Many of my friends have received an email purportedly from me, the entire text of which is appended below:-
“I am in a hurry writing this mail to you. I am sorry for not informing you about my trip. I am in some terrible situation and I am really going to need your urgent help. I had traveled to United Kingdom yesterday to visit a new Researchers’ Complex in Manchester. Unfortunately for me, all my money, diaries and my return ticket was stolen at the hotel where I lodged. I am so confused right now, I do not know where to go. I didn’t bring my phone here and the hotel telephone lines was burnt during the robbery incident, so I have access to only emails. I am full of panic now. The police only asked me to write a statement about the incident and directed me to the embassy. I have spoken to the embassy here but they are not responding to the matter effectively. Please, I want you to lend me a sum US2,800 today, just to clear my hotel bills and get the next plane home. I shall have your money reimbursed immediately on my return. I want you to send it via western union outlet so I can receive it with my passport.
Get back to me as soon as possible if you wish you can lend me the money so that I can forward you the details you will need to send me the money via western union transfer.
I will be looking forward to read from you.
Regards,
Arshad”
The above email is a scam, and I have no idea as to how the originator of this email had access to my password in order to open my email. I have been receiving many calls from those who had received this email, and I have assured them that the email was not originated by me. I now can no longer get into my email as the password has been changed.
For those who have received such an email purportedly from me, please ignore it.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
a life journey...a crusade against corruption
About Me
- Mohd Arshad Raji
- A retired army officer who believes in justice for all and hates liars and apple polisher.Believes that all members of AF must be free of corrupt practises.
Blog Archive
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2009
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June
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- EMAIL SCAM
- DO WE NEED A 38 YEAR OLD PERSON ON THE BOARD OF PE...
- THE THIRD BRIDGE – A NO BY THE JOHORE SULTAN
- THE SILENT GRIEVENCE OF LOCAL DEFENCE PRODUCT MANU...
- ALLEGED CORRUPTION BY POLITICIANS OVER MRR 2
- A TRIBUTE TO LANCE CORPORAL AMIN CHE ROS
- ANOTHER INDONESIAN MAID BRUTALISED
- CHANGE OF HEADER IMAGE
- CONTINUED POLICE VIOLENCE WILL EFFECT PUBLIC CONFI...
- AMBALAT - A CONTENTIOUS BILATERAL ISSUE
- CONGRATULATIONS, AND ARE SENIOR OFFICERS OF THE AR...
- ACTS OF POLICE BRUTALITY RECORDED ON VIDEO
- STATUS OF THE BOYS WING AT SG. BESI CAMP
- WHO AM I
- RM270 MILLION STADIUM ROOF COLLAPSES – AN ACT OF GOD?
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June
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15 comments:
Tok you have rocked the boat too hard, watch your step, maybe guys out there feeling the heat on their backs...!
Anyway, we are behind you don't be afraid, keep shooting.
Maybe we could have tried to catch the bastard by doing a sting operation.
Scams which affect the lives of soldiers are most serious when compared to the ones reported here.
The scams I am refering to are about inferior equipment being issued to soldiers which are needed for their work in the field (operations).
In the 60s, 70s and 80's the Army was preoccupied with the war against the CPM.Units from the teeth arms (infantry, cavalry and artillery) spent most of their time in the Malaysia-Thailand border area and our jungles undertaking military operations against the CPM.
For those young officers and their soldiers from the teeth arms who have to trek the jungles and climb mountains, they rely greatly on the equipment issued to them to help them execute their mission.
I remember vividly two type of equipment which receive constant curses from the soldiers.The first one which I want to mention is the loreng ponco.A better quality ponco might be the order of the day today, but the years against the CPM, we had to endure with inferior quality ponco.The ponco issued to us could not really repel the rain water and keep us dry when used as raincoat.When subject to heavy downpour most of us will be wet inside inspite of wearing the ponco as raincoat.
At night the ponco is hoisted over our military camp bed as a cover against the rain and morning dews.I remember on one particular night when there was a heavy downpour, the curses around me, by soldiers cursing about their leaking poncos.You could never imagine the discomfort one had to endure at night when your camp bed, blanket, uniform and military rations are soaked with rain water.
The second item which I want to mention is the parang which soldiers rely greatly to do everything that needs to be done with it.Without an effective parang the live of a soldier could be very miserable indeed in the jungle.The parang issued to us were totally useless even to cut bamboo, a favourite material which we use extensively for our base camps.Proud soldiers will not touch the parangs because they could become the joke of their colleagues.Out of sheer necessity the soldiers in most cases will spend their hard earned money to buy a good quality parang which they can use for their jungle work.
The defects I have highlighted might have been resolved by now.Why it had happened in the first place? It could be the work of contractors providing inferior quality products in cahoot with logisticians working in Central Ordnance Depot (COD) at Batu Cantonment.The military logisticians working in COD never went to jungle in their military career therefore they are perhaps indifferent to the requiremets of the young officers and soldiers of the teeth arms.And again there s the possbility that they could be bribed by the contractors to receive the inferior quality products.
If this happens, it is a scam of the highest order because they have put the lives of our soldiers in jeorpady.
Mindef must review the present mechanism established at COD for receiving personal military items (such as the ones highlighted above) delivered by the contractor.
At the moment COD is the only sole agency to certify goods delivered by the contractor.
In most cases the receiving officer at COD to certify and verify goods delivered is junior in rank and lack operational and field experience.Mindef should form a Board of Officers comprising of senior and experienced officers from the users, Procurement Division and STRIDE to verify the goods delivered are up to specs.Every item deivered must be examined and if necessary tested to ensure they comply with the contract.
The contractor must be made accountable since some of the contracts for personal items may run into several (2 digit) millions ringgit.
Mindef must review the present mechanism established at COD for receiving personal military items (such as the ones highlighted above) delivered by the contractor.
At the moment COD is the only sole agency to certify goods delivered by the contractor.
In most cases the receiving officer at COD to certify and verify goods delivered is junior in rank and lack operational and field experience.Mindef should form a Board of Officers comprising of senior and experienced officers from the users, Procurement Division and STRIDE to verify the goods delivered are up to specs.Every item deivered must be examined and if necessary tested to ensure they comply with the contract.
The contractor must be made accountable since some of the contracts for personal items may run into several (2 digit) millions ringgit.
I feel sorry for maurice and the poor soldiers who became victims of logistic scandals in the Malaysian Armed Forces. How did it happen and who were responsible?
Looking at trends in this country I can bet there were some politicians involved in securing contracts with Mindef to supply those sub-standard equipments to the military. Obviously there must have been some top guys in the Mindef and the army who were behind this scam.
Is to-day's Malaysian Armed Forces
free of similar scam?
How about the Main Battle Tanks from Poland, the Frigates from Britain, the Sukhoi Combat Aircrafts from Russia, the MLRS from Brazil and JERNAS air-defence misslies from Britain? Are they siging and dancing or, are there multitudes of problems? If there are problems, how did we end up procuring them?
Anybody has an answer?
From: hangjebatmoden
I agree with maurice that there must be a complete reformation of the Mindef procurement systems to plug every possible hole which can breed corruptions.
Having a full proof system is one thing, making it damn sure of its strict execution is another. Every level of the contract execution and acceptance must be strictly enforced.
We cannot afford to allow contractors to make quick ringgits at the expense of the army and the soldiers.
Lastly, we must go all out making sure that NO military leaders get involved in any from of business or support their families in Mindef contracts. I addition to MACC actions, every military senior
must be clean, transparent and brave to discipline the surbordinates if they are proved to be involved in any from of corruptions.
The nation is watching with interest how Weststar LDV Maxus Sdn Bhd is going to provide the spares required by the MAF to maintain the several hundred vehicles it recently sold to the MAF now that the parent company in the UK is about to be declared bankrupt.
Why in the first place the MAF decided to buy the van/minibus whose manufacturing base is entirely in the UK is a great mystery to the keen observer.Why not choose a local van/minibus with strong local incountry manufacturing support base.The decision to buy local after all would go along way to support the National Defence Industry Policy.
Mindef decison-makers must provide the clarification/explanation.
Cakap tak serupa bikin.
Dato Arshad,
May we request that you summarize our comments from the beginning about corruption in the Ministry of Defence and the MAF and our suggestions on how to eliminate them.
Suggest use The Mind No Evil letterhead in your submissions.The summary of our collective comments and suggestions should be forwarded to the PM, DPM, Minister of Defence, Mindef KSU , CDF and all the Service Chiefs and of course the Commissioner of MACC.
I am tired of the insinuations by Mohamad and FMZam that we do not have the stomach to go to the end of the road in this matter.
Also suggest we submit The Mind No Evil comments and suggetsions to the key decision-makers above on a regular basis.We could play a role to remnd them of the seriousness of corruption in the military.I think The MInd NO Evil now has the opportunity to play this constructive role.Please seize the golden opportunity.Thanks.
Thanks maurice I take it what you wrote above is a complement and I appreciate if if Dato' Arshad takes cue from what you have suggested as it is the bloggers' aspiration this Mind No Evil be used to that fight against corruption in the military first and foremost.
I state here very bravely that I have created havoc within the top management of Mindef including PM during his tenure as Defence Minister, and now to the new Defence Minister, and to the KSU then when he was under Najib and now when he is under Zahid Hamidi. I attacked the CDF or PTD, Mael Polin, I threw spanner at MOF top management and even to KSN, and above all I screwed BPR then and now MACC with a case until today is never ending and never dying. I still am, to date, a thorn to those people you have mentioned and they proved to me they are KAPUTS and untrustworthy lots of politicians and military leaders.
I have done what no other soldiers will not want to do it. Why? because I have reached a point where "there is nothing more that I am scared of and no one else is braver than me to do it".
I can simply conclude from my experience that with this government in power, fighting high profile corruption in the military and elsewhere in this country is an impossible battle because they are all "the birds of the same flock".
This is not he government of the people, by the people and for the people, this is the government of the ruling party!!!
I was told there was minimal technology transfer in the 2x Regiments MLRS purchase from Avibras (Brazil) which amounted close to close RM 2 billions.
Even the proposal by SMEO to co-manufacture the MLRS training rockets in Malaysia was spurned by Avibras.
Not only that, Avibras also rejected the offer by a local company to do 2nd and 3rd line maintenance for its MLRS.It seems Avibras wants to do it on their own in collaboration with its principal global agent Sidney Franklin and Sons located in London.
Mindef should checkmate their intended move.We have good companies which could handle technologies dealing with any mechanical, hydraulic, command and control systems associated with the MLRS.I am talking about Malaysian companies out there nationwide, not just the small circle of defence related companies which we are already familiar with.
The KSU and the Under Secretary (SUB) of Defence Industry Division of Mindef should walk the ground to identify capable companies to maintain the MLRS.Please do not allow foreigners to hoodwink us into believing that we are incapable of doing the job.
Dato',
I have been following your blogg for past few months and I enjoyed reading your earlier postings and comments from maurice, walimuar, FMZam and mohamad.
You guys seem to know many things happening in and around Mindef and the military. How I wish the Mindef and military managements read, take note those comments and put a stop to all those ugly happenings.
I salute FMZam for sticking his neck out and created "havoc" among Mindef top brasses though it hardly created any ripple. This guy
should have been awarded the SP for his bravery in the fight against corruptions.
FMZam's experience just shows how strong is the network among politicians and government officers in the defence of the corrupts and the cronies. FMZam single-handed efort might have created some discomfort among those top brasses but certainly there is a need for very strong joint and combined forces to shake
them!
Dato', I noticed that you have mallowed lately and I am very suspicious whether some Mindef shells have struck you! What has happened to your "crusade against corruptions"?
I am just about to join the crusade and I hope you WILL fight until the end... and I will support you.
Dear Hang,
Happy to note that you have enjoyed our comments.I have no problem whatsover in sharing my views with other readers on a profession that I so dearly loved.Hopefully they have been informative and constructive as well.
I want to believe that it is unlikely that Mindef artillery shells have found its bearing on Dato Arshad.A blogger sometime needs rest too because thinking and writing on the blog is taxing on the brain, especially on a such a sensitive subject.So probably he is taking a much needed rest somewhere, away from his PC.
I bet you Dato Arshad has nothing to fear as long as he stick to the truth of the subject matter.What he has written should be appreciated by the relevant authority.The feedback given should be taken serously by all concerned if they really love this country.I don't believe the situation is really that bad that it cannot be turned around.It is just the one or two bad apples that need to be taken off the basket.
So Dato Arshad is doing a good job in helping the relevant authority to identify the bad apple(s) and negative practices in the Ministry of Defence.
He lives by the battle cry, Taat dan Setia.I believe nobody would dare to touch him!
I have read somewhere some Generals do not like to go into battles with sophisticated military equipment and weapon systems.They fear that if the systems get faulty, the maintenace system under his command would not be able to repair it in situ.Backloading the faulty system to base repair does not help him in any way as he needs an operational system right away to get on with his mission.So some Generals prefer basic and simple equipment and weapon system to sophisticated ones which his logisticians could repair in the field if it gets faulty.
History has shown that armies from advanced nations in the past have been defeated by armies of poorer nations.So within our generation we have witnessed the defeat of the US Military in South Vietnam by the Viet Minh.It seemed the cause of the war (natonal liberation) on the side of the Viet Minh that took precedent over any other factors including the technical superiority of the US military weapon systems that finally became the decisive factor that led to the Viet Minh's victory.
Our military planners should take heed from this important military lessons.Please do not fall into the trap of buying equipment and weapon system that we do not have the expertise to repair them.It has been demonstrated again and again that unless we have deep pockets, the end and sad result would be, we have equipment and weapon system that we have difficulty to train with.This of course severely affect our deterrent capability that I mentioned in my earlier comment.
Dear All,
I appreciate very much your comments which I think has lots of substance. I will do the needy, and let us wait what Mindef has to say.
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