November 21, 2017

CURRENT / THE 13TH WORLD ISLAMIC ECONOMIC FORUM IN KUCHING, SARAWAK - DAY 1

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THE world-renowned co-counder of Apple Inc., Steve Wozniak spoke before an enraptured audience earlier today in Sarawak's capital, Kuching at the 13th World Islamic Economic Forum.


The wildly successful international event - which saw some of the biggest names gravitate to this otherwise laid-back boutique city from all over the world, Mr Wozniak's being one of the most anticipated - was chock-full of events and developments which will be produced below.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had also given his keynote speech, alongside the Chief Minister of Sarawak - who used this platform to promote his radical vision of digitising the economy of the State - Datuk Patinggi Abang AR Zohari Tun Abang Haji Openg. Other speakers include the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia-cum-Conference Chair, Tun Musa Hitam, Alan Laubsch (Switzerland), Andreas Hatzigeorgiou (Sweden), Andreas Schleicher (France), Anu Chadha (India), Armin Osmancevic (UAE), Brian W Tang (Hong Kong), Camelia Tan Sri Ya'acob (Malaysia), Camille R Escudero (Philippines), Daniel Sieberg (USA), Dato' Dr Norraesah Mohamad (Malaysia), Dato' Seri Tengku Dr Zainal Adlin Tengku Mahamood (Malaysia), Dato' Abdul Aziz Mat (Malaysia), Dato' Mohd Izani Ghani (Malaysia), Dato' Richard Alexander John Curtis (Malaysia-Sarawak), Datu Ik Pahon Anak Joyik (Malaysia-Sarawak), Datuk N Rajendran (Malaysia), Dr Alexander Böhmer (France), Dr Anirban Sukul (India), Dr Chen Shiun (Malaysia-Sarawak), Dr Soraya R Ismail (Malaysia), Dr Yeo Tiong Chia (Malaysia-Sarawak), Ebrahim Patel (South Africa), Essa Al Ghurair (UAE), Farzam Ehsani (South Africa), Glenn Rolfsen (Norway), H.E. Djaffar Ahmed Said Hassani (Comoros), H.E. Dr Mohamed Nouri Jouini (IDB), H.E. Dr Saad Eddine El Othmani (Morocco), H.E. Masoud Karbasian (Iran), H.E. Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi (Iran), H.E. Mohammed Shahriar Alam (Bangladesh), H.E. Professor Dr Ernesto M Pernia (Philippines), H.E. Rustam Nurgaliyevich (Tatarstan), Haji Sapuan bin Ahmad (Malaysia-Sarawak), Jeffrey Lo (USA), Jo Robrechts (Belgium), Johan Bygge (Hong Kong), Kamarul Bahrin Haron (Malaysia), Kunrat Wirasubrata (Malaysia), Lisa Oake (Singapore), Marc Prensky (USA), Martin Tan (Singapore), Mohamed Geraldez (USA), Mumtaz Khan (Bahrain), Masser Munjee (India), Professor Arif M Ansari (USA), Professor Dato' Dr Mohd Azmi Omar (Malaysia), Professor Volker Nienhaus (Germany), Raja Teh Maimunah Raja Abdul Aziz (Malaysia), Ramji Raghavan (India), Roshan Thiran (Malaysia), Salahuddin Kasem Khan (Bangladesh), Samba Bathily (Mali), Sevket Can Tulumen (Turkey), Sharbini Suhaili (Malaysia-Sarawak), Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar (Malaysia), Tan Sri Dato' Abdul Ghani Othman (Malaysia), Tan Sri Dato' Wan Mohd Zahid Mohd Noordin (Malaysia), Tanri Abeng (Indonesia), Teymoor Nabili (Singapore), Dato' Sri Mustapa Mohamed (Malaysia), Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah Ali Hasan (Malaysia-Sarawak), Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani (Malaysia-Sarawak), Tobias Puehse (Asia Pacific), and Todd Ashton (USA).

Below are some of the highlights of the day.


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1.
2. RELATED: MUSLIM COUNTRIES MUST RELENTLESSLY FIGHT TERRORISM: PM
3. RELATED: WIEF 2017 COINCIDES WITH SARAWAK'S GOAL TO DEVELOP ITS DIGITAL ECONOMY
4. RELATED: SARAWAK WOOS GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH DIGITAL ECONOMY
5. RELATED: US$2.5 BILION NILAI MOU DIMETERAI PADA WIEF
6. RELATED: WIEF: PM NAJIB MAHU GENERASI MUDA DILENGKAPI KEMAHIRAN ARAS TINGGI
7. RELATED: WIEF BEBAS ISU POLITIK, AGAMA
8. RELATED: DR MAHATHIR CAN'T GET RID OF ME, SAYS MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB
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WOZNIAK: GOVERNMENT SHOULD STAND BEHIND DIGITAL GROWTH
REPORTED BY BORNEO POST

Apple Inc., co-founder Mr Wozniak (right), and Tun Musa Hitam (middle), former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia at the World Islamic Economic Forum, being held in Kuching, Sarawak.
Photo: Borneo Post

KUCHING, November 21, 2017 –

The government should stand behind the digital growth of a country, says Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. 
“The government should be behind the digital growth. It is really the future for the whole world. The countries that do their best in it are going to go through this and have the best level of income. 
“A country should try to attract the best talent. The region should also educate the talent and make a lot of parts and tools available to young people almost for free… so they can develop on their own and find out what they like to do and build. Incubators is a good term to use,” he told a press conference prior to his session at the 13th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) today. 
Wozniak added that governments should start modifying some school programmes to include software, hardware, robotics, mixtures and so on into the curriculum of primary education. 
He emphasised that with primary and university level education, “Orient yourself towards the parts of technology that are going to be important in the future.” 
Wozniak also highlighted other key takeaways from disruption change which included thinking about it outside the box within a company. 
WIEF Foundation chairman Tun Musa Hitam was also present during the press conference.
('Wozniak: Government Should Stand Behind Digital Growth.' – Borneo Post, November 21, 2017)
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1. WOZNIAK: GOVERNMENT SHOULD STAND BEHIND DIGITAL GROWTH
2.
3. RELATED: WIEF 2017 COINCIDES WITH SARAWAK'S GOAL TO DEVELOP ITS DIGITAL ECONOMY
4. RELATED: SARAWAK WOOS GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH DIGITAL ECONOMY
5. RELATED: US$2.5 BILION NILAI MOU DIMETERAI PADA WIEF
6. RELATED: WIEF: PM NAJIB MAHU GENERASI MUDA DILENGKAPI KEMAHIRAN ARAS TINGGI
7. RELATED: WIEF BEBAS ISU POLITIK, AGAMA
8. RELATED: DR MAHATHIR CAN'T GET RID OF ME, SAYS MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB
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RELATED: MUSLIM COUNTRIES MUST RELENTLESSLY FIGHT TERRORISM: PM
REPORTED BY THE SUN DAILY

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg (right) and World Economic Forum (WIEF) Chairman Tun Musa Hitam (left) at the 13th WIEF in Kuching, Sarawak.
Photo: BBXpress
KUCHING, November 21, 2017 –

Malaysia has called for a relentless commitment from Muslim countries in dealing with terrorism and violent extremism as well as fighting Daesh. 
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak quoted the continued death and destruction in Iraq and Syria, Daesh attack on Marawi, the Philippines, and the humanitarian tragedy in Rakhine State, Myanmar. 
"The scale of suffering and strife that has taken place cannot be allowed to go unchecked.
"As Muslims, we are enjoined to fight injustice and evil, and this is a sacred duty that we are tasked with," he said at the 13th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) here today. 
Najib, who is also the patron of WIEF Foundation, said Muslim countries across the international community and the Islamic World, have a role to play in dealing with the challenges. 
He said Malaysia's efforts to help resolve the plight of the Rohingya had begun to yield positive results. 
The prime minister also shared that Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi at the recently concluded Asean Summit in Manila, had expressed her commitment to finding a solution to the crisis in Rakhine. 
Najib further revealed that nations at the summit made a commitment to curtail the threat of terrorism and violent extremism through information sharing and law enforcement cooperation. 
"These are measures Malaysia has long called for, and I am pleased that our efforts at fighting Daesh have been recognised around the world," he added. 
Meanwhile, the prime minister noted that much of the Muslim world lacked investment in the right kind of quality education, which posed a huge challenge for the Umma. 
He said a country must equip its young people with higher order thinking skills “so that they are open-minded, creative and innovative and ready to adapt to the jobs that aren't yet even in existence”. 
"Indeed, there is a vast amount of people who don't even have access to basic necessities like water, healthcare, even basic education. 
"(This) reminds us that we (the governments) must always put our peoples at the heart of our policies," he stressed. 
As for Malaysia, Najib said the country was ready for disruptive change given the peace and stability it enjoyed, and backed by the government's long-term planning, specifically efforts to be taken under the National Transformation 2050 where the government placed a special focus on innovation and creativity.
('Muslim Countries Must Relentlessly Fight Terrorism: PM' – The Sun Daily, November 21, 2017)
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1. WOZNIAK: GOVERNMENT SHOULD STAND BEHIND DIGITAL GROWTH
2. RELATED: MUSLIM COUNTRIES MUST RELENTLESSLY FIGHT TERRORISM: PM
3.
4. RELATED: SARAWAK WOOS GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH DIGITAL ECONOMY
5. RELATED: US$2.5 BILION NILAI MOU DIMETERAI PADA WIEF
6. RELATED: WIEF: PM NAJIB MAHU GENERASI MUDA DILENGKAPI KEMAHIRAN ARAS TINGGI
7. RELATED: WIEF BEBAS ISU POLITIK, AGAMA
8. RELATED: DR MAHATHIR CAN'T GET RID OF ME, SAYS MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB
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RELATED: WIEF 2017 COINCIDES WITH SARAWAK'S GOAL TO DEVELOP ITS DIGITAL ECONOMY
REPORTED BY BORNEO POST

Tun Musa Hitam speaking at WIEF2017.
Photo: Chimon Upon/Borneo Post

KUCHING, November 21, 2017 –

The 13th World Islamic Economic Forum 2017 (WIEF) falls in line with Sarawak’s goal to build and flourish its digital economy. 
Hosted for the first time in Sarawak, WIEF chairman Tun Musa Hitam pointed out that this edition of WIEF focuses on ‘Disruptive Change: Impact and Challenges’, which explores issues such as shifting trade policies and technological disruption. 
With Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s goal to boost the development of Sarawak digital economy, Tun Musa said this year’s theme coincides with the state’s ambition to adopt and boost digital economy. 
“When we first talked to the chief minister about this forum and his first words were ‘Sarawak is adopting digital economy’. 
“It’s very rare that the host’s government is very focused on a theme, and we immediately got on point with that. 
“We made this forum relevant to Sarawak’s ambition,” he told the media during a press conference following the opening of WIEF 2017 this morning. 
Tun Musa also commended Abang Jo’s ‘to the point’ personality. 
“Political leadership is important to get things moving. But political leadership with determination and dedication and full attention is what we want,” he added.
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1. WOZNIAK: GOVERNMENT SHOULD STAND BEHIND DIGITAL GROWTH
2. RELATED: MUSLIM COUNTRIES MUST RELENTLESSLY FIGHT TERRORISM: PM
3. RELATED: WIEF 2017 COINCIDES WITH SARAWAK'S GOAL TO DEVELOP ITS DIGITAL ECONOMY
4.
5. RELATED: US$2.5 BILION NILAI MOU DIMETERAI PADA WIEF
6. RELATED: WIEF: PM NAJIB MAHU GENERASI MUDA DILENGKAPI KEMAHIRAN ARAS TINGGI
7. RELATED: WIEF BEBAS ISU POLITIK, AGAMA
8. RELATED: DR MAHATHIR CAN'T GET RID OF ME, SAYS MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB
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RELATED: SARAWAK WOOS GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH DIGITAL ECONOMY
REPORTED BY THE SUN DAILY

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak gives a speech during the World Islamic Economy Forum (WIEF) 2017 at the Borneo Convention Center Kuching.
Photo: BBXpress

KUCHING, November 21, 2017 –

Digital economy will be a strong platform and the catalyst for Sarawak to reach out to the global business community as well as forge international collaboration, says Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg. 
He reiterated that the state government would do everything possible to transform Sarawak into a digital economy powerhouse. 
Thus, he hoped the World Islamic Economy Forum (WIEF) 2017 being held here from November 21 till November 23 could discuss ways and means, identify opportunities and solutions as well as forge collaborations to benefit all parties. 
Abang Johari said he was pleased that WIEF had chosen the theme 'Disruptive Change: Impact and Challenges' for this year's forum in Sarawak. 
"The theme is very timely and well aligned to our aspiration to transform our economy capitalising on digital technology," he said in his special address at the opening of the forum by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today. 
Abang Johari said as chief minister of Sarawak, he had personally driven the efforts to leapfrog the state's development through the digital economy. 
"I believe the Digital Economy will generate new jobs and opportunities for our entrepreneurs by creating greater efficiency in the way we do business. 
"The enhancement of our economy will accelerate growth, increase our wealth and turn Sarawak into a developed and high-income State by 2030," he said. 
Abang Johari said the disruptive change in the form of technological advancements had transformed human lives, creating new opportunities and altering conventional industries. 
He said Sarawak was not spared from the disruptive change and must equip itself with necessary skills and knowledge to face the impacts and challenges. 
"On the positive note, the opportunity brought about by this disruptive change has levelled the playing fields in the technology and economic sectors. 
"The advent of new disruptive technologies also breaks the dominance of existing products and businesses while providing room for new products to be successful," he said. 
Abang Johari strongly believed that Sarawak's economy needed to be further diversified as well as transformed to achieve the vision. 
He said Sarawak being strategically located between the eastern region and the western region of the world and being an integral part of a fast developing nation, had been able to position itself as one of the most attractive investment destinations in the Asean region. 
"While other parts of the world are facing geopolitical tensions and humanitarian crisis, our nation as well as Sarawak has been able to maintain peace and harmony," he said, adding that stability had been the linchpin over the years in developing the state. 
The chief minister also pointed to Sarawak's attributes – vast natural resources, agricultural land, fisheries, and mineral as well as "modern and reliable infrastructure and utilities with efficient and business-friendly government". 
"We also have young, productive, diligent and English speaking trainable workforce. Sarawak's labour force can provide educated, skilled, semi-skilled, and young workers to meet the needs of a high-technology business environment. 
"Sarawak has safe, clean and pleasant working and living conditions. Standards of living have improved significantly over the past two decades, and foreign investors and their families can be assured of a high-quality life," he added. 
With all modern facilities and amenities, he said visitors from abroad would find it easy to blend in with the local community and adapt to the culture. 
He said with the support and cooperation of the State and Federal government, domestic and international corporation sectors, Sarawak not only could realise its full development potential but also play an important role as key hubs for regional cooperation and economic integration in the region. 
In order to further accelerate economic growth in Sarawak, Abang Johari said the state government had also set up the Development Bank of Sarawak (DBOS), established the state's own petroleum company called Petroleum Sarawak (PETROS) and formed the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA).
('Sarawak Woos Global Business Community Through Digital Economy.' – The Sun Daily, November 21, 2017)
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1. WOZNIAK: GOVERNMENT SHOULD STAND BEHIND DIGITAL GROWTH
2. RELATED: MUSLIM COUNTRIES MUST RELENTLESSLY FIGHT TERRORISM: PM
3. RELATED: WIEF 2017 COINCIDES WITH SARAWAK'S GOAL TO DEVELOP ITS DIGITAL ECONOMY
4. RELATED: SARAWAK WOOS GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH DIGITAL ECONOMY
5.
6. RELATED: WIEF: PM NAJIB MAHU GENERASI MUDA DILENGKAPI KEMAHIRAN ARAS TINGGI
7. RELATED: WIEF BEBAS ISU POLITIK, AGAMA
8. RELATED: DR MAHATHIR CAN'T GET RID OF ME, SAYS MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB
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RELATED: US$2.5 BILION NILAI MOU DIMETERAI PADA WIEF
REPORTED BY BERNAMA



KUCHING, November 21, 2017 – 
Enam belas memorandum persefahaman (MoU), bernilai US$2.5 bilion, dimeterai hari ini sempena Forum Ekonomi Islam Sedunia (WIEF) ke-13, jumlah tertinggi dalam sejarah penganjuran forum terbabit. 
Sembilan MoU ditandatangani bersama organisasi antarabangsa dari Kanada, China, Amerika Syarikat dan Indonesia, meliputi kerjasama dan usaha sama dalam bidang teknologi, sektor makanan halal dan tenaga. 
Antara lain, MoU membabitkan Sacofa Sdn Bhd dan Indonesia-PT Super Sistem Ultima; Resonic Consultancy dan US-Fintech4Good Group LLC; Noble Fairway Sdn Bhd dan Canada Triwin Holdings Group Ltd; dan perjanjian tiga pihak antara Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia dan Hall Amanie Sdn Bhd. 
Majlis bertukar-tukar dokumen perjanjian disaksikan oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Ketua Menteri Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Dr Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg dan Pengerusi Yayasan WIEF Tun Musa Hitam. 
Sejak lima tahun lepas, WlEF memudahkan perjanjian perdagangan daripada pelbagai sektor industri, dengan negara Islam dan bukan Islam bernilai US$13 bilion.

('US$2.5 Bilion Nilai MoU Dimeterai Pada WIEF.' – BERNAMA, November 21, 2017)
– - –
1. WOZNIAK: GOVERNMENT SHOULD STAND BEHIND DIGITAL GROWTH
2. RELATED: MUSLIM COUNTRIES MUST RELENTLESSLY FIGHT TERRORISM: PM
3. RELATED: WIEF 2017 COINCIDES WITH SARAWAK'S GOAL TO DEVELOP ITS DIGITAL ECONOMY
4. RELATED: SARAWAK WOOS GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH DIGITAL ECONOMY
5. RELATED: US$2.5 BILION NILAI MOU DIMETERAI PADA WIEF
6.
7. RELATED: WIEF BEBAS ISU POLITIK, AGAMA
8. RELATED: DR MAHATHIR CAN'T GET RID OF ME, SAYS MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB
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RELATED: WIEF: PM NAJIB MAHU GENERASI MUDA DILENGKAPI KEMAHIRAN ARAS TINGGI
REPORTED BY ASTRO AWANI

Najib berkata golongsn muda perlu dilengkapkan dengan kemahiran berfikir aras tinggi agar mereka bersikap terbuka.
Gambar: BERNAMA

KUCHING, November 21, 2017 –

Sistem pendidikan sedia ada perlu dirombak untuk memastikan generasi muda mampu mendepani cabaran di alam pekerjaan bukan sahaja pada masa kini tetapi juga masa depan. 
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, golongan muda perlu dilengkapkan dengan kemahiran berfikir aras tinggi agar mereka bersikap terbuka dan bersedia untuk melibatkan diri dalam pekerjaan yang belum lagi wujud pada masa kini. 
"Namun, yang menyedihkan kita, sebahagian besar negara-negara Islam tidak memiliki pelaburan yang mencukupi dalam pendidikan yang berkualiti.
"Malah, ada yang masih tidak mempunyai akses kepada keperluan asas seperti air, kemudahan kesihatan dan pendidikan asas," katanya dalam ucaptamanya di Forum Ekonomi Islam Dunia (WIEF) yang ke-13. 
Bertemakan 'Disruptive Changes: Impact and Challenges' (Perubahan Disruptif: Impak dan Cabaran), WIEF kali ini diadakan selama dua hari di Pusat Konvensyen Borneo Kuching (BCCK). 
Selain itu, Datuk Seri Najib turut mencadangkan supaya tiga negara yang berkongsi Kepulauan Borneo iaitu Indonesia, Brunei dan Malaysia untuk bekerjasama bagi memacu Ekonomi Hijau atau Green Economy. 
"Malaysia bersedia untuk mengatur perbincangan bagi cadangan ini supaya kita dapat mengukuhkan kerjasama dalam perkara tersebut," kata beliau. 
Turut hadir dalam Majlis Perasmian WIEF ialah Ketua Menteri Sarawak Datuk Abang Johari Tun Openg, Pengerusi Yayasan WIEF Tun Musa Hitam serta pemimpin dari negara-negara yang menghantar delegasi bagi menghadiri WIEF.
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1. WOZNIAK: GOVERNMENT SHOULD STAND BEHIND DIGITAL GROWTH
2. RELATED: MUSLIM COUNTRIES MUST RELENTLESSLY FIGHT TERRORISM: PM
3. RELATED: WIEF 2017 COINCIDES WITH SARAWAK'S GOAL TO DEVELOP ITS DIGITAL ECONOMY
4. RELATED: SARAWAK WOOS GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH DIGITAL ECONOMY
5. RELATED: US$2.5 BILION NILAI MOU DIMETERAI PADA WIEF
6. RELATED: WIEF: PM NAJIB MAHU GENERASI MUDA DILENGKAPI KEMAHIRAN ARAS TINGGI

7.
8. RELATED: DR MAHATHIR CAN'T GET RID OF ME, SAYS MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB
– - –

RELATED: WIEF BEBAS ISU POLITIK, AGAMA
REPORTED BY BERITA HARIAN

Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan (kelima dari kanan) bergambar dengan Pengerusi Forum Ekonomi Islam Dunia (WIEF) Tun Musa Hitam (keempat dari kanan) sempena Majlis Makan Malam Menyambut Ketibaan Delegasi WIEF13 di Kuching malam ini.
Gambar: BERNAMA
KUCHING, November 21, 2017 –

Forum Ekonomi Islam Dunia (WIEF) ke-13 yang berlangsung di bandar raya ini meneruskan tradisi penganjurannya untuk tidak menyentuh isu berkaitan politik dan agama. 
Pengerusi Yayasan WIEF, Tun Musa Hitam, berkata persidangan lebih menumpukan kepada perbincangan perdagangan dan perniagaan, selaras matlamat penubuhan yayasan terbabit. 
"Kita akan meneroka lebih banyak peluang perniagaan dengan memberi tumpuan kepada perkembangan ekonomi digital. 
"Ia selaras dengan dasar kerajaan Sarawak yang memberi tumpuan kepada ekonomi digital untuk membangunkan negeri," katanya. 
Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap pada Majlis Makan Malam Menyambut Ketibaan Delegasi WIEF -13, di sini, malam ini. 
Turut hadir Timbalan Ketua Menteri, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan yang mewakili Ketua Menteri, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Abang Openg; Menteri Kewangan II negeri, Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh dan Setiausaha Agung Yayasan WIEF, Tan Sri Mohd Fuzi Abdul Razak. 
Seramai 2,476 delegasi dari 75 negara mengesahkan penyertaan pada WIEF-13 yang berlangsung selama tiga hari hingga Khamis ini. 
Kuching adalah lokasi kedua penganjuran WIEF-13 di luar Kuala Lumpur selepas Johor Bahru. 
Musa berkata, pihaknya bersetuju menganjurkan WIEF di Kuching selepas jemputan daripada Abang Johari, ketika menghadiri WIEF di Jakarta, Indonesia tahun lalu. 
Sementara itu, Abang Johari dalam teks ucapannya yang dibacakan oleh Awang Tengah yang juga Pengerusi Bersama WIEF-13 berkata, Sarawak menghargai kesudian Yayasan WIEF untuk memilih Kuching sebagai lokasi penganjuran persidangan kali ini. 
"Sarawak bertuah menerima peserta serta penceramah antarabangsa untuk berkongsi idea dan pengalaman pada forum ini. 
"Sarawak sedang menghadapi transformasi sosio ekonominya daripada negeri pertanian untuk berubah kepada pembangunan ekonomi baharu termasuk minyak dan gas, pertanian komersial, teknologi tinggi dan sektor perkhidmatan," katanya.
('WIEF Bebas Isu Politik, Agama.' – Berita Harian, November 21, 2017)
– - –
1. WOZNIAK: GOVERNMENT SHOULD STAND BEHIND DIGITAL GROWTH
2. RELATED: MUSLIM COUNTRIES MUST RELENTLESSLY FIGHT TERRORISM: PM
3. RELATED: WIEF 2017 COINCIDES WITH SARAWAK'S GOAL TO DEVELOP ITS DIGITAL ECONOMY
4. RELATED: SARAWAK WOOS GLOBAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH DIGITAL ECONOMY
5. RELATED: US$2.5 BILION NILAI MOU DIMETERAI PADA WIEF
6. RELATED: WIEF: PM NAJIB MAHU GENERASI MUDA DILENGKAPI KEMAHIRAN ARAS TINGGI
7. RELATED: WIEF BEBAS ISU POLITIK, AGAMA
8.
– - –

RELATED: DR MAHATHIR CAN'T GET RID OF ME, SAYS MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB
REPORTED BY TODAY ONLINE

Prime Minister Najib Razak has dismissed his political nemesis, Dr Mahathir Mohamad's chance of ousting him from power in the next general election.
Photo: The Malaysian Insight
PUTRAJAYA (THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT),  November 21, 2017—  
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has dismissed his political nemesis, Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s chance of ousting him from power in the next general election. 
The prime minister, while acknowledging the presence of another former prime minister, Mr Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in his salutation at the opening of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Kuching, said Dr Mahathir will fail in his bid. 
After describing Mr Abdullah, the founder of the forum, as a “very supportive immediate predecessor”, he said “my other predecessor is forcing a disruptive change” in reference to the theme of the forum, “Disruptive change: Impact and challenges”. 
“He won’t succeed,” said Mr Najib. 
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir has teamed up with his former arch political foes in PKR and DAP to form an opposition bloc, Pakatan Harapan, in an attempt to oust Najib and his ruling Barisan Nasional. 
Dr Mahathir, chairman of Bersatu, has teamed up with his former deputy and PKR de facto leader Mr Anwar Ibrahim, whom he jailed on a sodomy charge, and DAP’s Lim Kit Siang. 
They accuse Mr Najib of embezzling billions of ringgit of public funds from 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
('Dr Mahathir Can't Get Rid of Me, Says Malaysian PM Najib.' – Today Online, November 21, 2017)


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The NINE QUESTIONS Blog will return with more facts.
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November 14, 2017

BREAKING / CORRUPTION WATCHERS: WHAT IS CLARE REWCASTLE BROWN HIDING IN A SPANISH COMPANY REGISTERED IN HER BROTHER'S NAME?

IN another explosive development that is totally embarrassing to Clare Rewcastle Brown and associates, the diligent and vigilant Corruption Watchers (CW) exposes Clare yet again with another revelation about her allegedly corrupt and secret corporate involvement, this time in Spain.

 This lady sure gets around...

According to CW, the company is registered under her brother, Patrick Rewcastle - by the name of Hutchings Investment, SL - and it is evident that if true, it very likely means that she has been keeping her involvement in this company very secret in order to hide the traces of her own corruption. 

This explains how adept she has been at attributing corrupt practices to her targets, with yarns spun from cumulated personal experiences, creatively projected upon the victims.

The doer says others are doing what she herself is doing, it seems.


👇🏽
– - –
EXCLUSIVE: WHAT IS CLARE REWCASTLE BROWN HIDING IN A SPANISH COMPANY REGISTERED IN HER BROTHER'S NAME?
After revealing that the investigative journalist, who is against deforestation, is funded by a Swiss Wood industry tycoon, Corruption Watchers is now exposing financial holdings that Mrs. Brown DOES NOT want anyone to know about. – CW

REPORTED BY CORRUPTION WATCHERS

Following Corruption Watchers' latest exclusive revelation regarding financial links between Sarawak Report and the Swiss tycoon Martin Pestalozzi, we have been approached by additional sources with further claims of conflict of interest and corruption allegedly made, by Mrs. Brown. The claims which have yet been fully verified, will not be published. 
Corruption Watchers had recently received information regarding a registered Spanish company that goes by the name of "Hutchings Investments SL", the company is legally registered through public deed at the "Registro Mercantil de Alicante" with an initial capital of €750,000. Hutchings Investments brokers' real estate deals of all kinds (promotion, sale and leasing of rural and urban assets).  
 
Further enquiries made by our source have revealed that Patrick Rewcastle is the owner of the company with 100% of the company shares. A simple background check revealed that Patrick Rewcastle is Mrs. Brown's brother who resides in the vicinity of Benissa. According to Corruption Watchers' source Clare Rewcasle Brown has been visiting Benissa on numerous occasions within the course of the last few months. 
One very suspicious aspect regarding this establishment, was that we could not find any reports that would suggest Hutchings Investments to be a real operational entity - Hutching Investment SL made no financial movements whatsoever or has any available tax reports. However, the company owns a large villa and plot of land located in the rustic side of Benissa, Spain.
Hutchings Investments, SL. Private Limited Company 
Established: 21.11.2014 
Status: Active 
NIF: B54826748
Address: Partida Pedramala 67C 03720 Benissa, Alicante, Spain.

This method is known to be a way of hiding properties through a "strawperson" in order to protect the privacy of 'real' owners, In this case, Mrs. Brown, and her €750,000 she wants to keep under the radar. 


The information we gathered on Hutchings Investments SL also unveiled its business Directors:
Clare Rewcastle Brown is listed under her maiden name, Clare Louise Brown as the director/administrator of Hutchings Investments SL. Patrick Rewcastle on the other hand, is the "socio unico" or Sole proprietor of the company. There are no other individuals connected to the establishment's portfolio other than the two Rewcastle siblings. 

In the past when asked about her source of income (you cannot really make a living by being an independent blogger), Brown made sure to declare that her work is being funded by and relies on "a steady stream of small donations", she claims her trips abroad were funded by NGO grants and failed to mention any side businesses. 
This begs the questions: what does Mrs. Brown has to do with what seems to be a Spanish shell company? What is she hiding in a Spanish Straw company listed over her brother's name? 
Corruption Watchers last articles, revealed Brown had promoted political and commercial agendas in favor of the highest bidder (be it a Swiss billionaire or a wealthy NGO). 
The timing of the companies establishment (November 2014) perfectly matches Mrs. Browns first attempts to create political influence. When we tried to speak to Mrs. Brown in order to get her response on our article – she did not respond. When trying to reach her brother Mr. Patrick Rewcastle in order to get his response, he asked us to speak directly to Mrs. Brown only, for "I have nothing to do with that, and not supposed to be involved in it, you will have to deal with her directly". 
On our previous article covering Mrs. Browns' questionable work ethics, Corruption Watchers has exposed the never-seen-before evidence showing the undisputable connection between the anonymous Swiss billionaire, Martin O. Pestalozzi and Sarawak Report's Editor-in-Chief. 
By continuous unleashing on the deforestation phenomenon taking place in Malaysia, Clare Rewcastle Brown was actually assisting Pestalozzi's business agendas. The publications made by her where she criticizes the Malaysian government over alleged corruption in the wood trade field helped Pestalozzi eliminating competition, leaving NovelTeak (a wood company owned by Pestalozzi) at the top of the teak exporting industry. 
We have also exposed the method Pestalozzi used BVI and Jersey located offshores when he paid Brown with almost half a million euros for her "devoted" services.

We are still examining other recent evidence regarding Mrs. Brown. According to the materials presented to Corruption Watchers editorial board by various worried individuals, some of Sarawak Report's donations money is allegedly being used by Mrs. Brown and her family for their personal welfare (we avoid publishing those assertions before they are fully verified). 
Sadly, Mrs. Brown chose not to reply to Corruption Watchers' investigative article. In case Mrs. Brown will decide to respond we would be more than happy to publish her comments to the evidence mentioned above.
('EXCLUSIVE: What is Clare Rewcastle Brown hiding in a Spanish Company Registered in Her Brother's Name?' – Corruption Watchers, November 15, 2017)


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The NINE QUESTIONS Blog will return with more facts.
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November 07, 2017

BREAKING / PRINCE CHARLES, THE PARADISE PAPERS AND PRO-RAINFOREST FOR PROFIT

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WITH utterly grave disappointment, we learn that the widely-admired heir to the British throne may not be as earnestly concerned for the preservation of the environment as much as he is probably concerned with the preservation of his secret, offshore investments.

This latest discovery - the so-called Paradise Papers - made by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists - a grouping that Clare Rewcastle Brown and Sarawak Report are conspicuously not invited to - reveals how the Prince stands to gain with every "pro-rainforest" speech that he gives in public, due to his financial interest in a carbon-swapping company.

In fact, according to the news reports that broke yesterday, the Prince seemed to have only started campaigning specifically on a "pro-rainforest" platform, after he had diverted investment in the said company.

It is also known that the Prince personally oversees the investment made by the Duchy of Cornwall, which plays the role of his Dukedom's incorporated body.

It is also worth noting that somehow, Clare Rewcastle Brown's brother-in-law is implicated in this story, and we also wonder how far into this is Clare herself involved? 

What we do know is that she issued a protest over the recent Royal Visit, but the whole pile of horse-patootie that she wrote at length, seem to cover every other possible and speculative allegation, yet this particular credible one isn't mentioned.

We surmise that this is either due to her being complicit, and hence diversionary, or she simply has no clue, and truly is resorting to spinning old wives' tales just to keep that lying ragheap Sarawak Report relevant.

We share this latest development while we number the days of Clare Rewcastle Brown and her unscrupulous associates.

As for the Prince's credibility, we are certain to take each and every references to the rainforest that His Highness makes with a pinch of financial and former-colonial salt, and will take HH's words 'under advisement', as long as it is clearly beneficial to the rainforest - with no financial strings attached.

Having said that, we express our disappointment that the Prince came and went from Sarawak giving us the impression that his concern for our development is out of HH's on sincerity and inculcated values, bereft of financial considerations - as befitting an heir to a once-great Sovereign throne.

We also note that although the Prince has paid taxes on his secret earnings, the fact remains that his modus operandi in concealing the prospect of his personal financial gain over his charitable and social works - while acting completely independent - is alarming and unethical to say the least.

We hope Sarawakians remain ever-vigilant of these self-interested actors out to line their own pockets, while pretending to care about us and our environment.


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1.
2. RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES LOBBIED ON CLIMATE CHANGE 'WITHOUT DISCLOSING INVESTMENTS'
3. RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS | PRINCE CHARLES'S PRIVATE ESTATE TRIPLE OFFSHORE INVESTMENT IN JUST OVER A YEAR
4. RELATED: PRINCE CHARLES 'LOBBIED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE WITHOUT DISCLOSING OFFSHORE FINANCIAL INTEREST'
5. RELATED: CHARLES AND CAMILLA LEAVE LASTING IMPRESSION DURING MAIDEN SARAWAK VISIT
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PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES LOBBIED ON CLIMATE POLICY AFTER SHARES PURCHASE
REPORTED BY BBC
Prince Charles campaigned to alter climate-change agreements without disclosing his private estate had an offshore financial interest in what he was promoting, BBC Panorama has found. 
The Paradise Papers show the Duchy of Cornwall in 2007 secretly bought shares worth $113,500 in a Bermuda company that would benefit from a rule change. 
The prince was a friend of a director of Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd. 
The Duchy of Cornwall says he has no direct involvement in its investments. 
A Clarence House spokesman said the Prince of Wales had "certainly never chosen to speak out on a topic simply because of a company that it [the Duchy of Cornwall] may have invested in". 
He added: "In the case of climate change his views are well-known, indeed he has been warning of the threat of global warming to our environment for over 30 years. 
"Carbon markets are just one example that the prince has championed since the 1990s and which he continues to promote today." 
'Conflict of interest' 
He added Prince Charles was "free to offer thoughts and suggestions on a wide range of topics" and "cares deeply" about the issue of climate change but "it is for others to decide whether to take the advice". 
Sir Alistair Graham, former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said Prince Charles's actions amounted to a serious conflict of interest. 
He said: "There's a conflict of interest between his own investments of the Duchy of Cornwall and what he's trying to achieve publicly. 
"And I think it's unfortunate that somebody of his importance, of his influence, becomes involved in such a serious conflict." 
The leaked documents held by law firm Appleby show the Duchy of Cornwall also made offshore investments totalling $3.9m in four funds in the Cayman Islands in 2007. This is legal and there is no suggestion of tax avoidance. 
A Duchy of Cornwall spokesman said Prince Charles voluntarily pays income tax on any revenue from his estate. 
He added the estate's investments "do not derive any tax advantage whatsoever based on their location or any other aspect of their structure and there is no loss of revenue to HMRC as a result". 
Kept confidential 
The prince began campaigning for changes to two important environmental agreements weeks after Sustainable Forestry Management (SFM) sent his office lobbying documents. 
Prince Charles's estate almost tripled its money in just over a year although it is not clear what caused the rise in the share value. Despite his high profile campaign, the environmental agreements were not changed. 
The documents reveal the Duchy of Cornwall, an £896m private estate that provides Prince Charles with an income and which he is said to be "actively involved" in running, bought the shares in February 2007. At the time $113,500 was worth about £58,000. 
One of SFM's directors was the late Hugh van Cutsem, a millionaire banker and conservationist who has been described as the one of the Prince's closest friends. 
The minutes of a company board meeting that approved the Duchy's shareholding say: "The Chairman thanked Mr van Cutsem for his introduction of the Duchy of Cornwall and the Board unanimously agreed that the subscription by the Duchy of Cornwall be kept confidential except in respect of any disclosure required by law." 
Source document 
Change in policy 
SFM traded in carbon credits, a market created by international treaties to tackle global warming. 
It wanted to trade in credits from "tropical and subtropical forests" but was hampered by two important climate change agreements, the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and the Kyoto Protocol, which largely excluded carbon credits from rainforests. 
When the Duchy bought its shares, SFM was lobbying for a "change in policy" on carbon credits, the documents show. 
It had hired the US former lead negotiator on the Kyoto Protocol, Stuart Eizenstat "to lobby for inclusion of forest carbon credits" in new US and EU laws and regulations. 
Board minutes from February 2007 show SFM was also taking "steps to influence events to support forest credits" ahead of Kyoto Protocol meetings at the end of the year. 

On 6 June 2007, four months after the Duchy bought its shares, Mr van Cutsem asked SFM's chairman to send lobbying documents to the office of the prince. 
Under the heading "public policy and advocacy", minutes of a board meeting held in Paris say "the chairman referred the committee to the bundle of materials which had been prepared by the company for various policymakers... Mr van Cutsem... asked that a set of documents be prepared for the Prince of Wales office. The chairman undertook to do so". 
Rainforests project
Four weeks later, on 2 July, Prince Charles, made a speech that criticised the EU ETS and Kyoto Protocol for excluding carbon credits from rainforests, and called for change. 
Speaking at the Business in the Community Awards Dinner, the prince said: "As the Kyoto protocol now stands tropical rainforest nations have no way of earning credits from their standing forests other than by cutting them down and planting new ones," he said. 
"The European Carbon Trading Scheme excludes carbon credits for forests from developing nations. This has got be wrong and we must urge the international community to work together to redress these failings urgently." 
The campaigning was taking place ahead of meetings about the Kyoto Protocol.
Photo: Getty 
In October 2007, he launched the Prince's Rainforests Project, which aimed to "increase global recognition of the contribution of tropical deforestation to climate change and to find ways to make the rainforests worth more alive than dead." 
In a speech to mark the launch, he said: "The Kyoto Protocol does not have a mechanism to protect standing rainforests. 
"Credits are available for afforestation and reforestation projects, but not for maintaining an old growth forest. And the European Trading Scheme excludes carbon credits for forestry in developing nations altogether… surely we have to accept that the pressing urgency of climate change requires a response that embraces rather than excludes primary tropical forests?" 
Panorama has been unable to find evidence of any speeches the prince made before 2008 about changing Kyoto and EU ETS to include carbon credits for rainforests. The programme asked the prince's office for any such speeches but they did not respond. 
'Helping hand' 
Over the next six months, the future king made further speeches and videos about rainforests. 
In a video released in January 2008, the prince said: "The immediate priority, I believe, is the need to develop a new credit market which will give a true value to carbon and the ecosystem services the rainforests provide the rest of the world."  
In February 2008, he reportedly discussed rainforests at a private meeting with the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. 
Days later, he met with the then President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and the EU's environment, energy, trade and agriculture commissioners. 

In a speech to 150 MEPs, he said: "I have great hopes that the next version of the European Emissions Trading scheme might extend the helping and very visible hand of a market approach to assist in keeping the rainforests standing… the lives of billions of people depend on your response and none of us will be forgiven by our children and grandchildren if we falter and fail." 
On 18 June 2008, as the global financial crash was beginning, the Duchy sold its stake in SFM. 
The documents show it was paid $325,000 for the 50 shares. 
SFM is no longer in existence. 
Sir Alistair Graham says Prince Charles 
should be accountable to public scrutiny.
– BBC 
The Duchy was established in 1337 and uses the income to fund the public, private and charitable activities of the Prince of Wales and his children. Its accounts are independently audited and put before Parliament. 
A Duchy of Cornwall spokesman said the estate followed a "responsible investment policy which governs the sectors that it may invest in". 
The Paradise Papers documents also showed about £10m of the Queen's private money was invested offshore in 2004-2005 in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
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1. PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES LOBBIED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY AFTER SHARES PURCHASE
2.
3. RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS | PRINCE CHARLES'S PRIVATE ESTATE TRIPLE OFFSHORE INVESTMENT IN JUST OVER A YEAR
4. RELATED: PRINCE CHARLES 'LOBBIED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE WITHOUT DISCLOSING OFFSHORE FINANCIAL INTEREST'
5. RELATED: CHARLES AND CAMILLA LEAVE LASTING IMPRESSION DURING MAIDEN SARAWAK VISIT
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RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES CAMPAIGNED ON CLIMATE CHANGE 'WITHOUT DISCLOSING INVESTMENTS'The Duchy of Cornwall says the Prince had no direct involvement in any of its investments following the latest tax revelation.

REPORTED BY SKY NEWS

The Prince of Wales is accused of not disclosing his estate's financial interests,
Photo: Sky News
The so-called Paradise Papers have revealed Prince Charles allegedly campaigned to alter climate-change agreements without disclosing the offshore financial interests of his estate. 
The leaked documents showed the Duchy of Cornwall estate secretly bought shares worth $113,500 (£86,000) in a firm in Bermuda in 2007 that could benefit from changes in rules, according to the BBC's Panorama. 
It claimed the Prince of Wales was a friend of one of the directors of forest management company Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd. 
But the Duchy of Cornwall said Prince Charles had no direct involvement in any of its investments. 
A spokesman for Clarence House said he had "never chosen to speak out on a topic simply because of a company The Duchy may have invested in". 
He added: "In the case of climate change his views are well known, indeed he has been warning of the threat of global warming to our environment for over 30 years.
"Carbon markets are just one example that the Prince has championed since the 1990s and which he continues to promote today." 
A Duchy of Cornwall spokesman said the estate had a "responsible investment policy" and that its accounts were "independently audited and presented to Parliament every year". 
He added: "These investments do not derive any tax advantage whatsoever based on their location or any other aspect of their structure and there is no loss of revenue to HMRC as a result." 
The revelation comes after the Queen's private estate was accused of investing millions of pounds in offshore tax havens. 
The Paradise Papers leak revealed the investments made by the Duchy of Lancaster but there is nothing to suggest any of them were illegal. 
The Queen's estate is accused of investing millions of pounds in offshore tax havens.
Photo: Sky News
Tech giant Apple and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton have also been named among those allegedly avoiding tax. 
Apple is accused of holding most of its offshore funds in Jersey, where taxes are lower. The firm is said to have moved its money there when Ireland changed its tax rules in 2015. 
But the iPhone maker insists its new tax structure has not reduced the amount of tax it pays and that it remains the world's largest taxpayer. 
The leaked documents appear to show Hamilton avoided tax on a private jet worth £16.5m, which he imported into the Isle of Man. 
His advisers set up a leasing deal which entitled Hamilton to receive a VAT refund of £3.3m on the jet on the basis it was used for business. But allegations surfaced that it was also used for personal use. 
The Mercedes driver's lawyers said the tax structure was found to be lawful after it was reviewed by a barrister and they deny anything illegal has taken place.
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1. PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES LOBBIED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY AFTER SHARES PURCHASE
2. RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES LOBBIED ON CLIMATE CHANGE 'WITHOUT DISCLOSING INVESTMENTS'
3.
4. RELATED: PRINCE CHARLES 'LOBBIED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE WITHOUT DISCLOSING OFFSHORE FINANCIAL INTEREST'
5. RELATED: CHARLES AND CAMILLA LEAVE LASTING IMPRESSION DURING MAIDEN SARAWAK VISIT
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RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS | PRINCE CHARLES'S PRIVATE ESTATE TRIPLE OFFSHORE INVESTMENT IN JUST OVER A YEAR
Questions about conflict as heir to throne continued touting carbon offsetting while investing in it.

REPORTED BY CBC NEWS

Prince Charles visits the MacRitchie Reservoir Park on October 31 in Singapore.
Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty
The Queen's forays into offshore investing may have been the Paradise Papers' biggest surprise, but in terms of impact they are easily eclipsed by a single, apparently very profitable deal made by Prince Charles. 
Leaked documents show that in just one buy-and-sell transaction, the Prince of Wales's private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, appears in just over a year to have tripled an estimated $100,000 US investment in an offshore company co-run by one of his closest friends. 
Leaked board minutes in the Paradise Papers show that from the purchase, in February 2007, the company, which specializes in carbon offsetting, also committed to treating his stake as a sensitive secret. 
All the while, the heir to the British throne continued to publicly promote carbon offsetting — a subject he's repeatedly spoken about — even as he was invested in it. 
None of the new revelations, which show the prince had millions more invested offshore, suggest illegal action. But they raise questions about the rules surrounding conflict of interest where royals are concerned, and, for the second time this week about whether senior royal figures are transparent enough about their sources of income — especially if they're investing offshore. 
"The real problem with these revelations even if Charles had no knowledge whatsoever of what was going on, is that the optics are terrible," said David McClure, a royal finances expert, told CBC News. "It paints the future king of Britain in a bad light. It damages the brand of the British monarchy."

The peek into the prince's offshore dealings comes from a massive offshore leak obtained by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung and provided to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which organized a global collaboration that included the Guardian newspaper and the BBC in the United Kingdom as well as CBC News in Canada. 
Indirect stake 
Through the Paradise Papers, it emerged for the first time on Sunday that the Queen had about 10 million pounds in investments offshore, including an indirect stake in a controversial chain of rent-to-own stores that just last month regulators ruled was not a responsible lender. 
The Queen's private estate, the Duchy of Lancaster, said it did not know it held stakes in the chain until questions came from journalists. 
Documents show Prince Charles's private estate purchased 50 shares in early 2007 in the Bermuda-based Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd., a now-defunct company that specialized in carbon offsetting. The price tag is estimated to have been in the $100,000 US ballpark. 
Nearly a year and a half after the purchase, in June 2008, another document indicates the Duchy of Cornwall transferred its shares to another buyer. The purchase price is noted as $325,000, more than triple the initial investment. 
The Prince of Wales has long spoken out in favour of sustainable forestry and carbon offsetting, and that did not change during the period when he held his stake in the company. 
A speech prepared for Prince Charles for a July 2, 2007 event says: "We need to develop a new credit market which will give a true value to carbon and the ecosystem services that rainforests provide the rest of the world." 
The BBC reported that the prince gave three major speeches which touch on the subject in the seven months after his private estate acquired the stakes. 
Speaking out on climate change 
A spokesperson for Clarence House told CBC News in a statement: "He has certainly never chosen to speak out on a topic simply because of a company that [the Duchy] may have invested in." 
"Carbon markets are just one example" of actions the prince has championed to "slow or halt the damage that is being done" by climate change, the spokesperson said. 
Charles chats with Hugh van Cutsem, right, president of the Moorcroft and District Agricultural Society at its annual show in Mossdale, North Yorkshire.
Photo: PA/Getty
In a Guardian newspaper investigation, minutes were spotted from a meeting of the board of directors of Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd. on February 23, 2007, indicating the purchase was made possible with help from Hugh van Cutsem. 
He and Prince Charles had been friends since they attended university in the 1960s, and the van Cutsem family has been a fixture in Prince Charles's life ever since. The elder van Cutsem died in 2013. 
In the documents, the chairman is quoted as having "thanked Mr. van Cutsem for his introduction of the Duchy of Cornwall and asked that the board unanimously agree that the subscription by the Duchy of Cornwall be kept confidential except in respect of any disclosure required by law." 
Leaked board minutes of Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd. show that from the purchase in February 2007, the company also committed to treating Prince Charles's stake as a sensitive secret.
Photo: CBC 
Another document says van Cutsem "asked that a set of documents be prepared for the Prince of Wales office" about a scheme the company supported advocating the use of carbon credits. 
In a statement, a Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson told CBC News the Prince of Wales "does not have any direct involvement in the investment decisions taken by the Duchy. These are the responsibility of the Duchy itself." 
The spokesperson added the investments "do not derive any tax advantage whatsoever." 
The Duchy of Cornwall was set up 680 years ago to provide a private income to the heir to the throne. Its net assets are in the range of 896 million pounds. 
Tax exempt but paying taxes 
Prince Charles and his Duchy are tax exempt, but like the Queen, he has been voluntarily paying income tax since 1993. 
The Duchy owns mostly commercial and residential real estate as well as land, some of which has been harnessed to help produce the Prince of Wales's profitable organic food enterprise. 
The Duchy also has a financial investment portfolio. Its website says the prince is "actively involved in running the Duchy." 
There have been calls in the past for more transparency in the Duchy's workings and more scrutiny of the details of generating an income for Prince Charles. 
In 2016-17, the Duchy paid Prince Charles — who is also the Duke of Cornwall, the longest serving in the title ever — 20.7 million pounds in income, a raise of 1.2 per cent over the previous year. 
The website says the income is there for him to spend as he sees fit, but that Prince Charles uses "a substantial proportion of his income" to fund the "public and charitable work as well as the public and private lives of his family" including his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; his son Prince William and his family; and his son Prince Harry. 
Prince Charles is not entitled to access the Duchy's capital holdings, which will be passed on to William, the likely next Duke of Cornwall, when his father takes the throne.
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1. PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES LOBBIED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY AFTER SHARES PURCHASE
2. RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES LOBBIED ON CLIMATE CHANGE 'WITHOUT DISCLOSING INVESTMENTS'
3. RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS | PRINCE CHARLES'S PRIVATE ESTATE TRIPLE OFFSHORE INVESTMENT IN JUST OVER A YEAR
4.
5. RELATED: CHARLES AND CAMILLA LEAVE LASTING IMPRESSION DURING MAIDEN SARAWAK VISIT
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RELATED: PRINCE CHARLES 'LOBBIED FOR CLIMATE POLICY CHANGE WITHOUT DISCLOSING OFFSHORE FINANCIAL INTEREST'
Prince's actions amount to ‘serious conflict of interest’, says former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life

 REPORTED BY THE INDEPENDENT

Prince Charles campaigned to alter climate change agreements without disclosing his estate’s financial interest in such a rule change, leaks from the Paradise Papers indicate. 
In 2007, the Prince of Wales reportedly bought shares worth $113,500 (£83,600), in a Bermuda-based company run by one of his best friends, Hugh van Cutsem. That friend was also a director of Sustainable Forestry Management, the board of which invested invested in land to protect it from deforestation. 
The purchase of the shares was regarded as highly sensitive, The Guardian reports, and members of Sustainable Forestry Management’s board were reportedly sworn to secrecy about the Prince’s involvement. 
The Prince of Wales has long been a vocal speaker on the issue of climate change. 
According to the BBC, he mounted a high profile campaign for changes to two major environmental agreements just weeks after Sustainable Forestry Management sent his office lobbying documents. 
Four weeks after purchasing the shares, Prince Charles called for the Kyoto Protocol and the EU’s emissions trading system to recognise carbon credits from rainforests, saying it was “wrong”. 
In October 2007, he launched the Prince’s Rainforest Project, which aimed to highlight the impact of tropical deforestation. And in January 2008 he released a video in which he called for new ways of supporting rainforests. 
The BBC’s Panorama programme said it was unable to find any evidence of speeches made by the Prince about changing Kyoto, or EU ETS policy about rainforests, prior to purchasing the shares. 
Sir Alistair Graham, former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said the Prince’s actions amounted to a “serious” conflict of interest. 
According to the BBC, he said: “There's a conflict of interest between his own investments of the Duchy of Cornwall, and what he’s trying to achieve publicly.
“And I think it’s unfortunate that somebody of his importance, of his influence, becomes involved in such a serious conflict.” 
Labour MP Margaret Hodge said the revelations made clear the need for “proper transparency”. 
She told The Guardian: “It seems clear to me that Prince Charles could not have known or understood the nature of the investment in his friend’s company,” she said. 
“What is clear is that there should be proper transparency of all investments made by the Duchy of Cornwall, that the Prince of Wales should not be involved in investment decisions and that the Treasury should monitor the investments to ensure that the reputation and integrity of our royal family is protected.” 
The Duchy of Cornwall said the Prince has no direct involvement in its investments.
A Clarence House spokesman said Prince Charles had “certainly never chosen to speak out on a topic simply because of a company that it may have invested in”. 
“In the case of climate change his views are well known, indeed he has been warning of the threat of global warming to our environment for over 30 years.
“Carbon markets are just one example that the prince has championed since the 1990s, and which he continues to promote today.”
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1. PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES LOBBIED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY AFTER SHARES PURCHASE
2. RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS: PRINCE CHARLES LOBBIED ON CLIMATE CHANGE 'WITHOUT DISCLOSING INVESTMENTS'
3. RELATED: PARADISE PAPERS | PRINCE CHARLES'S PRIVATE ESTATE TRIPLE OFFSHORE INVESTMENT IN JUST OVER A YEAR
4. RELATED: PRINCE CHARLES 'LOBBIED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE WITHOUT DISCLOSING OFFSHORE FINANCIAL INTEREST'
5.
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RELATED: CHARLES AND CAMILLA LEAVE LASTING IMPRESSION DURING MAIDEN SARAWAK VISIT

 REPORTED BY NEW STRAITS TIMES

SANTUBONG, November 6, 2017 – 
Prince Charles and Camilla in Sarawak, publicly expressing his concerns over the rainforest.
Photo: NST/BERNAMA
Britain’s royal couple, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, left a lasting impression on the people in the state during their maiden visit to Sarawak today. 
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who is on their fifth day in Malaysia, kicked-off their whirlwind tour to the state by visiting the Sarawak Cultural Village, nestled at the foothills of Mount Santubong here. 
Accompanied by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri S. K. Devamany and State Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the royal couple were greeted upon arrival by a cultural performance from dancers clad in colourful traditional costumes. 
Prince Charles and Camilla spent almost an hour visiting attractions available at the cultural village, dubbed a ‘living museum’ displaying Sarawak’s diverse and rich cultural heritage. 
The Prince of Wales also displayed his skills at using the Penan blowpipes when he visited the ‘Rumah Penan’ (Penan hut). He and Camilla also crossed a man-made lake via a bamboo raft. 
The heir to the British throne also had a closed-door dialogue session with six community leaders representing the major ethnic groups in the state. 
Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) president Datuk Ik Pahon Joyik said Prince Charles was very passionate when the latter spoke about the preservation of indigenous cultures. 
“He spoke at great length and shared his experience of preserving cultures and heritage among indigenous groups over the past 30 years. 
“He also touched on the importance of pulling out all the stops to preserve Sarawak’s culture before it become extinct,” he said when met after the dialogue session. 
Another community leader, Charlie Unggang, said Prince Charles was very humble and did his best to set everyone at ease. 
“He was very down to earth and showed great interest in Sarawak’s heritage and issues related to the well-being and welfare of the people in the state,” said Charlie, who is DBNA deputy president. 
Meanwhile, Ruekeith Jampong still cannot believe that he had attended a dialogue with the Prince of Wales. 
“I am honoured to be part of the group who had this opportunity to attend a dialogue with British royalty. To be able to voice our opinions and for him to hear our views is an experience I will remember forever,” he said. 
After concluding their visit to the cultural village, Prince Charles and Camilla later headed to the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Semenggoh near here, where they were given a brief on the rehabilitation efforts of orangutan and other protected wildlife. 
Prince Charles also stopped by the Kuching and Sarawak Biodiversity Centre. 
Camilla, on the other hand, proceeded the Old Court House in the state capital to meet representatives of Purple Lily, non-governmental organisation. 
The royal couple is scheduled to leave for Penang later today.


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The NINE QUESTIONS Blog will return with more facts.
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