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By Sakmongkol I thought the PETRONAS issue has come to an end. Someone told me to sudah sudah lah. Stop demonizing TDM.
The issue is still alive. Tun Dr Mahathir has just published an account of the monies received by the government over a number of years. During his tenure as PM, the government received RM168 billion. From 2004 to 2009, PETRONAS gave 253 billion. The upshot of his argument: Pak Lah received more money and was not able to account for the application. Mana itu wang pergi?
Tun Dr Mahathir speaks in the capacity as PETRONAS advisor. It is essentially a ceremonial post. It was meant as a goodwill post for retired PMs to spend their time. If anyone were to occupy it, other than TDM, that post would be inconsequential. If an ex minister were to occupy it for instance, the effect will be so too.
But TDM was PM of Malaysia for 22 years and he is a larger than life figure. For 22 years PETRONAS was directly under him. The PETRONAS president reports to him directly and when they do meet there were 4-eyes meeting. The PETRONAS president will go back and brief the board; this is what the PM wants. If he says, I had a meeting with the PM, and he wants two of you to jump off the sky bridge, there is no way anyone can verify what were actually said. In other words there is no check and balance.
The current PM now wants a check and balance. Hassan Merican has been PETRONAS boss for 15 years. The PM wants to balance the seemingly wide powers enjoyed by the PETRONAS president by modifying the profile of the board. But the CABINET of PETRONAS thinks this as interference in its domestic affairs. It is now carrying a rear guard action and will carry out a protracted battle.
Enter TDM- the larger than life figure. The de facto numero uno of PETRONAS. From fortress PETRONAS which is essentially behaving like a government, the board becomes emboldened because it has TDM as protector. The PETRONAS board knows the present government is not that strong. It also knows that DS Najib is loathed to clash with TDM.
For TDM, PETRONAS is his last bastion to flex similar 'prime ministerial powers'. If PETRONAS likens itself as a government, that analogy confers on TDM a surreal sense of speaking as another PM.
Hence, speaking as PM of PETRONAS, he asks, how did you people spend the 253 billion in 6 years compared to how I spent 183 billion over a period of 22 years? Only an overseer asks another who he sees as subordinate, the latter's conduct. By asking the provocative question, TDM makes it out that our government is answerable to PETRONAS. Perhaps this sense of omnipotent powers derives from the knowledge that PETRONAS has been saving this country. It does so by paying out dividends, royalties, taxes and other forms of payments. Perhaps it is also thinking, it is better at managing its financial affairs than its 'rival' government.
Let us see how it is in PETRONAS land. TDM has been PM for PETRONAS for 28 years. (1981-2009). Maybe the problem which DS Najib is facing with PETRONAS now could have been solved, if he had written to TDM instead of Hassan Merican. I do not think that TDM would give this Omar Mustapha Ong a second glance. But the character of this Omar Ong has assumed larger proportions because he is made out to be seen as a challenge to the autonomy of PETRONAS. This autonomous region in Malaysia called PETRONAS has a PM named Tun Dr Mahathir, the man who made Malaysia what she is today. That simply can't be tolerated. It is impertinence of the highest order.
So, the seemingly simple and as a matter of fact asking how we have spent the PETRONAS money, is highly provocative. TDM doesn't do things without intending to influence the outcome.
PETRONAS with TDM stand in one corner. At the other corner is the current PM. Omar Ong is just the water boy.
We are currently witnessing an ongoing power play on PETRONAS stage. This is what it is actually. The PETRONAS board of directors whose security of tenure depends on the judgment of the PM is playing hardball. When they are doing is to make the PM lose face. The outcome is obvious. READ MORE HERE: http://sakmongkol.blogspot.com/
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The Blogs 
Advisers, no matter how influential or how long they had held onto the post, should just remain as advisers, nothing more! They cannot behave as though it is their personal property to protect! Worse, but had he? Wasn't he the one who blatantly stole from Petronas to bail out his son during his 'ownership period' of Petronas! Bah! Such a bloody hypocrite, one who never know how or when to let go!