HRP's 20-point plan to improve Indians' lot

(Malaysiakini) The Human Rights Party Malaysia (HRP) has responded to Premier Najib Abdul Razak's request for feedback from the public for the 2011 Budget.

It yesterday submitted a 20-point proposal for the betterment of the Indian community in the country to Najib, who is also the finance minister.

HRP pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar made available a copy to Malaysiakini today.

It proposes a budget of RM53 billion - based on an allocation of RM1 billion to "undo each year of injustice suffered by the Indian community for the past 53 years".

Uthayakumar's argument is that the Malaysian Indian poor are the poorest community in Malaysia - even poorer than the Orang Asli, Malay, Kadazan and Iban, who all have their traditional villages and ancestral land as their social safety net, unlike the Indian poor.

HRP's proposal is as follows:

1) Grant the estimated 450,000 hardcore poor Indians 10 acres of land each in a scheme similar to the Felda, Felcra and Risda land ownership schemes that 442,000 poor Malays have benefited from.

2) Grant land titles to all Hindu temples, Hindu cemeteries, Tamil schools and Indian settlements as a permanent solution.

3) All Tamil schools must be converted to fully financially aided government schools by December 2011 to be on par with other Malay, Islamic or Chinese schools.

4) The 12,650 places in the 39 MRSM and fully residential schools and in the 20 elite public schools like MRSM, MCKK, Tunku Kurshiah College, Cyberjaya College (NST July 9, 2010) to be open to all, especially deserving poor Indian students.

5) Grant scholarships from JPA, Mara, Petronas, Yayasan Negeris, GLC Yayasan, TNB, TM, etc to all, especially the poor Indian students who had scored 5A1s and above.
6) For all others, especially poor Indian students, PTPTN loans are to be granted to pursue their ambitions, to do medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, bio-medicine etc at local private and overseas universities and institutions of higher learning.

7) In short no poor Indian student should be denied higher education.

8) A minimum monthly wage for all Malaysians at RM1,300 per month.

9) That Socso be made the poor man's insurance scheme and 24-hour insurance coverage be granted, unlike the present accidental death and disability coverage only at work or going to and from work.

10) The minimum Socso pension should be RM750 which is the marker for poverty in Malaysia.

11) Licences and bank loans be granted to all, especially deserving poor Indians for businesses like scrap-metal, car washing, petty trading, and the operation of stalls and food stalls, lorries, taxis, buses, tourist vans etc.

12) Licences, permits, direct projects and contracts and bank loans and business opportunities be granted to all deserving Indians.

13) There should be no impediments for Indians to serve in the Malay-controlled civil service and GLCs, banks and corporations. And there shall be no race-based discrimination in promotions, salary increments, or top civil service jobs like secretaries-general, directors-general, directors, managers, officers etc.

14) Similarly the Indians should not be discriminated against in the Malaysian Chinese-controlled private sector.

15) A 'Protection of poor Malaysian Indians' Act to be passed to secure the interests of the ethnic Indian minority community.

16) The 209 Giat Mara colleges, vocational and technical schools and all government funded and aided skills training institutions should be fully open and made available to every poor Indian.

17) Full legal aid for all criminal cases beginning from remand proceedings onwards for all Malaysians earning RM5,000 and below.

18) Affordable three-bedroom state-funded homes with a minimum of 1,000 sq feet at nominal rentals of RM50.00 per month, or available to be purchased at RM25,000. Government loans to be provided for those blacklisted, or above 55 years old or who cannot get bank loans, for every poor Indian.

19) The estimated 150,000 Indian children being denied birth certificates and their parents denied identity cards and rendered stateless; to get their documents on or before December 2011.

20) All Indian-based welfare homes, orphanages and old folks' homes to be granted full financial assistance and facilities.

"To this effect Hindraf and HRP would like to participate in the Economic Planning Unit's (EPU) Implementation and Co-ordination Unit (ICU) and the Central Coordinating Unit (CCU) to help the government implement the above," suggested Uthayakumar.

Perkasa boss: Joy in Umno if 'psycho' Khairy quits

By G Vinod - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali has unleashed a vitriolic attack on Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, saying the latter's exit from Umno would not be a solemn affair.

In a SMS to FMT, the Pasir Mas MP said he also suspects that the Oxford-trained Khairy was suffering from a psychological disorder (sakit jiwa).

“Perhaps Khairy is too disappointed that he was overlooked for a cabinet position, he is now venting out his frustration on Perkasa,” he added.

Ibrahim was responding to the Umno Youth chief's remark at a forum yesterday that he would leave the party if the majority of its members supported Perkasa.

He said this after PAS' Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, who was also present, accused Umno of working “hand in glove” with Perkasa.

'Spewing nonsense'

Continuing his tirade, Ibrahim said the majority of Umno members would be delighted if Khairy left the party because he was one of the reasons why Barisan Nasional fared poorly in the last polls.

“When his father-in-law (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) was prime minister, the famed fourth-floor boys led by Khairy at the Prime Minister's Department caused BN to lose much of its prized seats in the 12th general election.

“In my view, the majority of Umno members will be happy if he leaves. Now that his father-in-law is no longer PM, Khairy has lost his fangs and is spewing nonsense for no reason,” he added.

Previously, Khairy and Ibrahim locked horns over the latter's call to have Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong arrested under the Internal Security Act.

Perkasa was livid with Wee, who is the MCA Youth chief, for asking the government if it would abolish the exclusively Malay Mara scholarships since it planned to scrap the Public Service Department overseas scholarships.

In the ensuing tit-for-tat, Khairy had labelled Ibrahim a “jaguh kampung” (village hero).

'If Yong is hanged, I will return with a coffin!' [video]

'If Yong is hanged, I will return with a coffin!'

By Patrick Lee - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: A PKR leader promised that if convicted Malaysian drug mule Yong Vui Kong is hanged, it will have grave repercussions.

"I warn the Singaporean government: if they hang Yong, I will come back and bring a coffin here! (Singapore High Commission)," said Kapar MP S Manikavasagam.

He also took a swipe at Foreign Minister Anifah Aman for not doing enough.

“I am ashamed of the minister. He should put more pressure on the Singapore government,” he said.

Added human rights lawyer N Surendran: “Our government claims that it's doing great things for this country. But if it cannot stand up for one Malaysian in trouble overseas, can Malaysians rely on the government?”

Earlier, Manikavasagam and Surendran joined some 20 mostly PKR members to present a memorandum to the Singapore High Commission here today. Also present were Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran and PKR information chief Latheefa Koya.

The memorandum protested against the denial of the judicial process for Yong and called on the Singapore government to spare Yong's life. The memorandum was drafted by Lawyers for Liberty.

Yong was arrested by Singaporean authorities in 2007 for drug trafficking. Aged 18 at the time, the Sabahan was sentenced to death, and subsequently appealed to Singapore President SR Nathan for clemency.

According to the memorandum, the Singapore High Court in August had said that Nathan did not have the power to pardon prisoners on death row.

It also said that Singapore Law Minister K Shanmugam had affected the outcome of Yong's appeal against the death penalty. Before Yong's appeal was heard, Shanmugam had said, “Yong Vui Kong is young. But if we let him go, what signal are we sending?”

The memorandum also said that Yong's petition for clemency was dismissed before it was filed. “In the face of death, Yong has been denied the fundamental right to be heard,” it added.

Yong's death sentence has been branded as “illegal”. Said lawyer Fadiah Nakwa Fikri, who was in the group: “We are asking the Singapore government to be answerable to this. We are asking them to show some compassion (to Yong), and that he be given the due process under the law.”

Added Surendran: “What is the Malaysian government doing? It is keeping quiet. Our foreign minister should quit because he is not taking up the cause of a Malaysian who is facing an illegal execution.”

PKR leaders were also disappointed that the High Commissioner was not present today despite having agreed to meet them.

The group was told that the commissioner was not at his office.

The memorandum was handed over to the High Commission's First Secretary, Walter Chia.

Fighting the good fight for Lembah Pantai

By Stephanie Sta Maria - Free Malaysia Today

SPECIAL REPORT ON KL The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur has long been a political trophy for the government and the opposition and the competition took a fierce turn after 2008.

Prior to that fateful year, the Barisan Nasional (BN) enjoyed dominion over the city with seven representatives in the 11 constituencies. The tsunami washed out six of them thus putting the trophy in the hands of Pakatan Rakyat.

Now BN understandably wants it back and has begun its conquest with the key constituency of Lembah Pantai. But MP Nurul Izzah Anwar isn't going down without a fight.

Right now though, her days are occupied by regular scuffles with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), which she claimed is an immovable block in her path towards serving her constituents.

“Most of the issues plaguing Lembah Pantai, like enforcement, public housing and services, fall under DBKL's purview,” she said. “Which means that all the opposition MPs in KL are at the mercy of DBKL's officers, legislations and structure. And our role is made even more complex by the on-going dynamics between elected and appointed representatives.”

One particular DBKL practice that has Nurul gritting her teeth in frustration is its lack of transparency in issuing housing to the people of Kampung Kerinchi. Her requests that DBKL publicly display a list of recipients has gone unheeded.

“The list is crucial so people know that no invisible hand is involved in the distribution of housing,” she emphasised. “But DBKL is still continuing to operate based on its whim and fancy. There is no way of tracking the basic requirements to qualify for housing, and when there is no rule of thumb or consistency, the whole process is then open to abuse.”

Concerned over Bangsar

DBKL's inconsistency has also grated on her nerves where Bangsar is concerned. As the vibrant hub of Lembah Pantai, Bangsar has attracted droves of developers, businesses and regular city slickers. Residential and commercial property often vie for space and priority.

DBKL's move to change certain zoning areas to include commercial premises became a bone of contention among residents who viewed it as encroachment on their living environment. In most cases, DBKL axed the business concerned to placate the residents but Nurul once again spied double standards at play.

“The five-year lease for One Bangsar, a string of commercial property facing a stretch of residences, expired last December,” she pointed out. “Yet it remained open. In March, the KL Mayor (Ahmad Fuad Ismail) assured unhappy residents that Bangsar One would be closed down within six months. Now I heard that it plans to use legal assistance to fight to continue operations.”

“And yet a nearby shelter for orphans in Jalan Bukit Pantai was given a month to close down for the same reason. How can DBKL favour certain places this way? You will never see such leniency in Pantai Dalam or Sri Sentosa. DBKL has to be consistent and answerable, otherwise it is just contributing to the problems in Lembah Pantai.”

Nurul then cast her sight on Brickfields which is currently undergoing a face-lift aimed at transforming it from a mere township into a cultural enclave named Little India.

“The Little India project will definitely bring an economic boom to Brickfields, but again it's a very top-down approach,” she observed. “There is existing artistic value displayed by the businesses and community itself, so I don't see a need for Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) to decide on what represents the Indian culture there.”

She also reminded Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister M Saravanan of his promise to supply her with the project blueprint, which she has yet to receive.

“As an MP there is a sense of futility when the appointed representatives don't take your requests and suggestions seriously,” she said in frustration “It drives you to become angry and vocal just to force a response from them.”

Ornamental enforcement

Aside from stubborn business owners, Bangsar also faces an alarmingly high crime rate. The police beat in the midst of the thriving entertainment vicinity may very well be invisible, considering the number of brazen criminals who get away scot-free.

Just recently, a press photographer accompanying Nurul on her rounds in the bustling Telawi streets fell prey to a snatch thieve who made off with his camera.

“This is unacceptable,” Nurul said. “That police beat is a useless ornament and all it has done is erode the people's faith in the police. Instead of fighting crime, the police are being misused to monitor subversive elements and political events.”

“A few weeks ago we were handing out leaflets explaining the subsidy cuts and the entire police contingent, including three FRU trucks, were present at the scene. It's ridiculous and a waste of police resources. And at the end of the day the residents suffer because they have to pay extra for a gated community.”

Then there are the illegal car jockeys. They emerge at nightfall to offer a much-needed service to Bangsar's party-goers. Apart from the legal aspect of their job, the patrons' safety is a prime concern.

“Many of these jockeys are known to get aggressive, especially with drunk patrons,” she said. “We have repeatedly asked DBKL to take action, but the growing number of illegal jockeys has raised suspicions of a collusion between them and the authorities.”

“Bangsar isn't prepared to address the needs of private car users, but it's not too late to set up a system to legalise these jockeys. People need to be able to park and feel a sense of ease and comfort when visiting an upmarket place like Bangsar.”

Returning fire and pushing ahead
Nurul, however, reserved her harshest criticism for Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin. She is incensed with the Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister for constantly thwarting her 

efforts to deliver assistance to her constituents.

According to her, the minister has resorted to using government agencies to prevent her from holding non-political events in a mosque, which she has called a “disservice to our democracy”.

Of late, Nong Chik has been picking on both Lembah Pantai and Nurul, which has not gone unnoticed by the other MPs. While they bristled on her behalf, Nurul herself is unexpectedly amused.

“I'm touched because I didn't realise that I pose such a threat,” she grinned. “And Nong Chik has helped me tremendously in attracting interest to the redevelopment of Lembah Pantai.”

“Where it angers me is when he tries to stop me from doing my work. I draw the line there. When he orders my banners removed and blocks me from running programmes in my constituency. I can't even book halls under my name anymore! It's disappointing to have a minister involved in such practices.”

“If he wants to fight, then he should fight on an equal playing field so that it is fair to the people too,” she declared. “I wouldn't say I'm not worried but I won't live my life always looking over my shoulder. And I will counter-attack when the time and place is right.”

Her mood peaked, however, at the topic of PKR's new Federal Territories chief Zaid Ibrahim, who subsequently handpicked her as his vice-chairperson for KL.

“This is very exciting as KL MPs are often brushed aside because we don't control the state unlike Selangor,” she said. “KL is an opposition stronghold and the birthplace of PKR. It's crucial to ensure our success in KL before focusing on other states.”

“From Zaid's first speech, it is clear that he understands the importance of this. Since losing Wangsa Maju to an independent, we are down by one MP and there is still much to do. We have our work cut out for us and we have to start now.”

Felda blind to Tun Razak's vision

By Jamilah Kamarudin - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Since its inception more than five decades ago, the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) has brought about many changes and helped improve the lives of Bumiputeras.

Efforts by the late premier Tun Abdul Razak in 1956 were the starting point of the plan to improve and enhance the economy of the Malays, especially the rural community.

At the beginning, Felda aimed at balancing the distribution of the economic and social status and reduce the economic gap within the community and other races.

Land as vast as 4.046 hectares (10acres) for agriculture and 0.809 hectares (two acres) for housing were set aside for settlers.

The rapid growth of Felda’s agriculture sector is a result of the settlers’ toil and and Felda has gone on to become among the richest government agencies after Petronas. It also offered all kinds of loan schemes with high interest to settlers.

But Razak’s philosophy of “giving land to those who do not have” and “enriching the poor” are no longer embraced by the Felda leadership.

The agency has deteriorated since coming under the Prime Minister’s Department in 2004.

Felda’s strategic policy of agriculture was changed to corporate industry through the setting up of Felda Plantation and its 23 subsidiaries. Although the subsidiaries offered lucrative returns, they however also jeopardised the rights of settlers and their inheritors.

Aside from the unsatisfactory extraction grade (KPG -kadar perahan gred) of the palm oil, there were also allegations of manipulation of grades, and issues over their deposits in the Replanting Fund and quality of the oil palm.

The settlers were further burdened by the high interest on loans on the lands which were mortgaged to Felda.

Fulfil social obligation
Several groups have stood up against the mismanagement and began exposing Felda's wrongdoings. Among the more active NGOs, is the National Association for Children of Settlers (Anak).

Its president, Mazlan Aliman, wants Felda to fulfil its social obligation as an agency that takes care of the welfare of the settlers and not just act as a corporate body focused on profits.

"This is the reason that we and the settlers all over the country are beginning to take court action against Felda. The key reason is the swindling and cheating involved in the extraction process,” he said.

After Serting Hill filed its summons, the Raja Alias scheme in Seremban followed suit with a RM200 million summons.

Mazlan expects more schemes in Felda Pahang to do the same.

“I am quite sure the settlers in Pahang will rise to voice their right after several meetings with Felda Chini last week and the setting up of an action committee in Bera and Kratong Felda schemes.

“The Felda Bera scheme will make the first move with the participation of 4,000 settlers and we will file for legal action in November at the latest. This will be followed by Felda Chini and Kratong.

“Anak (the association) and our lawyers R Sivarasa, Wan Rohimi Wan Daud, and Nizam Abdul Hamid will go down to the ground in Pahang next week to study the documents and hold briefings with the settlers. I will also visit Jengka 17 soon to organise a briefing for settlers there,” he said.

Bendera threat: Malaysians on the alert

By Teoh El Sen and Fazy Sahir - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians staying in Indonesia are on the alert but are also calm following threats by Indonesian nationalist group — the People’s Bastion for Democracy (Bendera) — to start a “sweeping” operation to "deport" all Malaysians and even shave their heads.

Members of the Bendera group had on Monday hurled human faeces at the Malaysian Embassy and defiled the Malaysian flag in protest against the detention of three Indonesian maritime officers by Malaysian authorities in disputed waters near Riau a week ago.

The National Association of Malaysian Students in Indonesia told FMT that the 6,000-odd students all over Indonesia, including about 800 in Jakarta, are safe.

"So far we have not heard of any 'sweeping' operation being conducted. This protest group is mostly played up in the media. However, we do advise students, mainly in Jakarta, to stay low and avoid places we call hotspots.

“For example, in Jalan Diponegoro where the Bendera office is located, they would sometimes mount 'roadblocks' to look out for Malaysians when police are not around," said its deputy chairman Mohd Nazaluddin Mat Nazir.

He said the association is working closely with the Malaysian Students Department, adding that security is not a serious problem.

"Bendera is only a small group. We have our standard operating procedure: whenever a protest happens, we stay low for awhile... But on the whole, Indonesia is a very safe place," Nazaludin said.

However, he said this year the Merdeka day celebrations would be a muted affair due to the “heat”.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Malaysian Students in Indonesia president Ahmad Farid Asyraf Ramli said the situation in Jakarta is under control.

However, he said a notice was issued by the Malaysian Embassy on Monday informing all students to stay alert at all times.

"We are advised not to go out to public places alone,” he said.

No cause for alarm

Malaysian Students Department director Dr Junaidi Abu Bakar said the situation was stable.

"But we continue to monitor areas where 'sweepings' may happen," he said.

"All these incidents in Indonesia are caused by provocation and propaganda of the mass media, NGOs and politicians.”

A syariah student at the Institusi Islam Negeri Araniri, in Acheh, Zaim Irshad, 25, said nothing unusual has occurred.

Meanwhile, Plantation company P T Sarimas Group group general manager J Suparmaniam said Indonesia is a peaceful country and there is no cause for alarm.

"There is no danger here. We expatriates are safe as the government treats us very well. In Jakarta, the population is about the same as Malaysia, so naturally there are those small groups who cause unnecessary troubles," said Suparmaniam, a Malaysian.

He has lived in Indonesia for nine years, staying in places such as Jakarta, Pontianak, and Kalimantan.

$1 DOLLAR MANSION?

1117 Boylston Avenue, Seattle, USA

Sarawak Report would like to enquire of Abdul Taib Mahmud how much he paid for the mansion that Samling passed on to his family in Seattle, USA ?

The residence forms an enormous property, standing in its own grounds in one of the most prestigious area of Seattle on Boylston Avenue.  It was passed from a Samling-owned company to a company now owned by Abdul Taib Mahmud and his family, for just one US dollar in 1991.

Click for King County Assessment Office details

Details of a very nice property

City Garden!

Described as a Top Grade Mansion in ‘very good’ condition by Washington State’s King County Department of Assessments, the property was valued at over US$ 6.8 million in 2008.

It has 6 bedrooms and 5 main bathrooms and an enormous total living space of 9,020 square feet, plus a basement of 2,120 square feet.  The house is surrounded by a large open porch and there is a big basement garage  for the car-loving Taib family, plus a second, attached garage.  The mansion is surrounded by gracious gardens, kept in manicured condition and the grounds total 26,172 square feet.

See pictures of Samling properties underhttp://sarawakreport.org/2010/08/from-samling-to-the-taibs/#1

Click for Home Appraisal Document (1996)’ “The Taib home, located at 1117 Boylston Avenue in the community of Seattle…”

Mysterious acquisition

Lord and Lady of the Manor

The property, registered under the company W. A. Boylston Inc (California), has been in the possession of the Taib family since the early to mid-1990s.  Family portraits of the Chief Minister, his deceased wife and four sons and daughters as small children, adorn the elaborate rooms.

They have all spent time in the mansion, which is not occupied by anyone else.  The property forms part of the family’s Sakti International Corporation, incorporated in California and currently managed by Hisham (Sean) Murray, the Chief Minister’s son in law, out of his offices at 333 Preston Street, Ontario, Canada.

However, there is confusion in the Seattle public records as to how the property passed to the Taibs.  Sarawak Report has been unable to obtain any clear record of the transfer from one owner to another or, importantly, the register of any payment that would normally be eligible for taxation.  We therefore request a statement from the Taibs to explain the situation.

Gracious living

The Samling connection

However, Sarawak Report has managed to clearly establish  that before passing to the Taibs the house was owned by another California corporation called CSY Investments, set up in 1988.  CSY acquired the property in 1991 and then registered it under subsidiary company called W. A. Boylston Inc.

CSY are the initials of Chee S Yaw, who signs himself as the company’s President in documents which are publicly available at the King County Land Registry.  Significantly, Mr Yaw is one of the younger sons of Yaw Teck Seng, founder of the massive logging conglomerate Samling Global.  Yaw Teck Seng is regularly featured in Forbes Asia’s Rich List of Malaysia’s top 40 richest individuals, as does his eldest son, Yaw Chee Ming, establishing them one of the richest families in Asia.

Chee Siew Yaw - Son of Samling Boss

‘Unethical’

Our revelation comes with poor timing for the Chief Minister of Sarawak.  Earlier this week Samling made international headlines when the Norwegian Government Pension Fund withdrew all investments in Samling after condemning the company as ’unethical’, owing to  illegal logging and environmental devastation in Sarawak.  [Click for Norwegian official announcement]

Abdul Taib Mahumd in his joint capacities as Chief Minister, Finance Minister and State Planning and Resources Minister, has controlled the issuing of Sarawak’s timber licenses for the past 30 years, leaving clear questions over his incentives for  favouring such an ‘unethical’ company.

It is no secret that Samling has based its business success on achieving numerous logging concessions in Sarawak. Over the period of the Chief Minister’s rule, companies operating under his licenses have razed virtually all Sarawak’s valuable virgin forest, much of it taken without compensation from the indigenous peoples who had been granted these territories under Native Customary Land Rights.

President of CSY (Son of Samling Boss) signs ownership of Boylston Mansion in 1991. When and how did it pass to the Taibs?

Samling is one of the main companies involved in this destruction and it has used its base in Sarawak to launch similar logging operations in the Congo, Amazon, Russia and elsewhere, many of which have been heavily criticised by concerned NGO’s across the world.

The US $1 Sale

Therefore, we repeat the question, how and why did the Chief Minister come by a mansion formally owned by Samling?  The only official record available of a transfer of the property in the King County Land Registry from CSY is the granting of a so-called Quit Claim Deed for just one dollar!  This transaction on 19th September 1991 placed the property into the subsidiary company W. A. Boylston Inc.  W. A. Boylston had been incorporated in California a few days earlier on September 5th by CSY and its registered address was given as 2260 Douglas Boulevard, Roseville, which was the Headquarters of CSY.

Grandure

CSY and Boylston then immediately filed a joint letter to the King County Real Estate and Excise Tax Department declaring ‘under penalty of perjury’  that W. A. Boylston was a wholly owned subsidiary of CSY Investments, thereby making the Quit Claim transaction exempt from excise tax.

However, our investigations have shown that there is no subsequent record in the Land Registry of the later transfer of ownership of W. A. Boylston from CSY (Samling) to the Taibs.  According to rules published by King County such a transfer would normally require the payment of thousands of dollars of excise tax.

Proof of Taib ownership

Despite the lack of open records, Sarawak Report is able to confirm that there is definitive proof that the Taibs did take over the property from Samling’s CSY.  In fact they took up residence as the effective owners not long after the property was placed in the hands of the CSY subsidiary W. A. Boylston.  Rahman Taib had an insurance assessment drawn up in 1996 (see above).

Portraits of the Taib family adorn the house. The family were in residence from at least the mid-90s

Furthermore, a significant alteration was made to the company’s official address and official representative in 2000. In that year W. A. Boylston’s annual Statement by a Domestic Stock Corporation to the State of California noted a change of address to that of the headquarters of Sakti International (the property company, which Sarawak Report has recently proved to be majority owned by the Chief Minister).  Likewise, the company representative was altered from a CSY official to Rahman Taib, the Chief Minister’s younger son.

How much did it cost?

Sarawak Report therefore wishes to ask once more,whether Mr Taib paid the going rate of over $3 million for the house at that time to Samling for the purchase of the house?  If so, how did the Chief Minister (salary approx MR 50,000 per month) find the money?

If, on the other hand he acquired it for free, then readers of Sarawak Report will be entitled to conclude that the mansion was a kickback from Samling, as a favour in return for all the logging concessions granted to them by the Chief Minister.   They would also be entitled to ask whether the United States tax authorities have received all the money they are due.

Mansion No 2 – 2222 Everett Avenue, Seattle

By the way there is a second Seattle Mansion!

If the Boylston mansion was indeed a ‘gift’ from Samling to the Chief Minister, then one cannot expect such a thing to be done by halves.  Indeed, a second, equally gracious and prestigious mansion has also found its way from the Yaws to the Taibs in Seattle, by what would appear to be exactly the same route.

W. A. Everett Inc

2222 Everett Avenue East, worth $2,854,000 at its peak value in 2008,  was also originally purchased by the Yaws. It was  then registered under another California corporation, W. A. Everett Inc, set up on the same day as W. A. Boylston (5th September 1991). W. A. Everett Inc is likewise listed as a subsidiary of CSY in the King County Land Registry.   This mansion also ended up in the hands of the Taibs.

Choice view - Seattle Sky Line

The property is smaller with four bedrooms and bathrooms, but has famously sought after views over the City.

Sarawak Report understands that the Taibs have mainly rented it out over the past two decades, but as with Boylston, the only information about a transfer of ownership of the company from Samling to the Taibs comes with an identical change of address and officers in 2000, from the CSY address in Roseville to Rahman Taib, at Sakti International’s Headquarters in San Francisco. This leaves very many questions about how the Taibs have acquired their wealth.  It  is time for transparency.

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