DAP: Jamal stands to rake in about 40 mil?

Petty traders leader's gimmick of offering luxury cars on his Facebook is nothing but a self-serving stunt, taking advantage others' fortune, says DAP's Lim Lip Eng

KUALA LUMPUR: The offer of two luxury cars in a lucky draw is nothing but a self-serving stunt by an anti-Bersih group’s leader who stands to rake in almost RM40 million from the plan, an Opposition leader said today.

DAP’s Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said: “If this guy really pulls off this stunt, then he is the only person making millions from Bersih. The Inland Revenue Board should investigate if Jamal Md Yunus from the Kuala Lumpur Petty Traders Action Committee is evading taxes.

“The Bersih 2.0 steering committee is facing a civil suit from the government. Those who took part in the rally are facing criminal charges and and many others, including journalists, were brutalised during the rally and this guy is trying to make a fortune out of their misery.”

Earlier this week, Jamal’s group started a “Bersih 4.0 Peace-lovers” Facebook page to garner public support for their cause against Bersih.

Jamal announced that visitors would get a chance to win a 2005 BMW 530 model worth RM225,000 and a 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo worth RM1.2 million.

Visitors to the group’s Facebook page must click on the ‘Like’ icon, spend at least RM50 at one of 18 Sekinchan Ikan Bakar restaurants, and provide the receipt to qualify for the lucky draw.

Jamal, who owns the restaurant franchise and a luxury car dealership, said the draw for the BMW will start when 150,000 people have liked the page.

When the count reaches one million, a second lucky draw would be held for the grand prize of the Lamborghini Gallardo.

Generating income for his business

DAP Taman Segambut secretary Yew Jia Haur, who was present at the press conference, whipped out his calculator and showed the numbers involved in Jamal’s plan.

“Let’s suppose that the 150,000 visitors spent RM50 at his restaurants to qualify for the draw, it works up to RM7.5 million (RM50x150,000).

“If you minus RM220,000 (for the cost of the BMW) and assuming the operational amounts to RM2.25 million, you will arrive at a figure of RM5,030,000. That’s the gross profit from the BMW,” said Yew.

If and when the Facebook page reaches 1 million hits, Yew said the gross profit would be RM33.8 million.

“Same thing for the Lamborghini. RM50x1,000,000 comes to RM50 million. Minus the cost of the RM1.2 million car and an estimated RM15 million in operational costs, you get RM33.8 million,” said Yew.

“Jamal is a smart entrepreneur and is making use of Bersih and his ‘NGO’ to generate sales for his own restaurant. What if it doesn’t reach the 150k ‘likes’ and he revokes the draw? Or manipulates it? We would not know,” he added.

On Thursday Jamal’s group had planned to set up stalls outside Bersih chairperson S Ambiga’s home in Bukit Damansara, in an apparent protest against Bersih for losses suffered as a result of the rally on April 28.

However, only 60 of their members turned up, along with another group of 50 youths from the Gerakan Belia Gagasan 1Malaysia and about 50 motorcyclists.

They aborted the plan to set up stalls after City Hall had sternly told them that it would be illegal.

They also cancelled the plan to set up stalls on Friday and Jamal had said the group planned to hold a mammoth assembly at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on June 23.