Whilst maintaining "that oil was extracted only in 2009 and hence Kelantan was only entitled to the RM20 million 'goodwill' payment," Awang Adek, Phd, Deputy Finance Minister of Malaysia, insisted that "he has evidence that in 2000, The New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia had quoted Razaleigh as questioning why the state was receiving oil royalty" !!! [Malaysiakini]
What can you say? Maybe give him a "Snake Oil and Gambir" Award" !
The Government had self-assuredly pronounced they would do a media blitz to explain the Kelantan oil royalty contoversy. It costs us money for them to advertise. What kind of gain was Awang Adek contemplating?
If only they would do some real work. This media blitz bizness will cost us plenty. It costs us RM20 million for Nazri Aziz to do a "silat" in Washington yesterday. About the only significant thing that came out was for him to tell everyone not to report what he had said or done in front of some 40 Americans in Washington. If that had been the reason, couldn't they have just handed Malaysia's official position to the US Ambassodor in KL or whichever interested US interests? Of course, this would assume, the Ambassador plays golf only whislt on the job in KL.
Years before, Mahathir had spent a mountain of ringgits to see President Bush, who, some people think is crap.
