It's Not Opcom's First Time

In what is the latest of a series of salvo in the never-ending Mahathir vs Anwar drama, PMX Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim brought attention to a fiber optic contract worth RM214 million awarded to a company that included members of Mahathir's family on its board. Anwar asserted that Mahathir had utilised his positions as prime minister and finance minister to grant the contract to Opcom Cables Sdn Bhd in 2003.

Most importantly, this approval was given before Mahathir's resignation as prime minister in late October 2003. During the Umno general assembly, Mahathir had publicly announced his intention to resign more than a year prior, in June 2022.

Anwar's defense statement further explained that on September 15, 2003, Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) requesting approval to engage in direct negotiations with Opcom for the supply of fibre optic cables valued at RM214.2 million. Anwar emphasised that TM is a government-linked company where the Minister of Finance Incorporated holds the golden share.

This, however, isn’t Opcom’s most recent controversy as on August 29 2018, after Pakatan Harapan’s historic victory, the shares of Opcom, a Malaysian company specialising in manufacturing and selling fibre optic cables and related products, experienced a significant 41.11% increase in value within a single day. This raised suspicions, particularly considering that the government had recently approved an RM21.6 billion National Fiberization and Connectivity Plan in the same period.

Quid-pro-quos in the Mahathir clan are often said as an open secret, with the long-running rumor that the net worth of Marina, Mirzan, Mukhriz and Mokhzani easily surpasses the GDP of at least 120 countries.

To be more specific:

Mokhzani owns 255 companies, with estimated total assets worth USD21 billion;
Mirzan owns 156 companies, with estimated total assets worth USD17 billion;
Mukhriz owns 128 companies, with estimated total assets worth USD13 billion; and
Marina owns 52 companies, with estimated total assets worth USD 9 billion.

Now this will be openly denied by the Mahathir clan. Still, with the upcoming lawsuit and potential courtroom drama - there is a high chance that skeletons within the family’s closet may be open for public viewing.

Tun Mahathir can continue to attempt to take the “Malay” moral high ground to furnish his reputation in his waning years. Still, it was certainly a mistake for him to open himself to criticism like this.

Regardless of the outcome, we all can seek solace in the fact that if this case goes to court, it will send shockwaves throughout the public sphere and give Mahathir the reputation he deserves: the man who destroyed Malaysia.

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Marhaen Dan Rakyat

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