10th episode: Now let’s see how else MAS was plundered

Since 15th August 2010, Malaysia Today published nine reports on how Tajudin Ramli plundered MAS and reduced this airline company from a surplus of more than RM600 million to a deficit in excess of RM8 billion. Malaysia Today also showed documents to not only prove this but also to prove that there was collusion between the AG Chambers, MACC and PRDM to sweep this entire episode under the carpet. But that is not the whole story. Today, we are going to show you how else MAS was plundered.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Parts 1 to 9 of this series of articles (you can read them in the links below) showed how Tajuddin Ramli plundered MAS with such impunity. There were attempts by the PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police) and the AG Chambers — before Ramli Yusuff became the Director of the Commercial Crimes Investigations Department — to cover up Tajudin’s wrongdoings.

Ramli Yusuff, however, reopened the investigation and, together with the MAS Directors, went to meet Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to brief him on the situation. Ramli Yusuff then prepared a detail report identifying how MAS was scammed. He also recommended that Tajudin Ramli be charged for various offences.

This report was submitted to Annuar Zaini, an Abdullah Badawi nominee who sits as Bernama Chairman and a MAS Board member. Annuar Zaini thus had access to all things happening in MAS.

Tajudin Ramli, however, was not the only one who plundered MAS. Abdullah Badawi himself had done the same thing back in 2002 when he was still only the Deputy Prime Minister. And what Abdullah Badawi did was: he forced MAS to give the right of privatising MAS Catering Sdn Bhd to his family company, Fahim Capital Sdn Bhd.

It appears like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad knew this but he nevertheless allowed it to happen, probably so that he had something to hold against Abdullah Badawi in case the latter reneged on his promises to the former. Maybe Mahathir thought that this would be his trump card against Abdullah Badawi when the former relinquishes power to the latter in 2003.

But, regardless of all that, Abdullah Badawi stilled betrayed Mahathir. And he also betrayed Ramli Yusuff when he (Ramli), instead of Tajuddin Ramli, ended up in the dock.

Why did Abdullah Badawi allow them to go for Ramli Yusuff instead of going for Tajudin Ramli? The reason is simple enough as illustrated by the two letters below dated 30th January 2002 and 7th March 2002.

Initially, it was quite perplexing as to why the head of the CCID was arrested and charged instead of the person he was pursuing, Tajudin Ramli. But when you see that the Prime Minister himself also had his hands in the MAS cash-box then it begins to make sense.

If the shit in MAS were to hit the fan then some of this shit would splash onto the Prime Minister. So better this shit remains buried and those who were trying to bring it to the surface get sent to jail on fabricated charges — that the courts have since ruled unfounded. And Abdullah Badawi demanded that he be made the MAS adviser in 2009 as part of his ‘retirement package’ so that he can continue to keep the shit hidden.

Did the court not acquit Ramli Yusuff without his defence being called? And did the judge not chide the IGP, Musa Hassan, for this unreliable and untruthful testimony? What more proof do you need that Ramli Yusuff is a victim of persecution and that one of the reasons for this is his relentless pursuit of Tajudin Ramli.

And, to add icing to the cake, they also went for the lawyer for MAS, Rosli Dahlan. They allege that he is an accomplice to Ramli Yusuff. But the court has ruled that Ramli Yusuff did not commit a crime. Can Rosli now still be found guilty of being an accomplice to a crime that the court says never happened?

Let’s wait and see what happens because Rosli Dahlan’s trial will be decided very soon, about ten days more to be exact (6th-8th September 2010).

Did not Malaysia Today say a couple of years ago that ‘all roads lead to Putrajaya’? And some had the cheek to say that Malaysia Today was being seditious and malicious. Yes, as Mukhriz Mahathir said, only 40% of what Malaysia Today publishes is true. Well, there are two letters below. Which 60% of these two letters are false?

Over to you, Mukhriz. Or are you going to happily allow this one to pass so that you can use it against Khairy Jamaluddin in the next round of your contest for the Umno Youth leadership?

PREVIOUS REPORTS

1. Abu Kassim Mohamed, are you now going to resign?

2. The MAS scandal: what the MACC swept under the carpet and marked NFA

3. The MACC Chief can’t plead ignorance

4. The MACC says thanks but no thanks

5. Eight years and still counting

6. Tajuddin Ramli enters into a contract with himself

7. How the RM9 billion ‘hole’ was left to the taxpayers

8. The web of deceit

9. The police and AG Chambers colluded to cover up the fraud in MAS