Screenshots

Brendan Pereira singled out five fugitive Malaysians in his column yesterday -- Balbir Kaur, Teh Soon Seng, Datuk Patric (sic) Lim, Jennifer Tay, Michael Soosai -- saying that 'it must be fun living on the run'.

Conspicuously and glaringly, The NST Group Editor has missed out one prominent white-collar criminal, Ooi Kee Seng, the US$4 million man who was once caught and imprisoned in Belgium and Canada before he returned to create havoc in Malaysia.

How could Brendan miss it as a newsman when Ooi Kee Seng @ Ooi Kee Siang aka Wee Kee Seng, now listed as an international fugitive, is currently playing on Discovery Channel (Astro Channel 50)?

The On The Run series on Ooi Kee Seng, titled: The Elusive Mr.Wee, premiered in the US on July 17, and was on air in Astro at 22:00hr last night and 04:00 this morning.

The blurb reads:

After stealing millions, a man posing as a successful Asian businessman leads lawmen on a manhunt across 5 countries and 3 continents – and through every karaoke bar in between.

For those who missed the Discovery 'On The Run' episode on Ooi, it will be repeated at 09:00hr and 14:00hr today, 20:00hr on July 29 and 13:00hr on July 30.

Stealing from the poor

Why did Brendan miss out on Ooi? Did he have a selective mind over who should be exposed? Or was it frail memory that led him to ignore the alleged RM11 million CBT case involving Ooi and the former Rural Development Ministry at the time Umno stalwart Annuar Musa was the minister?

Everybody knew the RM11 million was meant to help the hardcore poor.

As a flashback, the November 12, 2005 edition of The Star frontpaged this story:

"...Sessions Court judge Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab convicted Dr Abdul Aziz, 61, of abetting former Ketengah (Terengganu Tengah Development Authority) general manager Datuk Alwi Said in committing CBT involving RM2mil in Ketengah funds together with millionaire Ooi Kee Siang at Kompleks Kewangan in Jalan Raja Chulan here between April 27 and July 31, 1999.

“Alwi would not have committed CBT with Ketengah’s funds had Dr Abdul Aziz and Ooi not repeatedly instigated him to do so over several board meetings of Tasik Puteri Integrated Farm (M) Sdn Bhd.

But where's the Big Fish after the sacrificial lamb has been slaughtered?

It's noted that at least two Malaysians have testified on Ooi's trails in the Discovery programme, see screenshots below:

Journalists are supposed to uphold their profession by starting a topic and see it through till the end. Since Brendan has chosen to distract us by looking at those people he claimed to be "having fun while on the run", he should pursue the Ooi Kee Seng case till it's done.

If in doubt, Brendan should consult Bukit Aman and Eddie Chua (pictures above) for referencing. Chua, by the way, was once an investigative reporter with the old Malay Mail who is now with The Star.

The Discovery programme concluded by saying Ooi was let off the hook when he was repatriated to Malaysia after serving a 2-year sentence in Canada.

Reason: No witnesses to assist in prosecuting him in Malaysia -- though Ooi has been named in the CBT case implicating Annuar Musa's former ministry.

The Discovery programme also says Ooi is currently believed to be on the run in either Australia or Thailand.