Month: December 2018
The Shares “SUAP” & RM10 Million Fine!
Today the learned High Court Judge, YA Tuan Nordin Hassan had set aside the decision of the Competition Appeal Tribunal in 2016 that MAS and AirAsia did not need to pay the fine as they did not infringe the Competition Act. The learned Judge has reinstated a decision by the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) that fined AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines System Berhad RM10 million each for breaching a market-sharing prohibition. For detail of the report please read HERE.
Actually the then directors of MAS and the Khazanah’s whiz kids should be held responsible for the fine of RM10 million because they were instrumental in the “SHARE SUAP”, HERE.
Yours truly salute the CEO of MyCC CEO, Tuan Iskandar Ismail, for pursuing this matter in the public interests.
The Background
In 2011 the MAS-AirAsia Share Swap was hatched in secret by the whiz kids Khazanah. The Share Swap was popularly known as the infamous “Share SUAP”. In 2011 yours truly was the MP for Wangsa Maju and had been calling for Khazanah to reveal the full details of the said “Share SUAP”. Of course, Khazanah under the leadership of Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar did not provide details of the “Share SUAP” except hiding behind the CON-sultant term, “Collaborative Framework”.
There was no public discussion about the “Share SUAP”. The Share SUAP agreement was suddenly signed on 9th August 2011.
MAS union and many parties are against the “Share SUAP” but Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar and the Khazanah’s whiz kid, Tuan Mohamed Rashdan (aka Danny), were adamant to see the “Share SUAP” through.
The Immediate Results of The Share “SUAP”
After signing of the Share “SUAP” agreement, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamaruddin Merandum were appointed to the Board of MAS, many Firefly and MAS routes were stopped with short notice with no good reasons and etc. En Mohamed Rashdan (Danny), the Khazanah’s whiz kid and “Bina Tak Fikir” boy, rushed to London to sponsor QPR football team!
In October 2011, the then Deputy Minister of Finance, YB Datuk Awang Adek told Parliament during Questions Time that the MAS – AirAsia Share “SUAP” was a “KERJASAMA” between MAS and AirAsia. What a joke! Please read HERE.
For more than 8 months, yours truly had been advocating in Parliament for the termination of the share “SUAP” because the said share “SUAP” was not only ill thought out, but not done in the best interest of the nation and our national icon, MAS. Finally, the then PM, Dato Seri Najib Razak, gave in to the demand and reverse the share “SUAP” but the damaged was only done.
For more background articles on the “Share SUAP”, please read HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE
Enough Is Enough With Hidden Charges!
The Ministry of Transport and MAVCOM should investigate a certain airline which has been imposing hidden charges on the innocent travelling public.
The hidden charges are as follows:
RM20 for Booking Service Fees;
RM8 Credit Card Processing Fees;
RM4 Debit Card Processing Fees;
RM6 Direct Debit Payment Fees & etc per passenger.
The total of these hidden charges is RM38 per passenger. Such hidden charges are against public interest and should be stopped immediately.
The Minister of Transport and Ministry of Transport should launch this investigation and not be led by the nose and dance to the tune of the airlines.
Now everyone must be cautious on the other add on by airlines when booking ticket.
The travelling public should avoid or boycott airlines that imposed hidden charges and/or add on to the cost of ticket until it stop its unscrupulous acts. Lets teach them a lesson.
“Geeko Gate” / “Speedy Gonzales” Scandal Hits The Parliament Floor!
On 3 December 2018 YB Haji Awang Bin Hashim [Pendang Constituency] had brought up the “Gecko Gate” during the debate in Parliament. Yours truly believes that it was the mistake by the transcriber and it will be rectified by YB Pendang when the Hansard for the 3 December 2018 is finalised.
Yours truly believes that YB Pendang meant the “Geeko Gate”.
This was what YB Pendang wanted to know:
Kita hendak dapat maklumat adakah masih lagi Kerajaan Harapan mengekalkan mereka yang terlibat ketika skandal Gecko-Gate berlaku pada bulan April kalau tidak silap saya . Minta Penjelasan” from the former Deputy Minister of MOTAC, YB Datuk Wira Mas Ermieyati bin Shamsudin.
The former Deputy Minister of MOAC replied: Okey saya harap ia dapat dimasukkan dalam sebahagian daripada ucapan saya dan saya harap soalan itu dapat dijawab oleh pihak kementerian.”
It was strange that YB Datuk Wira Mas Ermieyati bin Shamsudin [MP for Masjid Tanah], who was the deputy minister of MOTAC when this “Geeko Gate” was struck on 4-4-2018. She seemed to have no knowledge at all about this scandalous deal and would also like to know. What a secret deal!!!
Syabas YB Pendang for a job well done. Yours truly hopes that other MPs will join in to expose this scandalous ‘Geeko Gate’ deal that was evaluated, negotiated, agreement prepared and signed in ONE DAY on 4-4-2018.
Yours truly had been informed by some MPs that YB Dato’ Mohammadin Ketapi, Minister of Tourism & Cultures (MOTAC) did not give any explanation whatsoever about the scandal known as “Geeko Gate” aka “Speedy Gonzales” deal, HERE. Please also read the last posting of yours truly, ‘The Speedy Gonzales’ Promotion’ which will explain why the request for clarification from YB Pendang was very conveniently ignored.
It may not be the fault of the Minister because he had to look into many matters concerning tourism and cultures that had been brought up in the debate. More often than not, there were many officers from MOTAC to take note on matters brought up in Parliament and to provide the minister with answer for the Minister to reply.
Somehow the “Geeko Gate” / “Speedy Gonzales” RM99.693 million deal had been conveniently overlooked! A classic case of the tv comedy in UK, the “Yes Minister”.
In Parliament they are many officers from various government departments or agencies (including MACC) taking notes. Yours truly hopes that the MACC officers will inform its HQ that the “Geeko Gate” or the ‘Speedy Gonzales’ RM99.693 million Deal had hit the floor of Parliament!
Five months have elapsed and there is no news from MACC. Yours truly hopes that some MPs would take the opportunity to ask follow up questions what is happening to the report on this ‘Geeko Gate’.
Please sit back and enjoy your pop corn from now. The show has just begun.
Stay Tuned.
The ‘Speedy Gonzales’ Promotion!
Datuk Musa bin Yusof (Datuk Musa) was the Director of International Promotion Division (Asia/Africa) in Tourism Malaysia (TM). On 3-11-2018 Datuk Musa has been promoted as the new Director General (DG) of TM for 2 years with effect from 2-11-2018 to 1-12-2020 by YB Datuk Mohamaddin bin Ketapi, the Minister in the Ministry of Tourism and Cultures (MOTAC). Datuk Musa is the youngest in the management team of TM. He must have very ‘special’ capabilities that the others do not have. No wonder he is the president of KOPEMA.
Datuk Mirza, who was appointed as DG from within TM and just retired as DG on 2-12-2018, after 14 years.
The lighting speed or ‘Speedy Gonzales’ promotion of Datuk Musa is unprecedented in the history of TM.
Why was this ‘Speedy Gonzales’ promotion unprecedented?
Firstly, Datuk Musa was promoted not from the rank of Deputy DG, Datuk Razip Hassan and by En Zulkifly Said, who was recently promoted. Therefore, Datuk Musa had by-passed these two high ranking officers. Secondly, Datuk Musa’s promotion as the DG is for a period of two years only.
TM is a “closed service” agency which means that the members of staff in TM cannot be transferred out to other government department. However, the post of Director General of TM is an “open post”, which means that other PTD officer or any person from the private sector could be appointed as DG of TM for a specific period.
Datuk Musa’s Position After The Expiry Of 2 years?
After the two years period, what will be the position of Datuk Musa in TM? Will Datuk Musa be absorbed back into TM as Deputy DG or any other post or he will be retired from TM thereon? This will be a predicament for Datuk Musa, the Minister of MOTAC and/or TM.
Let’s hope that the said letter of appointment above was not designed by the little napoleon or ‘Black Sheep’ within MOTAC and/or TM as part of a scheme to sabotage.
Is Datuk Musa the fit and proper person to be promoted as the DG of TM?
Let us examine the ‘Speedy Gonzales’ direct nego contract worth RM99.693 million between Geecko Tech Sdn Bhd (Geeko) and TM. Please look at a few of the glaring events below:
6-11-2017 Geeko was incorporated.
Three of the seven Geeko shareholders are:
Ms Elizabeth Ken Tzu Ying 1 share
En Vogue Media Sdn Bhd 14,999 shares
Koperasi Kakitatangan Kementerian Pelancongan
dan Kebudayaan Malaysia (KOPEMA) 10,000 shares
The two shareholders in En Vogue Media Sdn Bhd are Elizabeth Ken Tzu Ying (Elizabeth Ken) and her sister, Jessie Ken Tzu Hsein. For more details, please read HERE.
The President of KOPEMA is Datuk Musa Bin Yusuf, the newly appointed DG of TM.
Elizabeth Ken Tzu Ying, CEO of Geeko & Media Specialist Of Redberry Media Group
Dato’ Seri Dr Siew Ka Wei, The Then Chairman of Tourism Malaysia
Elizabeth Ken is the CEO of Geeko. At the material time Elizabeth Ken was the media specialist of Redberry Media Group (Redberry). Redberry is part of Ancom Bhd (Ancom). By coincidence, Dato’ Dr Siew Ka Wei is the executive chairman of Ancom and at the material time he was also the chairman of Tourism Malaysia.
Sometime in March 2018, TM appointed Geeko to do a ‘Kajian’ and thereafter TM appointed Geeko to set up its digital marketing platform. By the way, in 2016 TM had already appointed Kraken Interactive Sdn Bhd (Kraken), a computer programming company to set up its digital marketing platform! Of course, the famous Raja Firdaus was the executive director of Kraken and he is a close family friend of Datuk Ammar Ghapar one of the directors in TM. For more details, please read HERE.
Kraken had been paid a handsome sum by TM for setting up the so-called ‘digital marketing platform’ and yet TM in a year later had to by direct nego contract appoint Geeko, which was a 5 months old company, for RM99.693 million to again set up the ‘digital marketing platform’!
On 4-4-2018 the scandalous ‘Speedy Gonzales’ Geeko RM99.693 million deal was evaluated, negotiated, agreement prepared and executed in ONE day! Yours truly is sure that it is a big surprise to everyone that the government agency has became so extremely efficient. Geeko was only registered with the Ministry of Finance on 6-4-2018, 2 days after signing the said contract. Please read HERE.
TM was so efficient that there was no proper or usual exit clause in the ‘Speedy Gonzales’ contract.
At The Material Time, Was Datuk Musa aware of the “Speedy Gonzales’ Deal?
Was this not a case of conflict of interest?
Yours truly would like to believe that Datuk Musa as the president of KOPEMA, which is one of the shareholders of Geeko, and as a Director of International Promotion Division (Asia/Africa) was totally unaware of this ‘Speedy Gonzales’ Geeko deal worth RM99.693 million.
At all material time, Datuk Musa was part of the management team of TM and President of KOPEMA, which is a shareholder of Geeko. Geeko entered into the ‘Speedy Gonzales” deal of RM99.693 million. Was this not a clear case of conflict of interests?
If at all material time Datuk Musa was fully aware of this ‘Speedy Gonzales’ Geeko deal, did he declare his interest as the president of KOPEMA to TM’s top management?
Just Before 14th GE, TM Paid Geeko RM13,263,160.00
On 27-4-2018, in the midst of 14th GE campaign, Datuk Khani Daud, the then Deputy DG, approved the first payment of RM11,963,160.00 to be paid to Geeko.
Within about a week or a few days before the 14th General Elections on 9-5-2019, TM paid Geeko more than RM13,263,160.00 (RM11,963,160.00 + RM1,300,000.00 [study done by Geeko to appoint Geeko]). By TM standard, this could also be called the ‘Speedy Gonzales’ payment!
As president of KOPEMA, Datuk Musa must come clean to account to the public to state how much KOPEMA had actually received from the said sum of RM13,263,160.00 from Geeko.
Minister of MOTAC To Explain The Double Payments of RM5 million
TM entered into a joint promotion contract with Ethihad Airway UAE for RM5 million. TM was so efficient that it rushed into making double payment of RM5 million to Ethihad Airway America and another RM5 million to Ethihad Airway UAE! It seemed that the TM officer concerned could not read and understand the agreement or differentiate which party TM was contractually bound to pay. This is typical of the officer in the management team of TM. What a sad case!
Yours truly calls upon the Minister of MOTAC to explain to the rakyat:
Why was there a need to do this joint promotion with Ethihad Airway when MAS, our national airline, was ignored to the extent that it has no representative on the Board of TM? (TM also spent a lot of time having joint promotion with Singapore Airline but with no payment. In this case TM paid RM5 million twice. Very strange!)
Why TM was in such rush to pay the RM5 million twice?
Was in a case of someone and their cronies have a stake in this matter?
What is the status of the double payments of RM5 million ?
What action had been taken for the gross negligent act of the officer concerned? Whether the officer responsible for the gross negligent act, which may cause TM to lose RM5 million, will be surcharged for the losses if any under the General Order?
Status of The Report To MACC
A report on the Speedy Gonzales RM99.693 million Geeko deal had been lodged with MACC. We hope that MACC will expedite its investigations into this scandal and take the appropriate actions against the culprits.
Please stay tuned!
Wee Choo Keong 