Halliburton involvement in Iskandar not an issue

By SHAHANAAZ HABIB, The Star

KUWAIT: There is no ethical question involved in bringing Halliburton, the controversial US multinational, to invest in Malaysia, said the Iskandar Development Region Authority managing director Datuk Ikmal Hijaz Hashim.

“Halliburton is investing in oil and gas and we have are happy to have them there (in Iskandar Malaysia),” he told local reporters here.

Asked on concerns about the ethics of having a company like Halliburton in Iskandar, Ikmal said: “Whose ethics are you referring to? Which value judgement are you using?

"If they bring in investment and create jobs, I don’t see any ethical questions on that. I am not too sure which yardstick you are using.”

He said Malaysia should be open.

“We should invite investment as long as it bring benefits to the country. It may not bring good taste to other countries - I am not too sure. But I would not like to be involved in that area (good taste or not),” he added.

In late March, American oil and gas company Halliburton opened an RM200mil manufacturing centre in Iskandar Malaysia (formerly known as Iskandar Development Region).

The 20,000 sq m facility in Johor Technology Park performs procurement and customer service activities as well as engineering, machining and product assembly primarily for customers in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Europe Eurasia regions.

Halliburton is a US-based multinational corporation with operations in more than 120 countries including Iraq. Its main business is providing technical products and services for the oil and gas exploration and production.

It has also been in the news for turning in huge profits as well as a number of political controversies involving its work for the US Government, its political ties, and its corporate ethics.

Halliburton has close ties with US Vice-President Dick Cheney who used to be with the company until he assumed his present political post. Halliburton benefited greatly from the war in Iraq and got the bulk of oil and gas contracts there after the US invasion.

There have been a number of complaints about Halliburton including unlawfully receiving special treatment for work in Iraq and abuse of contract, fraud and overcharging.

Some of these cases are still under FBI and Pentagon investigations.

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Comments (18) Add Comment

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written by FFT, May 01, 2008 16:42:24

Sheesh, if you guys want to get picky about DoD contractors, then you may as well trade in your clothes for leaves and coconut shelves and go live in the forests and eat termites.

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written by Mustapha Kamal, May 01, 2008 16:42:04

Why don't we invite mafia investment in Malaysia as well ? Drug factories, finishing schools for prostitutes, snuff DVDs featuring malaysian kids, colleges for rapists, robbers and C4 handlers ? Hey pariah, don't you know that halliburton is KILLING your Muslim brothers ? Or don't you care ?

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written by goman2k3, May 01, 2008 10:54:17

"Cheney's record as CEO was subject to some dispute among Wall Street analysts; a 1998 merger between Halliburton and Dresser Industries attracted the criticism of some Dresser executives for Halliburton's lack of accounting transparency.[46] During Cheney's tenure, Halliburton changed its accounting practices regarding revenue realization of disputed costs on major construction projects.[47] Cheney resigned as CEO of Halliburton on July 25, 2000. As vice president, he argued that this step removed any conflict of interest. Cheney's net worth, estimated to be between $30 million and $100 million, is largely derived from his post at Halliburton, as well as the Cheneys gross income of nearly $8.82 million.[48]" quoted from g****e

FYI... but what wrong if the business is business and oil business is good business. It is not the business, it is the corrupted politicians STUPID!!!

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written by ahmisk, May 01, 2008 06:42:27

What to do- ISKANDAR'S going to fail. They need all the help they can get.

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written by Lipanbara, May 01, 2008 04:23:43

Asked on concerns about the ethics of having a company like Halliburton in Iskandar, Ikmal said: Ã¢â‚¬Å“Whose ethics are you referring to? Which value judgement are you using?
......
Ikmal, You do sound arrogant defending Haliburton at whatever cost. Oh yes, Malaysian definitely will be "starved" without the Company on board. Ikmal,Well we are using UMNO's ethic to judge you...what's the point boycotting Dutch products back then?

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written by sarawakian, May 01, 2008 03:52:36

.. and they said Anwar wanted to sell Malaysia to the West....

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written by donplay, May 01, 2008 03:30:25

On the one hand, Dr. M & AAB condemned it, and all the Muslims in M'sia (and including many non-Muslims & others like me) condemned the killings and plundering of Iraq, including the awarding of contracts in Iraq to Bush's & Cheyney's cronies like HALLIBURTON!

But, when they bring their tainted money to invest in M'sia, we rush out, open our arms and embrace them like true heroes, forgetting that by doing so we have let the masses in Iraq down ver, very badly.

We are no better than prostitutes in accepting this il-begotten money from conscienceless looters and thieves.

donplaypuks

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written by Anak Kelantan, May 01, 2008 01:34:31

Could this be a tit-for-tat? US keeps quiet for Scomi's "nuclear Tahir issue out of public view" for allowing Halliburton to operate on its shore? Silly me for having such skeptic and devious mind.

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written by mgeo, May 01, 2008 01:22:56

What was Saddam Hussein's real crime from the perspective of the Great Shaitan? Buying arms from others, trading in other currencies for oil, and above all, not showing respect to the Shaitan. What is Iran's real crime? Trading in other currencies for oil. The Shaitan is desperately trying to pin the blame on someone for its useless currency. Its non-productive (in real terms) economy only serves to project power and spread terror. Its poisonous money is now playing a greater role here, and I don't mean in business alone.

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written by cubi76, May 01, 2008 01:21:07

Just as MRCB and UEM as UMNO flagship crony companies, Halliburton is US version of the kind.

Inviting Halliburton to set tp its operation here is like bringing in US influence into Malaysia.

Please be not mistaken, but Halliburton is the company which got the huge contract for "Restore Iraq Oil" project.

The company's contracts in Iraq are expected to have generated more than $13 billion in revenue by the time they start to expire in 2006, but most offer low margins Ã¢â‚¬â€ less than 2% on average in 2003 and just 1.4% this year for the logistics work making these contracts less profitable than Halliburton's core energy business. The contracts in Iraq will be more profitable after the US Army reimburses them for costs that were originally investigated as potentially inflated. Meanwhile, KBR reconstruction contracts in Iraq 'tracked' by the US Department of Defense were shown to include as much as 55% of total project costs as overhead.

KBR has contracts in Iraq worth up to $18 billion, including a single no-bid contract known as "Restore Iraqi Oil" (RIO) which has an estimated worth of $7 billion.

An audit of KBR by the PentagonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) found $108 million in "questioned costs" and, as of mid-March 2005, said they still had "major" unresolved issues with Halliburton -- source Wikipedia.com

Looks like we are inviting wolves into the barn.

It sounds like Malaysia starts to get attention from the US, because make no mastakes, this kind of company that's representing US national interest doesnt simply invest in any country. Malaysia has never been more important in White House administration.

For better or worse? Time will tell.

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written by sedan, May 01, 2008 01:10:06

Halliburton would need excellent communications strategists here to avoid a public relations disaster. Their biggest mistake worldwide has always been communications. The feeling of getting away with anything any time has been their biggest liability.

Yes, Dick Cheney was a big liability too.

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written by atsanee, April 30, 2008 22:52:11

"If they bring in investment and create jobs, I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t see any ethical questions on that"
Lets get the Americans to move Guantanamo facilities to Malaysia so that there will be investment and jobs created.

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written by sampalee, April 30, 2008 22:41:40

What the whole world known to be dirty and evil,we welcome and justify.Typical umno.

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written by Ben Nordin, April 30, 2008 22:35:43

Yardstick. Haha. Very fuuny.
Dick Cheney's ties with Halliburton are not rumors. Halliburton was not only a heavy player in post-Saddam Iraq. They were also involved in the planning of control of Iraq with the Pentagon before the invasion. It was a business venture there too. It's just that they bombed Iraq first and do business later.
How's that for a yardstick.

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written by glock17, April 30, 2008 21:53:52

I heard rumors this company has ties to Dick Cheney. This guys are heavy player in post-Saddam biz contracts for defence, security and armanents.

Guess some people are jsy to desperate for a failing business promises that they invite just any Tom Dick and Harry.

Best of luck.

Glock17

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written by joeawk, April 30, 2008 21:16:37

Hally is just like many companies in Malaysia which depend on govt handouts. The BN govt has no ethic to start with. As such, there can be no problem with Hally.

Welcome, Hally, just create more jobs for our uni grats with crutches.

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written by smeagrooo, April 30, 2008 20:52:13

easier to operate when ppl hv the same wavelength. One fella move their tail the other party knows what to do. No need talk. All faham2 ajelah.

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written by Raja Chulan, April 30, 2008 20:45:22

Birds of the same feather flocks together.

What do expect? The corrupt will definately associate with the corrupt.

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