Washington Post Covers Up US Meddling in Malaysia

September, 3 2018 (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - The Washington Post has now repeatedly used its platform to systematically cover up extensive US political interference across Southeast Asia.

Last month, the Washington Post attempted to deny US interference in Cambodia. Its article - however - did more to reveal US meddling in the process - exclusively citing opposition organizations and individuals either funded by Washington or literally living in Washington.

The Washington Post in its more recent article titled, "In Malaysia, a victory for democracy — and an opportunity for the U.S.," would likewise attempt to paper-over US meddling in Malaysia's recent general elections which placed US-backed opposition into power after decades of Washington investment.

The article begins by claiming (emphasis added):

While Washington wasn’t looking, democracy won a major battle over authoritarianism in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation that just voted out its crooked, illiberal leader and has embarked on a peaceful transition to a new era of hope. The unexpected change has given the Trump administration a chance to reverse a policy of benign neglect toward the region, support democracy — and gain a rare win over China. 

The United States had little to do with last month’s overwhelming election victory by a multiracial, multiparty opposition coalition in Malaysia.

Of course - this is categorically untrue. Virtually every aspect of Malaysia's opposition, from pro-opposition media organizations like Malaysiakini, to street fronts like Bersih, to legal organizations like "Lawyers for Liberty," and even the defacto opposition party leader himself - Anwar Ibrahim (PDF) - are recipients of extensive US government support spanning well over a decade via the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and its many subsidiaries and affiliates.

President of NED subsidiary, the International Republican Institute (IRI) Daniel Twining - almost as if wounded by the Washington Post's omission of his organization's extensive political meddling in Malaysia - would boast on social media while linking to the Post article, that:

[IRI] has worked to strengthen Malaysian opposition parties since 2002. For 1st time since 1957 they won & are in power. Democrats around the world can play a long game confident that sooner or later, their time will come.

It is clear that evidence and even admissions by those dispersing US government money to Malaysia's opposition expose the Washington Post's article as categorically untrue - but it is also intentionally untrue. At least one member of the Washington Post's editorial board literally serves as member of the US NED's board of directors. Washington Post editor Anne Applebaum even has her own webpage on NED's site.

Thus, it is also clear that the Washington Post not only faces a serious conflict of interest regarding its responsibility to accurately report on political developments around the world while its editorial board is directly involved in influencing those developments - it is actively involved in exploiting these conflicting interests by using its media platform to cover up the actions of organizations its editorial board are involved in.

And almost as if to contradict its own initial premise, the Washington Post article admits the US Department of Justice's primary role in opening and perpetuating investigations into the former government's finances - producing a scandal many have cited as at least partially responsible for aiding the US-backed opposition's victory.

The Post claims (emphasis added):

The U.S. government could help the new Malaysian government to dig out of the mess that Najib left by helping it reform civil society, return to a free press and bolster the country’s economy. The United States can also help recover the billions Najib’s clique plundered from Malaysian coffers. The U.S. Justice Department is already deep into its investigations of those scandals.

Considering the extensive amount of backing the US government has provided the Malaysian opposition, it is difficult to imagine the US Department of Justice only coincidentally fixated on alleged financial impropriety in Malaysia, ahead of general elections the US government sought victory in for its proxies.

All About China 

The Washington Post also reveals the motives behind the extensive US political meddling it is attempting to conceal, mentioning China's growing regional influence throughout the article.

How US Influence is Co-Opting Malaysia's Governance

July 21, 2018 (Joseph Thomas - NEO) - The Diplomat, which claims to be "the premier international current-affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific region," has recently published a piece granting credit for Malaysia's recent general election results to what it calls, "everyday activists."

The article is in fact titled, "The Everyday Activists Behind Malaysia’s Democracy Struggle." The article begins by claiming:

Audiences worldwide have been transfixed by the Shakespearian twists and turns that saw Malaysia’s opposition defeat the world’s longest-ruling coalition. But the unprecedented May 9 win was also the culmination of a decades-long civil rights movement by activists who took great personal risks to bring about change.

The article cites Maria Chin Abdullah who headed Malaysian street front Bersih, online media platform Malaysiakini, political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque (also known as Zunar), Malaysia Muda and legal group Lawyers for Liberty as examples of those that have finally helped make Malaysian democracy "work."

Yet there is something else all of these examples cited in The Diplomat's article have in common. They are all either directly funded by the United States government through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), or their activities are facilitated by other organisations in Malaysia that are. 

From Abdullah to Zunar, Funded by the US Government 

In essence, The Diplomat's piece is arguing that the organisations they covered represent the custodians of Malaysian democracy, and thus play a role in determining Malaysia's future. Yet the disturbing common denominator among them indicates a paradoxical dilemma. If these custodians themselves are a function of foreign influence, how could they possibly play a role in the Malaysian people determining for themselves a path that serves their own best interests and not those of these organisations' foreign sponsors?

We begin with Maria Chin Abdullah, now a newly elected member of the Malaysian parliament. She had previously been chief of the Bersih street front whose rallies were regularly led by opposition politicians including Anwar Ibrahim who is now the defacto leader of the victorious Pakatan Harapan party.

In 2011, The Malaysian Insider would report in its article, "Bersih Repudiates Foreign Christian Funding Claim," that:

[Bersih 2.0 chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan] admitted to Bersih receiving some money from two US organisations — the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Open Society Institute (OSI) — for other projects, which she stressed were unrelated to the July 9 march.

The article would also cite Maria Chin Abdullah as well, claiming:

Fellow Bersih steering committee member, Maria Chin Abdullah, explained that both NDI’s and OSI’s funding were specifically for to the electoral watchdog’s delineation projects.

The NDI is a subsidiary of the NED. Details of funding provided to Bersih were disclosed on the NDI's website, stating (our emphasis):

In July 2005, NDI organized a national-level workshop for party leaders on election reform. NDI has since conducted workshops across Malaysia to promote electoral reform in collaboration with Research for Social Advancement (REFSA), the secretariat for BERSIH. In 2006, NDI conducted a workshop for BERSIH that focused on pimproving the action plancs of each participating organization or political party. In 2007, NDI and BERSIH conducted a series of workshops in the politically neglected provinces of Sabah and Sarawak to educate previously disenfranchised political aspirants.

It is clear that Bersih's leadership, including Maria Chin Abdullah attempted to first conceal their US government funding from the public, then attempted to downplay the implications this funding had regarding their work.

Bersih faces fair criticism over their stated objective of "clean, free and fair elections" contradicting the foreign interference their dependence on US government funding represents.

The Diplomat next makes mention of Malaysiakini which describes itself as "independent media." However its financial disclosures reveal it instead heavily dependent on foreign funding.

Like Bersih, Malaysiakini is funded by both the NED and the Open Society Institute. It also receives funding from the Canadian government, the Asian Foundation (which in turn is funded by the US State Department) and the Media Development Loan Fund (which in turn is funded by Open Society).

While political cartoonist Zunar's financial sponsors are unknown, The Diplomat itself notes that work like his would not be published were it not for US government-funded media platforms like Malaysiakini.

Extensive US Meddling in Malaysia's General Election Revealed

May 18, 2018 (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - After now 2 years of accusations and constant headlines regarding allegations of still unproven "Russian influence" in the 2016 US presidential election, it is difficult to imagine that real political meddling or election interference anywhere around the globe could go unnoticed.

This is especially true regarding the Western corporate media who has portrayed itself as deeply aware of the unethical and undemocratic nature of one nation interfering in the elections of another.

Yet during Malaysia's recent general election - hailed by the Western media as a "historic win" for an opposition the Western media clearly favored - not a single story was written by media organizations like Reuters, AFP, CNN, the BBC and many others covering foreign interference during the elections.

Despite the lack of Western attention regarding foreign election meddling, it is revealed that Malaysia's opposition is almost entirely comprised of US government-funded fronts - ranging from opposition leaders themselves, to political street fronts and organizers, to media organizations posing as "independent" Malaysian journalists, and "rights advocates" leveraging human rights advocacy to support the opposition and compromise Malaysia's Barisan Nasional (BN) party.

Malaysia - a former British colony - faces the incremental expansion of US and European "soft power" within its borders - transforming it from a sovereign nation into a subordinate, modern Western client state.  As the US is attempting to do all throughout Southeast Asia from Cambodia to Thailand and the Philippines to Myanmar - the final goal is surrounding China with nations hostile to it politically, economically, and even militarily.

US-Funding and Support Propped up Malaysia's Opposition 

Malaysia's victorious opposition party - Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) - is openly headed by "de facto leader" Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar Ibrahim was Chairman of the Development Committee of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1998, held lecturing positions at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, was a consultant for the World Bank, and a panelist at the Neo-Conservative dominated and Wall Street-funded National Endowment for Democracy's (NED) "Democracy Award" and a panelist at a NED donation ceremony

His service to Western institutions and the corporate-financier interests that created them - including NED - explains the unanimous support he has received for years throughout the entirety of the Western corporate media.

Before his imprisonment in 2015, he led the Bersih street front, a movement Western media sources like the Guardian cited as being pivotal to unseating the ruling BN party.

US Regime Change in Malaysia: Bersih 5

November 24, 2016 (Tony Cartalucci - NEO) - Malaysia finds itself weathering yet another foreign-backed color revolution, with the color of choice being the "yellow shirts" of Bersih supporters.

Bersih was created by the United States government and the political alliance of convicted and currently jailed Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim. The front organized its first rally in 2007, and has since then organized four more with the most recent taking place this month.

Over the years, Bersih has morphed, being  co-opted both by elements of the very government it is attempting to overthrow, and by legitimate opposition fronts who either are cynically exploiting the movement's size and foreign funding, or who genuinely are unaware that Bersih's core leadership is composed of US-funded agitators seeking to divide and destroy both Malaysia and ASEAN, as a means of reasserting US primacy in the region vis-a-vis China.

Bersih's Core Leadership is US Funded 

The Malaysian Insider reported on June 27, 2011 that Bersih leader Ambiga Sreenevassan:

admitted to Bersih receiving some money from two US organisations — the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Open Society Institute (OSI) — for other projects, which she stressed were unrelated to the July 9 [2011] march. 

A visit to the NDI website revealed indeed that funding and training had been provided by the US organization - before NDI took down the information and replaced it with a more benign version purged entirely of any mention of Bersih. For funding Sreenevassan claims is innocuous, the NDI's rushed obfuscation of any ties to her organization suggests otherwise.

Sreenevassan is now not only a senior Bersih leader, but also heads or is associated with a number of "nongovernmental organizations" (NGOs) allegedly supporting Bersih, including  HAKAM (National Human Rights Society). Despite claiming to be a "human rights" organization, HAKAM's content is entirely focused on exclusively promoting and defending Bersih and its membership under the guise of human rights advocacy - a tactic used by US-funded opposition fronts worldwide. 

Image: Ambiga Sreenevassan marches shoulder-to-shoulder with Anwar Ibrahim during Bersih 2.0. 

Other NGOs listed by Bersih as supporters include Lawyers for Liberty and the Islamic Renaissance Front, both funded by the US State Department's National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Additionally, there is  Pacos Trust which is partnered with the US State Department, USAID, EU, and Wall Street-funded Asia Foundation. 

Various members of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) which is funded by US and European corporate foundations are also listed as endorsing Bersih. So too is Institut Rakyat which is openly partnered with HAKAM and the above mentioned Lawyers for Liberty as well as compromised Western human rights advocates like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Other organizations listed by Bersih as "endorsing NGOs" have websites that either do not disclose their sources of funding or affiliations, or appear to be linked to various opposition political fronts or organizations that have fallen for Bersih's superficial rhetoric. 

In other words, Bersih represents the same organizations or approximations of other US-backed regime change operations unfolding worldwide. And while Bersih claims to be fighting for "Clean and Fair Elections," it is and has been for several years now, openly calling for regime change via the resignation of the current Malaysian government. 

Why Does the US Want to Overthrow the Government of Malaysia? 

The corporate-financier funded and directed policy think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) published a 2015 paper titled, "Revising U.S. Grand Strategy Toward China," penned by Robert Blackwill - a Bush-era administrator and lobbyist who has directly participated in Washington's attempts to maintain hegemony over Asia.

Blackwill's paper states clearly what interests the US has in Asia (emphasis added):

Because the American effort to 'integrate' China into the liberal international order has now generated new threats to U.S. primacy in Asia—and could result in a consequential challenge to American power globally—Washington needs a new grand strategy toward China that centers on balancing the rise of Chinese power rather than continuing to assist its ascendancy.

The CFR paper constitutes a US policymaker openly admitting that the US perceives itself as possessing and seeking to maintain "primacy in Asia," primacy being defined by Merriam-Webster as, "the state of being most important or strongest."

Malaysia's current government, like many across Asia-Pacific, is uninterested in America's attempts to reassert itself geopolitically in the region. Attempts to draw Malaysia into the US-manufactured South China Sea confrontation with Beijing have all but failed.

Malaysia also represents a particularly independent nation, with developed infrastructure, domestic industry including its own auto company, and military ties with Russia and China. 

Headlines like Reuters' "Malaysia to buy navy vessels from China in blow to U.S.," CNN's "Malaysia reaches 'significant' defense deal with China, takes shot at West," and the New York Times' "Leader of Malaysia, Miffed at U.S., Visits China With a Deal in Mind," all from this year, represent Malaysia's disinterest in dealing with Washington and its efforts to contribute to an Asia where American "primacy" does not rule. 

Bersih is Not a Path to Reform or Revolution 

In order to reverse this trend, the US has attempted to place pressure on not only Malaysia, but respective governments throughout Asia resisting its attempts to reassert itself. 

While the US backs Bersih in Malaysia, it has sponsored the opposition government in Thailand headed by exiled ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and a myriad of US-funded faux-NGOs. The opposition headed by Sam Rainsy in Cambodia as well as political agitators in Vietnam are also openly US-backed.

The US-backed government of Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar, which despite running on a platform of "human rights" and "democracy," has begun brutally repressing Myanmar's Rohingya minority and locking up dissidents and members of the media in an ironic twist of hypocrisy. 

While Malaysia's government has provoked legitimate concerns among many groups in Malaysia, working with the  government to resolve them and challenging the government during elections is the obvious solution. Street mobs openly funded by foreign interests - particularly the United States - is an effort to reform and improve the nation in name only. 

Like Myanmar, or victims of US-backed regime change across North Africa and the Middle East, regime change in Malaysia facilitated by US-backed fronts will only invite in a regime that is not only as bad if not worse than the current government, but invite in a government beholden to American special interests, not the interests of the Malaysian people - not even its ruling elite. 

Bersih represents a political tool wielded by Washington, not a genuine manifestation of the Malaysian people's will to improve their own nation - even if Malaysians legitimately interested in improving their nation have been drawn into the protests. While many genuine people have joined Bersih's ranks, they have only done so because they have been lied to and have failed categorically to scrutinize the opposition front's leadership as carefully as Bersih demands the current government be scrutinized. 

Tony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.” 

US vs China: US-backed Mobs Seek to Overthrow Malaysian Government

August 24, 2015 (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - Malaysia's "Berish" movement - an umbrella organization for various opposition groups opposed to the current government of Prime Minister Najib Razak - plans its fourth street demonstration in 8 years to unfold at the end of August.

While Bersih's alleged goal is "clean and fair elections," it is openly led by the government's opposition headed by the now imprisoned US-proxy Anwar Ibrahim and a myriad of US-funded and directed nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The US State Department, through its US National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and its subsidiary the National Democratic Institute (NDI), along with convicted financial criminal George Soros' Open Society Institute (OSI), have funded both Bersih directly, and many of the NGOs that constitute Bersih's core leadership.

Several NGOs currenlty openly funded by the US NED - i.e. Islamic Renaissance Front and Lawyers for Liberty - can be found also listed on Bersih's current "endorsees" list.

Despite years of immense US-funding, Bersih has recently pleaded for donations and now claims they've received over a half million Ringgit (over 100,000 USD). More recent reports claim the amount could be as high as 1.2 million Ringgit.

And while they claim they seek simply to reform Malaysian politics, Bersih's new leader, Maria Chin Abdullah openly admitted their goal for "Bersih 4.0" is to call for the resignation of Malaysia's current government. In a Facebook post she claimed:

"Reforms - we will continue to demand and this time Yes it's a tall order to ask the PM to resign but if we dont try we will never push the boundaries for clean & fair elections."

Apparently by "clean & fair elections," Bersih's leadership means elections in which their opponents have been undermined and otherwise eliminated, and in which they can take power - or in other words, another textbook case of US-backed regime change.

Image: To Berish, "clean and fair elections" means eliminating all of your opponents through a US-backed campaign of sedition and seizing power. 

Bersih's core leadership seeks to seize power in Malaysia from behind a facade built upon alleged reforms. It is seeking donations from the Malaysian public despite immense funding from the United States government and demonstrable support from across the West's extensive global media network. It is difficult to discern how a movement built on lies, fraud, thievery, and sedition represents a step forward for Malaysia which might explain why, after three previous staged demonstrations, those behind Bersih have yet to succeed in their true goal of overthrowing the current political order.

US' Bersih and America's Wider War on China 

Malaysia's Bersih movement is yet another example of so-called American "soft power" in action. The use of US-organized and funded street mobs to carry out political destabilization and regime change has likewise transpired in similar fashion in Thailand through the use of US-backed Thaksin Shinawatra and his "red shirt" street mobs, and in Myanmar with Aung San Suu Kyi and her legions of anti-Rohingya, violent "saffron monks."

US Prepares to Overthrow Malaysian Government

Key to encircling & containing China, US sets proxies in motion for color revolution in Malaysian streets. 

Image: US-proxy Anwar Ibrahim leads a Bersih rally in Malaysia. While Bersih has attempted to claim it is "independent" and simply pursusing "fair and clean elections," it is clearly a vehicle for returning Anwar Ibrahim back into power. Additionally, Bersih shares the same ties to the US State Department's National Endowment for Democracy (NED) as its crypto-leader Anwar Ibrahim - representing a dangerous and seditious conflict of interest.

....

May 15, 2013 (AltThaiNews) - US-funded opposition fronts have vowed to overthrow the Malaysian government via disruptive and potentially violent street protests in the wake of general elections that saw their leader Anwar Ibrahim soundly defeated despite massive support from Western media, NGOs, and direct government intervention. Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported in their article, "‘BN will be toppled this year’," that:

Pro-Pakatan Rakyat groups have vowed to overthrow the Barisan Nasional government this year through a massive street rally.

Speakers at a forum held yesterday unanimously agreed that waiting for five years until the next
general election was too long, and vowed to overthrow BN this year through “force”.

 FMT also added that:

Electoral watchdog group Bersih 2.0 steering committee member  Hishamuddin Rais pointed out that it was useless to take their unhappiness to the courts as he claimed the justice system was being controlled by the government.

“That is why we must take to the streets. We have to come out. What Najib likes is wrong, and what he doesn’t like is what we have to do,” he said.

“We will mobilise a big group and rally on the streets. This is not a threat, this is a promise,” he stressed.

Bersih, of course, is a US State Department-funded opposition front aimed to bolster US-proxy candidate Anwar Ibrahim, formerly of the IMF and World Bank, and a frequent visitor to the insidious National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Washington D.C. It is in fact, NED that funds Bersih through its subsidiary, the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

US "Pivot" Toward Asia Trips in Malaysia

Image: Despite the US mobilizing the summation of its media power and pouring millions of dollars into the opposition party, including the creation and perpetuation of fake-NGOs such as Bersih and the Merdeka Center, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak sailed to a comfortable victory in this year's general elections. The cheap veneer has begun peeling away from America's "democracy promotion" racket, leaving its proxies exposed and frantic, and America's hegemonic ambitions across Asia in serious question. 

....

May 8, 2013 (LD) - Wall Street and London's hegemonic ambitions in Asia, centered around installing proxy regimes across Southeast Asia and using the supranational ASEAN bloc to encircle and contain China, suffered a serious blow this week when Western-proxy and Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's party lost in general elections.

While Anwar Ibrahim's opposition party, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) or "People's Alliance," attempted to run on an anti-corruption platform, its campaign instead resembled verbatim attempts by the West to subvert governments politically around the world, including most recently in Venezuela, and in Russia in 2012.

Just as in Russia where so-called "independent" election monitor GOLOS turned out to be fully funded by the US State Department through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Malaysia's so-called election monitor, the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, is likewise funded directly by the US through NED. Despite this, Western media outlets, in pursuit of promoting the Western-backed People's Alliance, has repeatedly referred to Merdeka as "independent." 

US Seeks Allied Regime in Malaysia as Millions Funneled to Opposition

Image: Despite claims that so-called "pro-democracy" front Bersih is independent, it is clearly a vehicle for US-backed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, seen openly leading Bersih rallies. 

....

April 27, 2013 (RT-Nile Bowie) - As Malaysia gears up for its most critical general election ever, a prominent opposition figure has come forward with allegations American foundations organized protest rallies and channelled funds to opposition political parties.

In early May 2013, Malaysia will face its most competitive political battle since its independence in the form of an election that pits Malaysia’s ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has governed the country since 1957, against the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition that has received extensive training and backing from US government-funded foundations.


Washington has often seen Malaysia’s leaders as stubborn, and as the unpopularity of the ruling coalition increases, organizations like the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) have significantly greased the wheels to improve the US-friendly opposition’s chances of coming to power through multi-faceted media campaigns and support for anti-government street demonstrations.

On one side, Malaysia’s former PM Dr. Mahathir Mohamad often caught the ire of Washington for his unceasing criticism of Israel and US foreign policy, while the incumbent PM Najib Razak has toned down the rhetoric and has pursued a business friendly approach with the West, while deepening economic ties with China.

On the other side, de-facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who formerly served as Deputy PM under Mahathir’s government, leans closely to the United States.

The National Endowment for Democracy or NED, is a Washington-based foundation that supports democratic initiatives and US-friendly opposition groups abroad, provides over $1 million to various projects in Malaysia each year. The NED has regularly come under fire because of the overtly political nature of its programs, and because senior US political figures have leading roles in the foundation.

Malaysians Must Reject the US Trade Deal (TPP)

April 14, 2013 (FMT-Nile Bowie) - One of the least discussed and least reported issues is the Obama administration’s effort to bring the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement to the forefront, an oppressive plurilateral US-led free trade agreement currently being negotiated with several Pacific Rim countries, including Malaysia.

Six hundred US corporate advisors have negotiated and had input into the TPP, and the proposed draft text has not been made available to the public, the press or policymakers.

The level of secrecy surrounding the agreements is unparalleled – paramilitary teams scatter outside the premise of each round of discussions while helicopters loom overhead – media outlets impose a near-total blackout of reportage on the subject and US Senator Ron Wyden, the Chair of the Congressional Committee with jurisdiction over TPP, was denied access to the negotiation texts.

“The majority of Congress is being kept in the dark as to the substance of the TPP negotiations, while representatives of US corporations — like Halliburton, Chevron, PhaRMA, Comcast and the Motion Picture Association of America — are being consulted and made privy to details of the agreement,” said Wyden, in a floor statement to the US Congress.

In addition to the United States and Malaysia, the countries participating in the negotiations include Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Bersih – Anwar’s Global Fundraising ‘Vehicle’?

Former Transparency International president Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim said he was the first choice to head US-funded Malaysian election watchdog for free and fair polls. 

April 8, 2013 (Athi Shankar-FMT) - Election watchdog, Bersih, is a vehicle created by Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim to obtain foreign funding for his political activities, alleged Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, the former president of Transparency International Malaysia TI-M today.

Tunku Aziz suggested that Bersih co-chairpersons S Ambiga and A Samad Said could have been wittingly or unwittingly engaged by Anwar, to conceal his international funding network.

“Anwar makes good use of his international networking to get these funds. I don’t know whether Bersih leaders knew it or not.

“But Bersih is Anwar’s vehicle to receive international funds under the guise of democracy and free and fair elections.

“Bersih is not a non-partisan independent organisation.

“It’s Anwar’s baby,” Tunku Aziz, the former DAP vice-chairman and senator, told FMT.

He said he knew about Bersih’s foreign funding when he was invited for talks by Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah a few years ago on the possibility of heading then an unnamed election watchdog.

At the time, Tunku Aziz was still involved in TI-M. He had not joined the DAP.

He said Nurul Izzah, certain PKR leaders, Anwar’s aides and two Americans were present when he attended the meeting at the Sheraton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Understanding US Funding to Malaysian Civil Society

April 8, 2013 (Nile Bowie-FMT) - In 2012, the New Straits Times came under fire for accusing NGOs and actors within Malaysia’s civil society of scheming anti-government activities in an article titled “Plot to destabilise govt”.

The NST piece claimed that because various NGOs received funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a non-profit foundation financed by the United States government, this was proof of a foreign destabilization agenda.

Online news portal FMT published a counter argument, “NST report: ‘Ridiculous and rubbish’,” which contained valid refutations by accused figures in civil society who called on the NST to practice greater journalism ethics.

The NST piece failed to substantiate these accusations with analysis and it was no doubt flawed, it is also clear that the author did not personally have a great deal of knowledge about the parties and institutions involved, evident in her erroneously referring to the Israeli government as the “Jewish government”.

Although this article raised contentious sentiments and leveled serious accusations without a clear explanation, the issue itself should be critically examined.

Its no secret that the National Endowment for Democracy has a presence in Malaysia, and according to its official website, it provides over $1 million USD to various projects in Malaysia each year.

This funding has been perceived suspiciously because of the overtly political nature of the NED’s programs and the fact that senior US political figures have leading roles in the organisations active in Malaysia.

GE13: What’s at stake for Malaysia?

March 30, 2013 (Nile Bowie) - Malaysians of all walks of life will soon go to the polls to take part in an election, the outcome of which will have long-ranging implications that could see significant changes in how the country is governed. The incumbent leader, Najib Razak, is campaigning for his first mandate at the polls, and his government has legitimized itself through its growth-promoting management of the economy and a series of populist measures aimed at lifting the burden on the poor. The opposition coalition, which has vowed to eliminate authoritarianism and elite graft, has released a manifesto that some have lauded, while others have been more skeptical of by questioning how the coalition plans on executing many of their programs. The dissolution of parliament is just around the corner and it cannot be denied that many are dissatisfied with the status quo, and there is a large demographic of young voters who want to challenge the ruling coalition’s infallibility at the polls.

The surfacing of contentious issues close to election-time has created a notable climate of disillusion in Malaysia’s critical blogosphere. Among those are concerns that immigrants in Sabah were given citizenship and voting rights during Dr. Mahathir’s era on the condition that they vote in favor of the ruling party. The recent exposé documenting members of Taib Mahmud’s family openly talking of skirting Malaysian tax law has gone viral, putting enormous pressure on Najib’s administration to take action. Many, especially among the young, feel animosity toward the government for the way in which the Bersih demonstrations were dispersed. These factors do not bode well for the ruling party, but despite the shortcomings that should rightfully be addressed, it should be acknowledged that from a developmental point of view, Malaysia has historically been among the top-tier of well-governed countries in the region and the ruling coalition has been very successful in numerous areas.

Washington's Creature in Malaysia?

The Mysterious Case of the Sulu Sultan

March 17, 2013 (Nile Bowie - Counterpunch) - Malaysia has been in the midst of an ongoing security crisis since early February, when a group of 235 rag-tag militiamen from the neighboring southern Philippines slipped into the eastern state of Sabah and began occupying several villages. While engaging police in several firefights, the insurgents beheaded and mutilated several captured Malaysian security personnel, prompting Malaysian forces to deploy fighter jets in an unprecedented air assault over the area in an operation to flush out the intruders. The gunmen call themselves the “Royal Army of the Sulu Sultanate”, representing the heirs of a long-defunct kingdom which once controlled the territory up until the late nineteenth century. The so-called Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, who is believed to be directing the militant incursion from Manila, insists that Sabah is rightfully part of his kingdom and has vowed not budge on his claims even if his personnel are killed in the standoff.



Malaysians, who are preparing to vote in a pivotal general election just around the corner, have been fixated on events in Sabah as they unfold. The Philippines are soon expecting congressional elections as well, and given the timing, local analysts are wondering how exactly did this elderly self-proclaimed Sultan obtained the resources needed to establish his own private army. Both the Malaysian and Philippine governments have launched official investigations into allegations that figures within Malaysia’s political opposition had a hand in aiding the Sulu gunmen. Reuters cited an anonymous Filipino military officer who claimed that Sulu rebels were “invited to Sabah by a Malaysian opposition politician”.

Malaysia Faces Uncertain War in Sabah

March 9, 2013 (Nile Bowie) - Tension is high in Malaysia’s eastern state of Sabah following an ongoing standoff between militants from the nearby southern Philippines and Malaysian security forces. 235-armed militants landed in eastern Sabah in early February and occupied several villages in an effort to assert a centuries-old claim over the territory. Both sides accuse the other of firing the first shot, but once the stand-off produced Malaysian causalities, Malaysian security forces deployed fighter jets and launched an unprecedented air assault on the militants with five battalions of solders deployed over the area in an operation to flush out the militant group, which they termed “Operation Sovereignty”. At least 52 militants have been killed, in addition to several Malaysian policemen who were reportedly mutilated by the insurgents; reports claim that militants sent an e-mail message to Malaysian authorities that included images of beheaded police officers. The insurgents identified themselves as the “Royal Sulu Army”, representing the now-defunct Sulu Sultanate that controlled the territory for centuries before leasing the land to the colonial British North Borneo Company in 1878.

The Manila-based Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, directed the insurgency, while his brother Agbimuddin Kiram led ground operations into Sabah. The Sultanate insists that Sabah is its homeland, and it will not budge on its claims over the territory even if its personnel are killed in the standoff. British colonialists leased the land from the Sultanate and eventually annexed Sabah in 1946 before turning over the disputed territory to the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. At the time, the Philippines contested the transfer, claiming that the British did not possess the authority to transfer ownership to Malaysia. The British and the Malaysian authorities responded by asking the United Nations to conduct a referendum which came to the conclusion that two-thirds of the population of Sabah favoured joining Malaysia. The Malaysian government also began paying small annual payments to the heirs of the sultanate as compensation for their cession of the land, an arrangement that has continued to the present day.

Malaysia Invaded - 100's of Terrorists Land on Beaches, Western Media Mute

March 7, 2013 (LD) - Hundreds of heavily armed terrorists have crossed from the Philippines and landed in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah. Dozens are already dead, and the Malaysian military has brought in aircraft and armor to confront the audacious, bizarre invasion, scattering militants into the jungles of Borneo island. A seemingly headline news event, the invasion has been downplayed and spun by the Western media, many calling militant Al Qaeda-linked terrorists, an "armed Filipino clan."  

Image: Malaysia has called in air support and armor to confront a bizarre terrorist invasion in its eastern state of Sabah.

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The West's woeful, irresponsible coverage of a burgeoning region-wide destabilization, fits in nicely with its coverage of US-Saudi funded/armed terrorism around the world, including in Syria where US-funded terrorists of the so-called "Free Syrian Army" have just taken dozens of UN peacekeepers hostage in the Golan Heights - just days after the US announced it would fund the terrorists further, to the tune of $60 million and the West's Arab partners have just granted the terrorist faction Syria's seat at the "Arab League."

Wall Street-Backed Anwar, Sabah, & Western Sponsorship of Terrorism

Coincidence? West's use of terrorism raises concerns latest violence in Sabah is linked to Wall Street's campaign to install Anwar Ibrahim as head of Malaysia. 

Image: Sabah state, Malaysia (right in red) is host of a bizarre invasion by militants based in the Philippines, just months ahead of Malaysia's general elections. Because Malaysia's opposition is overtly supported by Wall Street, and because of the West's liberal use of global terrorism as a geopolitical tool, many suspect Anwar Ibrahim's opposition party is at least partly responsible for instigating the militant incursion. 

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March 4, 2013 (AltThaiNews) - Disturbing and bizarre reports of Philippine-based armed "Islamist" militants landing on the beaches of Malaysia's state of Sabah, directly ahead of national elections has raised both concerns and suspicions regarding the Malaysian opposition's involvement, and that of its Western sponsors. The Star/Asia News Network reported in an article titled, "Najib: Govt to investigate claims of Opposition instigating Sulu Sultanate to reclaim Sabah," that:

The Prime Minister has directed Malaysian intelligence to investigate claims that the Opposition was among parties responsible in instigating the heir of the Sulu Sultanate to reclaim Sabah.

Anwar Ibrahim, head of Malaysia's opposition coalition, which includes the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), has spent a lifetime in the service of Western interests. Anwar Ibrahim was Chairman of the Development Committee of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1998, held lecturing positions at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, was a consultant to the World Bank, and a panelist at the Neo-Con lined National Endowment for Democracy's "Democracy Award" and a panelist at a NED donation ceremony - the very same US organization whose subsidiaries are funding and supporting Bersih, a faux-pro-democracy Western-funded street movement that in fact was created by, and in the service of Anwar Ibrahim's political ambitions.

Anwar Ibrahim's affiliations with Malaysian "Islamists," and his Western backers' habitual support for terrorism internationally as a geopolitical tool, raises the possibility that his opposition movement is complicit in the conveniently timed militant destabilization Malaysia now faces, only months before 2013's general elections.

Malaysia’s US-backed Opposition Complicit in Corruption?

February 26, 2013 (Dr. Chandra Muzaffar) - In the coming General Election, condemning the Barisan Nasional (BN) as “totally corrupt” would be the Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) main line of attack. It will be used as a rallying cry to oust the incumbent. Corruption is undoubtedly a major challenge. There is elite corruption in both the public and private sectors. There is petty corruption within various strata of society.

It is because it is a challenge that the government recognises combating corruption as one of the seven National Key Result Areas (NKRAs). And since 2004 a number of significant measures have been implemented, among them the establishment of 14 special anti-corruption courts with the mandate to adjudicate all corruption cases within 12 months; the enactment of the Whistleblower Act; the signing of Corporate Integrity Pledges and Integrity Pacts; and the acceptance of open tenders publicised through the media for procurement exercises thus enhancing transparency and accountability. The endorsement of Transparency International’s Election Integrity Pledge, an affirmation of the government’s commitment to electoral ethics, is the latest example of its present battle against corruption.

At the same time, there has been a marked increase in the number of arrests of those allegedly involved in corruption including former political leaders, highly placed public servants, and top-notch corporate figures. Givers as well as takers of bribes are now nabbed regularly. It is because of these sustained efforts that Michael Hershman, one of the founders of Transparency International observed in an article in the Huffington Post (June 22 2012) that Malaysia has a “comprehensive anti-corruption system.” 

Malaysian Polls Reflect US-China Competition

February 24, 2013 (Nile Bowie) KUALA LUMPUR - In a bid to garner public support and win back several economically dynamic states lost to the opposition in 2008, Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition has introduced a series of populist measures to appeal to voters. But while the upcoming election will be decided mostly on domestic issues, the polls will also reflect rising US-China competition for influence in the country.

Following the 2008 global economic crisis, Prime Minister Najib Razak looked to Beijing to revive Malaysia's export-oriented economy, emphasizing increased Chinese investment in Malaysian industry. The premier has also moved to expand Sino-Malaysian exchange in areas such as finance, infrastructure development, science and technology, and education.

China is now Malaysia's largest trading partner, with trade reaching US$90 billion in 2011. Malaysia is China's largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During a visit to China's Guangxi autonomous region last year, Najib officiated the launch of the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park (QIP), a joint development by a Malaysian consortium of companies.

Foreign Meddling Ahead of Malaysia's Elections

Xenophon: The Not-so Impartial Observer 

February 20, 2013 (Nile Bowie) - Malaysia’s decision to detain and deport Australian Senator Nick Xenophon has become a hot topic of discussion across the nation’s blogosphere. Xenophon came to Kuala Lumpur as part of a seven-member international team of election observers invited by de-facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Xenophon attended the Bersih 3.0 street rally during a previous visit to Malaysia and criticised the government for being “authoritarian” in handling the demonstrators. Xenophon was barred from entering Malaysia under the Immigration Act 8(3), and the state’s official statement claimed that Xenophon was deported as “a result of his participation in an illegal street protest in Kuala Lumpur last year,” referring to clauses in the Peaceful Assembly Act which prohibits non-citizens from participating in unauthorised public gatherings.

Local analysts have criticized Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s de-facto opposition leader, for his alleged history of appealing to foreigners to legitimize his positions. From the hardline Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated theologian, Yusuf 'Abdullah al-Qaradawi, known for controversially inciting sectarian divisions throughout the Muslim world, to the likes of Al Gore and Paul Wolfowitz – Anwar is widely credited in the Malaysian press with harnessing foreign influence to bolster his own political talking points. Ibrahim previously called on the Australian government to monitor Malaysia’s upcoming general elections, although Australia’s Foreign Minister Bob Carr declined to send observers, stating that Australia had no intention of influencing Malaysia’s elections.

Meddling Australian Senator Deported from Malaysia

Was to meet with Wall Street-London funded faux-democracy front Bersih, and IMF frontman Anwar Ibrahim.

February 17, 2013 (AltThaiNews) - The Australian reported in its article, "Xenophon deported by Malaysia," that Australian Senator Nick Xenophon has been detained and then deported in Malaysia as part of an "unofficial parliamentary delegation to review the electoral system."

In reality, Senator Xenophon was part of a Western effort to assist Malaysia's Wall Street-London backed opposition into power as part of a wider geopolitical strategy to align Southeast Asia against China's emerging regional influence. 

Confirming this, the Australian also reported that:

"He and other Australian MPs were to meet opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, as well as Malaysia's minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, Mohammed Nazri, and members of the group Bersih, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections."

Image: (RT) Despite Bersih's best efforts to portray itself as apolitical, it is clearly led for and by Malaysia's US-backed opposition, with the IMF's Anwar Ibrahim leading the coalition. Here, Anwar Ibrahim (center) can be seen speaking to a Bersih rally in Malaysia.

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