Tommy Thomas admit mistake in letter

Tommy Thomas finally came out from silence to explain himself. Several mainstream media and news portal published Tommy's attempt to explan. (See The Edge here)

The opposition led by PKR's Rafizi created a media blitz to blame Dato Najib for stopping payment to the Suluk using weak legitimacy reasons. Prior and after the Lahad Datu incursion, PKR leaders were accused of covertly collaborating and supporting Suluk claim. PH has interest to redirect blame.      

While Najib, in one of his endless FB status on the Suluk issue, highlighted his main blame to the letter issued by Tommy to the Sulu party that ended being repeatedly used 10 times at the Madrid arbitration to justify their claim and ultimately a US$14.92 billion claim on Petronas. 

Shafie Apdal is vociferously demanding a debate in Parliament but as Chief Minister, he was accused by Anifah Aman for sending unprepared state legal officer to Madrid to participate and gave legitimacy to the arbitration. 

Wisma Putra's position had all along ignored any attempt by the Suluk for engagement on any claim on Sabah. They took the Phillipines' official position that the Suluk has no sovereign right and the locus standi to do so.

Talk in Sabah is that Tan Sri Richard Malanjum had a role in advising Shafie.  

Serbadk's Nusantara mystery

This blog was alerted by Nuclearbursaman's posting, "Serba Dinamik: There is more than the eye can see". 

Though aware of the Edge's report 3 days ago of "Creditors vote in favour of Serba Dinamik's scheme of arrangement", too overwhelmed by other prevailing issues and focused on research for articles on food security on rice and BNM's monetary policy reactions to the prevailing economic condition to ponder. 

Cannot helped to be overwhelmed by NBM's comment: 

ITS one thing massaging your accounts to pull the wool over the public eye, but it's a whole new different ball game trying to fool suspicious hard nose bankers the second time around.

Its mysterious enough for "Misteri Nusantara", a Malay TV program once shown on RTM thus worthy of a snapshot comment. 

Sad to have ended this way for Green Packet's CC Puan

From the end of 2020 till early January 2021, this blog ABITW was aggresively campaigning for Khazanah Nasional to sell Silterra to DNex. Initially, the challenge was to get the foreign bidders out of the way. 

Having succeeded, the next challenge was to take on the local competitor as in outsmart CC Puan and Green Packet's aggressive bid. CC Puan was truly a worthy competitor so to speak with their creative packaging of proposal, focused lobbying and public relation exercise. 

Green Packet was aggressively pursued to convince the public (if not the decisionmakers) that DNex was the more genuine, technically and financially sound company for consideration. 

Since then CC Puan have not been on the radar till a friend alerted of a Sabahkini article here on the bankruptcy of CC Puan. He quipped, "Sampai muflis bro kerjakan dia. Haha.. " 

Food security crisis: opportunities in adversity

Do those in charge have foresight to see and exploit these chances?

Salahuddin Hisham
The Vibe

Updated 8 hours ago · Published on 25 Jul 2022 10:43AM · 0 Comments

THERE is a Chinese saying, “A crisis is an opportunity riding a dangerous wind”. Despite the current bleak outlook of the global economy and food shortage crisis, all is not lost.

The Malaysian government should take advantage of the current malaise to reverse the chicken export ban policy, address food security concerns, and turn chicken farming into a major export-driven industry.

The current global economic concern is the anticipated recession that is happening in the midst of the rising US dollar, a hike in key interest rates, and high inflation. The anticipated post-pandemic reopening of the economy was stunted by the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Major regions considered global engines of growth are slipping into recession.

The bleak global economic condition came with widespread shortages and a rise in food prices. Indonesia, India and even Malaysia recently resorted to halting food exports.

Toxic Rafizi doing Mahathir's bidding with Suluk stunt

RAFIZI PROLONGING MAHATHIR'S NAJIB NAJIB NAJIB ... CHANT ON BEHALF OF DAIM 

Rafizi is creating a political illusion because Atoq fear Najib will be acquited due to Nazlan Ghazali debacle and embarassingly faulty judgement of Nazlan and COA. 

The optic surrounding the SRC case too overwhelming. If the put side to ignore the revealed e-mail and leaked MACC IP of Nazlan, judges in Malaysia will be looked upon as pariah. 

A mistrial will invite unprecedented public outcry and scrutiny, and internationally, put into question the integrity of the whole system of law enforcement and justice albeit downgrade Bar Council to level of garbage collecting Town Council.

Is PM holding back UMNO's ROS approval letter?

According to a high position holder in UMNO, July 16th is the deadline given for ROS to make a decision to approve the amendment to the party's constitution and postphone party election after GE15  made at the recent EGM. 

Legally, UMNO has complied with the spirit and words of the party's constitution. The official said UMNO have fully complied with the ROS requirements. 

It is believed a retired ROS official assisted  to checklist the documentations. A staff from PWTC have been going back and forth daily to liaise with ROS and meeting up with their every request. 

Feedback has been positive. Unless the conspiracy circulating in PASleak alleged report turned out true, ROS has approved. Lawyer and former officer to a previous Pahang MB, Shamsuddin Nawawi claimed the same in his FB yesterday morning. According to news portal MalaysiaPost, Ismail Sabri have been notified. 

Sources believed the approval letter was prepared and signed by the authorised ROS official, but awaiting approval from a superior before being handed to UMNO headquarter.

ROS approval

Despite the common believe within UMNO, it is unlikely of Hamzah Zainuddin to intervene and reject. It could perpetually block his option to return to UMNO. More importantly, the seconder of the motion to amend the constitution is no less than the PM himself. 

Rejecting it will put both PM and Putrajaya Camp in a bad light. It will obliterate any chance for Ismail Sabri to secure from infuriated grassroot members' vote should he attempt to run for UMNO Presidency before GE15. Asyraf Wajidi has indirectly pointed this out by his awkward intended statement that PM is above ROS official. 

Utusan Malaysia reported no announcement of the approval from ROS as at Friday July 16th. Pro-Anwar Facebooker, Shahbudin Hussin made the conclusion no letter means it was rejected, no early GE15 and party election soon. 

Former reporter and Muhyiddin supporting Facebooker Azizi Safar have been pre-empting UMNO election will be immediate with justification approval for MCA amendment took effect at subsequent term.   

If the ROS letter did not reach PWTC by Monday morning, UMNO will apply a Mandamus writ to the court, similar to the application made by MUDA to secure their party approval. 

This will certainly put a bad light on ROS to be ordered by the court to do their work. It could be the precedent for more Mandamus application on other pen pushing Government Departments. 

However, the comment from FB and writers known as Ismail Sabri's cybertroopers have been mixed. One preempted with ROS approval as proof of Ismail's loyalty to UMNO. 

Tajuddin stunt no impact

On the other hand, they seemed to chorus Nazri Aziz's campaign for Ismail's Presidency with the tired line of Zahid Hamidi agreed for Anwar to be Prime Ministership. 

Anwar repeated at his PKR party convention that he received UMNO support but churned out a new narrative that he refused to be working with corruption. Rafizi Ramli refused to buy that and explicitly rejected any idea of large canopy. 

Tajuddin Rahman was a signatory and active participant but has distanced himself. His expose proves he failed to understand the ploy of his own initiative. The power to appoint PM lies with Agong. 

And, it is speculated he may have invoke dismay and caused postphonement of his conferment as Ambassador.

Nevertheless, the Tajuddin stunt did not create quite the reaction of UMNO grassroot. 

Memorandum of Agreement 

However the revelation by Raja Petra last week did.

He disclosed the front and back of a written agreement or legally worded as Memorandum of Agreement between Ismail Sabri and Muhyiddin.

A reporter hinted and few other talked about it, but generally, no one knew of it. It surprised all levels of the UMNO echelon

The agreement was prepared by Takiyuddin Hasan but even Haji Hadi Awang and PAS leaders were not aware. It was witnessed by the other members of the Publika gang, namely sacked UMNO Secretary General, Annuar Musa and Hamzah Zainuddin.  

The agreement is in contravention with the declaration made by Ismail to Agong and Dewan Rakyat that the support he received in order to be appointed PM in August last year came with no condition. 

He could be the first PM to be reprimanded by the Parliamentary Select Committee. And his relation with Agong may not be the same from hereon. 

The agreement issue started when PPBM insisted on Zuraidah Kamaruddin, who left PPBM for PB, be removed and her to be replaced with other PPBM leader. Ismail was reluctant to make a decision as it means he could lose his majority in Parliament should Zuraidah withdraw support. 

Subsequently, Muhyiddin pushed the issue to demand PPBM to be appointed DPM as per an agreement. Wan Saiful then revealed Annuar Musa knows of the agreement and a supporter of Annuar posted on his FB as why not as long it is not Azmin. 

It eventually led to the alarming revelation by Raja Petra. Cybertroopers seen as defenders of Ismail and carrying Annuar's narrative blamed Lokman Nor Adam as collaborator. It is all to see that RPK's narrative lately have been favouring Ismail Sabri since his expose of Mohamad Hasan over an investigation nearing two decade ago and long cleared.

Zahid issued a face saving conciliatory statement to claim he knows of the agreement and understand the situation. It was immediately exploited by FBer Azizi to spin to the effect he was a party to it. It is possible that Zahid know but believed Ismail only revealed after the event. 

Undermined the party

Though FBer aligned to Muhyiddin argued that the agreement is between Ismail as PM and Muhyiddin as PPBM President, it was a term to dictate the limitation of Ismail's power as PM and he carries the optic of a BN PM. His action undermines the party.

More so, UMNO has repeatedly and consistently call for returning mandate to the people to stabilise and provide direction for Government administration, whether GE15 favours BN or PH. His constantly delay cool the momentum for BN after the landslide in Melaka and Johor coupled with GPS whitewash of PH in Sarawak. 

Rumours heard that certain Camp Putrajaya members approached Zahid to seek assurance for the candidacy of few hardcores strongly rumoured to be dropped for GE15. No decision was heard to come from Zahid but he reprimanded the messenger for damaging UMNO and allowing enemy to split the party. Will it mean Zahid will be more firm in his actions from now on? 

Whether the incident is related to the delay, it could not be ascertained but sources within PWTC claimed there was a recent private meeting between Zahid and Ismail. 

Ismail was enquired of the ROS approval. He said ROS has not answered but was immediately brushed off by Zahid. The former Home Minister responded to informed Ismail ROS has approved and prepared the letter. It is awaiting for his clearance. To hide his embarassment, Ismail covered his line to ask Zahid what he should do. 

For a PM who barged into Abu Dhabi despite the host reluctance to accept the visit and two diplomats was blamed and dismissed for poor reception by the host, it is certainly a strange question. 

As usual, one can expect a tumoultous political week ahead with the information from sources, rumours and FB opinions will be confirmed. Muhyiddin seemed resigned to leave it to PM to decide on DPM before he reveals another UMNO splitting conniving move.