Members of the Royalty have feelings too...

The Gamuda Link?

When YAB Lim Guan Eng took to task Gamuda for not complying with the rules laid down by the Penang state government in carrying out their construction works on the railway double-tracking, my immediate reaction to my wife was, ‘I am worried about the possible confrontation and repercussions. In Malaysia, nothing is straightforward. Following that, Penang state government was paid compensation amounting to a few millions.

It is a known fact that YM Raja Eleena is a major shareholder of Gamuda. Is it possible that this could have been a reason for Pakatan not to be in Perak Sultan’s good books?

Already there were people suggesting that there was a link:

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Tarungkite site
by monazmuslim

"Rupa-rupanya ada sesuatu yang tersembunyi di sebalik tindakan Sultan Azlan Shah ini. Mungkin fakta ini merupakan satu faktor yang mempengaruhi tindakan Sultan sehingga sanggup bertindak secara tidak profesional.

Untuk pengetahuan pembaca, Syarikat GAMUDA (M) Sd. Bhd. yang diberikan projek oleh Kerajaan Pusat bagi membina Landasan Keretapi dari Padang Besar ke Ipoh merupakan syarikat milik anak perempuan Sultan Perak, Raja Dato' Seri Eleena Azlan Shah. Raja Eleena merupakan pemegang saham terbesar dalam GAMUDA melalui syarikatnya Generasi Setia (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Projek Landasan Keretapi yang bernilai RM 12 bilion ini telah tergendala di kawasan Pulau Pinang. Ini berpunca apabila GAMUDA tidak mahu mematuhi prosedur yang ditetapkan oleh Kerajaan Pulau Pinang yang diperintah oleh Pakatan Rakyat.

Jika dilihat dari fakta ini, ianya tidak mustahil boleh mempengaruhi tindakan Sultan Perak dalam menangani isu rampasan kuasa ini. Secara logiknya, Sultan Azlan Shah marah dengan tindakan Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat Penang kerana menjadi punca projek puteri kesayangannya tergendala. Secara kebetulan berlaku isu lompat parti di Perak dan digunakan sepenuhnya oleh Sultan Azlan Shah untuk balas dendam kepada Pakatan Rakyat.

Sekiranya ini benar, adalah malang bagi kita rakyat Malaysia. Sultan yang menjadi payung kepada rakyat telah bertukar sikap hanya disebabkan kepentingan peribadi dan keluarga."

Besides, according to blogsite Stocktube:

"Another interesting fact about Gamuda - the largest shareholder is also the second richest woman on the 2008 Forbes 40 Richest Malaysians at #35 spot. She is Raja Datuk Seri Eleena Raja Azlan Shah, the daughter of the Sultan of Perak, Raja Azlan Shah. She was worth RM773 Million ($228 Million) at #25 spot in 2007’s 40 Richest Malaysians but this figure dropped to RM510 Million ($150 Million) in 2008 at #35 spot. Based on today’s stock price of RM1.91 a share her fortune is only at RM287.46 million based on her remaining stake of 7.5% in Gamuda via Generasi Setia (M) Sdn Berhad. Naturally when his father refused to dissolve the state assembly for a fresh election various rumors and speculations began its circulation."

"Malaysian politics is perhaps the dirtiest but you can’t blame the public to have a perception that the federal government was twisting the arms of the Sultan (silly assumption, is it not?). However on the business perspective you do not need to wake Einstein up from his grave to tell you that Gamuda is basically at the mercy of the Federal government. With water taps closed by the federal government to three of the most developed states, Selangor, Perak and Penang, Gamuda is screaming for projects. Certainly the nation has the money. In fact the country is flushed with more money than before the Mar 2008 general election simply because the federal government does not know where to pump the money to since the most developed states such as Selangor, Perak (was) and Penang are controlled by opposition parties."

"Anyway let’s imagine (it’s Friday dude) a conspiracy theory and this Perak crisis is just the tip of an iceberg. Let’s assume Anwar has the number to take over the federal government but at the same time he’s also aware that to do so could backfire badly. He needs to start the ball-rolling and he announced about the defection, 916 and so forth. After Permatang Pauh and Kuala Terengganu, he knew Najib is desperate for trophies so the plot was to sacrifice Perak. He accepted the bait (was it?) offered by Najib with this fella Nasarudin. A good strategy to test water (effect of defections) and to flush out traitors within PKR, Perak has to fall to BN. Now Najib has gotten Perak State as the trophy to show off during the coming UMNO election and claimed it was Anwar who started the defection plan and he simply finished it. The next episode will see that Anwar will snatch the federal government with the readied defectors while screaming “Najib started the battle so I'm just finishing the war”. What a wet dream! "