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YOURSAY ‘The Terengganu MB can deny and feign ignorance all he wants.’

 

NYT: China firm paid for BN politicians' datukships

SSDhaliwal: The Terengganu MB said he didn't know anything regarding this matter (that a China-based mining company paid about US$100,000 per royal title for Malaysian politicians)?

 

Did the people elect him not to know anything, especially on something under his direct purview?

 

I mean realistically Terengganu does not have much of an industry outside the oil and gas industry and so this mine should stand out, but this BN politician as usual take the people for a ride.

 

Tailek: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), please get to the bottom of this. I think CAA Resources chief executive Li Yang is now persona non grata in Terengganu. This is how BN works.

 

MB can deny and feign ignorance all he wants, but the people know better. Malaysia is always in the international news for all the wrong reasons.

 

Takechik: State resources are state controlled; therefore they are in the MB's hand. How can he deny knowledge? Then what is he doing there? Indeed, the money for ‘datuk’ title is going into whose pocket?

 

Mk: There are so many things wrong in this issue. Treason, corruption, environmental damage, exploitation of foreign labour, no employment opportunity for locals, etc.

 

The sad part is nobody is surprised or shocked.

 

Swipenter: Remember those days when we joke about having more ‘datuks’ in jail than non-titled criminals? The mass churning out of titles are still in operation? Why I am not surprised?

 

How many ‘datuks’ are there in town? My guess is that there are many thousands of them.

 

Blackmoon: If it is true, it openly reveals the root of the problem involving corruption. It is really the Chinese, wherever they are, that offer bribes so that their business will turn them into billionaires.

 

Hplooi: Blackmoon, in a certain developed state (when under Umno), the price of datukship for bumis and non-bumis was unofficially indicated to potential customers. So don't give me this bull about the Chinese corrupting the Malays.

 

And bumis were as much in the market as the non-bumis. Corruption is race-blind. It is also religion-blind. Such is human-nature.

 

In the international market, bribery to garner government procurement (for example, arms sales) is also race-blind where huge amount of money is involved. Remember the Scorpene submarines case?

 

So just blaming the Chinese (which indirectly tars Chinese Malaysians) is both heinous and is probably only for the consumption of the rural Malay voters.

 

Vijay47: While the paying of ‘ransom’ for titles is a well-known practice in Malaysia, a couple of points in this New York Times report does not add up.

 

First is, why are politicians from "the ruling party", which can mean only one party since the others are only office boys, paying for datukships and related medals of honour?

 

Secondly, who are the bribes being paid to? How are the bribes used, for personal or party purposes? Of course, they could also be used to finance intrepid expeditions to the Arctic region.

 

The only conclusion to be drawn from these two points is that if ruling party bigwigs need to pay bribes for titles, it must mean that all other recipients as sure as hell is rather warm need to follow similar "common practices in Malaysia". 

 

It would be interesting to find out the system in other states. Nah, must be only in Terengganu.  Did I say “bribes”?  Silly mistake. I meant donations.

 

AJ: Who in Malaysia doesn't know this? This will continue till nothing is left, which is not far off.

 

Most, if not all, BN ministers live way beyond what they earn and they think it's their God given right.

 

Ex-Wfw: The culture of this nation to promote datukship is part of the overall policy of creating the so-called respect for many of the rather poorly educated businessmen to feel good at certain gatherings.

 

We are living in a world of cheats and lies, hence this culture of feeling proud with all the false titles are used to awe the lowly police or other uniform bodies. Here, we are indeed world best.

 

Axolotl: Mining, drilling, and logging. These must be considered as crimes of the first magnitude against Mother Earth and our fragile ecosystem on whose health and integrity all life on the planet depends.

 

Abasir: Datukships for sale has long been good business in Malaysia.

 

But the payments don't just stop after the initial purchase - there is a draw down each time the sellers need cash like during festivals, birthdays and such.                                           

          


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