How Bad Was Our Economy When Najib Was PM6?

How Bad Was Our Economy When Najib Was PM6?

How was Malaysia's economy during PM Najib's time? - Photo by Zukiman Mohamad on Pexels.com

Carole Raymond Abdullah
28 June 2022

Go figure about the economy as the share market doesn’t lie. It reached its highest ever level at 1896 points in April 2018 just before GE14.

One of the key propaganda messages most used by PH and PN against former premier Najib Razak is that Malaysia’s economy and debt were getting worse when he was Prime Minister. This was the mantra they were reciting in all postings and media interviews and used as an excuse to take to the streets in the form of Bersih rallies.

In a Facebook post, Najib said he still read many comments from their supporters expressing this.

He added that in actuality, the reverse is true and he wanted to set the record straight so that the said supporters are no longer deceived by the propaganda and lies by the leaders of the two parties. On an aside, however, I think this is wishful thinking as know matter what Najib says, these supporters would still recite that mantra just because they do not want Barisan Nasional back as the government and Najib as PM.

“When I was PM, the government deficit was reduced for eight consecutive years but became bigger again after GE14. As a result, government debt increased from RM688.6 billion as at end 2017 before GE14 to RM1.05 trillion as of 1st quarter 2022 – a staggering 46.5% increase in less than four years.

Najib Razak: They kept on reciting the mantra that the country’s financial health was bad when I was PM but let the stock market figures speak for itself. – File pic


“As a result, the debt to GDP ratio for Malaysia was also reduced every year and reached 48.7% as at Q1 2018 just before GE14 – way below the statutory limit of 55% that the BN government set for itself.”

He added that post GE14, the debt to GDP ratio increased again under the PH and PN governments. Thereafter, the statutory debt limit was then raised twice to 60% and then to 65%.

Since GE14, the debt to GDP ratio has jumped from 48.7% to 62% as at end 2022. (see chart below)

Graphics from Focus Malaysia


He added that both the government deficit and debt to GDP ratio would have been higher if PH did not then excessively raided the RM176b cash reserves of Petronas left behind by the BN government compared to the RM30b cash when he started as PM.

Imagine that in the year 2019 alone, PH took RM54 billion from Petronas..

March 2019: Petronas to pay RM54 billion dividend to govt.

“Despite both the government deficit and debt to GDP ratio reducing for eight consecutive years, the BN government was still able to build all sorts of large public infrastructure projects such as MRT, LRT1 and LRT2 extensions, the toll-free Central Spine Road highway, the toll-free Pan Borneo Highway, introduce various forms of aid including introducing BR1M at RM500 in 2012 which was then raised almost every year to RM2,000 by year 2018.

“The share market doesn’t lie. That is why the share market more than doubled during the nine years I was PM and reached its highest ever level at 1896 points in April 2018 just before GE14.”

The Pekan MP added that this is why people like Lim Kit Siang would not dare debate him about the country’s financial health as these are all facts and figures. Should they be confronted, they will be forced to admit they have been lying. – New Malaysia Herald

About the writer: Carole Raymond Abdullah is a freelance writer who used to domicile in Hongkong for many years. She is now back in Malaysia, totally surprised at the turn of events in the country lately.

Anwar ‘casually’ meets Rafizi to discuss strengthening PKR

Anwar ‘casually’ meets Rafizi to discuss strengthening PKR


PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has met with Rafizi Ramli yesterday along with Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

This comes as Rafizi is on track to be elected as the deputy president, based on the unofficial party polls’ results announced by the PKR central election committee (JPP) in late May.

“(We) spoke casually and also discussed the agenda to strengthen PKR,” Anwar said in a short posting on his Instagram today.


Anwar had previously said he would only issue a statement on the results of the party election once the JPP formally finalises the results.

However, he said the “spirit of change” in the party election was a positive development for the party.

“I have been advised not to make any statement that would offend the election, but I feel that the election and the spirit of change is something positive for the party,” he had said.

Unofficial results

According to unofficial results released at the end of May, Rafizi won the deputy president race against PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

In the vice-presidential race, of which four elected positions are available, the projected winners are Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, Tanjung Malim MP Chang Lih Kang, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun.

Amirudin is aligned with Saifuddin while Nik Nazmi, Chang and Aminuddin are aligned with Rafizi.

PKR Youth chief Adam Adli Abdul Halim


Meanwhile, the top post for PKR Youth was won by Adam Adli Abdul Halim, who is aligned with Saifuddin, while the PKR Women saw mixed results where Rodziah Ismail (Rafizi’s team) won the chief post while its number two position was won by Juwairiya Zulkifli (Saifuddin’s team).

The official results will be formalised at PKR’s annual national congress, which had been postponed from the end of June to July 15 to 17.

Saifuddin said the postponement was to enable the JPP to resolve several matters raised related to the party election.

Solve chicken supply problems, not just pricing, says Mydin boss

Solve chicken supply problems, not just pricing, says Mydin boss

Prominent businessman Ameer Ali Mydin said the situation would be unchanged with the new ceiling price as long as there were supply shortages. (Bernama pic)


PETALING JAYA: Prominent businessman Ameer Ali Mydin has scoffed at the newly announced ceiling price for chicken, saying it made no difference given that problems in the supply chain remained.

Earlier today, the government announced the new ceiling price for chicken, with prices capped at RM9.40 per kg from Friday. Currently, standard whole chickens are capped at RM8.90 per kg.


Ameer, who is the managing director of Mydin hypermarkets, said the government must prioritise the supply of chickens in the market over pricing.

“With the new ceiling price, it’s very unlikely that the availability of chicken in the market will improve.

“The situation will be unchanged with the new ceiling price so long as we continue to have supply shortages,” he told FMT.

However, Jeffrey Ng, adviser to the Malaysian livestock federation, said that as a consumer, he was thankful that the government had set a new ceiling price.

“I do appreciate it because it’s much more affordable compared to other countries like the US, where chicken prices are about US$3.50 (about RM15.40) per kg,” Ng told FMT.

But as a farmer, he said, he would like more clarity from the government on the cost structure and subsidy mechanisms, which have yet to be announced.


“At this point, we only know the ceiling price. So, we have to wait for them to clarify.”

Ng, however, noted that farmers now had more confidence in the government, as they had made it easier for farmers to apply for subsidies.

“They have resolved a lot of issues. We can now do online submissions, and the number of documents required has been reduced from 13 to just three.

“Just in the last round of approvals last week, around 1,750 applications were approved.”

Udaipur: India state on alert after murder over Prophet Muhammad row

BBC:

Udaipur: India state on alert after murder over Prophet Muhammad row

IMAGE SOURCE,ANIImage caption,
The murder sparked protests and arson in Udaipur


The murder of a Hindu man in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan has sparked religious tensions in the area.


The victim, a tailor named Kanhaiya Lal, was killed in Udaipur district on Tuesday by two Muslim men, who filmed the act and posted it online.

They claimed the act was in retaliation for the victim's support for controversial remarks made by a politician on the Prophet Muhammad.


The government has suspended internet services and banned large gatherings.


The police have arrested the two men, who had identified themselves in the video.


In another video, they boasted about the murder and also issued threats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi while brandishing cleavers. A top Rajasthan police official asked media outlets not to broadcast the video of the murder as it was "too grisly to watch".



The victim had allegedly put up a social media post supporting former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who made controversial comments about the Prophet Muhammad last month.


Her comments sparked a diplomatic row with several Islamic countries registering their strong protests with India. The BJP subsequently suspended Ms Sharma from the party.


The controversy also led to religious protests in India which turned violent after demonstrators pelted stones and damaged public property.


Three weeks before his murder, Kanhaiya Lal had been arrested by the police for allegedly hurting religious feelings, the Indian Express reported. He had asked for police protection after his release, citing threats to his life.


The police then called some Hindus and Muslims for a peace meeting, after which Kanhaiya Lal said he didn't "need any more action against any one", a police official told the newspaper.

'OutSyed The Box' comments on 'Malaysia set to become worst country in the world'

OutSyed The Box

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh : Malaysia set to become worst country in the world





KANGAR – Malaysia is on track to become the worst country in the world unless its custodians change how they conduct themselves in leading the nation, said former Perlis menteri besar Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh.

He said the ills – from healthcare, to the economy and politics – afflicting the country will worsen unless a determined sense of change takes place soon.

He blamed it on the education system, which has failed to produce the right type of leaders for the new age of globalisation and emergence of great threats, such as Covid-19.

“My anger, bitterness and remorse are sincere. Our education system has failed, and we do not have the right quality of leaders to take us forward,” he told The Vibes.

Hamid, 77, who also served as Dewan Negara president, said the poor education system has led to the shortcut adoption of abusing race, religion and sovereignty to “pursue evil than for the greater good of fellow Malaysians”.

The main culprit is Umno, as the party has betrayed its own cause, he added.

– The Vibes, August 5, 2021

*********

My (Syed's) Comments:

Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh was the former Menteri Besar of Perlis. He is old school. A trained medical doctor and a polished person he served as Menteri Besar of Perlis for nine years (1986-1995).

Under his tenure Perlis was a "normal" State. There were no ISIS terrorists arrested by Police in Perlis during his tenure. There were no teenaged girls who complained of being given undue attention either.

There was also less cross border involvement between Perlis and the angry folks over in South Thailand. Perlis was normal.

And it was largely due to Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh's own education - which was in the old English based education system. Dr Hamid is a medical doctor trained in Karachi, Pakistan.

The type of leaders that will develop depends on the type of education acquired by the leaders. And where they were educated.

Religion is always contentious, illogical, exclusive (you are with us or against us). That is the nature of religion. If you put a religious educated fellow in charge then that is what you will get : contentious, illogical, exclusive.

But it also depends where the fellow got his religious education. You can study religion in Darul Uloom Deoband. Many Taliban also studied there.

Or you can get a degree in Islam from Cambridge University, England or University of Heidelberg in Germany. Their Islamic education is also quite thorough. To date no Taliban had studied at either Cambridge or Heidelberg.

Even if you studied engineering, management etc it depends on where you studied. If you studied in the United States (like I did) or in the UK and the West (1980s and after) - your outlook on how to do things will differ greatly compared to say if you studied at a local university (post 1980s).

So where the leaders studied and also what they studied makes a very big difference in the type of leadership they will exhibit.

A very large number of today's leaders in Malaysia (political and Civil Service) are graduates of local universities. Especially from one particular local university.

U.S. Supreme Court takes aim at separation of church and state

Reuters:

U.S. Supreme Court takes aim at separation of church and state





A demonstrators holds a large cross outside the U.S. Supreme Court, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 8, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst


WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - The conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court has chipped away at the wall separating church and state in a series of new rulings, eroding American legal traditions intended to prevent government officials from promoting any particular faith.

In three decisions in the past eight weeks, the court has ruled against government officials whose policies and actions were taken to avoid violating the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment prohibition on governmental endorsement of religion - known as the "establishment clause."


The court on Monday backed a Washington state public high school football coach who was suspended by a local school district for refusing to stop leading Christian prayers with players on the field after games. read more

On June 21, it endorsed taxpayer money paying for students to attend religious schools under a Maine tuition assistance program in rural areas lacking nearby public high schools. read more


On May 2, it ruled in favor of a Christian group that sought to fly a flag emblazoned with a cross at Boston city hall under a program aimed at promoting diversity and tolerance among the city's different communities. read more

The court's conservative justices, who hold a 6-3 majority, in particular have taken a broad view of religious rights. They also delivered a decision on Friday that was hailed by religious conservatives - overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide - though that case did not involve the establishment clause.


Cornell Law School professor Michael Dorf said the court's majority appears skeptical of government decision-making premised on secularism.

"They regard secularism, which for centuries has been the liberal world's understanding of what it means to be neutral, as itself a form of discrimination against religion," Dorf said of the conservative justices.

In Monday's ruling, conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that the court's aim was to prevent public officials from being hostile to religion as they navigate the establishment clause. Gorsuch said that "in no world may a government entity's concerns about phantom violations justify actual violations of an individuals First Amendment rights." read more

'WALL OF SEPARATION'

It was President Thomas Jefferson who famously said in an 1802 letter that the establishment clause should represent a "wall of separation" between church and state. The provision prevents the government from establishing a state religion and prohibits it from favoring one faith over another.

In the three recent rulings, the court decided that government actions intended to maintain a separation of church and state had instead infringed separate rights to free speech or the free exercise of religion also protected by the First Amendment.

But, as liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the Maine case, such an approach "leads us to a place where separation of church and state becomes a constitutional violation."

Opinions vary over to how much flexibility government officials have in allowing religious expression, whether by public employees, on public land or by people during an official proceeding. Those who favor a strict separation of church and state are concerned that landmark Supreme Court precedents, including a 1962 ruling that prohibited prayer in public schools, could be imperiled.

"It's a whole new door that (the court) has opened to what teachers, coaches and government employees can do when it comes to proselytizing to children," said Nick Little, legal director for the Center for Inquiry, a group promoting secularism and science.

Lori Windham, a lawyer with the religious liberty legal group Becket, said the court's decisions will allow for greater religious expression by individuals without undermining the establishment clause.

"Separation of church and state continues in a way that protects church and state. It stops the government from interfering with churches but it also protects diverse religious expression," Windham added.

Most of the religious-rights rulings in recent years involved Christian plaintiffs. But the court also has backed followers of other religions including a Muslim woman in 2015 who was denied a retail sales job because she wore a head scarf for religious reasons and a Buddhist death row inmate in 2019 who wanted a spiritual adviser present at his execution in Texas.

The court also sided with both Christian and Jewish congregations in challenges based on religious rights to governmental restrictions such as limits on public gatherings imposed as public safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nicole Stelle Garnett, a Notre Dame Law School professor who joined a brief filed with the justices backing the football coach, said the court was merely making clear that governments must treat religious people the same as everyone else.

Following Monday's ruling, many issues relating to religious conduct in schools may be litigated anew under the court's rationale that the conduct must be "coercive" in order to raise establishment clause concerns.

"Every classroom," Garnett said, "is a courtroom."

‘My brother did it’ – remembering a dark day for integrity

‘My brother did it’ – remembering a dark day for integrity

R Nadeswaran


“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

- Winston Churchill*


* kt comments: Churchill merely paraphrased George Santayana the original author of the statement, saying in the British Parliament in 1948 "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it"

COMMENT | Six months ago this week, political economist Edmund Terence Gomez quit as a member of the MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel. What started off as a ripple turned into a tidal wave culminating in street demonstrations calling for the resignation of its head honcho, Azam Baki.

In his resignation letter which was made public on Dec 27 last year, Gomez said disturbing questions had been raised about the “nexus between business and law enforcement” and a “conflict of interest” situation involving Azam and his ownership of corporate stock.

The matter would have ended there but Azam announced at a media conference that he allowed his share trading account to be used by his brother. Maybe at that time, he was not aware that this was an admission of sorts that he breached the Securities Industry (Central Depositories) Act (SICDA).

But the Securities Commission found that the trades were executed by Azam himself and not any third party.

To put it crudely, he was caught with his pants down for having lied to and misled the public previously by claiming “my brother did it”.

Nevertheless, he was exonerated by the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairperson Abu Zahar Ujang, while the prime minister and members of his cabinet maintained an elegant silence on the matter as if it was a trivial issue.

Far from it - Section 10 of the Public Officers Regulation (Conduct and Discipline) 1993, all public servants must declare both movable properties, such as money in bank accounts, motor vehicles, jewelleries, firearms, shares, warrants, stocks, bonds and securities, as well as immovable properties, such as land, landed properties, and of course, business ownership or directorship.

In addition, there are related rules in Service Circular Number 3/2002 – Ownership and Declaration of Assets by Public Officials, which prevents a public servant from owning more than RM100,000 worth of shares in any company.

Feet-dragging

Under Azam’s leadership several issues have been raised. The latest being payments made to four ministers. Details of such dealing were contained in a ledger which was part of the voluminous documents tendered at the ongoing High Court trial of former deputy prime minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The MACC acted almost immediately after former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leisner testified in a New York court in February that he had given gifts to his mistresses worth millions. But when it came to disclosures in a local trial, there was feet-dragging.

Why investigation papers on such illegal transactions were not opened as soon as the ledger was sighted when investigations began several years ago is anyone’s guess. Only after a public outcry did the MACC announce their intentions to investigate.

In a column on Jan 7, I wrote: “To say that the image and reputation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) are in tatters would be an understatement.

“Its chief, Azam Baki, offered a preposterous and ludicrous explanation on his reported ownership of shares in public-listed companies. But he did not do himself any favour by claiming, ‘I did no wrong’.”

The problems within MACC are like all other issues of integrity and accountability in our system of governance. After an issue is brought to the fore, there will be all kinds of statements and clamours but no action. After a few weeks, it will be forgotten and things will go back to business as usual.

Azam continues to head the commission but paid no heed or even considered the many suggestions and positive ideas to rejuvenate the anti-corruption drive which appears to be staggering to a halt.

The National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) was launched three years ago but it has yet to be implemented in full. The government spends large sums of money, time and effort to draw up comprehensive strategies which most of the time, end up in a steel cabinet of government offices gathering dust.

In a couple of years, there will be some minor changes to the plan and it will be re-badged and launched as NACP 2.0. And the saga will continue.

R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who writes on bread-and-butter issues. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com

Dr M should be 'jantan', cooperate with govt on Batu Puteh - Najib

Dr M should be 'jantan', cooperate with govt on Batu Puteh - Najib


Pekan MP Najib Abdul Razak today criticised former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad by comparing him with former attorney-general Tommy Thomas due to his refusal to cooperate with the government on the Pulau Batu Puteh issue.

Najib said the Langkawi MP’s protest walkout over former attorney-general Apandi Ali was the same as Tommy’s actions when he refused to cooperate with a special task force in January that was set up to investigate the claims made in his book “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”.

“This is the same way the police report, which was an order from RCI BNM (The Royal Commission of Inquiry Bank Negara Malaysia), was retracted by the Pakatan Harapan government and classified as not needing immediate action when Mahathir was prime minister, and when Tommy was the attorney-general.

“If this is the case, the mystery of the missing Pulau Batu Puteh case, abandoned court cases involving Harapan leaders, selected prosecution cases, and a new judge with no experience in criminal cases can suddenly be transferred to a criminal court to replace another judge for the most high-profile case even when proceedings have begun will always remain mysterious,” Najib said in a post on his Facebook page today.

“These mysteries are the same as how RM33 billion (close to RM200 billion today) of Bank Negara funds went missing in the 1990s, and no one was found responsible for its disappearance,” he added.

Najib also described Mahathir and Tommy’s actions as disrespectful to RCIs.

“Atok’s behaviour is like Tommy’s. He has no intention to cooperate with the government of the day,” he said.

Najib chided Mahathir, stating that a person who once held the reins of power should be “jantan” (have the courage), take responsibility, and be accountable to the nation and its people.

Yesterday, Mahathir walked out of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, where he was supposed to be interviewed by a panel on tort misfeasance regarding the sovereignty of Pulau Batu Puteh.

He claimed the walkout was due to Apandi being the panel’s chairperson and a person with a conflict of interest in the case.

Previously, in July 2019, during the Harapan administration, then minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong stated that a police report based on the RCI’s findings of the foreign currency scandal from back in the ’90s was classified as not needing further action.

Liew stated that a study of the findings showed that there was a lack of clarity on the documents to prove the validity of the claim.

Liew added that this was because the scandal occurred over 25 years ago, and the original documents are nowhere to be found.

Quran teacher charged with serial rape, molest of underaged sisters in Butterworth, prosecution hints at more victims

Quran teacher charged with serial rape, molest of underaged sisters in Butterworth, prosecution hints at more victims

Ashaari Ibrahim, 74,arrives at the Butterworth Sessions Court June 29, 2022. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin


SEBERANG PERAI, June 29 — Ashaari Ibrahim, who teaches al-Quran at his home, was today charged with 10 counts of rape and seven counts of sexual assault against two sisters between 2014 and 2021 at two separate Sessions Court here.

The 74-year-old man claimed trial to all the charges.


Ashaari was first taken before Sessions Court judges Noor Aini Yusof where he was slapped with three counts each of rape and sexual assault against the younger girl at a house in a village in Jalan Baru in Prai in 2018 when she was seven years old.

He was accused of committing the sexual crimes between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020.


Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhamad Syeqal Che Murat did not offer any bail for all the charges.


Ashaari was unrepresented and told the court that he was not sure if there was anyone to bail him out.

Noor Aini denied bail and set July 29 for mention of the case pending submissions of documents.

Next, Ashaari was taken before another Sessions Court judge Norhayati Mohamad Yunus where seven counts of rape and four counts of physical sexual assault against the older girl were pressed against him.

He was accused of committing the sexual crimes against the older sister over a period of eight years, starting from when she was only five years old.

The incidents allegedly happened between January 1 in 2014 and early March in 2021.

The charges were framed under Section 376 (1) (e) of the Penal Code for rape which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction, and Section 14 (d) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for sexual assault which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Aisyah Al-Humayrah Kamarul Zaman also did not offer bail for these charges.

"There are at least 10 more children who are victims of the accused so if he is granted bail, he may approach the victims and they might refuse to come forward with their statements,” she told the court.

She added that the victims are unrelated to the suspect but they lived in the same village.

Ashaari asked the court to grant him bail as his wife was unwell and he needed to take care of her.

Norhayati rejected his bail request on grounds that he could approach his alleged accusers.

She set July 29 for mention of the case pending medical report.

Batu Puteh inquiry: Objection to Mohamed Apandi’s appointment should be made earlier, says law minister

Batu Puteh inquiry: Objection to Mohamed Apandi’s appointment should be made earlier, says law minister

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar stressed that no issues had arisen regarding the Cabinet’s decision on October 29, 2021, to appoint Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali as chairman as due consideration had been given to the decision to set up the task force. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon


KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — Any objection to Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali’s appointment as chairman of the special task force to review laws relating to the sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca), Middle Rocks and South Ledge should have been raised and brought to government’s attention earlier.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar stressed that no issues had arisen regarding the Cabinet’s decision on October 29, 2021, to appoint Mohamed Apandi as chairman as due consideration had been given to the decision to set up the task force.


He said this in response to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s decision not to continue with the witness interview session with the task force’s Sub-Committee on Tort of Misfeasance at the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) here yesterday.

It was reported that the former prime minister came to the AGC for the interview, but refused to proceed with the session and decided to leave as soon as he found out that Apandi was still its chairman.


“The task force only wanted to hear and get his opinion on the situation which occurred in 2018 when the government then decided to withdraw the application to review the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Tun (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) was well aware of the appointment of the task force chairman and he could have turned down the invitation to attend the session at the AGC,” Wan Junaidi said in a statement here.


Wan Junaidi said Dr Mahathir’s decision not to cooperate was indeed disappointing and shocking to the panel of interviewers and the thing that the former premier should have been able to share could not be obtained by the task force.

He said the special task force was formed with specific objectives to review and study the legal options for Malaysia, as well carrying out investigation relating to the withdrawal of the review application at the ICJ in 2018.

“The task force has been carrying out its duties for seven months and will continue until the completion of the interim and final reports. It is also in the midst of preparing follow-up actions.

“It is impossible for me to act arbitrarily without any justification to remove Mohamed Apandi as the task force’s chairman when the decision on his appointment was made by the Cabinet,” he said.

The minister stressed that the task force would continue its commitment and fulfil its responsibility to come out with a final report as planned in line with the objective of its establishment, which is to review laws relating to the sovereignty over Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge. — Bernama

Normal Malaysian Big Business

Report: Bank Pembangunan Malaysia sues ex-MD, 26 others for alleged fraud involving RM400m loan in 2012

BPMB is accusing the 27 defendants of conspiring and using unlawful means to not only defraud the bank, but concealing such fraud and its proceeds.


KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — Bank Pembangunan Malaysia (BPMB) has filed a lawsuit against 27 individuals and entities, including its former president and group managing director Datuk Mohd Zafer Hashim, over a RM400 million loan granted to Aries Telecoms (M) Bhd a decade ago.

Local business newspaper The Edge reported today that BPMB is seeking a total of RM564.99 million in losses and damages supposedly caused by 27 people named as defendants.


According to The Edge which cited from the court filings, the RM400 million loan was approved in May 2012 to partly finance a RM1.3 billion project undertaken by Aries to install a fibre optic network around peninsular Malaysia.

BPMB — a development financial institution wholly owned by the Malaysian Government through the Minister of Finance (Incorporated) — also filed an ex-parte Mareva injunction against nearly all the defendants barring a few exceptions, the newspaper reported.


A Mareva injunction is a temporary restraining order that prevents a defendant from disposing assets until court decides on the legal dispute.


The ex-parte injunction application is scheduled for an online hearing this Friday before judge Ong Chee Kwan of the Commercial High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

According to the court filings as reported by The Edge, BPMB is accusing the 27 defendants of conspiring and using unlawful means to not only defraud the bank, but concealing such fraud and its proceeds.

BPMB claimed the loan was disbursed to Aries without fulfilling necessary conditions.

BPMB also alleged that the money which was meant to be used for the fibre optic project was misused, and that the funds were "siphoned and/or unjustifiably transferred” to other entities including Paneagle Holdings Bhd, BVS Trinity Sdn Bhd, VCB Malaysia Bhd, Orient Telecoms Sdn Bhd and Primawin Ltd — all of whom it named as defendants in the suit.

The RM400 million loan approval was granted based on the appointment of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd (Huawei China) as turnkey contractor to build, operate and maintain the network for the project.

However, Huawei China was subsequently replaced by Paneagle Holdings without the full knowledge, consent or approval of BPMB.

Despite these corporate changes, The Edge reported that the loan was still disbursed in two tranches of RM200 million each to Aries (then known as V Telecoms Bhd) as Zafer had allegedly approved two separate waivers of certain conditions required.

The Edge listed the other defendants as including: Aries director Wan Alias Wan Ngah and former director Roslina Ibrahim; Paneagle Sdn Bhd and its director Abdul Wahid Abdul Ghani; Open Fibre Sdn Bhd and its director Mohd Radzi Mohamed; Orient Telecoms Sdn Bhd and its directors Mustafa Ali Zaminali Sayed, Muhammad Shazhakim Shazarul Hisham, and Shaza Arina Shazarul Hisham; Silver Ridge Sdn Bhd and its director Wong Chee Keong; BVS Trinity and its director Abd Hadi Abd Majid; and Zavarco Plc and its director Tunku Mazlina Tunku Abd Aziz.

Hypocritical double standards Lebai's

PAS Youth defends chief for watching ‘Mat Kilau’ in cinema

PAS Youth says if the Mat Kilau movie promotes good virtues, encourages people to learn from history, instils patriotism, then it’s not ‘haram’. (GSC Facebook pic)


PETALING JAYA: PAS Youth has defended its chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari for watching a local movie, Mat Kilau, at a cinema in Kuala Lumpur recently, following accusations of hypocrisy.

In a statement, PAS Youth said that the film’s characters were dressed modestly, while the movie’s storyline did not promote any “immorality”.


“If the movie promotes good virtues, encourages people to learn from history, instils patriotism, then it’s not ‘haram’ (forbidden),” the wing said in a statement.

It added that female and male moviegoers were segregated during the screening.

However, PAS Youth said cinemas would still be categorised as “haram” if they did not adhere to Islamic principles.

“It would be ‘haram’ if moviegoers who were not ‘mahram’ (unrelated) sat closely together, watching romantic movies, as this could lead to immorality. If watching the movie made them forget to perform their prayers, then that is haram too,” it said.

PAS Youth also said it objected to the establishment of cinemas in Kelantan if it violated Islamic principles.

However, they were agreeable if moviegoers were segregated while in the cinema halls, and the films were shariah-compliant.

Deaths in immigration detention: Anyone can die anywhere - Hamzah

Deaths in immigration detention: Anyone can die anywhere - Hamzah


Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said if he could predict deaths in detention to prevent them, that would make him “great”, but he pointed out that anyone can die anywhere.

“If I knew someone was going to die and not place them in detention, I would be great.

“If we detain them, that means they have committed a crime.

“When someone has committed a crime, we are forced to follow the existing laws,” he said when asked about deaths in Sabah detention centres.

Hamzah was speaking to reporters at the Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Enforcement and Compliance Coordination Committee appreciation ceremony in Putrajaya today.

According to a report released by the Sovereign Migrant Workers Coalition (KBMB) on June 25, it said the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta recorded 149 Indonesians who died in five Sabah detention centres over 18 months between 2021 and 2022.

Separated from parents, sleeping in toilets

The report titled “A Report from Hell: Conditions of the Immigration Detention Centres in Sabah” also revealed appalling conditions in these detention centres and toddlers being held there.

In it, the group detailed children losing their parents in the centre and detainees forced to sleep in the toilet.

Quoting statistics from the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, the report was derived from interviews conducted with 100 deportees in shelters managed by the Technical Implementation Unit of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency based in Nunukan, North Kalimantan.

No statistics were provided for detainees of other nationalities.

“Detainees were denied their rights to health as efforts were not made toward their responsibilities to protect the health of detainees and ensure they can access every health service and facility,” alleged the report.

Nunukan is where 2,191 migrant workers and their families were deported between March 2021 and June this year.

The report revealed that 10 deportation programmes from five immigration detention centres in Sabah were carried out during this period.

Of the deportees, 1,765 (80 percent) were male migrants and 426 (30 percent) were female.

The shocking report revealed that 57 toddlers were among these numbers and another 195 (nine percent) were 18 years old.

Stop cruel treatment

“Owing to the poor conditions in the immigration detention centre, detainees quickly turned into patients,” described the report, highlighting incidents in the Tawau and Sandakan detention centres.

KBMB alleged that detainees were deliberately neglected and sick detainees were purposely not referred to a healthcare centre before their illnesses worsened.

“One deportee even died at the Nunukan Hospital only six hours after arriving at the seaport.

“Many deportees have to use a wheelchair because they are weak and disabled due to illness,” the report said.

The coalition recommended that detention should be considered as a last resort, given that large-scale arrests and detentions caused overcrowding in such facilities.

It also recommended that arrests be scrutinised individually rather than mass arrests of detainees be tried immediately knowing full well the reasons for their detainment.

The coalition asked for arrested persons to be given a reasonable time to prove their documentation as some had their documentation confiscated by employers.

The group stressed that lashing as punishment must be stopped along with all incidents of torture and cruel treatment.

We can’t allow market to dictate prices of goods, says economist

We can’t allow market to dictate prices of goods, says economist

Economist KS Jomo says parties that monopolise the Malaysian market will dictate the prices of goods.


GEORGE TOWN: An economist has cautioned against allowing the market to dictate the prices of goods in the country after the removal of price control and subsidies for certain items.

KS Jomo said this was due to the presence of monopolies, adding that the Malaysian market was “too small, and it is not free”.


“We have certain parties that are monopolising (the market).

“If we let the market decide, those who monopolise the market will dictate the price (of goods). It is not (good) enough,” he said in a talk tonight.


He also called on the government to come up with subsidies that benefited the recipients, including for healthcare.

Jomo said Putrajaya should emulate India, where there was a subsidy for food materials, instead of cash, for those in the lower income bracket.

“This subsidy programme benefited the women because if they had been given cash, their spouses will use the money for cigarettes.

“The food items help them to make nutritious food (for themselves).”


Jomo also criticised the government for subsidising items like sugar which he said jeopardised the health of Malaysians.

He said the sugar subsidy contributed to high sugar consumption, which subsequently led to Malaysia being one the countries recording the highest number of diabetes cases.

Meanwhile, fellow panellist Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj called for a holistic approach to food production.

The focus, he said, should not only be on increasing food production but also on the preservation of farmlands and the sea.

He criticised state governments for being short-sighted by clearing farmlands and reclaiming lands to generate “revenue”.

“In Perak, farmers are being chased off their farmlands, and the lands are being sold off to developers to build factories and houses. In Penang, they (state government) are trying to build artificial islands,” he said, adding that such projects would affect the fishing industry.

He called for a moratorium on farmland clearance and reclamation to ensure that food production would not be affected.

Lawyer calls for media to be brought to justice after colleague's scuffle during Cradle Fund CEO’s murder verdict

Lawyer calls for media to be brought to justice after colleague's scuffle during Cradle Fund CEO’s murder verdict

A commotion broke between lawyers and photographers after the decision on the Cradle Fund CEO murder trial in Shah Alam High Court, June 21, 2022.


KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 - A lawyer who was present at the scuffle between his colleague and an Utusan Malaysia photographer in the Shah Alam High Court last Tuesday said today that the media should not interfere with the rights of lawyers and their clients to attend court.

LS Leonard claimed in a statement representing the Chambers of Firdaus that not only was his colleague S. Suresh assaulted by the media, but the throng of cameramen had also obstructed the legal team’s path to their courtroom during the Cradle Fund CEO murder verdict.


"The cameramen and media personnel who were involved in the incident including cameraman Muhamad Zulfadhli Zaki who assaulted Suresh must be investigated and brought to justice,” he said.

According to him, the legal team, including their client Samirah Muzaffar, were unable to have a safe passage to Courtroom 4 and could not make it to their destination on time as they were already rushing when "a large group of media cameramen came running and surrounded us”.


He also claimed that Suresh had sustained head injuries requiring treatment from Shah Alam Hospital while his colleague Savreena Kaur "sustained serious discomfort to her eyes due to intense and close-range camera flashes”.


"Both lawyers and their clients must be protected from any form of intimidation and interference to their passage and movement in court. The incident on June 21, 2022 is an affront to an officer of the court and to the dignity of administration of justice,” he said.

The scuffle had occurred in the court lobby while Samirah was being escorted by her legal team to the delivery of the decision in the case dealing with the murder of Cradle Fund chief executive Nazrin Hassan which occurred four years ago.

Leonard describes the incident through the actions caught in a viral video in which he claims that photographer Muhammad Zulfadhli attempted to attack Suresh by punching and kicking him while he was trying to avoid the cameras and making way for the rest of the legal team to enter the lobby.

He said that Muhamad Zulfadhli had punched and bruised Suresh’s head, and when the lawyer approached him to identify him, he struck Suresh’s head with his camera and then challenged the lawyer to a fight.

He noted that vulgar language was used and it was later discovered that Muhamad Zulfadhli’s media pass had expired.

In his defence, Muhamad Zulfadhli told The Vibes that he was only carrying out his duties as a photographer and that Suresh should not have grabbed his personal belongings, admitting that he struck Suresh as an act of self-defence.

Both of them have since lodged a police report over the incident.

SRC appeal: Bar objects to Queen’s Counsel representing Najib, says there are over 20,000 qualified lawyers in Malaysia

SRC appeal: Bar objects to Queen’s Counsel representing Najib, says there are over 20,000 qualified lawyers in Malaysia

For the hearing in August, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is now trying to get a United Kingdom-based lawyer, Queen’s Counsel (QC) Jonathan James Laidlaw, to become the lead counsel in his appeal. — Picture by Devan Manuel


KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — The Malaysian Bar has objected to an application for Queen’s Counsel of the United Kingdom Jonathan Laidlaw to represent Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the latter’s final appeal involving the misappropriation of RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.

Its secretary B. Anand Raj in an affidavit filed yesterday, said Najib’s current lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah possessed more experience and qualifications compared to Laidlaw, and that there were over 20,000 other experienced lawyers in Malaysia for the former prime minister to choose from.

Anand said Muhammad Shafee himself possessed extensive knowledge and vast experience as he had appeared and argued numerous cases involving criminal legal provisions and charges related to the Pekan MP’s appeal.

“The fact that Muhammad Shafee and his legal team have been involved in the subject case and are familiar with the charges and the statutory provisions involved from inception, it is the considered view of the Malaysian Bar that Muhammad Shafee himself possesses greater experience and qualifications in respect of the issues pending in the appeal, more so than the applicant (Laidlaw),” he said.


Anand pointed out that it was only in the early years after Malaysia attained independence from the UK in 1957 when there was a limited number of local lawyers that there was some need for assistance from the QC and other foreign experts.


“Today, in 2022, 65 years post-independence, the Malaysian Bar has grown in strength, quantitatively and qualitatively. We have 21,659 advocates and solicitors who are in possession of a valid Annual and Practicing Certificate as of June 27, 2022.

“There are many advocates and solicitors with subject matter expertise and experience in criminal defence litigation up to the highest appellate tiers. A perusal of the applicant’s (Laidlaw) qualifications and experience as set out in the said affidavit (by Muhammad Shafee) reveals that he is an eminent QC in the UK and has a varied and extensive experience in various jurisdictions.

“He does not, however, have the special qualifications or experience in the Malaysian legal system, the Malaysian criminal system and in other related jurisprudence required for the appeal,” he said.

He added that Laidlaw had not demonstrated any familiarity with Malaysia’s evolving local statutes, practices and procedures since it gained independence.

The application for a QC will be heard at the High Court here on July 6 before Judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid.

On January 25, the legal firm Messrs Shafee & Co submitted a letter to the Secretariat of Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on Najib’s intention to appoint a QC to assist him on complex issues and legal questions in the appeal of the SRC case in the Federal Court.

The Federal Court has set 10 days in August to hear Najib’s appeal against his conviction and jail sentence for misappropriation of the company’s funds.

On December 8, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and 12-year prison sentence as well as an RM210 million fine imposed against Najib for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC funds.

Justice Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who presided with fellow judges Datuk Has Zanah Mehat and Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, unanimously dismissed Najib’s appeal against the High Court’s decision on July 28, 2020.

The Federal Court is Najib’s final avenue of appeal against his conviction and sentence. — Bernama

Court reinstates Mongolian’s civil suit over alleged rape by ex-cop

Court reinstates Mongolian’s civil suit over alleged rape by ex-cop

Criminal proceedings against Hazrul Hizham Ghazali are ongoing in the Klang sessions court.

PETALING JAYA: The Court of Appeal has reinstated a Mongolian woman’s civil suit seeking declarations that she was unlawfully detained and sexually assaulted by a former police inspector.

This comes after the Kuala Lumpur High Court had on Jan 22, 2021, struck out the suit against Hazrul Hizham Ghazali as the woman could not deposit a RM70,000 payment for security for costs.

In a statement, law firm Thomas Philip Advocates and Solicitors said the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court’s decision yesterday, with her civil action set to go for a full trial.

Case management has been set for July 15.

“Criminal proceedings are ongoing against Hazrul, who faces multiple counts of rape and outrage of modesty in the Klang sessions court, with continued dates scheduled for July this year,” said the firm.

The Mongolian woman, who was one of two women aged between 20 and 36 arrested at a roadblock, had filed the suit in April 2020 seeking declarations against Hazrul for unlawful detention and sexual assault during the movement control order.

The former police inspector from the Petaling Jaya police headquarters is charged under Section 13(f) of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act for abuse of power in exploiting the women.

The alleged offence took place between April 10 and 11 at a hotel in Petaling Jaya.

He faces a jail sentence of between three and 20 years and a fine, if convicted.

*********

kt comments:

Could such a lascivious rape crime involving police officer(s) happen to "another Mongolian woman", but with fatal ending?

Ahmad Maslan defends Zahid: 'What matters are results'

Ahmad Maslan defends Zahid: 'What matters are results'


Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan has come to his party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s defence, following Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s claim that the latter is a liability to Umno’s survival.

In a screenshot of a message posted on Ahmad’s Twitter, he said what matters most about one’s leadership is the delivered results.

“In a struggle, what is most important are the results. What are the results of the struggle led by the president and assisted by the Umno deputy president and supreme council members so far?” Ahmad added.

He then listed a number of Umno’s achievements under Zahid’s presidency, including their victory in seven by-elections, landslide wins in the Malacca and Johor snap polls, managing to get Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob installed as the prime minister as well as confirming Ismail Sabri as their prime minister candidate for the next general election.

“Hopefully this team will successfully bring Umno/BN to win Malaysia again, with a two-thirds victory, for the benefit of the rakyat,” Ahmad said.

Tajuddin Abdul Rahman


Tajuddin yesterday lashed out at Zahid at a press conference, three days after he was removed as a supreme council member.

Aside from branding Zahid as a liability to Umno, he warned that the party will lose the general election if Zahid remains the party president.

Tajuddin also alleged that a group of senior Umno leaders previously gathered to broker a deal that would see Zahid amicably step down as party president as early as 2020.

However, he said the plan fell through after Umno deputy president Mohamed Hasan and former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak backed out.

Nur Jazlan hits back at Umno detractors in Cabinet, questions their loyalty to party president

Nur Jazlan hits back at Umno detractors in Cabinet, questions their loyalty to party president

Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed speaks at an event in Pulai, Johor in this December 11, 2021 file photograph. — Bernama pic


JOHOR BARU, June 28 — Outspoken Johor Umno leader Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed accused some of his party’s ministers of hypocrisy today, noting they censured him for publicly criticising the prime minister when they had freely disapproved of their party president before.

The Johor Umno deputy chief pointed out that party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has faced open dissent from some of the party’s ministers, some of whom bristled after Nur Jazlan criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.


“I reprimanded the PM openly and was accused of wrongdoing. I was labelled as a sinner. But when you do the same to the Umno president, the number one person in your own party, are you also not in the wrong?

“Ooo yes, because the person I reprimanded gave you the (ministerial) appointment, position, rank, salary and allowance. So, I am wrong.


“But you have forgotten, all these privileges you receive are because you are an Umno member, with a president elected by the grassroots members. Have you forgotten?” Nur Jazlan wrote in a statement posted on his Facebook page today.


Yesterday, former Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman urged Ahmad Zahid to step down from Umno’s presidency and focus on his court cases.

The controversial Pasir Salak MP said according to the practice of other countries, a leader would resign immediately when he or she is brought to court, more so for those involving corruption cases.

Nur Jazlan also questioned the actions of Umno leaders who disobeyed the president's instructions and cast aspersions towards Ahmad Zahid, suggesting their true loyalties were not with Umno.

Saying that some appeared to be bigger advocates of other parties since the previous general election, he asked his critics what made them think they were superior to him when he has remained loyal to the party throughout.

“When the party and the grassroots decide to end cooperation with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition and Muafakat Nasional (MN) charter, you do not follow the party's wishes. The question is who is in the wrong?" he asked.

Nur Jazlan, who is also the Pulai Umno division chief, added that Umno leaders in the Cabinet need to reflect on themselves before punishing him as someone who takes advantage.

He alleged that after Umno lost in the 14th general election, many members disappeared and failed to help Umno in times of need.

“You only come out of the cave when you were keen on the minister’s posts offered on Umno’s quota. What is your contribution to help the party?

“When you sit comfortably in the minister's seat, do you defend Umno a lot or do you take care of your own rice bowl?” said Nur Jazlan.

Last Thursday, it was reported that several Umno leaders in the Cabinet had expressed their disagreement over Nur Jazlan’s move in openly criticising Ismail Sabri.

They pointed out that the Johor Umno leader did not understand how the government works and should have used proper internal channels instead.

Umno isn’t alone: Zahid lauds former EC chairman for GE15 push

theVibes.com:

Umno isn’t alone: Zahid lauds former EC chairman for GE15 push

Party president echoes Tan Sri Ab Rashid Ab Rahman on long-overdue elections

Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and other party leaders aligned with him have been pushing for an election to be held soon to capitalise on a weak opposition. – The Vibes file pic, June 28, 2022


KUALA LUMPUR – Umno’s bid to dissolve Parliament soon was not without merit, said its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

In his Facebook post, today, Zahid cited former Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Ab Rashid Ab Rahman after the latter claimed the general election should have been held a long time ago.

Yesterday, Rashid told The Malaysian Insight that the 15th general election (GE15) is long overdue as the current government is not an elected one and is illegitimate in terms of democracy.

“We should have held a general election. It should have been done a long time ago,” he was quoted as saying during an interview.

“They say this is a palace government, that’s right, this is not a people’s government, constitutionally right but this is not an elected government.”

In response, Zahid today said that the former Electoral Reform Committee chairman’s call signalled that Umno is not alone in its push for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to dissolve Parliament.

“(Rashid) stated that the legitimate mandate of democracy should be restored. He also said the government is unstable because there are various characters and parties, which is not good for the country,” he said in a Facebook post.

“Even those not in Umno want Parliament to be dissolved.”

Noting that Rashid is the former vice president of Bersatu and a current member of the party, he praised Rashid for honestly stating his stance on the matter based on his 30-odd years of experience with the EC.

Zahid and other party leaders aligned with him have been pushing for an election to be held soon to capitalise on a weak opposition.

During the Umno general assembly in March, Zahid had called for GE15 to be expedited, questioning why there is a delay in dissolving Parliament while simultaneously dismissing calls for party polls to be held soon.

Similar sentiments were expressed during the Barisan Nasional (BN) convention earlier this month when Zahid had rallied delegates to pressure Ismail Sabri to call for a snap general election.

His repeated demand came just days after Ismail Sabri indicated that the election might not be held anytime soon, citing spiralling food prices and the soaring costs of living as reasons to put off the election.

Meanwhile, embattled Umno MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman revealed yesterday that he is a “living witness” to statutory declarations signed last year supporting opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as president.

During the tell-all presser, Tajuddin had also disclosed that there was an internal movement within the party to topple Zahid as the “big boss”, sharing a photo of a high-level meeting that discussed Zahid standing down from leadership duties.

He revealed that the movement was led by Mohamad Hasan, more commonly known as Tokmat, who colluded with Zahid’s predecessor Datuk Seri Najib Razak to organise a meeting in May 2020.

Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz later confirmed with The Vibes that he had attended the meeting among senior Umno leaders, noting that those in attendance had discussed Zahid temporarily stepping aside as party president until the disposal of his ongoing trials. – The Vibes, June 28, 2022