MMC-Gamuda JV (MGJV) belongs to Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary and the Perak Royalty. Gamuda, on the other hand, is owned by the Perak Royalty. Hence, looking at the players alone, you will realise that this is no ordinary case. But why are these people, being the power scions of the country, quarrelling publicly? What is the real story? Why are all the Umno-aligned newspapers so reluctant to report this case? Why is The Star reporting it in such a coy fashion, quite unlike the way it reports on other controversial cases?

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

No, when Malaysia Today tells a story, it is never a short story. It is always a long story, or what the Chinese would call cheong hei. And it is not only always cheong hei. It is also normally linked to other stories. Yes, that’s right. You may have read many of these stories before. But what you probably did not notice was that many of these stories are actually connected to one another.

Hence the title of today’s story: The invisible web (of deceit).

Last week, Malaysiakini and The Star reported about the on-going trial before Judge Rosilah Yop in the Kuala Lumpur High Court where NR Sistem Sdn Bhd and three others are suing the MMC-Gamuda JV (MGJV). The amount under dispute is RM360 million for services rendered to revive the National Double Tracking Rail Project.

Many of you who still read the government-controlled mainstream media (MSM) -- while complaining that the MSM cannot be trusted and yet you still believe what it says (talk about the height of stupidity) -- may have noticed that there was a media blackout on this case. Even the report by The Star made this issue appear like it was just an ordinary case of breach of contract.

Well, as I have said before and I will say it again: Malaysia Today is not concerned about ‘normal stories’. Malaysia Today focuses on the untold stories. What Malaysia Today wants to talk about is the political intrigue and the behind-the-scenes goings-on about those who walk in the corridors of power. So let us now talk about what many of you thought was a mere civil case between two groups of people involving a dispute regarding money. There is actually more than meets the eye here.

So sit back, take your shoes off, put you feet up, bring out the popcorn, and read on.

First of all, if you were to look at who is the suer and who is the suee -- okay, I invented those words, so sue me -- you will realise that this case is far from being an ‘ordinary’ case of breach of contract. You need to take note of the personalities behind this case. As they say: it is the singer, not the song. So let us look at the ‘singers’ involved in this case, in particular those who are singing like a canary.

The three co-plaintiffs together with NR Sistem Sdn Bhd are Seow Lun Hoo, Shah Hakim Zain and Mansur Ghazali. And the defendant is the powerful MMC belonging to Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, the Arab Bumiputera whom Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad nurtured as the new Corporate Czar of Malaysia, plus Gamuda, the flagship of the Perak Royal Family -- infamous for unconstitutionally giving that state back to Barisan Nasional. 

Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary 

The Perak Royal Family

Seow was formerly the President and CEO of Hong Leong Credit and Leasing Bhd. Only two weeks ago, he was the centre of another controversial case involving businessman Low Thiam Hoe who alleged that Seow masterminded the syndicated loan of RM445 million given to Anwar Ibrahim’s cronies back in 1997 -- and which was later sabotaged on the instructions of Hong Leong’s Executive Chairman, Quek Leng Chan. 

Like most Chinese business tycoons, Quek was hedging his bets on both Anwar and Dr Mahathir during the fallout between the two in 1997. That’s right, these slime-ball and scumbag Chinese always put their money on both horses so that whoever wins they would still benefit. Hence, when Dr Mahathir sacked Anwar, Quek quickly washed his hands clean by immediately cancelling and recalling the loan, thus bankrupting Anwar’s boys.

(Read EPISODE 23: The Anwar Ibrahim-Quek Leng Chan Saga here: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/48288-episode-23-the-anwar-ibrahim-quek-leng-chan-saga)

Shah Hakim Zain

Kamaluddin and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Shah Hakim of Scomi Group Bhd is widely known as the close associate and former schoolmate of Kamaluddin Badawi, son of former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Pak Lah). Back in 2006, during Pak Lah’s era as Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir lamented that all the country’s major businesses, contracts and projects were being channelled to his son, Kamaluddin.

Dr Mahathir in 2006 complaining about ‘the corrupt acts’ of Pak Lah, Khairy Jamaluddin and Kamal Badawi

Hence, to stay below the radar screen and not attract too much attention to the ‘First Family’, Kamaluddin played the behind-the-scenes role and kept his hands hidden. Shah Hakim would emerge as the gatekeeper and toll-collector for the ‘First Family’ while Kamaluddin quietly pulled all the strings, or rather the big cables, in the background.

Did I not say that in Malaysia it is know-who and now know-how that is the secret to success?  

(Read Partners through thick and thin by The Star dated 7 August 2010 here: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/7/business/6813021&sec=business)

In the controversy involving another of Scomi’s shareholder, BSA Tahir, the United States implicated Scomi in the crime of smuggling uranium-enriching equipment to Libya. This was another issue that angered Dr Mahathir, together with the Oil-For-Food scandal, which Dr Mahathir felt Pak Lah should take responsibility for and resign as Prime Minister since his named was cited in the United Nations report.

(Read The BSA Tahir and PI Bala sagas here: http://malaysia-today.net/archives/archives-2010/30465-the-bsa-tahir-and-pi-bala-sagas)

In response, Pak Lah told Dr Mahathir to go to hell and that he was not going to be just a one-term Prime Minister. That meant the end of Pak Lah. There was no way Dr Mahathir was going to allow Pak Lah to continue even if that meant Najib Tun Razak would be taking over as the new Prime Minister. You see, Dr Mahathir shares the same ideology as many Pakatan Rakyat people: that is, work with the lesser of the two evils. Hence, since Najib too may have his baggage, at least Najib can be controlled while Pak Lah was now out of control.

Meanwhile, the former IGP, Musa Hassan, declared that the Police investigation had cleared Shah Hakim and other Scomi officials of any wrongdoing, a slap in Dr Mahathir’s face. When the US sanctions on him and Scomi were lifted, Shah Hakim issued a statement saying: "I am grateful to all who have helped, guided and supported Scomi Group and I for the past few years, in particular to the Government of Malaysia and all the agencies”.

As a reward for clearing the 'First Family' of any wrongdoing, Musa Hassan’s contract as IGP was extended -- despite all the allegations of abuse of power and the controversy of his links to the Chinese underworld that controlled the drugs, prostitution, loan shark and gambling syndicate.

MMC-Gamuda JV (MGJV) belongs to Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary and the Perak Royalty. In fact, name any major business and project in the country and it would probably be owned by the Syed Mokhtar group. Gamuda, on the other hand, is owned by the Perak Royalty. Hence, looking at the players alone, you will realise that this is no ordinary case.

But why are these people, being the power scions of the country, quarrelling publicly? What is the real story? Why are all the Umno-aligned newspapers so reluctant to report this case? Why is The Star reporting it in such a coy fashion, quite unlike the way it reports on other controversial cases?

Malaysia Today will reveal all in part two of this series. So stay tuned.