Friday, July 30, 2010

International man of mystery - Low Taek Jho denies he is dating Paris Hilton

Always one to welcome the camera, Paris Hilton took part in a mini photo shoot on a boat in Paris, France on July 15th, 2010.

Paris was spending the day on the boat with her sister Nicky Hilton and Malaysian millionaire Taek Jho Low.

The 29-year-old heiress was wearing a bright pink dress with a large diamond snake bracelet, tights and high heels as she posed for a photographer on the water with the Eiffel tower as a background.

The combo pictures below :
























Is Jho Low - the young 28 year old Malaysian billionaire seeing Paris Hilton???









Jho Low is Malaysia's international man of Mystery...!!!



KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 30 July 2010: As reported by The Star.

At first, i thought this person was J-Lo or Jeniffer Lopez due to similarity in pronouncing their names but no.. Jho Low is Malaysia's own International Man of Mystery..!!!

Jho Low, who parties with Paris Hilton and is reputed to chalk up hefty bills for champagne, has finally come out to talk about himself and the life he lives.

It is the first time ever that Jho spoke to the media after his outing with Paris Hilton, was widely reported in the world and Malaysian media.

Jho has turned from an unknown Malaysian to an overnight celebrity!!

In an exclusive interview with The Star, Malaysia's biggest selling daily newspaper, this 28-year-old multilingual Penangite, whose full name is Low Taek Jho, reveals for the first time:

> His Arab childhood friends and investors are actually the spenders, not him;

> How he made his first million when he was just 20 and the billions in deals he had strung together so far;

> The importance of going to the right schools;

> Setting up a portfolio worth billions that will go public in October;

> He parties with Hilton, Megan Fox, Jamie Foxx, Lindsay Lohan and Usher but claims that news reports about the parties are exaggerated.

> How he grew up in Penang and his present globe-trotting life covering Los Angeles, New York, London, St Tropez, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur.

A millionaire before graduating

Businessman and Malaysia’s most famous socialite Jho Low made his first million – in US dollars – when he was barely 20 years old when he took a semester off from The Wharton School of Business to set up an investment fund that is today worth in excess of US$1bil (RM3.19bil).

In his first-ever interview with the media, Low said he was in the right place at the right time and also that he had gone to the right schools – Harrow School in England and The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, in the United States.

He tells of how at these schools he met and befriended Arab royalty, describing the relationship as being important since how they became friends at such a young age created a great amount of trust between them.

His private equity fund, called The Wyndon Group, started off with a capital of US$25mil (RM79.7mil) from his family and nine other investors made up of his schoolmates and their families. Low, 28, is the third and youngest child in the family of Datuk Larry Low, who founded the engineering company MWE.

Low Taek Jho or better known as Jho Low (not J-Lo Jeniffer Lopez)!!!
Age: 28
Place of birth: Penang
Height: 1.7m
Weight: 88kg
Languages: English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, Hokkien, Teo Chew and Basic Arabic

Education
Primary: Union Primary School
Secondary: Chung Ling High School/Uplands School (O-Levels) Harrow School, London (1998-2000) (A-Levels)
Tertiary: The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (2000-2005) (Bachelor of Science in Economics majoring in Finance)

Career

 At the age of 20, started an investment company called The Wynton Group with US$25mil from family and South-East Asian and Middle Eastern friends. The investment company in which he owns a stake is now worth in excess of US$1bil.

 Appointed to the board of UBG Bhd as group adviser and non-independent & non-executive director in 2008.

 Group adviser to several international corporations involved in global private equity, M&A and buyouts.

Amazingly Jho has no website and Twitter, unlike millions of people out there!!!

Jho Low has made millions in the past eight years but he has done it without a website or Twitter account.

“No, that’s definitely not mine,” he said when asked whether the website www.taek-jho-low.com was his.

“I don’t have a Twitter account and I do not have a website either. But I notice that many web and blog sites carry my name. But they’re not mine.”

In the 2-hour interview with The Star, Low took great pains to give a clear picture of his personal background.

“I was a state swimmer. I swam the backstroke for my primary school,” volunteered Low, when the discussion turned to him being described as chubby by the international media. He weighs 88kg and is 170cm tall.

Giving a big grin, Low said he was a swimmer until he arrived in the US in 2000. Then he started eating huge portions like an American.

He said he had quite an ordinary childhood and lived in Penang until he was 16. His parents then sent him to study at Harrow School, which boasts of having educated seven British prime ministers.

Low said he cherished his younger years in Penang but readily admits that “in terms of maturing into a business person,” it was from the time he was at Harrow until the Wharton School of Business.


Paris Hilton just part of the group

Jho is not going out with Paris Hilton but they have been to several parties together because he is a friend of her parents, Rick and Kathy Hilton.

That was Jho Low’s reply when asked about his relationship with Paris.

“You can ask her yourself if you have any doubt. She just happens to be part of the group,” he added.

Low spent a long time in the interview dismissing talk that he was “wasting a lot of money partying”.

“For me, we all work very hard. Of course, we have a disadvantage where at our age, people may perceive it differently. At the end of the day, I handle the investors’ money prudently. I generate returns for them.

“I am not an excessive person. Excessiveness with alcohol is just not me.”




In the interview, Jho was asked further about Paris Hilton :

Question : Lets talk about Paris Hilton. Are the two of you dating?

Answer : Rick and Kathy Hilton, Paris and Nikki’s parents, are a prominent real estate family based out of LA and I was introduced to the family by a good friend of mine. I have actually known the family for a while now. So that was how I know the children. The girls were on this trip with a whole list of other people, about 40-plus people. We had very prominent and successful friends from Russia, Kazakhstan and the Middle East too. We are all in the same group and we introduced ourselves to each other.

Question : During the World Cup in South Africa, did you have a corporate box at Johannesburg Soccer Citystadium?

Answer : First, there was some talk that I chartered a plane from London to South Africa. Just for clarification, I did not charter a plane but I was on a chartered flight with close to 20-30 people. What’s important to realise is half the time or most of the time, I’m with my investors or the children of my investors or together with a bunch of friends that have worked very hard to build their own entrepreneurial businesses or inherited from their parents. They have very good lifestyles and I guess, I’m fortunate in some ways because I get to enjoy their lifestyles but unfortunately I’m painted as the one that is leading an excessive kind of lifestyle.

Question : There is another story that you are not interested in Paris but in Nicky Hilton.

Answer : That’s factually not true. I actually know Nicky’s boyfriend. He is called David Katzenberg, the father is actually one of the founders of Dreamworks (Studios).

Meanwhile Paris Hilton denies she's been paid USD $1 million to party with mysterious billionaire Jho Low in St. Tropez.

The New York Post reported that despite rampant rumors on the French Riviera that the big-spending Malaysian was paying Hilton to have her lounge topless on his yacht and spray champagne with him at spots including exclusive club Les Caves du Roy, her representative said: "They are friends. Jho has invited Paris and her sister, Nicky, out to St. Tropez as friends. He has not paid her in any way, although he is extremely generous."


Jho was also asked on his relationship with Lindsay Lohan :

Question : Did you send Cristal champagne to Lindsay Lohan?

Answer : I think there is a pattern of trying to paint me as this person who orders a lot of champagne excessively. But I think the fact is to realise that these are special instances where different events have been held and in many cases not organised by me. One point I want to clarify for certain is neither me nor my brother spent in excess of US$2mil in St Tropez. That is 100% factually not true, for sure. It was 40-50 of us friends who ordered some drinks and had a good relaxing night. For me, we all work very hard. Of course, we have a disadvantage where at our age, people may perceive it differently. At the end of the day, I run my investors’ money prudently. I generate returns for them. I am not an excessive person but I do have my breaks for relaxation with friends.


Jho was also asked about him being the international man of mystery and the effect of the publicity :

Q: So you are not this international man of mystery?

A: I guess I was known as the international man of mystery because nothing is known about me. And I hope after today, it addresses a lot of points.

Q: All this publicity, has it helped or hindered you?

A: A lot of people have talked to me about it and if it will affect my business because some of my investors are from Islamic countries. Firstly, an important key point is trust. If you don’t trust me, you won’t trust me to invest in me. Second, it is a gross exaggeration of facts. Third, with the amount media attention, although it has been very challenging on me, it is through this rising above from challenges that we learn to better ourselves, so I decided that it was an opportune time to come out and state the facts.

Q: Your father was quoted in Chinese newspapers as asking you to lie low. Did he?

A: I spoke to my father and I was actually informed that he did not talk to the press. I think maybe that was a casual conversation or misquote, I’m not sure. But I have spoken to my parents and of course they were quite concerned with all the publicity and how that may negatively impact us. As what I learnt in business school, in life if you don’t take challenges, you will never grow. I think it served an important experience for me in self-improvement.


Jho was also asked about his birthday party at the Ceasar's Palace, Las Vegas :


Question : Was there a US$160,000 bill in Avenue (nightclub)?

Answer : I think factually there was a party being thrown for a friend’s engagement which I was told cost around US$160,000. Left to me, I would not spend that kind of money.

Question : So what about your birthday party in Las Vegas?

Answer : It was actually a group of my close friends; some of them were my investors who threw me this surprise party which I must say was memorable and phenomenal and I was very surprised by it. I guess that is what good friends are for. It was for my 28th birthday last November.

Question : Did you guys book almost the entire Caesar’s Palace for this?

Answer : No, it was a party they threw for me at the poolside of Caesar’s Palace.


Jho also talks about how he get super rich and worth Billions at the tender age of 28 :


Question : You did your A-Levels at Harrow. How important was that to you being who you are today?

Answer : There were a few key relationships which I started to develop there. Harrow had lots of children of prominent European, Asian and Middle Eastern families. That’s when I met the former King of Jordan’s son, among others.

That time was a very important time for me. That’s when I felt that I built the core foundation of contacts for the future. That’s quite important, because that’s when you know them as friends and you build the trust level for the future as opposed to meeting someone during the course of your business life.

After Harrow I went to Wharton and expanded my network. Throughout the course from 1998 to 2005, it turned out to be a key development period. I believe in hard work and persistence.

But admittedly, success is also attributable to being at the right place and right time and meeting the right people coupled with a trusting relationship.

Q: Tell us about your time in The Wynton Group.

A: I took a semester off when I was in Wharton to start an investment company called The Wynton Group. It had an initial capital of US$25mil (RM79.8mil) mainly provided by my family and close Middle Eastern and South-East Asian friends.

We started out with mainly portfolio investments around the world. Subsequently, we decided to move from just buying and selling public shares to private equity.

As of today, Wynton’s investments stand in excess of US$1bil. When I started the company I was still in university, I had a SOHO, home-office type concept. Subsequently, it was formalised and we had offices in Malaysia, Singapore and headquarters in British Virgin Island.

Q: What were the best stocks you invested in?

A: The funny thing is, when I was in university, I wrote a couple of articles for the Wharton journal. Some recommendations turned out well, some were terrible. Wharton educates you to look at a diverse portfolio. At the end of the day, it was about returns and diversification.

Q: In the Middle East, which countries do you spend the majority of your time?

A: I started with the relationships I built during the days I spent in London, particularly with good friends in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. I see a lot of opportunities for Malaysians, especially in the Middle East, just purely because there is so much liquidity and capital and vice versa from Middle East to Malaysia, which is where my interest is.

Ultimately, I am Malaysian. I am one who does not forget my country and I think there is a lot we can do for Malaysia. But when you build the trust of investors, you need to deliver what you promised.

Q: So who is this person that you know in Abu Dhabi?

A: I have a lot of close friends and close contacts in Abu Dhabi. In particular, I am very good friends with His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, who was formerly the director of international relations at the Crown Prince’s court and he is currently the ambassador for UAE to the US and Mexico. Yousef is the son of Dr Mana Al Otaiba who is the first oil minister for the UAE.

Hmmm.. Good Luck Jho-Low... Paris Hilton is definitely smitten by you..!!!

Historians locate King Arthur's Round Table - the Camelot


Historians claim to have found the site of Camelot



The legend of King Arthur has been made into many blockbusters movies - including this one titled - King Arthur. Apart from King Arthur, other prominent figures in the legend were Merlin, Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad and of course the mighty sword - Excalibur...!!!


Historians claim to have finally located the site of King Arthur’s Round Table – and believe it could have seated 1,000 people.

Researchers exploring the legend of Britain’s most famous Knight believe his stronghold of Camelot was built on the site of a recently discovered Roman amphitheatre in Chester.

Legend has it that his Knights would gather before battle at a round table where they would receive instructions from their King.

Historians believe regional noblemen would have sat in the front row of a circular meeting place, with lower ranked subjects on stone benches grouped around the outside.

They claim rather than Camelot being a purpose built castle, it would have been housed in a structure already built and left over by the Romans.

Camelot historian Chris Gidlow said: “The first accounts of the Round Table show that it was nothing like a dining table but was a venue for upwards of 1,000 people at a time.

“We know that one of Arthur’s two main battles was fought at a town referred to as the City of Legions. There were only two places with this title. One was St Albans but the location of the other has remained a mystery.”

The recent discovery of an amphitheatre with an execution stone and wooden memorial to Christian martyrs, has led researchers to conclude that the other location is Chester.

Mr Gidlow said: “In the 6th Century, a monk named Gildas, who wrote the earliest account of Arthur’s life, referred to both the City of Legions and to a martyr’s shrine within it.

That is the clincher. The discovery of the shrine within the amphitheatre means that Chester was the site of Arthur’s court and his legendary Round Table.”

Miss Australia's national costume is a 'travesty'




An outlandish outfit designed to represent Australia at the Miss Universe beauty contest has been branded "a national joke" and "a travesty".

The costume, which will be worn by Jesinta Campbell at the competition in Las Vegas next month, features high-heeled Ugg boots, a brown one piece swimming costume hand-painted by an Aboriginal artist and a lamb's wool shrug. The ensemble is topped off by a voluminous flamenco-inspired rainbow skirt.

While Miss Campbell, 18, has said that she thinks the costume is "incredible", the pastiche of styles has failed to win many fans in Australia, and has been called eye-catching, but for all the wrong reasons.

Clare Maclean, fashion features editor of Australian Grazia magazine, described it as a "travesty", but admitted that bizarre costumes were part of the Miss Universe tradition.

"She's bang on trend with the shrug and boots shearling is very hot right now but the skirt looks like it was made for a flamenco dancer from discount fabric bin scraps," Maclean said.

Miss Campbell, who faces having to parade on stage wearing the outfit in front of thousands of viewers has defended the look, which was created by the Sydney designer, Natasha Dwyer, saying she was proud to wear it.

"Part of our Australian identity is our indigenous heritage and it was so important that it was included in the national costume," she said.

"An Aboriginal artist hand-painted my swimsuit, which is the base of the outfit, which is very special.

"I have a little sheepskin shrug, which I think is very Australian – very Outback."

In the national costume section of the pageant, entrants are invited to capture the essence of their home nations through fashion. In the past, Australian entries have included Crocodile Dundee-inspired outfits, a simple bikini and a dress featuring maps of the Sydney city centre and the world-famous harbour

Wikileaks Afghanistan: Taliban 'hunting down informants'


Mullah Mohammed Omar - The Supreme Leader of the Taliban - his whereabouts is still unknown until today..

Below - combo pictures of battle-hardened Taliban fighters in Afghanistan - in the 1980s - The Mujahideens fought the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and won. Now, The Talibans alongside Al Qaeda fought the US led NATO forces. Who will win??











































The Taliban has issued a warning to Afghans whose names might appear on the leaked Afghanistan war logs as informers for the Nato-led coalition.

In an interview with Channel 4 News, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said they were studying and investigating the report, adding “If they are US spies, then we know how to punish them.”

The warning came as the US military's top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen said that Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, may already have blood on his hands following the leak of 92,000 classified documents relating to the war in Afghanistan by his website.

Information from the documents could reveal:


- Names and addresses of Afghans cooperating with Nato forces
- Precise GPS locations of Afghans
- Sources and methods of gathering intelligence


The US government has called in the FBI to help hunt those responsible for leaking tens of thousands of secret documents about the Afghanistan war.

Robert Gates, the US Defense Secretary, warned that sources identified in the documents now risked being "targeted for retribution" by insurgents in Afghanistan.

He pledged a "thorough, aggressive investigation" to identify the leakers and said that steps were being taken to restrict access to classified documents in future.

Bradley Manning, a 22-year old intelligence analyst, is the prime suspect in the leak inquiry. He is currently already in custody in Kuwait after being arrested for allegedly leaking other information earlier this year.

However, he was previously caught boasting that he had leaked tens of thousands of documents on the Afghan war to the Wikileaks website. The Pentagon suspects that Manning may have accomplices within the military.

Earlier this week, Wikileaks published 90,000 documents – mostly reports detailing operations by American and other allied forces in Afghanistan between 2004 and 2009. The website is threatening to publish thousands more documents.

In his first comments on the massive leak, Mr Gates said that "the battlefield consequences of the release of these documents are potentially severe and dangerous for our troops, our allies and Afghan partners, and may well damage our relationships and reputation in that key part of the world."

"Intelligence sources and methods, as well as military tactics, techniques and procedures will become known to our adversaries," he added.

The defense secretary promised "a thorough, aggressive investigation to determine how this leak occurred, to identify the person or persons responsible, and to assess the content of the information compromised."

Mr Gates promised to take steps to protect the lives of US service members as well as Afghans possibly exposed by the leaks.

The massive leak jeopardised the trust vital to gathering intelligence in the "field", said Mr Gates, a former CIA director.

"We have considerable repair work to do," he said.

July 2010 named the deadliest month for U.S. forces in Afghanistan


The main enemy of the US Army and international forces in Afghanistan - The Taliban




Mullah Mohammed Omar - the supreme leader of the Taliban. He was never photographed and never caught till now. This is believed to be the only photograph of Mullah Mohammed Omar


Below - combo pictures of the US Army and other international forces, taking part in the war in Afghanistan..







































Above - Combo pictures of the various intrernational forces including US Army fighting the war in Afghanistan..

KABUL, Afghanistan, 30th July 2010 – as reported by AP, The Associated Press.

3 U.S. service members were killed in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the toll for July to at least 63 and making it the deadliest month for American forces in the nearly 9-year-war.

A NATO statement Friday 30th July 2010, said the three died in two separate blasts in southern Afghanistan the day before. The statement gave no nationalities, but U.S. officials say all three were Americans. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity pending notification of kin.

U.S. and NATO commanders had warned that casualties would rise as the international military force ramps up the war against the Taliban, especially in their southern strongholds in Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 reinforcements to Afghanistan last December 2009, in a bid to turn back a resurgent Taliban."

The tally of 63 American service member deaths in July is based on military reports compiled by The Associated Press.

June had been the deadliest month for both the U.S. and the overall NATO-led force.

A total of 104 international service members died last month, including 60 Americans.

The American deaths this month include Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley from Kingman, Arizona, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, from the Seattle area. They went missing last Friday in Logar province south of Kabul, and the Taliban announced they were holding one of the sailors.

McNeley's body was recovered there Sunday and Newlove's body was pulled from a river Wednesday evening, Afghan officials said. The Taliban offered no explanation for Newlove's death, but Afghan officials speculated he died of wounds suffered when the two were ambushed by the Taliban.

The discovery of Newlove's body only deepened the mystery of the men's disappearance nearly 60 miles (100 kilometers) from their base in Kabul.

An investigation is under way, but with both sailors dead, U.S. authorities remain at a loss to explain what two junior enlisted men in noncombat jobs were doing driving alone in Logar — much of which is not under government control.

Newlove's father, Joseph Newlove, told KOMO-TV in Seattle that he too was baffled why his son had left the relative safety of Kabul.

"He's never been out of that town. So why would he go out of that town? He wouldn't have," he said.

Senior military officials in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case, said the sailors were never assigned anywhere near where their bodies were found.

A NATO official in Kabul shot down speculation that the two had been abducted in Kabul and driven to Logar — the same province where New York Times reporter David Rohde was kidnapped in 2008 while trying to make contact with a Taliban commander.

Rohde and an Afghan colleague escaped in June 2009 after seven months in captivity, most spent in Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan.

Samer Gul, chief of Logar's Charkh district, said the two sailors, in a four-wheel drive armored SUV, were seen Friday a week ago by a guard working for the district chief's office. The guard tried to flag down the vehicle, carrying a driver and a passenger, but it kept going, Gul said.

Gul said there is a well-paved road that leads into the Taliban area and suggested the Americans may have mistaken that for the main highway — which is much older and more dilapidated.

Cave-in along Tawau-Semporna in Sabah, Malaysia road cuts major link



TAWAU, Sabah, Malaysia, 30 July 2010 as reported by the national news agency - Bernama:

A stretch of the Tawau-Semporna road at Km42 has been closed to traffic following a cave-in, thus cutting the main road link between Tawau and Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu and Sandakan.

A check by Bernama showed that the left and right shoulders of the road collapsed last night due to erosion triggered by floods, and rendered the stretch of road unsafe for use.

Sabah Assistant Finance Minister and Apas state assemblyman Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan, who went to the scene, said repair works would take some time and suggested alternative routes to bypass the closed stretch of road.

He advised light vehicles from Tawau to use the Jalan Sungai Burung estate road to get to Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu and Sandakan.

Motorists from Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu and Sandakan could use the Teck Guan estate road to get to Tawau, he said.

Flash floods also hit 300 houses with some 1,500 villagers in Kampung Pasir Putih.

Tawau Municipal Council president Ismail Mayakub said the floods which hit at 7.45pm receded about three hours later.

He said 180 family heads had registered by 9.30am and that victims putting up at Masjid An- Nur, Kampung Pasir Putih would be given food.

The villagers were advised to be prepared for evacuation as more floods were expected as the weather could deteriorate at any time.

Former Malaysian Transport Minister, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik denies cheating Government over PKFZ scandal



Tun Ling is an MCA leader noted for his political vision and conviction, a strong believer of moderation and pragmatism. His crisis management capability earned him the reputation of a problem solver of the MCA. Under Tun Ling's leadership, the MCA successfully overcame several crises that truly tested his mettle.



Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik arriving at the Putrajaya Sessions Court,Malaysia, Thursday 29th July, 2010



Leading the prosecution team: Attorney General - Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (left) arriving at the Putrajaya Sessions Court with other lawyers in the prosecution team, including Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah (right). — AZHAR MAHFOF / The Star

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, 29 July 2010 (Thursday) : source The Star online

Former Malaysian Transport Minister and former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik has become the highest-ranking person yet to be charged with cheating the Government over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal and he pleaded not guilty.

The party stalwart — the fifth person to be charged over the PKFZ saga — is out on a RM1 million bail after appearing at the Putrajaya Sessions Court on 29th July, 2010.

Accompanied by his wife Toh Puan Ena Ling and sons Hee Leong and Hee Keat, Dr Ling later told reporters that he had faith in the country’s judicial system.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said he was shocked by the charge, but expressed confidence that Dr Ling would get a fair trial.

MCA is Malaysia's 2nd biggest political party after UMNO, and form the backbone of the Barisan Nasional, the ruling coalition of component parties that rule Malaysia since independence in 1957.

Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik has been charged with cheating the Government over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal and he now faces up to seven years in prison.

The 67-year-old former Transport Minister, believed to be the first Tun in the country to be prosecuted in a court of law, was later granted a RM1mil bail by Judge Suzana Hussin with one surety.

He was accused in the Sessions Court here of knowingly deceiving the Cabinet to approve a land purchase in Pulau Indah for the purpose of the Mega Distribution Hub project in Port Klang, which resulted in wrongful losses to the Govern­ment.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s office here between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002.

Dr Ling, the longest-serving MCA president, claimed trial to the first charge of cheating under Section 418 of the Penal Code and an alternative charge under Section 417 for an alleged offence committed at the same time and place.

He faces up to seven years in jail for the first charge and up to five years’ imprisonment under the alternative charge. Both carry a fine.

The prosecution, which came as a shock to the nation, was the result of a joint probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, MACC and the police.

Dressed in dark-coloured pants and a blue striped shirt, Dr Ling, from Air Tawar, Perak, appeared calm in the dock and requested that his charges be read in English.

He said “not guilty” when asked for his plea.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who is leading the four-man prosecution team, told the court that the charges were bailable offences and proposed a RM1 million bail to which the defence had no objection.

In mitigation, defence counsel Datuk R.R. Sethu said Dr Ling was a long-serving civil servant and gave assurances that he would not abscond.

He also applied for the next mention date to be set a month from yesterday.

Judge Suzana then fixed Sept 3 for mention.

Dr Ling, who posted the bail, was later seen shaking hands with the lawyers present after court proceedings ended at 5pm.

His wife Toh Puan Ena Ling and sons Hee Leong and Hee Keat were also present.

When met outside the courtroom, Dr Ling told reporters: “When you are at the Palace of Justice, you must be very confident of justice.”

Dr Ling, a doctor by training, served as MCA president from 1986 to 2003.

On June 13, 2003, he was appointed the party’s Honorary Life President in recognition of his loyal and meritorious services to the party, community and nation.

In Ipoh, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said party leaders were shocked over the matter.

Dr Chua, who was on a visit to SJK(C) Poi Lam here, told reporters however that he was confident Dr Ling would get a fair trial.

Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said it had never identified Dr Ling as the “culprit” behind the PKFZ scandal.

Another former MCA president and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said he only wanted the interest of the general public, especially taxpayers, to be protected.

“I’m not interested in specific personalities,” he said.

He added that there was a necessity for the authorities to keep the public informed of its findings, adding: “And if there has been fraud, then the funds must be recovered.”

Dr Ling is the fifth and the highest-ranking person to be charged over the scandal after former Port Klang Authority general manager Datin Paduka O.C. Phang and three others were accused of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and cheating by making false claims late last year.

The PKFZ project was mooted during Dr Ling’s term as Transport Minister, and the cost of the project – initially estimated at less than RM2bil – more than doubled to RM4.6bil by 2007.

THE charge:

“That you, between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002, at Level 4 of the Prime Minister’s Office in Bangunan Perdana Putra, cheated the Govern­ment by deceiving the Cabinet into approving a land purchase in Pulau Indah for a Mega Distribution Hub project in Port Klang according to the terms agreed between Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd and Port Klang Authority which, among others, are:

a) the size of the land being 999.5 acres or 43,538,200 sq ft

b) the purchase price for the land being RM25 per sq ft amounting to a total of RM1,088,456,000

c) the repayment period being based on a “deferred payment” of 15 years with an interest rate of 7.5% per annum (total RM720,014,600), and thereby dishonestly hiding the fact that the valuation by the Valuation and Property Service Department on the land was RM25 per sq ft for a repayment period of 10 years or RM25.82 per sq ft for a repayment period of 15 years, including coupon/interest that could be charged for the repayment period.

And as such, you purposely induced the Cabinet to give its consent to the purchase, whereas the Cabinet would not have given its consent if the fact had been told to the Cabinet, and the fraud was committed with the knowledge that you could cause a loss to the Government, where you have an interest in the transaction pertaining to the fraud and you are bound under the law to protect it and, as such, you have committed an offence punishable under Section 418 of the Penal Code.”

(Section 418 concerns “cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may be thereby caused to a person whose interest the offender is bound to protect”.)

He also faced a similar alternative charge (for an alleged offence committed at the same time and place) under Section 417 of the Penal Code that concerns “punishment for cheating”.

History of Tun Dr Ling Lion Sik (source - MCA website)


1943: Bborn in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia.

1966: Graduated as a medical doctor from University of Singapore. Subsequently, he set up his practice in Penang where he joined MCA as a member.

1974: Elected as Member of Parliament for Mata Kuching constituency. He successfully defended his position in 1978 and 1982.

1986: He was elected MP for Labis. He also subsequently successfully defended his position in the 1990, 1995 and 1999 general elections.

1986: Appointed Transport Minister. Prior to that, he had held the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Local Government and Federal, Territory, Deputy Information Minister, Deputy Finance Minister and Deputy Education Minister.

Tun Ling is an MCA leader noted for his political vision and conviction, a strong believer of moderation and pragmatism. His crisis management capability earned him the reputation of a problem solver of the MCA.

Under Tun Ling's leadership, the MCA successfully overcame several crises that truly tested his mettle. He took over the reins in 1986, right after the devastating 20-month leadership crisis sparked off by the existence of phantom membership.

The party was at its lowest ebb, morale was low and so were finances. The worst was yet to come.

The first test came when 24 deposit-taking co-operatives initiated by the Chinese were frozen by Bank Negara, putting billions of ringgit deposited by their members in jeopardy.

The MCA under Tun Ling's leadership fought relentlessly to help the 500,000 depositors in getting a ringgit-to-ringgit refund, bringing a sigh of relief to the Chinese community.

At the end of 1989, another crisis exploded when the bank took action against the MCA over a RM36-million loan. The problem, an aftermath of the 1984-85 leadership crisis, was aggravated by the 1985 recession.

To solve the problem once and for all, Tun Ling launched a nation-wide life membership recruitment campaign raising funds and through restructuring of Party assets enabling the Party to resolve its financial problems.

After solving all the crises in the 1980s, Tun Ling concentrated his effort to prepare the MCA for a take off into the 1990s and beyond and joined the government effort in nation building.

To assist Tun Ling's leadership, Insap was set up in 1989 and was given the task to draw up the blueprint for National Unity.

The four main thrusts of the master plan were :

(1) to defuse the differences among the various communities especially among the Bumiputras and non-Bumiputras by ensuring each community is free to practise its culture, tradition and faith to establish a truly Malaysian society;

(2) to establish a fair and democratic society which guarantees equal opportunities to all the communities in political, economical, cultural and educational advancement so that none will feel deprived;

(3) to create a caring society so that the hardcore poor will get help and assistance;

(4) to create a high-tech, progressive and prosperous society which is both vibrant and competitive.

In December 1988, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir set up the National Economic Consultative Council comprising 150 members from various communities. The Council formulated the National Development Policy in place of the New Economic Policy covering the period from 1991 to the year 2000. The NDP laid the ground work for the rapid economic development of Malaysia in the 1990s. The NDP was later replaced by the Third Outline Perspective Plan (2001 - 2010).

Another major contribution by Tun Ling was the launching of the MCA Langkawi Educational Project and the rapid expansion of Tunku Abdul Rahman College.

Under the Langkawi Project, the MCA mobilise all its resources in a new commitment to raise the standard of education among the Chinese especially those in the rural areas.

Under this massive programme, resources centres with tuition classes and computers were set up to help the needy students. University students were mobilised to help the rural students and parents were encouraged to take extra care in the children's studies.

The Tunku Abdul Rahman College was set up on February 24, 1969 in Kuala Lumpur to cater mainly for Chinese students who did not have the opportunity for tertiary education locally or overseas.

In 1991, the Government allocated RM20 million under the Six Malaysia Plan for the college. Under Tun Ling's leadership, a total of RM30 million was raised by the MCA in a series of fund-raising campaigns.

This was matched by the Government on a ringgit-to-ringgit basis, bringing the total to RM60 million. Under a massive development plan, the Tunku Abdul Rahman College spreads its campuses to Johor, Penang, Perak and Pahang.

Under Tun Ling's stewardship, the MCA also played a crucial role in the amendments to the Education Act 1961 which guarantees the continued development of Chinese primary schools.

Tun Ling's leadership also contributed significantly towards the liberalisation of tertiary education which saw the establishment of the New Era College and the Southern College. Both were initiated by the Chinese community.

The crowning success of Tun Ling's leadership is evident in the outstanding result of the 1995 general elections in which the party won 30 of the 35 allocated parliamentary seats and 70 of the 77 state seats. It is also reflected in the close rapport between MCA and UMNO leadership.

In November 1999, the General Elections' results demonstrated that the MCA under the national stewardship of Tun Ling once again won the support and trust of the Chinese electorate.

The people expressed confidence in the BN coalition by voting 28 Parliamentary and 68 State representatives out of the 35 Parliamentary and 77 State seats MCA contested respectively.

source - The Star / MCA website

Security Guru demonstrates ATM machine hack and got easy money..!!



If you have the talent - you don't have to work like a dog.. Computer hackers nowadays can even force money out of ATM Machine, quite easily..

Easy money hah???

Barnaby Jack, director of security testing at Seattle-based IOActive, demonstrated how to hack an ATM machine.

He did that at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, forcing the machine to spew out its cash.

"I hope to change the way people look at devices that from the outside are seemingly impenetrable," said Jack, a New Zealand native who lives in the San Jose area.

One vulnerability he demonstrated even allows a hacker to connect to the cash point through a telephone modem and, without knowing a password, instantly force it to disgorge its entire supply of cash. Godness me!!!

Jack said he bought the pair of stand-alone ATMs — one manufactured by Tranax Technologies and the other by Triton — over the internet and then spent years poring over the code.

The vulnerabilities and programming errors he unearthed during that process, Jack said, let him gain complete access to those machines and learn techniques that can be used to open the built-in safes of many others made by the same companies.

Hmmm... easy money hah???
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