Sipadan Kidnapping and Malaysian Politics

[hoot72]

I recently came to find out some interesting (not so interesting maybe) information on the Sipadan Kidnappings in North Borneo that may or may not be helpful.

Its common knowledge among most politicians in Sabah that Malaysia has sanctioned and quietly assisted the funneling of money and weapons to the insurgency and other Islamic "freedom" fighters since the late 70's and also common knowledge for those of us who do know a little bit of history in the political realm. Libya had been funnelling weapons and money through Sabah up till the mid 80's.

Sabah, has for the most part been a christian dominated community (one of the 13 states in the federation of Malaysia) but we have seen a 280% increase in the number of "citizens" being issued mycards, or identity cards (which essentially mean someone is a child or new citizen) since the early 1990's till recent. This is unheard of in any developing country, especially Sabah given the population numbers here.

The Sipadan Kidnappings is something that was not planned but one that was carried out in relation to what the federal has been doing quietly, in that, it has been issuing and selling "citizenship" via the issuence of Mycards to Filipino's and Indonesians, to shift the christian majority to a muslim majority to favour their ambitions in the State.

There is currently a lot of unhappiness among local Sabahans who make up the original population because everyone knows whats been going on and who has been behind this "project M" as we call it but the federal government are turning a blind eye to it and pretending it never happened or continues to happen.

The Sipadan kidnapping, was a kidnapping that happened because the federal government, renegaded on a promise to pay these smugglers from Mindanao who had been transporting illegals into the state and assisting in the mycard project approx. MYR $6 million, which, was never paid as promised.

The very people who had been conducting the operation over a period of time were also former bodyguards of the former Sabah Chief Minister Yong Teck Lee, who is now, very much an opposition leader against the Federal Government and I am sure, has quite a lot of dirty secrets on the federal government, which is one of the reasons they haven't arrested him under the Internal Secrets Act, which is a 2 year isolation without a trail.

Yong Teck Lee had, in the past, had the very same kidnappers (or some of them from the actual kidnap team) as his personal bodyguards, as he is from Lahad Datu, a small town, north of Semporna town where Sipadan lies of the coast from and where some of them actually have homes and family.

It gives you an idea of how porous the border is between Sabah and South Philiipines.

The money, which was promised, was never paid and this pissed of these guys and the only way they were going to get their money was the easiest option available; Sipadan.

They actually departed out of Semporna and NOT Mindanao or Zambonga but once they had the kidnap victims, proceed across the border into Philippine waters.

The fact is the members of the kidnap team stayed at Hyatt Kinabalu day's before the kidnapping while waiting for the money which never was paid (the people who were supposed to make the payment decided they were not going to pay and were going to pretend they didn't have an agreement and keep the money for themselves as they were based in Kuala Lumpur).

Americans on the island was a bonus for them.

Yong Teck Lee, flew out to Manila, a few day's after the kidnapping with MYR $2 or 3 million which was hastily put together, with the hope it would be sufficient to appease the kidnappers and to release the hostages and he was hoping to slow talk the group's representatives whom he met in Manila, without success.

They refused and infact increased the ransom demand and wanted more given they now had americans in the group. This was why the malaysians were eventually separated from the americans and they were released, while the americans were not.

This was a business deal gone bad but it gives you some idea as to how the malaysian government is sort of linked in some ways to the Abu Syaff and how much weight they do or did have with the very same guys who lived and worked in Sabah and are also filipinos from the south and the fact they actually have malaysian ID cards (and are citizens).

I felt it was something that might be helpful to you in the future to understand the wierd political and social problems out in North Borneo.

[magician]

Thanks for posting.

I found your perspective interesting.

[hoot72]

Originally Posted by magician

Thanks for posting.

I found your perspective interesting.

No worries magician. I learn something new every week about malaysian politics so, nothing surprises me anymore..

[magician]

Originally Posted by hoot72

No worries magician. I learn something new every week about malaysian politics so, nothing surprises me anymore..

I have been watching that whole debacle with the opposition politician accused of sodomy.

I have spent some time in Malaysia. Interesting place.

[hoot72]

Originally Posted by magician

I have been watching that whole debacle with the opposition politician accused of sodomy.

I have spent some time in Malaysia. Interesting place.

It is an interesting place but you get the impression the hardline muslims are making adjustments to the "social contract" between the muslims and the non-muslims and there is a lot of tension in the air in Malaysia at the moment.

Its a great place to live IF you can put aside the political and social problems that do exist...and also ignore the amount of corruption at the highest political levels of government because its so blatantly obvious.

Sabah is a great place to settle down and retire in; property prices are pretty good, and you have a great number of opportunities to fish, hunt, dive, hike and cycle all over the state.

[magician]

Well, unlike other countries in SEA, Malaysia does permit foreigners to own land, and they have welcoming visa programs. They do the best job of making themselves attractive to retirees of any other country in the region, in my estimation.

I just find the place a bit boring, unfortunately. And I do not like the food.

[hoot72]

Originally Posted by magician

Well, unlike other countries in SEA, Malaysia does permit foreigners to own land, and they have welcoming visa programs. They do the best job of making themselves attractive to retirees of any other country in the region, in my estimation.

I just find the place a bit boring, unfortunately. And I do not like the food.

Thats a fair comment; Thailand, if I had a choice, would be my 3rd choice after Singapore and Sabah. I still like going to Thailand; ignore the commercialism and tourism and people are terribly nice and its a great place to live as well. Its one of those countries I do visit 3-4 times a year just to get away from Malaysia.

Food is great, massages are cheap and I know my way around so, its decent.

I don't blame you for choosing Thailand. I think its a little bit more entertaining than what you get in Malaysia, especially West Malaysia.

[magician]

Originally Posted by hoot72

Thats a fair comment; Thailand, if I had a choice, would be my 3rd choice after Singapore and Sabah. I still like going to Thailand; ignore the commercialism and tourism and people are terribly nice and its a great place to live as well. Its one of those countries I do visit 3-4 times a year just to get away from Malaysia.

Food is great, massages are cheap and I know my way around so, its decent.

I don't blame you for choosing Thailand. I think its a little bit more entertaining than what you get in Malaysia, especially West Malaysia.

Thai politics have been very entertaining this year. Not to be jocular, but there is something quite serious taking place now.

The smartest assessment that I have heard of it all summed it up as the successional conflict between royalists and anti-royalists. It is just taking place before the death of King Bhumipol.

Fascinating times here. And yes, the chow is amazing.

[hoot72]

Originally Posted by magician

Thai politics have been very entertaining this year. Not to be jocular, but there is something quite serious taking place now.

The smartest assessment that I have heard of it all summed it up as the successional conflict between royalists and anti-royalists. It is just taking place before the death of King Bhumipol.

Fascinating times here. And yes, the chow is amazing.

Green curry chicken all the way big daddy

And they appoint another stooge as PM...

Thai politics is, yes, fascinating.

Almost as fascinating as the malaysian deputy prime minister, the murdered mongolian model and the french submarines...

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by hoot72

Green curry chicken all the way big daddy

And they appoint another stooge as PM...

Thai politics is, yes, fascinating.

Almost as fascinating as the malaysian deputy prime minister, the murdered mongolian model and the french submarines...

Okay, Hoot! You can't just let "murdered mongolian models" (such alliteration!) and french submarines lie there! Details, man... we need details!

[DeMo180a]

Great inside perspective. I really enjoyed it and am passing it on to some of my buds interested in the border dynamics between Malaysia and the PI.
DeMo

[hoot72]

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

Okay, Hoot! You can't just let "murdered mongolian models" (such alliteration!) and french submarines lie there! Details, man... we need details!

Oh, you probably have more intel than I do on what happened

I think the big question is; what does a mongolian "model" who speaks french and is jet setting all over asia and europe and working as a "translator" for the soon to be prime minister of Malaysia have in common with the concluded french submarine deal (a couple of hundred million ringgit was paid to the company of the gentleman who is now on trial for her death; she was blown up with C4 or similar explosives after being shot in the head at close range in a deserted area in Kuala Lumpur that is now known to be a favourite site for assassinations by the very same bodyguards who were detailed to protect the soon to be prime minister of malaysia)?

Why does the malaysian ministry of defence need to pay another malaysian company a couple of hundred million (the company is owned by Mr.Razak) for "consultancy services" that it can do on its own?

The level of corruption in Malaysia is bad.

The gentleman who is on trial, Mr.Razak, has always been known in the political circles to be the soon to be prime minister of malaysia's "proxy" and political "advisor" but has been left out to hang for this. He also goes about claiming he is a "political scientist" (whatever thats supposed to mean).

A lot of background behind what actually happened is heresay so its important I think to be able to objectively concluded with some logic how this all resulted in her murder; a lot of rumors claim she was extorting the deputy prime minister (and soon to be prime minister of malaysia) for money as she got dumped by him and the politician simply got fed up of her causing problems and had his people pick her up outside of Mr.Razak's house and have her shot and blown up.

There was testimony's by the private investigator (or local hench man who is an ex-police man) as well as 1 or 2 others involved in the case but they have either escaped out of the country or have gone into hiding.

Malaysian politics is in an absolute mess as I said at the moment; the majority muslims (or bumiputera's) are divided among themselves. The indians are pissed off at the ruling government over year's of neglect economically and also because of the tearing down of hindu shrines and temples built year's ago when they were working in estates and plantations before most of the small towns and part of Kuala Lumpur had grown and developed in those area's and the chinese are angry with the state of the economy which had been shrinking before the global recession.

The stepping down of Prime Minister Badawi next March or April was due to heavy political pressure from within his ruling UMNO party and from outside factor's that gave rise to the racial problems the country faces.

I have honestly not seen malaysian's this divided as a nation for as long as I can remember; the malays don't trust the chinese or indians; the indians don't trust the malay's; the opposition are getting stronger but keep getting pegged back by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's personal problems of dating men of the same sex (they, the ruling government keep pegging him for it so there must be SOME truth in the matter though moral issues aside, the manner in which they are using it as a means to ruin him have back fired).

And then there is the issue of the ISA (internal security act) which the government have been using as often as you use your credit cards to put away political dissidents and to scare the opposition voices into submission.

Things are not so stable in Malaysia at this point in time but nothing comparable to whats going on in Bangkok.

[magician]

Originally Posted by hoot72

....a lot of rumors claim she was extorting the deputy prime minister (and soon to be prime minister of malaysia) for money as she got dumped by him and the politician simply got fed up of her causing problems and had his people pick her up outside of Mr.Razak's house and have her shot and blown up.

Are you referring to the same Deputy Prime Minister who has also been the Secretary of Defense for the past few years?

As for Mongolian models.... this thread is useless without pics.

[Slantwire]

Originally Posted by magician

As for Mongolian models.... this thread is useless without pics.

Found a few by googling "Altantuya Shaariibuu." Not sure if I'd post them here.

[magician]

Originally Posted by Pinhead

Found a few by googling "Altantuya Shaariibuu." Not sure if I'd post them here.

I regret my cavalier tone in my earlier post.

I have been reading the coverage of this affair, and it has to be the most sordid, disgusting miscarriage of justice that I have ever seen.

I have not yet seen any salacious photographs of the deceased. Many that are posted on the internet appear to be of a Korean personality who recently committed suicide. Nor do I believe that the deceased was an escort or a call girl, or even a "model," which is allegedly "code" for "prostitute" in Malaysia. I do believe that she was a translator, and I also believe that she was attempting to extort money from her wealthy lover, as she herself admitted in letters admitted into court testimony.

She sure did pay for it.

I met with DPM and Defense Secretary Datuk Seri Najib in KL a couple of years ago. The meeting was perfunctory, and related to business.

I sure am glad that I no longer have any need to spend time in Malaysia.

It makes me prefer Bangkok!

As long as you do not go near Government House, you would never know that there is any political unrest here.

The best gateway that I found to information on this matter was via Wiki. Then I started following links. The Courtroom of the Straits Times has a massive site on the affair.

This page, which undermines Datuk Seri Najib's Islamic declaration of innocence, seems absolutely explosive to me.