The Islands and the License

And what did Musa Aman say on 5 th May "Sabah has not ceded any of its territory in the Federal Government's agreement with Brunei over the 2009 demarcation of maritime boundaries, Musa even said state Attorney-General Datuk Roderick Fernandez informed him that no Sabah territory was ceded under the agreement inked towards the end of former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's term in office."

In the case of the cessation of certain islands belonging to Sabah vs. the people seeking the truth; there are two questions here. At the signing of the agreement in 2009, wasn't Musa present at the ceremony? If he was, then he has direct information about the contents of the agreement. Accordingly, he didn't have to say the state AG informed him. The phrase is suggesting that Musa Aman, as chief minister of Sabah wasn't present at the signing of the agreement or if he was, wasn't paying attention.

Not good for a chief minister. One who doesn't pay attention about what's being signed. If the whole of Sabah were ceded, would he say those words? That he was informed- something of an after the fact. A minister who isn't paying attention especially at something which is being signed involving his state or state assets should be sacked from his job.

How then can you explain the longevity of Musa Aman? He is known locally in Sabah as the vacuum cleaner and by that, I imagine, that he sucks in all money making enterprises in Sabah. I don't know, Sabah people have to tell us.

If everyone on the street has nothing good to say about Msa Aman, how is he able to stay on in power?

The only explanation I can give is that Musa Aman somehow manages to channel feel good impressions about him to the PM. It is increasingly becoming public knowledge that PM Najib is easily influenced by information channelled to him by a close circle comprising of close friends maybe, some aides maybe and so forth. You know, in the application of Goebbels principle- if you tell a misinformation big enough repeatedly, the recipient of that misinformation will believe it to be true!

In this particular case, I hear Musa Aman is handsomely rewarding some officers and aides close to the PM to say all and everything good about Musa Aman and all bad things about Musa is just the work of envious parties.

There is another lingering puzzle. That the islands have been ceded to Brunei is already a fact known to all. What the state AG said at the end is interesting- if no islands were ceded at the agreement inked by Abdulah Badawi, which cessation we know now is a fact, when was the cessation inked? Was it done during the premiership before Abdullah Badawi then?

Let's now talk about the malleability of our PM. Musa Aman is shrewd enough to form the correct opinions regarding him with the PM. As a result he acquires longevity.

The lesson? If you apply enough pressure through the correct means, the PM will override his own decisions.

Vincent Tan said he was given the license. The MOF said it didn't issue the license. If no license was issued, there is nothing to withdraw and nothing to discuss about the issue at the UMNO Supreme Council meeting on Friday.

But the PM said the withdrawal was supported by members of the UMNO supreme council. Najib said the government had earlier agreed to issue the sports betting license but with strict condition such as banning Muslim involvement in the activity.

Vincent Tan was right after all- he was indeed given the license. That was why he informed the SC in clear terms.

The phrase, UMNO supreme council members supported the withdrawal means that a license was actually given out to Vince. You cannot withdraw something that hasn't been awarded can you? What's there to withdraw?

Indeed there is no law that warrants the state to compensate Vince for his losses on paper- but equally there isn't any law that says you can't compensate him either. It's discretionary.

But will that mean, Vincent Tan will not donate any of the RM 500 million to his charity? And by the way, did anyone bet whether the license will be withdrawn or not?

Here is another piece of statement coming from an airhead of an UMNO leader. The Cheras Mafiosi. He said:

Beliau berkata, jika lesen tersebut dikeluarkan bermakna kerajaan mampu mengutip cukai sebanyak RM500 juta dengan taksiran potongan 25 peratus. "Jumlah tersebut boleh digunakan oleh kerajaan untuk menyediakan pelbagai kemudahan prasarana untuk rakyat terutama bukan Islam," katanya. Jumlah itu juga katanya membolehkan kerajaan membina atau membaik pulih sekolah-sekolah Cina yang sedia ada.

Extending the logic of his statement, then on account of the bigger amount of taxes collected from non Malays, more money should be allocated to non Malay interests then? This Syed is advocating the application of a variation of Marx's dictum; from Malay money to Malay needs and from non Malay money to non Malay needs. What does that make him? Syed Karl Marx?