You Kidding Us?: Asian Correspondent

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Thursday, 3 November 2016

Swiss prosecutors say $800m embezzled in Malaysian state fund ‘Ponzi scheme’

5th October 2016 SOME US$800 million appears to have been embezzled from investments in natural resources by a former subsidiary of scandal-ridden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), said Swiss prosecutors investigating the sovereign state fund.

By Asian Correspondent Staff | 5th October 2016

Pic: AP

The Swiss attorney general’s office (OAG) also said on Wednesday that a Ponzi scheme was used to hide the embezzlement from both the 1MDB fund and its former SRC unit.

Switzerland’s attorney general opened an investigation last year into two former 1MDB officials and persons unknown on suspicion of bribery and money laundering, among other offenses.

The Swiss office said it has made a new request for legal assistance from Malaysia, aimed at obtaining further evidence to corroborate its findings, as well as securing the help it initially requested in January. However, the office said the request is “still pending.”

“On analysing the evidence obtained, the OAG identified further suspect transactions involving the Swiss financial sector,” the OAG said in a statement on Wednesday, as quoted by Reuters.

“Firstly, the sum of US$800 million appears to have been misappropriated from investments in natural resources made by the SRC sovereign fund. Secondly, it is suspected that a ‘Ponzi’ scheme fraud… was committed to conceal the misappropriations from both the SRC fund and from 1MDB.”

SEE ALSO: Malaysia will cooperate with U.S. investigators on 1MDB probe, says PM Najib

The OAG said four people and a bank were under investigation at the current stage of its criminal proceedings in connection to 1MDB and the former subsidiary SRC international.

1MDB, an investment company fully-owned by the Malaysian government, was created in 2009 by Prime Minister Najib Razak to promote economic development projects.

But following numerous exposés by foreign media and local opposition lawmakers, it was revealed that billions of dollars from the firm had been misappropriated.

According to U.S. prosecutors, fund officials have diverted more than US$3.5 billion through a web of shell companies and bank accounts abroad.

Despite the allegations, Najib and his administration have vehemently denied any wrongdoing in their handling of 1MDB, from which hundreds of millions of dollars were found deposited in the prime minister’s personal bank accounts.

SEE ALSO: Climate champ Leonardo DiCaprio mired in Malaysian 1MDB scandal

Anti-government dissidents in Malaysia have been campaigning long and hard against Najib, who they believe is corruptly involved in the scandal. One of them is pro-democracy group Bersih 2.0, also known as the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, which is planning to hold a mass rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 19 to demand Najib’s resignation.

Late last month, Najib said his government will provide U.S. and international authorities its fullest cooperation in their probe on 1MDB.

Additional reporting from the Associated Press

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/10/swiss-prosecutors-say-800-mil-embezzled-malaysian-state-fund-ponzi-scheme/

Malaysia’s Islamic body orders name change on Pretzel Dogs to avoid ‘confusion’

19th October 2016 RELIGIOUS authorities in Malaysia have instructed a U.S. fast food chain to take pretzel dogs, or at least the name, off its menu to avoid confusion among Muslims in the country.

By Asian Correspondent Staff | 19th October 2016

Image via Twitter

The chain, Auntie Anne’s, has been told by Islamic authorities that its popular Pretzel Dog item – a hot dog wrapped in pretzel bread and contains no dog meat – should be renamed as it could confuse Muslim consumers.

The Malaysian Islamic Development Department has told the U.S. company to banish the word “dog” from its menu, suggesting that the product should be renamed ‘Pretzel Sausage’ as part of conditions to obtain halal certification based on Islamic dietary laws.

“It is more appropriate to use the name Pretzel Sausage,” the department’s halal director Sirajuddin Suhaimee told local media.

“Malaysia’s good name as a pioneering ‘halal global’ figure needs to be improved.”

Sirajuddin told the AFP that the recommended name change was prompted by complaints from foreign Muslim tourists.

“Any (halal) products that make consumers confused, we have to change,” he was quoted as saying. “In Islam, dogs are considered unclean and the name cannot be related to halal certification.”

The Arabic term ‘halal’ is used to describe what is permissible in the religion and this includes dietary requirements which among others forbids the consumption of pork, alcohol, or animals that were not slaughtered according to Islamic rites.

Although hot dogs have long been served by many street vendors in the country, Sirajuddin said the department would gradually conduct checks on their menus as they move to renew their two-year halal certification licenses.

Farhatul Kamilah Mohamed Sazali, an executive at Auntie Anne’s Malaysia, told the news agency that the Auntie Anne’s had no qualms about renaming the pretzel dogs.

“It’s a minor issue. We are fine with changing the name and are still working on it,” Farhatul said, as quoted by the AFP.

Auntie Anne’s has 45 outlets in Malaysia and has plans to expand in the country.

Meanwhile, the issue has become the subject of ridicule on social media.

Local news portal Free Malaysia Today conducted a quick check and found that words such as “ham”, “bacon”, “beer”, “rum” would result in Jakim’s refusal to issue halal licenses.

The site also reported that many outlets in the country served beef bacon or turkey ham.

The ruling had forced renowned fast-food restaurant chain A&W to rebrand its popular “Coney Dog” and “Root Beer” products to “Chicken Coney” or “Beef Coney” and “RB” respectively.

“We had to change the names if we wanted to be eligible to apply for the halal certificate,” A&W Quality Control and Halal Assurance Assistant Manager Shahidah Wahid was quoted as saying, adding that the changes were made two years ago.

Additional reporting from the Associated Press

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/10/malaysia-islamic-body-orders-change-pretzel-dog/

Wednesday, 2 November 2016

Silly, stupid? No, something sinister in Malaysia’s pretzel dog brouhaha

IT WOULD be so easy to mock Malaysia’s Islamic authorities for withholding a halal certification over the usage of the word dog in ...

By Jahabar Sadiq | 20th October 2016

In this Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016 photo, Pretzel Dogs are on display at
Auntie Anne's at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Pic: AP.

IT WOULD be so easy to mock Malaysia’s Islamic authorities for withholding a halal certification over the usage of the word dog in a food item, ostensibly due to possible confusion among Muslim consumers.

And that is what most Malaysians have done over social media in response to the Malaysian Islamic Development Department’s (Jakim) recommendation to pretzel franchise Auntie Anne’s to rename its “Pretzel Dog” to “Pretzel Sausage” to get a halal certification.

It goes for other fast food franchises such as A&W with their iconic A&W Root Beer (which was renamed in 2009) or Coney Dog (which has also been renamed), and for that matter, food items such as beef bacon or turkey ham.

Imagine the confusion among Muslims, one would say in mock anger.

As did a few religious and consumer activists who cited confusion and the need to be aware of sensitivities among Muslims when it comes to naming food items. Again, these people are reinforcing the view that Muslim are stupid and easily confused, or in other words – sheep.

The popular perception of silliness and stupidity on the part of Malaysian religious authorities masks something else – that these men who licence what is permissible and what isn’t for the community, have far wider influence and powers than we think possible.

Jakim’s halal certification does two things.

One, it allows businesses to expand and sell to the Muslims, who number more than half of Malaysia’s 30 million population.

Essentially, Jakim becomes the gatekeeper to the Muslim community and those who want to trade there need their nod, and have to comply with their rules.

Two, Muslims who patronise businesses without halal certification will be seen as lesser and perhaps not even Muslim among the community. You either conform or you are cast out as an infidel.

In short, Jakim has become the arbiters of morals, piety and business in Malaysia. And if you don’t play by their rules, you are excluded from doing business with Muslims because the vast majority of Muslims are brought up to respect, obey and trust whatever Jakim says.

And, other ventures will come up to cater to the Muslims, selling essentially the same items as Auntie Anne’s or A&W such as the rip-off Coca Cola called Mecca Cola a while ago.

Image via YouTube.

It might not be the same but it is akin to beef bacon or turkey ham.

Which ironically, cannot be called such anymore.

There is nothing silly or stupid in what Jakim does, even if it attracts mockery and contempt about broad-minded Muslims who know better than to believe anything named dog or beer isn’t halal.

The halal certificate isn’t for the broad-minded, but it is for those who don’t know any better except to trust the certificate.

So, in letting businesses to trade by its rules and regulations, Jakim is doing what it does best – developing Islam as the only source of laws to live by in Malaysia, and make it an Islamic state as Dr Mahathir Mohamad once said in 2001.

It is sinister, to say the least, because the halal certification has gone beyond the standard of hygienic production to being a tool of dominance and oppression. But it works because it boils down to dollars and cents for Auntie Anne’s 45 outlets and other fast-food franchises going for the bigger Muslim community market.

The only losers are Malaysians – because Jakim has become the gatekeepers of freedom of expression and public morality in what we consume and do in our daily lives – be it Muslims or those of other faiths.

But, we can fight back in a simple way.

Keep asking for hot dogs, root beers and disregard the lack of halal certification. Their powers evaporate when people and businesses ignore them.

Image via Twitter

** This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not reflect the views of Asian Correspondent

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/10/silly-stupid-no-something-sinister-malaysias-pretzel-dog-brouhaha/