French journalists take lightly individuals or corporations who evade tax. Also, Mr Stafford has no feel on whats on the ground as it is not about how much who is going to invest in the refinery as it is an afterthought (not to mention that it has been picked up as an attempt by Exxon to try to openly bribe the authorities as if Malaysia is so starved of Foreign Direct Investment). By jove, this will go to court, and Mahathir and the children after PRU-13 can hide behind a cage as they give their statements. Fourth, the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (FCPA) specifically prohibits any employee from concealing information from the tender committee be it in the form of shredding or disposing of evidence which would clearly show that the entire tender exercise was skewed to favor San Miguel. This is evident in the inability of EXXON-MOBIL to explain how a single executive like Mr Stafford was allowed to make such decisions which contravenes not only the laws of good ethical corporate governance, but also the follow up cover up and announcements of trying to justify his pick of the winner by saying that San Miguel will then invest heavily in the refinery. Who cares? A simple check on the phone numbers most called by the San Miguel local team will reveal and clearly show the trail to the EXXON-Mobil nest and of course to Mirzan and his 012345678 special number. The same fate that bestowed Mubarrak and Gaddafi is awaiting Mahathir. And it would be silly of Mr Stafford to count on that rather than on good clean corporate governance which is what Exxon-Mobil has been built upon. For us simple Malaysians, I think we should stand up and say that if after all these years of benefitting from our subsidy as a foreign company in Malaysia, the least you can do if you want to exit is to do so graciously, and not so bloody arrogantly, not caring for the minority shareholders, and in the process, make a mockery of our government. I used to be a long-time BN supporter. No more because I can see that this is not a government that will protect the interests of us the rakyat. Even as I read how the Muslim dealers have protested against this, everything is falling on deaf ears. Esso Malaysia is supposed to be a blue-chip company, not material for a future B-grade movie with San Miguel booze starring Mr Stafford and Mirzan, tax evasion, shredding of evidence amid growing protests and boycotts in a country which is predominantly Muslim. Not to mention all of us minority shareholders will lose from the General Offer since we are getting a far lower valuation and subsidizing Mobil, and amortizing the big bucks which Mirzan wants to extract from us the unimportant Malaysians. |
| Selamat Hari Raya from YB Ronnie Liu Posted: 29 Aug 2011 02:38 AM PDT
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| Proven - the BN/MSMS Complex is using Alinskyite tactics Posted: 28 Aug 2011 05:39 PM PDT The essence of Alinsky's Rule 12 is to focus all attention on the person. It is to shift the narrative away from the cause that the person and his institution represent. Thus the way to negate this tactic is to refuse to let the spotlight be wrenched away from the real issues at hand. By Scott Thong, 'Leading Malaysian Neocon'
Three months ago I warned that the Barisan Nasional / Mainstream Media Complex was taking a page from the playbook of the strongly partisan, highly vindictive American media ( http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/40540-sarah-palin-anwar-ibrahim-and-the-politics-of-alinsky ). To briefly recap, the American media - dominated by Liberal Democrats - mocked and misrepresented Sarah Palin as a sexy, but brainless airhead. This was to protect their favoured candidate Barack Obama and clear the way for his 2008 election as President. Taking no chances, the media kept up the attacks even afterwards - to the point that no casual observer can take Sarah Palin seriously today. I should know, I got plenty of mindlessly reflexive criticism from Malaysian commentors for not regarding her as a pure bimbo! Quod erat demonstrandum. This is a classic tactic of Saul Alinsky, who wrote in his book 'Rules for Radicals': Rule 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it. Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.) Barack Obama is a student of Alinskyite tactics, and the American media's use of these tactics in belittling his critics has greatly has benefited him and his agenda. Anyway, I surmised that the Malaysian Mainstream Media - owned and controlled by Barisan Nasional's component parties - was taking note of the effectiveness of its American big brother's tactics. Anwar Ibrahim is being smeared with allegation after allegation - sodomy, sex videos, lackey of American Zionists - simply to tarnish him in the eyes of Malaysians, foreigners and even (especially!) Opposition members. You want proof? Evidence that this is really happening? Look no further than the MCA-owned newspaper, The Star, which on 28 August 2011 published a very lengthy piece about Anwar Ibrahim's travails entitled 'Weighed down by a flawed image'. Some excerpts from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/8/28/nation/9361963&sec=nation : - Anwar used to look good for his age but the sex video controversy has really weighed him down. - Anwar has been further compromised by the sex video controversy. Nothing has handicapped him and his partners as much as the video. It has raised doubts in the minds of people, especially Malays in the rural areas. - "The whole problem with Anwar is not the sex thing. The problem with him is that he is not leading. He is just not focused at all. We are so close yet so far and it's all because of him," said a DAP MP. - Pakatan used to ride on his name and prestige. Today, he is clinging on to Pakatan as he struggles to wade through his personal problems and his allies feel he is like an albatross around their neck. - "He is not going to be my leader whether he is found guilty or not. This guy has too many problems. He was a major factor in the last election but now he is zero to me." - All those sex-related accusations, said Dr Ong, create the impression that Anwar has skeletons to hide, that he is morally and spiritually unfit to lead. The danger is that as the allegations build up, those who are sympathetic will decrease. - All those tawdry details about his private life have overshadowed his track record as a political leader and, like it or not, there will be people who think his behaviour has made him unworthy of representing them. Refer to Alinksy's Rule 12 again. The BN/MSM Complex has picked Anwar Ibrahim, frozen him in endless trials so he cannot do anything worthwhile, headlined his personal ethics as the main focus, and turned him a divisive figure ("Should Pakatan Rakyat dump him to save itself?"). He is being slowly cut off from even diehard support and is painted as a bullying pervert to isolate him from public sympathy. He is being cruelly but effectively targeted with criticism and ridicule, which has shown to be easier than targeting Pakatan Rakyat itself with legitimate political questions. So it doesn't matter if Sodomy 2 ends in a conviction or not. The powers that be don't need Anwar to be jailed - that would actually result in more local and foreign sympathy for him. No, all that the BN/MSM Complex needs is for the dog-and-pony show to be continued as long as possible. Anwar Ibrahim will be so worn out, and the public so sick of the whole sordid saga, that he will be finished as a champion of Pakatan Rakyat and a figurehead of the Opposition. One threat down. Caveat audiens! If they succeed against Anwar Ibrahim, the Complex will be encouraged to further use Alinskyite tactics against whomever else they perceive to be a challenge to their stranglehold on power! Their role model, the American media, has already shifted targets to any Republican candidate who might be an obstacle to Barack Obama's 2012 reelection. To wit: Michele 'Crazy Eyes, Queen of Rage' Bachmann, Mitt 'Sacred Underwear' Romney and Rick 'Bush's Third Term'' Perry. If Nik Aziz or Hadi Awang or Lim Guan Eng or Wan Azizah takes the helm of Pakatan Rakyat, they too will be subjected to a concerted assault on their character and personal lives. Indeed, we even saw it with Bersih 2.0 ("Ralliers are just greedy London-style rioters bribed with RM50 apiece!"), Parti Sosialis Malaysia ("These six are communist insurgents!") and alternative media ("RPK is a murtad, Zionist stooge!"). Go after the people, not the institution! How can the targets of these 'Malaysia Juga Boleh' Alinskyite attacks counter such a one-sided assault? They can quietly stand tall and firm and hope to weather the storm; or they can use the same dirty tactics to give the BN/MSM Complex a taste of their own foul medicine; or they can neutralize the lies with the truth - accusation by accusation. The first option will surely leave them standing alone - an with some dignity remaining if they are fortunate - as those who are fickle minded among the public will be swept away by the powerful tides of BN-sponsored and MSM-pushed opinion. The second will gradually turn them into the same Nietzchen monster and abyss they are facing - and why should we support them then? The third option is already accounted for by Alinsky - the target will be worn down just by being forced onto the laborious defensive. There is a fourth option. Look at what the essence of Alinsky's Rule 12 is - it is to focus all attention on the person. It is to shift the narrative away from the cause that the person and his institution represent. Thus the way to negate this tactic is to refuse to let the spotlight be wrenched away from the real issues at hand. This has proven its potential in Bersih 2.0, where the unfettered alternative media and engaged citizenry combined to form a formidable counter to the BN/MSM Complex. More and more Malaysians are becoming skeptical of the Orwellian fare that the Complex expects us to meekly swallow. After all, we are the world's most connected and consistent Facebook users - plenty of profile pics were change to Bersih yellow! Anwar and sodomy and sex videos as they may be, Malaysians united and rallied and stood together through media smears and tear gas and chemical-laced water cannon. Nonpartisan, noble ideals were their true figurehead. (And the Complex doubts the claim that Bersih is not about the Opposition!) To use American politics as an example one more time, Barack Obama's popularity and reelection prospects among the public have fallen precipitously despite the best efforts of his water-carriers in the media. Fantastical media portrayals can only cover up the reality of persistent unemployment, a stagnant economy and a golf-and-vacation-obsessed President for so long. The same goes for the Malaysian situation. Our own Orwellian 'Ministry of Truth' can only steer public sentiment to one side so far, before the insulted populace bucks against the reins. This is especially so without the monopoly on information that they used to enjoy. Meanwhile, the targets of the BN/MSM Complex's coordinated attacks must resist the temptation to throw in the towel and leave the ring early. Each individual must give as hard a fight as possible. Isolated or not, cumulatively they will wear down the Alinskyites in a fitting turn of events. So let them trot out Rule 12 all they like - we will not let it distract us from the real issues of truth, justice and purity in government. We can dodge Alinskyite attempts to control the narrative by simply ignoring their provocative catcalls, and steadfastly keeping our eyes on their own ugly truths that they are trying to hide. |
| Scumbag Malaysia "Recognises" Fascist Rebel Government In Libya Posted: 27 Aug 2011 06:18 PM PDT
Matthias Chang Dear Friends and Colleagues, It may have been understandable that at the initial stages, Malaysia could have been confused by the Zionist Anglo-American / NATO propaganda that Gaddafi's government was allegedly killing its own people who supposedly was rising in protest against the rule of Gaddafi.
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| Posted: 27 Aug 2011 10:29 AM PDT
By Tony Pua TV1 last night reported in its 8pm prime-time news on the existence of "Murtads in Malaysia & Singapore" Facebook group. What is most despicable and sickening is TV1 highlighting the alleged association of DAP leaders such as Tan Kok Wai, Charles Santiago, Dr Boo Cheng Hau, Ean Yong Hian Wah with the Group. TV1 even placed the spotlight on the chairman of Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) and ADUN for Kota Damansara Dr Nasir Hashim insinuating the betrayal of his own faith. The "news" report is obviously calculated to inflame sentiments and anger among Malays and Muslims in the country, especially towards Pakatan Rakyat whose leaders' names were "found" to be part of the group. |
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