Of Syed Mokhtar, Muhyiddin, politics, business, & a 40-year 'friendship' that made everyone rich?

Selamat Pagi Malaysia.

Any which way you want to look at it, politics and business in Malaysia feed off each other incestuously and have cost the Malays and this nation, a hideous financial burden that will need more than MADANI and DSAI to resolve.

The shadowy, dark, murky, and massively profitable mix of politics and business, among Malay politicians and Malay businessmen, is best exemplified by the rise and rise of Syed Mokhtar from 40 years back, starting in Johor when Muhyiddin was MB, and taking full circle today, when again that same Muhyiddin, now ex-Prime Minister and now President of Perikatan Nasional, is accused of receiving RM195 million in political donations from the same Syed Mokhtar.

Consider the following:

4th November 2002: Syed Mokhtar acquired Johor two container ports, the Senai Airport concession, and was awarded the right to jointly build a new rail link between Johor and Seremban, and a $M7 billion road network in the state.

1st October 2003: Johor's Senai airport was sold to Syed Mokhtar who agreed to pay Malaysia Airport Holdings M$80 million.

12th August 2015: MMC Corp Bhd sold three parcels of land totaling 188.7 acres in Senai Airport City to I-Park Sdn Bhd, a member of the US-based AME Group, for RM369.97 million cash, a price that is more than double its original purchase price of RM140.5 million. MMC is the flagship company of Syed Mokhtar.

10th March 2023: Bersatu's president, Muhyiddin Yassin, is accused of receiving bribes of RM195 million from Bukhary Equity Sdn Bhd. Bukhary Equity is a company 99% owned by Syed Mokhtar.

Think!

What manner of wealth has made it possible for Syed Mokhtar, in December 2022, to agree to allocate RM60 million to farmers from the wealth that had resulted from his ownership of Bernas? The same Bernas that he took ownership of after he bought 31% of the company’s shares from Tan Sri Tan Boon Seng for about RM800 mil and Shahidan’s stakes at RM400 million? AND...did he really buy over those shares from Tan Sri Tan Boon Seng and Shahidan or were those shares already his and held by those two, as his proxies?

And what manner of wealth has made it possible for Syed Mokhtar to donate RM195 million to the coffers of Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional? The same Muhyiddin who was MB of Johor 40 years back when Syed Mokhtar, with the help of Muhyiddin the then MB, managed to get his hands on some of the 7,000 acres of Swee Lam Estate owned by Singaporean Chinese to develop into mixed housing development by seeking, through the forced acquisition of the same land, for the Sinai Airport?

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin claims himself to be, not someone who has been charged with abuse of power and money laundering, but a man who is a victim of a political vendetta and selective prosecution ahead of crucial regional elections to be held in six states by mid-year, in which the coalition that Muhyiddin leads, is expected to pose a strong challenge to Anwar's alliance of Pakatan Harapan.

Look at the projects involved, look at the massive amount of money involved, look at the individuals involved, and look at the probability and possibility of collusion involved. There have been two constants over the past 40 years: Muhyiddin Yassin and Syed Mokhtar.

Draw your own conclusion if you must, but I would rather that you come along on this journey with me in which we will attempt to untangle, explain and try to find clarity in this mix of politics and business that the Malays claim to be true masters of, but like Jack who claims to know all trade but is a master of none, the Malays may claim to be masters of politics and business...but truly in reality......the Malays are not masters of either!

To be continued.