“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”
― Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
Too many incidents happened during the last few weeks of Ramadhan.
Racial temperature was rising following resistance of an illegal Hindu temple on Jakel's land in the Masjid India area to relocate. Then the random punching incident against an Axia driver.
Mineral water and stinky bean sellers went amuck, and thug-like manner by DBKL enforcement officers on unlicensed balloon seller. These incidents, which are raising hatred against local authorities, inspired a philosophical social media commentator to quote Lenin.
Talk of a coup d'etat after Hari Raya ended when Ismail Sabri was nabbed and in the early part of Ramadhan. Yet through out Ramadhan the political agenda setting continued.
There was the Sapura bailout or not polemic. Hamzah Zainuddin appeared on Keluar Sekejap to stir-up UMNO grassroot. The motherload meant to be political conversation during Raya was the RM1 billion lawsuit by Hydroshoppe. But, Putra Heights gas leak that caused a massive explosion on the second day of Hari Raya deviated attention.
With too many developments, the mysterious arrest of a highly connected oil and gas corporate figure by police allegedly for case fixing scam missed the media and public radar.
Robert Phang in MCPF?
Undisclosed by media, the arrested Deputy Chairman of T7 Global Berhad, Tan Sri Tan Kean Soon is an exco member of the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF). The Home Minister is the Chairman of the foundation and Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tan Sri Razarudin as Deputy.
It is supposedly a powerful and respectable group, but an old familiar face in Tan Sri Robert Phang is also a member. He was once accused of offering bribe to a former Home Ministry KSU. He was then in cahoot with lawyer Rosli Dahalan and Din Merican in a conspiracy against MACC.
Upon being exposed, Phang panicked and immediately resigned from his position as member of an MACC panel. Anyway, he was cleared by MACC later.
Raising this distance past event to highlight that Phang's presence in MCPF invite suspicion against Tan.
Puzzling
There are too many issues that does not jive with this arrest.
Tan is an Adviser to the influential and highly connected umbrella organisation of Chinese associations, Huazhong. He is also member of various powerful business councils. It begs the question why a renown businessman, corporate figure and connected person would get his hands dirty for a relatively paltry RM10 million?
There is the intrigue of why did Tan resigned immediately as Deputy Chairman of T7 Global Berhad and the company issued a statement denying it is under investigation?
Obviously it serves to allay attention away from the company, however it strengthen the suspicion that an offense was committed. By virtue of Tan's membership in MCPF, he should personally know the Home Minister and IGP, thus could privately explained the circumstances to them. And all can be hush hush.
So it invite the curiosity as to why IGP could not help him from being arrested and investigated by the police? Did he actually committed the alleged scam which is usually committed by petty blackmailers on those having trouble with the law? Did he abused his connection with the police and angered the IGP thus got taken in?
MCPF would certainly need to meet to trash this matter.
Steven Sim denial
The biggest surprise and that create the curiosity to dig further is why Steven Sim had to frantically deny his position as Adviser to the Minister of Human Resources?
The issue was not raised by reporters. The information was published on T7 Global page for quite sometime and did not raise any suspicion.
Tan is involved in the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health. It is an important aspect of the oil and gas industry. He could provide relevant feedback to the Minister.
Why the MP for Bukit Mertajam need to dissociate himself from Tan?
As a background to understand the situation, one former Magistrate once described Bukit Mertajam as notorious centre for criminal activities in Penang and northern state of Kedah and northern Perak. And, it a smuggling den for smuggled goods to by-pass customs at the Penang Port.
ECK Development, the property development company which scammed China investors for projects in Kulim and durian plantation in Baling. It is believed to be linked with the money game operator MBI and based in Bukit Mertajam.
It is also partner with China party in the consortium to build the failed Penang underwater tunnel.
Apparently, another property development company, similar in stature to the Ivory Property is currently under investigation for link to MBI. It has business and political interest in Bukit Mertajam.
Is all these associations making the generous and philantropic young Minister nervous and need to immediately disassociate himself from Tan?
China investigate MBI
According to Weekly Edge, the investigation on Ivory Property was probed by China. Extract below:
This is why the police are investigating MBI’s money trail. The question is, why is Bukit Aman on the money trail now, some seven years after MBI collapsed? Why didn’t they go after Teow and his associates when MBI collapsed in 2018 and Teow was still running his scheme from Danok, Thailand, between 2019 and 2022?
This was before Teow was arrested by the Thai police and extradited to China in August 2024, after a two-year court battle.
One reason attributed to the police probe is the impending visit of China’s President Xi Jinping, which is likely to happen next month. This is on account of the fact that investors from China were among the biggest victims in the MBI scam.
China military have investigated and taken action against various scams by underworld operators from China in Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand preying on Chinese. It is heard that even the Macau gangster Wan Kwok, that was pursued by FBI, is being hunted down by the Chinese military.
It is heard that the purge by the China military has extended into Malaysia. They came down in numbers to share their finding with PDRM.
Could this be the reason Tan cannot be saved by MCPF?
Tan, MBI and Yakuza?
NST reported:
"So far, the suspect has taken about RM10 million from victims, after initially demanding RM25 million. He claimed to have close connections with the police and promised to resolve their legal issues," the source told Harian Metro.
Words on the street is that he has taken RM15 million in which RM5 million could be from MBI.
The RM10 million seemed likely to come from a person nicknamed as Dato Ramen, from the Japanese noodle. So happen Tan was arrested upon his return from Osaka.
After much calling around, apparently one Dato Keh Chuan Seng with long association with Japan was mentioned. On March 25th, four days before Tan was arrested, Edge reported two of his PLCs were in the top 10 market losers and the same report mentioned of the shares of six of his companies are under selling pressure.
Hopefully there is no association with the Yakuza because China will not take kindly someone linked to both MBI and Yakuza. Tan could get himself extradited to China.
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