A friend called up to invite me to attend a gathering in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur this February 27, 2009 in support of PERKASA, a Malay rights group founded by one Datuk Ibrahim Ali. I remembered that name well; a fire-brand Malay politician from Kelantan (is neither an UMNO or a PAS party member) who is now left without any political base to shove his wavering political career.
When the name Ibrahim Ali was mentioned, I said to my friend that I have no liking for him, and if he (Ibrahim Ali) is sincere in his cause to champion the Malay rights, he does not need PERKASA. He could have done it in his capacity as a member of parliament, of which he is one. Why than does he need PERKASA is something that I could not fathom. Anyway, I do not trust politicians heading an NGO or rights group.
Being a politician without any significant political base and who is likely to be ousted in the next general election, I think he needs PERKASA more than any other Malays. And if it is true that his argument to form PERKASA is to champion the cause of Malay rights, why than do we need UMNO? Isn’t UMNO the ‘outfit’ to do the championing, or has UMNO lost that cause, and has instead being relegated to a toothless Malay political party?
I sense something strange in this person named Ibrahim Ali. I believe it is not about championing Malay rights which he says is slowly eroding. Does he not know that the Malay rights are well entrenched in the constitution? What is eroding is the support that people has for him, and this has caused him to fear losing a place in national politics and to be thrown into oblivion come the next general elections. I am sure his constituents in Kelantan have had enough of his antics that are filled with rhetoric, and less of substance.
I apologized to my friend that I will not make it for the gathering, and my presence or absence will not be a lost to Ibrahim Ali himself. I think I have greater things to do that day than to listen to some misguided politicians whom I have little regards for.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
NOR YACOB – PLEASE RESIGN
Nor Yacob – I have this to say to you…….resign and take full responsibility for the most idiotic act of your Political Secretary, Hasbie Sattar. No right thinking Malaysian would believe that you are not in the know as to what your Political Secretary has been doing to enrich himself. Regardless of whether you know or you do not know about the RM2 million, and the enormous wealth Hasbie had accumulated in the period that he was the Political Secretary, the damage to your good name and office is bad enough for you not to remain in public office any longer. Hasbie has brought you shame and the shame is hurting the offices of your other colleagues in government, and in particular to the party that you belong……..UMNO.
The shameful act of Hasbie will only reinforce public perception that UMNO is corrupt, and if the due process of law is not taken against Hasbie speedily, leaders in UMNO and in particular PM Najib, will be seen as a weakling, without the slightest desire and will to fight corruption, and this will further strengthened the belief that corruption is now an embedded culture in UMNO.
The period where UMNO was seen as the champion of the Malay race is about to be over. It is now seen to champion individual causes rather than the Malay mass. Getting into UMNO politics is a sure route to richness, and Hasbie has proven to us all that in his 30’s, he is already a wealthy person. And do you think that we, the older generation of Malays that have tasted the turbulent period of our country’s history would want to show respect to a person like Hasbie. Certainly not this Hasbie fella, and I for one view him with despise and who had shamed the Malay race. My greatest sympathy to his parent who had raised him to be an exemplary son, but what the parent received in return is only shame.
There is already a theory in circulation that Hasbie has been framed, and that the money was ‘planted’ by someone out to discredit him and his minister. I don’t buy such a theory for the simple reason that he was noted to have amassed properties beyond reasonable means earlier, and for which he has been under surveillance by the MACC. He must have felt the heat was already on him, but being a close aide to a senior minister, he thinks others are foolish and would not dare to act against him. Hasbie certainly hasn’t taken the lesson from Norza who is also being charged for corruption, and coincidentally a former Political Secretary to the same minister, Nor Yacob. What a misfortune to have both his Political Secretaries being entangled in corruption.
Once again to you Nor Yacob, my brotherly advice is for you to resign from office. It will certainly hurt your ego, but I am sure people will respect you more for accepting responsibility for the misdeeds of Hasbie Sattar.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
The shameful act of Hasbie will only reinforce public perception that UMNO is corrupt, and if the due process of law is not taken against Hasbie speedily, leaders in UMNO and in particular PM Najib, will be seen as a weakling, without the slightest desire and will to fight corruption, and this will further strengthened the belief that corruption is now an embedded culture in UMNO.
The period where UMNO was seen as the champion of the Malay race is about to be over. It is now seen to champion individual causes rather than the Malay mass. Getting into UMNO politics is a sure route to richness, and Hasbie has proven to us all that in his 30’s, he is already a wealthy person. And do you think that we, the older generation of Malays that have tasted the turbulent period of our country’s history would want to show respect to a person like Hasbie. Certainly not this Hasbie fella, and I for one view him with despise and who had shamed the Malay race. My greatest sympathy to his parent who had raised him to be an exemplary son, but what the parent received in return is only shame.
There is already a theory in circulation that Hasbie has been framed, and that the money was ‘planted’ by someone out to discredit him and his minister. I don’t buy such a theory for the simple reason that he was noted to have amassed properties beyond reasonable means earlier, and for which he has been under surveillance by the MACC. He must have felt the heat was already on him, but being a close aide to a senior minister, he thinks others are foolish and would not dare to act against him. Hasbie certainly hasn’t taken the lesson from Norza who is also being charged for corruption, and coincidentally a former Political Secretary to the same minister, Nor Yacob. What a misfortune to have both his Political Secretaries being entangled in corruption.
Once again to you Nor Yacob, my brotherly advice is for you to resign from office. It will certainly hurt your ego, but I am sure people will respect you more for accepting responsibility for the misdeeds of Hasbie Sattar.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Monday, February 15, 2010
CORRUPTION AT HIGH PLACES
Am I surprise that Hasbie Sattar, Political Secretary to Minister in PM Department, Nor Mohamed Yacob is being detained and grilled for having RM2 million cash in his possession, when the MACC raided an apartment where he was staying in Butterworth? My answer is NO, and I am not at all surprise. Hasbie is just unlucky that he is caught with the money, where many others like him are brilliant enough to have their ill-gotten wealth stashed in some inconspicuous places. I just wonder how many suit cases would one need to keep RM2 million, and throughout my entire life, I have yet to see that amount of hard cash. How fortunate Hasbie Sattar is; by just being a mediocre Political Secretary.
Being a Political Secretary, he is nothing more than just a ‘gate-keeper’ or a ‘toll-collector with little more than the power to influence, rather than the power to approve projects that comes under the purview of his minister. But yet the power to influence is sufficient enough to make him earn his fortune. One can now hazard a guess as to how much is a person worth, if he has the power to approve projects? Certainly, it is nothing less than what the gate-keeper gets. I am not implying that all ministers with the power to approve projects are corrupt, but this is the perception that people has when aides to ministers and politicians are found to be corrupt, and Hasbie Sattar has proven himself to be one.
The question that many will ask now is whether the minister is himself involved, or whether he has any knowledge on the activities of his Political Secretary? People ought to be forgiven if the perception is one that says that the minister is involved. I do not know how the minister will response to the dastardly act of his aide. Will he deny any knowledge, or will he accept certain responsibility and resign in grace? The latter is certainly the option that people would like to see, but from pass experiences, that option is the least that Malaysians will expect.
Now, the MACC has freed Khir Toyo of all allegations of corruption into the purchase of his palatial home. Toyo can now sleep in peace and enjoy the fruits of his labour. However, nothing is mentioned about Azalina Othman, the ex-minister of tourism? Is her case being thrown out too? There goes the high profile case where nothing seemed to stick when it involves people of high places. People in high places certainly have lots of ‘alibi’ to absolve them of any blame.
And I now begin to have doubts too, if I were to report an allegation of corrupt practice by some senior military officers. Someone has said to me that it is not worth being a whistle blower, because it is the whistle blower that will be grilled, not the alleged person being reported.
I seek the guidance of the Almighty to guide me to do the needful in my crusade against corruption.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Being a Political Secretary, he is nothing more than just a ‘gate-keeper’ or a ‘toll-collector with little more than the power to influence, rather than the power to approve projects that comes under the purview of his minister. But yet the power to influence is sufficient enough to make him earn his fortune. One can now hazard a guess as to how much is a person worth, if he has the power to approve projects? Certainly, it is nothing less than what the gate-keeper gets. I am not implying that all ministers with the power to approve projects are corrupt, but this is the perception that people has when aides to ministers and politicians are found to be corrupt, and Hasbie Sattar has proven himself to be one.
The question that many will ask now is whether the minister is himself involved, or whether he has any knowledge on the activities of his Political Secretary? People ought to be forgiven if the perception is one that says that the minister is involved. I do not know how the minister will response to the dastardly act of his aide. Will he deny any knowledge, or will he accept certain responsibility and resign in grace? The latter is certainly the option that people would like to see, but from pass experiences, that option is the least that Malaysians will expect.
Now, the MACC has freed Khir Toyo of all allegations of corruption into the purchase of his palatial home. Toyo can now sleep in peace and enjoy the fruits of his labour. However, nothing is mentioned about Azalina Othman, the ex-minister of tourism? Is her case being thrown out too? There goes the high profile case where nothing seemed to stick when it involves people of high places. People in high places certainly have lots of ‘alibi’ to absolve them of any blame.
And I now begin to have doubts too, if I were to report an allegation of corrupt practice by some senior military officers. Someone has said to me that it is not worth being a whistle blower, because it is the whistle blower that will be grilled, not the alleged person being reported.
I seek the guidance of the Almighty to guide me to do the needful in my crusade against corruption.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A REVELATION
I wish to take my readers back two years i.e. 2008, and to be exact September 5, 2008 at a time when Army had already took possession of one regiment worth of the Brazilian Avibras ASTROS-11 Multi Launched Rocket System (MLRS), where negotiations for the acquisition began back in 2003/04, or thereabout. The concluding deal was to acquire an additional regiment, and this was openly mentioned by the Chief of Army at the 76th Army Day Parade on 1st March 2009 (refer to my article 'Who is Sydney Franklin?' posted Wednesday, March 4, 2009), that saw the delivery of its rockets in two batches i.e. December 2008 and May 2009, and the first Battery in January 2010, to be followed by the remaining two batteries in June 2010.
I am not disputing the need for the Malaysian Army to acquire the MLRS, that had proven to be an effective weapon system against the Iranian during the Iraq-Iran war (1980-1988). In fact, the army should acquire at least a brigade worth of the system, to be effective and to pose a deterrent.
However, my main concern is the manner in which the deal was struck with Avibras Aeroespacial, the manufacturer of ASTROS, and the 'ugly hands' behind the deal. I am not wrong in saying that Sydney Franklin had a hand in managing through this deal, including several other army defence procurement deals, and he seemed to be a favourite foreign defence agent for some of army's top officials, for unknown reasons.
I am told that the President of Avibras Brazil, Mr. S. Hassuani being a direct party to the deal had struck a arrangement with Sydney Franklin (being the agent) around early September 2008, for a payment to be made through Banco do Brazil (Bank of Brazil) to Affin Bank, Kuala Lumpur. The payment is said to be made in the form of a Bank Guarantee for an unknown amount. (I suppose a Bank Guarantee transaction for a business deal is very normal)
Interestingly, what is not normal however was a mention of an army senior officer who is supposedly a recipient of a largess (reportedly for his role in the deal), who is said to be in possession of an overseas account. In a corresponding email, this officer upon being informed about the above transaction wrote, “Got your email – thanks. I sincerely hope it can be done on 10 Sep (2008). That would make my day”.
The contents of the email written by the senior army officer can mean many things. By saying, “that would make my day” raises a lot of speculations, one of which is that he is 'totally grateful and joyous that something exciting to his benefit is about to happen'. I am not saying that he is about to receive cash to be credited into his overseas account as a result of the successful deal. What I am saying is that the tone of the email raises to a lot of suspicion, and one can be forgiven if one suspects that corruption is involved.
I do know that the circle of exclusive friends (subordinates) that this particular senior army officer has around him are privy to the dealings he has had with the foreign defence agent, and to be seen with the latter (who happens to live in KL) is enough to raise suspicion.
To this mysterious senior army officer, this article will only hurt you if you have indeed been involved in this unscrupulous and immoral deal, and if you do, I hope you are brave and honorable enough to own up to your misdeeds, or be damned as the most corrupt senior army officer ever. And to all his exclusive friends, you are not save either and it will only be time when you too will have to answer to your misdeeds.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
I am not disputing the need for the Malaysian Army to acquire the MLRS, that had proven to be an effective weapon system against the Iranian during the Iraq-Iran war (1980-1988). In fact, the army should acquire at least a brigade worth of the system, to be effective and to pose a deterrent.
However, my main concern is the manner in which the deal was struck with Avibras Aeroespacial, the manufacturer of ASTROS, and the 'ugly hands' behind the deal. I am not wrong in saying that Sydney Franklin had a hand in managing through this deal, including several other army defence procurement deals, and he seemed to be a favourite foreign defence agent for some of army's top officials, for unknown reasons.
I am told that the President of Avibras Brazil, Mr. S. Hassuani being a direct party to the deal had struck a arrangement with Sydney Franklin (being the agent) around early September 2008, for a payment to be made through Banco do Brazil (Bank of Brazil) to Affin Bank, Kuala Lumpur. The payment is said to be made in the form of a Bank Guarantee for an unknown amount. (I suppose a Bank Guarantee transaction for a business deal is very normal)
Interestingly, what is not normal however was a mention of an army senior officer who is supposedly a recipient of a largess (reportedly for his role in the deal), who is said to be in possession of an overseas account. In a corresponding email, this officer upon being informed about the above transaction wrote, “Got your email – thanks. I sincerely hope it can be done on 10 Sep (2008). That would make my day”.
The contents of the email written by the senior army officer can mean many things. By saying, “that would make my day” raises a lot of speculations, one of which is that he is 'totally grateful and joyous that something exciting to his benefit is about to happen'. I am not saying that he is about to receive cash to be credited into his overseas account as a result of the successful deal. What I am saying is that the tone of the email raises to a lot of suspicion, and one can be forgiven if one suspects that corruption is involved.
I do know that the circle of exclusive friends (subordinates) that this particular senior army officer has around him are privy to the dealings he has had with the foreign defence agent, and to be seen with the latter (who happens to live in KL) is enough to raise suspicion.
To this mysterious senior army officer, this article will only hurt you if you have indeed been involved in this unscrupulous and immoral deal, and if you do, I hope you are brave and honorable enough to own up to your misdeeds, or be damned as the most corrupt senior army officer ever. And to all his exclusive friends, you are not save either and it will only be time when you too will have to answer to your misdeeds.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
MAJ NOR IBRAHIM RMAF – A PERSISTANT FIGHTER
I would like to congratulate Maj Nor Ibrahim bin Sulaiman RMAF (Retired) for being persistent in his effort to get the government to acknowledge that the Pingat Tentera Udara (PTU), Jasa Perkasa Persekutuan (JPP) and Kepujian Perutusan Keberanian (KPK) are gallantry decorations that deserve some form of cash allowance, on a similar basis as recipients of the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP) and Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) that receives a monthly allowance of RM2000 and RM1500 respectively.
Apparently, an appeal letter by Maj Nor Ibrahim to the Prime Minister’s wife Puan Seri Rosmah Mansor seeking her intervention into the matter finally got an acknowledgment by the PM’s Office, for onward action by the Defence Ministry. (Refer to http://xnuripilot.blogspot.com). It is most unfortunate that earlier letters send to the Defence Ministry by Maj Nor Ibrahim received only a cursory treatment, or no treatment at all.
The government offers freely cash incentive of RM10 million to footballers recently, a RM2000 monthly cash reward to the national Koran reading champion, a RM 5000, RM3000, RM1500 to winners of the Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals respectively, but nothing to recipients of the PTU, JPP and KPK.
Is the government implying that recipients of the PTU, JPP and KPK are worthless gallantry decorations, not worthy of any cash rewards? And mind you, these recipients did not collect their decorations from the Quartermaster; rather they were graciously presented their decorations at the Istana Negara by none other than the King.
And can someone tell me how did the recipients obtain their gallantry decorations? Was it not through some gallant efforts in the face of enemy opposition, where lives were at stake? And have the government forgotten that some of the recipients of gallantry decorations were awarded posthumously? Now compare this with the cash rewards made by the government to sportsmen and sportswomen? Is there any comparison? Certainly not, but yet sportsmen and sportswomen are acclaimed heroes and given a grand welcome at the airport upon winning an international event. To me they should not be called heroes, but rather a champion of a sporting event. Heroes are accorded to those who sacrifice their lives against an enemy, in defence of the country.
I hope the Defence Ministry will be considerate enough to consider the appeal by Maj Nor Ibrahim, who is himself a recipient of a gallantry decoration. I have personally flown on many occasions in an RMAF helicopter on jungle operations, and I know the dangers and challenges faced by the ‘chopper pilots’.
For the government to consider giving cash rewards to recipients of the PTU, JPP and KPK for their gallant achievement is to acknowledge their worthy contribution to King and country; and is this too much a request for the 1 MALAYSIA government?
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Apparently, an appeal letter by Maj Nor Ibrahim to the Prime Minister’s wife Puan Seri Rosmah Mansor seeking her intervention into the matter finally got an acknowledgment by the PM’s Office, for onward action by the Defence Ministry. (Refer to http://xnuripilot.blogspot.com). It is most unfortunate that earlier letters send to the Defence Ministry by Maj Nor Ibrahim received only a cursory treatment, or no treatment at all.
The government offers freely cash incentive of RM10 million to footballers recently, a RM2000 monthly cash reward to the national Koran reading champion, a RM 5000, RM3000, RM1500 to winners of the Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals respectively, but nothing to recipients of the PTU, JPP and KPK.
Is the government implying that recipients of the PTU, JPP and KPK are worthless gallantry decorations, not worthy of any cash rewards? And mind you, these recipients did not collect their decorations from the Quartermaster; rather they were graciously presented their decorations at the Istana Negara by none other than the King.
And can someone tell me how did the recipients obtain their gallantry decorations? Was it not through some gallant efforts in the face of enemy opposition, where lives were at stake? And have the government forgotten that some of the recipients of gallantry decorations were awarded posthumously? Now compare this with the cash rewards made by the government to sportsmen and sportswomen? Is there any comparison? Certainly not, but yet sportsmen and sportswomen are acclaimed heroes and given a grand welcome at the airport upon winning an international event. To me they should not be called heroes, but rather a champion of a sporting event. Heroes are accorded to those who sacrifice their lives against an enemy, in defence of the country.
I hope the Defence Ministry will be considerate enough to consider the appeal by Maj Nor Ibrahim, who is himself a recipient of a gallantry decoration. I have personally flown on many occasions in an RMAF helicopter on jungle operations, and I know the dangers and challenges faced by the ‘chopper pilots’.
For the government to consider giving cash rewards to recipients of the PTU, JPP and KPK for their gallant achievement is to acknowledge their worthy contribution to King and country; and is this too much a request for the 1 MALAYSIA government?
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
DEFENCE SECRET LEAK – WHERE LIES OUR FAILURES?
'Defence secret leaked' – reads the The Star online Friday 5, 2009. It surprises many, especially those from the defence and security fraternity. A colleague of mine who had served many years and in various capacities in the Defence Intelligence organisation, Ministry of Defence called me frantically to ask me if I knew anything concerning the report. I replied that I do not know much, other than what was reported in the media. He voiced his disappointment at what he claims as a serious breach of security, and he believes that the person(s) involved may have acted out of greed for money.
The above revelation comes at a time when the nation, and the Defence Ministry in particular is facing public outrage over the loss of two RMAF jet fighter engines, caused by what seemed a serious lapse in base security, and where unbelievably, only one RMAF personnel and a civilian businessman is reportedly involved. Strange though it seemed; but government investigations concluded that only two people were involved.
And recently in the USA, Dong Chung, a neutralised US citizen of Chinese origin; formerly a Boeing engineer who was found guilty in July 2009 of passing space shuttle secrets to the PRC was sentenced to a 15 year jail term by the Californian court for an offence under a 1996 espionage law. Dong Chung is the first person to be convicted under that law.
I do not know what is the nature and gravity of the defence secret leak that the Defence Ministry is referring to, but by using the term 'defence secret', I presume it is serious enough to hurt and breach our national defence and security plan(s). And if my aforesaid presumption is true, our defence intelligence fraternity should not have acted in isolation (hopefully not); rather they should have sought the co-operation of the police Special Branch (SB) and the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), before a formal announcement (with explicit details) is made by the Defence Ministry, or by any other related government official. I believe an announcement can only be made upon the completion of an exhaustive investigation carried out by our investigating agencies, and not before. To say that the matter is still under investigation smacks of the lack of professionalism in dealing with such extreme defence and security issues; what more if it is related to a breach in defence secrets as reported.
The term 'defence secret' connotes a highly sensitive issue that is of national interest, and for those involved in breaching national defence and security secrets are deemed to have committed a grievous crime. And since little is known about the nature of the defence secret leak, it would be rather difficult for anyone to speculate the nature of punishment to be meted upon the perpetrators; but a warning is certainly inappropriate to the nature of the crime, if indeed it involves the giving out of a defence secret to an unauthorised person.
Taking the case of Dong Chung above, a 15 year long prison sentence is a severe punishment, and it can serve as an example for the case facing the Defence Ministry today. Catching the culprit(s) and punishing them to a jail sentence does not really end the matter. In fact, it is just the beginning, in the search to find the root cause of the leak and to seek ways on how to manage and enforce greater security against another attempt at breaching defence and security secrets.
This incident may not be the last since trying to obtain the host country's defence secrets by foreign Defence Attache in the country is part of their responsibility. This is common knowledge, and I suppose our Defence Attache serving overseas does likewise.
The other concern that many members of the Armed Forces does not realised (some deliberately) is the way many foreign defence agents work with our military officers to obtain defence secrets. When dealing with foreign defence agents (some have reaped huge profits), our military officers will inadvertently trade defence secrets with them over a game of golf followed by a sumptuous dinner (fine cigars included). And the trading gets even more boisterous if the military officers are offered an all expense paid trips to visit defence factories overseas; with some even getting a Rolls Royce to await them at the airports. And don't these officers know that receiving preferred treatment by foreign defence agents is a form of corruption – a subtle one though?
If the government and the Defence Ministry is serious in curbing the outflow of defence secrets in the future, its has to have very strict ruling and procedures governing any interaction by members of the Armed Forces with foreign military forces(especially among the officers corps), as well as their relationship with foreign defence agents that are sometimes treated like VIP's by Defence Ministry officials (military and civilians alike).
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
The above revelation comes at a time when the nation, and the Defence Ministry in particular is facing public outrage over the loss of two RMAF jet fighter engines, caused by what seemed a serious lapse in base security, and where unbelievably, only one RMAF personnel and a civilian businessman is reportedly involved. Strange though it seemed; but government investigations concluded that only two people were involved.
And recently in the USA, Dong Chung, a neutralised US citizen of Chinese origin; formerly a Boeing engineer who was found guilty in July 2009 of passing space shuttle secrets to the PRC was sentenced to a 15 year jail term by the Californian court for an offence under a 1996 espionage law. Dong Chung is the first person to be convicted under that law.
I do not know what is the nature and gravity of the defence secret leak that the Defence Ministry is referring to, but by using the term 'defence secret', I presume it is serious enough to hurt and breach our national defence and security plan(s). And if my aforesaid presumption is true, our defence intelligence fraternity should not have acted in isolation (hopefully not); rather they should have sought the co-operation of the police Special Branch (SB) and the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), before a formal announcement (with explicit details) is made by the Defence Ministry, or by any other related government official. I believe an announcement can only be made upon the completion of an exhaustive investigation carried out by our investigating agencies, and not before. To say that the matter is still under investigation smacks of the lack of professionalism in dealing with such extreme defence and security issues; what more if it is related to a breach in defence secrets as reported.
The term 'defence secret' connotes a highly sensitive issue that is of national interest, and for those involved in breaching national defence and security secrets are deemed to have committed a grievous crime. And since little is known about the nature of the defence secret leak, it would be rather difficult for anyone to speculate the nature of punishment to be meted upon the perpetrators; but a warning is certainly inappropriate to the nature of the crime, if indeed it involves the giving out of a defence secret to an unauthorised person.
Taking the case of Dong Chung above, a 15 year long prison sentence is a severe punishment, and it can serve as an example for the case facing the Defence Ministry today. Catching the culprit(s) and punishing them to a jail sentence does not really end the matter. In fact, it is just the beginning, in the search to find the root cause of the leak and to seek ways on how to manage and enforce greater security against another attempt at breaching defence and security secrets.
This incident may not be the last since trying to obtain the host country's defence secrets by foreign Defence Attache in the country is part of their responsibility. This is common knowledge, and I suppose our Defence Attache serving overseas does likewise.
The other concern that many members of the Armed Forces does not realised (some deliberately) is the way many foreign defence agents work with our military officers to obtain defence secrets. When dealing with foreign defence agents (some have reaped huge profits), our military officers will inadvertently trade defence secrets with them over a game of golf followed by a sumptuous dinner (fine cigars included). And the trading gets even more boisterous if the military officers are offered an all expense paid trips to visit defence factories overseas; with some even getting a Rolls Royce to await them at the airports. And don't these officers know that receiving preferred treatment by foreign defence agents is a form of corruption – a subtle one though?
If the government and the Defence Ministry is serious in curbing the outflow of defence secrets in the future, its has to have very strict ruling and procedures governing any interaction by members of the Armed Forces with foreign military forces(especially among the officers corps), as well as their relationship with foreign defence agents that are sometimes treated like VIP's by Defence Ministry officials (military and civilians alike).
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Thursday, February 4, 2010
VERA-E REVISITED
One is not surprise these days to find that some senior military officers living a luxurious life that far exceeds their monthly salaries. I am told that there is one particular senior officer who is in a position to influence the purchase of a capital equipment in his or his bosses favour, and finds enough cash to buy an expensive home, and flashing a deposit payment that is far in excess of the usual 10% required by the developer to purchase a home.
One cannot hide the fact that if a person is a one star general, his housing loan entitlement is only RM360,000. One can say that he also took a bank loan which is quite likely. But as a one star general, can he afford to pay for two loans, besides having to pay for his car loan (unless he has settled a full payment), the children’s education and other house-hold expenses. One can also say that as a one star general, he may not need a personal car because he is provided a service car that he could drive home with it and use it at his leisure. Of course, he has to pay for the fuel at nominal rates if the car is not used in an official capacity.
Some had just called in to say that this particular one star general had his hands deep in influencing the acquisition of the Vera-E Passive Air Defence sensor that I had written several days earlier. It is believed that this particular senior had justified (or was it on the instructions of his superior) that the Czech Republic manufactured Vera-E Passive Defence sensor is the only system that has a full 3D location capability to detect an approaching airborne target; whereas there is a similar system i.e. Kolchuga manufactured in the Ukrine. If this is true, we then have a compulsive liar in the person of a one star general, and liars are damn from being a member of the nation’s noble armed forces; just like 'corruptors' that have line their pockets will ill-gotten money.
There are also some favoured companies dealing in the supply of defence equipments that have in their employment retired military officers that double as proxies to serving military officers to facilitate the constant flow of defence contracts to the favoured companies. I do not wish to name the companies here as it is well known among the military and civilian circles, and where even some family members have been known to be employed by the companies. There is no hiding the facts, and it does not need the MACC to track the money trail to understand how such companies operates in cohorts with the powers that be. There is an entire web of people (military/civilian staffs/corporate figures) that are involved to cheat and rob the government off its coffer.
There have also been talks that some senior officers (military/civilian) having been made rich have now become bold and arrogant, as to have excess cash kept neatly in money clips, and showing them off to their partners after a round of golf. The bet is no longer single digit, and I am told it can go as much as 2/3 digit of zero per hole. Just imagine, if one is to lose all 18 holes, the accumulative lost could be in the hundreds and thousands. Can someone tell me in all honesty that senior military/civilian officers can really afford such a loss, or dare place a bet for such kind of money? My answer is yes, if only they are thieves and corruptors.
Just as I am about to sign off this article, I received an sms that says a recently retired one star general from the RMAF had purchased a house in Taman Perwira, Ampang; had the house demolished and a new exceedingly large house build. I do not know who this retired general is but simple arithmetic says that the costs to acquire the house, demolished and rebuild a new house in a posh area like Taman Perwira, Ampang could easily surpass a million. Now, how the hell can this person afford that kind of money is everyone’s guess, unless he had saved his salary in full for the last 10 years.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
One cannot hide the fact that if a person is a one star general, his housing loan entitlement is only RM360,000. One can say that he also took a bank loan which is quite likely. But as a one star general, can he afford to pay for two loans, besides having to pay for his car loan (unless he has settled a full payment), the children’s education and other house-hold expenses. One can also say that as a one star general, he may not need a personal car because he is provided a service car that he could drive home with it and use it at his leisure. Of course, he has to pay for the fuel at nominal rates if the car is not used in an official capacity.
Some had just called in to say that this particular one star general had his hands deep in influencing the acquisition of the Vera-E Passive Air Defence sensor that I had written several days earlier. It is believed that this particular senior had justified (or was it on the instructions of his superior) that the Czech Republic manufactured Vera-E Passive Defence sensor is the only system that has a full 3D location capability to detect an approaching airborne target; whereas there is a similar system i.e. Kolchuga manufactured in the Ukrine. If this is true, we then have a compulsive liar in the person of a one star general, and liars are damn from being a member of the nation’s noble armed forces; just like 'corruptors' that have line their pockets will ill-gotten money.
There are also some favoured companies dealing in the supply of defence equipments that have in their employment retired military officers that double as proxies to serving military officers to facilitate the constant flow of defence contracts to the favoured companies. I do not wish to name the companies here as it is well known among the military and civilian circles, and where even some family members have been known to be employed by the companies. There is no hiding the facts, and it does not need the MACC to track the money trail to understand how such companies operates in cohorts with the powers that be. There is an entire web of people (military/civilian staffs/corporate figures) that are involved to cheat and rob the government off its coffer.
There have also been talks that some senior officers (military/civilian) having been made rich have now become bold and arrogant, as to have excess cash kept neatly in money clips, and showing them off to their partners after a round of golf. The bet is no longer single digit, and I am told it can go as much as 2/3 digit of zero per hole. Just imagine, if one is to lose all 18 holes, the accumulative lost could be in the hundreds and thousands. Can someone tell me in all honesty that senior military/civilian officers can really afford such a loss, or dare place a bet for such kind of money? My answer is yes, if only they are thieves and corruptors.
Just as I am about to sign off this article, I received an sms that says a recently retired one star general from the RMAF had purchased a house in Taman Perwira, Ampang; had the house demolished and a new exceedingly large house build. I do not know who this retired general is but simple arithmetic says that the costs to acquire the house, demolished and rebuild a new house in a posh area like Taman Perwira, Ampang could easily surpass a million. Now, how the hell can this person afford that kind of money is everyone’s guess, unless he had saved his salary in full for the last 10 years.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
THE PT 91M MAIN BATTLE TANK – WAS IT A WORTHY BUY?
An article in Utusan Malaysia Online (Polis & Tentera Column) dated February 3rd 2010 reads, ‘Pendeka PT 91M: Igauan kepada musuh negara’, written by Mohd Asron Mustapha is a must read by officers of the Armoured Corps (for whatever it is worth). If the title is to be translated literally into the English language, it reads, ‘Warrior PT 91M: A frightening nightmare for the nation’s enemy’.
The author is making reference to the Malaysian Army‘s main battle tank (MBT) acquired from Poland, that first came into service with the army in 2007, at a cost that is little known to the public. Reading from the article, Mohd Asron seems to have made the PT 91M appear to be the best MBT in the world, and this to many, is a serious fallacy.
With just 48 MBTs for the entire Malaysia Army, can this really be a ‘frightening nightmare for the nation’s enemy’, as the title of the article seems to suggest? And may I ask - who is the enemy that Mohd Asron is referring to? And let me say this, that if ever the nation is to go to war, it is the crew of the PT 91M that is more worried; not the enemy. The worry is because the ‘assorted systems’ that has been incorporated into the tank, have yet to be tested in battle. I have no qualms that the PT 91M performed reasonably well during the Merdeka Day parade.
The acquisition of the MBT has taken many years to realize before the final choice was made to acquire the Polish manufactured MBT. But why a Polish tank, and not other makes is best known to those who had a hand in making the final decision; rightfully or otherwise. But I do know that there are officers from the Armoured Corps who were dead against the acquisition on grounds that the PT 91M is no better than the T 72 (an earlier version of the PT 91M) that performed poorly during the 1991 Gulf War against the more advanced US M1A1 and the British manufactured Challenger 2 tanks.
In the process of acquiring more information regarding the PT 91M, someone whom I had discussed with regarding the acquisition remarked that, “of all these years, the best armoured vehicle that the Malaysian Army has had in its inventory is the Ferret Scout car. All other armoured vehicles purchased since the 70’s are a total flop”. He went on to say that the PT 91M is a total failure even before it entered service in the Malaysian Army; the major mechanical glitch being the gearing system. And what is even worse is that the Malaysian Army has incorporated a number of foreign manufactured systems (other than Polish) into the tank, and this makes the maintenance of the tank a nightmare for the maintenance crew; besides the exorbitant cost that the army has to bear to maintain these systems. He does not foresee the PT 91M being operational worthy after 10 years of service; where it will finally end up as targets at Asahan Range.
I do not know much about the writer, but he certainly had caused a misconception in the minds of public (other than those in the army), that the PT 91M is truly one of the best MBT in the world. Even if it was acclaimed the best at the point when the acquisition was made, technological advancement will make the tank obsolescence within a few years, as the army does not have the technological know-how to make significant improvements to the tank systems.
If this posting is deemed critical to the army’s acquisition of the PT 91M, I wish to be corrected by those who are physically handling the tank; in this instant officers of the Armoured Corps, and not by some civilian writers who don’t even know the difference between a tank and an Armoured Personnal Carrier.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
The author is making reference to the Malaysian Army‘s main battle tank (MBT) acquired from Poland, that first came into service with the army in 2007, at a cost that is little known to the public. Reading from the article, Mohd Asron seems to have made the PT 91M appear to be the best MBT in the world, and this to many, is a serious fallacy.
With just 48 MBTs for the entire Malaysia Army, can this really be a ‘frightening nightmare for the nation’s enemy’, as the title of the article seems to suggest? And may I ask - who is the enemy that Mohd Asron is referring to? And let me say this, that if ever the nation is to go to war, it is the crew of the PT 91M that is more worried; not the enemy. The worry is because the ‘assorted systems’ that has been incorporated into the tank, have yet to be tested in battle. I have no qualms that the PT 91M performed reasonably well during the Merdeka Day parade.
The acquisition of the MBT has taken many years to realize before the final choice was made to acquire the Polish manufactured MBT. But why a Polish tank, and not other makes is best known to those who had a hand in making the final decision; rightfully or otherwise. But I do know that there are officers from the Armoured Corps who were dead against the acquisition on grounds that the PT 91M is no better than the T 72 (an earlier version of the PT 91M) that performed poorly during the 1991 Gulf War against the more advanced US M1A1 and the British manufactured Challenger 2 tanks.
In the process of acquiring more information regarding the PT 91M, someone whom I had discussed with regarding the acquisition remarked that, “of all these years, the best armoured vehicle that the Malaysian Army has had in its inventory is the Ferret Scout car. All other armoured vehicles purchased since the 70’s are a total flop”. He went on to say that the PT 91M is a total failure even before it entered service in the Malaysian Army; the major mechanical glitch being the gearing system. And what is even worse is that the Malaysian Army has incorporated a number of foreign manufactured systems (other than Polish) into the tank, and this makes the maintenance of the tank a nightmare for the maintenance crew; besides the exorbitant cost that the army has to bear to maintain these systems. He does not foresee the PT 91M being operational worthy after 10 years of service; where it will finally end up as targets at Asahan Range.
I do not know much about the writer, but he certainly had caused a misconception in the minds of public (other than those in the army), that the PT 91M is truly one of the best MBT in the world. Even if it was acclaimed the best at the point when the acquisition was made, technological advancement will make the tank obsolescence within a few years, as the army does not have the technological know-how to make significant improvements to the tank systems.
If this posting is deemed critical to the army’s acquisition of the PT 91M, I wish to be corrected by those who are physically handling the tank; in this instant officers of the Armoured Corps, and not by some civilian writers who don’t even know the difference between a tank and an Armoured Personnal Carrier.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
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