Wayang Kulit goes on and on
Will the twist of the missing engines be over? Not likely. And at least not in the immediate future. There will be more twist, turn and spin before we know the truth. If we ever do.
“This is just like the Mongolian bombing murder case where rank and file was convicted even though they had no motive in doing so. Now we have another rank and file case where jet engine was carted away from under the top brass and minister’s nose and made a handsome profit from an old junk bought in 75.”
That comment in Malaysia Today, which added another twist to the controversy, caught my attention and spurred me to re-open an unpublished article I wrote last month.
“The engines were believed to have been sold to an international company in South America, according to Defence Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.”
“But the NST, citing intelligence sources, said that the engines were shipped to a Middle Eastern country that “was the subject of US sanctions”. The country was apparently keen on developing its own jet fighter.”
And the latest report is that the engines have found their way to Uruguay. RPK suggested they are in Iran.
Which one are we to believe?
Read again the NST report “the engines were shipped to a Middle Eastern country that ‘was the subject of US sanctions” The country was apparently keen on developing its own jet fighter. Should that be the motive, why the need for Iran to acquire obsolete engines when their very own aircraft industries have been producing jet fighters?
So RPK, I beg to differ for the simple reason that there is another country which had been the subject of US sanctions. Which country then?
We have been reading various articles surrounding the loss but very few have tried to piece together circumstances that lead to this mess. How did the officer managed to find a buyer or buyers? Let’s look at it from a different angle.
Remember the Iraqi pilot mentioned in my previous article?
Captain Munir Redfa, the Iraqi fighter pilot who defected to Israel did not do so at the spur of the moment or on his own initiative. His defection was the result of a bold Mosaad-initiated operation codenamed “The Blue Bird – Operation Diamond”. (Do not get confused with the infamous 1987 “Operation Lalang” that resulted in the defection of Lim Kit Siang to Kamunting).
The Iraqi pilot was a frustrated and disillusioned man. He did not see much future in the Iraqi Air Force and, because of his religion, was often bypassed for promotion. Upon learning this, the Israeli secret service, Mosaad (in Malaysia we call it SB or special branch) did not waste much time to execute their plan.
On the morning of August 16, 1966, the impossible happened. (Similar to the impossibility of the two jet engines being smuggled out of Malaysia). A Mig-21 jet fighter, the flagship of Soviet industry and the most advanced aircraft in use by the Arab countries at that period of time, landed, in perfect condition, at the Israel Air Force base in Hatzor.
Out of sheer frustrations, Captain Munir could not foresee the consequences of his actions. And out of ignorance, his superiors that denied him equal rights did not expect the drastic reactions. The price of neglect and vengeance was catastrophic.
And for all his effort, Captain Munir received not RM 50 or RM 100 million to be shared between Ali Baba and his forty thieves, but USD 1 million tax-free and free from trials in the kangaroo court.
Is this fiction or real?
My friends, that defection is ‘kacang putih’ compared to the exploits of Eli Cohen, the Israeli agent in Syria. He was so trusted that his apartment in Damascus became a meeting place for Syrian army officers seeking fun with the opposite gender. (These officers did not meet at the golf courses like their Malaysian counterparts). Such intimacy loosened many tongues. Before long, Cohen not only had easy access to secret information but also the highest ranking officer in the Syrian army.
What has it got to do with the disappearance of the jet engines?
Still don’t get it? That’s how the Air Force officers came into contact with the potential buyer.
The country or countries that desperately wanted to get hold of ‘sample’ jet engine for the purpose of developing their own interceptor aircraft must have taken a leaf from the Israelis. Somewhere, someone can somehow be persuaded to trade his loyalty at the correct price. And that someone happen to be somebody in the land of ‘everything is possible’.
The country that was apparently under US sanctions could be an arch enemy of the Jews. It could also have been at the receiving end since the creation of Israel. Realising that it cannot rely totally on Russia for support, and having no technical knowhow to develop its own machine, decided to try what the Israeli did in 1966. Otherwise there is no reason for that country to buy old junks at RM 50 million a piece when, after 30 years or so, the value is virtually zero. No country will want to part with such an amount if the engines are meant only for their museum.
Why didn’t the Malaysian government made it public earlier?
Having the most efficient secret service in the world, we can be rest assured that it did not take long for the Israelis to discover what we Malaysians are so busy discussing now. Since the Israelis have more to lose, and having no diplomatic relation with Malaysia, they have no alternative but to inform their foster parent, Uncle Sam which in turn ticked off the Malaysian government. If not, why out of nowhere, the government is championing transparency when all these years have been opaque? Why the talk of recovering the engines and waste public funds? Wouldn’t it be easier to flush the muddle down the toilet? After all, that’s our speciality.
No, not this time. The Malaysian government can no longer keep this mess secret because in the long term, it could threaten the security of another country. Like it or not, we have to fork out whatever amount needed to recover the engines or in worst case scenario, secretly purchase similar engines from another country and then tell the whole world that ‘Malaysia Boleh’ have recovered them.
And the shadow play or ‘wayang kulit’ goes on.
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January 6th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Very interesting. Like a movie thriller with many questions to answer. I am not suprised if the country that puchased the engine are already in the advanced stage of development. By the time Najib and co managed to get hold of the engine, only rusted screws are left.
Suddenly it dawned on me that the country share the same border with Israel. Is it Syria?
January 6th, 2010 at 10:54 am
For sure the engines could be recovered, by hook or by crook. What is irrecoverable is the honor of the country.
Will the minister resign? No it will never happen. Since Mahathir, the word ‘resign’ has been deleted from Malaysian dictionary. That joker had replaced it with ’sack’. Oppps sorry, it should read ’sex’.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:07 am
“Like it or not, we have to fork out whatever amount needed to recover the engines or in worst case scenario, secretly purchase similar engines from another country and then tell the whole world that ‘Malaysia Boleh’ have recovered them.”
This would be true since there is no particular independent auditing party to verify the serial number of the engines if procured (for another frigging millions on old junks) from selvage junk of other countries.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:33 am
RM 50 million x 2 = RM 100 million.
That’s peanuts. Starting this year, Najib has collected RM 550 million from credit card holders. He still has RM 450 million to flush down the drain.
That does not include the saving from non payment of civil servant’s bonus.
You reap what you sow men, i.e. you bloody hardcore idiots who always elect BN to plunder, rape and sodomise this country. What do you all get? Shits, bloody shits.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:46 am
I would rather put an advertisement in Ebay using this subject :
“Jet Engine For Sale”
Bidding Price Start at : USD 10
Bidding Duration : 30 days
Payment Method : Paypal, TT, Western Union, COD
Shipping : DHL, Poslaju (Malaysia), Fedex, Collect Yourself
Then one fine day, a Singaporean using unidentified username from Middle East bid the engine for USD 500,000.
Sold to the highest bidder !!!!
Add additional USD 30,000 to ship to one of the middle east country.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
I remember reading the Eli Cohen adventure.
He was a spy who infilterated the Syrian Army right up to the top brass. He was so trusted that the Syrian generals took him around to visit the Syrian defence outposts in Golan Heights.
The stupid Syrians wondered how the Israeli pilots knew the exact position of their posts. They did not realised until after the six day war that Eli Cohen had told their generals to plant certain type of trees to protect their outposts. In actual fact, the trees were the marker for the Israeli rocket and bombs.
I will not be suprised if Malaysian generals are clone from the Syrians. It can only be proven if Malaysia is at war. By then, it will be too late.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Dear utuhpaloi,
As usual, your article has the ingrdients of a movie thriller complete with trailors, drama and ending. Unique.
Keep writing.
January 6th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Just heard the news that two little Indians are charged in the kangaroo court.
Look like the same script of Altantuya. Two ikan bilis were charged for murder.
The two Indians should not be prosecuted. If I were Najib, I will employ them as minister and deputy minister of trade. The two engines are worthless. They are more of a liability than assets and yet the two little Indians can sell them for RM 100 million. Super salesman.
Ask them to market our Proton cars and I am sure they can sell them at a price equivalent to Mercedes or even Ferraris.
AG should catch those sleeping generals who spent more time in the golf courses than looking after the country. Prosecute them immediatley and send them to hard labour camps.
January 7th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Very interesting a sargaent making the Generals and Colonels a bunch of clown and the biggest clown is the Chief of Defense Force who tagline the price of a 30 year old engine at RM 50 millions. And those who believes this clown are all morons!!!
And the top bidder was Defense Minister and was belittle and and made to face the humiliation by his own Chief who wand to make him look stupid and like an idiot.
What a day to make the whole RMAF and Armed Forces credibility down in the drain. We need 1Malaysia to build the nation and just one clown to destroy everything!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Hi Eagle,
Agree with you. We need 1 Malaysia to build the nation and just one clown to destroy everything.
And that clown is a former defense minister and current PM.
January 8th, 2010 at 7:00 am
“we have to fork out whatever amount needed to recover the engines or in worst case scenario, secretly purchase similar engines from another country and then tell the whole world that ‘Malaysia Boleh’ have recovered them”
SECRETLY PURCHASE SIMILAR ENGINES FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY…that’s the reason why suddenly Zahid Hamidi reveal the cost per unit as RM303,570. So, when they finally managed to “RECOVER”, they will tell the whole nation that the unit price of that obsolete junks is only 5 ringgit.
Again, Malaysians are fooled.
January 8th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Sir,
Your analysis is correct…the country that has been at the receiving end since the creation of Israel and under sanctions is none other than Syria. Iran have their own fighter aircraft industry which have been producing advanced interceptors. They don’t need antiques to base their design.
May I then solve the equation. The engines were initially shipped to Argentina as a cover up. From there, they were taken to Syria. After a year or so when the Syrians have built their own machine based on the F5E design, and through their spy network connection, they shipped the engines to another country.
Israel is the ‘warring ‘ neighbour of Syria. When they discovered that the Syrians have acquired the technology, by then it’s too late.
Syria knew they cannot depend on Russia because it had been proven during the war in 1967 and then in 1973, the Russians support were half hearted. Syria also knew that Israel and America are weary of Iran. They cannot or dare not attack Iran because the Iranian Armed forces are self supporting and they are on the brink of producing nuclear weapons. I think the Iranians already have the weapons and keep it secret just like the Israelis.
It is very logical that it was Syrian money that induced the Malaysians to smuggle the jet engines. Terrorist organisations will not want to part with USD 30 - 40 million for engines that may not be in working condition. And why they need the engines without the body.
Wonder why nobody thought of that earlier.
My gut feeling says that the Malaysian government is also playing wayang kulit with other countries. They knew about the arrangements and that’s why only one miserable Indian from the RMAF is prosecuted. Would you believe that a man alone can smuggle the engines out of the depot.
This is all James Bond stuff which you and me are alien to.