THE highlight of Budget 2023, must surely have been READ : the speed in the Prime Minister cornering BERNAS to cough up 30 per cent of its profits to farmers.
ON August 22, 2023, which is approximately 436 days from today, I had mentioned READ : that the first Pakatan Harapan Government fell like a ninepin due to efforts by ministers close to Anwar Ibrahim attempting to dismantle BERNAS and how Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri split the spoils of war.
AND yes, I SPECIFICALLY mentioned BERNAS and NAFAS. IT is common knowledge today that READ : Zamri Yaakob, Ismail Sabri's eldest brother is the centre of a RM1.8 billion , NAFAS related probe by MACC.
MUHYIDDIN Yassin, meanwhile out of either what can be described as stupidity or desperation, has managed to put Syed Mokthar back in the limelight by stating READ: that a Perikatan Nasional Government could solve Malaysia's rice problem in 30 days.
CONSIDER the following, the four states namely Terengganu, Kelatan, Perlis and Kedah, Syed Mokthar is either the largest employer or where BERNAS has a major role in distributing federal government money to paddy farmers, the Pakatan Harapan Government lost their underwear in this year's state elections.
ADD this to the READ : RM195 million cash donation by Syed Mokhar to BERSATU, and could easily come up with the conclusion that Muhyiddin Yassin wasn't talking PUCKS when he declared that PN can solve the rice problem.
WHY not, when BERSATU looms like a party in which Syed Mokhar has a direct vested interest ?
WHICH brings us back to why was Anwar Ibrahim silent on BERNAS sharing its profits with paddy farmers.
I say this with conviction, that the Prime Minister understands than most political observers, on what really caused the fall of the first PH Government.
WHICH is why, he didn't want to raise temperatures up again, considering that he knew that READ : 15 days latter, he will finally get the tools to really go for the big fish' in Malaysia.
MEET Anwar Ibrahim's weapon of choice, the Audit (Accounts of Other Bodies) (Amendment) Order, which took effect on November 1 after receiving royal assent.
THE act not only empowers the Auditor General to probe what's going on in some 2000 Government linked companies, but it also gives the Auditor General the power to audit companies like BERNAS which receives funds from the Federal Government.
CONSIDERING that BERNAS, has for years now not released its annual report for general public consumption, expect fire works when the Auditor General comes out with a public report.
THE sun won't be shinning on BERNAS in 2025, because Anwar Ibrahim won't be settling for 30 per cent of the Bernas profits this time around .