USAid, Russia and the elements in Malaysia

USAid covertly influencing political processes, says Russia 

Russian foreign ministry explains decision to expel the US agency for international development 

Miriam Elder in Moscow

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 19 September 2012 12.58 BST

Vladimir Putin has accused the US state department of orchestrating the mass protests that have swept Moscow since he announced his intention to run for the presidency again. Photograph: Alexey Druzhinin/AFP/Getty Images

Russia has accused the US of using its aid agency in Moscow to covertly influence the country's politics and elections, explaining its decision to expel the mission amid a wider crackdown on the opposition movement. ... READ MORE

As A Voice argues in his latest posting SUARAM, and USAid expulsion from Russia, Moscow didn't just blow the USAid's cover, it seems to have opened up our minds to the elements working in our midst. The mainstream media seem to have picked up on the Suaram case in earnest these past few days, something they have ignored for months despite the exposes and deliberations on blogs.  If you think those exposes were a pre-occupation of some paid cybertroopers, think again. Some of us remember how YL Chong aka Desiderata, the veteran journo and consummate truth-seeker, blew the cover of Malaysiakini and established its links with Soros way back then. The now-defunct FEER did that, too.

In fact, it was this time last year when Desi reminded us about the foreign funding for Malaysiakini and how its boss had denied it at first! Desi was a news editor with Malaysiakini in 2000 and resigned (or was he forced to?) in protest over the funding "mystery".

I was then News Editor, and hence privy to information raised at Mkini's meetings, and I had learned that indeed Mkini had received an initial 10percent down payment of RM188,000 for a 10percent interest in Mkini. At a weekend meeting I told the top two guns--Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran-- they had better come clean by telling the "full story" and not half-truths. I saidf how the investment money came through from George Soros -- direct or indirect -- was not important. The truth was indeed that RM188,000 came as initial investment from MDLF, a Soros unit. 

I told them since Mkini flagged itself as promoting transparency and openness, it was not right to hide the fact. I said I had no problem with funding from Soros into the news portal -- as long as we practised ethical journalism. Since the top two guns did not agree with me -- in fact Steven Gan said it would be the death of Malaysiakini if they admitted to receiving this Soros funding! -- I was given Hobson's choice but told them I would hand in my resignation the following Monday (two days later) ... Read More  H E R E

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Back to Suaram, I rotfl when I read about the police report they lodged here saying,

 "The minister [Ismail Sabri] has misused his power, trying to influence the prosecution process, underestimating the country's legal process and disrupting the ongoing investigation by the CCM." 

Dear Theva the Suaram coordinator, Ismail Sabri is the Minister in charge lah, so he is just doing his job. The question is, are you at Suaram allowing yourselves to be used by foreign money and interests to underestimate and disrupt (to borrow your words) the peace and democratic political process of this country?