3 Sarawakians lodge report with MACC against Taib Mahmud on RM3b wealth

3 Sarawakians, John Brian Anthony, Ting Cek Ming and Kung Chin Chin has lodged an official complain with the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) accusing the Chief Minister of Sarawak Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud of ‘corruption and abuse of power’ and to have him explain how his family and himself have accumulated wealth amounting ‘in excess of RM3billion’.

This came in the wake of reports posted in sarawakreport.org blogsite which outlines in detail the wealth of Taib and his family in various prestigious property landmarks in Canada. Ranjit Singh, a senior officer with MACC received the report. Ting, one of the complainants said "We were assured that they will investigate the case and advised us to write to the director of investigations to get updates. This time we came with typewritten copies of our report and had the MACC officer acknowledge receipt on our copy to make sure that no changes will be made to the complaint,"



comments


ABDUL TAIB MOHD WAS KNOWN AS THE WHITE HAIR THEN THE WHITE BEARD WHEN HE WAS EATING AWAY SARAWAK WEALTH. NOW HE IS CALLED THE WHITE ANT EATING AWAY EVEN THE LEFTOVERS UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT IN SARAWAK.


The family feud, in a nutshell, was about access to Sarawak's rich natural resources - timber, oil and land.

At the height of the war of words between the duo, Tahi accused Rahman of giving away a whopping 1.25 million hectares of logging concessions worth RM22.5 billion to his family and cronies in his 11 years at the helm.

But having terminated the concessions disbursed by his uncle, Tahi himself awarded an even bigger portion of the state's resources to his own family and his set of cronies - 1.6 million hectares in total, or about the size of 26 Singapores.

The ensuing wholesale logging is arguably the most systematic destruction of the world's oldest rainforest. Faced with criticism, then state environment minister James lickWong pooh-poohed the idea that deforestation could lead to global warming. The climate change, he said, would be ideal for playing golf.

And as the great forests of Sarawak dwindled in the 1990s, Tahi's family moved on to other lucrative businesses by snapping up, among others, the once state-owned company, Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS).

This conglomerate controls much of what goes on in Sarawak through its monopoly of cement, steel, timber, construction, financial services and banking.

Anyone who wants to do serious business in Sarawak may most probably have to deal with CMS or any one of its scores of subsidiaries. The company is cash rich too - two months ago, it sold its controlling stake in the debt-laden RHB bank to pension fund EPF for RM2.25 billion.

Among those holding key posts in CMS are Taib's Australian-born wife Laila, sons Sulaiman and Mahmud Abu Bekir, and brother Onn Mahmud.

Table 4.6 Timber concessions controlled by SarawakMinister Tahi Mahmud in which his family members, friends, proxies or political allies are board members or shareholders.

Tahi Mahmud has never bothered to allow anyone else to express any opinion except what he wants to hear, normally in sycophantic, obsequious and abject agreement with him - just like a feudal lord.


This is how Tahi likes to treat people, to ensure that they do not become a threat to him and his hidden agendas - the enrichment of himself, his family and cronies. This is how he bullies and roughs up the common people as well - using third parties and hiding behind his office, treating them almost like trash, squatters and trespassers on the land they and the generations before them had toiled on.


CORUPTION-CORUPTION-CORUPTION From UNMO/BN