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NOW IN 2018, HAS ANYTHING BEEN DONE? ANY INVESTIGATION?
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MALAYSIA’S Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is in a tight spot over a letter he wrote to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help a gambling kingpin, raising questions over his links to the man.
Paul Phua Wei Seng, 50, said to be a former casino junket operator in Macau, was arrested in Las Vegas last year and subsequently charged with illegal bookmaking during the World Cup soccer tournament.
In the Dec 18 letter, said to have been written at the request of Phua’s lawyers in the US, Mr Zahid said Phua is not a member of the Hong Kong-based 14K triad, an international crime syndicate. He also said Phua had, “on numerous occasions, assisted the government of Malaysia on projects affecting our national security”.
Media reports on Monday said the letter was withdrawn after the Malaysia government objected to its use in court.
But the move failed to allay concerns over links between Malaysian leaders and underworld figures.
Mr Zahid has remained silent after news of the letter, which also expressed eagerness for Phua’s return to Malaysia, surfaced last week.
“The time has come for Zahid to answer openly on this secret ‘support letter’ to end public speculation,” said Mr Fahmi Fadzil, communications director for the opposition People’s Justice Party (PKR), on Tuesday.
Reached by The Straits Times on Tuesday, Mr Zahid only referred to his refusal to comment earlier in the day to avoid swaying the court in Nevada.
Mr Fahmi, who also questioned the nature of “national security projects” mentioned in the letter, told The Straits Times that the opposition will pursue the matter in Parliament, which will sit in March.
BACK IN 2015
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MALAYSIAKINI keeps digging…
8:00AM Feb 27, 2015
‘Kingpin’ Paul Phua a Montenegro citizen
EXCLUSIVE Going by the Malaysian federal constitution and official files in Montenegro, alleged gambling kingpin Paul Phua whom Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had vouched for is technically no longer Malaysian.
New evidence pertaining to Phua’s wide businesses web in Montenegro and links with top government officials in the small Balkan state show that he took up Montenegrin citizenship.
The federal constitution of Malaysia does not allow for dual citizenship, and anyone accepting citizenship of another country automatically loses his or her Malaysian citizenship.
According to investigative reports by popular Montengerin news portal Vijesti, Phua was given a Montenegrin citizenship after being personally recommended to the country’s prime minister, Milo Djukanovic.
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He was awarded Montengerin citizenship between October 2013 and October 2014.
“Phua is an untried ambassador [a person who has yet to present his credentials] of San Marino in Montenegro,” reported Vijesti.
“On Feb 1, 2011 he received a diplomatic passport of San Marino to become a non-resident ambassador to Montenegro, where he had already developed a business.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/290384?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
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THE MALAYSIAKINI EXCLUSIVE ON PAUL PHUA!
Malaysiakini is in the process of getting the court records on the case, but these records are manually kept in Miri.
A court staff, when contacted, said only parties with interest in the case can obtain the records, in line with its policy of protecting privacy.
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Check out the list of stories uncovered on SPECIAL REPORT Series on Paul Phua here: http://on.fb.me/1uuk7n0
SPECIAL REPORT series | Here are the series of stories uncovered about the high-roller Paul Phua Wei Seng as we dig further about his connections in Malaysia and abroad.
1. ‘Kingpin’ Phua has gov’t connections everywhere (http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/286354)
‘Kingpin’ Phua has gov’t connections everywhere
The high roller who had a letter written by the home minister for his defence in a United States court, obtained a diplomatic passport through his ties with a former Republic of San Marino minister, now investigated for money laundering and corruption.
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The title of non-resident ambassador offered Paul the use of a diplomatic passport, providing him VIP status, which he had used to jet set around the world until his arrest in Las Vegas.
2. ‘It was US gov’t that objected to Zahid’s letter’ (http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/286149)… See More
‘It was US gov’t that objected to Zahid’s letter’
The letter from the home minister clearing the name of alleged illegal gambling kingpin Paul Phua to the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) in US, was withdrawn hours after its submission on the same day due to objection from the prosecutors based on court technicalities.
It has got nothing to do with Putrajaya objecting to the letter having been written by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, says a source from Las Vegas to Malaysiakini.
This seems to have been further confirmed by the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddn Yassin’s claim yesterday that he does not know anything of the letter.
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On Dec 29, Phua’s legal team from Goldstein and Russell, wrote to magistrate Peggy A Leen, to state that they were withdrawing Zahid’s letter after “the Government” objected to its submission.
“Earlier today, we submitted (in ECF No 386) a letter sent by the Malaysian Home Minister to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“The Government subsequently contacted us, objecting to the introduction of the letter because the record is closed.
“In light of the Government’s objection, we respectfully withdraw our prior submission,” states the letter sighted by Malaysiakini.
The letter was signed by Thomas C Goldstein, Richard Schonfield and David Z Chesnoff, attorneys for Paul and Darren Phua.
According to the Malaysiakini source in Las Vegas, who has been following the case closely in his line of work, the defence lawyers were referring to the United States as “the Government”.
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SPECIAL REPORT: Paul Phua was arrested and convicted in Miri: http://bit.ly/1CI2s23
…EXCLUSIVE The man who Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said assisted Putrajaya on projects involving national security is a convicted criminal in Malaysia.
Reliable sources from the police informed Malaysiakini that world class high-roller Paul Phua Wei Seng was arrested in Miri in 2004, during the period the Euro Cup football matches were being played.
One of the sources claimed that he was present when Phua was charged and convicted for illegal gambling. He was slapped with a fine.
After paying the fine, Phua left the country. The convicted criminal was even barred from re-entering the country during the World Cup in 2008.
According to the source, Phua, 50, is also known as “Sabah kia” (Sahah kid) despite that he is born in Miri, as confirmed by his MyKad details.
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According to 2004 police records sighted by Malaysiakini, “a raid was made on football bookies at a condominium” at Jalan Kelab Golf, Miri, by a police team conducted at 3.15am on July 4, 2004.
“In that raid, 22 Chinese men were arrested … while running an illegal bet on the finals of the football match of Euro 2004, which was being telecast live, between Portugal and Greece in Portugal.
“The said premise was turned into an Internet online betting centre with an average bet of RM2 million for this match. Evidence confiscated in front of voter Phua Wei Seng … who was present with the other workers who were inside,” the record states.
The source said Phua was then charged and convicted and the case was closed as is normally done when “illegal betting syndicates are busted”.
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“In 2008, the police were told not to allow Phua back into the country for fear that he would start a betting scheme on the World Cup,” said the source.
However, due to lax communications between the police in Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak, Phua did return to the country in 2008.
He landed in Kuala Lumpur but was nevertheless stopped by the Sarawak immigration, after which he flew out of the country
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Phua is also said to have “very good connections with big-time Umno politicians”.
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The source also confirmed that Phua is indeed part of the notorious 14K triad, but operates in Hong Kong where the triad is based, and not in Malaysia.
“We do not know how the home minister can say he is with us on national security,” said the source.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/287359
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The Home Minister had said that his predecessors had also issued similar letters like the one he issued to deny Paul Phua’s involvement with the 14K triad but former home ministers Syed Hamid Syed Albar and Hishammuddin Hussein denied ever writing a letter to the FBI
‘Is Zahid first minister to pen letter to FBI?’
‘Is Zahid first minister to pen letter to FBI?’ PKR asks if there is an SOP for cabinet to issue such document… http://fb.me/2nWwRL0dz
PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil today queried if Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was the first home minister to write a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
This comes after former home ministers Syed Hamid Syed Albar and Hishammuddin Hussein denied ever writing a letter to the FBI.
“The question that is on everyone’s mind now is Zahid the first home minister to have done so?” Fahmi asked in a statement today.
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Fahmi also queried if there was a specific Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for cabinet members to issue such letters.
“Does a SOP exist for cabinet ministers to write a letter to any organisation or body on the advice of a lawyer who is not the attorney-general, like the letter that was written by Zahid?” Fahmi inquired.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/287218
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Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that his predecessors had issued similar letters.
However, former home minister Syed Hamid Syed Albar says he never wrote any letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States during his tenure in government.
Still, he defended Zahid’s action as this is the discretionary power given to the home minister to issue such letter.
#UPDATED I never wrote to FBI, confirms Syed Hamid http://bit.ly/1zC3xIO
Former home minister Syed Hamid Syed Albar says he never wrote any letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States during his tenure in government.
“During my time, I didn’t write any letter to the FBI, ” Syed Hamid said after attending a signing ceremony of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), which he chairs, today.
This comes after another former home minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, also declared earlier this week that he had never issued any letter to the FBI.
Last week, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi defended his action on issuing a letter to the FBI.
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Zahid has also declared that it is within his discretion and power to issue such a letter, adding that his predecessors had issued similar letters.
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Syed Hamid said that he did not write any letter to any agencies when he was the home minister.
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Nevertheless, he defended Zahid’s action as this is the discretionary power given to the home minister to issue such letter.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/287196
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Ex-IGP turns heat on Zahid over FBI letter http://bit.ly/1ywMI25
A letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) concerning alleged gambling kingpin Paul Phua saw the home minister drawing flak.
Last week, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi denied any wrongdoing, cited the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and pinned the blame on “pro-opposition” news portals.
While current inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar has chosen to remain silent, his predecessor Rahim Noor decided to air his views.
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“It would have been better if it did not involve the minister. Even the police do not need to write the letter.
“It would have been more suitable for the letter to be written by a lawyer who does not necessarily have to represent the minister as it is merely a request by Phua’s lawyers,” he was quoted a saying by Sinar Harian.
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Elaborating on this, Rahim said Zahid had no reason to reveal that Phua was involved in national security matters with the Malaysian government.
“The letter should focus on the main request, which is to explain the existence of the 14K triad in Malaysia and whether Phua is involved with the group.
“But if questions were posed on Phua’s cooperation on national security matters, that question should not have been answered as it is none of the US’ business,” he said.
He said revealing that Phua was working with the Malaysian government would create misconceptions among the people.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/286729
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Attorney-general (AG) Abdul Gani Patail has refused to comment on Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s letter to the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) vouching for a suspected 14K triad member.
Gani dodged the issue when asked about this after the launch of Legal Year 2015 in Putrajaya today, a gathering of the country’s judges, lawyers and judicial officers.
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Terence Netto | Zahid is hoist by his own petard http://bit.ly/1xNCw3p
COMMENT Home Minister Zahid Hamidi – sometime enforcer of the ‘Shoot first, ask questions later’ policy towards criminal suspects – has got his knickers caught in a wringer.
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Fifteen months ago, Zahid solidified his position as Umno’s top vice-president with a stance towards criminal suspects that bristled with machismo.
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Zahid went on to enunciate the policy of ‘Shoot first, ask questions later’.
He told his audience in Malacca, apropos of the rising crime rate: “There is no need to give them [criminal suspects] any more warning. If [we] get the evidence, [we] shoot first.”
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Now it seems that Zahid has gone out on a limb and done precisely that: he wrote a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, vouching for the bona fides of a criminal suspect, a Malaysian under indictment in the United States for running a gambling racket during soccer’s World Cup in June.
Zahid sent the letter on his own volition, without consulting Malaysian police nor his ministerial cohort.
By itself the letter was an extraordinary act of vouchsafing for a criminal suspect alleged to have been involved in a transnational triad activities; it was bizarre when it went on to assert that the same person Zahid vouched for has helped the Malaysian state on ‘national security’ issues.
If a Malaysian suspected to have run a billion dollar World Cup gambling racket in the United States during football’s quadrennial summit last June has helped the Malaysian government on ‘national security’ issues, can we infer that a long-held suspicion of the nexus between business and politics in the country has arrived at highly toxic levels?
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Just as ‘Shoot first, ask questions later’ was never sound policy, so ‘Vouch first, think later’ is an untenable – worse yet – impugnable stance.
TERENCE NETTO has been a journalist for more than four decades. A sobering discovery has been that those who protest the loudest tend to replicate the faults they revile in others.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/285815
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10:56AM Jan 9, 2015
Plot thickens as IGP hints ‘kingpin’ findings correct
Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar has once again issued a subtle denial to senior lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s claim about his client, an alleged underworld figure.
While he refused to comment on Shafee’s recent remarks, Khalid, however, appeared to defend the police findings concerning alleged Malaysian gambling kingpin Paul Phua.
“I can only reiterate that while 14K (a transnational crime organisation) does not exist here, there are Malaysians abroad who are known to be members of the triad.
“How people wish to interpret this statement (above) is up to them,” Khalid told Malaysiakini in a text message.
“But as I said before, I would not comment further because it would jeopardise the court proceedings in the United States.”
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/285807
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Malaysiakini
2:44PM Jan 7, 2015
Shafee remains firm on ‘error’, blames media
Senior lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has dismissed claims that the police findings regarding his client, alleged Malaysian gambling kingpin Paul Phua, were accurate.
“I do not believe that, and I stand by what the inspector-general of police (Khalid Abu Bakar) had said.
“Why stand by other subsidiary police officers’ reports?” he added, before walking away.
However, Khalid had not verified Shafee’s claim of a mistake and his earlier comments on the issue were viewed as a “subtle repudiation” of the Umno-linked lawyer’s statement.
Shafee had claimed that Phua, who is facing court proceedings in the United States, was mistakenly named as a member of the 14K triad and that the criminal organisation does not exist in Malaysia.
Responding to this, the police chief had told Malaysiakini that while the 14K triad did not operate here, Malaysians abroad were known to be members of the organisation.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/285633
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BAD ENGLISH, INDEED!
(A) This is part of the letter, with the errors highlighted.
“To assist both your department and Mr Phua’s legal teams, based on our information, Mr Phua is neither a member nor is he associates with the ’14K’ triad.
“Moreover, according to our records, Mr Phua has, numerous occassions, assisted the Government of Malaysia on projects affecting our national security and accordingly we continue to call upon him to assist us from time to time and as such we are eager for him to return to Malaysia.”
(B) This is a corrected version. It’s not the best but is, at least, an improvement.
“To assist both your department and Mr Phua’s legal team, according to our information, Mr Phua is neither a member nor is he an associate of the ’14K’ triad.
“Moreover, according to our records, on numerous occasions, Mr Phua had assisted the Government of Malaysia in projects relating to our national security. Indeed, he still assists us from time to time.”
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A PUZZLE INDEED!
It was the Royal Malaysian Police who fingered Paul Phua!
“The RMP has identified the 14K Triads as a local organised crime syndicate involved in illegal drugs, illegal gambling and money laundering activities in Malaysia,” the internal FBI document dated July 17, 2008, read. “The RMP has also identified Malaysian Phua Wei Seng as a 14K Triad member.”
2. Minister of Home Affairs Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wrote in a letter to Mark Giuliano, deputy director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, stating that “Mr Phua is neither a member nor is he associated with the ‘14k Triad.”
3. The IGP stated that 14K is a mafia group which has strong links with drug deals, but it has “never been” in Malaysia.
Read the letter yourself:
http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/12/30/malaysialetter.pdf
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7:29PM Jan 6, 2015
Zahid didn’t tell police about FBI letter
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi did not consult the police before sending a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding alleged Malaysian gambling kingpin Paul Phua.
According to police sources, even Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar was in the dark about the matter.
“Nobody in the police (top brass) knew about the letter or its contents.
“We only learned of its existence when the matter was exposed in the media,” one of them told Malaysiakini.
Apart from this, the sources also defended the police report regarding Phua, which lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had claimed was erroneous.
Contacted later, Khalid declined to comment on the issue, saying the questions should be posed to the minister instead.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/285553
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Phua and Son Will Go To Trial in World Cup Betting Case; Five …
www.pokernews.com
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Malaysian Insider
Why the bad English in Zahid’s letter to FBI, asks Guan Eng
The Penang chief minister today turned his attention to what he described as poor standard of English in Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s letter defending a Malaysian citizen accused of bookmaking in the United States recently.
Lim Guan Eng said the letter by Zahid on gambling kingpin Paul Phua Wei Seng smacked of secondary school-level English.
“It was not English of international standard. If the letter was from the Home Ministry and to be sent to the United States, it would be expected to be written in proper English. Even the date on the letter was written in Bahasa Melayu.
“If the letter is genuine, couldn’t you get a better person to draft the letter? The language is embarassing,” he told reporters at his office today.
Lim was commenting on the December 18 letter by Zahid to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) deputy director Mark F. Giuliano.
POOR ENGLISH IN THE LETTER: IS LIM GUAN ENG CORRECT?
Here is an excerpt, with the errors highlighted by Blogger:
“To assist both your department and Mr Phua’s legal teams, based on our information, Mr Phua is neither a member nor is he associates with the ’14K’ triad.
“Moreover, according to our records, Mr Phua has, numerous occassions, assisted the Government of Malaysia on projects affecting our national security and accordingly we continue to call upon him to assist us from time to time and as such we are eager for him to return to Malaysia.”
You can read the full letter yourself.
http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/12/30/malaysialetter.pdf
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The Exposé
South China Morning Post
Accused gambling kingpin Paul Phua ‘assisting Malaysia on matters of national security’
Malaysian citizen who used to be Macau’s top junket operator is not a triad member, Kuala Lumpur’s Minister of Home Affairs tells FBI
Paul Phua Wei-seng, the former Macau junket operator facing illegal bookmaking charges in Las Vegas, is assisting the Malaysian government in matters of national security and is not a member of Hong Kong’s 14k triad society, a Malaysian cabinet minister has told US authorities.
“Mr Phua is neither a member nor is he associated with the ‘14k Triad’, Malaysia’s Minister of Home Affairs Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wrote in a letter to Mark Giuliano, deputy director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Mr Phua has, on numerous occassions [sic], assisted the Government of Malaysia on projects affecting our national security and accordingly we continue to call upon him to assist us from time to time and as such we are eager for him to return to Malaysia,” Hamidi wrote in the letter dated December 18.
The letter, marked “private & confidential”, was submitted to the United States District Court in Las Vegas on Monday by Phua’s defence team. Phua’s lawyers have consistently refuted the allegation that Phua has ties with Hong Kong’s organised crime groups since his arrest in July.
In his letter, the minister did not elaborate on what matters of national security Phua assisted the Southeast Asian nation. His office could not be reached for immediate comment on Tuesday.
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The Las Vegas trial’s other defendants – who include three Hongkongers and Malaysian junket operator Richard Yong Seng-chen – this week pleaded guilty to misdemeanours and were sentenced to unsupervised probation and fines.
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Paul Phua Attorneys Say FBI “Torments” Citizens | Gambling News …
calvinayre.com
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BACKGROUND
1. The FBI moves.
Believing Phua to be a member of the 14K triad, US prosecutors had slapped him and his son, Phua Wait Kit, with illegal gambling charges.
Phua, 50, and his son stand accused of running an illegal gambling operation from suites at the Caesar’s Palace Hotel in Las Vegas during the soccer world cup earlier this year.
An online message found on his computer during a police raid suggested that bets of the alleged operation reached a “grand total” of HK$2.7 billion, according to court documents. US federal prosecutors alleged the group made a profit of US$13 million in June and July on soccer bets.
Phua’s lawyers are challenging the admissibility of evidence including the online message in court.
The allegation that Phua is a triad member is based on an FBI internal document previously submitted to the court, according to which Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) informed the FBI’s representative in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, of his ties to the criminal organisation.
“The RMP has identified the 14K Triads as a local organised crime syndicate involved in illegal drugs, illegal gambling and money laundering activities in Malaysia,” the internal FBI document dated July 17, 2008, read. “The RMP has also identified Malaysian Phua Wei Seng as a 14K Triad member.”
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In June, Phua was arrested in Macau in a crackdown on an online betting ring that, according to Macau police, took HK$5 billion in wavers. He was deported from the territory.
2. The letter from Zahid was submitted to the Nevada District Court by Phua’s legal team as part of his defence in an ongoing trial in Las Vegas.
3. Then the Opposition picks up the story asks, “WHY?”
4. This letter was subsequently withdrawn when Putrajaya objected.
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IGP Khalid has no more to say on Phua case http://bit.ly/14oLTuX
Malaysiakini
5:00PM Jan 5, 2015
Silence not due to fear of Zahid, says IGP
Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar explained that his refusal to comment on the case involving alleged gambling kingpin Paul Phua was not due to fear of his boss, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“Come on, this has nothing to do with being scared of the boss.
“Like what I said, this issue is in proceedings (in the court in the United States).
“Those who talk a lot on this matter, they do not know laws and court procedures. I know (the procedures).
“I do not want to jeopardise the ongoing trial. Let it continue,” he told reporters after attending a conference at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) in Kuala Lumpur.
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Also, Khalid dismissed the accusations that the government is cooperating with the mafia.
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He further stated that 14K is a mafia group which has strong links with drug deals, but it has “never been” in Malaysia.
“We have very tough drug laws in this country, I don’t think any 14K (members) would like to be in this country,” Khalid said.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of Malaysians abroad being members of 14K.
Khalid also declined to reveal if Phua had any other criminal record in Malaysia when asked, stating that the police have been in contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) all along.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/285412
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12:46PM Jan 3, 2015
Why is Zahid helping a ‘kingpin’, asks PKR
PKR today demanded Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to come clean on reports that he had written to the US authorities to secure the release of a gambling kingpin.
This comes after South China Morning Post published a letter signed by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in which he claimed alleged gambling kingpin Paul Phua was helping Malaysia on a “national security” matter.
Fahmi said it was shocking that the Home Ministry would admit that Phua, who was previously arrested in Macau and expelled for gambling activities, had been assisting Malaysia on “projects” concerning national security.
“What did Zahid mean by ‘projects affecting national security’? Why was he (Phua) involved in them?” he said.
Fahmi, who is PKR Youth vice-chief, said the minister must also explain the government’s eagerness to help Phua.
“I hope Zahid can answer these questions to clear the rakyat’s concern about this issue,” he said.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/285229
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8:00AM Jan 5, 2015
Gov’t objects to Zahid’s letter for Phua’s defence
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been withdrawn from a Nevada District Court after Putrajaya objected to it being used for the defence of an alleged gambling kingpin.
In the Dec 18, 2014 letter, Zahid wrote to FBI deputy director Mark F Giuliano stating that alleged gambling kingpin Paul Phua Wen Seng was not a 14K triad member.
The minister also claimed Phua had assisted Malaysia on matters of “national security” and Malaysia was “eager” for his return to Malaysia.
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In a separate letter to magistrate Peggy A Leen, Phua’s legal team said they were withdrawing Zahid’s letter after Putrajaya said its contents were not for public consumption.
“Earlier today, we submitted (in ECF No 386) a letter sent by the Malaysian home minister to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“The government subsequently contacted us, objecting to the introduction of the letter because the record is closed.
“In light of the government’s objection, we respectfully withdraw our prior submission,” states the letter sighted by Malaysiakini.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/285337
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Lim Kit Siang for Malaysia
Strange case of Home Minister writing a letter to FBI vouching for the integrity of an alleged gambling kingpin has become “curiouser and curiouser”
The strange case of the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi writing a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) vouching for the integrity of an alleged gambling kingpin has become “curiouser and curiouser”.
In the first place, it is curious and must be the first case of a Home Minister of any country writing a letter to the FBI to vouch for the integrity of a person detained by FBI allegedly for being a gambling kingpin.
Secondly, it is curious that the Home Minister is writing to correct a mistake in the report by the Malaysian Police to the FBI about Paul Pauh. If there was such a “mistake”, why didn’t the Police themselves write to the FBI to correct the mistake.
The third and fourth curious aspects are whether the police agreed that it had made a mistake in its report to FBI about Paul Pauh and whether the police knew and agreed to the Home Minister writing to the FBI on the matter.
The fifth and sixth curious aspects are the nature of the “national security matters” which Puah had assisted the Malaysian government in the past and whether the police were privy to this information.
The seventh curious aspect is whether the Home Minister had acted unilaterally and arbitrarily without the knowledge and consent or against the advice of the Police in writing the letter vouching for the integrity of the alleged gambling kingpin as appears to be the case from the subtle statement of the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar which veers from making any comment on the veracity of the Home Minister’s letter.
The eighth curious aspect is the latest development in Nevada District Court in Las Vegas where the Home Minister’s letter to the FBI was withdrawn after Putrajaya objected to it being used for the defence of the alleged gambling kingpin.
The Home Minister’s to the FBI dated December 18, 2014 was clearly in defence of Phua and yet the latest twist of the Las Vegas gambling trial is that the Home Minister’s letter should not be used in an open court proceeding in defence of Phua.
Who objected? Was it Zahid, the Police, the Attorney-General’s Chambers or Foreign Ministry?
The ninth curious aspect is whether the Police, to use Zahid’s words in his letter to the FBI, “eager” for Phua to return to Malaysia to help the government on “projects affecting our national security”.?
It is clear the both national, police and the Home Minister’s reputation and credibility have been gravely undermined and besmirched in the case involving the alleged gambling kingpin.
The Home Minister cannot stay silent any longer on this issue as Malaysians are entitled to a true and unvarnished version of these curious sets of events which bring no good whatsoever to Malaysia’s international standing and repute.
This entry was posted on Monday, 5 January 2015, 5:26 pm
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YOURSAY | What national security ‘projects’ is Phua helping?: http://bit.ly/1AozhP2 [FREE]
Click on this link:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/285347
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IGP’s dilemma – defend his men or his boss
YOURSAY | IGP’s dilemma: http://bit.ly/1Kd9PBK [FREE]
Click on this link:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/285341
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weehingthong 