Did KPRJ's Johar Salim oppose MACC investigation into IIB?

Iskandar or whatever it was called before had been under our radar since Tun Dol announced it as his idea back in 2006.

It is a wrong place to be involved professionally or commercially. It doesn't matter how big a name is thrown in, how giant a company to be involved, so-called billion investment brought in or claimed big name consultant or fool proof system put in place.

No one is going to believe it is clean and efficient. Iskandar is laden with Tingkat 4 boys!

Even Wan Mohamaed Firdaus attempt to pacify some bloggers sometime back got tarred in feathers. He is the activist of IDEAS, and private assistant of MB Johor Dato Gani Osman,

The bloke hardly knows 10% of what's happening and the wrongdoings in Iskandar, be it IRDA or IIB. Imagine ... Gani appointed the undercook 28 year old as Director to check on Tingkat 4's Dato Zaki Zahid as Managing Director of Johor Corporation's Kulim

The IIB scandal exposed another of Gani's undercook appointee, but he is significantly older than 28 years old.

An extract from Big Cat's expose on IIB caught my attention, read below:

My friend was among the large group of mid-level management staff who left IIB last year. At that time he told me that he can't stand anymore the antics of a group whom he called "the inner circle".

"If only Arlida had stood up to them," he said, in reference to former IIB CEO Arlida Ariff whose husband was charged with alleged IIB-related corruption several days ago.

Then my friend pointed out something which have been bothering me all along.

"How come no one really linked all this with Khazanah?" he asked before proceeding with several other questions.

"All those people in the inner circle, aren't they appointed to their position by the Khazanah board of directors? I know one of them who started as an assistant vice president and within just over two years had become a director and heading one of IIB's major projects. The guy is just a marketing person and has no technical background. What were the Khazanah BOD thinking when they appointed him? Or was there something else behind it?"

"Another thing is that the E&Y people were send in by Azman (Mokhtar). How sure are the MACC that they did not cover up for Khazanah?"

Seriously, I had these doubts also about Khazanah back then, especially when I observed the manner of how Arlida was told that her services were no longer required by IIB. The way Khazanah distanced themselves from IIB at that time piqued me. I still remember how the Khazanah people washed their hands off the whole thing. What actually made me angry with them at that time is the fact that everytime IIB did well previously, they would had always been there to share the limelight.

So, ABITW is not the only one questioning the competency of Khazanah organisation, other than their academic resume.

When one turn the heat on one side, it is likely to spread, unless one do something about it. Maybe by disclosing something.

Rocky Bru disclosed the following:

In March, Earnst & Young had just completed the audit ordered by Khazanah, the major shareholder of IIB (it owns 60% of IIB, EPF and Johor state government's investment arm Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ) each owns 20%).

It was reported that E&Y found cases of mismanagement and criminal breach of trust, among other things. Khazanah chief Azman Mokhtar, or Amok to his friends and to bloggers, studied the E&Y report and discussed with stakeholders the next course of action.

Aides said he was keen to invite the relevant authorities in and let them probe deeper the findings of E&Y. Nothing to hide and he wanted the rogues out. He was proposing that Khazanah/IIB lodge a police report and another to the MACC.

Strangely, not everyone was in favour of his idea. A representative from Kumpulan Prasarana (who was, in effect, the representative of Johor state government) who sat on the IIB board, in particular, was not too keen to go along with Amok's idea. 

But Amok was adamant and the IIB Board called in the cops in April this year to investigate tbe findings of E&Y.

A certain Board member was adamant that a report to the MACC was unnecessary but the MACC eventually came into the picture, nevertheless.

Who is the Prasarana repprersentative on the Board of Director trying to cover-up the wrongdoings in IIB which is already infamous throughout Johor?

No, it is not Wan Mohamad Firdaus. Some compilation and background profile was made. Read the following:

Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar - Chairman (Represent Khazanah)
Ganendran Sarvananthan (Alt Director: Zaida Khalida binti Shaari) (Represent Khazanah)
Dato Ghazali bin Mohd Ali (Director of Binapuri and Bouestead Hldg, Not state to represent who.)
Johar Salim in Yahya (COO KPRJ, Director/Exe. Chairman, PLS Plantations Bhd (formerly Pembinaan Limbongan Setia Bhd), Chairman and previous MD Iskandar Waterfront, and Director/Exe Vice Chairman Tebrau Teguh Berhad. Represent KPRJ.)
Md Yusof bin Hussin (Former MD of I&P berhad, GM PNB, Director Tebrau Teguh Berhad, Glenealy, TH Pantation, CGC berhad, LaFarge Malayan Cement, etc. Chairman of sub of BNM, TPPT Sdn Bhd and SDRC. Not known to represent who.)
Mohamad Lotfy bin Mohamad Noh (Former GM Property Investment, EPF. Managing Director of Kwasa Land, Read APA here. Should represent EPF.)
Dato Ibrahim bin Taib (Senior Management, Deputy CEO of EPF. Should represent EPF.)
Jamil Hajar bin Abdul Mutallib (Iskandar Waterfront, Executive Vice President, CIMB Group Holdings Berhad, former Director Scan Associates, sub of Mesdaq. Should represent Khazanah.)
Mohd Nadziruddin bin Mohd Basri (CFO Khazanah, former Sr Mgr E&Y, Former GM of Project Management & Assurance and Airport Operations, MAS. Should represent Khazanah.)
Dato Syed Mohamad bin Syed Ibrahim(President/CEO)

Our investigation leads us to Iskandar Waterfront which we believe was the former Danga Bay that is taken over by IIB. The previous member of Board of Directors of Iskandar Waterfront were:

Arlida binti Ariff (Chairman)
Ganendran Sarvananthan
Dato’ Lim Kang Hoo
Johar Salim bin Yahaya
Madam Lim Hoe
Adlan bin Ahmad
Rosenah binti Mohd Hassan
Hisham bin Zainal Mokhtar
Omar Siddiq bin Amin Noer Rashid
(alternate director to Ganendran Sarvananthan)

Who are the members of the present Board of Directors of Iskandar Waterfront? If the present website is the right source, then these are the current members:

Tn Hj Johar Salim Yahaya - Chairman
Dato’ Lim Kang Hoo - Managing Director
Lim Keng Cheng
Wong Khai Shiuan
Hj Jamil Hajar Bin Abdul Muttalib
Dato Dr.Shahir Nasir
Norliza Suleiman

From one go, it is noticeable that this outfit is now controlled by the people of KPRJ and Dato Lim Kang Ho and one Khazanah rep. Lim Kang Ho is an open secret in Johor. He is widely said to be proxy or business partner of Gani.

The beneficiary and most worried to have MACC investigate IIB must these people. Looks like Tuan Haji Johar Salim benefit the most by the recent management shake-up in which Erlida and four Senior VP, including Haji Rostam Razali that admitted guilty, left a year ago.

Members of the Board of Directors and Management of Khazanah Nasional Berhad of the hook for awhile although it is disturbing to see Khazanah absorbed failed executives like Tengku Azmil of MAS and Hisham Hamdan of Sime Darby?

Johor has been in a the spotlight lately with Gani's wrong apppointments to put former Tingkat 4 Dato Zaki Zahid at the helm and a Tingkat 4 clone, Wan Mohamad Fordaus as board members.

Johoreans are screaming murder as to why Kulim is selling QSR and KFC to a joint venture company between Johor Corp and private equity fund CVC Capital Partners Asia III Ltd with Johor Corp owning 51% and some Chinaman investor holding 49%.

The JV compay has appointed CIMB nvestmen Bank Bhd as advisor. 

The memory of Khazanah and Tingkat 4 manouver to takeover 51% of Pantai with Parkway holding 49& but even to buy a pencil requires Parkway's approval is fresh in the mind of many. Later Khazanah paid a hefty premium to buy over control of Parkway.

Maybe someone should make a report to MACC and let them investigate all of Johor's investment arms like Johor Corporation and KPRJ. Suddenly many Chinamen close to politicians have active role in GLCs. Could there be hanky panky going on at the tail end of Gani's political career?

Could that be the reason why Johar Salim was against MACC investigation into IIB? He could be worried that it will trace itself to KPRJ and other Johor investments, especially Danga Bay or now Iskandar Waterfront? 

Iskandar Waterfront got big plans with Tan Sri Danny Tan's Dijaya. There is a lot to talk of Tan Sri Vincent and Danny Tan beyond business but into the realm of politics. PKR's headquarter is at Danny's development project. Gani does not care because a Pakatan Rakyat sympathiser, WM Firdaus can be his assistant.

Or was Johar Salim instructed to cover-up for Nusajaya's ADUN, Datuk Aziz Sapian? Who instructed him?


- Another Brick in the Wall