Who pays the British Advisor to the Prime Minister?

Putrajaya has never paid Paul Stadlen, minister says
BY SHAZWAN MUSTAFA KAMAL

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — The federal government has never paid former APCO Malaysia boss Paul Stadlen, Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said.

In a written parliamentary reply to Sepang MP Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, the minister in the Prime Minister’s department did not confirm or deny Stadlen’s alleged role as a member of the Prime Minister’s department’s national communications team.

“Until now, the government has not made any payment of wages to Paul Stadlen,” Shahidan said.

Hanipa had asked the minister to state how much the government had paid the former APCO Malaysia boss, as well as a breakdown of the PM department’s list of official advisors and their fees.

In the reply, Shahidan said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has four advisors — Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Md Zin, Datuk Wira Mohd Johari Baharum, Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim and Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

“The government only pays wages and allowances in accordance to each person based on their given expertise,” Shahidan added but did not elaborate further.

Opposition leaders have demanded Putrajaya to disclose the details of Stadlen reported employment with the Prime Minister’s Office.

In February, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said he had submitted specific verbal questions to Najib, asking him to confirm an allegation made by the Sarawak Report website that Stadlen is allegedly being paid millions of ringgit for his communications policy. - MalayMailOnline

So the million dollar, or rather billion ringgit, question now is WHO paid the wages of the British Advisor for the Prime Minister? 

Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been doing a lot of things out from the ordinary, that includes the way he conducts vital Government business. 

1Malaysia Development Berhad - 1MDB - is a classic example of Najib's abnormal behaviour as head of our administration. 

The Deputy Prime Minister and the entire cabinet, except for the Finance Minister who is Najib himself, was kept in the dark of how a multi-billion ringgit Government business was being conducted. Nobody knew anything, or so they say, until 1MDB's bloated RM42 billion debt and scandalous dealing were made public by outsiders. What if the scandal was never exposed?

While the secrecy of 1MDB is no longer an issue as the scandal is now being scrutinised by many parties, including the Monetary Authority of Singapore, another of Najib's able minister has made another mind boggling declaration in Parliament.

Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim told the August House that -"Until now, the government has not made any payment of wages to Paul Stadlen" .

Does Shahidan's written reply mean that the Government owes Paul Stadlen million of ringgit in unpaid wages for his Public Affairs and Government Affairs Services, his role in the National Communications Team under the Prime Minister's Office and for other precious personal/professional services to the Prime Minister and/or the Government? 

Who paid for his services when his nose was everywhere during the MH370 and MH17 crisises. If not Putrajaya was it Washington, London or Almaty? 

I hope the Prime Minister's intelligent spokespersons don't insinuate that Paul Stadlen and his bunch of foreign assistants are paid by Najib's wealthy in-laws from Kazakhstan. Don't continue to behave as though we Malaysians are stupid. We can't allow outsiders to pay for the services some other foreigners provide for our Prime Minister.   

I wrote about this particular British Advisor for the Prime Minister in November 2014. The posting has since been hacked with pictures and documents removed but luckily the revealing text and links are still there. Some documents and pictures still appear in Din Turtle's blog HERE. 

So Mister Prime Minister, are your British Advisor's services fully sponsored by the British Government? Please tell us so we Malaysians, the once subjects of the great kingdom, could congratulate and thank the newly re-elected Prime Minister of Britain.

p/s Just received a rare business card of Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing who is now (according to the name card) is the Special Programme Coordinator of the Prime Minister. Don't ask me what kind of Special Programme as this is news to me too.

Don't worry, I won't ask who pays the creative Tan Sri's wages.

Scapegoats and Oxygen for the boss

Little birds tell me that the Prime Minister has washed his hands and distanced himself from the recent unwarranted mainstream i.e. TV3, Utusan and NST's attacks against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Daim Zainuddin. 

They say a recent meeting in Davos and London attended by powerful strategists and lowly operators had decided that they must find a scapegoat, or rather a few scapegoats for the leader's political survival. Not sure if Najib himself had attended the meeting of conspirators.

The blade, I heard, would fall on a few media bosses and at least one senior officer from Najib's office itself. The media bosses would be blamed for all the TV3/NST/Utusan attacks, including the lowly decision to use Anwar Ibrahim and other PKR politicians,  against Tun Dr Mahathir and Tun Daim. 

Guess who becomes more powerful and gets away scot-free despite being the low class mastermind and a direct messenger between Najib and the media bosses?

When the going gets dirty, we could safely expect more dirt to float.

On another note, it was learnt that both the Tuns had a brief meeting a few days ago and one of the Tun was told by the other that Najib had promised to get his boys to stop all media attacks and vouched that it was not his doing and that he was not in the know. 

Serious housekeeping and changes too were promised to the Tun, in exchange of some breathing space. 

I think the 'not his doing and not being in the know' is just another bloody lie but let's give him the benefit of the doubt and watch closely if extra Oxygen could do wonders.