Saturday, November 19, 2016

Turnbull meets Najib : Is the Turnbull family's Keshik Capital a recipient of 1MDB money? Are the Turnbulls talking to Jho & Larry Low?

by Ganesh Sahathevan


Yesterday Malcolm Turnbull met with Najib Razak in Lima, Peru even as thousands demanded Najib be arrested for the theft of billions from the 1MDB sovereign fund:


Malcolm Turnbull and the Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, 
on the sidelines of the Apec leaders’ summit in Lima, Peru.


Money stolen from 1MDB found its way into a number of Singapore banks and shell companies, some of which are the subject of an ongoing matter before Singapore's courts.


The Turnbull family's hedge fund, managed by eldest son Alex Turnbull is based in Singapore, and as reported before on this blog, it is not a company that will naturally attract investors in Singapore.


It is for Malcolm Turnbull to confirm or deny that his family's Keshik Capital has never received any money sourced out of 1MDB and its related funds.
The Low family of Penang, led by Larry Low,whose son Jho Low has been named  a person of interest in the Singapore matter have been shown to be Najib's partners in the 1MDB matter.
Adding to the suspicion is the fact that Jho's yacht Equanimity was recently in Cairns.Jho is on the run and in hiding, and is very careful in choosing  his ports of call.
Superyacht MV Equanimity at the Marlin Marina, owned by billionaire Malaysian real estate developer Jho Low. PICTURE: STEWART McLEAN
END

Turnbull offering Najib asylum? Turnbull meets with Najib in Lima, while in KL thousands call for Najib's arrest and sacking



by Ganesh Sahathevan





Malcolm Turnbull and the Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, on the sidelines of the Apec leaders’ summit in Lima, Peru, where they discussed ‘irregular migration’. Photograph: Lisa Martin/AAP

The Guardian reported:

Turnbull had bilateral talks with Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, on Saturday morning, Peru time, on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ summit.

t’s understood the pair discussed “irregular migration” among other topics such as trade, regional security, the Middle East and strategic issues such as the South China Sea during the meeting. There has been media speculation a deal could be close.


Meanwhile, in Kuala Lumpur:


Edgar Su | Reuters
Pro-democracy group Bersih stage 1MDB protest, calling for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to resign, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia November 19, 2016.


Thousands of anti-government protesters marched in Malaysia's capital on Saturday demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over his alleged involvement in a multi-billion dollar misappropriation scandal.


As previously reported Turnbull and the Australian Government have been very slow to do their part in investigating and charging those in Australia involved in that "misappropriation" scandal".



Australia's 1MDB position explained: Turnbull wants a deal with Najib


END

Turnbull offering Najib asylum? Turnbull meets with Najib in Lima, while in KL thousands call for Najib's arrest and sacking



by Ganesh Sahathevan





Malcolm Turnbull and the Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, on the sidelines of the Apec leaders’ summit in Lima, Peru, where they discussed ‘irregular migration’. Photograph: Lisa Martin/AAP

The Guardian reported:

Turnbull had bilateral talks with Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, on Saturday morning, Peru time, on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ summit.

t’s understood the pair discussed “irregular migration” among other topics such as trade, regional security, the Middle East and strategic issues such as the South China Sea during the meeting. There has been media speculation a deal could be close.


Meanwhile, in Kuala Lumpur:


Edgar Su | Reuters
Pro-democracy group Bersih stage 1MDB protest, calling for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to resign, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia November 19, 2016.


Thousands of anti-government protesters marched in Malaysia's capital on Saturday demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over his alleged involvement in a multi-billion dollar misappropriation scandal.


As previously reported Turnbull and the Australian Government have been very slow to their part in investigating and charging those in Australia involved in that "misappropriation" scandal".



Australia's 1MDB position explained: Turnbull wants a deal with Najib


END

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Australia's 1MDB position explained: Turnbull wants a deal with Najib



by Ganesh Sahathevan



The matter of Australia's regulatory authorities refusing to act against ANZ Bank and other Australian entities directly involved in the 1MDB theft and money laundering scandal even as their counterparts in the UK, US, Singapore ,Switzerland and even Hong Kong do so has been reported at length by this writer.

Now comes news via Australian media which explains the reason:

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will today announce a deal with the US to resettle hundreds of refugees, with talks under way for other ­nations, including Malaysia.

Any deal with Malaysia will require Malaysian PM Najib's personal approval, even as the US Department of Justice and other enforcement agencies pursue and prosecute  his associates for a range of offences which led to this transaction ,which is particularly embarrassing  for one of  the Australian financial system's  Four Pillars  , ANZ Bank


TANORE FINANCE - Inside Story Of The "Saudi Royal Donation" - The FBI Files Continued


The Turnbull-Najib deal also explains why the ANZ and its CEO Shayne Elliot have been allowed to get away with misleading Parliament. See :



Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Dump compromised DCNS Barracudas, lease US Virginias: A simple commercial arrangement that will keep Trump engaged in the defence of this region



by Ganesh Sahathevan


"I think Hillary will win, and win easily, and I think that will be the best outcome for Australia because she does support free trade."She does support the United States being deeply engaged in our Asian region, which is critical to us.

These were the words of Christopher Pyne, the minister effectively in charge of the AUD 50 billion Barracuda submarine project, when asked who he preferred as US president.

The reality, now, for Pyne and a number of his Cabinet colleagues is a Trump presidency.

Trump has shown himself throughout his campaign to be true to his commercial antecedents, selling the electorate what it wanted. Consequently, it is obvious that in order to ensure his incoming administration remains "deeply engaged in our Asian region", good commercial reasons must prevail.


The simplest way of doing so given Australia's defence needs and US concerns about growing and unsustainable defence and military spending is to immediately scrap the AUD 50 Billion DCNS Barracuda A1 project ,and instead lease US Virginia Class submarines. This alternative has the advantage of being at least 40-50% cheaper, and at a fixed cost.Of course, it also has the advantage of immediate or very near term delivery.The income stream to the US Government from the leases would justify continued US engagement.

The DCNS proposal has already been compromised, so tearing up whatever agreement the Commonwealth may have with DCNS without penalty should be relatively easy.


END
For the reasons why Australia needs technologically advanced nuclear submarines now, and not in 20 years time see:

Predicting Chinese submarine technology using Russian technology as a proxy in a Dempster Shafer framework-Part 1


We'll be sunk if we don't choose the best submarine: Ross Babbage's advice from 2012 rings ever more true given humiliation by the Russian fleet

Monday, November 7, 2016

Malaysia's RM 55 B East Coast Railway of no relevance to China's One Road-One Belt plans-China's HKTDC says so

by Ganesh Sahathevan

This is what China has to say about the One Belt-One Road imitative, on its HKTDC One Road-One Belt website:


The Belt and Road Initiative aims to connect Asia, Europe and Africa along five routes. The Silk Road Economic Belt focusses on: (1) linking China to Europe through Central Asia and Russia; (2) connecting China with the Middle East through Central Asia; and (3) bringing together China and Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Indian Ocean. The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, meanwhile, focusses on using Chinese coastal ports to: (4) link China with Europe through the South China Sea and Indian Ocean; and (5) connect China with the South Pacific Ocean through the South China Sea.
Focussing on the above five routes, the Belt and Road will take advantage of international transport routes as well as core cities and key ports to further strengthen collaboration and build six international economic co-operation corridors. These have been identified as the New Eurasia Land Bridge, China-Mongolia-Russia, China-Central Asia-West Asia, China-Indochina Peninsula, China-Pakistan, and Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar.



Photo: The Belt and Road Initiative: Six Economic Corridors Spanning Asia, Europe and Africa



As one can readily see from the above, it has nothing to do with what Malaysia's RM 55 Billion East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) project. Clearly, the ECRL is not intended by the Chinese to be some sort of link that China will put traffic through, after it so generously "gifts" that project it to to Malaysia:


China to pour in billions for rail project


CHINA will provide RM55bil in soft loans to Malaysia for the construction of the planned East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) that is estimated to cost a similar amount, according to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
In an exclusive interview in Beijing with The Star yesterday, Liow said this will be one of the 16 government-to-government memoranda of understanding to be signed when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak meets with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang for bilateral talks today.
Apart from financing, the two countries will also sign an engineering-and-construction contract on the project.
This means China will carry out the detailed engineering and design of the ECRL, procure all materials and equipment, and deliver the facility to Malaysia.
“As far as I know, this is the biggest single deal Malaysia will be signing with China,” said Liow, who has worked very hard to obtain China’s investments in ports, aviation and railways since he took over the transport portfolio in June 2014.
On the terms of the soft loans to be given by China’s EXIM Bank, Liow said rates are very competitive and repayment is over 20 years.
“And in the first seven years Malaysia will not have to pay anything – interest and repayment.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Najib consigns the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) to the dustbin of history,and Malaysia with it.

by Ganesh Sahathevan


Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak inspects honour guards during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, November 1, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Najib asks West to stop 'lecturing' as Malaysia embraces China
Out of China comes news from Reuters  that Malaysia's PM Najib has formed a new defence alliance with China and in the process warned  "the West" and in particular former "colonial masters", to stop interfering in the affairs of their former client states.
Najib is reported to have said: 

“More generally, we believe it is incumbent upon larger countries to treat smaller ones fairly. And this includes former colonial powers. It is not for them to lecture countries they once exploited on how to conduct their own internal affairs today.
“Malaysia and China are united in agreeing on the need to defend the sovereignty of the nation state and in the belief that the individual histories, values and governance systems of different countries must be respected,”
This statement  is  at odds with reports from just six months ago about efforts by the Malaysian Defence Minister,Hishamuddin Onn (Najib's cousin) to "push back" China's intrusion into the South China Sea, with Australia's assistance:
"If the reports we've received from various sources regarding the build-up and placement of military assets in the Spratlys are true – this forces us in a pushback against China" 

Australia is a natural military ally,given the 1971  Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) between  Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, the UK (Malaysia's former colonial master) and New Zealand .

In June 2015 the UK Parliament was told

Under the Five Powers Defence Arrangements, the five powers (Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and the UK) are to consult each other "immediately" in the event or threat of an armed attack on Malaysia or Singapore for the purpose of deciding what measures should be taken jointly or separately in response. There is no specific commitment to intervene militarily. The Five Powers Defence Arrangements do not refer to exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and the enforcement of a state's EEZ rights is a matter for that state; a state may request the assistance of other states in so doing.


Najib has effectively told the other parties to the FPDA that he will from here on go it alone with China .The Arrangements under the FPDA described below are rendered meaningless when one party to the Arrangement, in this case Malaysia, agrees to submit and succumb to China's intrusion into its and adjoining international waters, in defiance of international law. The FPDA is dead
In the process Najib has made Malaysia a strategically irrelevant  state.Other parties will have to be relied on by the international community to secure passage via the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea.
END 


Five Power Defence Arrangements

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Five Power Defence Arrangements member nations
The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) are a series of defence relationships established by a series of multi-lateral agreements between the United KingdomAustraliaNew ZealandMalaysia and Singapore (all Commonwealthmembers) signed in 1971, whereby the five powers are to consult each other "immediately" in the event or threat of an armed attack on Malaysia or Singapore for the purpose of deciding what measures should be taken jointly or separately in response. There is no specific commitment to intervene militarily. The Five Powers Defence Arrangements do not refer to exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and the enforcement of a state's EEZ rights is a matter for that state; a state may request the assistance of other states in so doing.[1]

Origins[edit]

The FPDA was set up following the termination of the United Kingdom's defence guarantees of Malaysia and Singapore under the Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement, as a result of the UK's decision in 1967 to withdraw its armed forces east of Suez. Under the Five Powers Defence Arrangements, the five powers (Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and the UK) are to consult each other "immediately" in the event or threat of an armed attack on Malaysia or Singapore for the purpose of deciding what measures should be taken jointly or separately in response. There is no specific commitment to intervene militarily."[2] The FPDA provides defence co-operation between the countries, establishing an Integrated Air Defence System (IADS) for Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore based at RMAF Butterworth under the command of an Australian Air Vice-Marshal (2-star). RMAF Butterworth, was under the control of the Royal Australian Air Force until 1988, and is now run by the Royal Malaysian Air Force but hosts rotating detachments of aircraft and personnel from all five countries.
In 1981, the five powers organised the first annual land and naval exercises. Since 1997, the naval and air exercises have been combined. In 2001, HQ IADS was redesignated Headquarters Integrated "Area" Defence System. It now has personnel from all three branches of the armed services, and co-ordinates the annual five-power naval and air exercises, while moving towards the fuller integration of land elements. An annual FPDA Defence Chiefs' Conference (FDCC) is hosted by either Malaysia or Singapore, and is the highest military professional forum of the FPDA and serves as an important platform for dialogue and exchange of views among the Defence Chiefs.[3] There is also a Five Powers Defence Arrangements Ministerial Meeting (FDMM).[4]
John Moore, then Minister of Defence of Australia said, "As an established multilateral security framework, the FPDA has a unique role in Asia. It is of strategic benefit to all member nations and, in Australia's view, to the wider Asia-Pacific region."[5] Malaysia's CDF, former General (GEN) Tan Sri Dato' Sri Zulkifeli Bin Mohd Zin concurred: "We can help each other... and cooperate with one another."[6]
In the latest New Zealand defence White Paper released in June 2016, it was outlined that given New Zealand was a longstanding member of the Five Power Defence Arrangements, it would, "meet its commitments should Malaysia or Singapore be subject to a military attack."[7]

40th Anniversary[edit]

On 1 November 2011, Singapore hosted FPDA's 40th anniversary celebrations, with the defence ministers, aircraft and servicemen from all five signatory countries converging on Changi Air Base (East) to participate in the event. Later, a gala dinner was hosted by Singapore's defence minister - Dr Ng Eng Hen at Singapore's Istana whereupon they called on the Prime Minister of Singapore - Mr Lee Hsien Loong to discuss a multitude of issues. Codenamed Exercise Bersama Lima, the three days joint exercise is tested the readiness and co-operation between all participating countries and concluded on 4 November 2011.[8]

Personnel and facilities[edit]

The UK has the following personnel and facilities based in Malaysia and Singapore in support of the FPDA: a small Naval facility at Sembawang in Singapore operated by Joint Forces Command and staff in the Integrated Area Defence System Headquarters (HQ IADS) at RMAF Butterworth in PenangMalaysia. Staff at Sembawang total three Ministry of Defence civil servants, one Royal Engineer Warrant Officer , one Chief Petty Officer and one Petty officer (RN). The present UK Defence Adviser to Singapore as of 2015 is a Royal Navy Commander.[9] In HQ IADS, it is one Wing Commander, one Squadron Leader, one Lieutenant Commander, one Major and one other rank.[10]

References[edit]

Notes

Jump up^ "Malaysia: Military Alliances:Written question - 2257". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
Jump up^ "Military Alliances: 4 Nov 2013: Hansard Written Answers". TheyWorkForYou. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
Jump up^ "News - Singapore Hosts 15th FPDA Defence Chiefs' Conference (07 Nov 13)" (Press release). MINDEF. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
Jump up^ "Military Alliances: 5 Nov 2013: HansardHansard Written Answers". TheyWorkForYou. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
Jump up^ "Media Release:Five Power Defence Meeting" (Press release). Defence Ministers & Parliamentary Secretary(Australia). 4 July 2000. Archived from the original on 2 February 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
Jump up^ "Cyberpioneer - Five Power Defence Arrangements remain relevant (07 Nov 13)". Mindef.gov.sg. 7 November 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
Jump up^ "Defence White Paper 2016" (PDF). The New Zealand Ministry of Defence Manatū Kaupapa Waonga. June 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
Jump up^ "Singapore Hosts FPDA 40th Anniversary Celebrations" (Press release). Singaporean Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). 1 November 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
Jump up^ "Mission Locator". mfa.gov.sg. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
Jump up^ "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 17 Jun 2013 (pt 0002)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
External links[edit]
Five Power Defence Arrangements
The Five Power Defence Arrangements: If It Ain't Broke...