SPECIAL REPORT ON BENTA WAWASAN SDN BHD - Part 5
MALAYSIA TODAY
Musa Aman’s hidden hand
For almost ten years now, Benta Wawasan Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd, which is in turn owned by the Sabah Foundation (Yayasan Sabah), has been reaping, or should I instead say raping, Sabah’s rich forest resources. They did this under the pretext of servicing their pulp and paper mill project, which actually never took off. In fact, it appears like there was no intention to embark on the project in the first place. They just wanted the RM11 billion worth of logs.Okay, you may ask, and where does the current Chief Minister, Musa Aman, come into all this?Well, I am glad you asked. Musa Aman was the hidden hand in this whole thing.Musa Aman was the head of the Sabah Foundation at the time this project was mooted back in the 1990s. Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd plus Benta Wawasan Sdn Bhd, therefore, both came under his direct control.A couple of years later, in 1999, when Osu Sukan (the man who blew RM200 million in casinos all over the world) took over as the Chief Minister, Musa Aman was appointed the Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office. Therefore, the Sabah Foundation still came under his jurisdiction.And Musa Aman was also Umno Sabah’s Treasurer, the man responsible for building up Umno’s war chest, by hook and by crook. Invariably, every Malaysian and his dog know, the only way Umno can raise colossal sums of money is by scamming the state’s coffer.Two years later, in 2001, when Chong Kah Kiat replaced Osu Sukam as the Chief Minister, Musa Aman was elevated to the position of Finance Minister and head of Umno Sabah. In short, this made him the de facto chief executive of Sabah with powers above that even of the Chief Minister himself.It was apparent that Musa Aman and not Chong Kah Kiat was the man running Sabah and that he and not the Chief Minister was making all the decisions as the following will show.On 13 November 2001, Chief Minister Chong Kah Kiat wrote a letter to Dr Mohd Fowzi Mohd Razi, the Group Chief Executive of Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd. In that letter, Kah Kiat referred to the meeting he had in his office with Musa Aman, the Finance Minister, as well as the Chairman of Innoprise Corporation, Tan Sri Khalil Datu Jamalul.
I refer to our recent meeting in my office on the 23rd October 2001 with the Finance Minister and the Chairman of ICSB wherein we discussed, inter alia, the appeal by the abovenamed company the actual base price to be used for the 10% upward review for logs purchased. The abovenamed’s letter to your goodself dated the 14th August 2001 is relevant.Pursuant to our aforemeeting and having considered the matter fully, I have come to the conclusion that the base price for logs should be RM50.00 per cubic metre and the new revised price payable by the abovenamed company should therefore be RM55.00 per cubic metre.You are accordingly instructed to take all necessary steps to rectify the agreement and arrange for the relevant Boards to endorse the revised price of RM55.00 per cubic metre.On 4 December 2001, Kah Kiat sent Dr Mohd Fowzi another letter. In this letter, Kah Kiat confirmed the meeting they had in his office ‘some time ago’ in the presence of Tan Sri Khalil and Musa Aman. The ‘arrangement’ to sell logs way below market price, said Kah Kiat in that letter, was sealed “long before any of us were here, except for Musa Aman.”Chief Minister Chong Kah Kiat confirmed in writing that Musa Aman was the man behind this whole logging arrangement and was also the man who had struck the deal to sell logs at RM50 per cubic meter instead of the prevailing market price of RM300. Kah Kiat had no say in the matter. The deal was done before his time and it was structured by Musa Aman. Further to that, Umno and not the Chief Minister runs the state. And Musa Aman is Umno while Kah Kiat is not. So Musa Aman decides, not Kah Kiat.And is this not the same in Penang as well, another state that does not have an Umno man as its head but Umno nevertheless decides what goes?Benta Wawasan Sdn BhdBenta Wawasan Sdn Bhd was incorporated on 13 February 1996 with a paid up capital of RM500,000 and an authorised capital of RM1 million.Its main activity lodged with the Registrar of Companies is: ‘forestation activities’. It was incorporated with the 250,000 hectares virgin rainforest in mind, an area four times the size of Singapore Island and worth RM11 billion.The Directors of Benta Wawasan are:Susanah Chiu Mei LingDatuk Khalil bin Datu JamalulMohd Daud TampokongSam Mannan @ Sham MannanBenta Wawasan’s assetsIn 1996, the year of incorporation, it posted assets of RM16,769.00.The following year, 1997, its assets shot up to RM16,011,400.00.In 1998, its assets ‘disappeared’. It posted current assets of RM542,801.00 and other assets of RM265,429.00.In 1999, the assets again reappeared when it posted current assets of RM51,952,944.00. It also showed a share premium and reserves of RM46,766,670.00The following year, 2000, its current assets ballooned to RM125,221,034.00 and, in 2001, this increased to RM175,509,626.00.The assets shot up again in 2002 to RM254,151,137.00 and it showed a share premium and reserves of RM210,025,797.00.In 2003, the last date that the accounts are available, the assets touched RM310,389,520.00 while its share premium and reserves hit RM247,076,155.00.Benta Wawasan’s Profit and LossBenta Wawasan has never declared any turnover in all these years since 1996. This means it never did any sales. Its income, therefore, can only be from commissions.In 1998, it showed a profit of RM24,544.00 against a backdrop of zero turnover.In 1999, the company posted a loss of RM11,659.00, again with zero turnover.In 2000, it turned in a profit of RM2,241,169.00.In 2001, its profit doubled to RM4,064,283.00.In 2002, the profit was almost the same at RM4,977,249.00.And in 2003, the last accounts available, the profit was RM7,112,472.00.One thing to note would be: there was no turnover all these years. Secondly, for a company that is logging an area worth RM11 billion, is this all it can show for itself?Pittance!Earlier, we pointed out that the logs are being sold for a mere RM50.00 per cubic meter though the market price is RM300.00. This has in fact been confirmed in writing. This would mean the state-owned company stands to make very little whereas the contractors, who have been given the rights to extract the logs, would get the lion’s share.Thus far, through all these years since 1996, Benta Wawasan has made in total about RM18 million in profits. Is this all it can show for itself, RM18 million when it owns a logging area worth RM11 billion?Where did all the money go to? Anyone would like to hazard a guess?And who are these various logging contractors who are taking all the meat, leaving the state the bones? Are these companies linked to the powers-that-be, or maybe to the Chief Minister himself?Who knows, in time we might just reveal who they are. But for the moment let this remain a mystery (yes, we do love a good striptease now and then).One thing we must not forget, according to an Asian Wall Street Journal report, which has never been denied but in fact confirmed by the Japanese government, ‘commissions’ or kickbacks are being paid to the powers-that-be for all log transactions. And this commission is being paid in Hong Kong, revealed the Japanese government, but the people receiving them cannot be revealed at the request of the recipients. And the hot talk in Sabah is that Musa Aman made a trip to Hong Kong earlier this year to collect RM40 million or RM50 million in commissions. And he went to Hong Kong secretly without the knowledge or permission of the Prime Minister, which is clearly in breach of his terms of service where no CEO of any state can leave the state or country without approval.Yes, Benta Wawasan Sdn Bhd is earning peanuts. This miserable amount of money can be made manufacturing pirated VCDs, even if they are not pornographic in nature. You would expect Benta Wawasan to show a more impressive profit track record with the RM11 billion forest concession it has at its disposal.But someone is certainly making the money, though it may not be the state that is making it.And can we hazard a guess as to who this ‘someone’ is?Well, you be the judge; and if possible, jury and executioner as well.Anyway, if Malaysia Today’s readers press us hard enough, we might just reveal those 30 or 40 logging companies that have their hands in the RM11 billion.Then again, we might not. We will see. Part 1: IntroductionPart 2: The total destruction of Sabah's rainforests: genocide of alarming proportionsPart 3: Tan Sri Wong: the prime destructor of Sabah’s tropical rainforestsPart 4: The RM11 billion silap mata (sleight of hand)
Musa Aman’s hidden hand
For almost ten years now, Benta Wawasan Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd, which is in turn owned by the Sabah Foundation (Yayasan Sabah), has been reaping, or should I instead say raping, Sabah’s rich forest resources. They did this under the pretext of servicing their pulp and paper mill project, which actually never took off. In fact, it appears like there was no intention to embark on the project in the first place. They just wanted the RM11 billion worth of logs.Okay, you may ask, and where does the current Chief Minister, Musa Aman, come into all this?Well, I am glad you asked. Musa Aman was the hidden hand in this whole thing.Musa Aman was the head of the Sabah Foundation at the time this project was mooted back in the 1990s. Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd plus Benta Wawasan Sdn Bhd, therefore, both came under his direct control.A couple of years later, in 1999, when Osu Sukan (the man who blew RM200 million in casinos all over the world) took over as the Chief Minister, Musa Aman was appointed the Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office. Therefore, the Sabah Foundation still came under his jurisdiction.And Musa Aman was also Umno Sabah’s Treasurer, the man responsible for building up Umno’s war chest, by hook and by crook. Invariably, every Malaysian and his dog know, the only way Umno can raise colossal sums of money is by scamming the state’s coffer.Two years later, in 2001, when Chong Kah Kiat replaced Osu Sukam as the Chief Minister, Musa Aman was elevated to the position of Finance Minister and head of Umno Sabah. In short, this made him the de facto chief executive of Sabah with powers above that even of the Chief Minister himself.It was apparent that Musa Aman and not Chong Kah Kiat was the man running Sabah and that he and not the Chief Minister was making all the decisions as the following will show.On 13 November 2001, Chief Minister Chong Kah Kiat wrote a letter to Dr Mohd Fowzi Mohd Razi, the Group Chief Executive of Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd. In that letter, Kah Kiat referred to the meeting he had in his office with Musa Aman, the Finance Minister, as well as the Chairman of Innoprise Corporation, Tan Sri Khalil Datu Jamalul.
I refer to our recent meeting in my office on the 23rd October 2001 with the Finance Minister and the Chairman of ICSB wherein we discussed, inter alia, the appeal by the abovenamed company the actual base price to be used for the 10% upward review for logs purchased. The abovenamed’s letter to your goodself dated the 14th August 2001 is relevant.Pursuant to our aforemeeting and having considered the matter fully, I have come to the conclusion that the base price for logs should be RM50.00 per cubic metre and the new revised price payable by the abovenamed company should therefore be RM55.00 per cubic metre.You are accordingly instructed to take all necessary steps to rectify the agreement and arrange for the relevant Boards to endorse the revised price of RM55.00 per cubic metre.On 4 December 2001, Kah Kiat sent Dr Mohd Fowzi another letter. In this letter, Kah Kiat confirmed the meeting they had in his office ‘some time ago’ in the presence of Tan Sri Khalil and Musa Aman. The ‘arrangement’ to sell logs way below market price, said Kah Kiat in that letter, was sealed “long before any of us were here, except for Musa Aman.”Chief Minister Chong Kah Kiat confirmed in writing that Musa Aman was the man behind this whole logging arrangement and was also the man who had struck the deal to sell logs at RM50 per cubic meter instead of the prevailing market price of RM300. Kah Kiat had no say in the matter. The deal was done before his time and it was structured by Musa Aman. Further to that, Umno and not the Chief Minister runs the state. And Musa Aman is Umno while Kah Kiat is not. So Musa Aman decides, not Kah Kiat.And is this not the same in Penang as well, another state that does not have an Umno man as its head but Umno nevertheless decides what goes?Benta Wawasan Sdn BhdBenta Wawasan Sdn Bhd was incorporated on 13 February 1996 with a paid up capital of RM500,000 and an authorised capital of RM1 million.Its main activity lodged with the Registrar of Companies is: ‘forestation activities’. It was incorporated with the 250,000 hectares virgin rainforest in mind, an area four times the size of Singapore Island and worth RM11 billion.The Directors of Benta Wawasan are:Susanah Chiu Mei LingDatuk Khalil bin Datu JamalulMohd Daud TampokongSam Mannan @ Sham MannanBenta Wawasan’s assetsIn 1996, the year of incorporation, it posted assets of RM16,769.00.The following year, 1997, its assets shot up to RM16,011,400.00.In 1998, its assets ‘disappeared’. It posted current assets of RM542,801.00 and other assets of RM265,429.00.In 1999, the assets again reappeared when it posted current assets of RM51,952,944.00. It also showed a share premium and reserves of RM46,766,670.00The following year, 2000, its current assets ballooned to RM125,221,034.00 and, in 2001, this increased to RM175,509,626.00.The assets shot up again in 2002 to RM254,151,137.00 and it showed a share premium and reserves of RM210,025,797.00.In 2003, the last date that the accounts are available, the assets touched RM310,389,520.00 while its share premium and reserves hit RM247,076,155.00.Benta Wawasan’s Profit and LossBenta Wawasan has never declared any turnover in all these years since 1996. This means it never did any sales. Its income, therefore, can only be from commissions.In 1998, it showed a profit of RM24,544.00 against a backdrop of zero turnover.In 1999, the company posted a loss of RM11,659.00, again with zero turnover.In 2000, it turned in a profit of RM2,241,169.00.In 2001, its profit doubled to RM4,064,283.00.In 2002, the profit was almost the same at RM4,977,249.00.And in 2003, the last accounts available, the profit was RM7,112,472.00.One thing to note would be: there was no turnover all these years. Secondly, for a company that is logging an area worth RM11 billion, is this all it can show for itself?Pittance!Earlier, we pointed out that the logs are being sold for a mere RM50.00 per cubic meter though the market price is RM300.00. This has in fact been confirmed in writing. This would mean the state-owned company stands to make very little whereas the contractors, who have been given the rights to extract the logs, would get the lion’s share.Thus far, through all these years since 1996, Benta Wawasan has made in total about RM18 million in profits. Is this all it can show for itself, RM18 million when it owns a logging area worth RM11 billion?Where did all the money go to? Anyone would like to hazard a guess?And who are these various logging contractors who are taking all the meat, leaving the state the bones? Are these companies linked to the powers-that-be, or maybe to the Chief Minister himself?Who knows, in time we might just reveal who they are. But for the moment let this remain a mystery (yes, we do love a good striptease now and then).One thing we must not forget, according to an Asian Wall Street Journal report, which has never been denied but in fact confirmed by the Japanese government, ‘commissions’ or kickbacks are being paid to the powers-that-be for all log transactions. And this commission is being paid in Hong Kong, revealed the Japanese government, but the people receiving them cannot be revealed at the request of the recipients. And the hot talk in Sabah is that Musa Aman made a trip to Hong Kong earlier this year to collect RM40 million or RM50 million in commissions. And he went to Hong Kong secretly without the knowledge or permission of the Prime Minister, which is clearly in breach of his terms of service where no CEO of any state can leave the state or country without approval.Yes, Benta Wawasan Sdn Bhd is earning peanuts. This miserable amount of money can be made manufacturing pirated VCDs, even if they are not pornographic in nature. You would expect Benta Wawasan to show a more impressive profit track record with the RM11 billion forest concession it has at its disposal.But someone is certainly making the money, though it may not be the state that is making it.And can we hazard a guess as to who this ‘someone’ is?Well, you be the judge; and if possible, jury and executioner as well.Anyway, if Malaysia Today’s readers press us hard enough, we might just reveal those 30 or 40 logging companies that have their hands in the RM11 billion.Then again, we might not. We will see. Part 1: IntroductionPart 2: The total destruction of Sabah's rainforests: genocide of alarming proportionsPart 3: Tan Sri Wong: the prime destructor of Sabah’s tropical rainforestsPart 4: The RM11 billion silap mata (sleight of hand)
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