Who’s your Daddy? Part 3
And there are many anecdotes and enough stories written about how sex is used to get projects. Before, a man would have an official first wife who epitomises goodness and grace. Nowadays, they discard the first wives for a sexier model. And the reasons are not as clear-cut as a man’s shallowness of wanting a younger, sexier replacement.
Dina Zaman, The Malaysian Insider
Gold-digger central
It’s no secret that to get money in this town, the businessman has to resort to a few tricks. One’s name and social status are not enough, as well as one’s connections and bank account(s).
Sometimes, to get a contract, one has to get the girls. Or, at least provide willing female friends who are gold diggers but have tongues as smooth as silk. The man with iman can only surrender to his fate when he faces a nymph. Heaven be damned when he’s experiencing oral sex in a karaoke lounge.
And there are many anecdotes and enough stories written about how sex is used to get projects. Before, a man would have an official first wife who epitomises goodness and grace. Nowadays, they discard the first wives for a sexier model. And the reasons are not as clear-cut as a man’s shallowness of wanting a younger, sexier replacement.
“When you have a sexy, young, flirtatious but also sharp-minded wife, she helps bring in the money. Businesses are not just conducted on golf courses; they are discussed in the privacy of homes.
“Now if you have a wife who’s either frumpy, tudung-ed or fat and is unable to get along with your business contacts, she’s not going to get the business for you. But with a sexy wife, who has equally sexy girlfriends and who knows how to wind men up, it makes things easier…” an observer commented.
This is why many guest relations officers (GROs) are quite in demand as second wives or mistresses, even to the would-be entrepreneur. Sex sells and brings in the money. “And many times, first wives close their eyes. Who’s going to want to give up their Hermès? And getting divorced at their age, you think easy-ah?”
What about the goodness of the first wives who was there when their husbands just started out?
“You must be joking. This town teems with gold diggers. And these women know who to connect with. They’re indispensable. You are very idealistic.”
Money laundering
One channel of this newfound wealth is money laundering (link: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/almost-100-money-laundering-cases-being-prosecuted/) Just type “money laundering in Malaysia” and a whole list of links come up. For the eager millionaire-to-be, this is a windfall.
A well-heeled Datin, who was formerly in finance, shakes her head. “I can only point this newfound wealth to money laundering. It’s fast, it’s easy and there are many gullible people.
“I don’t deny that there are many government tenders which have been got through unethical means, but not all these tenders are not bona fide. Some of the consultants I know tendered in the right way, and with patience, determination, they get the projects but money laundering is rife.”
The desire, the “nak” overwhelms the person who wants to be rich beyond his dreams. “The current generation bases wealth on an as-is basis. He does not foresee the future. All he sees is money.”
With money, can one have respect and a place in the sun. The concession generation is more political than anything. Before, the money trickled back to the rakyat but now it goes straight into the pockets of the children.
“And with the (Tun Dr) Mahathir-Anwar (Ibrahim) fiasco years back… everything was divided. Now let’s look at the companies tendering for projects. Some have the experience while the one-off ones are the ones you should beware of.
“But what is prevalent now is money laundering. This is how they do it. A approaches B wanting to invest in B’s business. A is not concerned whether B makes profit or not. RM100,000 is given. If B can give back 30 per cent of the RM100,000 to A, that’s good enough. Simple.”
And it’s not just bankers and politicians and VIPs who get involved. Working tradesmen like fishermen are in on the game, too, she says.
“Thing is, the money launderer is socially invisible. But because your bank account has been used, the bank authorities will go after you.”
She cites an example of the new rich. She was at Prada when an elderly woman who is best described as a “makcik” enters the boutique, and with a bag full of cash. She then went shopping at Gucci and Valentino, and made sure that there were few customers around. Purchases were bought with hastily-grabbed cash from her bag.
Of course, there’s prostitution, drugs to add to the equation. However, money laundering is quite easy to accomplish because despite the anti-laundering Act we already have, the enforcement is weak. “And people need money. They are not compensated well at work. Why work so hard for so little?”
