From The Malaysian Insider
By Lee Wei Lian
KUALA LUMPUR Dec 4 — When aides to the Negri Sembilan mentri besar sent RM10 million to London via a money changer recently, they were just following in the footsteps of many who have sought the hawala system to move ill-gotten gains and wealth to more secure locations.
Apart from flouting exchange laws and possibly the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the trail of money outside the country betrays a lack of confidence in the future of Malaysia as they are basically transferring funds outside the country through underground channels.
The Malaysian Insider understands that Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is unlikely to charge any of them because the list contains a number of prominent Malaysians, including top businessmen, chiefs of some government-linked companies (GLCs), politicians and several ordinary people either sending money for their children’s needs abroad or just plain distrustful of Malaysia’s future.
And the list is too long as BNM has discovered that these well-heeled tycoons, cutting across all racial lines, and the rest have been using the network of Indian-Muslim money changers across the world to remit millions of ringgit every month to offshore accounts.
The only thing BNM has done is to cancel the licences of the money changers, with some 40 licences taken back this year.
The case came out in the open when Batu MP Chua Tian Chang revealed that Negri Sembilan MB Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had used Salamath Ali money changers in KLCC Suria to send RM10 million to London. The money changer lost its licence and its shoplot is now closed, ostensibly for renovations.
Several Indian-Muslim money changers and opposition leaders say Mohamad’s transfer is just one of many transacted daily to move millions of ringgit to “safe havens” abroad, potentially depriving the nation of capital and breaking local laws in the process.
Chua, who is also PKR strategy chief, told The Malaysian Insider he has access to a list of high-profile personalities who used the money changer transfer services, also known as hawala as practised in India.
He claimed among them is a senior minister’s wife who allegedly had money transferred to her overseas and a major GLC chief who apparently moved £3.2 million (RM18 million) worth of funds to London.
But Chua said that he will not reveal the names until he is “absolutely sure”.
“This is only the tip of the iceberg,” Chua said. “Millions of dollars are going out and I think it is affecting the economy.”
Money changers say however that authorities should not focus on the hawala system but rather on why some politicians have access to so much money and moving it abroad.
“We are just doing a service and the commission is very little,” said a prominent money changer in central Kuala Lumpur.
Others added that it will be difficult to prove that the money has moved as transactions are in cash and politicians will not appear in person at the money changer but send runners to do the deed.
In Mohamad’s case, he blamed the RM10 million transfer on an aide who chose Salamath Ali Money Changer, which later had its licence revoked on Oct 26 for contravening Section 30 of the Money-Changing Act 1998 which states that no licensee may remit or transfer funds outside Malaysia.
The hawala system has been described as a “subsystem” of the conventional banking system. It is run on trust where money given to a money changer in one country will be paid out by a money changer in another with just one phone call.
This network of money changers will settle outstanding debts later using coded chits or notes via their own clearinghouse system which could involve contra of funds, exchange of jewellery or even runners moving bags of cash.
The use of hawala in Malaysia grew after capital controls were imposed in the wake of the 1998 Asian financial crisis where the movement of large sums of money to locations outside Malaysia required Bank Negara’s approval.
Some individuals also prefer it as it is cheaper and faster than using conventional banks and leaves no trail.
The United Nations had promised to eradicate hawala as a potential conduit for financing global terrorism and crime and Bank Negara has been quietly working to ensure the integrity of the local banking system particularly the independent money changing system.
In April this year, Bank Negara revoked the licences of 19 money changers and another 20, including Salamath, in October.
Hairan sungguh, selepas menjadi Menteri Besar hanya dua penggal, dia mempunyai bagitu banyak wang. Kita tahu gaji MB bukanlah 5 juta setahun (seperti Pengerusi Air). Itu akaun di London sahaja, bagaimana pula akaun di negara lain, seperti Singapura, Switzerland, dll. Tak nak siasat kah. Rasanya dia belajar dari pengelaman rakannya yang ditangkap di Australia kerana membawa duit dalam bag dan terpaksa membuat pengakuan tak tahu bahasa Inggeris di mahkamah. Jadi pakai transfer saja. Yang peliknya tindakan BN menghukum collaborator sahaja, jagoh jenayah lepas.
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haji mokhtar Reply:
December 4th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
maaf la En dollah..itu la UMNO namanya..PERAMPOK
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noh Reply:
December 5th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Itu sebab Ahmad Said Hamdan bersara awal tak mahu sekongkol dengan assignment baru ni. Pelik juga, lagi 6 bulan pun tak mahu tunggu. Kot ada yang tak kena masa di Mekah semasa dia buat haji ke. Mesjidil Haram ni tak boleh dilawak dan dipersendakan. Bukan sahaja pergi dengan rezeki haram dipersoalkan, buat kerja dan berperangai haram pun dikira sama dan ada yang menerima tulah secara kontan. Berbagai cerita yang telah digengar; ada yang tak nampak kaabah, ada yang turun dari pesawat baru menjejakkan kaki di Jedah dah nak balek, ada yang sakit di Mekah bila dah habis musim haji baru baik. Manalah tau kot si Said ni dapat petunjuk dari Allah, tak mau meneruskan kerja terkutuk ni, elok berhenti daripada buat kerja haram yang menghasilkan rezeki (gaji) haram. Atau dia tahu hantu Beng Hock dah mula merayau di Plaza Masalam nak cekek mereka yang menginyaia beliau.
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yang kena 10juta. Yang dah terlepas tak tau brapa banyak. Ini lah Kepimpinan melalui teladan. Dia ni sebenarnya takut jadi macam jadi MB selangor. Kalau NS terlepas ke PR dalam PRU13, harta dalam negeri tak nampak banyak. Lagi elok beli tanah kat London tak sapa boleh trace, kat Australia kena fasih bahasa English pulok. Yang ese pandai cakap ‘then’ ‘then’ jo, tak lopas exam laei.
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Dimana dia dapat RM 10 juta tu, ni dihantar ke London sahaja. Mesti ada juga yang di hantar ke tempat lain, Singapura, Switzerland, L.A, dll. Bila lagi SPRM nak siasat. MB ni dah belajar dari kawannya di Selangor jangan bawa duit dalam beg. Nanti kena tangkap dan terpaksa berbohong tak pandai cakap Orang Putih. Hhahhaha.
Apalah nak jadi dengan negaa ku ini, kecewa dan sedih
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Buat peminat setia Pakatan Rakyat sekalian yang suka menghentam orang sesuka hati, sebenarnya sebelum menjadi Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan, Dato’ Seri Mohamad bin Hassan terlibat dalam dunia perniagaan berkaitan automotif, jual beli kereta. Jadi jumlah aset beliau berjumlah RM 10 juta berkenaan, adalah normal bagi seorang ahli perniagaan. Perniagaan beliau sebelum ini pun bukan kecil dan bukannya beliau penjaja jalanan. Malahan penjaja jalanan yang rajin seperti di Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, dan Georgetown pun boleh mencapai pendapatan melebihi RM 10 ribu ringgit sebulan, itu sebab dia rajin, bukan dia merampas duit orang sesuka hati. Kalau penjaja jalanan boleh mendapat lebih RM 10 ribu sebulan, maka kalau RM 10 juta atau 100 juta bagi peniaga besar seperti Dato’ Seri Mohammad Hassan untuk tempoh bertahun-tahun lamanya itu adalah tidak mustahil. Tak baiklah tuduh orang rasuah tak tentu pasal tanpa bukti kukuh, itu fitnah namanya. Kalau diri sendiri orang tuduh itu dan ini terus saman, tapi kalau tuduh orang lain buat itu dan ini tanpa bukti kukuh tak apa pula, apalah sikap Pakatan Rakyat ini, pilih kasih dan tak sedar diri. Melampau betul sikap anda ini. Buat peminat-peminat setia Pakatan Rakyat yang lain, anda pun satu, asyik yes sir, yes sir sahaja, macam kuli orang putih dahulu, semua yes sir. Bertidak sopan dan bersopanlah sikit, jangan semberono sahaja menghentam orang, tak baik begini. Telitilah dalam-dalam tulisan saya ini, sekian, terima kasih.
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Legal Reply:
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Tapi kenapa tak pakai legal channel tapi pakai illegal channel?
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Kalau anda semua peminat Pakatan Rakyat menghentam Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hassan kerana ada banyak harta, macam mana pula kes Y.B. Azmin Ali dan keluarga yang mana dalam usia yang muda pada awal pertengahan tahun 1990an mempunyai aset dalam bentuk saham di bebarapa syarikat melebihi RM 8 juta ringgit. Baru sahaja didedahkan terus anda semua hentam kata fitnah, siasat belum, bicara belum, keputusan belum tetapi terus anda tuduh fitnah, tapi kes Dato’ Seri Mohammad Hassan yang telah berumur dan telah berniaga bertahun-tahun lamanya bila ada RM 10 juta terus anda kata bersalah meskipun belum ada siasatan, perbicaraan atau keputusan mahkamah. Apa sikap anda ini mencerminkan kerbau dicucuk hiduang dan lalang atau manusia yang reti berfikir secara rasional. Telitilah tulisan saya ini sedalam-dalamnya, sekian, terima kasih.
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Orang politik nie semua sama lah… Bila ada peluang dan ruang jangan dilepaskan. Rezeki dia lah tu.
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