SINGAPORE - Some of the biggest scandals this year - including Malaysia's 1MDB saga and Boeing's handling of the 737 Max jet crisis - have roots stretching back years
GAY SEX VIDEO SCANDAL ADDS TO TURMOIL IN MALAYSIA'S POLITICS
Malaysians could not believe their eyes when a "gay sex video" crisis unfolded in June. A clip purporting to show Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali, 55, in bed with a young man was released to select journalists and politicians.
The clip was circulated via the WhatsApp messaging system in June, setting off a crisis in the governing Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. Other clips were subsequently released. At the same time, a Youth wing member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) from Sarawak, Mr Haziq Aziz, then 27, said in a separate video that he was the young man seen in the clip.
WHY IT MATTERS
The release of the gay sex video clips came in a year of political turmoil in Malaysia, after the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was ousted from power in May the previous year.
Other major issues at play this year included three trials linked to state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and involving ousted premier Najib Razak, the never-ending feud between PKR's president Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy, Datuk Seri Azmin, the Umno-led BN winning all four by-elections against the governing PH alliance, and warming ties between long-term enemies Umno and Parti Islam SeMalaysia.
The release of the video clips is widely believed to be directly tied to the bitter fight between Datuk Seri Anwar and Mr Azmin.
Mr Anwar, 72, the MP for Port Dickson, has been named as the successor to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. But the chatter is that Tun Dr Mahathir, 94, might prefer Mr Azmin as his successor.
Hence, for conspiracy theorists, the release of the gay sex video clips could weaken Mr Azmin in the Muslim-majority country and brighten Mr Anwar's prospects of becoming premier. The police, during investigations, brought in Mr Anwar's political secretary Farhash Salvador for questioning.
Mr Anwar, who himself was accused of having sexual relations with men in 1998, has denied any involvement in the Azmin case.
The video saga has only served to deepen the animosity between the Anwar and Azmin factions in PKR, a PH component party.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
The claims and counter-claims continued this month, when former researcher Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, who worked for Mr Anwar, claimed an attempted sexual assault involving the latter. Mr Anwar has denied the allegations.
The incessant Anwar-Azmin infighting, along with squabbling involving the other three PH parties, has soured the sentiments of many Malaysians regarding the ruling coalition. They consider the party leadership to be more concerned about politicking than governing.
So events in the coming year will be closely watched to see if the fraying coalition can hold.
1MDB SAGA, NOW IN COURT, GOES ON AND ON
The 1MDB scandal was first exposed by an American newspaper in 2015, and just three years later was a major factor in the surprise ouster of Malaysia's long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government from power in the 2018 General Election.
State fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was set up in 2009, soon after Najib Razak became prime minister. 1MDB was the new name for the Terengganu Investment Authority, and it was set up as a strategic sovereign wealth fund.
But things went downhill fast, with the fund issuing bonds, purchasing power plants worth billions of dollars using debt - while billions of dollars disappeared.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that top Malaysian officials and their associates embezzled some US$4.5 billion (S$6.1 billion) from 1MDB, with investigations conducted into its affairs in more than half a dozen countries including Singapore.
But it took years and a shock election result for any legal action to start. This year, the 1MDB cases finally hit the courts, with the ousted prime minister involved in three separate trials. Each case is complex and drawn out and the resolution will not be known for a long while yet.
There was, however, some progress in a case involving fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, or Jho Low. The alleged mastermind behind the 1MDB scandal is in hiding, but in October, he agreed to a deal with the DOJ in which he has given up his claims to fancy properties in New York, Beverly Hills and London, expensive art pieces, a private jet and a mega yacht.
The deal does not include an admission of guilt or wrongdoing and is not tied to the criminal action against Low.
Media reports last week said the United States government is discussing a settlement with Goldman Sachs - which helped 1MDB sell bonds for a large fee - over the scandal for less than US$2 billion.
WHY IT MATTERS
In December 2017, then US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions said about the 1MDB case: "This is kleptocracy at its worst."
And the final start of the much-delayed legal proceedings offers some hope that there might be accountability yet for those involved in one of the world's biggest financial scandals.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
With Najib on trial over his alleged involvement in the 1MDB scandal, the issue has also become political football.
While many Malaysians believe that anything related to 1MDB would not have gone to trial if BN had not been kicked out of office, others believe Najib is innocent until proven guilty in court.
It is not clear when the three court cases against him will come to an end. Meanwhile, how the court cases play out is being closely watched in Malaysia.
IMPACT ON AVIATION FROM 737 MAX CRASHES
Boeing's fastest-selling jet, the 737 Max, was grounded globally in March, days after an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed, following a similar Lion Air disaster in Indonesia.
A total of 346 people died in the two crashes.
Similarities between the two crashes, confirmed by black box data, have focused attention on an automated anti-stalling system used in the aircraft.
The planes in both disasters had been fitted with the system.
Some of the Lion Air cases were settled in September for at least US$1.2 million (S$1.6 million) per claim. While some of the Ethiopian crash victim families are considering a settlement, many are pursuing a jury trial.
WHY IT MATTERS
Boeing has said the grounding of the single-aisle jet, which brings in about 40 per cent of its pre-tax profit, has already cost it at least US$8 billion. Thousands of Boeing suppliers globally will be affected by the slowdown in production.
Mr Dennis Muilenburg, as chief executive, unveiled a structural overhaul intended to sharpen the US company's focus on safety, but he was fired last week amid scrutiny over the crashes.
The company is under pressure to show airlines, travellers and global regulators that safety is woven into its designs and culture.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
After more than eight months of work by Boeing and aviation regulators, the timing of the return of the 737 Max planes appears more precarious than ever.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will be the only issuer of airworthiness certificates for all new 737 Max planes. In the past, Boeing was able to make that determination without the FAA reviewing the jets individually.
The FAA told Boeing that the plane will not get approval to fly again any time soon. So the firm had to idle the giant factory where the plane is made. Boeing has just announced it will suspend production of the Max, starting some time next month, with no specific date for when the plant will be restarted.
Once regulators certify the Max for flight, Boeing will have to mobilise hundreds of mechanics and pilots to bring the roughly 370 stored aircraft out of hibernation.
Airlines estimate the process - which includes installing new software and cycling the engines - will take 100 to 150 hours per jet, and months in total for Boeing.
The maintenance process will be followed by days of test flights as part of a standard customer acceptance period, but another challenge is finding enough pilots to work through the backlog.
An eventual Max return will also test an increasingly fragile aviation market. Traffic growth has slipped since the grounding, partly as a result of global trade tensions, according to the International Air Transport Association.
