Najib fears backlash from Musa, Taib

Najib Tun Razak is worried that acting against
Musa Aman and Taib Mahmud will open a Pandora
box on Umno and BN's abuses.
By Calvin KabaronKOTA KINABALU: Any right-thinking Malaysians must now be asking why Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is so reluctant to act against the chief ministers of Sabah and Sarawak, considering that both allegedly face overwhelming evidences of corruption and possible abuses of power.

Both Musa Aman of Sabah and the long-serving Taib Mahmud of Sarawak are reputedly the richest among 13 chief ministers in Malaysia, having reportedly stashed away billions and still actively accumulating wealth and properties both domestic and abroad.
FMT recently interviewed three scholars here who collectively agreed that Najib’s reluctance was due to possible backlash that might endanger the ruling party’s grip on its “fixed deposits” in the Bornean states.

While the grapevine has not questioned these leaders’ business acumen, the three dons, however, were sceptical about the duo’s “invincibility” and claim that it is Najib’s “fear” that stands in the way.

Dr James Alin, an economist attached to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), when approached, said that any attempt to prosecute the duo would have unintended consequences on Najib and the Barisan Nasional.

“Najib fears losing support from cronies of Musa and Taib whom Najib himself considered to be within the BN inner circle.

“Another consequence is Najib’s families may lose business partners.

“They set up a monkey trial for Shahrizat [Abdul Jalil] to cover up Umno inner circles’ obvious involvement in the National Feedlot Centre [NFC] scandal. Najib now plays safe when dealing with Musa and Taib because he knows that Anwar can work with them in extreme situation,” said Alin.

The Japanese-trained Alin is of the opinion that Najib is not as Machiavelian as former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“He relies on his cronies to win in Sabah. Fighting Musa would be too costly politically because Umno’s partners in Sabah, Upko and PBS, are [only] pretending to fight for Sabahans.

“Removing Musa makes Sabah Umno unstable, BN will disintegrate. [In Sarawak], Najib knows Sarawakians are fed up with Taib but will not tolerate interference from Kuala Lumpur…” Alin added.

And that explained why Najib, who claimed to be promoting good governance in Malaysia, is so reluctant to act against the “powerful twins” in East Malaysia.

Najib fears backlash

Any harsh actions against the duo would see a backlash which could circumvent Najib’s own inroads here and in Sarawak.

As such, it would be better to leave them lurking and get the best out of the situation and just focus on the Peninsula. What is important is for BN to get a majority of the parliamentary seats from Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, which together account for only 57 of the total 222.

Dr Arnold Puyok, a political scientist with UiTM in Kota Kinabalu, while sharing Alin’s view that Sabah and Sarawak hold the key to BN’s political survival, said that Najib was fully aware that both leaders had “strong” support among the rural voters.

“Najib has to be careful. He knows support for Musa and Taib is still strong among the rural voters and that could explain why there’s no action against the duo.

“However, compared to Taib, Musa’s position is a bit sticky as he has to deal with factionalism within Sabah Umno. He might be asked to quit by Najib due to pressure from Sabah Umno,” he said.

Puyok also noted that the absence of a suitable heir to Taib could be a reason why compelling him to leave now is untenable.

“There is no sign that Taib is going to step down soon as he still does not have a suitable successor,” he said.

Another scholar from a university here said he expected the premier to ask Musa to step down as chief minister soon and pave the way for a quick transition to a new, fresher leader, possibly from among Musa’s ministers “but it could also be any Umno leader outside of the Cabinet”.

“If Musa refused to step down, then the next thing Najib could do is to reshuffle Sabah Umno, replacing Musa as its head and either promote his deputy Salleh Said Keruak or another leader,” he said, adding that Sabah Umno is not without a better person to replace Musa.

The don, who declined to be named, also pointed out that one reason why Najib is not taking decisive action against the duo was his own fear that any punitive action would open the Pandora box on corruption and abuses in his own government and Umno.

“If the prime minister is clean himself, then he should have taken action rather than keeping our citizens guessing.

“Najib, being non-committal to right the perceived wrongs, will only magnify public perception that he is an accessory to abuses of power,” he added.

54 comments:

  1. Sial perampok lanun penipu perogol..

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    1. kesian aku tengok kau meroyan seorang diri.. bila pembangkang cakap cam rasuah, kau meroyan.. bila BN cakap Anwar peliwat, pun kau meroyan (untuk protect si AnuWar).. kesian2

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  2. HOW CAN A CORRUPT UNELECTED PM HAVE THE CREDIBILITY TO GO AFTER 2 CORRUPT CM'S?

    By doing so he will only upset the Sabah Sarawak UMNO power and patronage arrangements.

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    1. ada bukti ke mereka terlibat rasuah? jika belum terbukti mereka tetap tak bersalah.

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    2. tiada bukti pun yang mereka terlibat rasuah..tidak perlulah membuat tuduhan liar.

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    3. do you have enough proofs?? even respected ICAC still unable to prove both CM corruption scandal..

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    4. Harus tedahkan bukti yang kukuh. Andaian dan tuduhan yang tidak berdasar harus dielakkan.

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  3. Dasar malaya rasuah ... take kerja lain rasuah rasuah curi wang rakyat...hmm pi mampuih dengan Umno BN PBS Upko MIC MCA seks

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    1. biar rakyat yang menilai sendiri. kalau mereka tunjukkan kepimpinan yang baik pasti mereka terus disokong.

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    2. kau boleh bagi jaminan yang pembangkang2 di Malaysia tidak rasuah??

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    3. Hantar mereka ke mahkamah jika disabit berasuah.

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  4. Najib is not necessarily afraid of backlash from anyone.

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    Replies
    1. Kenapa perlu takut? Najib kan PM.

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    2. Musa has never been a crook, Anwar is.

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    3. tak da bukti pun mereka terlibat.

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    4. isu-isu yang tiada bukti tidak perlu dipercayai.

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  5. He is still the PM and deserves respect nevertheless.

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    1. DOES A KNOWN CORRUPT LEADER CLEARLY ASSOCIATED WITH A MURDER DESERVE "RESPECT"?

      Would anyone respect a man of weak character who resorts to racism to hang onto power desrve any respect?

      Would any one respect a rapist?

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    2. Beginilah bila ISA dimansuhkan. Tidak bertapis dan hilang sudah budi bahasa orang Malaysia ini. Apa pun kalau mengenai kes rasuah yang sengaja dikaitan dengan Datuk Musa itu semua khabar angin dan MACC telah mengatakan yang Datuk Musa tidak terlibat.

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    3. So what's the point of relating it with Musa? Did he make any murder case in Sabah? Ridiculous!

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    4. TALKING ABOUT NAJIB GOING AFTER MUSA (WHO KNOWS WHAT MUSA HAS BEEN DOING?)

      BUT READ THIS BREAKING NEWS!

      BRUNO MANSER FUND, BASEL / SWITZERLAND

      31 August 2012 – for immediate release

      +++BREAKING NEWS+++

      Swiss Attorney General opens criminal case against UBS over Malaysian money-laundering scandal

      (BERN, SWITZERLAND). Switzerland’s Attorney General has opened a criminal case against UBS, the Swiss banking group, over suspected money-laundering of timber corruption proceeds from the Malaysian state of Sabah in Borneo. This has been confirmed today by the Office of the Attorney General in the Swiss capital, Bern.

      The case against UBS was opened on 29th August 2012, following a criminal complaint by the Bruno Manser Fund over the bank’s close ties with Musa Aman, Chief Minister of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Musa Aman and his nominees have been accused of laundering over 90 million US dollars of corruption proceeds from the tropical timber business in Sabah, Borneo, through a number of UBS bank accounts in Hong Kong. Musa Aman also has a personal bank account with UBS in Zurich. According to the Bruno Manser Fund, UBS has failed to properly apply due diligence, as is required by law when dealing with Politically Exposed Persons (PEP). Musa Aman is not only head of the Sabah state government but also the brother of the Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anifah Aman.

      The case is based on Switzerland’s tough anti-money-laundering legislation, which makes it a criminal offence for Swiss companies to be involved in laundering the proceeds of corruption and other crime in their worldwide activities.

      The Swiss case is hitting the Malaysian government at a critical moment, just two weeks before the announced visit of the British royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Duke and Duchess are planning to visit Sabah on 15th September 2012 in order to see the "largest remaining rainforest" at Danum Valley. Sabah’s head of government, Musa Aman, has personally benefited from the large-scale logging of the nearby tropical rainforests, one of the world’s most biodiverse habitats.

      - Ends –



      For more information, please contact us:

      Bruno Manser Fund, Socinstrasse 37, 4051 Basel, Switzerland

      www.bmf.ch, www.stop-timber-corruption.org

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  6. Well I suppose he has his own explanations for what he does and for what he won't do.

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    1. Saying him backlash won't help the naysayers as well. They're simply making baseless accusations.

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  7. Whatever they say PM remains the best.

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    Replies
    1. He has tried a lot for the country period.

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    2. Najib saja yang berani tubuhkan RCI.

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    3. The government has been helping us out so why we seem ungrateful?

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    4. najib byk lakukan perubahan, dia sentiasa mendengar suara rakyat.

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    5. yeah.. in only four years, he managed to bring more improvement unlike previous PM..

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  8. HE TRIED A LOT TO RUN THE COUNTRY INTO THE GROUND!

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  9. If he doesn't do anything, the people will. They have the power to vote.

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    Replies
    1. Then just carry out your duty as a voter.

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  10. Personally I don't have grouses of them both. But why Taib? Just because he has a great looking Lebanon wife?

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    Replies
    1. because opposition desperately need PM and CM posts.. by holding the post, they will get power to create their own wealth..

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  11. Apa pun,jangan sebarkan fitnah.

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    Replies
    1. Sekiranya kepimpinan mereka tidak bagus pasti mereka tidak memimpin lagi.

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  12. Ramai yang marah denga PM dan CM but still dorang tetap PM dan CM kita:P

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    1. memang ada yang suka dan tak suka dgn pemimpin. bukan mudah nak puaskan hati semua pihak.

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  13. Tak puas hati??? Tunggu sajalah masa mengundi nanti, masing-masing ada hak mengundi juga jan:P Tapi kalau majoriti masih sokong PM dan CM, apa lagi mahu dikata. hiihii

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    1. pembangkang tahu bahawa rakyat masih menyokong PM dan CM.. sebab itu mereka bersungguh2 memainkan fitnah ini dengan harapan rakyat akan percaya cakap mereka..

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  14. Masing2 mempunyai kepimpinan yang bagus.

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  15. ada saja isu yang dimainkan bila PRU semakin hampir.

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  16. ekonomi Sabah sudah semakin maju dan pembangunan juga sedang rancak berjalan.

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    1. yup.. semua ini hasil dari kebijaksanaan dan kecekapan pentadbiran Musa Aman.. kalau ikutkan pembangkang, semua projek2 pembangunan ekonomi kerajaan akan dibantah.. bermakna, kalau ikutkan nafsu pembangkang, Sabah hari ini sudah tentu jauh kebelakang berbanding dengan negeri2 lain..

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    2. Ini juga usaha kerajaan negeri yang membawa Sabah ke arah yang lebih berkembang.

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  17. bukan sebab Najib takut ambil tindakan, sebaliknya sebab beliau tidak mempunyai kuasa untuk menentukan seseorang itu bersalah atau tidak, dan beliau sedar bahawa mengambil tindakan hanya berdasarkan fitnah pembangkang adalah sangat tidak adil..

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    1. abis kenapa PATAI banyak di sabah ? itu pencapaian umno dan musda kan.. dulu musa pengerusi tu task force umno sabah mau cari pengundi hantu kan jeff tombuyat?

      jeff napa suku sakat kau yg paling miskin di malaysia sedangkan sabah negeri yg kaya.. mungkin kau ini orang kaya kontraktor musa jadi kau jilatlah habis tentelounya dia yg terbaik najib terbaik pala hotak kaulah palui punya org sabah

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    2. bangang pembelot budu ni jeff mbuyat itulah tlampau mkan ambuyat sampai otak pun jadi ambuyat... sdahla kau bagus kau lari dari sabah pigi pahang...ko bwa jak kekayaan kau sana.. bikin bengang betul orang sabah yg tdak sedar kena perguna umno..piirah

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  18. jika MACC dan ICAC tidak dapat melakukan apa2 terhadap Musa dan Taib, bermakna mereka2 ini tidak bersalah.. apa lagi pembangkang mahu kecoh2 ni? kenapa perlu Najib ambil tindakan terhadap menteri2nya yang gagal dibuktikan bersalah?

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  19. kredibiliti MACC mungkin boleh dipertikaikan, tapi macam mana pula dengan ICAC?? adakah ICAC juga dikawal oleh Najib atau Musa atau Taib? daripada pembangkang asyik bermain dengan fitnah, eloklah cari isu2 lain yang lebih menguntungkan rakyat.. bukan yang menguntungkan parti..

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  20. Semua hal dapat diselesaikan asalkan ada perbincangan yang dilakukan oleh pihak yang terlibat.

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  21. JIka ada bukti kesalahan, pasti akan dihukum.

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  22. Rakyat sendiri harus menilai dan membezakannya.

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  23. let the rci to do rhe investigation.

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