The Prime Minister appeared in front of editors of national and international TV channels today, supposedly to boost this government’s rapidly plummeting ratings. For a prime minister, I am sure that was the right thing to do, for things have really spiralled out of control and who better than the nation’s CEO to stem the rot?
But did his appearance achieve the result that he, his spin doctors, or the beleaguered government he heads, had expected? I don’t think so. On the contrary, he failed miserably. Dwelling on platitudes and shockingly, blaming the media for exposing the scams.
The trend started from the opening remarks when he said the relentless exposes have weakened the nation and its prestige. Of course we know that, Mr. Prime Minister, but what do you want the media to do? Remain quiet and ignore the blatant loot of the nation being indulged in by the unscrupulous that include ministers, politicians, industrialists and babus?
No, Mr. Prime Minister, that is not on. Your exhorting the media to dwell on positives and shun negative stories is good only on paper. In reality, it is only a free licence for the looters to plunder us even more. And if the media had indeed not exposed these scams,
Sir, if exposing all this earns the country a bad name, I am all for it. I think, it is time to call a spade a spade and not shun exposes, but shun platitudes and that is the other point I want to raise.
The Bruno Manser Fund plans to expose Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s alleged family business empire – spanning eight countries – next week.
The indigenous peoples’ advocacy organisation said it has already compiled a “blacklist” of 49 companies, which it claims was set up by Taib’s family worldwide and estimated to be worth at least several billion ringgit.
“The list will be published next week, and the authorities of these countries will be asked to freeze all Taib assets and to launch criminal investigations against the Taib family,” the BMF said in a statement.
The release of the list will be done in conjunction with the launch of their latest campaign on Monday to expose Taib’s alleged corruption done over the three decades he has held Sarawak’s chief ministership.
BMF said the campaign will focus on Sarawak’s logging activities as corruption in the industry – which they claim is perpetrated by Taib and his cronies – is a major driver of deforestation in Borneo.
“A campaign website, , will go online on Monday, 21 February, and will be regularly updated and equipped with features for an interactive campaign with public participation.”
Taib a ‘kleptocrat’
Calling Taib a ‘kleptocrat”, the Swiss-based body accused him of converting Sarawak into his family’s private estate by commanding far-reaching control over the state’s resources as chief minister, finance minister and state planning and resources minister.
With unlimited access to the state’s riches, Taib and his family allegedly transferred much of their ill-gotten gains overseas, at the expense of the natives who have long fought against the destructive logging and loss of their land to Taib and his cronies’ manoeuvring, said the organisation.
BMF has been fighting for Penan rights since it was founded in 1991 by Swiss activist Bruno Manser.
The enigmatic Manser (below, far left), last seen alive on May 25, 2000, was a thorn in Taib’s side since the mid 1980s, encouraging the Penans to set up blockades and oppose state-sponsored logging activities.
He spent six years, between 1984 to 1990, living with the Penans, evading arrest by local authorities.
He later slipped from under their noses to return to Switzerland to spread awareness of the Penans’ plight.
Among his most outrageous protest stunts was in 1999 when he landed on the roof of Abdul Taib’s residence in Kuching using a motorised hang glider.
He also published a book, “Voices from the Rainforest” in 1992 and later after he went missing, Basel-based publisher Christoph Merian Verlag in 2004 published in “Dairies from the Rainforest” in German, detailing the extensive notes, photographs and documents compiled by Manser.
On March 10, 2005, the courts in Basel declared Manser missing and presumed dead.
The mouthing of platitudes rankled, and distinctly so. I have often said that we, as a nation, serve platitudes to our gullible citizens even more than the dictatorships
This famous quote is being used generally by Pro-Umno/BN supporters.
“Vote for the devil you know rather than the devil/angel you do not know.”
In using this quote, they are actually confirming that Umno/BN is a devil and cannot be trusted. Would you choose a devil, knowing it will suck the nation dry by way of leakages and corruption, detain you without cause, treat you like shit, torture and kill you while you are under detention? Would you choose a devil, knowing it thinks nothing of the atrocity of a foreigner being blown to pieces with C4,and that it is uninterested in transparency, equality and will every day cause racial and religious intolerance.READMORE Prime Minister Najib Razak.said Bernama have damaged the Malaysian government’s image,
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