NAJIB CORNERED LIKE A WOUNDED BEAST: Malaysia now in real danger

Datuk Seri Najib Razak with his good looks, convincing stature, and having been brought up in a good family and groomed for years for top leadership positions, had the potential to be the best prime minister Malaysia ever had.

He could have been loved by friends and respected by foes,. Unfortunately, Najib has turned into the most despised person in Malaysia akin to a beast that has been tormenting the community. A beast that ought to be captured, punished and condemned - put on a stake and paraded in public before being JAILED for decades.

Unable to clarify and give credible explanations to all questions posed to him pertaining to the 1MDB scandal Najib is now like a wounded beast being cornered with nowhere to run except to turn around and face the hunter.

At this juncture the beast would just use whatever remaining brute force that it could garner from its weakening strength after being pursued by the hunters with arrows, bullets, rocks, sling shots and whatever weapon which came in handy day in, day out while the beast could only groan, whine and look back once in a while hoping that the hunters would stop their pursue. In the final attempt to fight back the attack by the wounded and cornered beast would be the most vicious! Just wait and see.

With the situation being hopeless and desperate Najib has now started to distrust those that have connection or knowledge of the transactions involving 1MDB. Previously they could be his defenders but now in the blink of an eye they could be his enemies.

A battle already lost but selfish Najib refuses to let go - even though he destroys Malaysia in the process

Those in the investigation teams are also in a predicament whether to be honest and diligent or to carry on with the ‘sandiwara’ scripted by Najib because those that Najib have entrusted to investigate are many, and anyone of them could be the mole planted by his rivals.

Now Malaysia's most hated couple - Najib and wife Rosmah

In facing the hunters, several people have been apprehended and most probably were given stern warnings not to disclose any damning information the investigators. But for how long could they continue defending Najib because the tide is not on his side!

Blocking the Sarawak Report is simply futile because it is still accessible. Stopping the publication of The Edge would make matters worse simply because the people would be more eager to know more and there are several channels that The Edge could use to disseminate its information!

Whatever efforts being done by Najib now is of no use. It would be a waste of resources and time for all those involved while the country is on auto pilot with our economy going south.

Daylight robbery but equally corrupt Cabinet refuses to take action; Umno warlords, including Muhyiddin, close an eye

Najib has not been able to deny that the RM2.62 billion was banked into his accounts. Najib has also failed to sue the WSJ and has not been able to counter back with proof whatever that has been written in detail in The Edge. The Edge has also challenged Najib to sue back if indeed the details are false and total fabrication. Since Najib has not been able to undertake on a legal course of action against both papers, this is an obvious admittance of guilt.

Najib prefers to let the public to be the judge hoping that he could distract, divert, tell bull stories and pretend that there is nothing wrong with him, the country and 1MDB. But there is no thick and wide enough carpet to hide the problems faced by all of them.

Najib is now sitting in the accused dock of the public court. He has been accused of so many wrong doings by the public and now there are so many witnesses taking the witness stand and each and every one of them is credible, while Najib’s defence team has none!

While Najib hopes that the charade that is going on will eventually vindicate him since he is still in control, the 1MDB scandal has gone beyond our shores involving various parties in Thailand, Singapore, Middle East, the UK, EU and the US. Najib has no power to control whatever events and activities taking place overseas. His obedient ‘bouncer ‘ the IGP has also been turned down by the Thai authorities in his personal request to meet Justo. He has been advised to follow the ‘proper channel’!

Instead of reforms, Najib worsens the abuses initiated by Mahathir

Najib may not think that the 1MDB has no effect on other countries but he should take heed on what had been done by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in disrupting the integrity of the judiciary. It has affected the people doing business especially when dealing with international partners.

Accused of swiping RM2.6 bil of 1MDB-linked funds into his personal accounts

The most obvious effects have been in signing any business deal because the foreigners have insisted to add the condition whereby in any dispute that needs arbitration, it should be held in a third country. Anyway by now, they could insist on any condition because they have the resources, the product, know-how and the money!

Where previously a well established local company could stand tall on its own in determining its foreign partner, now many of them have been relegated to just sleeping partners while the foreign companies control many things! They do not trust our legal system anymore!

Regional shame: When M'sia indulges in money-laundering & 'so-called-clean' S'pore abets & helps to cover the trail

Now when Najib is trying to bulldoze the investigations and forcefully resolve the 1MDB scandal, our monetary system is at the risk of facing the same fate as our judiciary. People from overseas would simply be afraid to invest in Malaysia when there is no control and proper governance in our monetary system coupled with our questionable judiciary! If Najib got his way, Malaysia will face a double jeopardy!

1MDB most probably has been involved in money laundering. The tell tale sign was the investment in the Cayman Islands involving the transaction with the Singapore bank; 1MDB has something big to hide! The trail of money flow which ultimately ended up in Najib’s personal accounts (which he has never denied) affected both Malaysia and Singapore.

The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (‘FATF’) was established in 1989 by the Group of 7 Industrial Democracies (G-7). The FATF is a global money laundering watchdog organisation and has set out the framework and measures that should be taken by governments around the world to combat money laundering and more recently, terrorist financing.

Justo, himself a criminal, 'miraculously' arrested in Thailand turning 'star witness' for Najib now?

Malaysia enacted its Anti-Money Laundering Act in 2001 (the ‘AMLA’) which came into force on 15 January 2002. The AMLA complies with nearly all of the FATF Forty Recommendations (original) and recent amendments have been enacted to the AMLA pursuant to the Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Act 2003 which extends its application to cover the offence of terrorist financing.

The AMLA requires financial institutions to appoint accountants as an AML Reporting Officer (AMLRO) to receive any internal report of suspicious transactions. The AMLRO will report to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) established by the Bank Negara Malaysia who will facilitate and co-ordinate the implementation and enforcement of the AMLA nationwide.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) should have similar framework. Besides outlining very stringent measures, what construed something as ‘suspicious’, AMLA has given the guidelines listing more than one hundred circumstances.

Surely the transactions involving 1MDB must fit several of the criteria that the banks should have raised the flags to the authorities. Now both Singapore and Malaysia have the law and regulations only on paper! They have closed their eyes and inadvertently marred the integrity of their monetary systems.

M'sia's downfall may be S'pore's gain but S'pore's financial reputation is also at stake; Najib has 'taken' enough to last generations

Najib may not care less about the country because may be he has enough money to survive elsewhere until he dies, but would Singapore take the risk in being seen as being in cohort with Najib just for the fees its banks received to facilitate the suspicious transactions?

S'pore - long-suspected of being a money-laundering hub: Will 1MDB confirm it?

In holding the arbitration stipulated by the foreign business partners in Malaysia, they have taken for granted that it should be held in Singapore as the trusted third country, but would this trust simply evaporates since the inaction by MAS in the 1MDB scandal has shown the ugly face of Singapore when huge sum of money is involved! Singapore would never take such risk and who is Najib anyway that Singapore has been indebted with? Dr. Mahathir said that Najib is afraid of Singapore!

Many have speculated that Malaysia's downfall is precisely what Singapore wants. But some say Singapore has no choice but to rectify whatever mistakes that have been done by the inaction by the MAS in the 1MDB case. Singapore should gain back its reputation by exposing the wrong doings related to 1MDB and take the necessary actions. Najib has to face the repercussions.

Najib may be able to dampen the effects of the fall out form 1MDB in Malaysia. He may continue to keep quiet while pulling the strings and play things down. But he could not prevent the repercussions by the moves made by other countries. Najib may have anticipated that and he has plan B. Let us wait and see.

Plan B: More money for greedy Umno and BN ministers - watch those who rise to defend him & his wife Rosmah

By defending Najib, in the end our economy will be at a huge risk. No country in this world could survive on its own without international interactions. Najib should not ignore the international community, if not the people will take heed of the events in other countries.

Armed with a mighty war chest from 'stolen' 1MDB funds, Najib has been careful to be generous with his Umno colleagues so as to continue to enjoy their support

Malaysians in general have been very tolerant to the various scandals involving Najib and those dissatisfied have gone to the streets but pale in comparison to other countries like Korea, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia, where they have demonstrated as long as necessary until they managed to change their governments.

Presently our street demonstrations lasted only for several hours, but when Malaysia becomes like Greece, only God knows what could happen when it is the turn of the people to be pushed to a corner! . Najib being stubborn in holding onto power may ultimately force the people to emulate the demonstrators in those countries.

Those still supporting Najib in this mother of all scandals in the form of 1MDB, should take a step back and think with clear minds and conscience on the fate of our country. It is still not too late to pull back your support, let Najib be responsible for his own mistakes and not let the whole country go down with him. The repercussions could be catastrophic.

May God help Malaysia. - MAILBAG