The 1MDB and Scorpène submarines scandals prove the Mat Salleh are also crooks
I refused to agree to bribe the TNB people so the French terminated our partnership and replaced me with Malays close to Anwar Ibrahim and Tun Daim Zainuddin. At that time Anwar was the Minister of Finance.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
The government is reopening investigations into the Scorpène submarines scandal (involving the French company Direction des Constructions Navales or DCN) even as new evidence is emerging that the top management of Goldman Sachs knew that their officers were collaborating with Low Taek Jho a.k.a. Jho Low to cheat 1MDB and the Malaysian government.
Most Malaysians assume that if you are Mat Salleh then you are honest compared to Malays, Chinese and Indians. Just because their skin colour is white — like that Xavier Andre Justo and his partner in London — this does not mean they are not thieves and swindlers. Whites can be worse than Asians.
I once had a nasty experience dealing with the French. I had set up a joint-venture company with the French to manufacture and supply electricity meters to TNB. After about three years and roughly RM40 million worth of business, they called for a meeting and told me they are not happy with me.
It seems the TNB bosses had complained to the French that after getting so much contracts, I did not ‘share’ the profit with them.
The French told me the only reason they chose me as their Malaysian partner is so that I can ‘service’ the TNB people. Under French law, it is illegal for French companies to pay bribes even outside France. So that is my job, bribing the TNB people.
I refused to agree to bribe the TNB people so the French terminated our partnership and replaced me with Malays close to Anwar Ibrahim and Tun Daim Zainuddin. At that time Anwar was the Minister of Finance.
The French told me if I challenged my termination in court, they will just close down the company and set up a new one. “We have plenty of money,” they said, “And we can lock you up in court for years until you go bankrupt.”
As an alternative, I can sign the termination contract and receive RM500,000 in compensation instead. If not, I will get nothing and will lose millions in legal costs.
Naturally, I took the RM500,000 and went home to curse Anwar. And that was one reason why I clapped when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad sacked Anwar in September 1998 and subsequently threw him into jail three weeks later.
So, no, the Mat Salleh are not honest. They get business by bribing. And they lie and cheat as well. And today we are finding out the truth. Oh, and one more thing, how much do you think the Mat Salleh paid a certain person to get those IPPs?
