Malaysian ministers Hasan Arifin,Azalina Othman and Salleh Keruak may have forced Singapore ,other governments to freeze their assets for money laundering offences
by Ganesh Sahathevan
The Malaysian Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Hasan Arifin has publicly rejected information provided by the country's Bank Negara concerning the money laundering activities of a Seychelles incorporated company shown to be owned one Low Taek Jho , better known as Jho Low. The evidence that Hasan has rejected concerns Jho's laundering of funds misappropriated from the sovereign wealth fund 1 MDB (see stories below).
KUALA LUMPUR: Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak (pic) has taken a swipe at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for continuing to make false allegations but attributing them to anonymous sources.
This, he said, was a cowardly way to avoid being sued.
"But we know they won't provide names, because they can't," he said in a blog posting critical of WSJ reporting on Malaysia.
“The truth is that their reporting is based at best on rumours, and at worst on politically motivated lies that they've accepted without proper verification, just for the sake of another sensational headline," he said.
Salleh noted that despite their anonymous sources being proven wrong time and time again, such as their false reports on the new Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, the WSJ continued to make allegations without any evidence.
Salleh said it was no coincidence that all WSJ's reporting on Malaysia since former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad began his Anti-Najib Campaign was based on one thing - what they claimed anonymous sources and anonymous investigators said.
"Not once has a name been provided for these sources. If they actually exist, then why doesn't the WSJ tell Malaysians who they are?
"Otherwise how can they expect anything they write to be believed, after being proven wrong so many times," Salleh said.
‘Executive can't act on PAC chief for expunged 1MDB report’
2 comments Published 19 May 2016, 10:44 am Updated 19 May 2016, 6:37 pm
The government has no power to act on Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Hasan Arifin, who had expunged a couple line in PAC's 1MDB report.
"For your information, PAC is a committee established under Article 77(1) of the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat.
"Thus, it is not the jurisdiction of the executive to decide the status of the PAC chief," said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina said this in a written reply to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Gelang Patah) submitted in Parliament yesterday.
"I want the prime minister to state if action will be taken against Hasan for deleting two lines from the PAC report," Lim said in his question to the House.
He said the deleted part involving the concern voiced by Bank Negara Malaysia about Good Star Limited, which is owned by an individual, has no connection with PetroSaudi International.
On April 20, PAC member Tony Pua pointed out that Hasan had deleted certain lines from the PAC report on 1MDB that were crucial to the investigation.
'Finding crucial to investigations'
The lines concerned Bank Negara's information that Good Star Ltd, into which US$1.03 billion from 1MDB's joint venture with PetroSaudi International was diverted to, was owned by an individual and not linked to the PetroSaudi group as claimed.
"This finding is crucial to the entire investigations into 1MDB because the company and its executives have testified to PAC that Good Star is a subsidiary of Petrosaudi," Pua had then said.
Yesterday, Azalina also pointed out that the PAC chief had received Bank Negara's information which stated that all the information given was "confidential for the purpose of intelligence only for court usage or public report".
She said that all PAC members were informed of the matter via a letter penned by the PAC chief to the deputy governor of the central bank on April 6.
The Malaysian Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Hasan Arifin has publicly rejected information provided by the country's Bank Negara concerning the money laundering activities of a Seychelles incorporated company shown to be owned one Low Taek Jho , better known as Jho Low. The evidence that Hasan has rejected concerns Jho's laundering of funds misappropriated from the sovereign wealth fund 1 MDB (see stories below).
Bank Negara is, among other things, charged with the administration of the country's money laundering and counter-terrorist financing laws, which in turn are part of the international AML/CTF framework of supervision and enforcement to which Malaysia is a signatory.
The evidence rejected was obtained by Bank Negara from the relevant authorities in Singapore, the Seychelles, and probably other jurisdictions. Hasan's rejection of Bank Negara's advisory , made public by the Wall Street Journal, puts those authorities in a position where Hasan ,and the other Government ministers who have taken a similar public stand against their findings, must now be treated as accomplices to the AML/CTF offences they have uncovered. The matter does after all concern the laundering of funds from a Government owned and controlled entity.The other ministers involved are Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said.
Consequently agencies in those jurisdictions, but particularly Singapore, are forced into a position where they must contemplate, under pain of being found to be themselves in breach of AML/CTF laws and regulations, the freezing of assets held within their jurisdictions by these ministers .
The evidence rejected was obtained by Bank Negara from the relevant authorities in Singapore, the Seychelles, and probably other jurisdictions. Hasan's rejection of Bank Negara's advisory , made public by the Wall Street Journal, puts those authorities in a position where Hasan ,and the other Government ministers who have taken a similar public stand against their findings, must now be treated as accomplices to the AML/CTF offences they have uncovered. The matter does after all concern the laundering of funds from a Government owned and controlled entity.The other ministers involved are Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said.
Consequently agencies in those jurisdictions, but particularly Singapore, are forced into a position where they must contemplate, under pain of being found to be themselves in breach of AML/CTF laws and regulations, the freezing of assets held within their jurisdictions by these ministers .
Many Malaysians hold bank accounts in Singapore, so it is not unlikely that the ministers concerned would also have monies and other assets held at banks in Singapore.
All this may be beyond belief, but then , the international AML/CTF framework assumes that governments and their ministers will work to uphold, not undermine the framework.
END
PAC chief denies WSJ's report, says no clear proof Good Star owned by Jho Low
110 comments Published 28 May 2016, 8:37 pm Updated Today 9:29 am
531
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Hasan Arifin today denied The Wall Street Journal’s report claiming that the Bank Negara letter proves Good Star Limited was owned by tycoon Low Taek Jho, or better known as Jho Low.
Hasan said this was because Bank Negara Malaysia had stated that the information provided to the PAC was 'intelligence grade'.
“The PAC is not an intelligence body and the information received must be verified and true.
“Because the information was intelligence grade, the PAC cannot include the information (in its final report) as it would contradict our duties and responsibilities, as well as could create prejudice against various parties,” said the Rompin MP in a statement.
He added that Bank Negara had also concluded its investigations on 1MDB and issued an administrative compound, which had been settled.
Meanwhile the WSJ has continued to defend its reporting on Malaysia and the 1MDB issue, following a police report lodged by the Bank Negara governor Muhammad Ibrahim against them.
“We stand behind The Wall Street Journal's coverage, which has been responsible, appropriate, and in the public interest.
“We remain committed to providing robust, even-handed coverage of events in Malaysia,” a spokesperson from Dow Jones said toMalaysiakini earlier today.
Dow Jones is the publisher behind WSJ.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak yesterday revealed that Muhammad had lodged a police report against WSJ over publication of the classified letter.
Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/343344#ixzz4A1JcCLoH
Friday, 20 May 2016 | MYT 11:11 AM
Salleh Keruak raps WSJ for quoting unnamed sources
PAC chief denies WSJ's report, says no clear proof Good Star owned by Jho Low
110 comments Published 28 May 2016, 8:37 pm Updated Today 9:29 am
531
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Hasan Arifin today denied The Wall Street Journal’s report claiming that the Bank Negara letter proves Good Star Limited was owned by tycoon Low Taek Jho, or better known as Jho Low.
Hasan said this was because Bank Negara Malaysia had stated that the information provided to the PAC was 'intelligence grade'.
“The PAC is not an intelligence body and the information received must be verified and true.
“Because the information was intelligence grade, the PAC cannot include the information (in its final report) as it would contradict our duties and responsibilities, as well as could create prejudice against various parties,” said the Rompin MP in a statement.
He added that Bank Negara had also concluded its investigations on 1MDB and issued an administrative compound, which had been settled.
Meanwhile the WSJ has continued to defend its reporting on Malaysia and the 1MDB issue, following a police report lodged by the Bank Negara governor Muhammad Ibrahim against them.
“We stand behind The Wall Street Journal's coverage, which has been responsible, appropriate, and in the public interest.
“We remain committed to providing robust, even-handed coverage of events in Malaysia,” a spokesperson from Dow Jones said toMalaysiakini earlier today.
Dow Jones is the publisher behind WSJ.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak yesterday revealed that Muhammad had lodged a police report against WSJ over publication of the classified letter.
Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/343344#ixzz4A1JcCLoH
Friday, 20 May 2016 | MYT 11:11 AM
Salleh Keruak raps WSJ for quoting unnamed sources
KUALA LUMPUR: Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak (pic) has taken a swipe at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for continuing to make false allegations but attributing them to anonymous sources.
This, he said, was a cowardly way to avoid being sued.
"But we know they won't provide names, because they can't," he said in a blog posting critical of WSJ reporting on Malaysia.
“The truth is that their reporting is based at best on rumours, and at worst on politically motivated lies that they've accepted without proper verification, just for the sake of another sensational headline," he said.
Salleh noted that despite their anonymous sources being proven wrong time and time again, such as their false reports on the new Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, the WSJ continued to make allegations without any evidence.
Salleh said it was no coincidence that all WSJ's reporting on Malaysia since former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad began his Anti-Najib Campaign was based on one thing - what they claimed anonymous sources and anonymous investigators said.
"Not once has a name been provided for these sources. If they actually exist, then why doesn't the WSJ tell Malaysians who they are?
"Otherwise how can they expect anything they write to be believed, after being proven wrong so many times," Salleh said.
‘Executive can't act on PAC chief for expunged 1MDB report’
2 comments Published 19 May 2016, 10:44 am Updated 19 May 2016, 6:37 pm
The government has no power to act on Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Hasan Arifin, who had expunged a couple line in PAC's 1MDB report.
"For your information, PAC is a committee established under Article 77(1) of the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat.
"Thus, it is not the jurisdiction of the executive to decide the status of the PAC chief," said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina said this in a written reply to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Gelang Patah) submitted in Parliament yesterday.
"I want the prime minister to state if action will be taken against Hasan for deleting two lines from the PAC report," Lim said in his question to the House.
He said the deleted part involving the concern voiced by Bank Negara Malaysia about Good Star Limited, which is owned by an individual, has no connection with PetroSaudi International.
On April 20, PAC member Tony Pua pointed out that Hasan had deleted certain lines from the PAC report on 1MDB that were crucial to the investigation.
'Finding crucial to investigations'
The lines concerned Bank Negara's information that Good Star Ltd, into which US$1.03 billion from 1MDB's joint venture with PetroSaudi International was diverted to, was owned by an individual and not linked to the PetroSaudi group as claimed.
"This finding is crucial to the entire investigations into 1MDB because the company and its executives have testified to PAC that Good Star is a subsidiary of Petrosaudi," Pua had then said.
Yesterday, Azalina also pointed out that the PAC chief had received Bank Negara's information which stated that all the information given was "confidential for the purpose of intelligence only for court usage or public report".
She said that all PAC members were informed of the matter via a letter penned by the PAC chief to the deputy governor of the central bank on April 6.
Comments
Post a Comment