title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: Early, pre-overdub mixes of some of the film songs were prepared on 16 September, before the Beatles performed the music sequences during a six-day shoot at RAF West Malling, a Royal Air Force base in Kent. The recording sessions continued alongside editing of the film footage, which took place in an editing suite in Soho and was mostly overseen by McCartney. The process led to a struggle between him and Lennon over the film's content. The Beatles also recorded "Hello, Goodbye" for release as a single accompanying the soundtrack record. That his film song "I Am the Walrus" was relegated to the B-side of the single, in favour of McCartney's pop-oriented "Hello, Goodbye", was another source of rancour for Lennon. He later recalled, "I began to submerge."


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: During this time, the band's commitment to the Maharishi's teachings remained strong. Barrow later wrote that Lennon, Harrison and Ringo Starr were "itching" to travel to India and study with their teacher, but they agreed to postpone the trip and complete the film's soundtrack and editing. Harrison and Lennon promoted Transcendental Meditation with two appearances on David Frost's TV show "The Frost Programme", and Harrison and Starr visited the Maharishi in Copenhagen. All four band members attended the 17 October memorial service for Epstein, held at the New London Synagogue on Abbey Road, close to EMI Studios, and the 18 October world premiere of "How I Won the War", a film in which Lennon had a starring role. Recording for "Magical Mystery Tour" was completed on 7 November. That day, the title song was given a new barker-style introduction by McCartney (replacing Lennon's effort, which was nevertheless retained in the version used in the film) and an overdub of traffic sounds.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: Three pieces of incidental music were recorded but omitted from the soundtrack record. In the case of "Shirley's Wild Accordion", the scene was cut from the film. Featuring an accordion score by arranger Mike Leander, it was performed by Shirley Evans with percussion contributions from Starr and McCartney, and recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in October. "Jessie's Dream" was taped privately by the Beatles and copyrighted to McCartney–Starkey–Harrison–Lennon, while the third item was a brief Mellotron piece used to orchestrate the line "The magic is beginning to work" in the film.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: In their new songs, the Beatles continued the studio experimentation that had typified "Sgt. Pepper" and the psychedelic sound they had introduced in 1966 with "Revolver". Author Mark Hertsgaard highlights "I Am the Walrus" as the fulfilment of the band's "guiding principle" during the sessions – namely to experiment and be "different". To satisfy Lennon's request that his voice should sound like "it came from the moon", the engineers gave him a low-quality microphone to sing into and saturated the signal from the preamp microphone. In addition to the song's string and horn arrangement, Martin wrote a score for the sixteen backing vocalists (the Mike Sammes Singers), in which their laughter, exaggerated vocalising and other noises evoked the LSD-inspired mood that Lennon sought for the piece. The orchestral arrangement and the vocal score were recorded on a separate four-track tape, which Martin and Scott then manually synchronised with the tape containing the band's performance. The track was completed with Lennon overdubbing live radio signals found at random, finally settling on a BBC Third Programme broadcast of Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of King Lear".


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: According to musicologist Thomas MacFarlane, "Magical Mystery Tour" shows the Beatles once more "focusing on colour and texture as important compositional elements" and exploring the "aesthetic possibilities" of studio technology. "Blue Jay Way" features extensive use of three studio techniques employed by the Beatles over 1966–67: flanging, an audio delay effect; sound-signal rotation via a Leslie speaker; and (in the stereo mix only) reversed tapes. In the case of the latter technique, a recording of the completed track was played backwards and faded in at key points during the performance, creating an effect whereby the backing vocals appear to answer each line of Harrison's lead vocal in the verses. Due to the limits of multitracking, the process of feeding in reversed sounds was carried out live during the final mixing session. A tape loop of decelerated guitar sounds was used on "The Fool on the Hill" to create a swooshing bird-like effect towards the end of that song. Lennon and Starr prepared seven minutes' worth of tape loops as a coda to "Flying", but this was discarded, leaving the track to end with a 30-second burst of Mellotron sounds.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: Although he recognises "Sgt. Pepper" as the highpoint of the Beatles' application of sound "colorisation", musicologist Walter Everett says that the band introduced some effective "new touches" during this period. He highlights the slow guitar tremolo on "Flying", the combination of female and male vocal chorus, cello glissandi and found sounds on "I Am the Walrus", and the interplay between the lead vocal and violas on "Hello, Goodbye". In MacFarlane's description, the songs reflect the Beatles' growing interest in stereo mixes, as "remarkable sonic qualities" are revealed in the placement of sounds across the stereo image, making for a more active listening experience.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: "Magical Mystery Tour" included six tracks, a number that posed a challenge for the Beatles and their UK record company, EMI, as there were too few for an LP album but too many for an EP. One idea considered was to issue an EP that played at 33⅓ rpm, but this would have caused a loss of audio fidelity that was deemed unacceptable. The solution chosen was to issue the music in the innovative format of a double EP. It was the first example of a double EP in Britain.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: According to music journalist Rob Chapman, each of the new tracks "represents a distinct facet of the group's psychedelic vision". He gives these as, in order of the EP's sequencing: celebration, nostalgia, absurdity, innocence, bliss and dislocation. Musicologist Russell Reising says that the songs variously further the Beatles' exploration of the thematic links between a psychedelic trip and travelling, and address the relationship between travel and time. Ethnomusicologist David Reck comments that despite the Beatles' association with Eastern culture at the time, through their championing of the Maharishi, just two of the EP's songs directly reflect this interest.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: "Magical Mystery Tour" was written as the main theme song shortly after McCartney conceived the idea for the film. In Hunter Davies' contemporary account of the 25 April session, McCartney arrived with the chord structure but only the opening refrain ("Roll up / Roll up for the mystery tour"), necessitating a brainstorming discussion the following day to complete the lyrics. Like "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the song serves to welcome the audience to the event and uses a trumpet fanfare.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: "Your Mother Should Know" is a song in the music hall style similar to McCartney's "When I'm Sixty-Four" from "Sgt. Pepper". Its lyrical premise centres on the history of hit songs across generations. He originally offered it for the "Our World" broadcast, but the Beatles favoured Lennon's "All You Need Is Love" for its social significance. McCartney later said he wrote the song as a production number for "Magical Mystery Tour", where it provides the film's closing, Busby Berkeley–style dance sequence. In author Doyle Greene's view, the lyrics advocate generational understanding in the manner of "She's Leaving Home" but, unlike in the latter song, to the point of "maternal authority and youth compliance", and contrast sharply with the confrontational message of the EP's next track.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: "I Am the Walrus" was Lennon's main contribution to the film and was primarily inspired by both his experiences with LSD and Lewis Carroll's poem "The Walrus and the Carpenter" from "Through the Looking Glass". The impetus came from a fan letter Lennon received from a student at his former high school, Quarry Bank, in which he learned that an English literature teacher there was interpreting the Beatles' lyrics in a scholarly fashion. Amused by this, Lennon set out to write a lyric that would confound analysis from scholars and music journalists. In addition to drawing on Carroll's imagery and Shakespeare's "King Lear", he reworked a nursery rhyme from his school days, and referenced Edgar Allan Poe and (in the vocalised "googoogajoob"s) James Joyce. Author Jonathan Gould describes "I Am the Walrus" as "the most overtly 'literary' song the Beatles would ever record", while MacDonald deems it "[Lennon's] ultimate anti-institutional rant – a damn-you-England tirade that blasts education, art, culture, law, order, class, religion, and even sense itself".


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: McCartney wrote the melody for "The Fool on the Hill" during the "Sgt. Pepper" sessions but the lyrics remained incomplete until September. The song is about a solitary figure who is not understood by others, but is actually wise. In Everett's interpretation, the fool's innocence leaves him adrift from and unwilling to engage with a judgmental society. McCartney said the idea was inspired by the Dutch design collective the Fool, who derived their name from the tarot card of the same name, and possibly by the Maharishi. A piano ballad, its musical arrangement includes flutes and bass harmonicas, and a recorder solo played by McCartney. The song's sequence in "Magical Mystery Tour" involved a dedicated film shoot, featuring McCartney on a hillside overlooking Nice, in the South of France, which added considerably to the film's production costs.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: "Flying" is an instrumental and the first Beatles track to be credited to all four members of the band. It was titled "Aerial Tour Instrumental" until late in the sessions and appears in the film over footage of clouds and outtakes from Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove". The track's musical structure is similar to a 12-bar blues and set to what music historian Richie Unterberger terms a "rock–soul rhythm". It consists of three rounds of the 12-bar pattern, led first by guitars, then Mellotron and organ, and finally a chanted vocal chorus.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: "Blue Jay Way" was named after a street in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles where Harrison stayed in August 1967. The lyrics document his wait for music publicist Derek Taylor to find his way to Blue Jay Way through the fog-ridden hills, while Harrison struggled to stay awake after the flight from London to Los Angeles. MacDonald describes the song as Harrison's "farewell to psychedelia", since his subsequent visit to Haight-Ashbury led to him seeking an alternative to hallucinogenic drugs and opened the way to the Beatles' embrace of Transcendental Meditation. The composition marked a rare example of the Lydian mode being used in pop music and, in Reck's view, incorporates scalar elements from the Carnatic raga Ranjani.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: Because EPs were not popular in the US at the time, Capitol Records released the soundtrack as an LP by adding tracks from that year's non-album singles. The first side contained the film soundtrack songs, although in a different order from the EP. Side two contained both sides of the band's two singles released up to this point in 1967, along with "Hello, Goodbye", which was issued as a single backed by "I Am the Walrus". Three of the previously released tracks – "Penny Lane", "Baby, You're a Rich Man" and "All You Need Is Love" – were presented in duophonic (or "processed") stereo sound on Capitol's stereo version of the LP.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: The Beatles were displeased about this reconfiguration, since they believed that tracks released on a single should not then appear on a new album. Lennon referred to the LP at a May 1968 press conference to promote Apple Corps in the US, saying: "It's not an album, you see. It turned into an album over here, but it was just [meant to be] the music from the film."


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: As part of the unusual format, the Beatles decided to package the two EPs in a gatefold sleeve with a 24-page booklet. The record's cover featured a photo of the Beatles in animal costumes, taken during the shoot for "I Am the Walrus", and marked the first time that the band members' faces were not visible on one of their EP or LP releases. The booklet contained song lyrics, photographer John Kelly's colour stills from the filming, and colour story illustrations in the comic strip style by "Beatles Book" cartoonist Bob Gibson. It was compiled by Barrow, with input from McCartney. Of the double-EP package, film studies academic Bob Neaverson later commented: "While it certainly solved the song quota problem, one suspects that it was also partly born of the Beatles' pioneering desire to experiment with conventional formats and packaging." In line with the band's wishes, the packaging reinforced the idea that the release was a film soundtrack rather than a follow-up to "Sgt. Pepper", which was still receiving critical plaudits and enjoying commercial success in late 1967.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: When preparing the US release, Capitol enlarged the photos and illustrations to LP size inside a gatefold album sleeve. The cover design was done by John Van Hamersveld, the head of Capitol's art department, working from the artwork sent from EMI in London. He recalled that Capitol's vice-president of distribution was concerned about how to market a record where the Beatles' faces were hidden behind their costumes, since cover portraits had been key to the success of the group's US LPs. Van Hamersveld therefore augmented the "underground graphic" cover image with a design concept that highlighted the songs.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: In Gould's description, the LP cover "had the garish symmetry of a movie poster" through the combination of the Beatles' animal costumes, the "rainbow" film logo, and the song titles rendered in art-deco lettering "amid a border of op-art clouds". The artwork was later cited by proponents of the Paul is dead theory as evidence of McCartney's alleged demise in November 1966. Clues included the appearance of a black walrus (Lennon in costume) on the front cover, which was thought to signify death in some areas of Scandinavia; McCartney wearing a black carnation in an image from the "Your Mother Should Know" film sequence; and, on another page from the booklet, McCartney seated behind a sign reading "I WaS".


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: In advance of the EP's release, Lennon promoted the soundtrack in an interview on the BBC Radio 1 show "Where It's At". Lennon discussed the studio effects used on the new songs, including "I Am the Walrus", which received its only contemporary airing on BBC radio when disc jockey Kenny Everett played it as part of the interview broadcast on 25 November 1967. According to author John Winn, because the lyrics included the word "knickers", the song "remained unofficially prohibited from BBC playlists for the time being". "I Am the Walrus" was also banned from American airwaves.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: "Magical Mystery Tour" was issued in the UK on 8 December, the day after the opening of their Apple Boutique in central London, and just over two weeks before the film was broadcast by BBC Television. It retailed at the sub-£1 price of 19s 6d (equivalent to £ today). It was their thirteenth British EP and only their second, after 1964's "Long Tall Sally", to consist of entirely new recordings. With the broadcast rights for North America assigned to NBC, the Capitol album was scheduled for a mid-December release. The company instead issued the album on 27 November. In Britain only, the film was then screened on Boxing Day to an audience estimated at 15 million. It was savaged by reviewers, giving the Beatles their first public and critical failure. As a result, the American broadcaster withdrew its bid for the local rights, and the film was not shown there at the time.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: In its first three weeks on sale in the US, "Magical Mystery Tour" set a record for the highest initial sales of any Capitol LP. It was number 1 on "Billboard"s Top LPs listings for eight weeks at the start of 1968 and remained in the top 200 until 8 February 1969. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1969.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: In Britain, the EP peaked at number 2 on the national singles chart, behind "Hello, Goodbye", and became the Beatles' ninth release to top the national EPs chart compiled by "Record Retailer". In the UK singles listings compiled by "Melody Maker" magazine, it replaced "Hello, Goodbye" at number 1 for a week. The EP sold over 500,000 copies there. Walter Everett highlights its UK chart performance as a significant achievement, given that the EP's retail price far exceeded that of the singles with which it was competing at the time. As an American import, the Capitol album release peaked on the "Record Retailer" LPs chart at number 31 in January 1968. In the US, the album sold 1,936,063 copies by 31 December 1967 and 2,373,987 copies by the end of the decade.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: According to music historian Clinton Heylin, the release of "Magical Mystery Tour" and of the Rolling Stones' "Their Satanic Majesties Request", which was the Stones' answer to "Sgt. Pepper", inadvertently brought an end to psychedelic pop. Music journalist John Harris cites the critical maligning of the film as the excuse the British authorities were looking for to begin targeting the Beatles, despite the band's status as MBE holders, for their wayward influence on youth. Within the Beatles, McCartney's role as the group's "de facto" leader, a role he had assumed with Lennon's withdrawal before "Sgt. Pepper", was destabilised as individual creative agendas were increasingly pursued over 1968.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: In 1968, jazz musician Bud Shank released the album "Magical Mystery", which included five of the EP's tracks and "Hello, Goodbye". "The Fool on the Hill" was highly popular among other artists, particularly cabaret performers, and became one of the most covered Lennon–McCartney compositions.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: Reviewing the EP a month before the film's screening, Nick Logan of the "NME" enthused that the Beatles were "at it again, stretching pop music to its limits". He continued: "The four musician-magicians take us by the hand and lead us happily tripping through the clouds, past Lucy in the sky with diamonds and the fool on the hill, into the sun-speckled glades along Blue Jay Way and into the world of Alice in Wonderland ... This is The Beatles out there in front and the rest of us in their wake." Bob Dawbarn of "Melody Maker" described the EP as "six tracks which no other pop group in the world could begin to approach for originality combined with the popular touch". In "Record Mirror", Norman Jopling wrote that, whereas on "Sgt. Pepper" "the effects were chiefly sound and only the album cover was visual", on "Magical Mystery Tour" "the visual side ... has dominated the music", such that "Everything from fantasy, children's comics, acid (psychedelic) humour is included on the record and in the booklet."


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: Among reviews of the American LP, Mike Jahn of "Saturday Review" hailed "Magical Mystery Tour" as the Beatles' best work yet, superior to "Sgt. Pepper" in emotion and depth, and "distinguished by its description of the Beatles' acquired Hindu philosophy and its subsequent application to everyday life". "Hit Parader" said that "the beautiful Beatles do it again, widening the gap between them and 80 scillion other groups." Remarking on how the Beatles and their producer "present a supreme example of team work", the reviewer compared the album with "Their Satanic Majesties Request" and opined that "I Am the Walrus" and "Blue Jay Way" alone "accomplish what the Stones attempted". "Rolling Stone" was launched in October 1967 with a cover photo of Lennon from "How I Won the War"; in its fourth issue, the magazine's review of "Magical Mystery Tour" consisted of a single-sentence quote from him: "There are only about 100 people in the world who understand our music."


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: Having been one of the few critics to review "Sgt. Pepper" unfavourably, Richard Goldstein of "The New York Times" rued that the new songs furthered the gap between true rock values and studio effects, and that the band's "fascination with motif" was equally reflected in the elaborate packaging. Goldstein concluded: "Does it sound like heresy to say that the Beatles write material which is literate, courageous, genuine, but spotty? It shouldn't. They are inspired posers, but we must keep our heads on their music, not their incarnations." Rex Reed of "HiFi/Stereo Review" wrote a scathing critique in which he derided the group's "farcical, stagnant, helpless bellowing" and "confused musical ideas". Reed said that exchanging drugs for meditation as their subject matter had left the Beatles "totally divorced from reality", and he especially ridiculed "I Am the Walrus" on an LP he deemed a "platter of phony, pretentious, overcooked tripe". In his May 1968 column in "Esquire", Robert Christgau considered three of the new songs to be "disappointing", among which "The Fool on the Hill" "may be the worst song the Beatles have ever recorded". Christgau still found it a valid album, "for all the singles, which are good music, after all; for the tender camp of 'Your Mother Should Know'; and especially for Harrison's hypnotic 'Blue Jay Way,' an adaptation of Oriental modes in which everything works, lyrics included".


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: In his review for "Blender", Paul Du Noyer writes: "They lost the plot with their dopey TV film, but 1967 was still their zenith as songwriters. For once, the U.S. release went better than the British original ... The result was simply the best set of Beatles tunes so far on a single disc." AllMusic critic Richie Unterberger opines that the psychedelia is "even spacier in parts" than on "Sgt. Pepper", but "there's no vague overall conceptual/thematic unity to the material, which has made "Magical Mystery Tour" suffer slightly in comparison. Still, the music is mostly great." Scott Plagenhoef of "Pitchfork" describes the EP-exclusive tracks as "low key marvels". He says that while the album lacks a progressive quality from the band's previous work, it "is quietly one of the most rewarding listens in the Beatles' career", and the mixed nature of the collection "matters little when the music itself is so incredible".


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: Writing in "The Rolling Stone Album Guide", Rob Sheffield says that the album is "a lot goopier than "Sgt. Pepper", though lifted by the cheerful 'All You Need Is Love' and the ghostly 'Strawberry Fields Forever.' Her Majesty the Queen had the best comment: 'The Beatles are turning awfully funny, aren't they?'" Neil McCormick of "The Daily Telegraph" writes that the combination of soundtrack and singles means the album lacks cohesion, but he still finds it an "intriguing psychedelic companion piece" to "Sgt. Pepper" and highlights "I Am the Walrus" as a "mad, surrealist epic ... in which Lennon takes the concept of lyrical and musical nonsense and just explodes it all over the speakers". Reviewing for "Mojo" in 2002, Charles Shaar Murray said "Magical Mystery Tour" was the Beatles album he turned to most often following Harrison's death the previous year and that it evokes an era "when society still seemed to be opening up rather than closing down". Given its experimental qualities, he deemed it "the other half of the double-album that "Sgt. Pepper" should have been". Writing for "Paste", Mark Kemp views "Magical Mystery Tour" as a work of "symphonic sprawl" that marks the culmination of a five-year period in which the Beatles led pop music's expansion into world music, psychedelia, avant-pop and electronica, while bringing the genre a bohemian audience for the first time. He says that while the album resembles a "Sgt. Pepper" "Part 2", it "breathes easier and includes stronger songs" and benefits from the lack of a "forced concept".


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: Among Beatles biographers, Jonathan Gould says the album's resequencing of the EP songs heightens the project's ""Pepper" redux" quality, with its opening title track recalling "Sgt. Pepper" and "I Am the Walrus" providing the "weighty end" in the manner of "A Day in the Life". He similarly views "The Fool on the Hill" as the "Fixing a Hole"–style "cool, contemplative ballad", just as Harrison provides "another droning epic" and McCartney offers "another archaic number" in "Your Mother Should Know", which he finds a "halfhearted attempt at satiric nostalgia". Chris Ingham, writing in "The Rough Guide to the Beatles", says that the soundtrack's reputation suffers from its association with the film's failure, yet while three of the tracks are rightly overlooked, "The Fool on the Hill", "Blue Jay Way" and "I Am the Walrus" remain "essential Beatlemusic".


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: "Magical Mystery Tour" was ranked at number 138 in Paul Gambaccini's 1978 book "", based on submissions from a panel of 47 critics and broadcasters. In 2000, it was voted 334th in Colin Larkin's "All Time Top 1000 Albums". In his book "The Ambient Century", Mark Prendergast describes it as "the most psychedelic album The Beatles ever released" and, along with "Revolver", an "essential purchase". He ranks the album at number 27 in his list of "Twentieth-century Ambience – the Essential 100 Recordings". In 2007, the album was included in Robert Christgau and David Fricke's "40 Essential Albums of 1967" for "Rolling Stone". Christgau wrote in an accompanying essay: "Because it begins with the lame theme to their worst movie and the sappy 'Fool on the Hill,' few realize that this serves up three worthy obscurities forthwith – bet Beck knows the sour-and-sweet instrumental 'Flying' by heart. Then it A/Bs three fabulous singles."


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: In 1968 and 1971, true-stereo mixes were created for "Penny Lane", "Baby, You're a Rich Man" and "All You Need Is Love", which allowed the first true-stereo version of the "Magical Mystery Tour" LP to be issued in West Germany in 1971. In the face of continued public demand for the imported Capitol album, EMI officially released the "Magical Mystery Tour" LP in the UK in November 1976, although it used the Capitol fake-stereo masters of the same three singles tracks. In 1981, the soundtrack EP was reissued in both mono and stereo as part of Parlophone's 15-disc box set "The Beatles EP Collection".


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: When standardising the Beatles' releases for the worldwide compact disc release in 1987, EMI issued "Magical Mystery Tour" as a full-length album in true stereo. It was the only example of an American reconfigured release being favoured over the EMI version. The inclusion of the 1967 singles on CD with this album meant that the "Magical Mystery Tour" CD would be of comparable length to the band's CDs of its original albums, and that the additional five tracks originally featured on the American LP would not need to be included on "Past Masters", a two-volume compilation designed to accompany the initial CD album releases and provide all non-album tracks (mostly singles) on CD format.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: The 2012 remastered "Magical Mystery Tour" DVD entered the "Billboard" Top Music Video chart at number 1. The CD album climbed to number 1 on the "Billboard" Catalog Albums chart, number 2 on the "Billboard" Soundtrack albums chart, and re-entered at number 57 on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart for the week ending 27 October 2012.


title: Magical Mystery Tour

text: All tracks are written by Lennon–McCartney, except "Blue Jay Way" by George Harrison, and "Flying" by Harrison–Lennon–McCartney–Starkey.


title: Arpad Busson

text: André Arpad Busson (born 27 January 1963) is a French financier. Busson starting working in hedge funds in 1986 working in New York. He is the founder and chairman of the EIM Group, a fund of funds company. Busson is also active in a number of philanthropic causes around the globe.


title: Arpad Busson

text: Arpad Busson's father, Pascal Busson, was a former French army officer and Algerian War veteran, who later turned financier. His mother, Florence "Flockie" Harcourt-Smith, was an English former debutante. His parents met in Paris and named their son after the Hungarian-born banker Árpád Plesch (1889–1974), who not only was Florence's step-father (he was the second husband of her mother, Marysia Ulam Krauss Harcourt-Smith), but had also been her step-grandfather (Plesch's first wife, Leonie Caro Ulam, was his second wife's mother). Plesch was a mentor to Italy's richest man, Gianni Agnelli, the late head of Fiat. Busson's aunt, Joanna Harcourt-Smith, was a companion of Timothy Leary, who coincidentally was married in the early 1960s to Nena von Schlebrügge, the mother of Arpad's partner Uma Thurman.


title: Arpad Busson

text: Busson is sometimes known by his nickname "Arki", a childhood conflation of Arpad and his mother Florence's nickname, Flockie.


title: Arpad Busson

text: Some sources have suggested that, while growing up in France, Busson made early profits selling toothpicks door-to-door (which he denies), but he was educated in France and at the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. He then passed through national service as a medical orderly in the French army, of which a friend said: "He loved the discipline of the army – it was the making of him.".


title: Arpad Busson

text: As he often refuses to give interviews, stories surround Busson – the story about Fawcett is that they met on the French Riviera. The story is only partly true, in that it was perpetuated by the gossip columnist "Taki" as a sort of in-joke: Taki knew Busson's mother, who was friends with Fawcett.


title: Arpad Busson

text: Busson entered the world of hedge funds in 1986 working with Dubin Swieca. He was later employed as a marketing representative for Paul Tudor Jones's fund Tudor Investments.


title: Arpad Busson

text: In 1991, Busson founded the EIM Group to provide fund-of-fund management services to the growing institutional market for hedge funds. On 8 December 2008, EIM Group was reported as being a victim of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme.


title: Arpad Busson

text: In November 2001, EIM, an asset management company run by Busson, was asked by the FBI to help trace the finances of al-Qaida. The FBI noted that the firm was not a target of the investigation, and was cooperating fully.


title: Arpad Busson

text: In December 2013, Busson merged his EIM group with Swiss listed investment company Gottex Fund Management Holdings. In July 2015, Busson was named the next executive chairman of Gottex Fund Management for the interim, following Joachim Gottschalk stepping down from the position and finding a permanent executive chairman.


title: Arpad Busson

text: Gottex Fund Management rebranded itself as LumX and was eventually delisted from the Swiss Stock Exchange in June 2020 after suffering losses of more than $55 million the previous five years, essentially ending Busson's time as a hedge fund manager.


title: Arpad Busson

text: Busson is a proponent of "venture philanthropy", which seeks to multiply the effectiveness of charitable pursuits by applying to them the same management practices which are used in business ventures.


title: Arpad Busson

text: He is a founding trustee of the children's charity ARK (Absolute Return for Kids) and serves as chairman of its board of directors. Busson held the post of Chairman since the charity's inception. He stepped down from that position in 2009 but remains a member of the Board as founding chairman, and as chairman of ARK US. ARK raises charitable contributions from the hedge fund industry for children who are victims of abuse, disability, illness and poverty. ARK finances and manages projects aimed at transforming the lives of children in Eastern Europe, South Africa and the UK through education and healthcare.


title: Arpad Busson

text: The annual Ark Dinner hosted by Busson sees a range of high-profile individuals attend the event to raise money for the charity. Previous years have seen the likes of Bill Clinton (2006), Queen Rania of Jordan (2010) and in 2011 the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took the limelight as Prince William announced a joint venture by the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry and the Ark charity.


title: Arpad Busson

text: Its activities include funding treatment for AIDS victims in Africa, taking children out of care in Bulgaria and Romania and developing educational opportunities for disadvantaged children in India. It also operates eight academies, six of which are in London, through its subsidiary charity ARK Academies.


title: Arpad Busson

text: Busson says of ARK, "If we can apply the entrepreneurial principles we have brought to business to charity, we have a shot at having a really strong impact, to be able to transform the lives of children."


title: Arpad Busson

text: He is a patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and a founding member of Theodora Children's Trust, a charity which brings music, magic and laughter to children in hospital through visits from performers known as "Giggle Doctors".


title: Arpad Busson

text: Busson began a relationship with Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson in 1996. They have two sons together: Arpad Flynn Busson, known as Flynn (born February 1998 in New York City), and Aurelius Cy Andrea Busson (born February 2003 in London). The family lived together in London until Busson and Macpherson's separation in July 2005.


title: Arpad Busson

text: Busson began dating American actress Uma Thurman in 2007 and they announced their engagement in June 2008. In December 2009, it was reported that the two had ended their engagement, but they reconciled and dated soon after their daughter's birth. Busson and Thurman have one daughter together, Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson, known as Luna (born July 2012 in Boston, MA). The couple called off the engagement for the second time in April 2014. In January 2017, Thurman and Busson began a custody battle for their daughter. Thurman ultimately received primary physical custody later that month.


title: Najib Razak

text: Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak (, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malaysia from April 2009 to May 2018. In 2020, he was convicted of corruption in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, one of the largest money-laundering scandals in history. He is the son of former prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein. Najib Razak was the chairman of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition from April 2009 to May 2018 and the president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) from November 2008 to May 2018, which had maintained control of Malaysia's government with a parliamentary majority for more than sixty years until the coalition's defeat in the 2018 general election.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib was elected to the Parliament of Malaysia in 1976, at the age of 23, replacing his deceased father in the Pahang-based seat of Pekan. In the same year, he was appointed the head of UMNO Youth's Pekan branch and became a member of the youth wing's Executive Council. In the early years of his political career, Najib took on a deputy minister role in 1976, and between 1982 and 1986, he was the Menteri Besar of Pahang. Thereafter, until 2009, he was rotated throughout the Cabinet of Malaysia, taking on various ministerial portfolios in defence, education, culture, youth and sports, and finally finance. Between 1993 and 2009, Najib was a vice-president of UMNO.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib's tenure as prime minister, between 2009 and 2018, was marked by economic liberalisation measures, such as cuts to government subsidies, loosening of restrictions on foreign investment, and reductions in preferential measures for ethnic Malays in business. After the 2013 election, his government pursued a number of its critics on sedition charges, the imprisonment of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim following a conviction for sodomy and the implementation of a Goods and Services Tax (GST). He also led the country through the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disaster and a dispute with North Korea following the assassination of Kim Jong-nam. In 2015, Najib became implicated in a major corruption scandal involving state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) which led to rallies calling for his resignation, spearheaded by the grassroots movement Bersih. These protests culminated in the Malaysian Citizens' Declaration by Mahathir Mohamad, Pakatan Harapan and NGOs which sought to oust Najib.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib's response to the corruption accusations was to tighten his grip on power by replacing then-deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, suspending two newspapers and pushing through parliament a controversial National Security Council Bill that provides the prime minister with unprecedented powers. Najib's various subsidy cuts have contributed to soaring living costs, while fluctuating oil prices and the fallout from the 1MDB scandal led to a depreciation of the Malaysian currency. These ended with BN's loss in the 2018 general elections, the results of which Najib then accepted and promised to help facilitate a smooth transition of power.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 3 July 2018, Najib was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which had investigated how RM42 million (US$10.6 million) went from SRC International, a company related to 1MDB, into Najib's bank account. In the process, the police had seized a number of fashion accessories worth $273 million while searching through his properties. Najib was subsequently charged and convicted by the High Court on abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust, becoming the first Prime Minister of Malaysia to be convicted of corruption, and was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and fined RM210 million. The sentence was upheld by the Federal Court on 23 August 2022. He is currently serving his sentence in Kajang Prison.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib was born on 23 July 1953 at the Pahang State Secretary official residence in Bukit Bius, Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Najib is the eldest of second Malaysian Prime Minister Abdul Razak's six sons, and the nephew of the third PM Hussein Onn. His younger brother, Dato' Seri Mohd Nazir Abdul Razak, runs the country's second-largest lender, Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd. Najib is also one of the Four Noblemen of the Pahang Darul Makmur (Royal Court) by virtue of his inherited title as the Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar. He received his primary and secondary education at St. John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur. He later attended Malvern College in Worcestershire, England, and subsequently went to the University of Nottingham, where he received a bachelor's degree in industrial economics in 1974. Najib Razak returned to Malaysia in 1974 and entered the business world, serving briefly in Bank Negara Malaysia and later with Petronas (Malaysia's national oil company) as a public affairs manager.


title: Najib Razak

text: The eldest son of Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdul Razak Hussein, was elected to the Parliament of Malaysia in 1976 replacing his deceased father in the Pahang-based seat of Pekan. The national outpouring of grief following Tun Razak's death and the respect for his father helped Najib win election unopposed as Member of Parliament at the very young age of 23. In 1986 Najib won re-election to the same seat.


title: Najib Razak

text: From 1982 to 1986 he was the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Pahang, before holding various cabinet posts throughout the remainder of the 1980s and 1990s, including Defence and Education. In 2004 he became Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and replaced him 2009. Under his leadership, Barisan Nasional won the 2013 elections, although for the first time in Malaysia's history the opposition won the majority of the popular vote.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib was first assigned into the Cabinet of Malaysia at the age of 25 when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Post in 1978, becoming the youngest deputy minister in the country. He served as the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Pahang between 1982 and 1986, becoming the youngest Menteri Besar in the state to enter office when he was sworn in at the age of 29. In 1986 he was appointed as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in the Cabinet of Mahathir Mohamad. He focused on improving Malaysian sports and introduced the National Sports Policy in 1988. In 1989 Malaysia achieved its best-ever performance at the South East Asia (SEA) Games, held in Kuala Lumpur.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib was appointed head of UMNO Youth's Pekan branch and became a member of UMNO Youth's Executive Council (Exco) in 1976. In 1981, he was selected as a member of UMNO's Supreme Council, before winning the post of Vice-President of UMNO Youth in 1982.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 26 October 1987, the then leader of the opposition, Lim Kit Siang, called for the Anti-Corruption Agency to investigate how Najib, who was then Pahang MB, could give approval for a logging concession of 2000 acres to a resident of a low-cost housing estate. He asked ACA to investigate whether the logging concessionnaire was in fact a nominee for Najib himself.


title: Najib Razak

text: In 1987, Najib was selected as the acting head of the Movement of UMNO Youth by Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim after Anwar was asked to contest the post of UMNO Vice-President. Following mounting ethnic tensions anti-Chinese sentiments were expressed at a UMNO Youth rally held in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur the same year where Najib spoke. Rising tensions soon lead to fears of ethnic violence and eventually resulted in a security operation known as Operasi Lalang, that included numerous administrative detentions.


title: Najib Razak

text: Following the complete reorganisation and founding of the "New" UMNO by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in the aftermath of the 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis, Najib was appointed president of UMNO Youth in 1988.


title: Najib Razak

text: By 1993, Najib was elected as one of six vice-presidents of UMNO in response to Anwar's decision to contest as the deputy president of UMNO. Najib continued to defend his post in party elections held in 1993, 1996, and 2004.


title: Najib Razak

text: In 1991, Mahathir appointed Najib as Minister of Defence. Under Najib's direction, Malaysian troops were deployed to assist the UN peacekeeping forces in Bosnia in 1993 during the Bosnian War. Malaysian forces were greeted warmly by Bosnians as well as Serbs and Croats. Malaysia also assisted peacekeeping operations in Somalia in 1993, losing one soldier in an effort to aid US soldiers during the Battle of Mogadishu. Najib later criticised the UN's Somalia operation as putting too much emphasis on military action. Since then Malaysia has stated a preference for participating in Chapter 6 "peace enforcement" missions, rather than Chapter 7 "peacekeeping" missions. After four years at the Ministry of Defence, Najib assumed control of the Education Ministry in 1995. He returned to the Ministry of Defence in 2000.


title: Najib Razak

text: In 1995, Najib left the Defence Ministry for the first time when he was appointed Minister of Education. His challenge was to respond to Malaysia's newly proclaimed aspiration to become a fully developed nation by 2020. During his five-year tenure, Najib restructured the Ministry, created an independent corporate structure for public universities, and encouraged collaboration with foreign universities and institutions. The 1996 Private Higher Education Institutions Act, allowed foreign universities to establish degree-conferring schools in Malaysia, providing greater educational opportunities for Malaysians and positioning Malaysia as a regional learning hub. Najib also upgraded teaching certificates to the status of diplomas, so that teachers in that category would receive a higher monthly starting salary.


title: Najib Razak

text: During the 1999 general elections Najib suffered a major setback when he barely won re-election to the Parliament by a margin of 241 votes, compared to a margin of over 10,000 in the previous election. Although a surprise to political observers, it was understandable given the political upheavals of 1999.


title: Najib Razak

text: During his second tenure as Minister of Defence Najib coordinated Malaysia's relief efforts following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and provided support to Indonesia in arresting those responsible for the 2005 Bali bombings. Najib also oversaw the deployment of Malaysian troops as a part of a UN peacekeeping force in 2006, when Malaysia volunteered to help stabilise Lebanon following the 2006 Lebanon War.


title: Najib Razak

text: As Defence Minister, Najib instituted compulsory military service in December 2003, stating that it would encourage interaction and friendship between youth of different ethnic groups and religions. During its first five years of operation, over 339,000 Malaysian youth participated in the PLKN (the Bahasa Malaysian acronym for "Malaysian National Service"), which is intended to promote tolerance, teamwork, and community engagement. The programme, however, has faced challenges. Safety issues in the program have been reported and several people died during or shortly after their terms of service during the program's first few years. In response, Najib strengthened the PLKN's health screening requirements and reinforced the government's commitment to punish negligent PLKN officials.


title: Najib Razak

text: French courts investigated allegations of corruption in the purchases of two submarines, by the Malaysian Ministry of Defence in 2002, at a time when Najib was the minister of defence. The allegations are that Abdul Razak Baginda, an aide of Najib, received "commission" payments from the French submarine builder DCNS. Shaariibuugiin Altantuyaa, a Mongolian woman hired as a French translator to facilitate the purchase of the submarines and mistress to Baginda, tried to blackmail Baginda for a $500,000 cut and was subsequently murdered. 2 policemen, who were bodyguards posted to Najib, were charged and found guilty.


title: Najib Razak

text: In 2004, Mahathir retired and was replaced by his deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Najib became Deputy Prime Minister and was given a broad portfolio of responsibilities, including oversight of FELDA, the Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM), and the Election Commission (EC). Najib also chaired more than 28 cabinet committees. He remained as Minister for Defence.


title: Najib Razak

text: In September 2008, Najib became the Minister for Finance, handing the Defence portfolio to Badawi. During the global financial crisis, Malaysia faced a strong recession and reduced levels of trade throughout the South Asian region. In response, Najib announced a series of stimulus packages to be implemented over a two-year period with the intention of acting as a countercyclical response that might otherwise protect Malaysia's economy. He also pressed for the country to move beyond existing manufacturing capabilities through education, research and development to develop greater strength as a provider of sophisticated business services.


title: Najib Razak

text: After a poor showing by the ruling UMNO coalition in the elections of 8 March 2008 in which opposition parties gained control of five of thirteen Malaysian state governments, Badawi identified Najib as his intended successor. On 8 October 2008, Prime Minister Badawi announced he would step down in March 2009, paving the way for Najib to succeed him. However he said the onus was on Najib to win party elections set for March before he could take over. Najib ran for the presidency of UMNO and went on to win on 2 November 2008, without contest.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 26 March 2009, Najib won the UMNO presidency unopposed. He was sworn in as Prime Minister of Malaysia on 3 April 2009 In 2012, Najib also assumed the role of women, family and community development minister, a position he held until the 2013 election.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib entered office as Prime Minister with a focus on domestic economic issues and political reform. On his first day as Prime Minister, Najib announced as his first actions the removal of bans on two opposition newspapers, "Suara Keadilan" and "Harakahdaily", run by the People's Justice Party and the Pan Islamic Party, respectively, and the release of 13 people held under the Internal Security Act. Among the released detainees were two ethnic Indian activists who were arrested in December 2007 for leading an anti-government campaign, three foreigners and eight suspected Islamic militants. Najib also pledged to conduct a comprehensive review of the much-criticised law which allows for indefinite detention without trial. In the speech, he emphasised his commitment to tackling poverty, restructuring Malaysian society, expanding access to quality education for all, and promoting renewed "passion for public service". He also deferred and abandoned the digital television transition plan of all free-to-air broadcasters such as Radio Televisyen Malaysia.


title: Najib Razak

text: 1Malaysia is an ongoing campaign announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak on 16 September 2008, calling for the cabinet, government agencies, and civil servants to emphasise ethnic harmony, national unity, and efficient governance. The eight values of 1Malaysia as articulated by Najib Razak are perseverance, a culture of excellence, acceptance, loyalty, education, humility, integrity, and meritocracy.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 17 September 2008, Najib launched "1Malaysia.com.my" in an effort to communicate with the citizens of Malaysia more efficiently and support the broader 1Malaysia campaign. He has used the site to highlight his policy initiatives and to provide a forum for Malaysians to their government. The 1Malaysia campaign makes extensive use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Research has suggested that Najib and UMNO have made extensive efforts to establish a favourable online presence through the recruitment and support of bloggers and other social media users, sometimes known as 'cybertroopers.'


title: Najib Razak

text: In June 2009 Najib overturned a rule that required 30% Malay ownership in corporations, and allowed non-ethnic Malays, like the Chinese and the Indians to exercise more financial control in Malaysia. Najib has also worked to improve relations with Singapore, which is seen by many as Chinese-dominated, to encourage it to invest more heavily in the Malaysian economy.


title: Najib Razak

text: However, Najib has been criticised for an apparent deterioration of race relations in Malaysia during his tenure that has occurred despite the 1Malaysia programme. In 2014, the long-serving former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad withdrew his support for Najib citing, among other things, the abandonment by Chinese voters of the Barisan Nasional coalition. Najib's tenure has also been marked by increasingly aggressive racial rhetoric from elements within Najib's UMNO party, particularly towards Chinese Malaysians.


title: Najib Razak

text: The first BR1M Project was a scheme devised by Najib Razak to help poor Malaysians. The amount of RM 500.00 Ringgit Malaysia was given to households with an income of less than RM 3,000 a month.


title: Najib Razak

text: The second BR1M Project, also known as BR1M 2.0, with more than 2.5 billion ringgit will be distributed to Malaysians nationwide. This will affect 5.7 million household all over the country. In addition to the RM 500.00 for household, the government has also allocated RM 250.00 to single individuals. Those who have received RM 500.00 from the first BR1M project need not apply as it will be automatically processed.


title: Najib Razak

text: BR1M 4.0, which was announced in 2014, saw an increase in handouts from RM 650 to RM 950 for individuals earning less than RM 2,000.00, while households earning less than RM 4,000 will receive RM 750.


title: Najib Razak

text: Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA) Berhad was established under the PR1MA Act 2012 to plan, develop, construct and maintain affordable lifestyle housing for middle-income households in key urban centres. Middle-income is defined as a monthly household (husband and wife) income of between RM 2,500 and RM 7,500.


title: Najib Razak

text: PR1MA will be the first organisation that exclusively targets this middle segment with homes ranging from RM 100,000 to RM 400,000 in a sustainable community.


title: Najib Razak

text: In December 2015, the National Security Council Bill 2015 was passed in Parliament after a marathon six-hour debate. The bill provides the Prime Minister of Malaysia with unprecedented powers, such as the ability to define what constitutes a security issue as well as deem any part of Malaysia a security area. Within that area, authorities may make arrests, conduct searches or seize property without a warrant. The bill was criticised by rights groups as inviting government abuse. The Malaysian Bar called it a "lurch towards an authoritarian government". The government has defended the bill, with cabinet minister Shahidan Kassim saying the law is necessary to enable better co-ordination and a uniform response in the event the country is faced with security threats, and that the law does not contravene the basic human rights guaranteed under the federal constitution.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 2 May 2009, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced the government's plan to develop a New Economic Model that will speed Malaysia's transition to a high-income country. The plan will emphasise ways to increase the income and productivity of workers by encouraging knowledge industries and increasing investment from overseas.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib has started to implement comprehensive reform of government subsidies. On 16 July 2010, subsidies for petrol, diesel and LPG were cut as part of Malaysia's general programme of reducing and rationalising subsidies per the 10th Malaysia Plan and the New Economic Model. The government believes it will save RM 750 million by the end of 2010 through these measures with little negative impact on most citizens. Sugar and fuel subsidies were selected for reform because they disproportionately benefit the wealthy and foreigners, encourage over-consumption and create opportunities for fraud and smuggling. The Prime Minister expressed his hope that Malaysians would adopt a healthier lifestyle. He said, "there is no logic in the government allocating subsidies worth almost RM1 billion on a commodity that could endanger the people's health". Responding to concerns about how these reforms might affect the poor, the Prime Minister's Office pointed out that Malaysia will still be spending RM 7.82 billion per year on fuel and sugar subsidies and that prices for these commodities would remain the lowest in Southeast Asia. The government also stated that education and health care would continue receiving state support.


title: Najib Razak

text: Malaysia has implemented substantial measures to attract foreign investment including a moderation of preferences designed to benefit ethnic Malays. Specifically these reforms include allowing foreign investors to hold majority stakes in most enterprises excluding "strategic" industries such as banking, telecommunications, and energy, easing insurance regulation, curtailing powers of the Foreign Investment Committee and lowering the minimum quota for Malay ownership in publicly traded companies from 30 percent to 12.5 percent. As he introduced the reforms Najib stated, "The world is changing quickly and we must be ready to change with it or risk being left behind."


title: Najib Razak

text: Since these reforms have been implemented, the American banking firms Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have been granted permission to expand their operations in Malaysia. Goldman Sachs received licenses to set up fund management and advisory operations. Citigroup has obtained a permit to offer brokerage services. The approval of these licenses is a sharp break from Malaysia's history of domestically dominated and tightly regulated markets for financial services.


title: Najib Razak

text: The International Institute for Management Development responded to these and other reforms by increasing Malaysia's ranking to the 10th-most competitive economy in the world in 2010 from 18th in 2009. Malaysia, which is now ranked fifth in the Asia Pacific region, scored well in business and government efficiency. Economists attributed the rise of Malaysia's ranking to the efforts of the Malaysian government to improve the country's business environment such as the New Economic Model, the Government Transformation Programme and the Economic Transformation Programme.


title: Najib Razak

text: The Malaysian government passed two stimulus packages to mitigate the effects of the global economic downturn. The first stimulus package, worth RM 7 billion, was announced on 4 November 2008. The second package, worth RM 60 billion, was announced on 10 March 2009. Since assuming office as Prime Minister, Najib has been monitoring the progress of the stimulus packages on a weekly basis. Government economists believe that the stimulus packages have successfully generated increased economic activity, especially in the construction sector. Malaysia's central bank reported that Malaysia's economy grew at an annualised rate of 9.5% during the first half of 2010. Prime Minister Najib says the country is on track to meet the 6% average annual growth to reach its goal of becoming a developed country by 2020. Commenting on this same economic data Najib said that as of August 2010 there were no plans for further economic stimulus. Rather he said the government would focus on improving Malaysia's economic fundamentals and increasing investment.


title: Najib Razak

text: The government of Malaysia has long been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Malaysia also supports unity between the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas factions. Najib visited the West Bank with his wife Rosmah Mansor, escorted by senior officers of the Malaysian government. Najib Razak became the first Muslim leader from South East Asia to set foot on Palestinian soil. Najib says Palestinians can count on Malaysia, but for there to be lasting peace, Hamas and Fatah must unite to safeguard the safety and security of the Palestinian people. Malaysia will give Palestine the moral, financial and political support it needs to rise above its struggles, but securing a future of lasting peace hinges on the Palestinians being united. Najib Razak also stated that for Palestine to move towards having a future it envisioned, Palestinians would have to take the first step – to unite among themselves.


title: Najib Razak

text: Prime Minister Najib Razak's visit in September 2017 to the United States on the invitation of President Donald Trump successfully strengthened the Comprehensive Partnership that was established between Malaysia and the United States in 2014.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib enjoyed a close personal relationship with then US President Barack Obama and managed to upgrade Malaysia-US relations to a ‘comprehensive partnership’ in contrast to the strained relationship between both countries under the rule of former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, who was critical of the United States.


title: Najib Razak

text: Prime Minister Najib and President Barack Obama met just before the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on 12 April 2010. This was their first one-on-one meeting. During their talk, Obama sought further assistance from Malaysia in stemming nuclear proliferation which Obama described as the greatest threat to world security. During the summit, Najib stressed that Malaysia only supported nuclear programmes designed for peaceful purposes. Najib's attendance at the summit was part of a week-long official visit to the United States.


title: Najib Razak

text: Prime Minister Najib travelled to India on a five-day state visit in January 2010. His 200-strong entourage included cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, state government officials, members of parliament, and prominent business leaders. During his visit, Najib pushed for a free-trade agreement and co-operation across a wide range of fields. Najib and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed an extradition treaty and agreements to co-operate in the areas of higher education and finance. The two countries agreed to sign a free-trade agreement before the end of 2010 and Najib called for signing a "Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement" by the same date. These economic agreements have resulted in plans for RM 1.6 trillion in investment for Malaysia. In January 2010, Najib announced plans to develop a new visa regime for Indian nationals, specifically for managers and knowledge workers to visit Malaysia.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib made a two-day visit to Singapore, on 21–22 May 2009. During the visit, both Najib and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed to move bilateral relations forward in a more productive manner and will either set aside or resolve the "legacy" problems between the two countries. During a speech in Singapore, Najib said he hoped his visit would signal "the beginning of a new era" between the two countries.


title: Najib Razak

text: in 2010 Najib resolved a key diplomatic problem between the two countries by ending the impasse over transportation links and Singaporean investment in Iskandar Malaysia. Prime Minister Najib and Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, have agreed to modify the Points of Agreement signed in 1990. Specifically, the two sides have promised to move the KTM railway station from Tanjung Pagar to Woodlands, set up a joint venture to be called M-S Pte Ltd to develop Marina One, and DUO in Bugis but the railway tracks were replaced by the "Green Corridor", develop a rapid transit and high-speed rail links, and allow Temasek and Khazanah to set up a joint venture for the purpose of developing a town in Iskandar Malaysia.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib attended the ASEAN-South Korea Summit on 1 June 2009 hosted by South Korean President Lee Myung Bak. During the summit, the ASEAN-Korea Investment Agreement was signed to boost economic and trade relations between ASEAN and South Korea After the summit, Najib said Malaysia is keen on emulating South Korea in developing a small-scale nuclear reactor for power generation, as well as South Korea's other low-carbon green technology.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib made a four-day visit to China on 2–5 June 2009. During the visit, Najib mentioned his family's special relationship with China, noting that his father, and Malaysia's second Prime Minister, first established diplomatic relations with China in 1974. During the visit, several substantive issues were discussed in meetings between Najib and Chinese President Hu Jintao and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The two sides signed an endorsed strategic action plan covering 13 major areas, which will serve as the guideline for relations between Malaysia and China. Najib described the trip as most fruitful. Najib also received an honorary doctorate in international relations from the Beijing Foreign Studies University.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib made a visit to Indonesia on 22–24 April 2009. Several issues were discussed, including co-operation in the tourism, oil and gas, and high-technology industries, as well as electricity supply from the Bakun dam to Kalimantan. Najib and his entourage also attended an official dinner hosted by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife Ani Yudhoyono.


title: Najib Razak

text: Under Najib's government, Malaysia signed a free-trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand on 26 October 2009 to take effect 1 August 2010. The agreement will reduce or eliminate tariffs on thousands of industrial and agricultural products. The two countries have also agreed to reciprocate most-favoured nation status in private education, engineering services, environmental protection, mining services and information technology.


title: Najib Razak

text: In a protest rally in December 2016, Najib criticized the Myanmar authorities for the military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, and described the ongoing persecution as "genocide".


title: Najib Razak

text: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has always favoured Malaysia as a mediator in their effort of becoming an autonomous state. On 15 October 2012, the Moro rebel and the Philippines authority has devised a peace agreement to maintain the safety and security of the nation. Malaysia plays an important part in making this particular notion to be accepted by both parties. During the official ceremony of signing the agreement, the Malaysian government was invited as a witness to the long due treaty. Malaysia plays an important part, not just as a mediator but also as a confidante for both the Philippines government and also the rebel.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib has been implicated in the misappropriation of funds in the purchase of littoral combat ships (LCS). There is a perception that Najib was "the most powerful decision-maker" in the LCS procurement arrangements as he was both prime minister and finance minister at the time (April 2009). In 2022, Najib commented that the project was given to contractor Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd because it was owned by the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) and all profits of the project would thus go to the armed forces.


title: Najib Razak

text: Malaysia held its 14th general election in May 2018. Barisan Nasional was dealt a surprising defeat, failing to win a majority for the first time in the country's history. Observers credited the unpopular Goods and Services Tax as well as the swirling 1MDB corruption scandal as key factors in the defeat. On 12 May 2018, Najib resigned as President of UMNO and Chairman of BN and was replaced by UMNO vice-president, Hishammuddin Hussein.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib accepted the defeat and pledged to facilitate a smooth transfer of power. On 12 May 2018, three days after he lost the general elections, a flight manifest stated that Najib and his wife, Rosmah were taking a private jet to Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in Jakarta. In response, the Immigration Department, upon the orders of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, imposed a travel ban barring their exit from the country. Amidst the country's mood turning against him, Najib resigned as the leader of UMNO and Barisan Nasional on the same day.


title: Najib Razak

text: The newly elected Pakatan Harapan government swiftly reopened investigations into the 1MDB scandal. Since 16 May 2018, the Malaysian police have searched six properties linked to Najib and Rosmah as part of the investigation into the 1MDB scandal. They have seized 284 boxes filled with designer handbags, 72 large luggage bags containing cash in multiple currencies, and other valuables. The Malaysian police commissioner confirmed that the police seized goods with an estimated value of between US$223 and US$273 million. The police described it as the biggest seizure in Malaysian history.


title: Najib Razak

text: In January 2019, a 7-second video clip of Najib uttered "Malu Apa Bossku" ( "What's there to be ashamed of my boss") went viral on the internet. Najib later released a picture of him posed on a Yamaha Y150 motorcycle with the registration plate 8055KU (BOSSKU). The catchphrase and the picture went viral on social media, especially with Malay youths, and inspired videos, memes, t-shirts, caps, vehicle stickers and a music video. The phenomenon has contributed to Najib's rise in popularity. Najib also claimed that his "Bossku" phenomenon has contributed to a victory for his party in 2020 Kimanis by-election.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 6 May 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, Najib was given two fines amounting to RM3,000 for failing to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the conditional movement control order (CMCO) at a chicken rice restaurant. On 11 January 2022, the police opened an investigation into an event attended by Najib over claims that there was a breach of Covid-19 SOPs.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 27 February 2022, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he will review a video depicting Najib purportedly violating Covid-19 SOPs during a campaign visit in Perling, Johor. On 10 March 2022, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin revealed that his ministry had issued 42 compound notices for the violation of SOPs during the campaign period for the Johor election, including five to Najib.


title: Najib Razak

text: Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu disappeared outside the house of Abdul Razak Baginda, formerly a close associate of Najib, on October 19, 2006. She was never seen alive again. Three weeks later, her remains were found in a forest in Selangor. In 2008, Abdul Razak was acquitted by the High Court of abetment in the murder of Altantuyaa. In 2015, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar were found guilty of her murder and sentenced to death.


title: Najib Razak

text: In 2007, a Mongolian witness caused a stir in court when she revealed that Altantuya had been photographed having a meal with a Malaysian government official named 'Najib'. Detective P. Balasubramaniam also linked Najib to Altantuya in a statutory declaration (SD) on July 3, 2008. Najib has repeatedly denied knowing Altantuya or that he had any part in her death.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 2 July 2015, "The Wall Street Journal" ran an exposé alleging that MYR 2.672 billion (US$700 million) had been channelled from 1MDB into Najib's personal bank accounts, triggering widespread calls for his resignation. Najib denied any wrongdoing and announced plans to sue the newspaper for libel but eventually failed to do so. On 6 July 2015, amid the 1MDB scandal, the ringgit fell to 3.8050 against the US dollar, the first time it slid beyond the 3.80 currency peg, which was lifted in 2005. To back up the allegations, on 7 July 2015, "The Wall Street Journal" released a batch of partially redacted documents that purportedly show how nearly US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was moved from 1MDB into Najib's personal bank accounts. These documents relate to transactions in March 2013, December 2014 and February 2015.


title: Najib Razak

text: The multi-agency task force investigating these allegations reported on 10 July 2015 that Najib's bank accounts at AmBank Islamic were closed before "The Wall Street Journal" reported the transfers of billions of ringgit to those accounts, thereby confirming that Najib had two accounts at that bank. The task force also confirmed that the six accounts it had just frozen did not belong to Najib but did not name the holders of those accounts Najib's handling of the corruption scandal was criticised by, among others, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and then Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. During Najib's mid-term Cabinet reshuffle on 28 July 2015, Najib dropped Muhyiddin from his position as Deputy Prime Minister, as well as other Ministers who had been critical of his leadership. Najib stated that the reason for this was to create a more "unified team".


title: Najib Razak

text: On 1 August 2015, Najib addressed UMNO delegates in Seremban and in a clear reference to the Sarawak Report, the London-based whistleblower site founded and operated by journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, demanded that "white people" stay out of Malaysia's affairs and stressed that he valued loyalty above all, and not smart people.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 3 August 2015, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission stated that the RM 2.6 billion that had been banked into Najib's personal account came from donors, not 1MDB, but did not elaborate on who the donors were or why the funds were transferred, nor why this explanation had taken so long to emerge since the allegations were first made on 2 July 2015. Umno Kuantan division chief Wan Adnan Wan Mamat later claimed that the RM 2.6 billion was from Saudi Arabia as thanks for fighting ISIS. He further claimed that the Muslim community in the Philippines as well as southern Thailand had also received similar donations, and that since the donations were made to Najib personally as opposed to UMNO, the funds were deposited into Najib's personal accounts.


title: Najib Razak

text: The scandal took a dramatic twist on 28 August 2015 when a member of Najib's own party, Anina Saaduddin, UMNO's Langkawi Wanita (women's) representative, filed a civil suit against him alleging a breach of duties as trustee and that he defrauded party members by failing to disclose receipt of the donated funds, and account for their use. This suit was filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court and also named party Executive Secretary Abdul Rauf Yusof. Expressing fear that Najib would wield influence to remove any member of UMNO "for the sole purpose of avoiding liability" the court was also petitioned for an injunction to restrain UMNO, its Supreme Council, state liaison body, divisions and branches from removing the nominal plaintiff as a party member pending the determination of the suit. The plaintiff also sought repayment amounting to US$650 million, the amount allegedly deposited by Najib to a Singapore bank, an account of all monies that he had received in the form of donations, details of all monies in the AmPrivate Banking Account No 2112022009694 allegedly belonging to Najib, along with damages, costs, and other reliefs.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 21 September 2015, the New York Times reported that US investigators were investigating allegations of corruption involving Najib as well as people close to him. In particular, investigators focused on properties in the United States that were purchased in recent years by shell companies owned by Najib's stepson Riza Aziz or connected to a close family friend, as well as a $681 million payment made to what is believed to be Najib's personal bank account.


title: Najib Razak

text: The claimed MYR 2.6 billion "donation" into Najib's personal accounts led the opposition to table a no-confidence motion against Najib, on 18 October 2015.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 26 January 2016, Malaysia's Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali announced that the investigation into the $681 million payment into Najib's personal bank account had been closed. The Anti-Corruption Commission investigating the gift, led by Apandi, concluded that no laws had been broken and that the gift did not amount to graft. Apandi was appointed attorney general by Najib in August 2015 after the previous attorney general, Abdul Gani Patail, was abruptly dismissed by Najib. Although Bernama, Malaysia's state-run news service, reported that Abdul Gani was removed for health reasons, many speculated that his dismissal was related to the 1MDB corruption investigation. The Attorney General then said that the [Saudi Royal Family] was the source of the $681 million gift, although doubts remained as the Saudi ministries of foreign affairs and finance had no information on the purported gift.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib was reported to have returned $620 million to the Saudi royal family in 2013, but no explanation was given as to the reason for the investment or what happened to the $61 million Najib did not return. Najib hailed the results of the investigation and reiterated his denial of any wrongdoing.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 28 March 2016, the Australian television programme "Four Corners" in an episode called "State of Fear: Murder and Money in Malaysia", aired new allegations about the large sums of money that have flowed into the bank accounts of Najib Razak.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 30 March 2016, the Wall Street Journal, Time and several other news agencies reported that Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor had spent $15 million on luxury goods and extravagant travel expenses. During Najib Razak's golf diplomacy with U.S. President Barack Obama on 24 December 2014, Malaysian investigation documents show that Rosmah Mansor had purchased items amounting to $130,625 at a Chanel store in Honolulu, Hawaii. The allegation was confirmed when a store employee at the Chanel store in the upscale Ala Moana Center recalled Najib's wife shopping there just before 25 December 2014.


title: Najib Razak

text: In July 2016, the United States Department of Justice launched a civil lawsuit to seize American assets worth over US$1 billion (4.1 billion MYR) allegedly obtained from US$3.5 billion (14.38 billion MYR) of misappropriated 1MDB funds. Within the civil lawsuit, a government official of high rank who had control over 1MDB was referred to as "Malaysian Official 1", and mentioned over 30 times. "Malaysian Official 1" was alleged to have received around US$681 million (2.797 billion MYR) of stolen 1MDB money via Falcon Bank, Singapore on 21 and 25 March 2013, of which US$650 million (2.0 billion MYR) was sent back to Falcon Bank on 30 August 2013. In September 2016, Najib was identified as "Malaysian Official 1" by Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and the Barisan Nasional strategic communications director. Dahlan also claimed that Najib was not named because he was "not part of this investigation".


title: Najib Razak

text: On 15 June 2017, The United States Department of Justice followed up on its July 2016 lawsuit by issuing a civil action in rem to forfeit assets involved in and traceable to an international conspiracy to launder money misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad ("a strategic investment and development company wholly-owned by the government of Malaysia"). The writ provided detailed justifications for seeing to forfeit specific items and property located in the United States and abroad, including in the United Kingdom and Switzerland.


title: Najib Razak

text: As a consequence of the 15 June 2017 writ, on 28 February 2018 Indonesian authorities seized the luxury yacht linked to the 1MDB investigations in waters off Bali, on behalf of the FBI. Additionally, on 7 March 2018 in Californian courts, the producers of the 'Wolf of Wall Street' film agreed to pay $60m to settle Justice Department claims it financed the movie with money siphoned from 1MDB.


title: Najib Razak

text: In a speech in December 2017, US attorney general Jeff Sessions said of the scandal: "This is kleptocracy at its worst."


title: Najib Razak

text: On 3 July 2018 after the 14th Malaysian general election, Najib was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as part of investigations into how RM42 million (US$10.6 million) went from SRC International into Najib's bank account. The following day, Najib was indicted in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur on three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power in connection with SRC International funds totalling RM42 million. He was granted bail at RM1 million after pleading not guilty with his trial set for 18 February 2019.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 8 August 2018, Najib was charged with three further counts of money laundering as part of the MACC's investigation into the 1MDB scandal. Najib has denied making three transfers totaling RM42 from SRC International into his bank accounts.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 10 September 2018, Najib posted a copy of the letter that purportedly came from Prince Saud Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia on his Facebook account, as a proof of the alleged financial donation of US$100mil (RM304.5mil) given to him in 2011. He said he decided to reveal the documents in a bid to clear his name of various accusations and slander, and would continue to do so on his social media accounts.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 19 September 2018, Najib was arrested following two hours of questioning by the MACC, believed to be in relation to the RM2.6 billion donation he received in year 2013. Najib was charged on 20 September 2018 at the Sessions Court in Jalan Duta. However, he pleaded not guilty and was released on bail after his court appearance. On 21 September, he made a brief appearance at the Sessions Court registry to sign his bail at RM3.5 million for 25 counts of money laundering and abuse of power charges in relation to 1MDB. He has posted RM1 million for his bail, while the remaining RM2.5 million will be settled in instalments by the following week. In August 2019, during his second trial, Najib faces four charges of abuse of power and 21 charges of money laundering for receiving illegal transfers of RM 2.3 billion between 2011 and 2014.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 28 July 2020, the High Court convicted Najib guilty on all seven counts of abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust in relation to the SRC International case, becoming the first Prime Minister of Malaysia to be convicted of corruption.


title: Najib Razak

text: High Court judge Mohamad Nazlan bin Mohamad Ghazali has delivered the verdict regarding the misappropriation of RM42 million (US$10 million) from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MDB. In total, Najib faces 42 charges, of which 35 in another four trials are yet to be decided on.


title: Najib Razak

text: On the day of his conviction, Najib was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of RM210 million (for the first charge). He was also given six concurrent sentences of 10 years' imprisonment for the other six charges. If he fails to pay the fine, he will be serving another five years in prison. He would be appealing against the verdict of the High Court. The High Court granted a stay of execution of the conviction with an increased bail of RM 2 million with reporting to the police on the first and the fifth day of every month.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib's appeal hearing in front of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia began on 5 April 2021. On 8 December 2021, the Court of Appeal of Malaysia dismissed Najib's appeal, therefore upholding both his conviction and 12-year sentence. Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil has also condemned Najib's actions as a "national embarrassment". Najib's lawyer stated that his client, who remained outside prison on bail, would further appeal to the Federal Court of Malaysia against his conviction and sentence. On 16 August 2022, Malaysia’s supreme court rejected Najib’s appeal for a retrial, stating that the case had no evidence of bias. The Federal Court indicated that it would hear a final appeal by Razak in the SRC corruption case from 18 August 2022.


title: Najib Razak

text: On 23 August 2022, when the Federal Court was finishing hearing the appeal, Najib's counsel made an application to recuse the Chief Justice Tengku Maimun. This application was dismissed and the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal's conviction, handing down its full judgment here. As Najib has petitioned for a royal pardon (one day before he would have been disqualified as an MP), he still retains his Pekan parliamentary seat until Parliament is dissolved or the pardon is denied, whichever comes first.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib is the first Malaysian former prime minister to be convicted and jailed for corruption. Rumours that he would receive special treatment during his sentence were denied by officials.


title: Najib Razak

text: In 1976, Najib married Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar ('Kui Yie') with whom he has three children: Mohd Nizar Najib (born 1978), Mohd Nazifuddin Najib and Puteri Norlisa Najib. Nizar is currently a Member of the Pahang State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Peramu Jaya, winning the seat in the 2022 Pahang state election.


title: Najib Razak

text: In 1987, he divorced Kui Yie and married Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor with whom he has two children: Mohd Norashman Najib and Nooryana Najwa Najib. His daughter Nooryana is married to the nephew of former Kazakhstani President, Nursultan Nazarbayev.


title: Najib Razak

text: Najib Razak was an avid golf lover and he was known to have played golf with the two most recent U.S. Presidents – Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Trump has referred to Najib as "my favourite prime minister".


title: Najib Razak

text: On 1 February 2016, "FinanceAsia" has named Najib as the worst finance minister in 2016. The magazine said that 2015 had been a challenging year for the Malaysian economy, with a "double whammy" of the 1MDB scandal and the collapse in oil prices.


title: Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)

text: A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district (constituency) to the legislature of State government in the Indian system of government. From each constituency, the people elect one representative who then becomes a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). Each state has between seven and nine MLAs for every Member of Parliament (MP) that it has in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's bicameral parliament. There are also members in three unicameral legislatures in Union Territories: the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. Only a Member of the Legislative Assembly can work as a minister for more than 6 months. If a non-Member of the Legislative Assembly becomes a Chief Minister or a minister, he must become an MLA within 6 months to continue in the job. Only a Member of the Legislative Assembly can become a Speaker of the Legislature.


text: In states where there are two houses, there is a State Legislative Council, and a State Legislative Assembly. In such a case, the Legislative Council is the upper house, while the Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the state legislature.


text: The Governor shall not be a member of the Legislature or Parliament, shall not hold any office of profit, and shall be entitled to emoluments and allowances. (Article 158 of the Indian constitution).


text: The Legislative Assembly consists of not more than 500 members and not fewer than 60. The biggest state, Uttar Pradesh, has 403 members in its Assembly. States which have small populations and are small in size have a provision for having an even smaller number of members in the Legislative Assembly. Puducherry has 33 members out of which 3 are nominated by central government. Mizoram and Goa have only 40 members each. Sikkim has 32. All members of the Legislative Assembly are elected based on adult franchise, and one member is elected from one constituency. Until January 2020, the President had the power to nominate two Anglo Indians to the Lok Sabha and the Governor had the power to nominate one member from the Anglo Indian community deems fit if the governor thinks that they are not adequately represented in the Assembly. In January 2020, the Anglo-Indian reserved seats in the Parliament and State legislatures of India were abolished by the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019.


text: Up to three MLAs can be nominated in the union territory of Puducherry by the central government who enjoy equal powers as elected MLAs.


text: The qualifications to become a member of the Legislative Assembly are largely similar to the qualifications to be a member of Parliament.


text: The term of the Legislative Assembly is five years. However, it may be dissolved earlier than that by the Governor at the request of the Chief Minister, when the Chief Minister has actual majority support in the Assembly. The Assembly may be dissolved earlier if no one can prove majority support and become Chief Minister. The term of the Legislative Assembly may be extended during an emergency, but not more than six months at a time. The Legislative Council is the upper house of the State. Just like the Rajya Sabha, it is a permanent House. The members of the state's upper house are selected based on the strength of each party in the lower house and by state gubernatorial nomination. The term is six years, and a third of the members of the House retire after every two years. The upper house of a state assembly, unlike the upper house of the Parliament, can be abolished by the lower house, if it passes a specific law bill, which states to dissolve the upper house, and gets it attested in both houses of parliament and then signed by the president into law. Only Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh have their upper houses in existence with a six-year term. All other states have abolished the upper house by the above-mentioned method, as the upper house causes unnecessary problems, expenditures and issues.


text: The most important function of the legislature is law-making. The state legislature has the power to make laws on all items on which Parliament cannot legislate. Some of these items are police, prisons, irrigation, agriculture, local governments, public health, Pilgrimage, and burial grounds. Some topics on which both Parliament and states can make laws are education, marriage and divorce, forests, and the protection of wild animals and birds.


text: As regards money bills, the position is the same. Bills can originate only in the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Council can either pass the bill within 14 days of the date of the receipt of the Bill or suggest changes to it within 14 days. These changes may or may not be accepted by the Assembly.


text: The state legislature, besides making laws, has one electoral power, in electing the President of India. Elected members of the Legislative Assembly along with the elected members of Parliament are involved in this process.


text: Some parts of the Constitution can be amended by Parliament with the approval of half of the state legislatures. Thus the state legislatures take part in the process of amendment to the Constitution.


title: Clerks (film)

text: Clerks is a 1994 American black-and-white buddy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith (in his feature directorial debut), produced and edited by Smith and Scott Mosier, and starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonhauer, Jason Mewes, Smith, and Mosier. It presents a day in the lives of store clerks Dante Hicks (O'Halloran) and Randal Graves (Anderson) as well as their acquaintances. It is the first of Smith's View Askewniverse films, and introduces several recurring characters, notably Jay and Silent Bob (Mewes and Smith respectively).


title: Clerks (film)

text: "Clerks" was shot for $27,575 in the convenience and video stores where director Smith worked in real life. Upon its theatrical release, it received generally positive reviews and grossed over $4 million in theaters, launching Smith's career. In 2006, a sequel was released. Additionally, a third installment was released in 2022.


title: Clerks (film)

text: It is often regarded as a cult classic and a landmark in independent filmmaking. In 2019, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


title: Clerks (film)

text: Dante Hicks, a young man who works as a retail clerk at Quick Stop Groceries in Leonardo, New Jersey, is called into work on his day off to cover another employee's morning shift. Arriving at the store, he finds that the locks to the security shutters are jammed closed with gum, so he hangs a sheet over them with "I ASSURE YOU; WE'RE OPEN!" written in shoe polish. Soon after opening, Dante's best friend, wisecracking slacker Randal Graves, arrives for his own workday at the next door video rental store, RST Video.


title: Clerks (film)

text: The two prepare for another ordinary day immersed in their tedious customer service jobs. Dante repeatedly laments that he is "not even supposed to be here today," while Randal neglects his job at the video store to keep Dante company at the Quick Stop. They pass the time engaging in philosophical discussions on a wide variety of topics, including movies, sex, relationships, and difficult customers. Some of the customers they encounter during the day are angry and demanding, others clueless and impolite, still others prove unexpectedly wise. After several hours, Dante discovers that his boss, who was supposed to arrive at 12 so Dante could leave, has left on a trip to Vermont, leaving him to run the store alone for the rest of the day. Dante and Randal find a number of reasons to leave the store and slack off, from a rooftop hockey game with their friends to crashing an ill-fated wake for Julie Dwyer, one of Dante's ex-lovers.


title: Clerks (film)

text: Throughout the film, Dante is torn between Veronica Loughran, his current girlfriend, and Caitlin Bree, his ex-girlfriend with whom he still secretly communicates despite being engaged. Dante is distressed when he learns Veronica has given oral sex to 36 other men before him, and engaged in snowballing with at least one, namely Willam Black. Despite Veronica's doting on him, Dante chooses to rekindle his relationship with Caitlin. However, Caitlin is traumatized by an incident in the Quick Stop bathroom; in the dark, she had sex with a person that she thought was Dante, but who was actually an old customer who had died of a heart attack while masturbating to a pornographic magazine Dante provided him earlier. Caitlin leaves catatonic in an ambulance.


title: Clerks (film)

text: Jay and Silent Bob, a pair of drug dealers who spend their time loitering outside the store, invite Dante to party with them after hours, but Dante declines, considering the various seedy characters the two usually attract. Aware of Dante's problems, Silent Bob tersely convinces him that he really loves Veronica, but Randal has already confessed the previous events to her, prompting a furious Veronica to dramatically dump Dante. Dante then finally loses his temper and fights Randal, trashing the Quick Stop.


title: Clerks (film)

text: Dante and Randal have a crucial moment of clarity after their fight. Dante repeats his refrain that he's "not even supposed to be here today" and an enraged Randal, fed up with Dante's self-pitying, explodes at Dante, explaining that he (Dante, not Randal) closed the store several times to slack off. He then says that Dante came to work on his own free will and therefore could have left at any time, preventing the day's events. Furthermore, he says they are not as "advanced" over the customers as they think they are, or else they would not be stuck in such lowly jobs, leaving Dante speechless.


title: Clerks (film)

text: After the two make amends and clean the store, Dante plans to visit Caitlin in the hospital, try to reconcile with Veronica, and possibly get some direction in his life. Randal leaves, but not before tossing Dante's shoe-polish sign in his face and declaring, "You're closed!"


title: Clerks (film)

text: When writing the script, writer and director Kevin Smith based the character of Dante Hicks on himself, Randal Graves on his friend Bryan Johnson who appeared in Smith's subsequent films as Steve-Dave Pulski, and Jay on Jason Mewes, who ended up playing him in the movie.


title: Clerks (film)

text: Many of Smith's family and friends played roles due to budget constraints. One of them, Walt Flanagan, who, in addition of creating the character of Silent Bob's Russian cousin Olaf, plays four roles in this film: The "Woolen Cap Smoker" in the beginning, the "Egg Man" (both in which he reprises in Clerks III), the "Offended Customer" during the "jizz mopper" scene, and the "Cat Admiring Bitter Customer", as well as the final RST Video customer in a deleted scene. Smith never intended for Flanagan to play this many roles, but had to as the actors he got to play them just did not show up, and would often, in jest, refer to Flanagan as "the Lon Chaney of the '90s". Flanagan would also appear in Smith's subsequent films as Walt "The Fanboy" Grover opposite Johnson's Steve-Dave.


title: Clerks (film)

text: Brian O'Halloran, a local stage actor who would play Dante in the film, discovered the movie through an audition notice that Smith gave to the theater. When auditioning, O'Halloran didn't know what type of role he was getting, and did not understand the gist of what he was auditioning for.


title: Clerks (film)

text: Smith originally wrote the part of Randal for himself, dryly admitting in the DVD audio commentary is the reason he gave Randal his most-liked lines. However, Smith found that writing, directing, working at the store, and playing one of the lead roles all at the same time was too hard and he kept forgetting his lines in the process, so he gave the role of Randal to another one of his friends, Jeff Anderson, while Smith took on the less-demanding role of Silent Bob.


title: Clerks (film)

text: "Clerks" was shot on black-and-white 16mm film stock and roughly edited due to a budget of $27,575. To acquire the funds for the film, Kevin Smith sold a large portion of his extensive comic book collection in 1993, most of which he has since bought back, borrowed $3,000 from his parents, maxed out eight to ten credit cards with $2,000 limits, dipped into a portion of funds he got back from his college education, and spent insurance money awarded for a car he and Mewes lost in a flood. The film was shot in 21 days (with two "pick-up" days).


title: Clerks (film)

text: The Quick Stop convenience store (located at 58 Leonard Avenue in Leonardo, New Jersey), where Smith worked, was the primary setting for the film. He was only allowed to film in the store at night while it was closed (from 10:30 pm to 5:30 am), hence the plot point of the shutters being closed due to a vandal having jammed gum in the padlocks. Because Smith was working at Quick Stop during the day and shooting the film at night, he frequently slept no more than an hour a day. By the end of the 21-day shoot, Smith was unable to stay awake while Dante and Randal's fight was shot.