Selasa, 7 Jun 2011

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim

Aktiviti Perniagaan Tapak Semaian Tanaman Sungai Buloh Perlu Dikaji Semula

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:24 AM PDT

KENYATAAN AKHBAR
JUN 7, 2011

Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim hari ini telah memberitahu pengusaha tapak semaian Sugai Buloh yang juga dikenali sebagai "Green Lane" bahawa tanah yang mereka usaha itu adalah rizab keselamatan kerana terdapat dua batang paip bertekanan tinggi yang membekalkan air kepada lebih satu juta penduduk.

Beliau berkata Kerajaan Negeri sepatutnya tidak membenarkan apa-apa aktiviti dijalankan diatas tapak semaian seluas 20 ekar namun, perkara ini tidak dilakukan oleh kerajaan yang terdahulu walaupun mengetahui kedudukan paip tersebut.

“Pada waktu dahulu, semua pihak lepas tangan dan tidak mahu menyelesaikan masalah ini walaupun mereka mengetahui paip tersebut berada di situ. Ianya begini ketika pengswastaan air berlaku pada 2001. Kerajaan, mahupun Syabas (Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor) tidak mahu membuat apa-apa sebelum ini.

“Sebagai Menteri Besar yang bertanggungjawab, saya tidak boleh tutup mata kepada masalah ini,” kata Tan Sri Abdul Khalid kepada pengusaha tapak semaian yang wakili oleh Sunny Low, presiden Landscape and Agriculture Nursery Operators of Subang Association.

Perjumpaan tersebut telah juga dihadiri oleh setiausaha kerajaan negeri Dato' Khusrin Munawi, Dato' Bandar Petaling Jaya, Dato Roslan Sakiman, pegawai daerah Petaling, Dato Zulkifli Yaakob, pegawai daerah Gombak Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad.

Setelah dimaklumkan semua isu-isu yang terlibat, Menteri Besar berkata Kerajaan negeri telah membuat keputusan untuk menolak semua permohonan TOL termasuk permohonan yang dibuat oleh Yayasan Selangor.

Namun begitu, beliau prihatin dengan kebajikan lebih 60 pengusaha di Green Lane dan akan memastikan penyelesaian yang diambil tidak akan menjejaskan perniagaan mereka.

“Oleh itu, kami meminta Yayasan Selangor untuk menyediakan satu kajian (feasibility study) bagi memastikan sekiranya aktiviti mengusaha tapak semaian di kawasan Green Lane selamat atau tidak. Jika boleh, kita mahu tahu bentuk pembangunan apakah yang boleh dibuat dan siapakan yang boleh ditugaskan untuk menjaga kawasan tersebut agar tidak berlakunya perkara yang tidak diingini.

“Dan jika ianya tidak selamat, kerajaan negeri akan memastikan pengusaha akan diberi tempat lain untuk meneruskan perniagaan mereka,” kata menteri besar.

Beliau juga menjemput badan wakil pengusaha tapak semaian melantik pakar jurutera untuk membuat laporan yang sama. Mereka telah diberi masa satu bulan untuk menyiapkan laporan tersebut.

Sementara menunggu laporan tersebut, beliau telah mengarahkan pejabat tanah dan galian serta pejabat daerah untuk mencari kawasan alternatif untuk pengusaha di kawasan berdekatan.

Tan Sri Khalid berkata tanah berdekatan dipunyai oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan dan Kerajaan Negeri akan menulis kepada ketua pengarah tanah dan galian jika ada tanah yang sesuai.

“Saya harap tiada siapa yang akan mempolitikkan perkara ini kerana ianya soal keselamatan. Sepatutnya kerajaan persekutuan berkejasama dengan kerajaan negeri dalam menyelesaikan perkara ini.

Walaubagaimanapun, jika meraka tidak mahu, saya akan cuba mendapat penyelesaian untuk semua," tambah beliau.

Dikeluarkan oleh:

SEKRETARIAT AKHBAR
PEJABAT DATO MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR

The Winds of Change Across The Middle East

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 01:38 AM PDT

Keynote address by Anwar Ibrahim at the Conference on Islamic Funding in Development, Kuwait, June 7th, 2011

The Islamic finance sector, having grown by leaps and bounds over the last few decades, is no longer confined to retail borrowing or lending or partnerships and joint ventures. At its inception, Islamic finance as a global phenomenon was mentioned as if it were merely a fantasy. It was regarded more as a kind of spiritual escape route for those who were more religiously inclined. Many skeptics even linked it as part of some type of voodoo economics that would only appeal to backward Muslim countries.

And even after these initial prejudices were overcome, and business common sense prevailed, a host of factors operated against the industry and saw a lack of interest in Islamic funding particularly for long-term projects. There was the belief that compared to the conventional funding, Islamic financing was uneconomical, or that the returns were not commensurate with the risks taken.

There was this persistent myth of the lazy and inefficient Muslim enterprise where things tend to grind to a halt and delays are legendary. Thus, a typical loan transaction would incur increased costs apart from the greater burden in administering the loan. Or if push comes to shove, Islamic funding merely served as a last resort to cover shortfalls in funding.

But the reality tells us a different picture. Islamic funding has not only shaken off that undeserved association but has proven to be able to cater to large-scale infrastructure projects. In the wake of the recent financial crisis, Islamic finance institutions stepped up to the challenge to fulfill the funding needs for many of the large infrastructure projects which were once the exclusive turf of the conventional finance market.

I'm sure the experts will be talking about the development of the Islamic capital sector as well considering the phenomenal growth of the sukuk market. It is noteworthy that this sector which also incorporates Shari'a compliant securities, unit trusts and other related products is moving in tandem with the conventional capital market. But as the saying goes, there is no such thing as a recession-proof bond market as the recent sukuk default shows. But having said that, one must caution against throwing the baby with the bath water. Though investor confidence must never be unconditional, it should not be irrational. In this regard, it can be said without exaggeration that the Islamic finance and capital markets have weathered the recent financial crisis quite well. As things have emerged, Islamic funding has now become not just accepted but widely used.

To begin with, Islamic funding in development must be seen in holistic terms in as much as it is Shari'a compliant. And as we know, the Shari'a is not piecemeal but holistic. It is a comprehensive scheme of human behavior and a code of law as well as a code of morals. The first proposition therefore would be that the role of Islamic funding in development may not be gauged purely in legalistic terms. I believe the overriding concern must remain the promotion of justice and equity.

This flows naturally and logically from the concept of the Maqasid al-Shari'a, and today much discourse has been generated on the maslaha or public good of Islamic finance. I only wish to emphasize that the categories are not closed. Hence, the maslaha pertaining to development apart from setting the critical physical infrastructure would also encompass the protection and maintenance of the environment, the eradication of poverty, and generally the promotion of social justice.

Viewed in this light, any assessment of the role of Islamic finance must therefore look beyond the issue of Shari'a compliance though that must remain a prerequisite to the validity of the transactions. But it needs to be emphasized that adherence to Shari'a requirements is not the same thing as the realization of the maslaha. There is often the danger or the temptation to overlook the principles of equity and good conscience in the pursuit of profits.

The demands of a holistic approach mean that Muslims need to integrate all aspects of life within a just and equitable system. In this regard, we cannot overstate the importance of supporting strong families, education, and protecting the environment or fighting poverty and redressing other social inequities. There should also be a corresponding commitment to public works, consumer protection regulation and community welfare.

The time is ripe for the emergence of a global Islamic finance architecture defined by the highest standards of corporate governance, accountability, and transparency. As poverty eradication still remains low in priority, we could begin by giving more attention to those areas where funding is needed most. The finance industry should also introduce social safety net programs while initiating modern infrastructure in order to integrate the economy into the global networks of commerce and industry.

Islamic banking and financial market is now well diversified in the various subsectors and is still expanding. There is no doubt that the world is watching the pattern and trajectory that the growth will be taking.

I was personally involved in the formative years of the industry, and as Finance Minister had spearheaded several key areas in the capital and corporate banking and takaful arenas. Today, as some have said, gulf states and Malaysia are at the pole position but new entrants are already working overtime to catch up and should there be any slacking the rivals may soon beat Malaysia at the finishing line.

Innovation would therefore be at the top of the requirements for increasing competitiveness. Simply offering Shari'a compliant substitutes to conventional products won't be sufficient. In this regard, mere provision of funding will not work in the long term. Drawbacks in regulatory infrastructure must be urgently addressed. Inadequate sector diversification will also be detrimental.

Even companies continue to demonstrate leadership in making international forays, they need to move out of the comfort zone, into greater profit and risk sharing losing sight of their social obligations. The impending entry of the mega Islamic banks may be boon or may be disaster. The ball is at the court of the financial institutions. They must respond accordingly.
Winds of change across the Middle East

I now come to the winds of change blowing across the Middle East. Much has been said about the so-called Arab spring but there is the danger of using terms too loosely which at best may just end up as convenient clichés signifying very little. It was in Doha more than five years ago at the U.S.-Muslim World Forum that I sounded the call for leaders in the region to seize the day for reform, and that democratization in the region would be sooner than later.

We know that the tide of political reform may rise and ebb according to the strength or weakness of our commitment to democracy and freedom. As I've said before, if this progress is to be meaningful, it must strengthen the cause of democracy and not weaken it, improve governance and not condone corruption and cronyism. Commitment to this change should enhance economic growth with clear commitment to ensure economic justice and equitable distribution of income.

Those who are under the impression that the reform movements sweeping the region appear to have just sprung up overnight could do well to remember that many of the states in the Middle East, particularly those of the GCC, had already initiated progressive measures in the direction of freedom and democracy. I myself have spoken on several occasions regarding this matter and have gone on record to remark that the countries in the region were not averse to upholding the system of international rules in the economic sphere. In the political arena, the question was whether we still need to be harangued by the world into taking the path that we know is good for us, or should we instead seize the day and embark on it ourselves.

The lessons of Tunisia and Egypt remind us that in an enduring democratic society, power and authority must be based on the rule of law. Greater openness and transparency must be promoted in the administration of the state. Hence, some of the GCC states took the initiative, as first steps, to holding free and fair elections.

The question arises as to whether all freedom and democracy will jeopardize development particularly for nascent economies. As a firm believer in the role of business as a catalyst towards reform, my answer therefore is a definite 'no'. The only rider to this is that business must be subject to a culture of corporate governance that values transparency and ethical practices. There must be the political will to fight corruption and stop rogue corporations from colluding with autocrats to rape the land and destroy the environment. We see this happening in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Political reform goes in tandem with economic reform. Economic planning must carry a clear social program to bring about a humane economy. State resources must therefore be put to an effective social agenda which includes poverty eradication, public health and housing, and substantive investment in human capital development.

The problems that plague the Arab world are not unique to the Middle East. Muslim countries all over the world save a few are plagued by similar problems – gross inequities of income, poor infrastructure, antiquated education systems, inadequate health care and rising food prices and the costs of shelter.

As the storm of democracy swept across the sands of Tunisia spreading eastward to Egypt, then to Jordan and then Yemen, it has left in its trail a region completely transformed. It has made the unthinkable, thinkable. When the East Europeans rampaged through their capitals and brought down their leaders, it was never really seen as something quite extraordinary. Sure, there was much media attention but there was no suggestion that democracy was not the definitive answer to autocracy. However, when it comes to the Middle East both perceptions and expectations take on an entirely different dimension. For the West, the news is treated at least initially, with alarm rather than excitement, reluctant resignation at best rather than unbridled joy that freedom and democracy has finally reached the shores of North Africa and the land of the Pyramids.

We see the Western powers, particularly the United States, dragging their feet while weighing their options and engaging in linguistic waffling. This ambivalence has spread to Southeast Asia where leaders of sham democracies continue to get red-carpet treatment from administration officials.

The time for rhetoric is past. The region is fundamentally changed. Now it is true that in the Middle East, the accretions of historical influence and cultural conditioning impacted the polemics about Islam and democracy and impaired the ability and undermined the conviction to bring about the convergence of Islam and democracy.

European colonization gave rise to a deep-rooted sense of resentment understandable considering the past glory of Islam's own vast empire. Thriving on parasitically to this "influence of anxiety" – with apologies to Harold Bloom – autocrats, dictators and kleptocrats in the Muslim world present themselves as moderate and progressive Muslims who will be the bulwark against Islamists, in fact against the ascendency of Islam itself. The West therefore must throw their weight behind them or risks the eventuality of Islamists taking over. That has been the logic and that has been the rationale hitherto.

If the U.S is really serious about promoting freedom and democracy it should begin by setting priorities in its foreign aid programs. For instance, rather than military aid, I believe Egypt needs more economic aid and this would help to promote social justice, help reduce poverty, increase employment opportunities and raise the living standards of the people – these are essential safeguards against radicalism and extremism.

The Arab winter of discontent can only turn into spring when constitutional democracies are finally established in place of the old systems. Civil liberties must be guaranteed and basic institutions of civil society be allowed to flourish. The transition to democracy must ensure the existence of an effective check and balance against executive powers, violation of fundamental liberties and maintain the rule of law.

Thank you.

Harga Naik: Rakyat Mula Mengeluh

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:21 PM PDT

Dari Malaysiakini

Pengurangan subsidi ke atas barangan keperluan asas, termasuk gula dan petrol RON97 dan terbaru gas asli yang menyebabkan tarif elektrik terpaksa dinaikkan mula memberi kesan kepada orang ramai daripada pelbagai lapisan.

Pengurangan subsidi itu menurut mereka telah melonjakkan harga makanan dan menjejaskan perbelanjaan seharian mereka. Malah, ada mahasiswa mendakwa terpaksa ‘mencatu’ makanan akibat kesan berantai itu.

"Makanan mahal, kena belanja (lain) lagi. (Kami) kurangkan perbelanjaan makanan, kurang makan," kata pelajar Pusat Teknologi dan Pengurusan Lanjutan (PTPL) N Mahesh Nanthakumar.

Mahesh, 21, malah turut menyatakan keinginan untuk menyertai demonstrasi bagi meluahkan rasa tidak puas hatinya jika ada pihak yang menganjurkannya.

"Saya akan sertai demonstrasi," kata Mahesh (kanan) ketika ditanya kesediaannya itu ketika ditemui di KL Sentral di ibu negara, semalam.

Daripada tujuh orang yang ditemubual Malaysiakini secara rambang semalam, semua mereka mempunyai pandangan berbeza-beza berhubung kenaikan harga barang yang dikritik hebat pembangkang.

Kerja sambilan

Sejak beberapa bulan kebelakangan ini, harga subsidi barangan keperluan dikurangkan. Antaranya, petrol RON97 kini mencatatkan paras tertingginya pada RM2.90 seliter.

Tarif elektrik pula naik dengan purata 7.12 peratus bermula 1 Jun manakala harga gula meningkat 20 sen kepada RM2.30 sekilogram berkuatkuasa pada Mei.

Menurut sesetengah ahli ekonomi, kenaikan itu, terutamanya tarif elektrik, secara tidak langsung akan membebankan pengguna apabila pengeluar memindakah kos yang lebih tinggi kepada golongan itu.

Sementara itu, seorang penuntut Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Syazana Shah Lan, 21, memberitahu, beliau kini terpaksa berfikir terlebih dahulu sebelum membeli makanan.

"Terasalah (peningkatan harga), yang itu memang terasalah. Sebab (saya) duduk universiti, duduk asrama, hendak makan kena fikir. Makanan memang mahal, makan sekali, dua kali (sehari) macam itulah," katanya.

Namun bagi seorang pelajar yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Alvin, kehidupan hariannya tidak terjejas secara langsung dengan pengurangan subsidi oleh kerajaan itu.
Mahasiswa sebuah kolej swasta di Sungai Buloh itu, bagaimanapun, mengakui beliau masih tidak puas hati kerana keluarganya kini merasai tempiasnya.

Mahu tukar kerajaan

"Kalau waktu cuti, saya bantu ayah (kerja sambilan)," katanya lagi.

Justeru, Alvin, 22 berharap agar kerajaan dapat menggalakkan lagi pelaburan asing ke dalam negara bagi menstabilkan semula kenaikan harga barang.

Keadaan ini hampir sama dengan nasib seorang pelajar German Malaysian Institute (GMI) Mohd Amiruddin Roslan yang masih tinggal bersama keluarganya.

"Saya tak rasa mana, saya tinggal dengan mak ayah," kata Mohd Amiruddin, 18, sambil memberitahu orang tuanya merupakan seorang guru.

Bagi Harzuki Ismail – pegawai teknikal di sebuah pengeluar minyak terkemuka – pula, kenaikan harga petrol tidak sepatutnya berlaku kerana Malaysia merupakan negara pengeluar komoditi itu.

Harzuki, 53, berpendapat, keadaan sekarang amat merungsingkan kerana ia memberi kesan kepada kenaikan harga barang dalam keadaan nilai pendapatan makin menurun.

Lebih drastik lagi, beliau merasakan sistem pemerintahan negara perlu ditukar.

"(Tetapi) demonstrasi tak perlu, cuma tukar pimpinan negara. Tak payah (ada) pertumpahan darah. Pemikiran orang kita (harus) tukar, itu lebih penting," katanya.

‘Kerjaaan juga perlu berjimat’

Bagi Alan Tan – seorang orang kurang upaya (OKU) – pula, walaupun beliau tidak bersetuju dengan kenaikan yang berlaku, beliau berharap tujuan kerajaan melakukannya dapat diselami terlebih dahulu.

"Mereka juga ada komitmen (pada rakyat), ada (beri) subsidi," katanya yang diberhentikan kerja setelah lumpuh sebelah badan akibat serangan angin ahmar sebelum ini.

Manakala seorang jurujual Norjamilah Mohd Halim juga mengaku turut terkesan dengan kenaikan harga barang-barang tersebut kerana gaji orang kebanyakan "tak sebesar mana".

"Dari segi makanan tidak berbaloi, ambil sikit (pun) harga mahal," katanya wanita berusian 29 tahun itu.

"Kalau boleh turunkan harga barang," katanya lagi.

Sebahagian besar mereka juga berkata selain subsidi rakyat yang dikurangkan, kerajaan juga harus membuktikan kesungguhan dengan mengamalkan perbelanjaan berhemah dan menghentikan projek mewah serta tidak membawa manfaat kepada orang ramai.

Securency Money Trail Nudges Malaysia’s Political Royalty

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:16 PM PDT

From The AGE

THE Reserve Bank firm Securency hired a company owned by a close relative of Malaysia’s Prime Minister and Home Affairs

Minister – the two men with whom the Gillard government is negotiating to swap asylum seekers – to help win banknote contracts.

The revelation comes amid growing sensitivity within the federal government about the Australian Federal Police investigation of Securency and the potential for Australia’s international relations to be harmed if foreign officials allegedly linked to the RBA firm’s bribes are named.

The Age has learned that Securency signed Kuala Lumpur firm Liberal Technology as its Malaysian agent in 2009. The biggest individual shareholder in Liberal Technology is businessman Haris Onn Hussein.

Haris Onn Hussein is well connected – his cousin is the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, and his brother is Home Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who is expected in Canberra soon to sign the deal under which Australia will transfer 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia and accept 4000 refugees in return.

Securency hired Haris Onn Hussein in the hope he would offer it access to, and influence over, Malaysia’s top politicians.

It is a common in parts of Asia for the relatives of politicians to be hired by foreign companies as agents.

The Age understands that some officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other agencies are keen for the AFP not to identify certain foreign dignitaries or their relatives who are alleged to be linked to Securency in order to protect Australia’s broader overseas interests.

Securency, half-owned and supervised by the Reserve Bank, has for two years been investigated by the AFP and the British Serious Fraud Office for allegedly bribing public officials in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria to win banknote supply contracts.

Under Australian law, it is a criminal offence for a company or individual to pay, or offer a benefit to, a foreign government official or their close relatives to obtain a business advantage.

Australia is yet to prosecute a foreign bribery case, but Securency – which has four RBA-appointed directors on its board – may be the first, given the two-year AFP investigation and the arrest and questioning of some employees and agents last year. No charges have yet been laid.

Haris Onn Hussein and Hishammuddin Tun Hussein are political royalty in Malaysia. Their father, the late Tun Hussein Onn, was Malaysia’s prime minister between 1976 and 1981. He was succeeded as prime minister by Mahathir Mohamad. Their grandfather, Dato Onn Jaafar, was the founder of Malaysia’s ruling United Malays National Organisation political party.

Hishammuddin Tun Hussein is vice president of UMNO.

Haris Onn Hussein owns shares in or sits on the board of several companies that have benefited from Malaysian government concessions.

In 2006, the Malaysian finance ministry told cigarette and alcohol manufacturers that they would need to buy security labels provided by Haris Onn Hussein's Liberal Technology to legally sell their products. Haris Onn Hussein is also associated with a company given a 34-year concession to operate a major Malaysian toll road.

Under Securency's corporate structure, its board should have been informed and approved of Mr Haris Onn's company being signed as an agent.

The Age can also reveal Securency engaged Malaysian state MP and a former UMNO branch treasurer, Dato Abdullah Hasnan Kamaruddin, as another agent. Mr Kamaruddin was the UNMO party treasurer in Dr Mahatir's home state of Kedah, a position that gave him substantial influence.

Despite engaging the extremely well-connected Liberal Technology as agent in 2009, Securency is believed not to have won any further banknote supply contracts.

The company won its last major Malaysian contract in 2004. At that time, Mr Razak was the country's defence minister and Hishammuddin Tun Hussein the education minister. It also won a smaller contract in 1998.

The Age is not suggesting Mr Razak nor Hishammuddin Tun Hussein were involved in Securency's deals.

The company's 1998 and 2004 contracts involved another Malaysian agent, businessman, arms broker and former UMNO official, Abdul Kayum Syed Ahmad.

He has since been arrested and questioned by Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission over the Securency deals and his use of commissions paid by the RBA firms.

The AFP began investigating Securency in May 2009 after The Age revealed its payment of tens-of-millions-of-dollars in commissions to politically connected middlemen to win contracts in Nigeria, Vietnam and India.

The company wired millions of dollars into tax haven bank accounts in an effort to conceal the beneficiaries of its payments in an apparent breach of the RBA's rules.

The AFP and Britain’s Serious Fraud Office have conducted several raids on the offices of Securency and its British half-owner, Innovia Films. Properties owned by serving and former executives and agents have been raided and several arrests made. No charges have been laid yet.

Securency's managing director, Myles Curtis, and chief financial officer, John Ellery, were forced out of the company in March last year. Securency's deputy chairman, English businessman Bill Lowther, resigned in October following his arrest by the Serious Fraud Office.

RBA governor Glenn Stevens has defended his bank's appointees who have chaired and sat on the Securency board since 1996, telling a federal parliamentary committee in November that he had not seen any evidence to suggest they had acted inappropriately.

The RBA plans to sell Securency.

This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.
**
Dari Keadilan Daily

Skandal cetak mata wang libatkan adik Hishamuddin, sepupu Najib?

KUALA LUMPUR: Skandal rasuah dalam pemberian kontrak mencetak mata wang negara kemungkinan turut mengheret sepupu Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yang juga adik Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein.

Menurut laporan akhbar Australia, The Age, Reserve Bank Australia (RBA) melantik sebuah syarikat yang dimiliki Haris Onn Hussein, pemegang saham terbesar dalam firma, Liberal Technology.

Liberal Technology diupah syarikat Securency, sebuah anak syarikat RBA sebagai agen bagi memenangi kontrak berkenaan.
"Pendedahan muncul ketika sensitiviti memuncak dalam kerajaan persekutuan berhubung siasatan Polis persekutuan Australia (AFP) terhadap Securency dan potensi hubungan antarabangsa Australia menjadi bahaya jika pegawai asing yang dikatakan terlibat dengan rasuah RBA dinamakan," lapornya.

Menurut The Age, media itu difahamkan Securency menandatangani perjanjian dengan Liberal technology sebagai agen di Malaysia pada 2009. Kali terakhir syarikat itu memenangi kontrak bagi mencetak mata wang negara pada 2004.

Laporan itu juga menyebut seorang lagi ahli perniagaan turut terlibat dinamakan sebagai Abdul Kayum Syed Ahmad yang juga bekas pemimpin Umno.

The Age melaporkan Abdul Kayum pernah ditahan dan disiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) berhubung kes itu dan pemberian komisen yang diterima dari firma RBA berkenaan.

Menurut The Age, AFP memulakan siasatan terhadap Securency pada Mei 2009, selepas akhbar itu mendedahkan pembayaran komisen berjuta dollar kepada orang tengah yang mempunyai kaitan rapat dengan ahli politik di Nigeria, Vietnam dan India.

Menurut akhbar itu lagi, di bawah undang-undang Australia, adalah satu kesalahan jenayah bagi sesebuah syarikat atau individu untuk membayar, atau menawar faedah kepada pegawai kerajaan asing atau kenalan rapat untuk mendapatkan kepentingan perniagaan.

Namun The Age juga melaporkan, ia menjadi perkara biasa bagi ahli politik di negara Asia melantik saudara mara mereka sebagai ejen kepada syarikat-syarikat asing.

Akhbar Suara Keadilan tahun lalu pernah mendedahkan skandal berkenaan, yang dikatakan melibatkan komisen bernilai RM11.4 juta yang diterima usahawan tempatan daripada syarikat membekal bahan polimer Securency dan Note Printing Australia.

Dua anak syarikat RBA itu didakwa merasuah ahli perniagaan Malaysia, yang didakwa mempunyai kaitan rapat dengan Umno, namun individu itu tidak pernah didedahkan sebelum ini meskipun kes itu dikatakan pernah disiasat SPRM.

Ahli perniagaan itu juga sebelum ini dikatakan bertindak selaku orang tengah bagi memenangi kontrak mencetak dan membekalkan mata wang negara antara 1990 hingga 2005.

Skandal itu sebelum ini turut menggemparkan masyarakat antarabangsa apabila Securency dikatakan turut merasuah Timbalan Gabenor Bank Pusat di negara Asia dengan menawarkan khidmat pelacur Asia bagi mendapatkan kontrak pencetakan mata wang.

Antara nama negara yang disebut termasuk Malaysia, Nigeria dan Vietnam.

Malah lebih serius skandal rasuah itu juga didakwa melibatkan kegiatan mencetak wang berganda untuk kegunaan Umno-BN merasuah pengundi ketika kempen pilihan raya.

Ahli Parlimen Indera Mahkota, Azan Ismail baru-baru ini sekali lagi menimbulkan isu itu dengan mendakwa ia bukan hanya melibatkan skandal rasuah yang menyamai pembelian kapal selam Scorpene, tetapi juga dipercayai berkait dengan sindiket mencetak mata wang berganda.

Lambakan wang kertas yang mempunyai nombor siri yang sama itu dibimbangi menyebabkan nilai matawang negara jatuh dan mengheret negara kepada inflasi.

Senator Tunku Abdul Aziz sebelum ini pernah menggesa Gabenor Bank Negara, Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz membersihkan nama baik institusi itu yang turut terpalit dengan skandal berkenaan.

Bloggers Universe Malaysia (BUM) 2011 Forum to Feature Star-Studded Speakers

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:09 PM PDT

A field of star-studded speakers has been lined up for the BUM2011 Forum to be held at the KLSCAH Auditorium on Saturday, June 11, 2011.

Themed "Bloggers' Solidarity with the Press?", the forum which is being held to mark "World Press Freedom Day" (which fell on May 3, 2011), will start at 7.45PM with a Keynote Address by Selangor's Seri Setia State Assemblyman YB Nik Nazmi
Nik Ahmad on "Legislating Freedom of Information Act in Parliament".

The forum that follows will feature Mr Cheam Toon Lee, a veteran journalist who had served as a former editor-in-chief in Sabah/Sarawak, Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, popularly known as Zunar, Malaysiakini cartoonist, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, former Bar Council president and current Bersih 2.0 chairperson, and Mr Hata Wahari, former senior journalist at Utusan Malaysia who was also serving as President of the National Union of Journalists when his employer sacked him from his job recently.

CPI director Dr Lim Teck Ghee said that with the political environment  becoming more hotly contested and the mainstream media working overtime as cheerleader and fear leader for the establishment, it is vital that bloggers and those with integrity in the mass media quickly close ranks and provide Malaysians with truthful, fair and objective news and analysis.

"I hope this forum will serve to galvanise media practitioners and bloggers to reassert their adherence to the norms of journalistic ethics and independent reporting," Lim added.

BUM2011 Organising Committee chairman YL Chong aka Desiderata said this year's event  almost never got off the ground as the Sarawak State elections came in April and interrupted the preparations as the previous BUM gatherings were all held in the month of May.

"Nevertheless, I was motivated to press ahead after learning about Hata Wahari's plight of his sacking by his employer and that explains the theme for our fifth BUM outing," he added.

Admission to the forum — being co-organised by a group of bloggers in their individual capacities, the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), and the Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI Malaysia) — is free and open to the public.

More background and updates on the event are posted at our dedicated website bum4msia.wordpress.com.

KUALA LUMPUR
June 7, 2011
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