Bitter Pill for Sugar King

A prominent businessman whose rice, sugar and flour milling businesses date back to the 1950s, Robert Kuok became the subject of sharp criticism precipitated by a blog posting by controversial blogger, Raja Petra Kamaruddin. The 94 year-old tycoon was accused of seeking to overthrow Najib Razak’s Administration by splitting the Malays and supporting opposition parties, in particular the DAP. While the dust has settled on the controversy, we ask what purpose this attack on the well-respected figure served.