Khairy Jamaluddin - The Truth About 31

Part 31 - Khairy Chronicles in review continued

Episode 31 of The Khairy Chronicles is supposed to be called The Battle Begins: Mahathir’s secret weapon, where we were going to tell you about Mahathir’s White Knight who will emerge to fight the Khairy Dragon. However, since the last episode of The Khairy Chronicles on 5 May, there have been many and fast-changing developments in the Malaysian political scene that what we write seems to become obsolete even before we can publish it.

You must note that it takes days, sometimes a week to research and write each episode of The Khairy Chronicles. The intimate details that we reveal means we need to meet many contacts and enter into long discussions on what is going on behind the scenes. Sometimes the source is willing to sing like a canary and at times is not really prepared to open up and remains tight-lipped. It therefore requires some very delicate probing and beating around the bush to slowly extract what we are looking for. Then there are those who delight in telling us half stories with the punch line, “I have told you what happened, now you go figure out the rest yourself.” Or they would say, “That is what happened, but I can’t mention names.” We then have to continue investigating and talk to others to put in the missing pieces to that story and plug the many gaps and holes that our source left us with.

In the latest episode of The Corridors of Power (Politics is about the attainment of power), we concluded by saying:

In the meantime, watch the ongoing power struggle in Malaysia. Much conniving and money changing hands will be seen over the next year or so. And the man left standing will be he who plays the game best. And all’s fair in love, war and politics. There will be no dirty politics, only real-politics. And the next prime minister, whoever it may be, will be he who outwits the others and outbids everyone with the best price. And the next prime minister will have to be the dirtiest player in the game; there are no two ways about it.

The impression created is that Malaysia’s political scene is calm and calculated. That is certainly the appearance given. But Malaysia’s politics is like a deep river. Deep rivers appear calm but the turbulence beneath the surface would drag you down if you were to suffer the misfortune of falling into it. Then there would be the many crocodiles lurking below waiting to pounce on you if you are spared drowning. The calmer the river, the more you should stay out of it for not many have been able to defy nature and walk away to tell their tale.

Yes, nature, mankind’s folly in thinking that he can shape this earth in his own image and not suffer the consequences. Whether it be the Highland Towers collapse (due to the shifting of the underground stream), the Tsunami tragedy (due to the destruction of mangroves along the shoreline), landslides (due to development on hill slopes), and much more, have all proven that nature has power over mankind.

And what is the nature of politicians? Politicians are animals that scheme, plot, connive, engage, survive, and kill. A politician is a modern-day gladiator. Politicians must kill or be killed. Politicians must make alliances and break alliances. In politics, the ends justify the means.

In the latest episode of The Corridors of Power (Politics is about the attainment of power), we said:

Enemies become friends and friends become enemies. An enemy of your enemy becomes your friend, even if the former is also your enemy, but as long as the latter is a bigger enemy. An enemy of your friend also becomes your enemy, even if the former is also your friend, but as long the latter can serve your political interests. That is the political game. And you must learn to treat all political friends as potential enemies and keep them close where you can watch over them — plus keep your political enemies even closer so that you can monitor them and neutralise their every move.

Well, this is exactly what is happening in Malaysian politics today and, over the last couple of weeks while we were putting together episode 31 of The Khairy Chronicles, the behind the scenes goings-on has forced us to go back to the drawing board lest what we publish becomes obsolete as you read it or the rapid changing events make what we write highly in error.

For example, since the last episode of The Khairy Chronicles, the recently removed Umno Perlis Youth Leader has decided to take on Khairy Jamaluddin and give him a run for his money. He is now making his moves and laying the groundwork to launch this challenge.

The Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) is attempting to bring together Ex-Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his one-time deputy Anwar Ibrahim, and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to team up for the good of the ‘Malay cause’. Is the hidden agenda really to challenge the Prime Minister?

Dr Mahathir has categorically stated in his Malaysiakini interview last week that there is no possibility of any reconciliation with Anwar. Then there are certain forces who are attempting to open a channel for Anwar to meet Dr Mahathir so that the former can apologise to the latter. It is hoped that once Anwar does this, then the old man would give his blessing in the event that Umno would like to take Anwar back.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met Dr Mahathir in Tokyo. Dr Mahathir returned to Malaysia the following day while Abdullah the day after that. It has been reported that Abdullah is trying to mend fences with the old man but the terms and conditions for reconciliation may be too much for Abdullah to endure. Other than the reinstatement of the cancelled ‘Crooked Bridge’, Dr Mahathir wants Abdullah’s son-in-law, Khairy, removed from the corridors of power.

Yes, there is much going on behind the scenes and it appears like all roads lead to Khairy, even the cancellation of the ‘Crooked Bridge’. Will Abdullah sacrifice his son-in-law to pacify him who still has the power to hire and fire and can shape the political environment of this country? Will Najib strike now while Khairy is teetering on the verge and about to be pushed over the edge by the many enemies he has made in such a short space of time, Dr Mahathir included? Will Anwar become the powerbroker and kingmaker in the redrawing of political boundaries, realignment of political loyalties, and new political alliances? Will the Dr Mahathir-Anwar-Tengku Razaleigh team become a reality or will the PAS effort fizzle just like the Dinar idea which it mooted recently?

There is so much to look into and the events swing from one extreme to the other within mere days. Anyway, while we are getting our hands on the latest and juiciest of the backroom political manoeuvres, let us continue with our Khairy Chonicles in review before we go to the next episode of our story on the young upstart who would be Prime Minister by the age of 40 and what he would have to do to eliminate the competition. Parts 1 to 24 of this review can be viewed here.

Part 24 - Khairy Chronicles in review

It seems Khairy Jamaluddin is not happy with The Khairy Chronicles. And when Khairy is not happy, he must be made happy. These ‘certain parties’ do not work for Khairy. They, in fact, answer to the government. Indirectly, they are responsible to the people. Their job is to uphold the law and punish the law-breakers, not to serve certain political interests. Their function is to defend our constitutional rights, including freedom of expression and the independence of the media. But that is only a pipedream. In reality, they bow to the will of the powers-that-be. In this case, they bow to Khairy.

Khairy has no position in the government of the day. He is officially only a ‘corporate advisor’. No doubt he is deputy head of UMNO Youth, but that role too is not one that allows him to run the country as he wishes. Nevertheless, he does. For some time now, these ‘certain parties’ have been feeding him reports (as well as to his father-in-law), including the results of their snooping on opposition politicians and functions. Khairy has no right to these reports, but he receives them anyway — because the ministers and deputy ministers in charge are too afraid to raise their objections.

What makes Khairy uncomfortable with The Khairy Chronicles is the fact that it has pre-empted many of his moves since the middle of last year — and now that he is beginning to make these moves we can turn round and say, “I told you so.”

Part 25 - A New Deal: Running Out of Time

Khairy’s actions over the last few months demonstrate immense immaturity and stupidity. The obvious corrupt and insider dealing involved in the purchase of ECM Libra and the use of government-owned Avenue Capital to bail out Khairy’s business cronies and make them multi-millionaires overnight are actions that could have been better handled and with greater finesse. Instead, its execution bears all the hallmarks of a rushed job, the handiwork of an amateur in politics and business. The image that Khairy portrays has transformed from an intelligent, confident young man to a greedy and corrupt opportunist. The ‘smooth operator’ has gone, to be replaced by the ‘grab-and-run’ conman.

Perhaps there is pattern in this madness. Maybe the fast-paced actions were not a headlong rush created out of chaos but a calculated attempt to salvage whatever remains of the teetering administration of Abdullah Badawi. The administration that started out promising Malaysians the sun and the moon, and that enjoyed the biggest majority since the General Election of 1955, has begun to be seen as the most inept and bumbling government ever. Abdullah Badawi is lurching from crisis to crisis; unable to deal with issues with the decisiveness that Malaysians have become so accustomed to over the last two decades or so. Swaying from right to left, Abdullah Badawi leads a government rife with internal conflict and unable to grapple with the simplest of ordinary issues.

Khairy knows that his future — political, business or otherwise — depends on Abdullah Badawi’s longevity in office. That now seems increasingly shaky. Unlike his predecessor, Abdullah Badawi is unable to capitalise on his strength in Parliament. Led astray by the silly ideas of people such as Nazri Aziz and Backbencher Club President Shahrir Abdul Samad, Abdullah Badawi lost control of his own Parliament and saw senators and backbenchers attacking his government with a ferocity unseen since the days of Tunku Abdul Rahman. While thinking that Parliament should be allowed more say, Abdullah failed to realise that many of the backbenchers could think and speak better than him or his menagerie of hapless ministers. As a result, when Parliament began to take up the mantle of criticising ridiculous government policies, Abdullah finds it difficult to respond in a convincing manner. Slowly, the rickety sinews that bind his fragile government begin to appear for all to see.

Part 26 - A New Deal: The bag-carriers

Money politics is well and alive in Umno and many have now forgotten that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi rode into power on the backdrop of a promise that he will clean up Umno of this affliction, which he has often described as ‘a cancer that kills’. Abdullah Badawi is proven no less a liar by his own son-in-law who now realises that his father-in-law’s tenuous hold on Umno can be perpetuated only if it is compounded by a show of generosity to the ordinary members. The pile of cash that Khairy is building up is not only a nest egg for himself and his family, but a necessity in the face of rivals who have much deeper pockets.

Khairy channels the money to the members by planting a person in each division who acts as the ‘umbrella’ or ‘payung’. The payung’s function is to distribute cash to people who are deemed Khairy supporters. These people must turn up at functions graced by Khairy and will then be able to receive their dues. From the money that Khairy circulates, each payung keeps something like RM1,000 to RM2,000 per month for himself for rainy days — i.e. times when rivals come to compete for the favours of the Umno members.

The payungs are often Vice-Heads of Umno Youth divisions or branches. Sometimes they are members of Khairy’s informal ‘Vice Heads of Umno Youth Club’. Often, they are also people who have served with Khairy in his previous incarnation as an appointed Umno Youth Exco member with responsibility for education affairs. Each and every time, they are invariably also people who spy on other Youth leaders who appear to be paying too much attention to Khairy’s potential rivals for the headship of Umno Youth in the party elections of 2007.

Like royalty, Khairy does not handle any cash himself. He lets others do that work for him while he keeps his hands clean. This is actually nothing new in Umno politics. Since the time of Tun Razak it has been customary for Umno Youth leaders ranging from Syed Jaafar Albar to Harun Idris to Suhaimi Kamaruddin to Anwar Ibrahim to Najib Tun Razak and Zahid Hamidi to have bag-carriers and payungs. What has changed is the sum. In the past, where Umno members used to be satisfied with orange RM10 notes once every few months, they are now only happy if the money comes monthly and in the blue and purple denominations of fifties and hundreds.

Part 27 - A New Deal: Crash and Burn

These are but some of the many events which have happened over the last two years involving Khairy and the maladministration of Abdullah’s government — which are but a scratch on the surface. Previously, ministers and politicians were too scared to talk about them. But now they are so angry with Abdullah they are becoming quite open and vocal about Khairy’s misdeeds. Slowly, the stories are filtering through and while the official media — controlled by Khairy’s lackeys like Kalimullah Hassan Masheerul Hassan, Brendan Pereira, Wong Sulong and Wong Chun Wai — keep an ominous silence about the son-in-law’s movements, the UMNO grassroots have been getting information by word of mouth and through the ‘underground’ media. Only the very stupid of UMNO members do not now realise that Khairy is king and puppet-master whose control over Abdullah is almost absolute.

A danger for Khairy is that people are no longer afraid to talk about the corruption perpetuated by Abdullah’s family. After all, they have had enough of the same happenings under Mahathir. But Mahathir never promised them reforms. So, while people always thought it was ‘natural’ for Mahathir’s family to be corrupt, they are more disappointed that Abdullah, with his so-called Islamic and intellectual background, can allow the same to happen at even greater speed, more blatantly, and with visible disregard for public decency. Many are saying that Abdullah is dangerous to UMNO and should be removed as soon as the opportunity arises. Still, none want to make the first move and be the one to bell the cat. But there are many who are being cajoled into leading such a charge. Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the most obvious choice for the many disgruntled UMNO members who are looking for a sympathetic ear, as are other veteran leaders such as Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

The only saving grace for Khairy is that Malaysians have become too immune to official corruption, having been so long under the rule of Mahathir Mohamad. While they are still cautious, Khairy has time to increase his wealth and consolidate his power of patronage over those UMNO leaders who can still be bought. Khairy can also rely on Mahathir’s greatest fear, the return of Anwar Ibrahim into UMNO politics, which no doubt Abdullah will support. If any of Mahathir’s followers — for example, Najib Tun Razak — dare openly criticise Abdullah, Anwar is the pawn that Khairy will use in the battle against Mahathir. As long as Anwar can distract the public by continuing his vengeful pursuit of Mahathir and others involved in the 1998 conspiracy that brought about his downfall, then Khairy is still safe.

Part 28 - A New Deal: Losing the Plot?

Instead of disturbing or disrupting the top leadership, Khairy has instead strengthened his hand at the second echelon level. He has rescued a key loyalist, Noh Omar, from the frying pan of the Ministry of Internal Security and put him in the safer and relatively powerful (as far as UMNO eyes are concerned) post of Deputy Education Minister. Noh Omar is one of those people whom Khairy can rely on to secure a good stream of information about the activities of his current boss and potential rival, Hishammuddin Hussein. The truth of the matter is Noh Omar has been placed in that position for only two purposes.

Firstly, Khairy wants Noh to spy on Hishammuddin and sabotage any attempts he may make to strengthen his position ahead of the next UMNO elections. Secondly, Noh is a prominent member of the UMNO Club Alumni Organisation of overseas student graduates and, in the position of Deputy Education Minister, Noh would be able to enhance efforts of creating a powerful support base for Khairy among overseas Malay graduates. In the one year left leading to the next General Election, Noh would be in a powerful position to supply Khairy crucial tactical and strategic information. Simultaneously, Noh has been placed in the most senior federal position for a Selangor politician. By dropping Shafie Salleh from the Ministry of Higher Education, Noh is now the most senior Selangor candidate who Khairy can use as a potential menteri besar to replace the dangerous Khir Toyo, a man who is a potent obstacle to Khairy.

Part 29 - A New Deal: Rosebud – a new person in Abdullah’s life

Abdullah is a man who does not know how to rely on his own counsel. Indeed, he probably has none. He therefore has to build up a circle of close advisors from whom he can formulate ideas and strategies. Often he does not even understand them but instead becomes a mouthpiece for their thoughts. Such is the way that this country is run under Abdullah.

Of course, these advisors act not for the good of the country, but often because they could gain some benefits. Even in Abdullah’s family, while he acknowledges that he is often reliant on the views of son Kamal and daughter Nori, these views have recently been skewed by the ever-present insatiable demands of Kamal’s business partners in Scomi, and Nori’s incessant request to shore up the political ambitions of her notoriously cunning husband. So, in the end, Abdullah’s advisors are more vultures than viziers, pecking at the meat until they reach the driest of bones.

Part 30 - The Battle Begins: Pekan Boy Strikes Back

Almost everyone in UMNO knows Khairy has only contempt for Najib. According to former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Khairy has gone so far as to threaten Najib that he holds many of Najib’s secrets, most supplied to him by the Singapore Secret Service. Amongst these are the corrupt dealings of the Deputy Prime Minister during his tenure as Minister of Defence and even after Abdullah had become Prime Minister. Singapore was keen to ensure that Najib stayed away from the office of Prime Minister until they at least had gained all the benefits of Abdullah’s weaker and ‘more friendly’ attitude to Lee Hsien Loong and his government. Also, in the dossier held closely by Khairy, are details of Najib’s scandals. True, after the Anwar Ibrahim episode, many could not care less if Najib buggered a goat, but it was still fodder for the conservative Malay heartland that wanted their leaders to be as pious as saints.

Khairy had once remarked to Kalimullah Hassan Masheerul Hassan that removing Najib would be ‘peanuts’. This is the absolute truth. With the control of the media that Khairy has in which even Mahathir Mohamad could scarcely whisper a discouraging word, Najib has no chance to present his own case against accusations by Abdullah and Khairy. A trumped-up levelling of fingers pointing to Najib’s shenanigans would be easier to prove than anything Mahathir had attempted on Anwar Ibrahim. Najib could only weakly defend his record as no one believes what he says. With the po-faced visage that he has been increasingly trying to reduce but failed to achieve, Najib is as convincing a liar as Umi Hafilda when she said she was still a virgin. In other words, no one believes the Pekan Boy even when he is telling the truth.

Mahathir Mohamad learnt through his own contacts that Khairy has worked very hard to gain these documents from Singapore. Much has been offered to obtain them and most of the cost has been borne by the GLCs that now answer to new masters. This is one reason why Mahathir is so seething. When statements were made recently implying some leaders were selling the nation, Mahathir made that accusation in the future tense. He should have made it in the past. The sale has already been made, the price already paid by Singapore, and Khairy has got what he wants: enough to remove Najib from the scene.


Source: http://malaysia-today.net/reports/2006/05/khairy-chronicles.htm