The Grizzly **** Murder

There is a rumor circulating in Sungai Petani, Kedah on a very famous murder case. In early 2006, a horrific crime shocked the sleepy town of Sungai Petani. Miss Chee Gaik Yap, age 25, was out jogging in Kelab Cinta Sayang when she was abducted by several men in a black Naza Ria MPV.

She was hit in the head, raped and killed by having her throat slit. Police arrested a whole bunch of people for DNA testing including some car repair men and club workers. However, all was freed due to lack of evidence. It is nearly a year and half since that brutal crime and yet the killer is still at large.

According to police investigations, she was believed to have been trailed by her assailants. This was no random crime of opportunity. At the time of her murder, she was together with a Chinese national by the name of Luo Zhenqinq. The two met at University Utara Malaysia.

There was another person who tried to woo her but failed. This man is well as known as a local bad hat. It is believed that he took it badly and was in a rage. Not one to give up on what he wants, he tried harder to win her but was rebuffed many times. This drove the man into a murderous rage.

So, according to the rumors, this man and his buddies tailed, abducted, raped and murdered her in the most brutal fashion. Below is a picture of several of the club workers who were caught but subsequently released:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The man and his buddies were Chinese. Now, this rumor has been circulating for a year even among police personnel, so why haven't they picked this man up for questioning at the very least? That is because this man's father is known as a powerful godfather in politics and secret societies in Kedah.

This VIP godfather is protected by many bodyguards and well known for his arrogance. He has forged close ties to powerful MCA politicians (some of whom are also under the cloud of secret societies), has links to large corporations that monopolize Northern Malaysian contracts and owns clubs, restaurants, hotels and golf courses. He is not a man to be trifled with especially in his stronghold.

The VIP godfather used all the power at his disposal, political and criminal, to cover up his son's crime. And that is why the killer remains free to this day. The police do not dare to touch this godfather. Even now, the people of Kedah whisper this tale fearfully looking around to see if anyone else is hearing even though it is empty like a desert. One thing the kopitiam can tell for sure is that everybody is damn scared of this godfather.

Disclaimer: The above story may or may not be true. Take it with a grain of salt if you wish.

Oil for Food Scandal

The Oil-for-Food Programme was established to allow Iraq to sell oil in exchange for food, medicine and other vital supplies. It did not take long however for the Iraqi government to abuse the programme by demanding kickbacks from companies. Several investigations were launched and voluminous reports written.

One of the names that cropped up in the final report of the Independant Inquiry Committee into The United Nations Oil-For-Food Programme was the Malaysian Prime Ministed Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Studying Chapter Two of the report, Malaysia was the fourth highest purchaser of oil under Phase IX of the programme (circa 2000 and above). This amounted to a figure of US$500 million or RM1.8 billion.

The report names Mastek Sdn Bhd as one of the companies that paid bribes to Iraqi officials amounting to US$10 million. The Prime Minister publicly denied any involvement in the scandal. He only recommended several people to participate in the Oil-for-Food Programme in his capacity as (then) Deputy Prime Minister. Malaysiakini was threatened by government officials for reporting on Abdullah Badawi's involvement.

The current Foreign Minister Syed Hamid issued a statement saying that the Prime Minister had nothing to gain from obtaining oil in Iraq. The Iraq Survey Group that prepared the report concluded that a person in the programme could profit by US$0.65 per barrel of oil obtained.

Returning to Mastek Sdn Bhd, it is listed as a saw timber company. Mastek Sdn Bhd was at that time a dormant company which was revived by three persons, namely:

1. Noor Asiah Dato' Mahmood (Abdullah Badawi's sister-in-law)
2. Faek Ahmad Shareef (Noor Asiah's ex-husband)
3. Jaya Sudhir (businessman)

After it's revival it became a crude oil company, participating in Phase VII to Phase IX of the Oil-for-Food Programme. Currently Mastek Sdn Bhd is listed as a computer software develpoment company.

Prior to Phase IX, Mastek Sdn Bhd received roughly 7.5 million barrels of oil. During Phase IX however, Mastek Sdn Bhd's oil allocation rose to 39.5 million barrels. This coincided with the time when Abdullah Badawi cemented his position as the Deputy Prime Minister, after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, this was the single largest allocation of oil during the entire Oil-for-Food Programme.

The report specifically stated that Iraqi officials gave such a large allocation to Faek Ahmad because of his relationship to Abdullah Badawi. In written documents, Iraqi officials referred to Faek Ahmad as "Mr. Faek Ahmad Shareef/for the benefit of Abdullah". According to the definition of corruption as defined by the Anti-Corruption Agency, translated as below:

“Any officer of the civil service using his/her position or post in the service to obtain bribes/benefits regarding any decision made by the person or making a decision regarding any matter, in which he/her, his/her family members, friends or partners have a stake in the matter, whether direct or indirect.”

Abdullah Badawi's role in the scandal skirts dangerously close to the definition of corruption. Besides Mastek Sdn Bhd, another Malaysian company implicated in the report is Tradeyear Sdn Bhd. Listed as it's non-contractual beneficiaries are Faek Ahamd as well as a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi".

Tradeyear Sdn Bhd was allocated 9.2 million barrels of oil, after paying surcharges (aka bribes) of US$116,000. 9.2 million barrels of oil translates to a profit of US$6 million. Looks like a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi" is laughing all the way to the bank.

A simple search of the report turns out another two Malaysian companies that implicated in kickbacks, Jawala Corp Sdn Bhd of Dato Majid Khan (US$1 million) and Petma Oil of Dato Paduka L.M.N Affendi (US$110,000). To it's credit, Petronas was charged with surcharges but refused to pay.

As far back as June 2006, Teresa Kok (MP for Seputeh) had raised the issue in Parliament. Now it is May 2007 and no action has been taken against the companies mentioned nor has any satisfactory explanation been given. It's no wonder that Parliament leaks. The report can be found here.

The King & The Death Sentence

Today, let the kopitiam refresh the reader's memory on Malaysian history. This tale concerns the southern state of Johor and it's all powerful monarch, before his highness ascended the throne.

The Sultan of Johor, then Tengku Mahmood Iskandar, has a very controversial history. First he was stripped as the heir to the throne by his father, Sultan Ismail, in 1961 after assaulting six people. In 1972-73 however, the young monarch faced a much more serious charge. He was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to death by another young prince who is now the Raja of Perak, Hon. Mr. Justice Raja Azlan Shah.

The Sultan of Johor (Tengku Iskandar), was charged with murdering a Chinese man who was said to be a smuggler due to a dispute. When he was caught, Tengku Iskandar pleaded (falsely) that the man he murdered was a Communist agent. The court, presided by Raja Azlan Shah, didn't buy this story and sentenced him to death.

His father, Sultan Ismail, stepped in to save his eldest son from a gruesome fate. Tengku Iskandar was sentenced to six month's jail and ordered to pay a fine of RM6,000. However his father told him in no uncertain terms that he would never ascend the throne of Johor.

And so, Tengku Iskandar's brother Tunku Rahman, became the heir. Now in 1977 Sultan Ismail's wife, Ungku Tun Aminah, died in a car crash. Subsequently he married again to Tengku Nora binti Tengku Panglima Raja Ahmad. Tengku Iskandar seized this opportunity to marry the sister of his father's second wife - Tengku Zanariah binti Tengku Panglima Raja Ahmad.

A palace coup was in the making. Sultan Ismail was very ill in 1981.  The heir of the throne Tunku Rahman was away overseas. Suddenly Sultan Ismail passed away peacefully in 1981. What came next however was an even greater shock. Tengku Iskandar emerged from his father's death bed declaring that his father had pardoned him at his last breath and reinstated him as the heir.

What proof did he had? A document pardoning and reinstating himself as the Crown Prince with his father's fingerprint as a royal thumb of approval. The Chief Minister of Johor at that time, Tan Sri Othman Bin Mohd Saat, couldn't believe what had happened. He questioned Tengku Iskandar's fishy document. He had no power however to stop the royal coronation of Tengku Iskandar (neither did his brother who was overseas). Thus Tengku Iskandar ascended the throne of Johor and is now known as Sultan Iskandar.

The Chief Minister of Johor was pushed out of power in 1982 and the rest is history. Check the links to various shenanigans of Sultan Iskandar and his offspring after he ascended the throne (and became the most powerful man in Johor):

1. Demolish Causeway
2. Malaysian Royal Arrested Over Wedding Brawl
3. Douglas Gomez Assault and Private Adam Amok
4. Son of Royal Beats Policeman's Wife

Those are but a sample of the thuggish behavior of this most powerful royal family. The Douglas Gomez assault and it's consequences in law is covered here.

Technorati tags: malaysia, history, johor, sultan, iskandar, royal, king

May 13 Recollections: A Melaka Student

To commemorate the 38th anniversary of the bloody race riots of May 13th 1969, the kopitiam will share one of the many verbal accounts of people who lived through that dark stain in our history.

The protagonist, a Melaka student, was studying with friends at a school on that fateful day. Unaware of what was happening in the country, they trooped off happily home as dusk approached. Suddenly, a Malay man wearing only a sarong came running towards them, carrying a shotgun. He pointed it upwards and asked them to get home - there was a curfew in place - all people who violate the curfew will be shot on the spot.

The students were befuddled. They didn't really comprehend what the man was talking about. So they continued walking back home, unperturbed. As they got neared and nearer a town, army trucks whizzed past them on the way to Kuala Lumpur. There were soldiers everywhere, grim faced and silent. Now with fear the students decided to hitch at one of the student's house (which was nearby) for the night.

The whole night, they saw army trucks, soldiers and many vehicles moving through the silent deadly night. They peered outside the house and was seen by a soldier outside. Immediately he pointed the rifle at them and barked at them to go to sleep. So, they went to sleep.

Their sleep however was interrupted when noises were heard outside. There was a commotion. Many people, primarily Chinese, were fleeing from their homes. Bewildered, they asked some of the people what the heck was going on? Above the din they could make out that a large group of Malay villagers armed with parangs and swords were descending on them.

So they ran and ran to the next residential area. Now at that time, much of Kuala Lumpur , Melaka and Selangor were controlled by secret societies that enforced ruthless racial and territorial boundaries. The residential area which they fled to belonged to another gang. The gang members thought they were coming for a fight, so many people were roused and they started whacking the people who just fled.

Only a while later did they realize that these people did not come for a fight, but were running away from the Malay villagers. Realizing their mistakes, both sides of people joined in fleeing some more. Others, itching for a fight, went to fight with the Malay villagers. What happened to them, nobody knows; the exact number of people killed (mainly Chinese) were not counted and many were buried in mass graves. As for the protagonist, he/she is healthy and alive, or else how will the kopitiam here of this story?

That is one of many verbal recollections of people who lived through May 13. There are many more of them out there. Please feel free to share it here.

Technorati tags: may 13, malaysia, history

Airod and the Court Martial

Recently several allegations of corruption against Airod President Tan Sri Ahmad Johan has resurfaced. They range from siphoning of Airod's money into the personal accounts of Tan Sri Ahmad Johan to corrupt arms deals involving the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

However, what the kopitiam is more interested in is in a certain event that happened a long time ago to the Airod President Tan Sri Ahamad Johan, when he was still a lowly captain in the Malaysian Rangers. It seems that the esteemed Tan Sri committed an offense that warranted a court martial to indict him.

Luckily for the esteemed Tan Sri, a high ranking officer within the Rangers stepped in and came to his defense. As this officer was well known as a courageous, honest and capable man, the court martial proceeding against the esteemed Tan Sri was dropped. This officer was also the most trusted subordinate of a high-ranking Brigadier-General.

The story does not end there. After this officer's stint in the armed forces ended, he was hired by Tan Sri Ahmad Johan to a mid-level managerial position in Airod many years later as a sign of gratitude. What is funny though is that the kopitiam has seen this very officer is also a die hard PAS and Keadilan supporter. Ironic how the world works, no?

As for what the esteemed Tan Sri was charged with in the court martial, they are inconclusive. Anyone have any ideas?

Further Reading:

• Parliament Minutes 17 June 2003
• Malaysia Today

Technorati tags: malaysia, defence, airod

Signs of General Election: Teachers

How to know when an election is coming? Well just listen to the teachers! The kopitiam visited by many teachers has ben abuzz with rumors that the General Election will be held around August. Several teachers from a school selected as a polling center have whispered that they are REQUIRED to attend a meting at the end of July, where presumably they will be briefed on the coming election. It will be held before Merdeka, so speculation is rife that it will be in mid August, as close to Merdeka as possible. After all who can deny that Merdeka is Barisan Nasional and voting for Barisan Nasional means voting for Merdeka. Ingenious! Well who said teachers are useless, they are the number one gossip makers. Thank you to all my teachers.

Technorati tags: malaysia, general election

Signs of General Election: School Letters

This kopitiam has just heard from the grapevine that the next general elections are coming soon. Sooner than you think. Read the letter below, which was sent from the Jabatan Pendidikan to schools that are selected as polling centers.

May the best party win for the sake of the kopitiam.

Technorati tags: malaysia, general election

Cash for Freedom: Deputy Internal Security Minister & Triads

YB Dato Johari Bin Baharom, Deputy Minister of Internal Security. This Deputy Minister is the most powerful Deputy Minister because firstly he works under a very busy minister so all power has to be delegated to him. Secondly, he has got prerogative executive power to order a person to be detained without trail or to be released on his own fancy.

Here are 3 classic cases we can see how YB Dato Johari Bin Baharom, the Deputy Minister of Internal Security had abuse his power and breach the trust from his boss. ie. The Prime Minister. His abuse of power must be seen to have interfering police investigation and a larger extent had also jeoperdise police effort to maintain peace as well as law and order in the country. The abuse of power by YB Dato Johari must be tantamounted to a corrupt practice and must be stop immediately.

Anti Corruption Agency should be called upon to investigate on both money transaction and also abuse of power that amounting to corrupt practice.

Kong Cho Heng

Kong Cho Heng also known as Panjang from Setiawan, Perak, was arrested in Dec 2006 under Sec 3(1) Emergency Ordinance. Panjang is the leader of a Chinese Secret Society. He leads a gang collection protection money from businessmen in Setiawan. His gang members often use threat, criminal intimidation as well as force and violent to achieve their objective. They are responsible in several cases of assault and causing severe injuries in Setiawan. Panjang is the younger brother of YB Dato’ Kong Cho Ha, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology. Sources said police applied to detained Panjang under Sec 4(1) Emergency Ordinance was rejested in the mid Jan 2007 and he was ordered by YB Dato Johari Bin Baharom to be released immediately with no further reasons.

Chin Shui On

Chin Shui On, also known as Robin or Tian Wong from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, was arrested in Dec 2006 under Sec 3(1) Emergency Ordinance. Robin is involving in organized illegal gaming and book keeping in the district of Penampang and Kota Kinabalu. Robin is the leader of a gangster group and often uses threat and violent to retain his control over his illegal business empire. Sources said police applied to detain him under Sec 4(1) Emergency Ordinance but unfortunately it was rejected in Mid Jan 2007 and he was ordered to be released with immediate effect. It was believed that a CEO of a private medical centre in Kota Kinabalu had made a payment of RM3 million to Dato Johari Bin Baharom for his unconditional release.

Moo Sai Chin

Moo Sai Chin, aka Ah Yau from Cemor, Perak was arrested in Oct 2006 under Sec 3(1) Emergency Ordinance. Ah Yau is a well known leader of the secret society in the state of Perak. His gangsters often use force and violent to gain control of territories. Ah Yau also runs the business in vice by using threat and force on foreign women working in massage parlour known as Big Sister Massage Parlour, Jalan Kampar, Ipoh Perak. Sources had that police applied to detain Ah Yau under Sec 4(1) Emergency Ordinance but failed. He was later ordered to be place under restricted residence in Tampin Negeri Sembilan for 1 year under Sec 7B(1) Emergency Ordinance. Subsequently in the mid Jan 2007, the restricted residence order was cancelled by YB Dato Johari Bin Baharom, the Deputy Minister of Internal Security and Ah Yau was ordered to be released immediately. Sources and closed associates of Ah Yau confirmed he settled with YB Dato Johari Bin Baharom for a sum not less than RM2.5mil.

Technorati tags: malaysia, triads, corruption

Heavenly King: The Story of Kuala Lumpur's Boss of Bosses

Technorati tags: malaysia, triads, MCA

Some of you may remember news last year of a triad boss arrested under the ISA, that is Datuk Koo Tee Yam @ Ah Lek, and then mysteriously released just as soon as he was rearrested. Today, we will share some information collected throughout the internet on this Boss of Bosses.

Koo Tee Yam, age 45, is believed to control most of the underworld activities in Kuala Lumpur namely loan sharking, pirated discs and goods, prostitution, drugs, illegal gambling and murder among others. He has also diversified into many legitimate businesses such as discos, clubs, security companies, restaurants, construction and many more. Controlling assets worth more than RM1 billion, he is the head of the so-called “Four Heavenly Kings” that controls a large criminal empire in West Malaysia.

Active in politics, it is believed that Koo Tee Yam has sent many triad members to infiltrate MCA, particularly the Bukit Bintang MCA Division where he operates vice dens. He was so powerful that then MCA President Ling Liong Sik sent Federal Territory MCA Chief and Deputy Minister for Energy, Telecommunications and Multimedia Tan Chai Ho to enlist his aid for the MCA. However, Koo Tee Yam disliked Ling Liong Sik.

Thus, he started cultivating ties to current MCA Deputy President Chan Kong Choy (via their mutual friend Dato’ Ta Kin Yan – businessman said to have close ties to pirated disc syndicates) and the current MCA President Ong Ka Ting. He hated MCA Youth leader Ong Tee Keat, even sending gang members to create trouble in his constituency Ampang Jaya, after Ong Tee Keat criticized the infiltration of triads into MCA during the MCA Youth fracas. Subsequently, he has been increasingly sidelined by both MCA and UMNO, where none came to his defense when he was taken to task for speaking on corruption issues in Chinese primary schools.

During the 2004 General Election, Koo Tee Yam allegedly handed over RM20 million in donations to the Prime Minister personally. The meeting was supposedly arranged by former MCA Youth leader Dato’ Seri Kee Yong Wee @ Kee Ah Mat. Since then, he boasted that the police couldn’t touch him. When the then IGP came into power, incensed with what he heard, arrested Koo Tee Yam under the ISA. The newspapers had a field day on the story.

However the Federal Court (chaired by Justice Datuk Pajan Singh Gill, Justice Datuk Richard Malanjum and Justice Datuk Augustine Paul) ordered his unconditional release citing that the detainee’s rights had been circumvented by the police, which is the same argument given by hundreds of ISA detainees and ignored by the Federal Court in almost 50 years of the application of the ISA.

Recently news broke out that the Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari was implicated in taking bribes to release three underworld bosses from detention. Meanwhile, Koo Tee Yam’s criminal empire was breaking up into internal warfare. One of his lieutenants Tan Yew Hock, the former special assistant to former Bukit Bintang MP Datuk Dr Lee Chong Meng, was shot dead at Jalan Pandan Jaya. Tan Yew Hock was Koo Tee Yam’s personal assistant to handle matters with the authorities.

In order to get out and reassert control over his criminal empire, Koo Tee Yam arranged a meeting with the Prime Minister’s men including the aforementioned Datuk Johari. It is alleged that RM7 million exchanged hands to secure his freedom, and with that he was free and left for Hong Kong shortly afterwards. That is the last the media has heard from him. Or maybe all of the above is just hogwash and the reason is that he was represented by a very well connected lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who has and is currently representing a legion of highly questionable characters accused of murder, gangsterism, corruption and abuse of power. That is a story for another day.

Before this story ends, let us illuminate ourselves with this statement released on Koo Tee Yam’s behalf by his lawyer:

We must stress here that Tee Yam and his family has the highest respect for our Malaysian judiciary and the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs and his Deputy. This statement is made purely to criticize the highhanded attitude of the Police and not on any other Government agencies. I am instructed and authorized to made this statement.

Disclaimer: The above story may or may not be true. Take it with a grain of salt if you wish.

Sources:

• Malaysia Today
• My News Focus