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Has the 1MDB saga become a classic for the wrong reasons?

YOURSAY ‘Is Singapore wrongly prosecuting the banks? You make your own conclusion.’

Jho Low's alias revelation brings new twist to 1MDB saga

Kangkung: What's the use of the twists and revelations? It makes good reading, like a good novel, that's all. You can investigate all you want but Malaysian Official 1 (MO1) won't lose a wink of sleep over the matter. He is invincible and it is not an exaggeration to say that there is no PM in the world today who can claim to be more powerful than MO1.

Guna Otak: Maybe I am stupid but I just wonder aloud why there are so many court cases relating to 1MDB in Singapore when there is barely any interest in investigating similar cases in Malaysia? Both countries are practising the same legal system inherited from the British, so I am sure there should be numerous, if not more, cases in Malaysia.

Singapore has successfully prosecuted several bank officers and fined or closed down some banks. But in Malaysia, there is hardly any hint of any wrongdoing and no known investigation into the case.

In the meantime, I am reading that billions of dollars have disappeared from 1MDB. Something is definitely not right. Is Singapore wrongly prosecuting the banks and bank officers? You make your own conclusion.

Clever voter: The 1MDB saga has not only become a classic for the wrong reasons. If this had happened elsewhere it would have caused the downfall of the government. No serious repercussions here but draconian policies were quickly put in place to shut up any possible bad publicity. The urban middle class were appalled and the rural folk were given more sweeteners. The money is a big deal.

Opportunity cost is huge, so is the reputation as seen in weak ringgit. The twisted system will give the rotten government the mandate to rule again. We are lucky. What we will see is the unlikelihood of Malaysia being an admired or benchmarked nation. We will not be taken seriously.

That leaves the voters. Should they see BN as their guardian forever, then we will see a nation of two. One a BN-dependent population and the other made up people who have given up but will consider options. But many will consider doing their own things in the land of possibilities.

Dont just talk: Where got such a thing like 1MDB, since our DPM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he had met the rich Arab, oops sorry rich Arabs, oops sorry again, the CEO of the rich Arabs.

MO1 has been mentioned 36 times by the US Justice Department (DOJ) as someone who holds a senior government position, a relative of Riza Aziz and as associate to the alleged master thief Jho Low.

Yet, the local investigation papers found no wrongdoings, when Singapore has already jailed four private bank managers and cancelled BSI’s and Falcon Bank’s licences. When leaders do not lead by example, they expect the civil servants to be straight. What a joke!

Malaysia4All: Can someone from the Immigration Department just check up on who Tan Kim Loong really is? This should be very simple to do. Then let the public know.

Versey: It's quite puzzling that this mysterious ‘Eric Tan’ was awarded such a substantial portion of the alleged loot. Somehow Jho Low appears more like an intelligent glove puppet.

Negarawan: The Singapore government and authorities must act with utmost professionalism and integrity against all the perpetrators behind 1MDB. They must have the political will to arrest and prosecute Jho Low, despite his close links to the Malaysian PM. Failure to do so will affect the international standing of Singapore as a financial hub of high integrity and principles. Justice must be upheld, irregardless of any potential political fallout with the Umno government.

The evidence and testimonies that have surfaced in the Singapore prosecutions will definitely be of important value to the other jurisdictions investigating 1MDB, especially in the United States and Switzerland. The Singapore attorney-general (AG), police, and monetary authority must be applauded for a job well done so far.

However, the same cannot be said about the Malaysian AG, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Bank Negara Malaysia, all of which have collectively damaged the international reputation of Malaysia by allegedly shamelessly shielding all the 1MDB perpetrators.

Doc: More and more scandals still keep popping up with this 1MDB fiasco and frankly no one knows when or how this 1MDB scandal will finally play out on the international scene. But there are only two certainties with this 1MDB fiasco. This first is that is our 1MDB scandal-ridden PM Najib Abdul Razak will not do the honourable thing and resign from the PM's post and face the music bravely for his gross negligence.

And the other certainty is this 1MDB scandal will not in any way effect PM Najib's chances of him and his party winning the general election scheduled for this year and him retaining the premiership.

FairMind: “It could be that the real Tan was gambling with Low or that Low had two casino accounts under different names.” Isn't that an old trick to launder money using casinos? Tan (actually Jho Low) will convert his ill-gotten cash into casino chips. After sitting at the casino table having a few drinks on the house, Low will bring these casino chips to the cashier to cash out his ‘winnings’.

Instead of cash, the winnings will be paid by cheque by the casino. This cheque will become evidence of a legitimate, tax-free windfall from lucky winnings from the casino. Same thing with the donation from Tan (Low) to Low. It is all a means to turn dark money into clean money. These tricks have been used for ages to launder dark money.

Watan: One could steal money and put into an account, and once discovered, declare them as a donation. To avoid being criminalised, return the money to a "donor", ask some glorified witnesses to speak on the press, wah lah, no further action required, case solved. In a certain country, the possibilities are endless.

JesuisAnwar: Watudu? PDRM will immediately ‘probe’ Malaysiakini for even publishing this report suggesting that their Great Leader Mao Oh Tang is less than honest. MACC will go after a few more Umno rent-seekers to appease the public. The Election Commission will continue to boast that Kangkungland elections are the cleanest in the world.

HaveAGreatDay: All the dots may have joined up eventually but until MO1 loses the keys to Putrajaya, he will just sneer and say, “So what?” Perhaps divine retribution may be more likely. Sigh.


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These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.

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