How Teh Ho Ann bribed Tok Mat
Anyway, an interest-free ‘loan’ which needs not be paid back is a bribe. And the fact that 17 companies benefited from giving Tok Mat this so-called ‘soft loan’ is proof that the RM10 million Tok Mat received had strings attached. Hence it was balasan untuk sesuatu — in this case timber and oil palm land for the 17 companies.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
On the 7th May 2010, Teh Ho Ann told the MACC that on 2nd April 2008 he lent Mohamad Hasan a.k.a. Tok Mat RM10 million. He also told the MACC he had in turn borrowed the money from Yeo Eck Liong.
Teh added that the RM10 million he lent Tok Mat was a ‘soft loan’, which did not attract any interest and had no dateline on when Tok Mat had to pay back the money.
In other words, Tok Mat was not under any obligation to pay back the loan and it was a loan in perpetuity (Malays would say: selama ada bulan dan bintang di langit).
Khir Toyo went to jail for the same crime that Tok Mat committed
But the snag here is Tok Mat was now in the same situation as Lim Guan Eng and Khir Toyo. Both Guan Eng and Khir Toyo bought property below market value from a businessman/businesswoman who had dealings with the state government.
Buying something below market price is not in itself a crime. But when you do so from someone who has dealings with the state, then it becomes a conflict of interest. And it becomes a crime when you benefit financially from the whole arrangement.
Guan Eng escaped jail because Tommy Thomas abused his power
Khir Toyo went to jail for this. Guan Eng escaped jail because Tommy Thomas abused his authority and dropped the case against Guan Eng (which means Tommy Thomas should have been sent to jail instead).
Anyway, an interest-free ‘loan’ which needs not be paid back is a bribe. And the fact that 17 companies benefited from giving Tok Mat this so-called ‘soft loan’ is proof that the RM10 million Tok Mat received had strings attached. Hence it was balasan untuk sesuatu — in this case timber and oil palm land for the 17 companies.
List Of 17 Companies Involved In The Tok Mat RM10 Million Rasuah Scandal
