Jumaat, 19 Ogos 2011

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim

We Release The Documents – Exclusive Proof!

Posted: 19 Aug 2011 07:10 AM PDT

Sarawak Report

Sarawak Report has received a copy of the actual letter and contract sent by FBC Media Chairman, Alan Friedman, to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, outlining their illegal PR campaign.

The total cost for FBC's 'Global Strategic Communications Proposal' came to $5 million in the first year alone in a campaign designed to last at least 3 years.

Sources close to BN have told us that the project was first outlined verbally in meetings between Alan Friedman and the Chief Minister, after the FBC Media Chairman was invited to Kuching at the start of the year.

Separate divisions?

In a recent statement issued through lawyers to the UK's Independent Newspaper FBC Media have attempted to defend their PR activities, claiming that the 'commercial division' and 'production division' of the company "are and always have been quite separate and distinct".

However, we can show that Alan Friedman, who was clearly masterminding the multi-million dollar PR deal, also doubled up as the Executive Editor of the company's flagship World Business programme, produced weekly for CNBC.

‘Happy Penan’ who has found a town job featured by World Business
Shortly after the Taib contract was delivered, a major item about Sarawak duly appeared on World Business, raising questions about how separate those divisions are actually kept!

Indeed, the World Business item, called Deforestation in Sarawak, can only be described as falling far beneath the normal standards of objective reporting.

The show, which provided extensive justification for the Chief Minister, featured a line up of employees and political allies as if they were objective commentators, and even allowed him to suggest that 80% of Sarawak's jungle has remained untouched!

To add insult to injury, a 'happy Penan tribesman' was also featured talking about how he had benefitted from 'progress'. However, there was no mention of the years of desperate blockades which have been mounted by his own people against Taib's corrupt logging, or of the protests by numerous other native groups, who have been shoved out of their lands to make way for logging, dams and oil palm with no compensation or opportunity to profit.

Separate divisions? – Alan Friedman acted as Interviewer and Executive Editor of World Business, as well as the company’s negotiator with clients like Taib Mahmud.
In February, BBC World's One Square Mile, also produced by FBC Media, had again given the impression that Taib was doing the best possible for the indigenous forest people. Once again the Executive Producer of the Programme was none other than Alan Friedman!

The reporter, Rian Maelzer, avoided discussing the problems caused by land grabs and corruption, claiming instead that:

"Separate and distinct"? – Sales and Output were headed by the same person for FBC in Sarawak – Alan Friedman.
"For the past 40 years, the Malaysian government has practised an affirmative-action policy aimed at raising the living standards of indigenous groups"

Thus, despite the international condemnation of Taib Mahmud by environmentalists and human rights organisations, viewers of CNBC and BBC would have been left with the impression that Taib Mahmud was a benign governor, beloved of his people.

The BBC has now gone public with a statement acknowledging that it had been misled by Alan Friedman and FBC Media.

The broadcaster has confirmed that it has suspended all programming commissioned by the company pending a thorough enquiry. Yesterday in news items and on its website the corporation announced:

"FBC has admitted to the BBC that it has worked for the Malaysian government. That information was not disclosed to the BBC as we believe it should have been when the BBC contracted programming from FBC.

"Given this, the BBC has decided to transmit no more programming from FBC while it reviews its relationship with the company." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14556988

CNBC has likewise suspended FBC Media programmes in the wake of our reports. We have, of course, further revealed that FBC has publicly stated that its arrangement with the global US-based broadcaster was that it would provide the programmes for free and raise its money from 'sponsorship'. If this claim by FBC Media in its own Annual Report is true, then CNBC has serious questions to answer to regulators, such as Ofcom in the UK and the Federal Communications Commission in the USA.

Given these developments and the fact that the Malaysian Insider news blog has now reported that the Malaysian government has severed its contract with FBC Media, Sarawak Report would like to ask on behalf of Sarawak's taxpayers whether Taib Mahmud has also severed his own contract (see below)?

What we can do for $5 million – Friedman's grovelling letter to Taib Mahmud on January 20th

We have been sent a scanned copy of the letter sent to Taib Mahmud. Insiders have confided that the main aim of the media campaign was to attack and discredit Sarawak Report

The text of the letter in full says:

"Dear Pehin Sri,

It was a great honour and a personal pleasure to meet you in Kuching last week.

I am grateful for the generous amount of time you devoted to our meeting and for the talk we had about how we can assist you promote your important achievements in bringing Sarawak steadily toward your goal of fully developed nation status, and to assist in countering false and negative perceptions that have been spread at home and abroad.

In the attached Proposal we have tried to capture the key elements of our discussion, and to provide our advice on the strategy and deliverables we believe can achieve a truly impactful result, both in the first 90-day phase, and during the rest of the year.

We hope that 2011 can be the start of a long-term relationship, and generally this kind of work is reinforced and maintained over a three-year period, but we do wish to prove ourselves first, show our strength, our loyalty and our passion.  We wish to be tested first, and so what you will find would cover only the period of 12 months beginning February 1, 2011.

There is much to do, but we sincerely believe we have the tools and international experience to make a genuine and visible difference for you and for the people of Sarawak.

You will find an Executive Summary in the first two pages of the document that describes the main elements of the campaign, which would aim to illustrate to the most prestige international television, online, and print media platforms in a convincing and editorially credible manner your own leadership, the way you have transformed Sarawak, the benefits for the people of Sarawak, and your commitment to further growth, progress and sustainable development.

In the first 90 days we will use television reporting and an interview with yourself, plus press tours and online sites and special blogging that should provide a blanket of positive messaging about you and Sarawak to the Western media.

We would during the same period work between February and April to bounce back into the local press in Sarawak this international recognition, this bringing positive results as well for the people of Sarawak to see.

In the second phase of our work, from May through the start of next year, we would work both on the positive messages and to counter negative perceptions and falsehoods that have been spread unfairly about environmental matters ranging from the Bakun Dam to timber, mining and palm oil.  We would also counter false allegations about corruption.

In the same period we would also work to develop greater international investor interest in the economy of Sarawak, with particular focus on the Gulf emirates and Middle East, China and India.

Sir, I sincerely hope you will be pleased with our International Strategic Communications Proposal, and I promise you my own personal commitment to lead this effort and to be at your service.  With your blessing, we can make a difference, and begin the work on February 1st.

Thank you very much for your consideration, and I hope to see you in February to begin our work and bring my top team to Kuching to interview you and to begin broadcasting to elite audiences in 100 countries the real story, the positive story, about your leadership of Sarawak.

Yours sincerely

Alan Friedman, Chairman & Founder, FBC Media"

The Global Strategic Communications Proposal:

Sarawak Report can also now exclusively reveal a copy of the full proposal with costs that accompanied Friedman's letter to Taib Mahmud. Entitled "International Strategic Communications Campaign by FBC for Sarawak, February 2011-January 2012?, it provides a full budget breakdown for its services, many of which are highly questionable.

The document is priced in Euros, but translates into a total of USD$5 million – around RM 15 million a year.

Friedman is offering blogging campaigns and TV programme slots, as well as strange purchasing of airline programming. Since Taib only travels in a taxpayer-funded private jet, he perhaps does not realise that there are hundreds of video items that you can view on airlines, so the roughly million dollar price tag for this service alone is unlikely to provide value for money!

In fact, auditors might like to investigate why FBC are charging at all for airline slots? Because, according to Spafax, who manage airline programming, it is the airlines who purchase the shows rather than taking payment!

Page 1 – Blogging, TV slots on BBC, CNBC or CNA…

CNN’s John Defterios (also President of FBC Media) at the World Economic Forum

John Defterios interviews Khazakh Premiere Karim Massimov at Davos this year for CNN!

Pembelian Saham ESSO Oleh San Miguel

Posted: 19 Aug 2011 03:04 AM PDT

Pembelian saham beberapa aset hiliran Esso oleh San Miguel Corp, menimbulkan beberapa persoalan. Pembelian saham itu bernilai USD 610 juta, suatu jumlah kurang dari nilai harga pasaran serta menyebabkan sahamnya merudum sebanyak 18% semalam.

Sungguhpun jumlah itu barangkali berasaskan alasan komersial, namun ianya memberi tamparan buat pemegang saham minoriti kerana jualan kurang dari nilai pasaran tersebut. Saya menggesa semua yang terbabit termasuk Suruhanjaya Sekuriti dan Badan Pemerhati Pemegang Saham Minoriti untuk meneliti pembelian tersebut demi memastikan kepentingan pemegang saham minoriti tidak terjejas.

Saya juga perihatin apabila beberapa aset utama seumpama kompleks pemprosesan serta stesyen petrol diambil alih oleh syarikat yang hampir tiada pengalaman berurusan di Malaysia.

San Miguel menempa nama di negara ini hanya apabila anak mantan Perdana Menteri, Mirzan Mahathir dilantik sebagai pengarah konglomerat tersebut selepas membeli 19.9% saham yang bernilai RM 2.9 billion.

Sungguhpun Mirzan Mahathir telah meletak jawatan sebagai ahli lembaga pengarah San Miguel Corp pada April 2010, dia masih memegang jawatan sebagai pengarah Petron Corporation, syarikat bersekutu San Miguel yang memiliki jaringan pusat pemprosesan serta edaran petrol di Filipina.

Justeru, tidak hairanlah persoalan muncul berkaitan pembelian saham aset sektor hiliran Esso tersebut samada semata-mata menguntungkan pihak Mirzan Mahathir. Manakala itu saudaranya Mohkzani Mahathir mendapat manfaat besar dari sektor huluan industri petroleum dan gas melalui Kenchana Petroleum; terutamanya ayahnya masih merupakan penasihat PETRONAS.

Pembelian tersebut juga memunculkan beberapa persoalan terhadap iltizam pentadbiran negara untuk memupuk budaya tadbirurus korporat yang lebih tegas. Dunia korporat wajar menuruti amalan ketelusan dan pertanggungjawaban sekaligus meninggalkan amalan korporat yang merugikan rakyat sepertimana yang menjadi kebiasaan sistem payung pimpinan Umno-Barisan Nasional.

DATO' SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM
KETUA PEMBANGKANG
DEWAN RAKYAT MALAYSIA
19 OGOS 2011

ESSO’S Assets Takeover By San Miguel Corp

Posted: 19 Aug 2011 02:58 AM PDT

The recent acquisition of Esso's downstream assets in the country by Phillipines' San Miguel Corp should catch the public's attention on a few accounts.

The disclosed total consideration of USD610 million that is below Esso Malaysia's current market value has sent its shares tumbling by 18% yesterday. While the sum may have been a bona fide amount decided on commercial grounds, the interest of minority shareholders took a beating when the deal prompted such a huge drop in share price. I urge that the relevant parties including Securities Commission and Minority Shareholder Watch Group to look closely at the deal to ensure the interest of minority shareholders was not trampled.

More importantly however is the transfer of nationally strategic assets such as a refinery complex and petrol station network to an entity with hardly any experience or presence in Malaysia previously.

San Miguel Corp's most famous connection to Malaysia previously is through Mirzan Mahathir, who was appointed as a director of the Philippines conglomerate after he acquired a 19.9% share in the corporation for RM2.9 billion through an investment vehicle. Although Mirzan Mahathir had resigned from the board of San Miguel Corp in April 2010, he remains as a director of Petron Corporation, an associated company of San Miguel Corp that owns a network of refineries and petrol dealership in Philippines.

Therefore, it is only natural that questions are raised whether the acquisition of Esso's downstream assets was completed at such a price on his behalf? This is even more pertinent as his brother Mokhzani Mahathir had already benefitted greatly from the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry through Kenchana Petroelum; especially when their father is conveniently the advisor of PETRONAS.

The deal brings forth a series of questions on the present administration's commitment to cultivate a culture of stringent corporate governance in the country. The corporate Malaysia must break free from the practices of back room deals at the expense of the public that characterise the patronage system of Umno/Barisan Nasional all this while.

DATO' SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM
LEADER OF OPPOSITION
19 AUGUST 2011

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Percayakah Najib Mahu Jadi PM Disokong Rakyat

Posted: 18 Aug 2011 11:32 PM PDT

The Malaysian Insider

Ketika mengumumkan kerajaan setuju menubuhkan Jawatankuasa Terpilih Parlimen mengenai transformasi pilihan raya, Perdana Menteri Najib menyebut bahawa beliau dan kabinetnya tidak mahu jadi Perdana Menteri dan menteri yang tidak jelas disokong rakyat.

Ia adalah semangat dari amalan demokrasi di mana-mana jua dan bagi siapa jua yang menganut dan mengamalkan demokrasi. Ia bukan sekadar suatu yang Najib saja mahu tetapi itulah yang dituntut oleh semua orang dan semua bangsa dulu, kini dan selama-lamanya.

Negara kita akan jadi aman jika Najib dan sesiapa juga yang jadi Perdana Menteri berfikir dan berpegang dengan apa yang Najib kata itu.

Kata Perdana Menteri itu adalah betul tetapi yang betul itu tidak akan jadi betul jika ia tidak dibuktikan.

Najib mesti membuktikan dulu apa yang diucapkannya itu sebelum orang boleh bercaya dia berpegang kepada kata-katanya itu.

Setakat ini Najib tidak dapat dipercayai bahawa beliau berperang kepada kenyataannya itu.

Bukti dia tidak berpegang pada cakapnya itu dapat dilihat dari kejadian di Perak menjelang dia jadi Presiden Umno dan Perdana Menteri.

Dia mencabul amalan demokrasi seperti yang dikatakannya itu sebaik dia menjadi ketua Umno sementara di Perak menggantikan Tajol Rosli dan selepas menjadi Presiden Umno dia jadi ketua Umno Selangor, diyakini mahu menjadi Selangor seperti yang telah berlaku di Perak.

Di Perak jelas dalam PRU 12 Mac, 2008 Barisan Nasional tidak mendapat sokongan rakyat. Yang memegang kuasa majoriti di Perak ialah Pakatan Rakyat yang masa itu belum diwujudkan.

Sama ada tiga ADUN Pakatan Rakyat yang hilang dan kemudian dijumpai menjadi ADUN Bebas, jadi begitu kerana mainan politik Najib atau mereka secara siuman atau kurang siuman rela lari dari Pakatan Rakyat, terbukti rakyat Perak setahun sebelumnya tidak menyokong BN.

Sekali pun tiga ADUN itu kemudiannya tidak menentang kerajaan BN yang ditegakkan di negeri itu, keputusan rakyat di negeri setahun sebelumnya menolak BN.

Ini demokrasi sebenarnya ada pada rakyat telah membuktikan untuk tempoh lima tahun ialah mereka menolak BN. Ajaran dan amalan demokrasi yang disetujui dunia, sokongan rakyat atas sebuah kerajaan itu ialah selagi tiada pilihan raya baru diadakan.

Kerajaan Perak yang ada sekarang adalah kerajaan yang ditunjuk oleh Istana dan BN pimpinan Najib tetapi ia belum dibuktikan disokong oleh rakyat seperti yang Najib sebut ketika membuat kenyataan dia tidak mahu jadi PM yang tidak disokong rakyat.

Baru setahun rakyat Perak menyatakan tidak menyokong BN secara jelas, Najib menegakkan Menteri Besarnya yang tidak diketahui disokong atau tidak disokong rakyat.

Adakah yang dia tidak mahu hanya jadi Perdana Menteri dan menteri yang tidak disokong secara jelas oleh rakyat, untuk menjadi Menteri tidak mengapa tanpa sokongan jelas rakyat?

Katakanlah ketika tiga ADUN di Perak itu sudah membebaskan dirinya dari kerajaan masa itu, maka dalam keadaan semasa sudah tidak jelas kerajaan pimpinan Nizar itu disokong rakyat, tetapi pada masa itu juga tidak jelas Zamri Abdul Kadir disokong rakyat.

Katakanlah keadaan itu tidak jelas, tetapi Najib menyokong pembentukan kerajaan yang tidak jelas juga. Apabila kes di Perak itu dibawa ke mahkamah, Najib lebih rela menyokong kerajaan yang ditegakkan oleh mahkamah dari kerajaan yang asalnya disokong oleh rakyat secara jelas.

Kemudian dia beralih ke Selangor. Berbagai pergolakan berlaku di Selangor. Adalah dipercaya jika boleh apa yang berlaku di Perak hendak dilakukan juga di Selangor. Mungkin tidak bertujuan begitu, tetapi dari bacaan politik dia boleh dipercayai bertujuan begitu.

Oleh kerana satu ADUN saja di Selangor yang lari dari Pakatan tiadalah dapat gantikan kerajaan yang sah itu dengan satu kerajaan yang tidak disokong secara jelas oleh rakyat.

Najib juga cuba ganggu di Kedah hingga seorang Exconya dari kaum India terpaksa meletak jawatan. Tetapi Pilihan Raya Kecil di Kedah itu dimenangi juga oleh Pakatan Rakyat. Setahun selepas kerajaan di Kedah itu ditegakkan, terbukti rakyat menyokongnya lagi.

Jika kejadian di Kedah dalam masa setahun itu rakyatnya tetap menolak BN, maka kemungkinan rakyat di Perak juga sama masih bersama Pakatan.

Dalam keadaan tiga ADUN di Perak berubah kedudukan, berlaku keadaan yang jelas di sebelah Nizar dan tidak jelas juga di sebelah Zamri. Dalam keadaan semuanya tidak jelas, yang s ewajarnya Najib mesti bersetuju kepada satu pilihan raya baru supaya Perak dapat sebuah kerajaan yang jelas disokong rakyat.

Tetapi Najib memilik untuk menegakkan sebuah kerajaan yang tidak jelas disokong rakyat. Ini berlawanan dengan kenyataannya konon tidak mahu jadi Perdana Menteri yang tidak jelas disokong rakyat.

Justeru itu ada transformasi pada diri Najib sendiri.

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