[Malaysia] Payment to Heritage Foundation

From: Raja Petra Kamarudin <adilnet@streamyx.com>
Subject: PM must explain payment to Heritage Foundation

WHAT ROLES DID MAHATHIR, DAIM AND MEGAT JUNID PLAY?

Three months have passed since Washington Post, in an article "Think
Tank's Ideas Shifted As Malaysia Ties Grew", dated 17 April 2005, exposed
that the Malaysian Government paid the Heritage Foundation to lobby for a
meeting between President George Bush with the then Malaysian Premier,
Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has several times been
called upon to explain, but he has chosen to remain silent. Recently,
some new additional information have surfaced in connection with Jack
Abramoff, who, according to the Washington Post was "a former Republican
lobbying powerhouse...indirectly paid by the government of Malaysia".

To be more precise, "the Embassy of Malaysia gave AIC a check for
US$300,000 dated March 6, 2002". (In Malaysian currency the amount is
equivalent to RM1.14 million). AIC, the acronym for American
International Center, was "a front created in part to hide Abramoff's
representation of Malaysia". It has now come to light that the AIC, which
was set up at Rehoboth Beach by Michael Scanlon, an associate of Abramoff,
is a fraud.

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, is a resort town on the Atlantic Ocean, about an
hour or so from Washington DC. When the Washington Post investigated, it
found that the building was actually a beach house, and the only staff
that manned this "international think tank" was a "former lifeguard and a
yoga instructor".

Indeed it is a great wonder why the Malaysian Embassy sent an official
check of $300,000 to the AIC. But, it is interesting to note that the
highest officer at the Embassy at that time was a brother-in-law of
ex-Finance Minister Tun Daim, one Dato' Ghazali.

According to an article entitled "Abramoff's Duo Quits US", published in
the The Hill Newspaper of 13 July 2005, "Abramoff and...Michael Scanlon
are the target of the Justice Department probe and two Senate
investigations into allegations that they bilked (Indian gaming) tribes
of more than US$60 million. A federal grand jury has been convened to
consider possible criminal charges in the matter."

How could any Malaysian public leader be involved with such dubious
character?

The story of Abramoff started with the Malaysian efforts to win over
public opinion in the US and to open the way for a meeting between then
Malaysian PM with the US President. After the economic downturn and the
detention of ex-Deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim together with a number of others
in 1998, Malaysia was strongly criticized by the media and civil society
the world over, especially in the US, for her human rights records.

The conservative Heritage Foundation joined the chorus against Malaysia,
when in a 1998 paper it called upon the Clinton administration to "be
prepared to speak out strongly against Mahathir's actions". In February
1999, the president of Heritage, Edwin J. Fuelner, praised Vice President
Gore for making "an impressive defense of freedom in Malaysia".

Things changed after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The well-known anti-West
Mahathir suddenly offered to "cooperate with the US in the war against
terrorism" and stepped up military cooperation by allowing more "US
overflights and jungle-training programs". In 2002, Heritage hosted
speeches by then DPM Abdullah Badawi and Defence Minister Najib Razak on
ways to strengthen US-Malaysia friendship and defence cooperation.

As explained in the Washington Post article, this happened at the same
time as the Heritage president co-founded a firm called the Belle Haven
Consultants, which retained his wife, Linda Fuelner, as "senior adviser".
Belle Haven hired Alexander Strategy Group, a Washington lobby firm run by
a former chief of staff of the House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, to help
represent Malaysian clients. Abramoff was close to DeLay and the
Alexander Strategy Group lobbyists.

It is most instructive to learn from records of the US Senate that
Malaysian client for Belle Haven Consultants is listed as PK Baru Energy
Sdn Bhd, 12-4 Level 12, East Wing, Rohas Perkasa, No 8 Jalan Perak, KL
50450. It is believed that the company was owned by Tan Sri Megat Junid.

Megat Junid was a minister in Mahathir's cabinet and always took pride in
the claim that he enjoyed special relationship with the former PM.
Interestingly, Megat Junid was head of the US-Malaysia Exchange
Association (whatever that is), which was established as a front
organization partly to orgasnise trips and perhaps also channel funds.

It is alleged that about "RM5.3 million (was paid) to secure the White
House Visit for Mahathir". It has also been claimed that in February the
Government paid RM40 million to the Heritage Foundation through the
Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). There is no concrete evidence of this. But
much of the actual proof that several past payments were made can be
found in the official records of the US Senate (http//sopr.senate.govt/).

Parti Keadilan Rakyat demands to know what roles were played particularly
by Tun Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Daim Zainuddin and Tan Sri Megat Junid in
regard to all the payments. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi
owes it to the people of Malaysia to give full explanation now. He cannot
remain silent anymore.

Dr Syed Husin Ali
Deputy President
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
(People's Justice Party)

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