Taib's wealth: And again, will MACC act?

YOURSAY 'Yet they are investigating Suaram for RM500,000 because its accounts are confusing. What an injustice, BN steals by the billions.'

Groundbreaking study details Taib's US$21bil empire

Telestai!: Even if only 10 percent of the Bruno Manser Fund's report is true, Sarawak CM Abdul Taib Mahmud has US$2 billion (RM6 billion) more than what he should have.

The scale of this expose is shocking and I wonder what the reaction of the ordinary Sarawakians will be if they ever come to know about this.

I now understand the resentment of East Malaysians have towards the federal government for being complicit to abuses by politicians in their states.

Headhunter: This is totally obscene. This makes Taib the richest man in Malaysia and all from robbing Sarawak. The frightening thing is BMF says it's only the tip of the iceberg.

Just how much does one man, who already has a foot in the grave, need? Greed has become an obsession with this man.

The cynical part is that most of the stolen wealth that he has will end up in the hands of foreigners, mostly his greedy in-laws and close associates.

Anti Umno: With this kind of money, Taib Mahmud should just go into retirement. However, he knows very well that his whole business empire will crumble as it depends very much on his position as Sarawak's big boss.

Odin: The problem here is that those in Sarawak (as well as in Peninsular Malaysia) who can do something about the matter are themselves complicit, while the majority of Sarawakians are ignorant of it due to poor communication and illiteracy, and the opposition's hands are tied behind its back by the repressive white-haired rajah's government.

Anticommunalist: I feel the commenters who keep harping that as though the Sarawakian natives deserve what they got for voting in Taib in every election is absolute crap. It is as though their own community did not vote to keep BN in power all these years.

The Malays and Chinese who are the two largest communities in this country are just as much to be blamed for backing year in and year out a corrupt BN government in every general election.

Please do not try to be holier than thou and shift the blame on the poor uneducated natives of Sarawak.

LittleGiant: Based on the BMF report, the Taib family has amassed this mammoth wealth at the sheer expense of Sarawak people's sweat and blood for more than three decades.

I pray hard that the people of Sarawak will decide come GE13 as to whether they still want their BN-friendly politicians to rule their state or kick them out once and for all.

And MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission), if it is really serious about saving the country from corruption and has the conscience to act without fear or favour, should take the BMF report and immediately initiate an extensive investigation.

Swipenter: You can't take your money with you when you die but an acquired bad reputation sticks with you even after you are long dead and gone. All the money in the world can't buy respect and a clean name.

Not Confused: I think we all knew that Taib and his family were fabulously wealthy, but the exact extent of his wealth is absolutely incredible.

If he thinks we are all hoodwinked into believing that it was all made from legitimate business deals then he is sadly deluded.

It's time that this parasitic family is relieved of its power, its patronage, its ill-gotten gains and that the bulk of its fortune is returned to the people of Sarawak.

All this, and former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad has the temerity to suggest that the Sarawakians must be more patient to benefit from improved infrastructure and services that the rest of Malaysia has some of. It all beggars belief.

Oscar Kilo: And we wonder why Sarawak is still so poor...

Pemerhati: BMF estimates that the Suharto family embezzled between US$15 and US$35 billion, and the Marcos family embezzled between US$20 and US$900 billion from their respective countries.

The Taib family has embezzled an estimated US$21 billion from just one impoverished state in the country. Now the billion dollar question is how much have the Mahathir, Abdullah Badawi and Najib families embezzled from the whole country?

Are Malaysians smart enough to overcome the falsehoods and brainwashing they have been subjected to by BN's monopolised media for half a century and bring in a new government whose leaders will not embezzle their money?

Anonymous #00130375: Sabah and Sarawak remind me of Indonesia and the Philippines (I spent quite a lot of time in both countries) where there are filthy rich people but their countries are very underdeveloped.

If politicians only care about their own wallets, then Malaysia is heading to be like our two neighbouring countries very soon.

Zen: If this report is true, then Malaysian politicians must 'very successful' businessmen in their own way - having very sharp business acumen to make tons of money, even beating seasoned entrepreneurs, and at the same time able to serve the people as well.

Justice Pao: CCM (Companies Commission of Malaysia) and the other five agencies are better than MACC as they can count up to six figures (500,000) even if Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is confused, while MACC can only comprehend simple numbers up to four figures (as in Teoh Beng Hock's case).

Taib's wealth is mathematically beyond the comprehension of all these agencies, which is why they do not take action.

Jedi_Who: And they are investigating Suaram for RM500,000 because its accounts are confusing. What an injustice, BN steals by the billions.

Absalom: A few things come to mind when reading this news article.

One, Swiss environmentalist Bruno Manser is probably smiling in his grave. Two, how do justify ending up with a multi-billion dollar fortune from a government salary? Three, any chance of somebody doing a similar report on our long-serving ex-prime minister?

I am sure we can all learn from the savvy investment strategies of the old man and his sons.

Sanglau: I'm happy that a Sarawakian is the richest man in Malaysia.