The UMNO Omertà

More than 10 years ago, during the tenure of PM AAB but towards its end, I penned that we might have underestimated AAB.

I then believed there was in Malaysia an unjustified dismissal of AAB as a weak and indecisive leader, one not in command nor control of UMNO. That impression was abetted by the regular vicious belittling of AAB by you-know-who, a man who didn't take kindly to anyone who didn't and don't obey his dictates kuai-kuai, wakakaka.

That was unfortunately an incorrect and to an extent, dangerous perception of AAB, of which I too was equally guilty of.

Many merely considered him as an interim UMNO leader of limited tenure, but he served from 2003 to 2009, more than 6 years or approximately 1.5 parliamentary terms as PM of Malaysia, despite being sabotaged kau-kau by you-know-who and those 'lil Napoleons in the civil service who had owed their dubious "loyalty" to their previous Boss.

I was not and still am not an expert on UMNO but as an interested observer I had then changed my mind about AAB as a PM after some reflection.

I reckoned AAB was a shrewd cunning person who said very little but achieved much for himself - maybe not enough to some of you but he in his humble quiet manner achieved the following important points:

• Ending the previous regime's economic legacy, where wealth was generated not by innovation and creativity, but rather by foreign investment, government contracts, and privatisation (termed by many Malaysians as 'piratisation', wakakaka);
• Ending the profligate grandiose projects of his predecessor;
• Highlighting agriculture & biotechnology in the 9th Malaysia Plan to generate wealth for many Malaysians, especially those in rural areas, but without losing its existing manufacturing base;
• Making peace (on the prompting of Zaid Ibrahim) with Tun Salleh Abbas and the families of the sacked High Court Judges by you-know-who.

Step back into history and review his decision after the UMNO Constitutional crisis in 1988. Rather than (at that time) just dismiss his decision to remain in UMNO as typical of a passive bloke instead of recklessly joining the disastrous Ku Li’s Semangat 46, one should actually consider that as due to his brilliant strategic assessment.

Sitting there patiently in an unobtrusive manner he inched his way back into PM Mahathir’s favour and actually won one of UMNO’s Vice President positions.

That could only have come about as a result of his developing and consolidating a strong power base and factional alliances in UMNO. It must be all that more striking aand impressive when we consider he achieved such a power base after he came from a defeated and ostracised Team B, and worse, during a period of Anwar Ibrahim’s expanding influence and ascendancy in UMNO.

Yes, it highlighted AAB’s amazing political resurrection from political disaster in 1988 as a member of the ill-fated Team B (headed by Ku Li cum Musa Hitam) to become the Prime Minister of Malaysia in 2003, in a mere 10 years.

In an any language, it was an astonishing party career achievement unattained by Ku Li, Musa Hitam, or Anwar Ibrahim, wakakaka. And Mahathir’s obligatory or obligated protégé at that time, Najib Razak, had to wait kuai-kuai in the wing, as deputy to AAB.

All that reminiscence now brings me to my point but which also requires me to refer to Malaysiakini at that time, when columnists Ong Kian Ming (yes, the very Ong who today is our YB Dep Min Trade & Industry) and Onn Yeoh.

Ong and Onn in their article Why doesn't Pak Lah fight back? wrote:

… we have an embattled prime minister who has opted to remain in 'elegant silence' mode even as his Nemesis goes all out to topple him. Yes, we are talking about Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Dr Mahathir Mohamad, respectively. […]

It's hard to comprehend why he doesn't just come out swinging. It would not be too difficult for him as the prime minister to ask the Anti-Corruption Agency, which comes under his purview, to investigate the various alleged misdeeds of Mahathir during his 22 years in power.

If Abdullah can't remember or is not aware of what those alleged misdeeds are, there are at least 82 members of parliament who would be more than happy to help compile a long laundry list for him.

Well, point No 1 (about using the ACA) – ever heard of the term ‘Omertà’?

ask LKS why he has now stopped ranting about Mahathir's scandals after 30+ years of that diatribe?

It's a kind of Omertà, not quite UMNO-ish, between LKS & Mahathir, wakakaka

You have? That’s that answer to why AAB restrained himself. If you don't, here's what Wikipedia has to say (extracts):

The basic principle of omertà is that it is not "manly" to seek aid from legally constituted authorities to settle personal grievances.

Does this secret social code equates to the Malay 'anak jantan'?

Would Mahathir resorting to the help of the enemy of UMNO, namely Pakatan Harapan, to get just what he wanted, namely the destruction fo Najib and UMNO, fall under the violation of the UMNO Omertà?

The suspicion of being a cascittuni (an informant) constitutes the blackest mark against manhood, according to Cutrera. An individual who has been wronged is obligated to look out for his own interests by avenging that wrong himself or finding a patron but not the state to do the job.

Omertà implies "the categorical prohibition of cooperation with state authorities or reliance on its services, even when one has been victim of a crime."

A person should absolutely avoid interfering in the business of others and should not inform the authorities of a crime under any circumstances, but if it is justified, he may personally avenge a physical attack on himself or on his family by vendetta, literally a taking of revenge, a feud.

And did you think the RCI during Najib's time to probe into the Forex scandal was serious? In my opinion, t'was only a barking-threat and not a genuine viscious attempt to kowtim you-know-who.

The UMNO Omertà played as a powerful aegis for Mahathir, a code which AAB and Najib both dared not violate or chose not to violate.

Athena's Aegis (divine shield)

Additionally, there’s a Chinese saying about “Never sh*t on your own doorstep.” And to cap it all off, the Mat Salleh advises “People who live in glass houses janganlah buang batu.”

Point No 2, about the 82 members of parliament who would be more than happy to help compile a long laundry list for him, surely Ong and Onn must be kidding. All the ‘elegant silence’ and survival skills of AAB wouldn’t have saved him if he had resorted to such opposition help to destroy a former UMNO leader with a standing of 22 years leadership. He’ll be hated not only by die-hard UMNO-istas but also the greater Malay community for such treachery.

Instead of those now-mythical 82 MPs who would have helped AAB, why not ask Lim Kit Siang today why he is dumb as a mute stung by a tebuan about Mahathir's scandals that he (LKS) was raving and ranting for more than 30 years? Today he dares not even tell Mahathir the latter was wrong in equating government refusal to recognise the UEC with alleged racial economic disparity.

Yes, I suspect LKS is observant of a possible Omertà-ish pact between him and Mahathir, that AAB was committed to in his UMNO position.

But today I believe the greater Malay society hasn't quite forgiven or is willing to forgive Mahathir, which may explain his political behaviour and proclivities in PH in an effort to re-burnish his by-now very much tarnished Malayness and Pribumi credentials.

In those days Ong and Onn in their analysis used only western logic but failed to consider the important Malay (UMNO) factor. AAB was/is a man steeped in Malay tradition. I was and still am inclined to think he’s the consummate Malay politician, quiet, courteous, and at times a wee condescending but a master of 'palace intrigues' and very 'silat-ish', wakakaka.

Ya, I wonder whether he's the type who will stick a keris into your side while reciting a pantun, something along this line (kaytee's amateurish composition, wakakaka):

Langit dah gelap, cuaca pun marah,
Angin bertiup kuat dan ganggu abu
Jangan khuatir saudara kalau basah
Bukan kerana hujan, hanya darahmu

Wakakaka.

But yes, Omertà, something AAB and Najib observed but which Mahathir has and did not.

OMERTA: CODE OF SILENCE

HE WHO IS DEAF, BLIND, AND SILENT WILL LIVE

I am not suggesting that the UMNO Omertà is correct nor legal and to be strictly observed, but only to point out Mahathir, who among all UMNO Presidents (and PMs) didn't and doesn't give a sh*t as he went about destroying Anwar, AAB and Najib, and worse of all, his own party UMNO twice.

See my post The UMNO man who destroyed UMNO again and again in which I wrote that after the UMNO 1988 Constitutional crisis, ... Mahathir moved swiftly to form UMNO Baru, or what we now call UMNO 2.0, wakakaka.

Yes, UMNO 2.0 was formed by Mahathir in 1988 to marginalise Tengku Razaleigh.

UMNO 2.0 survived from 1988 to 2018 when it's now being gradually abandoned by frogs hopping over to Mahathir's Pribumi, wakakaka. 

We can safely predict that Mahathir will eventually (very shortly) succeed in destroying UMNO again, this time his very own creation of UMNO Baru or UMNO 2.0.A very amazing Captain Destruction, Mahathir has in his CV the track record of destroying UMNO twice.

This time his Pribumi party, once replete with enough sapu-ed frogs, will become UMNO 3.0 or UMNO Baru-er, wakakaka.

As can be witnessed, Mahathir didn't and doesn't care about UMNO but only his own interests, thus he has and will destroy his or any party to serve his needs - yes, he has destroyed UMNO 1.0 and his own creation of UMNO 2.0.

So to him, t'was eff the UMNO Omertà.

I don't think Melayu mudah lupa on such a breach of the UMNO Omertà, but alas, one day it'll be his sons who may be made to pay for his "sins".

So, to complement what RPK wrote: What is the difference between Mahathir, Abdullah and Najib?

There is only one difference and that difference is Najib did not expose Mahathir and Abdullah while Mahathir exposed Najib. So Najib fell while Mahathir and Abdullah did not.

However, at the end of the day, all three had to fund Barisan Nasional’s political activities to the tune of RM2 billion to RM3 billion every five years.

Mate, t'was all about the UMNO Omertà which today perhaps Najib (and even AAB) might be regretting in obeying that code.

"New" Malaysia's Brahmins & Their 'Untouchables'

FMT - FB post on Guan Eng’s son: Cops confiscate former MP’s phone:

Tan Tee Beng’s Facebook post on Dec 20

PETALING JAYA: Former Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng was questioned by police officers from Putrajaya in Penang today over his Facebook post questioning Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s son’s “expensive” Givenchy designer jacket worn during a flight to Australia not long ago.

According to Kwong Wah Yit Poh, the former PKR MP was ordered to surrender his mobile phone after his statement was taken down at the Tanjung Tokong police station from 10.30am till noon today.

The Facebook post in question was Tan’s response to a picture posted by a netizen praising Lim and his family for travelling economy class on a flight to Australia.

However, Tan said Lim’s son Clint was wearing a £887 (RM4,700) Givenchy track jacket in that same picture and went on to question how he could afford one.

Tan, 46, also claimed the investigation officer refused to show the recorded statement to him to ensure its veracity, as allowed under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Tan was told by the investigating police officer that the complainant “was from Putrajaya” and the complaint was on his Facebook post concerning Lim’s son.

He said such a report against him was unreasonable as he had not insulted or defamed Lim’s son, the report said.

Tan, who was MP from 2008 to 2013, was previously visited by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on Dec 20, which he said was a response to his Facebook post on Lim’s son.

He took to Facebook, saying it was a form of “political persecution”.

MCMC, however, said it visited Tan’s house over the use of a non-compliant cordless phone, which it claimed was causing signal interference in his housing area.

Tan quit PKR in 2010 to become an independent MP.

Whoa!

Dear IGP, just WTF is going on?

Based on above news report there have been two wrongs committed, namely:

(1) Is it wrong for anyone to just comment on the jacket type worn by Lim GE's son and its correspondent expense?, and 

(2) Should the police act in such a manner on an insubstantial manner?

Is the Law being abused by arrogant personality or personalities in Putrajaya and abetted by your mata-mata?

Tan Tee Beng

By the by, there has been very bad blood between Tan and Lim Guan Eng. Yes, you guess right that Tan Tee Beng was a former PKR man, in fact PKR's MP for Nibong Tebal, wakakaka, where bad blood exists until today between DAP and PKR.

Tan Tee Beng resigned from PKR to stand as an Independent on 01 March 2010, which alas spelt the virtual end of his political career, well, at least for now, wakakaka.

Malaysiakini reported (extracts):

Tan said he resigned because Pakatan Rakyat had not addressed his complaints, but had turned a blind eye when he was criticised by DAP leaders, especially Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy and Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi.

"There is no longer any avenue to voice our grievances. In fact, I have been told not to openly criticise the party leaders. This is not what PKR used to stand for - accountability and justice," he said.

"Party leaders are apparently untouchable. They are willing to turn a blind eye to internal problems in their bid to achieve their political objectives.

"The personal attacks on me are an attempt to divert attention from the real problems in Penang, which is (chief minister) Lim Guan Eng's problematic leadership. He wants to turn the Penang government into his family business." [...]

There's more bad blood between Tan and the Lim's. His father the late Tan Ghim Hwa was the former Gerakan State Chairman, and known as the sworn enemy of the DAP, or more specifically that of Lim KS, wakakaka.

the late Tan Ghim Hwa 

Lim Kit Siang had in 1991 described Tan Ghim Hwa as a political vulture in a matter where phone threats were made against Lim, allegedly by some Gerakan Party members. 

The MM Online also reported:

Tan [Ghim Hwa] simply reeled under Lim [Kit Siang]’s attacks over the controversial construction of the Midlands Park One-Stop Centre in Pulau Tikus, for having disregarded the MPPP Structure Plan in destroying Gurney Drive as a recreation centre by approving the exclusive 36-storey Silverton Condomonium, and the demolition of Hotel Metropole in Sultan Ahmad Shah, then known as millionaires’ row.

When you think of the rampant land reclamation along Gurney Drive and elsewhere, and various other developments in Penang which had resulted in disastrous landslides, you cannot but wonder why Lim KS hasn't attacked his then-CM son as he did to Tan Ghim Hwa.

Sadly, Tan Ghim Hwa passed away in early 2014.

My uncles knew the late Tan Ghim Hwa quite well. In the days when Dr Lim Chong Eu was wandering (like Moses) in the political wilderness, between the time of his resignation as MCA President to his co-founding of Gerakan Party with people like Professor Syed Hussein Alatas, Veerapan, Dr Wang and Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Khoon, he formed his pre-Gerakan party called UDP (United Democratic Party) in Penang.

Gerakan chairman, Syed Hussain Alatas, chaired by Dr Lim Chong EU on night of 10 May 1969 when the newly formed multiracial party threw UMNO and Malaysia into shock by its fantastic election victory - Gerakan captured Penang and held it for 40 years until 2008

T'was 3 days before May 13 

Then Tan Ghim Hwa joined him as a young UDP politician. Tan Senior's political baptism of fire was in a state by-election in my village Ayer Itam but he was defeated by MCA's Lim Kean Siew (formerly of Labour Party and one of the best (very fiery) orators in at least two languages, English and Penang Hokkien).

Tan Ghim Hwa was then a greenhorn politician, and known as Mr Clean. My uncles were shocked when 25 to 30 years later Lim Kit Siang brought out the issue of alleged phone threats to his (Lim’s) safety, and Lim’s description of Tan Ghim Hwa as a ‘political vulture’.

But now I can understand why, when I have gotten to know of Lim KS' very "dark" side.

But for the police today to act against Ghim Hwa's son Tan Tee Beng on what we have read as just his FB mention of how expensive must be the Givenchy designer jacket worn by Guan Eng's son during a flight to Australia, I think the law and use of the police have been grossly abused.

Eff "New" Malaysia's freedom of speech.

Chinese monarchists, Malay republicans?

In an article over at Malaysia-Today, RPK wrote:

... most Chinese in particular, and non-Malays in general, hate the monarchy and wish for Malaysia to be turned into a republic. As long as Malaysia has the Raja-Raja Melayu, Ketuanan Melayu shall exist. And the Chinese hate Ketuanan Melayu, which they mischievously call apartheid.

There's some un-truths and some truths in above extract, which I have highlighted in yellow for 'un-truths', light blue for 'truths'.

The non-highlighted segment is the part I have no comment on, due to lack of evidence, though there was no association between the Raja-Raja Melayu and Ketuanan Melayu because it was Abdullah Ahmad, an aide of PM Mahathir in his 4th Reich (1981 - 2003), who was the first to use the term "ketuanan Melayu" sometime around the 1980's.

Let's deal first with the un-truths which as mentioned, I highlighted above in yellow, namely, ... most Chinese in particular, and non-Malays in general, hate the monarchy and wish for Malaysia to be turned into a republic.

It's NOT true that most Chinese hate the monarchy. Please note the word 'most', because in reality there ARE some Chinese, but very few of them, who don't like monarchies of any country including those of medieval and turn-of-last-century Chinese, wakakaka.

On the same token, there are Malays too who dislike or even hate Malay royalty, perhaps at times even more than those rare anti-monarch Chinese Malaysians.

Douglas Gomez 

Recall the Douglas Gomez affair in 1992's year end when UMNO was then leading the BN government? Following a parliamentary debate on the issue, the 96 members present in the Dewan Rakyat, including opposition members, unanimously approved a motion censuring Sultan Mahmood of Johor for assaulting Mr. Gomez.

Shahidan Kassim, wakakaka, of UMNO, said the sultan and his elder son had been implicated in 23 criminal acts in the last two decades, including rape, assault and manslaughter.

Shahidan Kassim 

Affifuddin Omar, another UMNO legislator, said it was time to end the "false sense of political power" associated with the sultans. He said the hereditary rulers must realize that they did not own the country but were "placed on their thrones by the people".

PM Mahathir (of UMNO, wakakaka) said Malaysians were "fully united" in their stand that the sultans should not interfere in the country's administration.

It's likely the PM-then, Mahathir, exploited the overwhelming public outrage against the royalty to pass a few laws de-fanging the royals and making it easier for his government to pass bills in parliament, hence earning himself the kaytee-given sobriquet of Royal Dentist, wakakaka.

In the 10 December 1992 Hansard you'll probably be able to read the following:

... Dr Affifuddin Omar, the UMNO MP for Padang Terap asked, "How can we continue to uphold rulers who are known to be robbers, adulterers, drunkards and kaki pukul (thugs)?"

"The rulers must be reminded that they were not reincarnations of dewa-dewa (deities). They were put in their position as rulers by the people."

"The immunity gave the rulers the status of 'half-man and half-god' and allowed irresponsible rulers to commit serious crimes which tarnished the image of the institution."

"It was about time that the 'false sense of political power' associated with rulers in this country be abolished."

"They (the rulers) must be made to realize that they do not own this country. They are not Superman but placed on their thrones by the people. "The real power did not lie with them, but with us - the representatives of the people."

"The 'syndrome of religiosity' associated with the rulers was only to cloud the people's view of who the rulers actually were."

allahyarham Affifuddin Omar

just pased away last year

Not to be outdone, Ibrahim Ali, wakakaka, then UMNO MP for Pasir Mas, wakakaka again (but today the Head of ultranationalist NGO Perkasa), urged the government to amend the constitution to clearly limit the privileges accorded to the members of the royalty.

Mahathir and Ibrahim Ali at PERKASA do

Yes, end of 1992 was a time when UMNO went feral for the jugulars of the royalty. And I had then written and which I believe still holds true today, that:

The truth is only UMNO could (to borrow Aziz Nazri's word, wakakaka) 'whack' the royals. No non-Malay would have survived such sedition.

Yes sir, no Chinese Malaysian would have survived in Malaysia with such impudent impertinent insolence towards a Malay ruler, let alone Malay rulerS.

Only a Malay could, and at that time, only an UMNO Malay. Today we have a notorious span of such potential biadab-ish Malays from Pribumi (same boss as UMNO of 1992), UMNO, PAS, Amanah and some in PKR.

It might then have been the age for the Ascendancy of Jebat-ites and we're talking 1992, not 2019. I have never been inside the UMNO HQ but I heard its biggest hall was named after Jebat while its smallest after Tuah, wakakaka. Poor Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's greatest monarchist, would have collapsed from heart attack at such UMNO lèse majesté.

Let's also look at Indonesia, which once had umpteen Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms and subsequently Islamic sultanates. Modern republican Indonesia since 1945 has shrugged off its people's obedience and allegiance to most of those rulers, with perhaps the sole exception of the majority of southern central Javanese still owing allegiance to the Sultan of YogYakarta.

Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX 

And this was only because Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yokyakarta ingratiated himself with former (late) President Sukarno. HRH saw where the political future for his Kingdom would be. Having allied himself and his followers with Sukarno's freedom fighters at the start of the war for Indonesia’s independence against Dutch colonialists (1945), he was subsequently rewarded by Sukarno as governor of Yogyakarta for life.

President Sokarno 

His son, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X continues to be governor, but elsewhere in Indonesia, former kings, rulers and sultans disappeared from the 70-year old republic.

In case those of you who still haven't realise it, Indons are also Malays, and thus Malays can be very staunch republicans, wakakaka.

In FACT most Chinese respect (hormat) monarchs very much with some even adoring the royals. After all, the Chinese have lived under monarchs for more than 4 thousand years, from the Xia 夏 (about 2029BC - about 1559BC) to Qing 清 (1644–1911).

Thought in practice we need to also include the Republican period 中华民国 (1912–1949) and the Communist Period 中华人民共和国 (1949-today) as two further Chinese dynasties.

Then, as living proof of Chinese being mucho pro monarchy, the most ardent monachists in the world today are the Thais, bar none. And guess who make up a significant proportion of those monarchy-loving Thais? See my post Should Chinese Malaysians adopt indigenous surnames?.

leng chai former Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva

Thai of Chinese lineage 

Thus I respectfully disagree with my mate RPK that most Chinese in particular, and non-Malays in general, hate the monarchy and wish for Malaysia to be turned into a republic.

As for RPK's the Chinese hate Ketuanan Melayu, which they mischievously call apartheid, I have to say this is true.

Respecting the Malay rulers is the duty of every Malaysian citizen BUT it does not automatically translate into accepting Ketuanan Melayu - these are two entirely separate issues.

As a Malaysian I respect the rulers. As a citizen I believe I am equal to everyone other than the rulers.

Ketuanan Melayu is not unlike the abhorrent Nazi race concept of Aryan Superiority, Afrikaan White Supremacy, Hebrew (religious-racial) Superiority, and Hindu Brahmin being the Highest-Varna (Caste).

In distinguishing Malays as a band of citizens enjoying the status, rights and privileges of a 'ketuanan' class, it is in effect establishing a system of apartheid where once, under such a system, the White Afrikaans enjoyed superior and exclusive access, treatment and exclusivity in areas such as business, education, jobs, etc, which were denied to the Black South Africans.

As a Malaysian citizen of Chinese extract I can't get into UiTM, MARA or become a top civil-military person like Chief Secretary to the Malaysian Government, Chief of Armed Forces or Inspector-General of Police. Isn't this apartheid?

Though I support affirmative actions for the needy Malays, Aborigines, Sarawak & Sabah natives and other equally needy Malaysians, why should I support 'Ketuanan Melayu'?

Boys who cried 'wolf wolf wolf' are actually werewolves

Malaysiakini - Shameful! Ex-PKR MP slams silence of once-vocal Harapan leaders:

N Surendran 

Lawyer N Surendran has criticised Pakatan Harapan leaders in the government who are now silent on the continued use of the Sedition Act.

The former PKR lawmaker noted how these leaders protested against the Act when still in the opposition.

“What has happened to all the Harapan leaders in government now, who protested against the Sedition Act when in opposition?

“Their complicity and silence now - is frankly shameful,” Surendran tweeted this afternoon.

Earlier, former Bar Council chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan also took to Twitter to urge Harapan to repeal the Sedition Act.

Ambiga Sreenevasan

"PH oh PH! Get rid of this ridiculous Act that belongs in the dark ages (It is 70-years-old for goodness sakes!) Stop getting used to the power it gives you!” she said.

Both Surendran and Ambiga were commenting on criticism by Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) on the use of the Sedition Act against individuals who allegedly insulted the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on social media.

Latheefa Koya 

LFL executive director Latheefa Koya said the arrests were reminiscent of the "BN government-style intolerance" towards freedom of speech, especially as the use of the Act had been heavily objected to by the Harapan coalition prior to forming the government.

“It is therefore shocking that in Malaysia Baru, this law is still being used by the police to crack down on mere social media comments that are not criminal in nature," Latheefa added.

what do you guppies expect when PH is led by Bapak Ops Lalang 

1 MDB story yet unrevealed

Malaysiakini - Puzzles over minutes of 1MDB deals with China by P Guansegaram (extracts):

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report on the link between China and 1MDB comes long after there was already strong evidence within the government itself that China was complicit in hiding and ameliorating the 1MDB problem of the previous administration to curry favour with it.

Still, the report has unearthed new evidence, including minutes of meetings between Malaysian and China officials which clearly acknowledge that China offered to help Malaysia to bail out 1MDB in return for lucrative and overpriced contracts.

It also included the previously reported blatant and criminal overpricing of contracts, especially the RM55 billion (now RM81 billion) East Coast Rail Link or ECRL project, and the RM10 billion pipeline-to-nowhere project.

Both of these involve some RM30 billion in overpricing, which was to be used eventually to buy worthless assets from 1MDB to cover the shortfall of funds in 1MDB caused by the theft of borrowed money from the so-called national development company.

It will be interesting to find out where the WSJ sourced these minutes from, some eight months after Pakatan Harapan took over as the new government. Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has said that he has no knowledge of the minutes, which is curious because 1MDB was a company wholly owned by the Finance Ministry.

How is it that the Harapan government has no knowledge of the minutes, when all the records for 1MDB were within its control from May 2018? If those responsible for 1MDB previously had secreted away these minutes, why would they hand it over on a platter for WSJ to review now?

Who are the people who are really investigating 1MDB in Malaysia, besides the actual criminal probe itself? Who has physical possession of all of 1MDB’s records? Why has there been no forensic audit involving accountants, lawyers and other professionals launched as yet?

What is the status of the report by the committee that was appointed under the Council of Eminent Persons and tasked with investigating 1MDB and making its recommendations?

Why is the finance minister yet to make public the situation audit for 1MDB, which will set out its financial position, more than five months after it has been submitted by auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)? (The situation audit is not a forensic audit, which is aimed at uncovering exactly what happened and how it happened, including apportioning blame.)

Is there another cover-up at 1MDB, especially regarding China’s role and complicity in this crime? As I had written in my last column, the government, given the circumstances, should not even think about continuing with the ECRL project because it is already heavily tainted.

I hope Guan Eng or even Maddy will tell us more - I'm getting very curious.