Friday, March 24, 2017

BN-UMNO reported to have provided foreign company with classified data on Malaysia's population : Door open to data being used to undermine NEP. Bumputera rights

COMMENT


It is well understood that the raw data that is used to compute  Malaysia's national statistics have always been subject to the Official Secrets Act.The reasons are obvious, given that statistics are used to determine the  implementation of affirmative action plans pursuant to the New Economic Policy (NEP),and to preserve and promote Bumiputera rights.

Now it seems that data is being provided a foreign company in an attempt to win votes. The problem here is obvious;  data can be used in any way that those with access to that data determine. It can be sold to any foreign power interested in undermining the country by attacking the NEP.It could be used to discredit affirmative action policies and special privileges. The motives are endless, for such is the nature of raw data; a fact well understood from the time the data was collected, and kept under tight controls.

Now, read on:



Latest On Geneva's 1MDB Snooper Raises Fears That Najib Is Employing 'Big Data' Tactics To Try Swing GE14

Latest On Geneva's 1MDB Snooper Raises Fears That Najib Is Employing 'Big Data' Tactics To Try Swing GE14

Journalists from Switzerland’s Le Temps newspaper have unearthed a startling connection between the snooping private investigator, Nicolas Giannakopoulos, who conducted a bizarre seminar on 1MDB at Geneva University and Malaysia’s governing Barisan National party.
The newspaper has in the process identified concerns that individuals closely connected to Barisan National are preparing to employ the latest highly controversial (and expensive) ‘Big Data’ tactics to swing voters at the next election.
SLC (Cambridge Analytica) uses 'Big Data' to influence voters.  It's SE Asia Office is in KL
SLC (Cambridge Analytica) uses ‘Big Data’ to influence voters. It’s SE Asia Office is in KL
Nicolas Giannakopoulos, who was recently suspended from his position at the University following an expose by Sarawak Report, is the Swiss agent for SLC (otherwise known as Cambridge Analytica).
SLC specialises in collecting a mass of data, particularly about individuals in key marginal consituencies, in order to seek to deliberately influence their voting patterns. The company is credited with having swung Brexit in the UK and the Donald Trump win in the US.
SLC has opened in KL under a BN PR aparachik  - its Swiss agent is none other than Giannakopoulos
SLC has opened in KL under a BN PR aparachik – its Swiss agent is none other than Giannakopoulos
Le Temps points out that SLC has now opened an office in KL headed by one of BN’s established public relations figures, Azrin Zizal, who has made no secret in public that his messaging to voters is to stick with the “safe” and “tried and tested” BN, rather risk than an ‘uncertain future’ with the opposition.
The connection provides a concrete link between agents active on behalf of Barisan National and Giannakopoulos, who roused the suspicions of Sarawak Report after persistently seeking to question the editor about 1MDB and his efforts to engage with members of the opposition parties, asking about their politics and their prospects.
The snooping culminated in a highly expensive “seminar” hosted by Giannakopoulos at the  University of Geneva, together with operatives linked to a documentary film project on 1MDB, which has also been identified to Sarawak Report as having been infiltrated by BN.
Giannakopoulos was confronted by Sarawak Report in London, following persistent snooping
Giannakopoulos was confronted by Sarawak Report in London, following persistent snooping
Giannakopoulos originally claimed that the seminar and subsequent travelling to meet further with opposition figures was funded by the University itself as part of its academic programmes.
However, when pressed by Sarawak Report, he admitted it had nothing to do with the University and claimed he had paid for the thousands of dollars in expenses from his “own pocket”.
After Sarawak Report complained to the University it suspended Giannakopoulos, who has been long widely suspected of using his association with its Global Studies Unit as a front for his raft of private businesses, which are associated with commercial ‘black ops’, frequently on behalf foreign governments, such as Kazakhstan and now Malaysia:
See the Le Temps article (in translation) below:
Screen Shot 2017-03-25 at 03.41.05

The mysterious Giannakopoulos

On the garden side, political scientist and criminologist Nicolas Giannakopoulos is deputy director of the Observatoire universitaire de la sécurité in Geneva. On the court side, he combines the activities of investigator, activist shareholder, investor and communicator for his private clients. Revelations on a chameleon of economic intelligence.
In the gray morning of a café in Plainpalais, Nicolas Giannakopoulos cashed in. Recently suspended from his post as Deputy Director of the University Security Observatory (OUS) in Geneva, this organized crime specialist accustomed to the media would rather have done without a new burst of questions about his protean profile, his activities Official or discreet and the interests he defends.
As revealed Le Temps, the University has been looking for a week to shed light on the private financing of a seminar organized last October by the Genevan and devoted to the scandal 1MDB, the sprawling corruption case that threatens to submerge Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak.
Wary, or cautious, the one who defined himself as “political scientist, criminologist, criminal analyst and entrepreneur” produced in front of his cafe seven pages of written answers to our questions, which he had asked for in advance. With drawn features, he says he feels himself to be a victim of “a campaign.” He repeats that he paid half of the 16,000 francs of the budget for the event, the remainder having been settled by the Organized Crime Observatory (OCO), of which he is the founder and active member. But the University – which has already removed its name from its website – wants to ensure that this “non-institutional funding is fully compliant with the rules”.
And for good reason: guest of the seminar, Clare Rewcastle-Brown, the British journalist who broke the 1MDB scandal, has just thrown a big rock in the pond. On her blog, she suggested that the 47-year-old Genevan was working for the Kuala Lumpur government when he had organized the event in order to gather information about the Malaysian opposition and the ongoing international investigation. She suspects him of having orchestrated a black operation.
Nicolas Giannakopoulos refutes these accusations en bloc, which “hurt him”. “Since the beginning of the OCO, I have funded a lot,” he says. If I do not, no one will do it! “The October seminar – which was attended by Malaysian opposition politicians, NGOs and foreign journalists -” appeared as an opportunity, “he explains . “That’s part of my commitment. The 1MDB case is one of the most important corruption cases of the last 20 years. It naturally touches Switzerland. As usual, there are many pieces of the puzzle scattered all over the place. The role of the OCO is to gather these pieces together and put them together in a picture that provides clarity.” He promises a full academic report on the matter.
Occult Lobbyist
The speech has an air of déjà vu [seen before]. As Le Temps revealed in 2015, Nicolas Giannakopoulos has already participated in a vast operation of occult lobbying [black ops] on behalf of the Kazakh government working to obtain the extradition of France from the oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov. Confidential documents demonstrated how the OCO was engaged by FTI, a London-based public relations firm in Kazakhstan, to produce an “independent” – but critical – report on Ablyazov. Nicolas Giannakopoulos defended himself, claiming that the OCO had refused FTI’s money for his report, itself very real. He admitted, however, that he had accepted research contracts, and money, from companies close to the Kazakh government. Not through the OCO, he said, but via one of his companies, Inside.co.
Inside.co, specializing in criminal analysis and investigation; Global Risk Profile, active in security due diligence; CH-Communication SA, an “activist shareholder” outfit: these are three Geneva-based companies where Giannakopolous is the sole or principal facilitator. And there is futhermore High-Tech Bridge, which specialises in “ethical hacking” and computer security, of which he is an administrator. On the sidelines of his academic activity, and as discreetly as possible, Nicolas Giannakopoulos carries out jobs for his private clients, about which he remains silent. “My private part remains on one side, my public part is on the other,” he said. I never mix the two. On the other hand, my private income is used to finance my public commitment, which gives me independence and freedom that sometimes disturb. ”
Big-data Ace
Far from the commercial register, Nicolas Giannakopoulos is also responsible for the Swiss branch of an English company unlike any other: Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL). SCL is a behavioral research and strategic communication company that collects and uses mountains of data to profile and influencing decision-making. Established in 1993, SCL has long used its know-how to serve the army, governments and political parties. SCL worked for Nigel Farage, the leader of the English party Ukip, during his successful campaign for the Brexit. In 2000, the Wall Street Journal reported that SCL had been engaged to improve the image of Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, giving rise to controversy over its activities.
SLC - Cambridge Analytica is focused on elections and Big Data
SLC – Cambridge Analytica is focused on elections and Big Data
In the United States, SCL is called Cambridge Analytica. Frequently presented as the “machine that earned victory for Donald Trump,” the company boasts on its site of having collected “up to 5,000 data points on over 220 million Americans.”  Cambridge Analytica is mainly funded by conservative billionaire Robert Mercer, who is very close to the newly elected president and counted Stephen Bannon – the founder of Breitbar News and very radical advisor to Donald Trump – among its directors.
Asked about his activities for SCL in Switzerland, Nicolas Giannakopoulos claims to being “their partner for a long time”. “Everyone wanted to work with them,” he says. I met them in London in 2010 and they offered to open an office in Geneva. Their profiling system is very impressive. This is micro-targeting: when you have the profile of people, you know how to talk to them. I was mainly interested in commercial applications. Especially for companies that have a lot of data. But the truth is that I have not done anything yet! ”
Malaysian Connections
To believe Nicolas Giannakopoulos, SCL Switzerland would therefore be an empty shell. The Genevan also ignores the fact that the SCL office in Southeast Asia is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. And that it is directed by a certain Azrin Zizal, former press officer of Mukhriz Mahatir, deputy minister of trade and industry until 2013, in the government of … Najib Razak.
xx
Azrin Zizal (centre) in 2008, then as press officer for Mukriz
In a February 11 interview with a Malaysian columnist, Azrin Zizal used the metaphor of the sofa to explain the group’s activity: color, size, durability, the way people choose their couch can inform about their political preferences. Reading the columnist – who “would not be surprised” that SCL intervenes in the campaign for general elections – Azrin Zizal does not hide his allegiance: the communicator explains that a voter of the ruling coalition, that of Najib Razak, will probably choose a “solid” and “stable” sofa, “something safe for the future”. Where an opponent of the regime opts for a “more adventurous” choice, “without considering its durability.” Hard to be any clearer.
Nicolas Giannakopoulos is thus officially the Swiss partner of a company that does not make any mystery over its proximity to the powers that be in Malaysia. Pure coincidence, or confirmation of Clare Rewcastle-Brown’s suspicions? “I knew nothing of all this, you are teaching me something,” promises the researcher. He reiterates that he was only interested in “the commercial part of SCL” and claims that he has now terminated his contract with SCL as a result of our information. When we approached the company it  wished to know the subject of our investigation before answering. Once informed, it no longer answered at all. Nevertheless, it immediately removed the name of its Swiss official from its website.
xx
To the left the site after our call to the company – no trace of Giannakopoulos; to the right before our call the Genevan still featured
[An archive search of SLC’s website shows that as late as February the office number of Giannakopolous’s company Inside.co was given as the Swiss contact for SLC]
Matching numbers - before it was removed the number for Giannakopolous's Inside.co matched SLC's Swiss Office
Matching numbers – before it was removed, the number for Giannakopolous’s Inside.co matched SLC’s Swiss Office
Business man
Another continent, another matter. Since the beginning of 2016, Nicolas Giannakopoulos has been campaigning against two executives of Softbank, the Japanese telecommunications giant, notably owner of the US mobile phone operator Sprint. The Genevan acts here as “activist shareholder”, his company CH Communication SA holding 10’600 shares of Sprint, according to a document obtained by Le Temps. In his line of sight, the Indian Nikesh Arora, the number two of the group and in line to succeed the founder, Masayoshi Son. With the successive support of two major American law firms, Nicolas Giannakopoulos has alleged in numerous letters of malfeasances committed by Nikesh Arora and his “protégé” Alok Sama, in former positions. In the name of ethics and the principles of good governance, he asked for their striking off.
Asked about his motives, Nicolas Giannakopoulos said his mission is to lead this fight “first of all for Softbank”. “It’s an extraordinary investment box, built by a visionary,” he continues. You have to protect that. I was afraid that this great idea would be plundered by these unscrupulous predators. Again, I do it because nobody else does it. “The fight is not, however, free. Is he also personally responsible for the fees of the American lawyers and all the expenses of this crusade? No, he admits. But just says it is being supported by “many investors.”
So, is Nicolas Giannakopoulos really a white knight of corporate governance, a disinterested shareholder-citizen? A new coincidence disturbs the narrative. In 2010, he joined forces with an American, Charles E. Ergen, to found CH Communication SA, in Grand-Lancy (GE). Originally from Colorado, Charles E. Ergen is the son of Charlie Ergen, president of Dish Network, a US satellite broadcaster. An inheritor of $ 19 billion, he ranks as the 42nd wealthiest man in the world.  Charlie Ergen is far from foreign to the business of Sprint and Softbank. In 2013, while Softbank offered $ 20.1 billion to buy the operator, Charlie Ergen and Dish Network offered $ 25.6 billion. That operation failed and Dish Network lost out to Softbank, but the raid had at least two merits, according to Forbes: having clutched at the Sprint prize from its competitor Charlie Ergen gained valuable information on Sprint, which could in theory provide grounds for a future partnership.
Will the campaign launched by Nicolas Giannakopoulos against the natural heir of Masayoshi Son and his protégé in one way or another serve the interests of billionaire Charlie Ergen? “It has nothing to do with it,” said the Genevan. Originally, we created CH-Communication with Charles E. Ergen to distribute Dish content on the internet outside the United States. But the project was abandoned and I found myself with an empty box. So I decided to direct it into the activist shareholders. “According to one source close to Softbank, “the duel for Sprint’s takeover was very hot between Dish and Softbank. But Masayoshi Son does not hold a grudge and Charlie Ergen now has no more or less interest than any another competitor to launch into such a campaign”.
Other sources claim that Nicolas Giannakopoulos could also serve the agenda of a rival to Nikesh Arora – who resigned from Softbank in July 2016 – in anticipation of the replacement of Masayoshi Son. But nothing confirms this hypothesis. The mystery remains whole, while the tone hardens between the activist and its target. In November 2016, the Genevan filed a criminal complaint in Geneva, claiming that one of its companies, Global Risk Profile, had been the victim of computer attacks. In this document, without directly accusing Softbank, he draws the attention of Attorney General Olivier Jornot to the Japanese giant, Nikesh Arora and Alok Sama.
Identifying temporal coincidences between the onset of computer attacks and the appointment of Nikesh Arora, and claiming to be the target of “foreign investigative agency mandated to harm his interests”, Nicolas Giannakopoulos writes that he “does not exclude the possibility that Softbank or individuals within the multinational are behind these attacks.”  The Geneva Public Prosecutor’s Office will not comment on this complaint. However, according to our information, a new procedure has recently been brought before the Public Prosecutor’s Office: a defamation complaint filed this time against the Genevan by Softbank and Alok Sama. Contacted the multinational does not wish to comment on this counter-attack but one thing is for sure: the case is far from having found its epilogue.
Swiss correspondent for SCL, but totally inactive; Activist shareholder very prominent, but without a hidden agenda; An occult lobbyist for Kazakhstan, but not intentionally so: listening to Nicolas Giannakopoulos, there is no mystery in all this. Just many activities both compartmentalized and coherent, which he feels driven to expose himself to. “I do a lot of things, it’s my commitment. That’s why I find myself in all these things: I probe into what does not feel good, and I show it. It’s as simple as that.”
Will these explanations be sufficient for the University of Geneva to choose to reintegrate him? “The analysis in progress should enable the University to clarify its relations with Mr. Nicolas Giannakopoulos, if necessary,” the academic institution has responded modestly.




Brits, Australians, need to be reminded of how and why they fought communist terrorists in Malaysia,and why that is relevant to fighting jihadis.

by Ganesh Sahathevan 


This comment from an article published on the RUSI website is typical of the type of analysis and commentary from British, Australian and other westerners on the matter of jihadism:

Ultimately, it is the reaction to the carnage which ‘makes’ the attack. An exaggerated response will increase the impact of the incident and give it undue importance.


The thinking here is that the  primary objective of the jihadi is to create fear that will then be turned into retaliation against Muslims ,and consequently division in  otherwise united multicultural societies. Apparently this is all that jihadis care about, and not their frequent and public calls for an international caliphate. 

In doing so commentators from the UK and Australia in particular seem to have forgotten their history, of fighting in the Malayan Emergency of 1948, against the communist terrorist. 
Then it was clearly understood that each incident had to be treated as part of an ongoing campaign to destabilize colonial rule in then Malaya,so that it might be replaced with a communist government. Central to the strategy was winning over the Chinese population to the course,and relying on their numbers for resources and an eventual popular uprising. The Briggs and Templer Plans were put in place to address these problems, and they did work well.

The Briggs and Templer Plans worked so well that the government of an independent Malaysia retained it far into the 70s to eventually wipe out the threat of communist terrorism. Singapore which later broke away from Malaysia has retained many of its features as part of its efforts to ensure that  the Muslim population is discouraged and prevented  from ever working with or for their worldwide  Muslim brethren who are not opposed to the founding of a caliphate, even if they may not condone acts of terrorism.
END 


Turnbull kowtows to Li Keqiang's gun boat diplomacy:China will do what it wants in the SCS,and Australia must accept Chinese investment

by Ganesh Sahathevan


Huang Xiangmo (left), a businessman and philanthropist, has donated large amounts to both major political parties.

Huang Xiangmo (left), a businessman and philanthropist, has donated large amounts to both major political parties.  Photo: Dominic Lorrimer


Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has done what few if any visiting leaders have ever dared: warned Australia that it must keep out of the South China Sea except when allowed to do so, and Australia must accept all and any forms of Chinese investment.

In response Australian PM Malcom Turnbull, who may well be compromised by his business interests and family ties, has reminded Australians of how lucky they are to have China as a trading partner.

Li's comments are reproduced below and readers can decide for themselves if this would have been tolerated of any visitor:

A)With regards the South China Sea, given that there is that Law Of The Sea decision against China that China will not accept:
“China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and we pursue a national development path suited to our traditions. Likewise, we respect your choice in your foreign policy,” he told guests in Mandarin at a lunch inside federal parliament in Canberra.

B) With regards free trade, given that there is already a FTA between Australia and China:
“I come here for free trade. In the world protectionism is rising and there are more voices against economic globalisation.”

And then the warning: 
“We don’t want to see (Australia) taking sides, as happened during the Cold War,”

Does anyone really believe that simply ignoring all this and instead talking up  trade with China is in Australia's interest? If yes, perhaps those who hold that view might want to have a chat with one James Packer.....

END 



Stay out of China’s quarrels with US, Li Keqiang warns Australia


Premier Li Keqiang inspects an honour guard. Picture: Kym Smith
Premier Li Keqiang inspects an honour guard. Picture: Kym Smith

Mr Li and wife Cheng Hong are welcomed by Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull. Picture: Andrew Meares
Mr Li and wife Cheng Hong are welcomed by Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull. Picture: Andrew Meares

Mr Li discusses the merits of Australian reds at the official luncheon.
Mr Li discusses the merits of Australian reds at the official luncheon.

Premier Li Keqiang has warned Australia not to “take sides” in the increasing tensions between the China and the US, saying it could lead to a Cold War ­situation.
The message from China’s second most senior leader comes during new strains in the Australia-China relationship and a fierce domestic debate about whether Australia should reassess its American allegiance.
Canberra’s first ambassador to China Stephen FitzGerald has warned Australia would have no influence with China unless ties were strengthened with Asia’s superpower.
Mr Li said yesterday China would stay out of Australia’s ­affairs if Canberra stayed out of Beijing’s and warned against siding with the volatile Trump ­administration.
“We don’t want to see (Australia) taking sides, as happened during the Cold War,” he told politicians and Chinese and Australian business leaders.
The Premier encouraged Australia to respect China’s “development path” and stressed that his country sought “an independent foreign policy of peace”.
Mr Li confirmed Australian chilled beef exporters were expected to benefit from upgrades to the China-Australia trade relationship to be signed today, which could also consider changes to non-tariff barriers.
Meat industry executives are expecting China to allow more Australian plants to be licensed to export chilled beef to China.
Mr Li joked about being hungry for Australian beef after the headline of his opinion piece this week in The Australian. “The title of the article, it says ‘(boon) for beef market’. So, when I looked at the menu, I asked the waiter, ‘do you serve beef?’ And he said, ‘no, we have chicken for you’.”
Seeking to smooth recent tensions, Malcolm Turnbull said he wanted to “talk about our friendship, not test it” on Mr Li’s visit.
To the annoyance of China’s leadership, Australia has called on China to observe international law and stop militarisation of South China Sea islets. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop chided China on democracy in a recent Singapore speech, and the relationship was strained last year by Canberra blocking sales of agricultural and electricity assets to Chinese investors and the arrest of three Australian Crown Resorts employees.
The federal parliament is now considering a controversial extradition treaty with China, which opponents argue could be used to target Chinese dissidents living in Australia.
But Mr Turnbull said yesterday he wanted to discuss more Australia-China co-operation. Last year the University of NSW secured $30 million in funding from Chinese companies to build a new ­science precinct.
Chinese students in Canberra set up a welcoming party for Mr Li outside Parliament House yesterday, separated by a police barrier from pro-Tibetan supporters.


“(The Chinese embassy) didn’t organise it but they give us lots of support they gave us some funding for the flags and for the banners and for the food as well,” said Ping Lu, president of the China Student and Scholars Association at University of Canberra.


Wednesday, March 22, 2017

MO1 aka Captain aka Najib Razak: Jho Low's New Year 2017 greeting makes clear the leadership of the criminal enterprise that stole from 1MDB is well known,and known to many.

by Ganesh Sahathevan




The Wall Street Journal has  reported  that "the U.S. is preparing to charge financier Jho Low in Malaysian 1MDB Scandal ".

Part of the WSJ story includes this paragraph.


Weathering the Storm

Jho Low, a Malaysian financier suspected of playing a key role in an alleged looting of state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, sent friends this New Year's greeting.

“2016 was the Perfect Storm; but the calmness and resolve

of our Captain, led his loyal Sailors whom placed their lives

with utmost trust in his leadership weathered the storm...”

“When the wind could not blow away their joint resilience,

the storm eventually passed, and the Captain simply adjusted

their sails effortlessly and continued their destined journey...”

“The men and women that came out of the storm were not

the same men that walk in. Through struggle, they established

new strengths they never knew they collectively had...”

“The very moment they were brought to their knees, and

their world was about to fall apart; their Captain’s exemplary

leadership guided them to safety
; and through this experience,

they achieve a new level of humility, nobility and higher

intelligence ready to set sail for greater achievements

in 2017 for their people
!”



Given the DOJ civil action in which Najib is obviously referred to as MO1,  it is hard to see who else Jho Low might be referring to when he refers to "our Captain".



“There are all these guys with their arrows out on me. There seems to be a very, very coordinated attempt to say: ‘This young Chinaman, it’s all his fault, he caused the failure of 1MDB and apparently he advised the PM and everything is screwed up now’.....All these guys go round and round and I say: ‘Guys, it’s very simple, there’s a board, who is the shareholder’? ”
“Are you telling me that the ministry, the Finance Minister, who is the Prime Minister — and there are only two to three people in the Finance Ministry that sign off on shareholder resolutions under law — that they just signed without evaluating it?”
The fact that the SMS was sent to a number of people with a simple reference to the "Captain" without further elaboration suggests that the fact of Najib's captaincy  is well known to a not small number. 
What is surprising, actually disturbing, is the tone of the SMS,which suggests that the 1MDB theft is actually part of an ongoing scheme which the thieves (or more accurately pirates) consider a legitimate financial transaction.

END 



Reference






UMNO Youth spinmasters making me 1MDB scapegoat, says Jho Low

KUALA LUMPUR — Businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, has made a stout defence of his role in 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), saying in an interview with business monthly Euromoney that the attacks against him are “crazy” and “ridiculous”.

April 15
KUALA LUMPUR — Businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, has made a stout defence of his role in 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), saying in an interview with business monthly Euromoney that the attacks against him are “crazy” and “ridiculous”.
The Hong Kong-based Mr Low, 33, told the magazine in its April edition: “There are so many other people who get away with ridiculous billions and billions worth of projects. But every single time there seems to be a political attack, wow, suddenly Jho is there again.”
In the interview conducted last month in Hong Kong, republished from Euromoney yesterday in Malaysia’s The Edge Financial Daily, Mr Low said he decided to speak out because the 1MDB issue had become ridiculous.
“There are all these guys with their arrows out on me. There seems to be a very, very coordinated attempt to say: ‘This young Chinaman, it’s all his fault, he caused the failure of 1MDB and apparently he advised the PM and everything is screwed up now’,” he was quoted as saying.
The wholly owned Finance Ministry investment vehicle, established in 2009, has recently come under fire for the firm’s allegedly opaque investment decisions and for amassing a reported RM42 billion (S$15.5 billion) debt pile.
The controversy centres on allegations that Mr Low diverted US$700 million (S$951 million) from 1MDB.
In the same interview, Mr Low also blamed the youth wing of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party for making him a scapegoat, and called UMNO leaders a bunch of “spinmasters”.
“All these guys go round and round and I say: ‘Guys, it’s very simple, there’s a board, who is the shareholder’? ”
“Are you telling me that the ministry, the Finance Minister, who is the Prime Minister — and there are only two to three people in the Finance Ministry that sign off on shareholder resolutions under law — that they just signed without evaluating it?”
Mr Low’s comments drew sharp rebuke from UMNO Youth Exco member Ibdillah Ishak, who said that Mr Low should not have accused UMNO of misrepresenting issues concerning the state investment vehicle.
“There is no need to defame UMNO leaders when you are facing such huge problems,” Mr Ibdillah said.
“It is as if he wants to get himself off the hook.”
Echoing UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who said Mr Low must be investigated over his role in 1MDB, Mr Ibdillah urged Prime Minister Najib Razak to expedite the probe on 1MDB and expand this to include Mr Low.
“We cannot wait any longer, this is a public matter ... If any individual is found to have committed a breach of trust, misappropriated public funds and more, they must be punished,” he added.
Mr Low also suggested his high-profile lifestyle was to blame for attacks against him.
“Because there are all these pictures of me and Paris Hilton drinking, then you play to the Bumiputera card, ‘Oh, the Chinaman stole all the money and blew it all on alcohol’.”
He added he did not fear arrest on his return to Malaysia, saying his biggest concern was that documents could be fabricated although he acknowledged he had no proof of such acts.
According to Euromoney, much of the speculation around Mr Low’s involvement in 1MDB relates to his role in its predecessor, the Terengganu Investment Authority, the state fund he devised with the state’s royals that was later taken over by the federal government.
Mr Low also insisted his links to 1MDB were either vicarious through the Middle Eastern investors he advises or informal in the form of casual consultations by the firm’s employees.
Mr Najib, who is chairman of 1MDB’s advisory board, last month ordered the Auditor-General and Public Accounts Committee to investigate 1MDB.
The move did not appease former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is critical of 1MDB and Mr Low’s alleged involvement with the firm. Dr Mahathir has launched high-profile criticism of Mr Najib and his administration over the issue.


.


Tuesday, March 21, 2017

The Low Family: A Billion Dollar Fortune Founded By Dato Low Meng Tak, But Only Larry Low ,His Children & Wife Claim To Be Beneficiaries Of The Family Fortune......

byy Ganesh Sahathevan



This was one of the earlier stories which attempted to explain Jho Low's sudden wealth:

THE Low family fortune was built by its patriarch the late Datuk Low Meng Tak. The family fortune was consolidated in 2008 into a global family trust for estate planning purposes.



The Low Family is extensive;




Yet it is only Larry Low and family who claim to be beneficiaries of the family assets. While it is true that the assets involved are held via different trusts, and while it may be possible that these assets were financed by Larry Low from his personal wealth, built on his entitlement or share of the earnings of the Low Meng Tuck global family trust, it is safe to say that only PM Najib and his loyal deputies believe that fairy tale.
END 


Monday, March 20, 2017

Is Singtel interfering in Australian politics to escape a $330 million ATO tax bill- Singtel Optus Chairman Paul O'Sullivan's letter demanding Turnbull legislate for same sex marriage may be seen as blackmail

by Ganesh Sahathevan 


Image result for optus  singtel

 Singtel Optus Chairman Paul O'Sullivan's letter demanding Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his Liberal Party immediately  introduce laws that  would allow same sex marriage coincides with a AUD 330 million tax dispute between Singtel and the ATO.

Perception matters and Singtel's interference in Australian politics may be seen as an attempt to influence the outcome of its tax dispute. Disputes of this magnitude involve negotiations at the highest levels of government and the public  position Singtel has taken on a matter that may well cost Turnbull his job cannot but be seen as a form of blackmail.


END 

Reference 





SingTel fighting $330 million tax bill 

from 2001 Optus purchase


Singapore Telecommunications will "vigorously defend" a $326 million tax bill it received last week from the Australian Tax Office, dating back to its takeover of Optus in 2001 for $17.2 billion. 
This is the first time Singtel has revealed the size of the potential bill. Singapore Telecom Australia Investments Pty Ltd first received a tax position paper from ATO in late 2013, and then a Statement of Audit in late 2014.


In 2015, Singtel received a final Statement of Audit Position, and then in July this year it received the outcome of an Independent Review, an internal service offered by the ATO to large corporations.It informed shareholders in it's first quarter results that Singtel has not yet made a provision for the tax bill.
And then on Thursday Singtel noted in its quarterly results it may pay the tax bill from the current financial year's free cash flow. It estimates free cash flow of $1.4 billion, but a footnote added this figure is "excluding payment to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) in respect of the amended assessments received on 2 November 2016 from the determinations on the acquisition financing of Optus".
A spokeswoman confirmed it had received an updated assessment.
"The amended assessments amount to A$326 million, comprising primary tax of A$268 million and interest of A$58 million. We intend to vigorously defend the claim, including pursing all avenues of objection as appropriate," she said. A spokesperson for the ATO declined to comment on Singtel's case, but said it is "resolutely tackling tax avoidance and ensuring multinationals and large companies pay the right amount of tax in Australia". 
"We have been overt that we are actively pursuing intra-company financing and other arrangements multinationals and large companies put in place to avoid paying tax in Australia. The majority of large corporates pay the right amount of tax in Australia and are open and transparent in their dealings with us."


This is the second tax dispute involving the 2001 deal. Last year the ATO won a court case with the company that sold Optus to Singtel, Cable & Wireless, which wanted a $452.45 million tax refund.
The London-based Cable & Wireless sold it's 82 per cent stake in Optus to Singtel for $6.2 billion 15 years ago. It has been working for years to win the funds from the ATO, claiming that of the $586.9 million deposited with ANZ in September 2001 to pay tax to the Commonwealth of Australia, just $134.5 million was legal.