Updates on 01-03-2023: We have read about Siew Ka Wei was bragging in a one interview in the newspapers that MACC had cleared him and sweeties Elizabeth Ken, the Redberry Media Specialist (Redberry is part of Ancom group). So far we didn’t have the privilege of reading such news that both of them have been cleared by MACC! Well, it looks like it was Siew Ka Wei’s own fantasy! As it were, Siew Ka Wei and sweeties Elizabeth Ken were arrested and detained for 4 days from January 9, 2019. As of this date, both of them have not been charged YET!
Updates at 9 pm on 15-01-2019: Today Puan Siti Nor Binti Minu, Setiausaha Bahagian Kewangan of MOTAC, was summoned to MACC to give statement for more than 6 hours. Soon Puan Azleen Binti Mat Zip, Director of Finance Tourism Malaysia, will also be summoned by MACC to give statement too. She should explain how TM could operate in deficit to a tune of few hundred million Ringgit. She should also hand over the TM payment voucher with the signature of one high ranking officer of TM, who collected the cheque in the sum of RM11,960,160.00 (first payment) on behalf of Geeko!
This particular high ranking officer must be a very kind hearted man indeed!!
Stay tuned.
Updates at 10:00 pm on 11-01-2019:
Dato’ Siew Ka Wei and Ms Elizabeth Ken are due to be released between 8:30 am – 9 pm tomorrow morning. Datuk Rashidi Bin Hasbullah will be back to MACC HQ for questioning. He will bring along Puan Nora, the legal advisor of TM to accompany him.
Updates at 12:30 pm on 11-01-2019:
Datuk Rashidi Bin Hasbullah, KSU of MOTAC, has been summoned to MACC HQ this morning. Datuk Mirza the former DG and the person who signed the “Speedy Gonzales” contract will resume to give his statement today. Dato’ Siew Ka Wei was a powerful corporate figure before 14th GE. His many outfits have been awarded exclusive contracts from Petronas, MRT, MAHB and others. The Malay Mail’s editor-in-chief, Datuk Wong Sai Wan, is a director of Siew’s outfits. Malay Mail is connected to Redberry Media Group. Stay tuned.
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If the government procurement policy is followed, the rakyat would have been spared from witnessing the famous and powerful Dato’ Siew Ka Wei and sweeties Elizabeth Ken Tzu Ying (Elizabeth Ken) in the orange uniforms.
Under the government procurement policy, it is mandatory for all companies to be registered with Ministry of Finance (MOF) before doing any business with any ministries or agencies. In the case of the scandalous “Speedy Gonzales” Geeko direct nego contract worth RM99.693 million with Tourism Malaysia (TM), TM chose not to adhere to the mandatory requirement of MOF.
The Glaring Events:
On 6 November 2017 Geeko Tech Sdn Bhd (Geeko) was incorporated. One of its shareholders is Koperasi Kakitangan Kementerian Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Malaysia Berhad (KOPEMA). KOPEMA’s president is Datuk Musa Yusuf (Musa) and deputy president is Datuk Ammar (Ammar). Musa is the newly appointed DG of TM, HERE.
At the material time, Musa was known to be one of the active promoters of the shady Geeko deal. Musa knew or ought top have known in November 2017 or even earlier that Geeko was the “Special Purpose Vehicle” for someone and he was one of the main facilitators.
On 4 April, 2018, at 11:45 am, Lembaga Perolehan ‘A” (Lembaga) of Ministry of Tourism and Cultures (MOTAC) chaired by Datuk Rashidi Bin Hasbullah (Rashidi), KSU, attended by Datuk Mirza Mohamed Taiyap (Mirza), the recently retired DG, and two others. It approved the shady Geeko deal. At that material time, TM did not have the fund for the Geeko deal.
It must be noted that 2016 / 2017 TM had already entered into a contract with Kraken Interactive Sdn Bhd (Kraken) to provide TM with digital marketing platform. The little napoleons in TM happily paid RM40 million to Kraken for producing apps and some advertising without question. Of course, one of the director of Kraken is none other than Raja Firdaus, a close family friend of Datuk Ammar. According to the said Lembaga minutes of 4 April, there was no reference made about TM had already signed an agreement and paid Kraken to do digital marketing platform for TM. For full details of the Kraken’s deal and the questionable relationship between Raja Firdaus and Ammar, please read HERE. This Raja Firdaus is well connected in MOTAC and TM.
It was clear that the said Lembaga meeting was just to meet the requirement for mere formality. No more no less.
On 4 April, 2018, the Geeko deal was evaluated and negotiated in one day. The agreement was prepared and signed on the same day. Mirza signed on behalf of TM and sweeties Elizabeth Ken for Geeko.
On 6 April, 2018, Geeko was registered with MOF, two days after the signing of the said scandalous Speed Gonzales” Geeko agreement.
Therefore, on 4 April, 2018 the Lembaga met and approved the shady deal, and Mirza signed the said “Speedy Gonzales” agreement, at that material time Geeko was not registered with MOF. Under such circumstances, the Lembaga and TM should not have dealt with Geeko let alone proceed to approve the shady “Speedy Gonzales” Geeko deal and proceeded to sign the said agreement on 4 April, 2018.
On 23-4-2018 Geeko submitted a claim for RM11,963,160.00 to TM.
On 27-4-2018 (4 days later) Datuk Seri Khani Bin Daud (Khani), the deputy DG (Promotion) of TM, approved the claim for payment. This payment should not have been approved because on 4 April 2018 Geeko was not registered with MOF.
Prior to May 9, 2019 (polling day for 14th GE) TM made the full payment of the RM11,963,160.00 to Geeko. This payment was approved and paid unusually fast by the standard of TM. The speed under which this payment was made was unprecedented. The cheque for the said sum of RM11,963,160.00 was also collected on behalf of Geeko by one of the top officials of TM. Guess who?
For documentary proof to support the chronology of events for the shady Geeko deal, please click HERE.
TM Has Been Operating Under Deficit For Years
To digress a little, from 2017 to now TM has been operating under a deficit. As of this date, the deficit stands at about RM130 million. Auditor General already uncovered this deficit and instructed TM to resolve it. Until now TM has yet to resolve because it has no money to pay its debtors. But it managed to squeeze from somewhere in TM or MOTAC to pay the RM11,963,160.00 to Geeko.
Why The Shady Geeko Deal Was Not Terminated??
It seemed that MOF had instructed MOTAC and/or TM not to make further payment to Geeko and to terminate the shady Geeko deal. However, until now, MOTAC and/or TM have not taken step to terminate the shady RM99.693 million Geeko deal. See how powerful these little napoleons in MOTAC and TM.
The Main Players
Rshidi, Mirza and Khani must be held accountable because from day one (4 April 2018) TM should NOT have dealt with Geeko let alone signed the said agreement and made payment.
Musa being the president of KOPEMA knew or ought to have known about the “Speedy Gonzales” Geeko deal when KOPEMA became the shareholder of Geeko in November 2017. Musa was also part of the top management of TM.
Mirza has been called up and interviewed by MACC for the past three days.
The Special Relationship Between Siew Ka Wei & Sweeties Elizabeth Ken
At the material time Siew Ka Wei was the chairman of TM, executive chairman of Ancom Bhd and managing director/CEO of Redberry Media Group (Redberry).
Elizabeth Ken is the media specialist of Redberry, CEO and shareholder of Geeko. In short, there any deal involving Elizabeth Ken one will see at least the shadow of Siew Ka Wei!
Cronyism?
On 8 January 2019 both Siew and Elizabeth were arrested and detained by MACC. On 9 January 2019, MACC obtained an order from the Putrajaya Magistrate Court to remand both of them for four days until 12 January 2019 to assist MACC in its investigation into the shady “Speedy Gonzales” Geeko deal. Star reported today: “MACC Looking At Cronyism Angle”.
The Minister of MOTAC and Auditor General must step in to also investigate how could TM operate on a deficit of more than RM100 million from 2017 until now. All government agencies were supposed to operate on an approved budget but not for TM. TM must be a special specie. Hence it has been embroiled with scandals after scandals.
The shady ‘Speedy Gonzales” Geeeko deal could not have been sealed by just two persons namely Mirza and Elizabeth Ken, both of whom were the two signatories to the said agreement. MACC should also interview Rashidi, Khani, Musa and Ammar, the other main players. The reason being that Rashidi, Mirza, Khani, Musa and Ammar, are in the top management of MOTAC or TM. They knew very well of the mandatory requirement of registration of a company with MOF before dealing with it. But they chose to ignore the mandatory requirement.
The officers in Redberry should also be interviewed in order to get to the bottom of this shady ‘Speedy Gonzales” deal because of the direct relationship of Elizabeth Ken with Redberry and Geeko.
MACC Should Re-Visit The Case Connected To a “Datuk Seri” In TM
Just to recap. On 22 September 2016 MACC raided TM, carted away documents in connection with purchase of flight tickets that were made from a travel agent, which belonged to the relative of the “Datuk Seri”. MACC investigated this matter and it went quiet until today. For more detail of this case, please read HERE. MACC may want to re-visit this glaring case, which was abruptly closed.
Video of MACC officers bought Siew Ka Wei and sweeties Elizabeth Ken to court for remand.
Stay tuned
