Apart from direct PKR fire, was Shahrizat also burnt by her own party mates?

Written by Nawawi Mohamad, Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Umno minister Shahrizat Jalil must have known that her family-managed National Feedlot Corporation was on the wrong track but somehow, she managed to keep it under wraps until it was inevitably exposed by rival party PKR. That soon after, PKR's claims of misconduct were confirmed by the Auditor-General's report that NFC was indeed a "mess" was a double whammy for her.

Questions are now buzzing around the UMNO circuit over the issue. Didn't her UMNO bosses and seniors know about NFC or did they keep their hands off because this was her project and she should be given the space to handle it?

Perhaps initially this was so, but when it became apparent that PKR was on a roll, having managed to source concrete details of the abuse of power, why didn't Najib put his foot down?

Oversight or deliberate

Was this an oversight by the UMNO supreme council? Or was it purposely downplayed so that it could be further stirred up until there was no other way out for Shahrizat but the door! Given UMNO's penchant of bending the institutions to its bidding, why didn't the elite 'influence' the Auditor-General?

Yet, so what if they had managed to 'zip up' the A-G. PKR still had in its hand the paper trail needed to nail Shahrizat's family. This argument doesn't quite work either.

Whichever the real reasons for the mishandling by the UMNO elite - whether the confusion was deliberately caused or if they were genuinely taken by surprise by the PKR's access to such detailed information - UMNO members seem to prefer to believe Shahrizat had been targeted.

Not that they don't think she deserved the worst punishment for the gross greed allegedly displayed by her family, but in the typical fashion of UMNO intrigue, the various stories spun by the different factions have thrilled many a coffee group at the PWTC during the UMNO assembly last week.

Public confidence in UMNO, Najib at its lowest

According to the UMNO sources, Najib was very disappointed with the never-ending scandals befalling UMNO leaders one after another, not to mention his own misdeeds, the most recent of which include allegations of having misused public funds to fly to Kazakhstan and Perth on largely personal matters.

Indeed, with the general election just around the corner, the situation has never been so bad for UMNO-BN. Public confidence in him and UMNO are possibly at its lowest ebb.

Najib also has to face the dilemma of what to do with Shahrizat since he appointed her to her present post of Women's minister because he believed she could perform. Party insiders say to help dampen the impact on UMNO and at the same time to distance himself from it - although it turned out to be unsuccessful - Najib tried to comment as little as possible on the scandal. Instead, he ordered those he saw as responsible for the problem to solve it.

And this is how Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin found himself being made the lead 'spokesman' for Shahrizat. But since he was also the one who selected her for the project in 2006, it is perhaps fitting that he picks up the pieces now. This is the ruthlessness and selfishness of politics and for seasoned survivors like Najib and his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, one can be sure they won't hesitate to sacrifice anyone who becomes a threat to them.

Whatever the behind-the-scenes brouhaha, the fact remains - someone is taking advantage of this fiasco apart from PKR. Some is riding on the PKR juggernaut against Shahrizat and benefiting from it. Who can it be now?

Who would benefit from this debacle?

Actually, there are quite a number of players who would love for Shahrizat to step down.

One of these could be her predecessor Rafidah Aziz, the Kuala Kangsar MP and former Trade minister. Rafidah Aziz or Mrs AP (authorised permit for vehicles) was humiliated by Shahrizat in the 2010 party polls, despite her holding a parliamentary seat.

For a woman of her calibre and pride, even if Rafidah does not attack Shahrizat to directly gain for herself, she might do so for her proteges.

Now 68, Rafidah had spent 32 years in government service, of which 20 were in a ministerial role. She felt that she had done a very good job both for the country and UMNO and there was no need for anybody else to challenge her. Indeed she did enhance Malaysia’s trade abroad to a certain extent and also boosted Malaysia's external image, albeit to a certain and limited degree.

But like all UMNO politicians, she was motivated not only by power but also by money - big, huge amounts of money. By virtue of her Trade portfolio, she later became entangled with the system of granting Approved Permits for imported vehicles. Who were the importers she favored and why she favored them were the factors that later brought her down, wiping away the good that she did and leaving only a memory of greed and graft.

One scandal that Malaysians are bound to remember is the award of share allocations amounting to several million ringgit to her son-in-law in 1993. She did try to distance herself from the decision because she knew there would be conflict of interest, but it did not stop the tongues from wagging that she had exerted undue influence behind the scenes to benefit her son-in-law. To make matters worse for UMNO, Rafidah retaliated by exposing other officials and naming their relatives who had similarly benefited.

The Badawi factor

To quell public unhappiness over the APs, the then prime minister Abdullah Badawi forced Rafidah to face Parliament and explain her role. The APs, which were handed out by her ministry for free were not used by those who received them, but instead sold to third parties for windfall profits of as much as RM50,000 per permit.

Badawi finally dropped Rafidah from the Cabinet in 2008 despite her retaining her Kuala Kangsar seat, which she has held since 1986. At that time, Shahrizat was already her deputy in the Wanita wing, and waiting to be appointed as a Special Advisor with the status of a minister.

Could Rafidah be seeking retribution against Shahrizat in the NFC case? Probably not since Shahrizat won the Wanita presidency fairly 'fair and square'.

But one thing is certain, Rafidah was not happy with Badawi dropping her from the Cabinet. She saw it as a "sacking" and was very offended. To her, losing the Wanita presidency was one thing, but she was still entitled to the respect due to a senior leader who every election year brought home a parliamentary seat for the party without fail. How could Badawi "sack" her from the Cabinet?

It must be noted that 'everyone' in UMNO knows it was Badawi who gave the green light for the NFC project to be handed over to Shahrizat’s husband in 2006. Badawi was the PM then. If Rafidah is targeting anyone with NFC, it would be Badawi rather than Shahrizat!

What about Raja Nong Chik?

UMNO Senator and FT Minister Raja Nong Chik had worked in FELCRA and was a businessman and also the president of the Malaysian Bumiputra Manufacturers and Services Industry Association. He sat on the board of directors of several companies including Pharmaniaga. His appointment to the Cabinet by Najib came as a surprise to many in 2009.

The 58-year-old was born in Perak, but considers himself as a 'local boy' in Kuala Lumpur. He is a member of the Lembah Pantai UMNO division and claims the constituency is his 'natural territory'. He has also boasted that he has done a lot to improve Bangsar. But Lembah Pantai - before it fell to PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar in the 2008 election - belonged to Shahrizat.

In fact, it was Shahrizat's stronghold since 1995 and when she lost it in 2008, there were gasps of shock. Yet, Nong Chik is alleged to have been obstinate about contesting Lembah Pantai in GE-13, arguing that it was now a 'free' seat since Shahrizat had already lost it. Although, he has been asked by UMNO elders to look at Titiwangsa, won by the late PAS MP Lo Lo Ghazali in 2008, he is insistent that Lembah Pantai is where it 'all began for him'.

So regardless of the fact that it would be extremely tough to beat Nurul, Nong Chik had already set himself on a collision course with Shahrizat as the UMNO candidate for this constituency. Maybe Nong Chik and Shahrizat know something that Nurul doesn't, but they sure seem confident of being able to beat her despite her immense popularity with the electorate there.

Could Raja Nong Chik have found an opportunity in the NFC debacle to bring down Shahrizat? It sure would seem tempting since it cannot be traced directly back to him because the debacle had already been confirmed by the Auditor-General as being in a "mess". Any comment from Nong Chik would therefore be merely a response and if he called for action, such as a probe, he would be seen to be taking the moral high ground.

There is indeed growing speculation that Raja Nong Chik was the one behind the continuous revelations against Shahrizat and according to UMNO insiders, Najib has called on all the parties involved to come down hard on Nong Chik to prevent the situation from getting out of control. However, this could be a sly decoy from the Najib camp itself, since Nong Chik is close to Najib. It may well be that Najib wants Shahrizat out too.

It is interesting to note that Shahrizat's family have accused a disgruntled former staff of feeding PKR the NFC tips. It is even more interesting to note that just a couple of days ago, Raja Nong Chik called on the UMNO top leadership to decide on Shahrizat's fate.

Was Nong Chik hurrying to get Shahrizat out of the picture, leaving him the sole UMNO claimant to the Lembah Pantai seat?

Other possibilities

Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin the Puteri UMNO chief is a new face with much to learn. Her name too has been tossed around. But Rosnah is in no position to make a challenge for the top Wanita post and why should she do so anyway?

Speculation is already growing Rosnah may not even get to keep her Puteri UMNO post. Her performance so far has been less than satisfactory, and this was implied by none other than Muhyiddin Yassin just days before the main UMNO meeting began

If Shahrizat is forced to step down, then Pakatan may have to face Raja Nong Chik and he is the 'local boy' there, whose FT portfolio gives him jurisdiction over the whole of Wilayah Persekutuan, not only Lembah Pantai. UMNO would also have the benefit of the postal voters there as there are many government officials staying in the area.

UMNO watchers say it would be a neck-to-neck challenge for Pakatan against UMNO if Nong Chik contests there, but the reasons they cited were also why Nurul wasn't given the chance of a snowball in hell to win in 2008. But she did.

For PKR, which launched the NFC offensive with a string of startling revelations, they are already bracing for some form or other of backlash from the police, who instead of grilling the Shahrizats, might pull up the PKR leaders in charge of the NFC file, so as to show 'solidarity' with the UMNO elite.

Only one road to travel

However, Najib plays it and no matter whether there are UMNO leaders jumping onto the PKR's NFC bandwagon, there is basically only one decision the PM can make, which is to ask Shahrizat to give up her Cabinet and UMNO posts.

Any dilemma is of his own making. Like Alexander the Great, all eyes will be watching to see if he has the courage to cut the Gordian knot or if he will continue to waffle and defend corruption.

The longer Najib delays, the longer the 'Shahrizat cows and condos' scandal will remain in the people's memory. After all, as PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli has promised, they have enough information on the Shahrizats and the NFC to last 2 years!

Malaysia Chronicle

Najib's Closing Speech at UMNO General Assembly: Between Paranoia and Hope

Najib's Closing Speech at UMNO General Assembly: Between Paranoia and Hope

by Terence Netto@www.malaysiakini.com

COMMENT The contrast between the two winding-up speeches could not have been starker. Disdaining malice or frivolity, PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim’s wrap-up remarks to the party’s annual congress in Johor Baru last week was a neat demonstration of the orator’s art .

By contrast, UMNO President Najib Razak’s summing-up to his party’s annual conclave yesterday had what Shakespeare said in Macbeth about some of life’s dramas: full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Both winding-up speeches were supposed to shift the party’s delegates into battle mode for an imminent general election, surely a pivotal moment in the country’s search for fresh directions in the face of political and economic sclerosis.

But whereas Anwar made an effort to distill understanding from past history, attempted an analysis of present challenges, and pointed to what was required to meet them, Najib opted for unvarnished jingoism.

The contrast between the two speeches was not only in their content and style of delivery; the differences in the physical settings provided suitable, or in Najib’s case, ironic commentary to their separate thrusts.

Pulai Springs where the PKR meeting was held is a golfing eyrie carved out of an oil palm plantation, the tented area in which the congress convened nestling in a grove that overlooks lush greens.

The arcadian setting provided a tempting backdrop to a weary-looking Anwar’s postulations about the allure of incumbency in four Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states, but that he, PKR and the opposition coalition had promises to keep and an arduous mountain to climb before they could catch their breath.

The Putra World Trade Centre, where UMNO holds its annual talk fest, is a modernist architectural construct but Najib’s winding-up rhetoric suggested that, no matter the ambient uplift of plush surroundings, his stock of inspirational leadership is as wan as some European nations’ treasuries.

Speaking truth to power

We are told, without vision nations wither in the gap between a dearth of aspiration and a shortage of will and ability to deliver.

In what way was the vision presented by Anwar at the conclusion of PKR’s annual meeting last week a substantive contrast to that unveiled by Najib at the conclusion of UMNO’s conclave?

Anwar’s vision touched on religion by bringing up the day’s Maal Hijrah celebrations to which he said PKR’s non-Muslims joined in the observations of the beginning of the Muslim year and that the spectacle was reflective of the party’s push for social solidarity and cohesion.

His vision touched on race but rejected exclusivist and separatist conceptions that breed the hegemony of one race over the others. He said minorities had a right to be treated fairly by the majority.

Anwar’s vision brought up justice that he said was the thrust of famed thinkers from the state of Johor when it was under the Riau sultanate who took care to speak truth to power. His vision also touched on the absolute pre-requisite of successful governance: no hand that dips into the public chest be allowed impunity.

Anwar posited a vision of PKR and Pakatan responding to the dire challenges that faced the country with a higher and greater diffusion of the standards of frugality, fairness and integrity displayed thus far in the Pakatan-controlled states.

In other words, what Malaysians had seen in Penang, Selangor, Kelantan and to some extent in Kedah, would be what they would get in greater measure throughout the country should a PKR-led Pakatan government hold the reins of Putrajaya.

Creating fear and insecurity

In contrast to the PKR supremo’s vision of national challenge and response, Najib sought in his winding-up speech to create fear of what the opposition would bring about if they should win the next general election.

Perdition would be the result of a Pakatan victory, claimed Najib, with the Malay race, Islamic religion, and the country’s economic advancement brought, for sure, from boon to blight.

It was as if UMNO and its leader have inhabited a space totally shut off from the Pakatan-controlled realms. Or that what they see is not what Pakatan says it is. In democratic politics, every citizen is entitled to his or her opinion but not to the facts.

Fortunately, the latter is in a domain over which no governor has exclusive sovereignty, not even one that has had power-of-attorney for over half century and behaves like it has it for eternity.

Najib under pressure, again

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 - He is behind bars but Raja Petra Kamarudin's campaign to link Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak with the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shariibuu intensified today – with a startling allegation.

His website, Malaysia Today, carried a report detailing what it alleged was an exchange of text messages between Najib and Shafee Abdullah, the prominent lawyer who represented Abdul Razak Baginda before he was charged with abetting two police officers in the murder of the model.

These SMSes – if true – raise some questions over the handling of the case and suggest that Najib took a strong interest in the investigation from the beginning.

The SMS exchange, which went on from Nov 8 to Dec 2, 2006, is likely to become great fodder for the Opposition when Parliament sits again on Monday. More so now that Najib is a cusp away from becoming the president of Umno and the prime minister of Malaysia.

In one SMS, Najib allegedly tells the lawyer that Razak Baginda – his advisor – “will face a tentative charge but all is not lost.”'

Malaysia Today said that this message raises some questions about Najib's role in the case. “Why did he mention ‘tentative’ charge and that ‘all is not lost’ for RB (Razak Baginda)? How would Najib know this before Razak was charged? These are important questions which will have ramifications, not just on this case but far beyond,” a posting on the website said.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Opposition have tried to link Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, with the murder since it happened in October 2006.

Najib has furiously denied any involvement with the case, and has even sworn in a mosque that he did not know the woman. His wife has also sought recourse in the courts to clear her name.

Their nemesis has been Raja Petra. He published many reports and commentaries alleging a cover-up in the investigation of the murder. He was detained under the Internal Security Act for allegedly publishingarticles which were blasphemous.

New poll shows Anwar will be better PM than Najib

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — By a small margin, Malaysians think opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would make a better prime minister compared with Datuk Seri Najib Razak, according to a survey conducted recently by the independent Merdeka Centre.

In the same survey, Malaysians also appear more divided than ever over their support for the country's political leadership.

There are also sharp differences in preferences between the different races, with a majority of non-Malays supporting Anwar, while more Malays preferred Najib.

Between Sept 11 and 22, Merdeka Centre carried out a leadership performance perception on a cross section of 1,002 people of voting age from the three main ethnic communities in the country.

Among the questions asked was: "Between Najib Razak and Anwar Ibrahim, who do you think makes a better prime minister?"

Najib garnered a 33.8 per cent average total support among the three major races. Anwar edged him by a margin of less than six per cent — he garnered an average total of 39.3 per cent.

The difference is more conspicuous when the show of support is broken down according to the ethnicity of those polled.

The split was apparent among racial lines, with Najib drawing as much as 47.3 per cent support from the Malay community. Anwar trailed with just 32.5 per cent.

The opposition leader gained greater support among non-Malays, receiving the support of 37.4 per cent of Chinese voters and a whopping 85 per cent from the Indians.

In comparison, Najib only won the approval of 18.4 per cent of Chinese voters and just five per cent of Indians thought he would make a better prime minister.

Of note was the high percentage of voters who remained non-commital. More than 40 per cent of Chinese voters polled expressed no preference.


Based on the poll results, Malay support for Najib is significantly stronger than that for Anwar.

Political analyst Tricia Yeoh says the party factor is a very strong featuring factor with the non-Malay communities.

"It is possible they view Najib as continuing to perpetuate the same kind of politics that has plagued Malaysia through Umno," she said.

"Anwar will need to fight for Malay support most prominently since Najib may continue to be seen as the final bastion of support for the Malay position," she added.

Another political analyst, Khoo Kay Peng, sees it differently.

"No doubt Najib commands higher support among the Malay community because of the status of Umno as a Malay party. It has been representing the Malays for a long time. But at 47.3 per cent, the support is not really very high for Najib. It's not much off Abdullah's support," he said.

Based on the same Merdeka Centre report, Abdullah still enjoys 50.7 per cent support from the Malays.

"The key is that Najib does not get much support from the Chinese and Indians. Najib is still seen as a Malay leader.

"If you want to be the prime minister, you must have support from across the board," he said.

"Anwar stands a much better chance because he gets support from over 30 per cent of the Chinese and the Indians, predominantly from the Indians, which is consistent with past reports," he pointed out.

In a toss up between who will become the next prime minister, he felt it would definitely be Anwar.

But for Khalid Samad, the Pas MP for Shah Alam and an ally of Anwar, the results are frightening for the Pakatan Rakyat alliance.

He said the results of the survey showed government media propaganda still held sway, especially among the rural Malays.

He is concerned that much of the Malay media has portrayed a negative impression of Anwar as being an "immoral guy" and being a stooge of the United States.

"Basically, Umno-Barisan Nasional has been quite successful in conning Malays into believing that Anwar is selling out the Malays and that is the reason for the low percentage of support for Anwar," said Khalid.

"These are not very encouraging results if it is representative of the entire population. It means there is a problem. Anwar will have to work harder.

"It's important he should have at least a 50-50 situation among Malays. That would suffice," he stressed.

But he does not think that the sample poll is a true reflection of the voting populace.

"I don't think that Anwar in the actual situation is that far behind Najib. I would expect 47 per cent for Najib and 45 per cent for Anwar.

"The difference, almost 15 per cent difference in support from Malays, gives the impression that if Pakatan Rakyat comes to power, the position of the Malays will be jeopardised.

"But no one race will lose out under Pakatan leadership," he said.

Ubah Gaya Hidup / Change Your Lifestyle

Matilah Kau Pak Lah! I am Innocent!

By Little Bird

Kawan-kawan, there was much drama at the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial yesterday. Someone is trying to do a number on someone. There are no angels involved. Only devils. For a minute the case was adjourned and the courtroom almost cleared.

The newspapers were not allowed to report on what really went on. Only a portion of what happened was reported in the press. Here is The Star version:

Abdul Razak kicks and hits door at murder trial

Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, who is being tried for abetting two policemen in murdering Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, lost his cool on the 90th day on Wednesday. He had a dissatisfied look when his father Datuk Abdullah Malim Baginda whispered something to him before the hearing began at about 9.30am. After the proceedings were adjourned for lunch, however, the 48-year-old political analyst, surprised all those present in the High Court when he suddenly kicked and banged the door with his hands. He was also seen crying before his lawyer Wong Kian Kheong and mother calmed him down.

Before the hearing began at 9:30 am, Razak Baginda's father had whispered something to him. This made Razak angry the whole day. Finally, about three hours later, Razak Baginda could not stand it any longer and exploded. What did he say?

Reporter friends who were there said that Razak shouted again and again, "Matilah kau Pak Lah! Matilah Pak Lah! I am innocent! I am innocent!" Then he went into a mad rampage and kicked the chairs and doors in the courtroom. Even the Judge was shocked and did not know what to do. Both the defense lawyers and the prosecution team were also all shocked.

The story goes that Razak Baginda's father whispered instructions to his son to incriminate his former boss Najib Tun Razak. The instruction came from the Pak Lah camp. This was yet another deal they were trying to make - Razak Baginda's life for Najib's head. The story is that Najib is outshining Badawi in this coming general election. Najib may win big in Pahang but Pak Lah may win small or even lose his seat in Kepala Batas.

The Pak Lah camp may also suspect that Najib's people are working in the background to embarass Pak Lah in Kepala Batas. Hence the 'whisperings' through Razak Baginda's father.

The Sun newspaper carried the story, complete with Razak Baginda's outburst. However, the Home Ministry asked The Sun to withdraw their first run which carried the 'Matilah Kau Pak Lah!' outburst by Razak Baginda. The Sun had to withdraw thousands of copies of their print run early this morning.

Strange things are happening in the country folks. No angels are involved. Only devils.