Petros’s antics costing us billions of USD, thousands of jobs and investor confidence in Malaysia 13 Feb 6:05 PM (last month)

"Project od the Year" Lang Lebah gas field development project is first major victim of Petronas-Petros project, sources say

14 Feb: Today couples all around the modern world renew their love for each other but not Petronas, our national oul corporation, and Petros, Sarawak’s oil company. These two can’t stop bickering and their animosity is already costing us massively. 

A major casualty is the multi-billion dollar Lang Lebah gas field development project offshore Sarawak. According to my sources, Lang Lebah may have to be postponed, or even called off, as a direct result of this row. 

The multi-billion USD joint venture between Petronas and Thailand’s national upstream company PTTEP has been touted as the largest gas discovery in Malaysia’s history.

A source with intimate knowledge about the project blames the “lost” on the “stupid fight” between Petronas and Petros. 

“Absolutely bonkers. Lang Lebah was supposed to be oil and gas industry’s ‘Project of the Year’ but now the Malaysian government is saying it has to be shelved, at least for two years and maybe longer, because of the Petronas-Petros fight,” the source told me.

Various parties locally and abroad will be affected by the cancellation. One of the victims will be McDermott International (see article below).

The biggest losers, however, will be the Malaysian economy. Thousands of spin-off businesses for local oil and gas companies, thousands of existing jobs within Petronas, and thousands more new high-end jobs will go down the drain. 

The Petronas-Petros face-off has been described as a proxy war between Putrajaya and Petra Jaya, the admininstration centres for the Federal governnent and Sarawak state government, respectively. 

The source said if Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim does nothing to stop the Petronas-Petros fight, Malaysia can forget about drawing foreign investors. “It will end badly for Malaysia. And that includes Sarawak. Especially Sarawak.”

P.S My source is not apologetic about calling the Petronas-Petros row “stupid”, “It’s stupid because the two are not equals. Petros does not have a fraction of Petronas’ capability so it’s stupid of anyone to allow them to make demands. It takes decades to build capacity in the oil and gas industry. It took Petronas decades to get where it is today”.

Article on McDermott:

McDermott Bags Contract for Kasawari CCS Project in Malaysia

by Rocky Teodoro

|

Rigzone Staff

 | Friday, January 19, 2024 | 1:10 AM EST

McDermott will transport and install an 85-mile pipeline section, a 15,000-metric ton CCS platform jacket, and bridge connecting to the existing central processing platform.

Image by curraheeshutter via iStock

McDermott International Ltd has secured an offshore contract from Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd (MMHE) for the Kasawari Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, located offshore Sarawak in East Malaysia.

Under the scope of the contract, McDermott will transport and install an 85-mile (138-kilometer) pipeline section, a 15,000-metric ton CCS platform jacket, and bridge connecting to the existing central processing platform, the company said in a recent news release. The installation activities will be performed by one of McDermott's heavy-lift and pipelay vessels.

"Set to become one of the largest offshore CCS projects in the world, the Kasawari CCS award showcases the valuable role we have in supporting our clients through the energy transition", Mahesh Swaminathan, McDermott Senior Vice President for Subsea and Floating Facilities, said.

The CCS project, operated by PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd and located in Block SK316 about 124 miles (200 kilometers) off Bintulu, is expected to reduce carbon dioxide volume emitted via flaring by 3.3 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.

Petronas Carigali, a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysian state oil firm Petronas, made the final investment decision (FID) for the development of the Kasawari CCS project in November 2022. The project is scheduled to start operations by the end of 2025.

In December 2023, Petronas Carigali signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and two technical assistance agreements (TAAs) with PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) for two blocks off the coast of Sarawak, Malaysia. The MoU and the TAAs are in relation to the development of PTTEP-operated blocks SK405B and SK410B, Petronas said in an earlier news release.

The MoU covers the scope of the potential evacuation of production from Block SK405B through D35/D21/J4 Production Sharing Contract (PSC) facilities, Post 1976 Balingian PSC facilities and the Bintulu Crude Oil Terminal operated by Petronas Carigali.

According to the release, the first TAA covers the study and design works for Block SK405B fields. The second TAA is for assistance with the engineering design for the potential construction, tie-in works, pipeline and cable crossings of Block SK410B for Lang Lebah’s gas evacuation to the Bintulu Additional Gas Supply Facilities 2, as well as for the potential production and handling of Lang Lebah’s condensate at the Bintulu Integrated Facilities.

Late last year, McDermott said it received a “limited notice to proceed” for an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract from Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited for the Manatee gas field development project, located off the east coast of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Manatee project scope is for the design, procurement, fabrication, transportation, installation, and commissioning of a wellhead platform, offshore and onshore gas pipelines, McDermott said in a news release Tuesday. The project is still subject to a final investment decision from Shell.

McDermott describes itself as a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. The company in September 2023 entered into a transaction support agreement - with more than 75 percent, in aggregate, of its secured letter of credit providers, funded debt creditors, and equity holders - to initiate a financial restructuring process.

To contact the author, email rocky.teodoro@rigzone.com

READ ALSO: Politics of Oil and Gas by Zainul Ariffin

The King, his family and U 5 Dec 2024 7:17 PM (3 months ago)

Or … “Who needs to be a crony when you can be a Royal Crony Pt 2”

The King and U 21 Nov 2024 5:54 PM (4 months ago)

The King and U-Mobile and the tale of two brave Hassans

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 22: The vocal YB Hassan Karim was called up by his own party’s disciplinary committee for criticizing the PMX and the King recently. The Pasir Gudang MP is very likely going to be censured. But how they deal with Hassan could define Anwar’s premiership. After all, one can say that Hassan was merely speaking out on behalf of the Rakyat who elected him  

The committee’s action still also have a bearing on our freedom of speech and expression.

In the meantime, two weeks have gone since Perkasa, the Malay NGO, lodged a police report on claims made in the media that the King had a 22% stake in U-Mobile, the telco that has been picked by the government to set up the long overdue second 5G network. 

Syed Hassan Syed Ali, the Perkasa president, told me he hadn’t heard from the cops since making the report.

According the Perkasa, the Constitution clearly prohibits the King from active participation in business. And according to Hassan when he lodged that report Perkasa wasn’t certain if the claims made in the media were true. 

If it’s untrue, he wants the police to act against the authors of those reports for trying to tarnish the image of the King. If it’s true, well, “we’ll have to find a way to deal with it”.

One portal saw Hassan and Perkasa’s report as Reverse psychology at play.

But are the actions by the two Hassans a mere charade, or do they echo what the masses, especially the Malay rakyat, feel? This is something the PKR Disciplinary Committee and the police have to decide. They must consult the Constitutional experts before making a decision. The Constitution is supreme. Avoid, at all cost, another Constitutional crisis.

As a citizen, I understand what YB Hassan and Perkasa’s Syed Hassan are leading to. Ten years ago, several bloggers and I wrote against the business partnership between a major corporation and an heir to the Johor throne. We felt obliged to take the risk because we agreed that the active participation of the prince in such business would not augur well for the image and integrity of the Rulers. 

It can be argued that the King’s 22% shareholding in U-Mobile does not make him an active participant. He’s not an executive and, furthermore, Sultan Ibrahim has held those shares since 2015 or 2016, long before he became the King and longer before 5G. Blogger Salahuddin Hisham puts forward a solid defence in a recent posting in Thick as a Brick.

Excerpts from U-Mobile: Putting aside Vincent Tan, Spore, Istana and Politics

Perhaps, the intention is either to create impression that Maxis and DigiCelcom could not match the influence of Agong's 22.3% stake in U Mobile or anti-Forest City Mahathir throwing stones while hiding his hands.

Nevertheless, the Sultan is merely a passive investor and legally speaking does not have any executive role or represented on the Board of Directors. Thus there is no enforceable breach of the Constitution. 

In all fairness, his Majesty had long been a passive investor in U Mobile. His initial equity was 5% before raising it to 10% in 2015, 9 years ago. The earlier investment was longer.

But that’s just one good blogger’s assertion. What about the rest of us, the Bar Council, BERSIH, Rapera? What say the Prime Minister?

Talk about the PM, I must say I have to disagree with YB Hassan’s accusation that by awarding the second 5G network to U-Mobile, Anwar Ibrahim  is repeating the same mistakes committed during Dr Mahathir Mohamad's first term by surrounding himself with individuals and corporate entities out to get lucrative contracts.

It’s rather unfair to put the blame on Anwar like that. Because all of us know that all big businesses in Malaysia involve some crony or other. Unless you know one that isn’t!

Defamation suit over stadium issue: Here’s how Razak I-do-not-know-Murray-Hunter Ismail can undo the damage he has done 29 Oct 2024 12:21 AM (5 months ago)

KL, 29 Oct: That was what I wrote on my blog July 30 last year after Razak Ismail, the sacked PKR man, wouldn’t stop playing victim after he was sued for defamation. Well, last week (Oct 22) Razak apologized in court for defaming MRCB, the company appointed by the Selangor government to redevelop the Shah Alam stadium project. 

He admitted at the Shah Alam High Court, in front of Judge Khadijah Idris, that he had made numerous false and misleading statements about the company and the Shah Alam stadium project.

“I would like to express my deep regret in respect of the press releases issued by me on March 21, 2023 and April 3, 2023, as well as the publications made by myself on my Facebook account bearing the name Abdul Razak Ismail which have offended you. 

“I would like to offer my deepest and most sincere regret in my personal capacity as the publication had offended you.” 

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Budget 2025: Looking beyond the material world 16 Oct 2024 5:55 PM (5 months ago)

BUDGET 2025: Looking beyond the material world 

(suggested pic of “Kopi”?) ps This is the draft for my column in The Scoop. 

17 Oct: At the Budget 2025 briefing for local editors in Putrajaya onTuesday, the Prime Minister was punctual as usual, shook hands with everyone, jovial.

And why not? Since re-taking the Finance Ministry portfolio two years ago (he was sacked as DPM and Finance Minister in 1998), the ringgit has been the region’s best performer, foreign investors have returned in droves, inflation and unemployment have been kept low. His war on corruption under the Madani banner is making many piss in their pants and bringing back confidence in his government’s serious about reforms. The forseeable future seems to be looking up.

Came my turn to shake hands, he quipped: “You’ve done this many times, sudah hafal (you’ve memorised this).” 

He meant that I’ve covered the annual budget as a reporter since he was DPM and Minister of Finance back in the 1990s. But so has he. Tomorrow Anwar Ibrahim, 77, will be tabling his xxx-th budget. Me, I’ve had the privilege of being part of this annual, customary pre-Budget press briefing my the MoF since the mid 1980s. 

Every Anwar Ibrabim budget in the 1990s, any business reporter in those days would remember, would come attached with a glossary to help us with the BM jargons he so loved to use. Rhetorics and semantics were aplenty, too. And mega projects. 

Yesterday, however, one came away feeling that the Budget to be tabled in Parliament tomorrow will be glossed with not just handouts for the masses but, more importantly, policies and prograns that will help increase their incomes and lessen their burdens.

One for the marhaen, dare I say? A Budget with a conscience?

I am not at liberty to disclose what the PM shared at yesterday’s briefing (everything is embargoed till tomorrow). But if you think you are one of the common people, or you need some kind of help, or you’re part of the 10 per cent of the population above 60, there should be something to smile about.

There will be a shake-up of the government-linked corporationsw (GLCs), a consolidation of overlapping authorities and agencies to reduce wastages and increase efficiency, and perhaps drastic changes in the way subsidies are awarded.

With regards to the GST, for example, the PM has made it clear even before yesterday’s briefing that the time has not come. It’s an effective and transparent tax regime, he admitted, but “my conscience says no, not now”. My colleage Zainul Ariffin, who is propagating the return to GST in his column The State of the nation: The case for GST again will be disappointed but there’s that conscience again: the PM feels the family income threshold for Malaysians must be doubled from today’s RM1500 before he brings back GST. 

That same conscience, a Treasury official said, is nudging the PM away from mega projects such as the High Speed Rail, which many thought (and some hoped) would be announced in the Budget.

“The PM wants more schools, more hospitals, more universities to be built. The money that would be spent on mega projects is better spent on these,” an aide said.

If that’s where the 2025 Budget is going, I believe it will go down pretty well with the long-suffering Rakyat and perhaps set this nation back on track.

Sometimes it’s the little things that we need. Taxes (and tax redemptions), incentives, subsidies, higher pay and better perks - everybody wants them. But quality of life is not defined by material terms only. 

I do have a short wish list - all non-monetary - that I shared on Instragram half an hour or so before the PM met us yesterday: be kind to the animals, be generous to the common people, and give plenty back to Mother Nature.

“If I were the Prime Minister, I’d shoot those who ordered strayed dogs shot, provide free education and health services to lower-income groups, and launch a campaign to grow a million trees.” - posted on Instagram by rockybru, 15/10/24

“Also, don’t forget cycling infrastructure please.”

“If you threw in another 3 million trees, I’d h help fund your political campaigns.”

“How about retroactive citizenship amendment + cancel the 3 regressive amendments. That covers 50% of the vote - WOMEN.”

“Yes, cruelty to animals a big NO.”

“And make it an offence to those who do not pay back their study loans.”

“Imagine if they shot John Wick’s dog.”

“Justice for Kopi.”

For the uninitiated, “Kopi” is the name of a “popular and friendly stray dog” in Hulu Terengganu shot dead recently by the local municipal officers. Read Who allowed this cruelty? A discrict council president said his officers had license to kill wild and dangerous animals. Shooting of Kopi followed SOP, says Besut Council

This was not the first time the authorities shoot dead stray dogs to resolve the problems of stray dogs. Perhaps the PM should set aside a small allocation in the Budget 2025 to train and motivate municipalities to build shelters for the homeless dogs and to have them neutered, vaccinated and spayed. And encourage people, including the Malay-Muslims, to adopt them. 

“Juan” vs YB Wan Fayhsal: Who is this powerful “EPF employee” who sent an elected MP to pasture over BlackRock? 1 Oct 2024 9:33 PM (6 months ago)

So, for whatever it’s worth (this is me, journalist and blogger, belatedly trying to do my job as journalist and blogger), here goes:

The “EPF employee” named by Wan Fayhsal is: is Mohamad Shahazwan Mohd Harris. Nicknamed Juan. I don’t know if he calls himself Juan (like I call myself Rocky) or if that’s a nick people assign to him but we can rest assured that this Juan has no relations to Don Juan, the legendary but fictional Spanish libertine (a person who freely indulges in sensual pleasures without regard to moral principles) who devoted his life to seducing women.

How does our Juan look like?

Now, one of the journalists did ask if he was related to the Palace or the PM or Azalina, the minister who tabled the motion to suspend Wan Faysal for naming him as the EPF employee behind BlackRock. It’s a fair question, actually. In the Malaysian context, it’s usually who you know or are related to.

But before we go further, a quick refresher’s first: Why was Wan Fayhsal talking about BlackRock and citing an anonymous letter in Parliament? 

Well, the matter had become a thorn in Madani’s scheme of things after a deal by Khazanah and EPF to privatise MAHB, the company that owns and operates all airports in Malaysia except Senai in the Kingdom of Johor and manages several good and profitable ones abroad) went sideways. Reason it went sideways: GIP, one of the partners selected by Khazanah-EPF was being bought over by BlackRock, the world’s largest investment that, according to the UN, has been “profiting from Israel’s crimes in Gaza”.

Of course, PM Anwar Ibrahim as Khazanah chairman and the Minister of Finance had to defend the deal. I have also written on this blog (HERE) to defend the deal. But Wan Fayhsal seems to believe that contrary to PMX and my explanations, those Malaysians who brokered the deal may have known (but failed to inform the PM) that BlackRock was going to be in the picture eventually.

One of the people named in the poison-pen letter was EPF’s Shahazwan, a former Khazanah top exec. 

Like I said, my job is not to take anyone’s side. But more and more, I feel that the decision to suspend Wan Fayhsal for ID-ing Juan was a wrong one. 

The MPs who voted to suspend him argued that i) by referencing a poison-pen letter, Wan Fayhsal had “tainted the sanctity of the Lower House by citing inaccurate information to score political points” and  ii) the individual (Juan) identified by Wan Fayhsal in the Dewan Rakyat was not able to defend himself due to the immunity granted to MPs. 

I shall not debate the first point but I strongly disagree that the individual identified by Wan Fayhsal was unable to defend himself. Any PR person could have told you that it was a golden opportunity for Khazanah and EPF to clear its name (and Shahazwan’s) and defend the deal.

As a result of not having seized that opportunity, the allegations made in that poison-pen letter remain unanswered till today. And Shahazwan aka Juan remains, in some people’s heads,  a suspect. 

There are those who say we should not give poison-pen letters the time of day. In other words, jangan layan. Generally, I agree with that advice but in this case, it would have been better to get to the bottom of the letter.

Well, we all remember the so-called poison-pen letter written by High Court judge Syed Ahmad Idid Syed Abdullah in 1996 accusing the Chief Justice of holidaying and merrymaking with a top lawyer in New Zealand. A massive conflict of interest and corrupt practice of the highest level. There was no way the authorities then could defend the Chief Justice against the allegations so what they did was forced Idid to resign and vilify him to no end. 

Years later, the nation discovered that he had written the truth. 

It is not too late to deal with Juan’s poison-pen letter. It is, in fact, timely given that the BlackRock takeover of GIP is now, as if 1 Oct 2024, complete. 

Read BlackRock Completes Acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners

*the National Press Club’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, held at MITEC, where 17 legendary, not fictional veteran journalists, led by PC Shivadas and Hardev Kaur, were honoured for their lifelong service to the truth.

When one word sparks uproar: how “alleged” cast a shadow over Sultan Ibrahim’s China visit 26 Sep 2024 2:21 AM (6 months ago)

Sultan Ibrahim’s delegation includes representatives of YTL, the people said. The Malaysian company is one of the three groups shortlisted for the project, The Edge Malaysia reported in March.

YTL executive chairman Francis Yeoh told Bloomberg TV in November it was interested, while stopping short of confirming its participation in the bidding process.

Sultan Ibrahim has been a long-time backer of the rail link, which Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government revived in 2023 with a caveat that it would not be funded by taxpayers.

When the relevant authorities do not feel that they need to respond immediately to the assertions by a news portal or news wire,  people who are not familiar with the matter will get the wrong ideas. And that was exactly what happened in this case.

Since the “alleging” report, our social media have been inundated with suspicious Malaysian netizens (read people who are not familiar with the matter) spewing their own theories and, yes, allegations!

Look at some of the comments garnered by the Bloomberg report:

All these allegations are grossly unfair to the YDPA Sultan Ibrahim. He was in China on the invitation of President Xi Jinping to “deepen strategic ties” in conjunction with 50 years of China-Malaysia bilateral relations. 

The King was not there to lobby for companies bidding for the HSR nor was he there on a “personal business trip trying to save his investment in Forest City” as “alleged” in the comment section of one of the news portals. 

(Read also Singapore Straits Times’ Malaysia unveils zero tax for family businesses in Forest City, in bid to revive Johor project)

Most social media commenters, like the mainstream media’s oft-quoted people-familiar-with-the-matter, are almost always anonymous. All in the name of freedom of expression, I’m sure.

When it is obvious that a news report or social media posting would bring grief to the institutions, it is the job of the people tasked with upholding the integrity of these institutions to step in quickly and confidently to nip it in the bud. 

Otherwise, things could derail (pun intended) and these institutions and the Madani government will be subject to, er, all sorts of allegations.

Malaysia Airlines, bring us back to those happy days 4 Sep 2024 2:35 AM (6 months ago)

The toughest first year of anything and everything … 7 Aug 2024 5:51 PM (7 months ago)

And just like that, we are ONE!

On Aug 8, 2023 we launched Big Boom Media and its flagship portal SCOOP.

A media company owned and run by thoroughbred newsmen.

Since then SCOOP has had younger siblings in the form of MOOSANG, our social media engagement platform; and podcast channel PODABOOM.

The journey has been fraught with challenges.

There were a lot of uncertainties and scepticism, if we could make it through our first year. But thanks to the support and help of all of you, we persevered.  

There will be some changes in the coming weeks that will reflect the evolution of Big Boom Media and in particular SCOOP. 

This is part of our growth so we can look forward to another  year of news you can use and hold our place in the changing and challenging media landscape. 

Thank you once again.

Rocky

Zainul

Terence

Kuala Lumpur, 8 Aug: Terence Fernandez, most probably the hardest working editor alive, penned this simple Thank You note to mark the first anniversary of The Scoop. This past year was anything but simple. It was as difficult and complicated, if not more so, than that final year I was at The Vibes, the news portal Terence and I helped start with businessman and friend Vinod Sekhar to make a difference. It has been a year of promises made and promises broken (or merely forgotten), late salaries and pro bono services, and hard decisions. I have decided that the news portal business is one for the passionate, the foolhardy or/and the vengeful. The Prime Minister himself told me that we journalists won’t have the business acumen to make a news business profitable. But profits, like my foes, have never been the motivation. Zainul Ariffin, Terence and I - who used to call ourselves Good, Bad and Ugly before we found our own podcast fame Trick Lama - remain true to our lifelong goals as journalists. For good journalism. To continuing to make a difference. And, most of all, in helping build a great future for this good country.

p.s. 

In loving memory of Big Dog and Aliff Faith

Is self regulation not the way forward for the PR industry, too? 15 Jul 2024 11:58 PM (8 months ago)

Does the Malaysian PR industry really need a law to protect the good PR practitioners from the bad and ugly ones? 

July 16: IPRM used to be the go-to body in Malaysia for all things public relations. Not any more. Not in a long while. I'm not sure why or what happened but was told that in recent times, the 62-year institute has kind of lost touch with practitioners. 

Hence, when IPRM chief Jaffri Amin Osman went to The Sun to preach about PR morales and standards, and talked about pushing the government for some kind of legislation to govern and discipline the practitioners, the rest of the PR industry didn't take too kindly to it.

One of these voices belongs to former MP and deputy education minister YB P. Kamalanathan, a prominent PR practitioner before he jumped into politics 14 years ago. 

"While the idea may sound good we need everyone's buy-in. (IPRM) does not speak for all PR practitioners," Kamalanathan was quoted by Astro Awani in an article timed with the launch of PRactitioners, a new grouping of individuals and agencies, today. 

The launch of Kamalanathan's PRactitioners was officiated by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil in conjunction with World PR Day and a day-long conference The Future of PR in a changing world. 

Fahmi made no mention of the IPRM-initiated legislation in his speech, interestingly, but the NST, in the second interview IPRM's Jaffri has given this month, has reconfirmed that the proposed legislation goes by the name  PR Practitioners Act (PRPA). 

Prof Syed Bani CM Din, who heads the PR Communications Association Malaysia (PRCA), said anyone can propose a new law. 

"But without a solid foundation and representation from all quarters, we risk causing more fragmentation within our industry."

PRactitioners and PRCA have issued a joint statement on their reservations about IPRM's proposed PRPA.

Kamalanathan's drove home a most pertinent point in that joint statement:

"The idea that the challenges faced by practioners and the PR industry as a whole can be resolved through the Act is too simple," the PRactitioner founder said. 

I have dealt with the PR industry as long as I've been a journalist. I count many of them - too many to name here - as brothers and sisters in arms:  journalism and PR berpisah tiada. 

So it's not difficult for me to see where Kamalanathan and Syed Bani are coming from. 

IPRM Jaffri cited several examples of bad practices by some PR agencies that are giving the industry a bad name. Press releases that are issued by PR firms, for example. 

In one case, Jaffri told The Sun that a press release claimed that a PR firm's client "is the world's largest It infrastructure services provider". Upon checking, the client only had 2,4% global share in technology design and  architecture. 

In another case cited by IPRM, a press release claimed that a PR firm's client is "the world's leading human resource, payroll and employee engagement platform". When asked to substantiate the claim, the PR agency provided links to other media outlets that have published the statement. 

"Some clients could be unfamiliar with PR best practices while some PR firms struggle to balance client expectations with ethical and effective communications," Jaffri said. 

"The PR field also encompasses practices with less positive connotationd, such as spin doctoring and astroturfing. These terms, while used variable depending on context, can contribute to a negative perception of the profession as a whole," the IPRM president added. 

But as Kamalanathan pointed out, does the PR industry need a law passed by the Parliament to deal with these  "challenges"?

Is the answer that simple or is IPRM being too simplistic?

If you ask a journalist, the answer is certainly not in enacting another Act.

Newsrooms have long had to contend with unsubstantiated claims, including by PR firms and their clients. What editors do when in doubt is to double check. We do that all the time because that's our job. We may get sued if we are sloppy. We may hurt people's wellbeing and reputation if we are not careful. 

We'd know if a PR firm or practitioner had a record of unsubstantiated claims or bad press releases. And we know what to do with their press releases: chuck them into the bin! 

The onus is on us journalists and editors to check. If the media is too lazy to check whether  a claim is factual or fictitious, the media must take the blame. 

No legislation can help laziness and sloppiness. 

The good thing is IPRM already has a PR industry guideline. The problem, though, is that Jaffri does not think the guidines is effective. He wants something "enforceable". 

"This is why IPRM is working hard on the Act and wants it to be enacted, so that unverified claims and unethical practices can be legally stopped," the IPRM president said. 

Malaysian journalists have been fighting for self-regulation for decades. We are this close now. 

It is my belief that our partners in the PR industry would benefit from the same, too. 

Disclaimer: The writer has dealt with leaders of IPRM, PRCA and PRactitioners, past and present, in the course of his being a journalist since 1984 and as a blogger since 2006. He is one of the volunteer mentors at PRactitioners. 

Ending tribal mindset at matriculation colleges 30 Jun 2024 10:23 PM (9 months ago)

JULY 1: We've heard and read of numerous stories where students with excellent results in their secondary school final exams did not get a place in matriculation colleges in local varisites. Allegedly, this happens because they are non Malays or if they are Malays their families are not well connected. Well, PM Anwar Ibrahim has assured Malaysians that they will not hear or read of such stories anymore. His Administration has peomised that ALL straight-As students will have places waiting for them at matriculation colleges in local universities.. Regardless of their race or background.

What a great way to start the second half of 2024.

Prominent lawyer and human rights activist Jahabardeen Yunoos welcomed Anwar's decision as "a move towards embracing compassion and a humanistic outlook rather than a tribal mindset".

Racial quotas on admission to public universities were abolished in 2002 but matriculation colleges have maintained a 90% quota for Bumiputeras to ensure that their numbers in local varsities and higher institutions of learning, which have always been lopsidedly smaller compared to the non-Bumiputeras, do not drop too low.

BlackRock’s investment in Wan Fayhsal’s Kelantan and the Ringgit’s comeback 7 Jun 2024 9:00 PM (9 months ago)

Every time our Ringgit strengthens, our kiasu neighbours in the south are the first to be concerned - and affected. And rightly so. Malaysia receives 8.3 million tourist arrivals from Singapore (pop 5.6 million) yearly and they are big spenders. The cheaper we are, the more they spend. But the last couple of months, the Ringgit has been inching up against their currency. It’s only 2.2% rise in 4 months but, as todayonline.com explains, “For Singaporeans on a shopping expedition to Johor Bahru or perhaps considering a property investment, that’s a hefty currency movement”. 

Read its Explainer: Why is Malaysia’s ringgit up 2.2% in 4 months to the Singdollar and will its rise continue?

Concerted measures by Bank Negara Malaysia to encourage conversion of foreign exchange income held by GLCs, corporates, exporters and investors into MYR has been attributed to our currency’s rise. By converting foreign currencies back into ringgit, the demand for ringgit in the foreign exchange market increases, leading to its appreciation against other currencies.

There have also been more foreign investments in Malaysian equity, which continues to strengthen the ringgit. And increased economic activities, as well: more construction of factories, data centres, industrial sites and solar parks, and more spending on machinery and equipment, boosting imports of these goods.

This, the article says, “has led to support for ongoing infrastructure projects such as the JB-Singapore Rapid Transit System link, and the rollout of news ones, such as the Penang LRT and airport expansions”.

The subject of airports, of course, brings us back to the government’s plan to take Malaysia Airports private via Gateway Development Alliance (GDA), a consortium of Khazanah Malaysia & EPF and foreign partners Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Abu Dhabi Investment Agency (ADIA). 

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with a jaw-dropping USD10 trillion assets, happens to be in talks with GIP on a takeover. Anywhere else in the world, this would be lauded. Because such a big name helps the economy make a strong case for itself. Except that in Malaysia, we have politicians like Zaid Ibrahim and Wan Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal who are accusing the government of selling out.

Tengku Zafrul is understanbly pissed off with those two. It is his job to bring in foreign investors. “All of you who own Apple (products), if you really feel strongly, you shouldn’t be using them. Who is the biggest shareholder of Whatsapp? Who is the biggest shareholder of Facebook?” -  Tengku Zafrul defends BlackRock involvement in MAHB.

I’m not sure if Zaid Ibrahim or Wan Fayhsal owns an Iphone or a Mac. If they do, they should ditch them already 

Also, as both gentlemen are from Kelantan, they should get their state government to shoo away BlackRock, which has direct investments in major projects in Kelantan. Get a probe going to find out who are benefitting from these BlackRock investments in Kelantan.

But of course they would do neither. Such is the state of the typical Malaysian Opposition and his diehards they lament the Ringgit’s drop and blame the government but just as the currency is making a comeback, they quickly set out to undermine the efforts by the government that are fuelling that comeback.

Read also: Wan Fayhsal files Dewan Rakyat motion on MAHB takeover

LFL should defend the victims, too 30 Apr 2024 12:49 AM (11 months ago)

NUBE takes 3 unions to task for siding with HR Minister on duit raya for bank employees 7 Apr 2024 2:54 AM (11 months ago)

Updated: In NUBE on a warpath against HR Minister Steven Sim, writer/seeker/teacher TheRealNehruism highlighted the National Union of Banking Employees’ displeasure with the Minister for stepping in to resolve its dispute with the banks over Hari Raya bonus payment. The article has garnered over 7k views and heated comments, not all of them supportive of Mr J. Solomon, the union chief:

“So NUBE will ask for one month’s bonus for every festive season? Bonus not specified is discretionary, subject to work performance!”

“(Solomon is) another useless idiot using NUBE, asking for bonus”.

Bru’s original posting

KL, 7 April: Four months into the job, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim has already incurred the wrath of NUBE. The trade union is upset with Sim for going behind its back. NUBE was demanding a month’s salary in duit raya for its 20,000 members who work in the banks until the minister came into the picture and “negotiated” with the banks. The minister’s intervention has resulted in the employees getting shortchanged, with some getting only half what they are entitled to under the agreement the union signed with the banks last year. But while NUBE is mad, several trade union leaders have lauded Sim as a hero!

I got in touch with Mr J. Solomon, the NUBE sec-gen, as soon as I’d received a Letter to the Editor wtih the rather dramatic title Does Steven Sim know what he is or what he is doing?

I asked Solomon:

1. Will NUBE be seeking a meeting with the Minister over this matter? 

3. What’s your next course of action? 

Here’s the NUBE chief’s response to me:

Dear Bro, thank you for reaching out. 

We have written to (the Minister) directly, his Deputy, KSU, DGIR and also spoke to his IR Officers. 

We only called for the press conference after making all the efforts.  

In relation to Sarawak (union); Andrew has always been acting contrary to NUBE. In fact, NUBE’s negotiation on the FA was extended to Sarawak, so for him to laud the Minister is understandable. 

Shafie Mammal, I spoke to him personally but he claims he is not aware of our fight, which I find it hard to digest. 

As for MTUC, they have sold their soul long ago; and Effendy has no locus standi as the High Court has declared him and his team as invalid office bearers for he conducted the elections contrary to the Constitution.  They applied for a Stay Order but the Stay Order granted is only for administrative matters until the case is heard and decided upon. They cannot make any statement on behalf of affiliates or workers. 

MTUC, UNI and Sarawak never spoke to us or even approached us to understand what our fight is all about. 

It appears that someone coordinated with them to make the statements on the day our Press Conference Invite was sent out.  

Therefore, I believe you can see where this is all coming from. 

Thank you. 

The LETTER TO EDITOR tbat Solomon sent to the media:

6 Apr 2024

Does Steven Sim know who he is or what he is doing?

I am very intrigued by HR Minister Steven Sim's response to a recent press statement by NUBE in an FMT article titled “Banks” festival aid doesn’t extend beyond 2023, says HR ministry”.

In the ongoing dispute about Festival Aid that NUBE is having with the management of the banks, we have accused Steven in a press conference we held on April 5, of going behind NUBE’s back to betray and deprive the banking workers by striking an inferior and regressive deal with the management of the banks without NUBE’s consent, and to this, Steven basically said yes, that is exactly what he did.

To put it mildly, I find his response to be mind boggling.

In the FMT article, it is written that “the ministry said that after its minister, Steven Sim, offered to help untangle the situation and gave his views, the banks have agreed to give their workers half a month’s salary in festival aid.”

The above admission is basically Steven admitting that everything that NUBE is accusing him of doing is 100 percent true. The crux of our problem with Steven is that in our dispute with management of the banks, he only spoke to the management of the banks but not us, before agreeing to everything that the management of the banks said about the dispute, without even listening to our side of the story, and proceeded to authorise a deal that short changed the banking workers and is favourable to the management of the banks, as per the wishes of the management.

To hear Steven just admit that he did everything we accused him of doing is dumbfounding. It is like hearing a wrongdoer, in a matter-of-fact fashion, admit that they have wronged you, before making it sound like they have no idea why you are making a big fuss about them wronging you. How do you deal with such a person?

When I study further the responses that the HR Ministry gave FMT, I feel that Steven Sim might be accidentally betraying and shortchanging the workers, because he is just confused about who he is.

Observe the other statement that the HR Ministry has given FMT below.

“The National Union of Bank Employees’ (NUBE) demand that banks provide their workers a month’s salary in festival aid is only based on a memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed last year."

"The ministry said while the 2023 MoA stipulates that banks need to pay their workers a month’s salary in festival aid for that year, the Malaysian Commercial Banks Association (MCBA) had refused to accede to NUBE’s demand as the MoA does not promise any aid for 2024."

"(According to the MoA) payments of festival aid for the following years (after 2023) will be reviewed,”

I am familiar with all the arguments that the HR Ministry is stating here, but what boggles my mind is why is it the HR Ministry that is stating these arguments.

These are the arguments of the bank managements and their representatives. I can understand it, even if I don’t agree with it as it is normal for banks to renegade on agreements. This is precisely the reason NUBE is having a trade dispute with the banks and MCBA, in the first place, because NUBE has counter arguments to the bank’s position.

What I cannot even begin to fathom is why the HR Ministry is taking the same argument as the management of the banks, without listening to NUBE's side of the argument?

Is the HR Ministry and HR Minister a part of the government that is elected by the people or is it a part of the top management of the banks?

NUBE's problem with Steven is that although he is supposed to be the HR Minister, he is acting exactly like a CEO of the banks that we are having a dispute with.

It is because he is acting like the CEO of a bank despite being a Minister in the government that we accused him of being in cahoots with the banks in the first place.

But now when I hear Steven’s responses in FMT, although I still feel that Steven did betray and short-change the workers in collusion with the bank’s management, I also feel that perhaps he might have done it inadvertently.

 He might not be malicious. He might just be “unwell”. He is confused. He doesn’t know who is or what he is doing.

He might believe that he is a part of the solution when he is a part of the problem. He is likely betraying and short-changing the workers, while believing that he is helping the workers.

He needs to take a rest.

NUBE stands for the workers, and we are committed to fighting for the rights and welfare of our members.Wewillnotrestuntiljusticeisserved. Together,wewillovercome.

, visit the campaign website at https://banktakikhlas.info

From America with love, Nazri tells Hamzah to stop going after his own MPs for exercising their freedom of expression 4 Apr 2024 9:03 PM (12 months ago)

The six “rogue” Bersatu MPs

A massive new eyesore just next to Rimba Kiara 10 Feb 2024 9:06 PM (last year)

TTDI, 11/Feb: I turned into a dragon yesterday, the first day of the new lunar year, as we walked up towards the Kiara hill, once my favourite grounds for walking, trekking and bicycling. I was breathing fire, I was fuming, not due to the exertion of the hike (I hadn’t been hiking for months) but at seeing this monstrosity that greeted us as we walked towards the guardhouse that marks the entrance of this (so-called) private road leading to KLGCC, a golf club for the richer than rich.

Where there used to be just blue skies,  there is now … this!

Called Jendela (which means window in Malay), this monstrosity is a gigantic condominium project proudly brought to us by Sime Darby Properties. I’m not sure how many blocks of condo there are but they are located on the fringes of KLGCC, which is part of KL’s last major green lung. Construction had started sometime during the pandemic, I believe. I remember the guards politely turning the poor, unsuspecting cyclists away from the so-called private road (which had for years provided the cyclists safe access to Bukit Damansara and beyond). We were told that it was unsafe for us to use the so-called private road because of some kind of construction or other.

This was around the same time residents of TTDI were waging a bitter battle against the (previous) government over a most greedy and unlawful plan to build multiple condo complexes in Rimba Kiara, part of that green lung area. 

The TTDI residents would eventually win the battle to save Rimba Kiara. 

If they had known about the plans for Jendela, I’m sure the residents and their MP Hannah Yeoh would have considered including Sime Darby’s condos in their battle against the City Hall, the developers and the then Federal Territoties Ministry who had no qualms about robbing ordinary citizens of their precious green lung for profits.

There is no stopping Sime Darby now but as Jendela nears completion, the residents of TTDI will have to prepare for a new mission impossible - how to ensure there would be no traffic bottlenecks in the area once their new neighbours move into their new condos. I reckon each unit would have 2-3 vehicles, at least. Where are they going to park their Bentleys and Mercs?

To be continued …

Billionaires, billionaire politicians and now billionaire kings! 31 Jan 2024 8:57 PM (last year)

The Curve, 1/feb: Did you know how many zeros there are in a billion? Of course, you didn’t. I doubt if those billionaires knew, either, which is probably why they generally fail to declare their wealth to the taxman. And for a resource-rich nation that should have done much better economically, Malaysia does seem to have more than its fair share of billionaires. Several are right now being investigated and interrogated by the anti-graft authorities. There are politicians among them and there are several more on the ringside shaking in their boots, waiting for their turn to be called in by the MACC.

And now, thanks to the influential wire agencies, we have a billionaire King!

1,000,000,000: Nine zeroes in a billion

 Just read some of the headlines on the coronation of Sultan Ibrahim’s as the 17th Agong of Malaysia:

1. Billionaire Sultan takes Malaysia crown as royals gain influence - The Edge 

2. Billionaire Sultan Ibrahim sworn is (sic) the new king of Malaysia - AP

3. Malaysia swears in motorbike-riding billionaire as new king under rotating monarchy system - Daily Mail

4. “… half-British billionaire ..” - Straits Times 

5. “Malaysia’s new king is a Billionaire with a collection of 300 luxury cars, his own private army and family ties to Hitler” - Business Insider

Note that none of our own newspapers, online or otherwise, tv & radio, news portals or prominent social media platforms use “billionaire” to define Tuanku Ibrahim’s, the 17th YDPA. I don’t know why but perhaps the Malaysian editors think it is impolite to do so, even though the Palace has not protested the wire reports that estimate His Majesty’s wealth to be around USD5.7 billion. 

That kind of wealth places our billionaire Agong well within the top 10 richest persons in Malaysia. In comparison, though, the Sultan of Brunei’s car collection alone is  said to be worth USD5 billion! 

Anyway, Selamat Hari Wilayah Persekutuan! Happy Federal Territories Day.

Now what did the Sultan of Selangor ever do to piss off this Aussie in Hatyai? 29 Jan 2024 4:24 PM (last year)

Damansara, 29/jan: I am usually sympathetic towards fellow bloggers who get their blogs blocked but in the case of Murray Hunter, an Australian residing in Hatyai after years of making a living in Malaysia, the poor gentleman has got it coming. 

The MCMC took his blog down two days ago, according to Hunter himself, following his latest posting on the Shah Alam stadium - Approval to demolish Shah Alam Stadium given under strange circumstances.

“Blocked once again without being advised by MCMC. Looks like Malaysia going back to the dark ages,” Hunter said on X. 

But do read his posting on what he calls the “publicly unpopular” stadium project. In my opinion, the offending article was littered with biased suppositions, insinuations, and half truths that would lead to fake news and disinformation. And these he was making 500km away in Hatyai. 

I think you’d agree that Hunter crossed the line whenm he suggested that the “strange circumstances” had something to do with “pressure from the palace”.

Hunter even invoked a section in the Selangor Constitution that spells out the scope of power - or, rather the limitations - of the Sultan and proceeded to conclude that, “Thus, the issuance of the demolition order may in fact be unconstitutional. The state legal advisor must give an opinion on this matter.’

This wasn’t the first time Hunter has attacked the much-anticipated Shah Alam stadium project. It makes one wonder about this foreigner’s fixation. Why, isn’t there anything worth criticising or unearthing in Hatyai and Thailand? 

And I keep thinking also: who’s putting Hunter up to it? It cannot be coincidence that a day after the article appeared, sacked PKR politician Abdul Razak Ismail reared his head once again to challenge the Shah Alam project. I have written about this Malay gentleman before the general election last year - Defamation suit over Stadium project: Party Hijau’s Razak Ismail has no cause to whine unless …

Thank you, Tuanku 28 Jan 2024 1:44 AM (last year)

Starbucks, Bangsar Village, 28/jan: I’ve had very little association with our outgoing King, Sultan Abdullah of Pahang, during his tenure as the 16th YDPA since 31/Jan 2019. 

I mean, I can count the number of wefies we took together at the Istana Negara or Hari Raya open houses with one hand - that’s how little connection we have had. Sometimes friends wondered why - did we have a falling out? - because the fact is the King and I have known each other for much longer than that, when he was the Tengku Mahkota. No, I told friends no such thing. I guess I can say now that it was by choice: didn’t want to be seen as trying to kiss ass. I would go to the Istana only when invited. And those times we met outside the palace, mere coincidence. But my fondness and my regards for the King grew, as he deftly handled the political crises that came his way, amid a major global health crisis at that, in a way no King has had to do so before him. And all along, he kept the people and issues affecting the people close to his heart. 

Even as his reign was ending, he said: The people come first.

This Wednesday, 31/1/24,  Sultan Ibrahim of Johor replaces Tuanku Abdullah as the Seventeenth YDPA. I used to be quite close to the Tuanku some years back but I expect to have even less direct association with him throughout his tenure compared with the current Agong. Sultan Ibrahim’s dad, the almarhum Sultan Iskandar, was our 8th YDPA (1984-1989) and one of the most popular with the people. 

As long as the people - and only the people - come on his agenda for the next 5 years, the incoming King is destined to be a great King. 

Anwar ends a year of overseas trips on high note but … 19 Dec 2023 4:11 AM (last year)

The case of the missing trees in Taman Tun Dr Ismail 28 Nov 2023 5:58 PM (last year)

TTDI, 29 Nov: They are cutting the trees again in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, once one of the greenest housing estates in KL. 

Well, it probably STILL is but at the rate City Hall has been making some huge, old trees dissapear while residents were in bed watching Netflix or HBO, or simply passing out, TTDI won’t stay as green for long. Resident Dr V. Sivapalan alerted the neighbourhood of the missing trees two days ago on TTDI’s 17k-strong Facebook page. “I don’t know if you realise it but we have been losing a lot of large trees in TTDI over the last few months. These are perfectly healthy trees that are 20-30 years old.” 

Dr Sivalapan said “they” started cutting trees along Persiaran Openg “purportedly to put up new pavements”, followed by trees along Jalan Datuk Sulaiman and now “they” have cut the trees at the Kiara Park entrance and along Jalan Rahim Kajai.

“TTDI is know for its trees but they have stealthily cut down those trees and no one has protested. If we continue to keep quiet, soon we will lose all the trees along all our road just because they want to build pavements … It is time we spoke against this madness,” he said in the FB posting.

What Dr Sivapalan said is true. Taman Tun is beginning to look like Legoland in JB when it opened a few years ago: botak and barren. The sad thing is that residents who responded to the news of the fallen trees were mostly unsympathetic. 

“I’m sure DBKL has a good reason for that. No one cuts down trees without a valid reason,” one wrote back.

DBKL, or the City Hall, is who Dr Sivapalan refers to as “they” in his FB posting on the missing trees. And how anyone who lives in TTDI can still blindly trust DBKL, heats the hell out of me. Most residents would remember how TTDI nearly lost an entire precious park to a massive condominium project that DBKL tried to force upon them just a couple of years before the pandemic!

I’m with Dr Sivalapan and likeminded residents in calling the RA to wake up from their slumber and nudge the relevant Member of Parliament into action. Stop this three-killing madness. Let’s do out bit for Mother Nature.

P.S. DBKL should take a leaf out of Kuala Kubu Baru’s book: KKB Council to track condition of the town’s iconic trees 

It pays to annoy: How Malaysia got Gaza to be heard in San Francisco 18 Nov 2023 6:58 AM (last year)

San Francisco, Nov 17: PM Anwar Ibrahim should be delighted with the outcome of the APEC meetings which ended today but he said he was only “quite happy”.

Anwar calls for end of Cold War mindset after Jo Biden-Xi Jinping meet 15 Nov 2023 1:15 PM (last year)

San Francisco, Nov 15: For the last one year PM Anwar Ibrahim has consistently called for the US and China to engage each other and not force others around them, Malaysia included, to ally to one or the other. 

This morning, as President Biden and President Xi finally held a historic four-eyed meeting at the onset of the APEC Summit, Anwar applauded it as “critical” and called for an end of  “the Cold War mind set “.

“To me, the meeting between President Biden and President Xi is critical because it should give a message that we are able to work together and trust each other, to resolve serious problems and issues like climate change, Ukranian or Gaza. There are too many contentious issues in the world and we must try and engage.

“Accept the fact that you may not achieve all the desired results but this engagement is important to try and establish areas that we can work together,” he said at the APEC 2023 CEO Summit here.

APEC comprises 21 nations including the US, China, ASEAN, South Korea, Japan and the Oceania. These leaders’ Summit is preceded by a week of meetings involving the CEOs, the APEC economic ministers (AEM) and foreign ministers (AMM). 

Anwar has always been against attempts to force Malaysia to take sides in the US-China conundrum. He repeated this stand to the CEOs. 

“Why put us in a fix in a zero-sum game? For the benefit of the emerging economes and also for the West and the East, I believe that the solution is, of course, greater collaboration.

“This Cold War mindset must end because the world in the post-normal times is more chaotic, more complex and full of contraditions that only wise leaders with vision and commitment and shared idealis will be able to resolve effectively.”

Yesterday, in his special lecture at the UC Berkeley yesterday, Anwar had described how both these countries are equally important to Malaysia. 

He cited as example the case of his government’s decision to open up Malaysia’s 5G development to China’s Huawei.

“When it comes to 5G, our earlier decision was to go with Ericsson (but) then we also see this very impressive advanced technological transformations by Huawei. So we choose what we consider the best for the country. It is not a question of whether we like the United States or China, it is what’s critically important for Malaysia,” he had told the students.

Last September at the UN General Assembly, the Malaysian PM had also sent a similar message to the US and China. 

He repeated this to the APEC CEOs: “The US and the West remain a very important ally to us and China is a very important, trusted neighbour tht will help in our attempt to propel the economy and ensure a peaceful and vibrant regional economy.”

Anwar also challenged the business leaders to be more accountable and help promote the new dynamics. “You can’t depend only on the political leaders because they have been entrusted and to some extent they have succeeded, but they have also failed miserably. So we need now a new configuration where the private sector should play a more dominant role.”

At the same time, he added, the business leaders must have the humility to accept that things have changed and to acknowlege that we have limitations. The 1MDB, for example, would not have happened without the complicity of some international financial institutions, in this case Goldman Sachs. “Accountability is not just among politial leaders but also business leaders and civil society leaders,” he added.

Anwar is scheduled to have a series of discussions with CEOs of some of the biggest corporations based in San Francisco, including Google and Microsoft, and several bilateral meetings with his counterparts, including from Canada and Peru, which is hosting next year’s APEC.

At the end of the 30th APEC summit on Saturday, the leaders will adopt a Golden Gate Declaration that will set the tone for economic collaborations among the member countries in the coming year. 

On the fringes of APEC, Anwar continues his condemnation of the brutal, blatant killings of innocents in Gaza 14 Nov 2023 1:58 PM (last year)

DEMOCRACY IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA DISRUPTION

This is a time of profound disruption across all facets of international relations. As information technology reshapes societies everywhere, we have reached an unprecedented intersection between opportunity and risk. While its utilitarian benefits are well known, social media also facilitates the spread of harmful misinformation and falsehoods at unmatched speed and scale, endangering the informed citizenry essential to healthy democracies. 

Malaysia has long been heralded as a beacon of moderation, demonstrating a harmonious balance between its rich Islamic heritage and modernity. Historically, Malaysia has navigated the complex waters of religious expression with a deft hand, allowing for a pluralistic society where different faiths coexist peacefully under the umbrella of a predominantly Muslim population.

However, the ubiquity of social media platforms has ushered in new challenges. The digital age has allowed for the rapid dissemination of information, but it has also become a conduit for more intolerant ideologies to seep into the Malaysian discourse. These strains of thought, often rooted in a more rigid interpretation of Islam, have found fertile ground in the unregulated expanses of the online world. The phenomenon is not unique to Malaysia; it mirrors the rise of fascist right-wing elements in Europe and beyond - I’m careful not to mention the US -, where misinformation campaigns have successfully amplified fringe views into mainstream consciousness.

In the process, falsehood trumps truth, providing fodder to spin narratives founded on lies and deceit. Take the case of the web of duplicity and disinformation spun around the narrative on Malaysia’s position on the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict. That in calling for a ceasefire and a stop to the incessant bombing of Gaza, Malaysia somehow condones acts of terrorism. 

As I had declared in the Malaysian Parliament, there are no two ways about it. We condemn terrorism, in all its forms, and we categorically condemn the actions of killing innocent lives and taking women and children as hostages. Likewise, we unequivocally condemn the bombing of civilians, of homes and hospitals and the consequential atrocities against innocent lives, children, women, and men being carried out day and night in Gaza with impunity. These are blatant violations of international law. 

Malaysia views this as a humanitarian crisis precipitated by a brutal and indiscriminate war. Ultimately, this isn’t about which God we pray to. After all, the more than 11,000 victims in Gaza comprise Muslims and Christians as well as nationalities of various countries. This is about preventing more deaths, more suffering and more hate. Proponents of the Palestinian cause are neither purveyors of hate speech nor supporters of terrorism. 

What’s happening today in Palestine will affect us all. The implications of this strife are significant and long-lasting. It is poised to affect not just Palestine or the broader Middle East, but also leave an imprint on global relations for many years to come.

Anwar whacks Israel atrocities, harder yet again, days before meeting with Biden 11 Nov 2023 5:25 PM (last year)

NATIONAL STATEMENT

BY THE HONOURABLE DATO’ SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM

PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

AT THE JOINT ARAB ISLAMIC EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

11 NOVEMBER 2023

Your Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud,

Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

Your Majesties, Excellencies,

May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon you.

Thank you.