'Isn't it telling that we need foreign governments to investigate corruption cases committed by the Umnoputras.'

M'sian quizzed over RM11 mil Australian kickbacks

Pemerhati: This incident and the French submarine investigation have so far indicated that the crooked business people in Malaysia, Australia and France have collaborated to illegally siphon off money for themselves.

The main difference seems to be that the French and Australian government authorities are seriously investigating the matter to try and bring the crooks to book whereas the Malaysian government authorities are working hand in glove with the crooks.

The two foreign governments would certainly be aware of this and it would be interesting to see how they handle this issue. For most governments, morality and other similar issues usually take a back seat to trade and security considerations.

Paul Warren: It is wrong for the Australian government to describe the commission paid as bribe. In Malaysia, the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) has taken the view previously that commissions can be paid for support and services. And if such payments are made to Malaysians and Malaysian companies it is as kosher as peanut butter!

The Malaysian government is after all of the view that commissions paid to Perimekar was for services and support. Should the Australians be able to charge the Malaysian businessman, then France too should be able to prosecute Perimekar and its executives.

What is illegal in Australia need not necessarily be illegal here. Well, at least that is what I am told to believe.

Joe: What is happening to the Penans in Sarawak is happening to us. We are roundly abused by the BN regime - gang-raped, if you will, by Umno politicians in league with their cronies - and the attitude of our authorities is the same: "Scandal, what scandal?"

What we're seeing is the result of Umno's sowing of corruption bearing fruit, and the continuous fruiting of its wickedness is unstoppable. If the Scorpene submarine affair is anything to go by, the investigation of this banknote printing scandal by MACC will lead to nowhere. There will be more obfuscation, cover-ups and crackdowns to prevent the truth from emerging.

Yuvan: If the Malaysian businessman has high-level connections in Umno, as claimed, then we can be certain that Umno will go all out to make sure that MACC does not move an inch forward to investigate this commission payment. All sorts of hurdles will be created to prevent MACC from providing any concrete evidence or cooperation to the Australian authorities.

Payment of commissions (and usually under highly dubious circumstances) amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgit has become the norm for the BN government for its procurements and supplies.

So this 'small' commission of RM11.7 million paid to a Malaysian businessman 'with the right connections' is just 'chicken feed' and we should not be surprised if whatever investigations by our authorities on this matter is 'successfully swept under the carpet' and the case closed for good.

Steven Sia: I saw this on ABC's ‘Four Corners'. Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I advise you to read this first. There are videos available too.

Argonist: Isn't this a wonderful occasion for us Malaysians to celebrate. We now can depend on foreign government departments and agencies to do our work for us. Of all the people, the Australians have to ask our demented MACC to give a report!

How can the MACC do so honestly if there is a higher authority that gives it the specific instructions on how the end result should be?

Anon: Isn't it telling that we need foreign governments to investigate corruption cases committed by the Umnoputras. SPRM, di mana maruah kamu? (MACC, where is your integrity?)

Anonymous: Just thinking aloud, can we franchise this ‘middleman' thing, make it legal and workable so that the money we make can be deemed as halal . After all, Umno has a good trend in this so-called 'business', why not make it legal?

Anyway as a Muslim nation and Umno as a Malay-based party surely they would not want to have anything to do with anything haram . We should not be raising the alarm so soon. Abdul Razak Baginda, as a good Muslim, will soon return all the money to the Malaysian taxpayers. We just have to be patient.

Sarawakian: So it looks like the Umnoputras have moved up. They are now exporting their corruption skill overseas. France, USA, Australia... where next?

KayKay: It's more likely that the bribe suggestion in the scandal involving the printing of our banknotes in Australia would have come from the Malaysian side. That's the way they do ‘business' at home anyway under ‘Ali Baba' contracts or when politicians award themselves government contracts through nominees under the guise of development and steal from the public treasury. There are no checks and balances, no transparency, and no public accountability.

Sarawak under Abdul Taib Mahmud is a good example of politicians stealing from the Treasury. His predecessor and maternal uncle Abdul Rahman Ya'kub once boasted just before he was forced to resign that he had accumulated RM7 billion in personal wealth during his 10 years as chief minister. Rahman was trying to impress upon some kampong folks that there was no way that his family would lose power because they had the funds to buy everyone.

Taib is reckoned to have piled up over RM50 billion during the last 30 years as CM. He has enough money to buy the Ibans.

Tanlei: It looks like MACC's hand is forced once again. MACC cannot 'close one eye' when blatant corruption is staring them in the face when world class anti-corruption agencies in foreign countries initiate investigations from their end and eventually find links to Malaysia.

So MACC is forced to investigate because of requests for help and cooperation from these overseas agencies. Malaysian crooks ultimately get their just desserts not because of our own MACC. What irony!

Freemsia: I hope the MACC will take action and investigate this businessman for alleged corruption. Then again, who am I kidding? This man has high-level connections in Umno, which also happens to be MACC's political master. Probably a sandiwara (shadow play) and then the case will be closed due to "lack of evidence" or "no signs of irregularities", etc.

Agent99: We have to wait for the French, and now the Australians, to trigger MACC to investigate corruption cases. Isn't that embarrassing to MACC to be told by foreigners that there are corruption cases to be investigated. And these two cases involved high-profile BN members. Better start searching for another Pakatan Rakyat make-belief corruption case, so that you can contra and declare it "case closed".

Anonymous: Abdul Razak Baginda was awarded a commission of RM540 million for the purchase of two Scorpene submarines. That's 49 times the RM11 million in this Australian case. Yet the Malaysian government says "no case" in the Scorpene deal.

Freemen: What else is new? If corruption had a face, I will let the people decide whose face it should be. It's open secret.

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