MEDIA GERAK
Republish:
Mahathir, Abramoff and Bush
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NOTE: THE ARTICLE BELOW IS POSTED AGAIN AT THE REQUEST OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING CLOSELY THE SCANDAL INVOLVING JACK ABRAMOFF AND A NUMBER OF SENIOR POLITICIANS AND OFFICIALS IN THE US.
THE SAME ABRAMOFF WAS PAID SUBSTANTIALLY TO ARRANGE FOR A MEETING BETWEEN THEN MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER, TUN DR MAHATHIR MOHAMAD AND PRESIDENT BUSH. UNTIL NOW THERE HAS BEEN NO EXPLANATION ABOUT THE ALLEGED PAYMENT, ALTHOUGH IT WAS MADE BY THOSE CLOSE TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT.
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PM MUST EXPLAIN PAYMENT TO HERITAGE FOUNDATION
WHAT ROLES DID MAHATHIR, DAIM AND MEGAT JUNID PLAY?
Three months have passed since Washington Post, in an article “Think Tank’s Ideas Shifted As Malaysia Ties Grew”, dated 17 April 2005, exposed that the Malaysian Government paid the Heritage Foundation to lobby for a meeting between President George Bush with the then Malaysian Premier, Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has several times been called upon to explain, but he has chosen to remain silent. Recently, some new additional information have surfaced in connection with Jack Abramoff, who, according to the Washington Post was “a former Republican lobbying powerhouse ……indirectly paid by the government of Malaysia”.
To be more precise, “the Embassy of Malaysia gave AIC a check for US$300,000 dated March 6, 2002”. (In Malaysian currency the amount is equivalent to RM1.14 million.) AIC, the acronym for American International Center, was “a front created in part to hide Abramoff’s representation of Malaysia”. It has now come to light that the AIC, which was set up at Rehoboth Beach by Michael Scanlon, an associate of Abramoff, is a fraud.
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, is a resort town on the Atlantic Ocean, about an hour or so from Washington DC. When the Washington Post investigated, it found that the building was actually a beach house, and the only staff that manned this “international think tank” was a “former lifeguard and a yoga instructor”.
Indeed it is a great wonder why the Malaysian Embassy sent an official check of $300,000 to the AIC. But, it is interesting to note that the highest officer at the Embassy at that time was a brother-in-law of ex-Finance Minister Tun Daim, one Dato’ Ghazali.
According to an article entitled “Abramoff’s Duo Quits US”, published in the The Hill Newspaper of 13 July 2005, “Abramoff and ……Michael Scanlon are the target of the Justice Department probe and two Senate investigations into allegations that they bilked (Indian gaming) tribes of more than US$60 million. A federal grand jury has been convened to consider possible criminal charges in the matter.”
How could any Malaysian public leader be involved with such dubious character?
The story of Abramoff started with the Malaysian efforts to win over public opinion in the US and to open the way for a meeting between then Malaysian PM with the US President. After the economic downturn and the detention of ex-Deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim together with a number of others in 1998, Malaysia was strongly criticized by the media and civil society the world over, especially in the US, for her human rights records.
The conservative Heritage Foundation joined the chorus against Malaysia, when in a 1998 paper it called upon the Clinton administration to “be prepared to speak out strongly against Mahathir’s actions”. In February 1999, the president of Heritage, Edwin J. Fuelner, praised Vice President Gore for making “an impressive defense of freedom in Malaysia”.
Things changed after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The well-known anti-West Mahathir suddenly offered to “cooperate with the US in the war against terrorism” and stepped up military cooperation by allowing more “US overflights and jungle-training programs”. In 2002, Heritage hosted speeches by then DPM Abdullah Badawi and Defence Minister Najib Razak on ways to strengthen US-Malaysia friendship and defence cooperation.
As explained in the Washington Post article, this happened at the same time as the Heritage president co-founded a firm called the Belle Haven Consultants, which retained his wife, Linda Fuelner, as “senior adviser”. Belle Haven hired Alexander Strategy Group, a Washington lobby firm run by a former chief of staff of the House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, to help represent Malaysian clients. Abramoff was close to DeLay and the Alexander Strategy Group lobbyists.
It is most instructive to learn from records of the US Senate that Malaysian client for Belle Haven Consultants is listed as PK Baru Energy Sdn Bhd, 12-4 Level 12, East Wing, Rohas Perkasa, No 8 Jalan Perak, KL 50450. It is believed that the company was owned by Tan Sri Megat Junid..
Megat Junid was a minister in Mahathir’s cabinet and always took pride in the claim that he enjoyed special relationship with the former PM. Interestingly, Megat Junid was head of the US-Malaysia Exchange Association (whatever that is), which was established as a front organization partly to orgasnise trips and perhaps also channel funds.
It is alleged that about “RM5.3 million (was paid) to secure the White House Visit for Mahathir”. It has also been claimed that in February the Government paid RM40 million to the Heritage Foundation through the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). There is no concrete evidence of this. But much of the actual proof that several past payments were made can be found in the official records of the US Senate (http//sopr.senate.govt/.).
Parti Keadilan Rakyat demands to know what roles were played particularly by Tun Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Daim Zainuddin and Tan Sri Megat Junid in regard to all the payments. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi owes it to the people of Malaysia to give full explanation now. He cannot remain silent anymore.
Dr Syed Husin Ali
Deputy President
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
(People’s Justice Party)
First published: 18 July 2005
Mahathir, Abramoff and Bush
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: THE ARTICLE BELOW IS POSTED AGAIN AT THE REQUEST OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING CLOSELY THE SCANDAL INVOLVING JACK ABRAMOFF AND A NUMBER OF SENIOR POLITICIANS AND OFFICIALS IN THE US.
THE SAME ABRAMOFF WAS PAID SUBSTANTIALLY TO ARRANGE FOR A MEETING BETWEEN THEN MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER, TUN DR MAHATHIR MOHAMAD AND PRESIDENT BUSH. UNTIL NOW THERE HAS BEEN NO EXPLANATION ABOUT THE ALLEGED PAYMENT, ALTHOUGH IT WAS MADE BY THOSE CLOSE TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PM MUST EXPLAIN PAYMENT TO HERITAGE FOUNDATION
WHAT ROLES DID MAHATHIR, DAIM AND MEGAT JUNID PLAY?
Three months have passed since Washington Post, in an article “Think Tank’s Ideas Shifted As Malaysia Ties Grew”, dated 17 April 2005, exposed that the Malaysian Government paid the Heritage Foundation to lobby for a meeting between President George Bush with the then Malaysian Premier, Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has several times been called upon to explain, but he has chosen to remain silent. Recently, some new additional information have surfaced in connection with Jack Abramoff, who, according to the Washington Post was “a former Republican lobbying powerhouse ……indirectly paid by the government of Malaysia”.
To be more precise, “the Embassy of Malaysia gave AIC a check for US$300,000 dated March 6, 2002”. (In Malaysian currency the amount is equivalent to RM1.14 million.) AIC, the acronym for American International Center, was “a front created in part to hide Abramoff’s representation of Malaysia”. It has now come to light that the AIC, which was set up at Rehoboth Beach by Michael Scanlon, an associate of Abramoff, is a fraud.
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, is a resort town on the Atlantic Ocean, about an hour or so from Washington DC. When the Washington Post investigated, it found that the building was actually a beach house, and the only staff that manned this “international think tank” was a “former lifeguard and a yoga instructor”.
Indeed it is a great wonder why the Malaysian Embassy sent an official check of $300,000 to the AIC. But, it is interesting to note that the highest officer at the Embassy at that time was a brother-in-law of ex-Finance Minister Tun Daim, one Dato’ Ghazali.
According to an article entitled “Abramoff’s Duo Quits US”, published in the The Hill Newspaper of 13 July 2005, “Abramoff and ……Michael Scanlon are the target of the Justice Department probe and two Senate investigations into allegations that they bilked (Indian gaming) tribes of more than US$60 million. A federal grand jury has been convened to consider possible criminal charges in the matter.”
How could any Malaysian public leader be involved with such dubious character?
The story of Abramoff started with the Malaysian efforts to win over public opinion in the US and to open the way for a meeting between then Malaysian PM with the US President. After the economic downturn and the detention of ex-Deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim together with a number of others in 1998, Malaysia was strongly criticized by the media and civil society the world over, especially in the US, for her human rights records.
The conservative Heritage Foundation joined the chorus against Malaysia, when in a 1998 paper it called upon the Clinton administration to “be prepared to speak out strongly against Mahathir’s actions”. In February 1999, the president of Heritage, Edwin J. Fuelner, praised Vice President Gore for making “an impressive defense of freedom in Malaysia”.
Things changed after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The well-known anti-West Mahathir suddenly offered to “cooperate with the US in the war against terrorism” and stepped up military cooperation by allowing more “US overflights and jungle-training programs”. In 2002, Heritage hosted speeches by then DPM Abdullah Badawi and Defence Minister Najib Razak on ways to strengthen US-Malaysia friendship and defence cooperation.
As explained in the Washington Post article, this happened at the same time as the Heritage president co-founded a firm called the Belle Haven Consultants, which retained his wife, Linda Fuelner, as “senior adviser”. Belle Haven hired Alexander Strategy Group, a Washington lobby firm run by a former chief of staff of the House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, to help represent Malaysian clients. Abramoff was close to DeLay and the Alexander Strategy Group lobbyists.
It is most instructive to learn from records of the US Senate that Malaysian client for Belle Haven Consultants is listed as PK Baru Energy Sdn Bhd, 12-4 Level 12, East Wing, Rohas Perkasa, No 8 Jalan Perak, KL 50450. It is believed that the company was owned by Tan Sri Megat Junid..
Megat Junid was a minister in Mahathir’s cabinet and always took pride in the claim that he enjoyed special relationship with the former PM. Interestingly, Megat Junid was head of the US-Malaysia Exchange Association (whatever that is), which was established as a front organization partly to orgasnise trips and perhaps also channel funds.
It is alleged that about “RM5.3 million (was paid) to secure the White House Visit for Mahathir”. It has also been claimed that in February the Government paid RM40 million to the Heritage Foundation through the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). There is no concrete evidence of this. But much of the actual proof that several past payments were made can be found in the official records of the US Senate (http//sopr.senate.govt/.).
Parti Keadilan Rakyat demands to know what roles were played particularly by Tun Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Daim Zainuddin and Tan Sri Megat Junid in regard to all the payments. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi owes it to the people of Malaysia to give full explanation now. He cannot remain silent anymore.
Dr Syed Husin Ali
Deputy President
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
(People’s Justice Party)
First published: 18 July 2005
posted by Panji at
10:17 AM
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