Ex Pm Sabri S Rm700 Million Corruption How Previous Pn Govt Kept Dirty Money Rolling With Puppet Sabri

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 Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has finally named former Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as a primary suspect in a corruption case involving a whopping RM700 million. Infamously known as the “turtle egg” man, the ex-backdoor premier had spent the taxpayers’ money as part of his administration’s “Keluarga Malaysia” promotional campaign during his 15-month tenure.
The corruption scandal emerges after the MACC recently seized RM170 million in local and foreign currencies, as well as 16kg in gold bars worth RM7 million from three locations, including a “safe house” condominium. The seized cash included foreign currencies like the Thai Baht, Saudi Riyal, British Pound, Korean Won, Euro, Swiss Franc ,Chinese Yuan, as well as Singapore, US and Australian dollars.
 
The anti-corruption agency has also frozen 13 bank accounts totalling RM2 million as of March 3. But they do not include the Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia account and Ismail Sabri’s personal bank account, at least not yet. The MACC had detained four of Sabri’s senior aides on February 21, and raided four premises. The former PM is expected to be grilled again regarding the assets confiscated.
The 65-year-old Ismail Sabri was first questioned on Feb 19, after he formally submitted a wealth declaration on Feb 10 as ordered under Section 36(1) of the MACC Act. However, on Feb 22, he was hospitalised after collapsing at home, suspected to be a stroke. The investigation is being carried out under the MACC Act 2009 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
 
If Ismail Sabri’s corruption case looks familiar, that’s because it brings back the sweet memory of the confiscation of a similar massive ill-gotten cash, assets and jewelleries from former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s safe houses. The spectacular plundering and embezzlement by the crook was only exposed after the stunning defeats of the Barisan Nasional ruling government in the May 2018 General Election.
 
On the night of May 17, 2018, police raided three luxury Pavilion Residences condominiums in Kuala Lumpur owned by Najib Razak’s children. Besides RM117 million cash and RM1 billion worth of 12,000 pieces of jewellery, an eye-popping 567 handbags consisted of luxury handbags from 37 different designers – including Chanel, Prada, Hermes and ultra-luxury Bijan – were confiscated.
Less than 2 months later, Najib was finally charged on July 3, 2018 with multiple counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and corruption for graft involving transfer of RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of 1MDB) to his personal bank account. In August 2022, he was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and a fine of RM210 million after being convicted and lost all his appeal.
 
So, both crooks – Ismail Sabri and Najib Razak – used the same modus operandi to steal money. One used “Keluarga Malaysia” whilst another used “1MDB”. Ismail hid RM170 million cash whilst Najib hid RM117 million cash, included foreign currencies. Both so-called Malay defenders also had in their possession ill-gotten jewelleries, although Ismail was no match to Najib’s 12,000 pieces.
 
Of course, after Najib idiotically stashed his stolen treasure in his own children’s luxury apartment located in the posh address, subsequent corrupt leaders were careful to use proxies or trusted assistants to rent apartments as safe houses to keep their dirty money and valuables. The other difference is Mahathir took just 2 months to seize dirty money and charge Najib, whereas Anwar takes more than 2 years to do so on Ismail.
However, it’s still a magnificent achievement for Ismail Sabri to steal RM170 million from his RM700 million pet project in just 15 months. Najib, serving 9 years as PM (2009-2018), had left the country in huge debt to the tune of RM53 billion till today – his 1MDB scandal saw at least US$4.5 billion stolen, which also involved wife Rosmah Mansor and step-son Riza Aziz, as well as spanning to at least 6 countries.
 
Don’t bet your money that Sabri will go to jail though. If crooked Najib’s “gold standard” is any indicator, not only 9th Prime Minister Sabri won’t join 6th Prime Minister Najib in prison, the former might even get back all his cash. If Najib could get back all his forfeited cash, it’s even harder for the current incompetent Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) to link the RM170 million cash to Sabri.
 
Despite all the evidence, the prosecution had failed – either deliberately or incompetently – to prove that the money seized from Najib’s luxury condominiums was obtained from illegal activities back in 2021. Likewise, it will be an uphill task to prove that Ismail Sabri’s trusted aides were keeping the RM170 million on his behalf, let alone to prove that the money had been obtained illegally.
Even if Sabri’s aides betray and implicate him, he can still claim that the money was leftover “donations” from the last national election, the same way Najib sold his fairy tales. And in the unfortunate event that he is convicted for corruption and money laundering, it will take about four more years to sentence him to jail, assuming he loses all his appeals like his former boss Najib.
 
Royal pardon to slash jail term and royal addendum for house detention to serve remaining “discounted jail sentence” will greet Ismail Sabri even if he becomes the second former prime minister to be imprisoned – thanks to former Agong (King) Sultan Abdullah and PM Anwar Ibrahim, who had set a beautiful precedent after accorded special privileges to Najib.
 
Yes, this is just a political drama by Anwar, knowing very well that his predecessor won’t go to jail. The PM, whose government had basically thrown out all corruption charges against “allies and friends” such as Najib Razak, Rosmah Manson, Riza Aziz and Zahid Hamidi, but instead targeting enemies like Mahathir Mohamad, Daim Zainuddin, Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri, desperately needs to show he is anti-corruption.
Obviously, it would be a political suicide for Mr Anwar not to “forgive and pardon” a relatively small crook like Ismail after all the rewards given to the world’s biggest crook Najib (who was also caught with US$681 million in his private bank accounts). After scolding and cursing all critics who disagreed with the monarch and his government’s decision to free Najib, how could a good Malay-Muslim like Anwar show zero compassion for Ismail by refusing to also forgive him?
 
Due to the growing dissatisfaction and displeasure over his weak and double-standard leadership, the prime minister hopes (and endorses) the move to target Sabri could hoodwink voters and international community that his government is still committed to combat corruption. But to show he’s a good Muslim, a compassionate Anwar is not likely to send fellow elite Malay leader Ismail, who is plagued with health problems, to prison.
 
With escalating cost of living, stubbornly low Ringgit currency, rising racism and extremism, Corruption Perception Index remained unchanged at 50 points in 2024, and whatnot, Anwar also badly needed a distraction. As Muhyiddin corruption case is moving at a snail’s pace, Ismail Sabri’s corruption provides the much needed high-profile investigation, even though it screams political persecution.
Exactly how the former premier was involved in the RM700 million corruption scandal is equally interesting. From the beginning, Ismail Sabri was not a prime minister material. He was lucky to be at the right place at the right time. After Muhyiddin Yassin, who became the country’s first backdoor prime minister by betraying his own Pakatan Harapan government, stunningly lost power after just 17 months, there was a need to keep the gravy train moving.
Traitor Muhyiddin lost power after he was betrayed by none other than his own ally in the previous Perikatan Nasional government – United Malays National Organization (UMNO). As the biggest of the three Malay political parties in the coalition, which comprised UMNO, Bersatu and PAS Islamist party, someone from UMNO had to be chosen by the power-hungry Bersatu and PAS in order to stay in power.
 
Ismail Sabri, formerly vice president of UMNO, was third in line, but since UMNO president Zahid Hamidi was facing corruption charges and UMNO deputy president Mohamad Hasan was not an MP, the turtle-egg man got the job. But the strategic decision to endorse Sabri was largely because he was incompetent and lame, therefore, an excellent puppet since he supported rival Bersatu-PAS more than his own party.
To keep the gravy train moving and the money rolling uninterrupted, the dubious “Keluarga Malaysia” (which means “Malaysian family”) promotional campaign was hatched. It encouraged Malaysians to work together to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and achieve shared prosperity, which turned out to be a marketing gimmick to loot from the national coffers. 


More importantly, the massive RM700 million was crucial for Bersatu and PAS to spend lavishly during the November 2022 General Election, which they lost anyway. But the stash of RM170 million seized by the MACC is merely leftover of what had been spent by the opposition Perikatan Nasional after the six state elections in August 2023, which means the actual money stolen was more than that.
 
After Sabri has been identified as the suspect, the next corrupt leader who is trembling in fear is Annuar Musa, who served as the Minister of Communications and Multimedia under Sabri from August 2021 to the collapse of the government in November 2022. Former UMNO warlord Annuar has since joined the racist and radical PAS Islamist party in June 2023.
As the minister in charge of Sabri’s “Keluarga Malaysia” publicity campaign, it’s not rocket science that Annuar Musa’s hands were also in the cookie jar. Between Ismail and Annuar, there will be less compassion for the UMNO traitor than Sabri. But the fact remains that every past, present and future prime ministers are corrupted, from Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah Badawi, Najib Razak, and Muhyiddin Yassin to Ismail Sabri.


Only time will tell if Anwar’s “Malaysia Madani” or “Civil Malaysia” – the replacement of Ismail’s “Keluarga Malaysia”, is also another marketing gimmick to enrich the political elites, the same way slogan business was booming under Badawi’s “Islam Hadhari”, Najib’s “1Malaysia” and Muhyiddin’s “Kerajaan Prihatin”. Now you know why Bersatu has been quiet despite their accounts being frozen. The opposition still has tonnes of safe houses, including Azmin Ali’s. - financetwitter
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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